Coronavirus - Kenya: COVID-19 and lack of protective equipment threaten lifesaving care in Kenya

MSF teams too, however, crucially rely on the availability of PPE to protect patients and staff from the risk of infection. The global shortage of protective material may force even MSF to shut down our programmes – including emergency, lifesaving activities – if a reliable source of PPE is not rapidly found. This happens at the worst possible time. While the number of reported COVID-19 cases has remained relatively low so far, it is expected to increase, and so risks doing the number of indirect victims – those who couldn’t access essential medical care for other types of medical issues. With the rainy season approaching, the seasonal increase in respiratory disease is expected to make the situation even more challenging.