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By Johannes Marisa QUALITY health delivery service requires collaboration. In 2007, the World Health Organisation proposed a framework describing health systems in terms of six core components or building blocks. These components are the availability of good service delivery, health workforce, health information systems, access to essential medicines, financing and leadership. Much has been said in our country pertaining the desire to deliver a robust healthcare to the masses. With COVID-19 always threatening to strike further, it is thus prudent that we keep ourselves ready for action so that we are not caught unawares as a nation. While Europe continues to be hit by COVID-19 left, right and centre, the situation in Africa is a little better despite the little resources available. The public health measures that were introduced by authorities paid off with a halt on both morbidity and mortality. Health stakeholders in Zimbabwe include all those who are involved in health service delivery. These include policymakers, health practitioners, city councils, medical aid societies, the donor community, community leaders who, therefore, should come together for the benefit of the nation at large. It is a fact that there has been a lot of dissension among the stakeholders due to differences which have often threatened the viability of the health sector. Surprisingly, some of the contentious issues are easy to resolve. They only need minimal co-operation in order to move ahead. Being difficult does not help matters when dealing with issues, particularly important ones. The following matters have been of concern among stakeholders and it is my prayer that solutions will be found if the country is to make great strides in healthcare delivery: Service providers/medical aid societies feud The friction between service providers and medical aid societies should be resolved if many people are to access healthcare. There are patients that have been denied medical care simply because their health insurers do not want to honour claims from service providers. Some medical aid societies have gone for more than six months without paying a single dollar in this COVID-19 era. Service providers have been left without any option except to demand cash or shortfall upfront, thus putting more misery on patients. Members of medical aid societies should enquire with service providers on when medical aid societies last paid them. Harare City Council/private practitioners food handlers feud There has been acrimony from private practitioners about the way the city health department has handled the issue of food handlers’ certification. Council has claimed that many private practitioners have a tendency of making claims without examining patients, which has been denied by doctors. Council has refused to release medical certificate forms and its officials have gone around restaurants and supermarkets threatening that anyone who has a certificate not signed by council medical practitioners will be arrested. This is very unfair and it ridicules the prof
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.
[New Times] The Government of Rwanda has kicked off the national vaccination programme for Covid-19, starting with health care staff as part of the high-risk groups, the Ministry of Health announced on Sunday, February 14.
The Sentinel goes one-on-one with Sergeant Andre Clansy, Los Angeles Police Department Gang Intervention Liaison
Many may know about the Gang Reduction Youth Development Office (GRYD), established by the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office in 2007, to establish an office to coordinate comprehensive efforts to reduce gang violence, target specific areas that had the most gang violence, combine all the City’s programs within the Mayor’s Office, and to develop strong partnerships with City departments and community civic groups.
But what has been the role of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) with GRYD – both as it relates to gang policing and interactions with men and women, the gang intervention specialists who have been serving their communities on the front lines of street wars decades before the program’s existence?
Sometimes, we get a situation where we have decisions to make as far as how much information do we share, or issues going between the CIWs (Community Intervention Workers) from the streets, and our gang enforcement officers to make sure we understand each other’s jobs and responsibilities.
How I do that, I also operate a gang intervention awareness program within LAPD to educate our LAPD officers on the service that Community Intervention Workers do on the streets, so they could be fully aware, because some of our coppers do not understand the function of GRYD, what the GRYD is supposed to do.
Our class, we operate every month for LAPD officers to introduce them to what the GRYD strategy is and what the duties and responsibilities are of Community Intervention Workers.
South Africa expects to receive its first batch of Covid-19 vaccines from the global vaccine distribution scheme, Covax, in the second quarter of 2021.
This articles lead section may not adequately summarize key points of its contents. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. Please discuss this issue on the articles talk page. (March 2010)
The Organisation of African Unity (OAU; French: Organisation de lunité africaine (OUA)) was established on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa, with 32 signatory governments.[1] It was disbanded on 9 July 2002 by its last chairperson, South African President Thabo Mbeki, and replaced by the African Union (AU).
The OAU had the following primary aims:
To co-ordinate and intensify the co-operation of African states in order to achieve a better life for the people of Africa.[1]
To defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of African states.
The OAU was also dedicated to the eradication of all forms of colonialism and white minority rule as, when it was established, there were several states that had not yet won their independence or were white minority-ruled. South Africa and Angola were two such countries. The OAU proposed two ways of ridding the continent of colonialism and white minority rule. Firstly, it would defend the interests of independent countries and help to pursue the independence those of still-colonised ones. Secondly, it would remain neutral in terms of world affairs, preventing its members from being controlled once more by outside powers.
A Liberation Committee was established to aid independence movements and look after the interests of already-independent states. The OAU also aimed to stay neutral in terms of global politics, which would prevent them from being controlled once more by outside forces – an especial danger with the Cold War.
The OAU had other aims, too:
Ensure that all Africans enjoyed human rights.
Raise the living standards of all Africans.
Settle arguments and disputes between members – not through fighting but rather peaceful and diplomatic negotiation.
Soon after achieving independence, a number of
[This Day] With 930 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in a single day, Nigeria yesterday recorded its worst certified transmission of the deadly virus that has so far killed 1,200 people and infected a total of 75,062 since the first case was reported on February 28.
[New Times] The Ministry of Health has promised that it will undertake all necessary precautionary measures to ensure that people are safe while being vaccinated for Covid-19.
SIU head, advocate Andy Mothibi, delivered a report of the finalised investigations into allegations of corruption in the procurement of PPE by state institutions.
Other countries scheduled to hold elections are Egypt, Guinea, Seychelles and Tanzania.
For countries that do hold elections, there may be special voting arrangements that can allow polls to go ahead but reduce the risk of spreading the virus.
In South Korea's elections in mid-April, the electoral commission encouraged people to vote before election day at any of the 3,500 polling stations throughout the country.
This not only decongested polling stations on election day but contributed to the highest turnout in the country for nearly 30 years.
This means that countries planning to hold elections in 2020 or early-2021 need to start discussing these arrangements - across party lines and among multiple relevant agencies - as soon as possible.
A digital COVID-19 vaccination passport might be required by airlines, stadiums, workplaces and other establishments.
The African Union (AU) will test the controversial herbal remedy for Covid-19 from Madagascar.
“I am excited to update you that the Republic of Madagascar, through its Ministry of Health, has agreed to collaborate with the African Union and Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC) to explore further the remedy they have discovered for the treatment of Covid-19 to benefit the continent at large,” Mr Kwesi said on Twitter.
Last week, South Africa’s health minister Zweli Mkhize confirmed that they had received a scientific research request from Madagascar on the remedy.
Last week, the AU received data on the remedy for review based on global technical and ethical norms.
“Once furnished with the details, the Union, through the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, will review the scientific data gathered so far on the safety and efficacy of the Covid-19 Organics.
