health

By Boris Esono Nwenfor

In continuation of its quarterly program, the Kidney Resource Centre of the Iya Foundation has provided some food items on Wednesday, April 14 to close to seventy-eight (78) kidney patients.

The donation exercise is part of the Iya Foundation- Kidney Resource Centre’s Food Security Program and four times every year after every three months. The next distribution exercise has been programmed for July.

The kidney patients were urged to do their dialysis as it is very important and also to practice good dieting. This involves the eating of vegetables and fruits with emphasis also placed on the quality of food. That is why the Iya Foundation provided the patients with some food items that are necessary for them.  

Items provided to the patients includes: 5kg rice/person; 6cups beans/person; 4cubes savon/person; 4packs spaghetti/person; 1tray egg/person; 2kg garri/person and 5litres red oil/person.

“We are making sure that dialysis patients have access to food and good food. We know that for one to be wholesome with their health and wellness nutrition is important and this is part of our Food Security Program,” the Founder and CEO of the Iya Foundation, Iya Bekondo-Granatella told journalists.

“For dialysis patients, they are advised to take low salt and low potassium diet and also fluid restriction. You can only drink four eight-ounce cups of water a day if you are on dialysis. You cannot drink like the average person,” She added.

Iya Bekondo who is also a kidney patient has words of encouragement to the patients knowing the problems and difficulties some of them have to go to even to get dialysed.  “We are talking with the government to make dialysis free and for it to be consistent as there are always shortages in it,” Iya Bekondo said.

“We can do that by opening more dialysis clinics and others centres across the country. All these have to be taken into consideration by the government. The patients suffer a lot travelling from afar just to get dialysis, which is another big problem for them. Some do not even have houses where they can stay and do their dialysis.”

Iya Bekondo has begun facing some difficulties with her kidney which she has been living with for the past fifteen (15) years. But despite the issues that are coming up she says she has no sign of stopping as she continues in her effort to make it better for Kidney patients.

The Foundation has called on these patients to continue supporting the Foundation in their activities and to carry out consultation at their Centre with well-qualified staff and machines to do their various tests required.

Some of the beneficiaries applauded the efforts of the Foundation even though persons try to give them a bad name. “I want to say thank you and we are happy that Iya is still putting some force in helping patients of the Dialysis patients in Buea. All I can say is for her not to relent her effort taking into consideration the fact that she too is a patient,” George Tambe, President of the Dialysis Patients in Buea said.

“I am grateful for the efforts that the Foundation has been putting in assisting the patients. I, as a caregiver, will only promise to intensify my efforts in assisting my husband,” Ada Nayongo said.

Genesis Fund

The fund was initiated by a guy called Genesis who died because he could not afford his treatment.  The Genesis fund is a patient-assistance fund, financial assistance fund that the Foundation gives to desperate patients in their time of need. It is ongoing and it is activated upon need.

Some four patients are presently benefiting from the fund and it could be added if there are available funds and also when patients approach the Foundation. “It goes both ways; when we have funds we can source patients that need it and also when a patient reaches out to us with their story we can help look for sponsors to help support their care,” Iya Bekondo said about the Genesis Fund.

Iya Bekondo’s story

Iya Bekondo-Granatella was diagnosed with kidney disease at the age of seven and subsequently lost her kidneys ten years later. Through the support and charitable effort of her family, friends, and her community, Iya was able to get a lifesaving renal transplant donated by her mother. Upon receipt of her transplant, Iya has made a commitment to helping low-income uninsured patients who suffer from end-stage renal disease, as well as educate, inform, and create awareness about chronic kidney disease.

About the Iya Foundation

The Iya Foundation, Inc. a New Jersey Non-Profit Organization; aims to save lives by educating and raising awareness on chronic kidney disease as well as raise funds that benefit low-income uninsured End-Stage Renal Disease Patients.

The Iya Foundation, Inc. believes every individual deserves a second lease on life. Through their programs, and with the help of Public and Private Funds, they intend to fight kidney disease through education and awareness; that will encourage early detection; hence subsequently delay or prevent complete renal failure.

By Boris Esono Nwenfor

After reviewing the efficacy of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, Cameroon is set to receive some 400,000 doses of the said vaccine for the fight against the coronavirus.

According to the Permanent Secretary of the National Vaccination Program, Joshua Ndoula Shalom, the vaccines are expected in Cameroon on Saturday, April 17.

