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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.
Tanzania's President John Magufuli is in good health and working normally, one of his diplomats has told a broadcaster in Namibia, countering reports he had been flown to hospital in Kenya and then India in a critical condition with Covid-19.
A black delivery driver employed by a provider for FedEx was fired for posting a confrontation with a white homeowner on social media, according to NewsOne.
The driver, Antonio Braswell, said he and a co-worker were delivering packages for FedEx in Leesburg, Ga when a white man started to curse and threaten the two workers after they delivered a package.
Allie Addoms, a FedEx spokesperson, told Business Insider that the two men were employed by an independent service provider and said FedEx was investigating the video.
FedEx added that the two black delivery drivers had since been given employment at the company while the investigation continued.
“FedEx takes extremely seriously any allegations of discrimination, retaliation, or improper employment actions,” the company said in a statement.
Treasury has released K7.4 billion to government ministries to arm them fight the raging coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
Minister of Information, Civic Education and Communications Technology Mark Botomani said the money is from Covid-19 pool money.
This is what is needed to fight the Covid-19.
Botomani said that the government already released K2.4 billion which went to government ministries as well as district, town and city councils to fight the pandemic.
He said another K5 billion went to councils and security agents among other clusters engaged in the fight against Covid-19.
World Cancer Day raises awareness of the global impact of cancer and increase understanding of prevention, detection, treatment and care.
[Premium Times] UN Chief says the world must unite to make coronavirus vaccines available to everyone, everywhere.
Africa has recorded successes on many levels which are often ignored by global media -- and we need to embrace and celebrate our unique contribution to the world.
The outbreak of Covid-19 has once again revealed global perceptions of Africa.
A report by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) stated that between 300,000 and 3.3 million Africans could lose their lives due to Covid-19.
Beyond the narratives of doom and gloom, Africa has recorded successes on many levels which are often ignored by global media.
These states thus have the moral authority to promote democracy and human rights on the continent and beyond....
Lesotho's business community, civic groups and the diplomatic sector say they expect newly sworn Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro to pursue new policies to revive the comatose economy and improve the livelihoods of Basotho.
Business leaders interviewed by the Lesotho Times described Dr Majoro as an experienced technocrat with the expertise and wherewithal to purse correct policies to revive an economy in the doldrums, ravaged by the deadly coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
While wishing Dr Majoro well in his new role as head of government, Nedbank Managing Director, Nkau Matete, said like all players in Lesotho's business sector, he was looking forward to a stabilised economy under the new government.
Mr Mosoloane said Dr Majoro's government should ensure good health care and good health infrastructure not just as a result of the global Covid-19 pandemic but as a source of wealth creation.
\"We look forward to working with the incoming Prime Minister Dr Majoro and his government to assist Lesotho in addressing immediate challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences, as well as implementing the national reforms.
[The Herald] ADEQUATE measures informed by World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines have been put in place to ensure schools reopen safely in the proposed phases, starting with examination classes today, without risking a spike in Covid-19 infections.
Large crowds took to the streets at midnight on Friday in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, celebrating the arrival of 2021 after a year marred by a deadly pandemic that killed thousands there and required the city to be locked down between the end of January and early April. As per tradition, hundreds gathered in front of the old Hankow Customs House building, one of the city’s more popular New Year’s Eve spots. When the building’s old clock reached midnight many people released balloons into the air, cheered and called out “happy new year”. “I’m so so so incredibly happy,” said 20-year-old student and tourist Yang Wenxuan. “This is my first time in Wuhan. But it (the countdown) was so spectacular.” “I hope that I can successfully obtain my bachelor’s degree and I hope I can find a boyfriend,” Yang added. There was a heavy police presence and strict crowd control. Some security personnel were seen telling several of the few people without masks that they must put one on if they wished to stay. Still, the countdown appeared to proceed peacefully, in a relaxed atmosphere. The festivities came 12 months after the World Health Organisation (WHO) said it first received word of cases of a pneumonia of an unknown cause in Wuhan, which later became known as the world’s first outbreak of COVID-19. A team of WHO experts is scheduled to arrive in China in January 2021 to investigate the origins of the pandemic. Wuhan has been largely virus free for months, and in recent days it has been vaccinating some specific groups of the local population. But a recent small rise in cases in various Chinese cities, including Beijing, has reminded people in Wuhan that the pandemic is not over yet. “I hope that in 2021 everything goes well in the country and Wuhan can return to normal and I hope that the world can soon defeat the pandemic,” said Wuhan resident Anson Yang. The 25-year-old ,who works in the international trade sector, said his earnings were hit hard in 2020 and he knows of many businesses in Wuhan who are yet to return to normal trading levels. Several students yearned for an end to the pandemic so they could get on with in-person studies. One university student, however, drew some positive lessons from the fight against the pandemic. “If we look at the measures people took, the things people did as part of the epidemic control and the like, a human or friendly touch, something that we would not normally see, was felt by everyone,” said 21-year-old Chen Mengfan. - Reuters
A digital COVID-19 vaccination passport might be required by airlines, stadiums, workplaces and other establishments.
India’s donation of 80,000 COVISHIELD vaccines arrived yesterday morning at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri and Prime Minister Mark Phillips expressed gratitude on behalf of Guyana.
The article India’s 80,000 COVID vaccines donation arrives appeared first on Stabroek News.
[New Zimbabwe] More than 60% of Zimbabwe's working population now survives on vending or other informal sector operations and there is need for the government to recognise the trade and provide necessary safety nets.
Our plan is to distribute between 2 million and 3 million kilograms of additional maize seed targeting districts in Eastern, Northern and parts of central regions whose rainy season goes up to July.
So with our efforts to provide additional seeds to farmers, we believe that the country will be food secure during and after Covid-19 pandemic.
Could this pandemic be a blessing in disguise in terms of emphasis on food production and household income or its disruption in normal flow of work?
We want to see farmers earning more income, households living quality lives and food security becoming part and parcel of the routine fixture.
We have also selected some 17 districts which are tea growing areas in regions across the country and working with Uganda Developed Corporation tea factories will be established there.
But the nature and sheer scale of the current coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic now brought a number of questions with regard to how the government has handled burials of victims, with experts now condemning the Health Ministry for violating the dignity of the dead.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) in its March 24 guidance on burials of Covid-19 victims said that dead bodies are generally not infectious.
This, coupled with the Health Ministry’s directives that local health authorities should designate a team to oversee the process and that a maximum of only 15 people, strictly adhering to the social distancing, will be allowed at the funeral of their loved one, have upended important death and burial rituals.
The Health ministry notes that to avoid community practices that would result in more infections through contact, bodies of people who have died of, or suspected to have died of Covid-19, should be handled by a public health official.
Families of three Covid-19 patients who have been buried by health officials donned in personal protective gear have decried the manner in which their kin have been buried, alleging that the government did not let them have a say in the burials.
