Elsevier

Public Health in Practice

Volume 1, November 2020, 100023
Public Health in Practice

Short Communication
Lessons to be learnt from the COVID-19 public health response in Mauritius

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhip.2020.100023Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open access

Highlights

  • COVID-19 in Mauritius: A success story?

  • How well did Mauritius to tackle the COVID-19 outbreak?

  • The public health response of Mauritius was fast and bold.

  • The COVID-19 outbreak causes ten deaths in Mauritius.

  • The BBC News Channel praised Mauritius for its confinement measures.

Abstract

Objectives

This study had the following objectives: (1) To look into the public health response of the country facing the COVID-19 outbreak, and (2) To examine the effectiveness of the measures being undertaken to contain the outbreak.

Methods

The research method used was the analysis of all documents/discourses pertaining to the public health response of Mauritius towards COVID-19. We compiled data over the period of 17 January 2020 to 15 May 2020 as and when they were communicated.

Results

This study revealed three main themes: (1) Prevention strategy, (2) Outbreak management strategy and (3) Communication strategy. In light of the qualitative findings and the numerical data provided by the Mauritian authorities, we appraise the public health response of Mauritius.

Conclusions

After demonstrating the effectiveness of the public health strategies undertaken by the Mauritian government, we draw the lessons learnt from the experience of Mauritius. These lessons have implications for practice by middle-income countries and/or small island developing states facing a communicable disease outbreak.

Keywords

COVID-19
Mauritius
Public health response
Outbreak management
Middle-income country
Small island developing state

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