The arrival of this vaccine presents a boost to the country’s efforts in vaccinating its population against the virus. It will also come a week after the country received its first doses of China’s Sinopham vaccine. 200,000 doses of that vaccine were received by Cameroon’s Prime Minister Dr Dion Ngute and the vaccination exercise has already begun in the country.

Cameroon had earlier suspended the administration of the AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine it was scheduled to receive on March 20 as part of the global vaccines sharing scheme COVAX due to report from countries about blood clot and the suspension by some countries.

The review was submitted by Cameroon’s Minister of Public Health Dr Manaouda Malachie after a flurry of suspensions of the coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford.

In a tweet on March 12, Dr Manaouda Malachie stated: “As the side effects of the AstraZeneca vaccine continue to be debated, I would like to make it clear that I have submitted the matter to the Scientific Council and NITAG for advice. The expectation is that we will not use this vaccine while there are still doubts about its effects.”

Dr Shalom Ndoula, Permanent Secretary of Expanded Program on Immunization in the Ministry of Public Health had attested to the effectiveness of the vaccine. “The effectiveness of AstraZeneca has been shown by many studies. From clinical trials, AstraZeneca has shown the effectiveness of about 70%, and more than 89% in preventing severe forms of the virus and death.

At the moment, health personnel are the priority target for the start of the vaccination exercise with negotiations underway to obtain additional doses of the vaccine to achieve substantial vaccination coverage, Joshua Ndoula Shalom added.

Officials across the country have multiplied their efforts in carrying out sensitization about the need for people to be vaccinated when the time comes. This comes at a time when many in the country have been raising doubts about the motive behind the said vaccination campaign.

Despite these doubts which are “unfounded” according to health officials, the positive cases in the country have continued to rise. The country as of April 16 has a total of 61, 731 confirmed coronavirus cases in the country. This is 21, 109 additional cases taking from March 16 to April 16.

By Boris Esono Nwenfor

The Minister of Public Health Dr Manaouda Malachie has launched the vaccination exercise in the South West Region as officials grapple to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Prof Ndip, Deputy Vice-chancellor of the University of Buea is amongst the first persons to receive the Chinese Sinopham COVID-19 vaccine at the Buea Regional Hospital as the Minister of Health alongside other officials also went down to Limbe for the same exercise.

Minister Manaouda Malachie’s visit to the South West Region follows a similar exercise undertaken in the nation’s political capital Yaounde. Some 200,000 doses of the Sinopham vaccine were donated by the Chinese government to the country in their effort to help Cameroon. It is expected that more is to follow from the Chinese government.

The priority targets according to government officials are healthcare personnel, vulnerable groups or those with pre-existing health conditions, taxi drivers, and the general public.

This visit by the health boss is also coming at a time when the country is making strides in acquiring vaccines for its populace. Some 400,000 doses of the British Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is expected in the country.

According to the Permanent Secretary of the National Vaccination Program, Joshua Ndoula Shalom, the vaccines are expected in Cameroon on Saturday, April 17.

“At the moment, health personnel are the priority target for the start of the vaccination exercise with negotiations underway to obtain additional doses of the vaccine to achieve substantial vaccination coverage, Joshua Ndoula Shalom added.

It should be recalled that Cameroon had earlier suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine after countries had earlier stopped using it due to fears of a blood clot. Both countries have begun using the vaccine officials in Cameroon too have done a U-turn and indicated that they will use the vaccine.

By Deng Machol

Juba – South Sudan’s National Taskforce on Covid 19 has lifted the partial lockdown after the vaccine roll out a weeks ago.

The country’s health ministry said it has vaccinated 947 health workers with the AstraZeneca vaccines against COVID-19.

Of recent, some health experts advised the body to cautiously lift the partial lockdown amidst a decline in cases in recent weeks.

The strict measures to contain the spread of the virus were issued in early February and extended last month.

In February, The taskforce chairman Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi had ordered for a shutdown of all businesses except for those dealing in essential services like food, medicines, and fuel.

The public was required to adhere to the mandatory wearing of facemasks, social distancing, and hand washing.

The Taskforce Abdelbagi also directed law enforcement agencies to enforce the order.

The lockdown measures that were imposed earlier were poorly followed as public transport vehicles maintained their full capacity and other businesses, including night clubs, continued to operate.

