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A leading US Intelligence advisor has taken a firm stance on the origins of COVID-19, insisting that the virus came from a biological weapons lab in Wuhan.
A November 26 letter from the presidency asked the head of Uganda's national drug authority to 'work out a mechanism' to clear the importation of the vaccines.
China has about five COVID-19 vaccine candidates at different levels of trials. It was not clear what vaccine was being imported into Uganda.
One of the frontrunners is the Sinopharm vaccine developed by the Beijing Institute of Biological Product, a unit of Sinopharm’s China National Biotec Group (CNBG).
On Wednesday, the United Arab Emirates said the vaccine has 86% efficacy, citing an interim analysis of late-stage clinical trials.
China has used the drug to vaccinate up to a million people under its emergency use program.
On Tuesday, Morocco said it was ordering up to 10 million doses of the vaccine.
Record cases
Uganda on Monday registered 701 new COVID-19 cases, the highest-ever daily increase, bringing its national count to 23,200.
The new cases were out of the 5,578 samples tested for the novel coronavirus over the past 24 hours, the country's health ministry said in a statement.
Tuesday's tally was 606, the second-highest ever number of new infections, bringing the cumulative number of confirmed cases in the east African country to 23,860.
Health authorities have blamed ongoing election campaigns which have drawn huge crowds for the rise in infections.
Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 disease in Nigeria, late February, the various governments took various measures to combat the plague.
Since Nigeria recorded her first case of COVID-19 late February, 7016 persons, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, have tested positive for the disease.
·February 5: The Nigerian Air Force killed \"some\" (estimated at five) ISWA (Boko Haram) militants in Ngala, Borno.
·February 8: The Nigerian Air Force killed \"several\" (estimated at 10 Boko Haram militants in Gwoza, Borno.
·February 27: The Nigerian Air Force killed \"some\" (estimated at 10) Boko Haram militants in Gwoza, Borno.
Over 20 media practitioners from both the private and public media in the Littoral region have been trained on \"Risk Communication\" with focus on the Covid-19 pandemic.
With this in mind, the organizers of the workshop made participants to understand that risk communication is an important tool for disseminating information and understanding about risk management decision.
The main resource person, who is also the Risk Communication and Community Engagement agent at the World Health Organisation- WHO, Nguelle Carlene Romance, reminded journalists that their reports have a great influence both on the population and on decision makers.
Nguelle Carlene Romance emphasised that risk communication permits the exchange of real-time information, advice and opinions between experts and people facing threats to their health, economic or social well-being.
It is a health war, journalists and media professionals must be on the frontline of this health fight through effective and efficient communication.
A shortage of test kits has undermined South Africa's early response to the coronavirus crisis, but a local biotechnology firm is stepping up to try and plug the shortfall in testing capacity.
CapeBio Technologies, a privately-held company which was spun out of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in 2018, plans to roll out 5 000 test kits per day from the end of July, with support from the government.
The World Health Organisation has said shortages of test kits are a challenge in Africa.
At 5 000 tests kits per day, CapeBio could meet approximately a tenth of the country's current daily testing capacity.
READ | Eastern Cape health workers wait up to one month for Covid-19 test results
Confirmed cases of coronavirus passed the 100 000 mark this month, making South Africa the hardest-hit country on the continent.
Botswana has signed an agreement with the global vaccine distribution scheme co-led by the World Health Organisation, giving it the option to buy coronavirus vaccines for 20% of its population, a senior health official told Reuters
TWO weeks after Tanzanian and Kenyan leaders agreed on modalities for enabling truck drivers cross at border posts, Kenyan authorities have started blocking Tanzanian truckers from crossing Namanga frontier on grounds of lacking valid Covid-19 clearance certificates.
The government confirmed yesterday that Kenya is blocking Tanzanian truck drivers from crossing the Namanga One Stop Border Post (OSBP) claiming that they don't have valid certificates that show that they have tested negative for Covid-19.
The development is contrary to the agreement reached in Arusha by transport ministers of the two countries at the climax of their one-day meeting at the Namanga border post on May 22, this year.
\"Our truckers have been denied entry through Namanga as customs officials from Kenya demanded that they be retested at the border, which goes against the May agreements,\" explained Longido District Commissioner Mr Frank Mwaisumbe when contacted by 'Daily News' yesterday.
No Kenyan truck was seen crossing the Namanga border into Tanzanian territory for the better part of yesterday.
[allAfrica] Analyses by researchers at the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (Accord) warn that Covid-19 has provoked responses that violate human rights, slow effective responses to the pandemic and, ultimately, threaten peace.
FOLLOW LIVE | Lockdown: Loss of tax revenue outweighs harm caused by cigarettes, says govt on tobacco ban
Paris – The novel coronavirus has killed at least 385 869 people since the outbreak first emerged in China last December, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 11:00 (GMT) on Thursday.
Yerevan – Hospitals in Armenia can no longer cope with the number of coronavirus patients, the country's prime minister warned on Thursday.
But it was not until two weeks later that the authorities set down restrictions for the country's 25 million people.
Amphetamine use soars in locked down Finland - study
Helsinki – Finns may be known for their love of vodka and beer, but growing numbers in the Nordic nation appear to have turned to amphetamines to cope with the coronavirus lockdown, health officials said on Thursday.
Use of amphetamines in the country of 5.5 million people has tripled since 2013, according to wastewater studies, Gunnar said.
The World Health Organisation (WHO), Regional Office for Africa in Brazzaville, Congo, says there are over 380,000 confirmed cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on African continent.
\"There are over 380,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases on the African continent - with more than 181, 000 recoveries and 9,500 deaths,\" it said.
The figures show that South Africa, Nigeria and Ghana, have the highest reported cases in the continent.
According to the report, South Africa has 138,134 cases and 2,456 deaths, followed by Nigeria with 24, 567 confirmed cases and 567 deaths, while Ghana has 17, 351 confirmed cases and 112 deaths.
Gambia had 45 reported cases and two deaths, while Seychelles had 77 reported cases with no death.
Africa the Initial Testing Ground for Coronavirus Vaccine Doses
The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared that 220 million covid-19 vaccine doses will be tested on the African population. The distribution will be based on nation inhabitant numbers and — front-line health workers and the most vulnerable being given first-batch priority, as confirmed by WHO Africa programme manager Richard Mihigo.
Dr Richard Mihigo, WHO Africa immunisation and vaccines coordinator, outlined the process, \"This will not necessarily cover all the needs of the continent but at least will cover 20 percent of the African population, initially prioritising those that are on the frontline, healthcare workers, then expanding to cover vulnerable groups such as the elderly or those with a pre-existing condition.\"
COVAX is the global vaccine initiative that consists of nine vaccine candidates being tested around the world — two of which are already being tested in Africa, according to the head of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Richard Hatchett. The initiative seeks to contribute to the purchase and equitable distribution of 2 billion doses of approved vaccines by the end of 2021.
Mixed Reactions from Africans
Mr. Mihigo volunteered that all 54 African countries have expressed their interest in participating in this initiative and some African leaders are publicly welcoming the vaccine trials. Mitoha Ondo'o Ayekaba, Vice-minister for Health of Equatorial Guinea is in support, \"From the Equatorial Guinean perspective, I think the government position has consistently been that all efforts to contain the pandemic in the country has to be free for all citizens.\"
However, not all Africans share this sentiment as an incident back on April 2 that saw two French professors — during a broadcast on the local channel LCI, overtly suggest that coronavirus vaccine trials be conducted on Africans because ‘in Africa there are no masks, no treatment, no intensive care’ ignited a fire of indignation amongst many Africans worldwide.
Their remarks set social media networks ablaze in protest as many within the African population declared that they will not be used as\"lab rats\" or \"guinea pigs\" in the initial vaccine trials that will eventually benefit the entire human population.
The controversy found its way to Geneva, where the director of the World Health Organisation, Ethiopian doctor Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, interviewed by a Nigerian journalist, castigated the banter of the French professors — labelling their mentality \"colonial\" and their remarks \"racist.\" His stance was as follows, \"Africa cannot and will not be a testing ground for any vaccine.\"
This incident only added to the already existent distrust that many people worldwide have of organisations that seek to conduct medical tests to reduce diseases.
Covid-19 Numbers in Africa
Africa has a population of over 1.3 billion people and hit the 1.2 million mark of confirmed Covid-19 cases. Around half of these cases are attributed to South Africa, the ha
In Zimbabwe, the health sector has been the worst affected of all sectors by economic woes.
Most of the elite have been seen travelling overseas to seek medical treatment because the public health sector is in shambles.
However, with the emerging of the coronavirus, we are seeing the government of Zimbabwe sprucing all corners of the health sector to ensure the sector is breathing again.
WHO, the Jack Ma Foundation, Econet Wireless, Tongaat Hulett Zimbabwe and Sakunda Holdings, to mention but a few, have come to the rescue of the health sector.
Several if not all health facilities in Zimbabwe have been in horrible state, thus seeing the elite seeking medical treatment abroad.
An Eco-Friendly Manufacturing Plant is Turning Plastic into Bricks
After Kenya imposed a ground-breaking law in 2017 on the use, manufacturing and import of plastic bags as part of global efforts to limit plastic waste, four engineers in Nairobi saw an opportunity in the estimated 500 tonnes of plastic waste the city generates daily and founded Gjenge Makers — a company that recycles plastic bottle tops and cooking oil containers into environmentally friendly bricks. Nzambi Matee, a co-founder of Gjenge Makers, explains how it came about.
\"So we started by collecting plastic waste and selling it to recyclers. That was in 2017, and then we realised three to six months later that we were collecting more waste than we could sell, than the recyclers could absorb. So that's when we decided what more we could do with the remaining plastic, as a value-added aspect, to see if we could put a product on the market using the plastic waste, and that's how we started making the paving stones\".
Grey pavers sell for around 8 euros per square meter, while coloured pavers sell for around 10 euros.
Matee describes the logic behind the ecologically-sound operation, \" Once the manufacturers package the soft drinks, or whatever product they are packaging, once the consumer finishes with that product, they have nowhere else to take it other than the litter box. And so, with that, we decided why don't we create a plug where instead of having the plastic to go the dumpsite, we intercept it on the way, and hence we started the making business.\"
The waste is then crushed into small pellets, sorted according to colour, mixed with sand and the desired colour pigment — before being taken onto the production line where they are moulded and put into a hydraulic press.
Ann Muthoni, the Programme Coordinator at Mukuru Slums Development Projects, shares some inside information, \"We had used the ballast before, but most of the trainees were complaining the ballast was damaging their shoes, so the Gjenge pavers, we find them very friendly. Walking on them feels like you are walking on rubber*
Gjenge Makers can currently produce up to 1,500 bricks a day with homeowners and schools as clients.
The West Dumping Plastic Waste in Africa
Although many African countries are making an effort to overcome the pressing issue of plastic waste, their efforts are often thwarted — as many countries in the Western world have used many nations in Africa as their plastic waste dumîng ground.
In April, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) - whose members include Shell, Exxon, Total, DuPont and Dow, companies already guilty of polluting many rivers in Africa via oil drilling and oil spills, proposed investments in recycling in Kenya with a catch.
The recycling investment deal is one only provided that the recipient country accepts US plastic waste i.e. Kenya would get about 500 million tonnes of plastic waste exports from the US per year.
Plastic But Not a Superficial Issue
According to a 2018 United Nations (UN) report, an esti
Even before COVID-19, many African countries used libel and defamation laws, and internet shut downs to limit the freedom of expression of citizens and the media.
This recommendation can still be used to combat fake news as long as the impact on freedom of expression is minimal.
The Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa issued a recently press statement expressing concerns about internet shutdowns in African countries in the time of COVID-19.
And the African Commission recently published its Revised Declaration on Principles of Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa.
Finally, African governments must not use fake news during this pandemic as a shield to violate the freedom of expression of its citizens, or settle old scores with the press.
Lesufi tested for the virus on Tuesday and went into self-isolation after two staff members from the department's offices in Johannesburg tested positive for Covid-19.
READ | Lesufi self-isolating after two staff members test positive for Covid-19
Staff are expected to return to the head office on Monday once the process is complete.
READ | 29 Eastern Cape schools close due to positive Covid-19 cases, 48 more have suspected cases
Staff members, who were in contact with those who contracted the virus, have been tested and will follow protocols to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
\"Once a staff member tests positive, we also trace their contacts.
The department said that Lesufi and Gauteng MEC of Health Bandile Masuku will on Sunday visit the family of a Grade 7 pupil from Kokosi Primary School in Fochville.
[Monitor] The news about the Covid-19 vaccine that is 90 per cent effective in stopping coronavirus infection, has raised hope that the pandemic will end soon.
The initiative dubbed Africa Communications Information Platform (ACIP) is based on a partnership between ECA, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), telcos and ministries of health, finance, economy, planning.
The ACIP is an information and communication tool between citizens and governments designed to gather user-generated data and statistics to provide national and regional Covid-19 task forces with health and economic insights that will enable authorities to analyse pandemic-related problems and respond appropriately.
Using anonymous user inputs, including survey responses, ACIP will build data dashboards and actionable insights for national and regional level policy makers.
Each African country will maintain full ownership and access to its national data on the platform, while ECA will use aggregated data to facilitate regional or continental level analysis and insights into best practices.
The ACIP will allow policymakers to share insights and harness data to inform decision making at a regional and national level for the ultimate benefit of local populations.
[Cameroon Tribune] David Mafani Namange, Mayor of Buea Council.
Major African stats: May 31 at 7:00 GMT:
\t
\t\tConfirmed cases = 141,599
\t\tNumber of deaths = 4,070
\t\tRecoveries = 59,191
\t\tActive cases = 78,338
SUGGESTED READING: rolling coverage of the coronavirus outbreak in Africa I
\t\tLesotho confirms index case
\t\tComoros records first case
\t\tUS support for Kenya, South Africa; Africa’s equipment crunch
\t\tAfrica case increase worries experts
May 31: China to support Africa with virus logistics
\tChina will give Africa 30 million test kits per month, as well as 10 000 ventilators and 80 million masks, South African president Cyril Ramaphosa disclosed on Sunday during a virtual meeting with top editors in the country.
Back in South Africa, Ramaphosa who is the chairperson of the African Union also defended the decision to reopen the economy of Africa’s most industrialized nation despite being the most impacted and the having carried out the most tests.
The South African president is also current chairperson of the African Union, AU; he is leading Africa’s most impacted country and the continent’s effort to get international support to fight the pandemic.
Africa dangerously behind in global race for virus gear
\tAs Africa braces for a surge in coronavirus cases, its countries are dangerously behind in the global race for scarce medical equipment.
AP
April 23: Africa’s 43% jump in virus cases in 1 week worries experts
\tAfrica registered a 43% jump in reported COVID-19 cases in the last week, highlighting a warning from the World Health Organization that the continent of 1.3 billion could become the next epicenter of the global outbreak.
OVER FIFTY women have accused charity workers of sex abuse in Congo during the ebola...
The post Charities accused of sexual abuse in DR Congo during Ebola crisis appeared first on Voice Online.
KENYA IS the last country in East Africa to reopen schools for students after closing...
The post Schools in Kenya reopen after nine-month COVID-19 closure appeared first on Voice Online.
South African’s favourite Afrikaans soapie has been trending on social media for including gender-based violence (GBV) in its storyline.
The World Health Organization on Monday urged countries to continue funding the agency, saying it will initiate an independent review into its handling of the coronavirus pandemic \"at the earliest appropriate moment.\"
Speaking at the 194-member World Health Assembly virtual conference, the WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, also called on all nations to \"do everything it takes to ensure that the 2020 coronavirus pandemic is never repeated.\"
Mr Ghebreyesus said the world could no longer afford the \"short-term amnesia\" that had characterised the global response to health crises in the past.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how the U.S. President, Donald Trump, threatened to permanently pull funding from the World Health Organisation (WHO) if it does not commit to \"major substantive improvements\" within 30 days, according to a letter to the WHO chief shared by Mr Trump on Twitter on Monday.
\"The only way forward for the World Health Organisation is if it can actually demonstrate independence from China,\" the U.S. president asserted.
Dr Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organisation (WHO), Regional Director for Africa, has paid tribute to African leaders for the progress they have made in their fight against COVID-19 pandemic.
\"We have seen African countries take very tough decisions to put in place some of the control measures
\"I am very pleased to have joined this celebration of Africa Day yesterday, and especially pleased to have been in the company of special envoys on COVID-19 in Africa,\" she said.
The Day is an opportunity to celebrate Africa's vitality and diversity, and to promote African unity and it is celebrated in various countries on the African continent, as well as around the world.
\"All countries in Africa now have a preparedness and response plan in place, compared with less than a dozen in the first few weeks of the pandemic.
\"And 51 have lab-testing capacity for COVID-19, compared with 40 countries 10 weeks ago; WHO continues to support Africa with other life-saving supplies,\" the director general said.