 The partial lockdown measures elapsed on April 4, but there had been no official communication on whether to extend or remove the ban until Wednesday.

In a statement, Vice president for services, Abdelbagi, also the chairperson of the taskforce, says the move was reached following a decrease in Covid-19 infection rates, while lifted the national partial lockdown with immediate effect saying there was a significant reduction in infections.

“After a thorough consultation with stakeholders, it gives me a great pleasure to announce lifting of the COVID-19 partial lockdown that its effectiveness expired on 4th April 2021, following a decrease in Covid-19 infection rate as the National Laboratory announced,” said Abdelbagi.

“Meanwhile, the public is hereby cautioned to continue to observe the instructions of the health authorities particularly washing hands, the mandatory wearing of face masks, social distancing, avoiding crowded places, and reporting all suspected cases by calling the free toll number 666,” he added. 

President, however, urges the public to strictly follow the Country’s Covid-19 guidelines to prevent further spreading of the virus.

On Wednesday, the country’s health ministry confirmed 11 new cases with 10,416 accumulative figures and 114 death.

The Global Institute for Disease Elimination (GLIDE) , a new Abu Dhabi-based global health Institute focused on eliminating infectious diseases of poverty, has launched The Falcon Awards for Disease Elimination, in a drive to discover and implement innovative approaches to disease elimination.

Founded in 2019 by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, GLIDE identifies the latest scientific, cultural, and global health knowledge and puts it into action with partners through programmes to advance disease elimination.

The Falcon Awards, which open for submissions online on 4^th May 2021, invites Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), philanthropic foundations, coalitions or networks of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), academic or research institutions, Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), and public or private sector institutions in endemic countries to submit proposals that aim to accelerate the elimination of one or more of GLIDE’s four focus diseases: malaria, polio, lymphatic filariasis, and onchocerciasis.

GLIDE is particularly seeking proposals which address cross-border, cross-disease, cross-programme, or cross-sector approaches to disease elimination. Submissions should focus on the implementation of innovative ideas and established research which has a high potential to be catalytic, transformational, or genuinely novel in approach, or on operational research with prospects to provide solutions to existing disease elimination challenges.

Simon Bland, Chief Executive Officer of GLIDE, commented: “At GLIDE, we firmly believe in an integrated and collaborative approach to tackling infectious diseases of poverty. The Falcon Awards for Disease Elimination will help advance and amplify these efforts.”

Five winners will be announced later this year following a thorough evaluation by a jury panel comprised of esteemed global health experts. Each winner will receive a sum of up to USD200,000 to fund and implement their unique solutions to disease elimination.

For more information on The Falcon Awards and how to enter, please visit: www.GLIDEae.org/awards.

The Falcon Awards – key dates

• 4th May 2021: Applications open
• 13th June 2021: Deadline for submissions
• November – December 2021: Winners announced

About GLIDE:
GLIDE is a new global health Institute, rooted in Abu Dhabi, focused on accelerating the elimination of four preventable diseases of poverty: currently malaria, polio, lymphatic filariasis, and river blindness, by 2030 and beyond. Founded in 2019 as the result of a collaboration between His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, GLIDE identifies the latest scientific, cultural, and global health knowledge and puts it into action with its partners through programmes, funding, and skills development to support local health care systems and advance global thinking.

For more information, please visit: www.GLIDEae.org.

*SOURCE The Global Institute for Disease Elimination (GLIDE)

Merck Foundation, year to date, in partnership with African First Ladies and Ministers of Health, have provided for more than 1100 doctors from 42 Countries with 1 & 2 year speciality scholarship to improve access to quality and equitable healthcare in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Merck Foundation , the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, mark ‘World Health Day’ 2021 together with 19 African First Ladies by starting the “Mask Up With Care” Media Recognition Awards for African Media Representatives for advancing Community awareness about coronavirus.

The awards are also announced for Media Representatives from Latin American and Asian Countries. The theme of the awards is to raise awareness on how to adapt best protection measures such as wearing your masks to show you care and love your family & community; to encourage your community to choose to vaccinate when it is available and to sensitize them to support healthcare workers who are at the forefront of COVID 19 pandemic.

Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation emphasized, “After the huge success of our ‘Stay at hone Awards’ Media Recognition Awards 2020 and receiving more than 1000 applications and announcing more than 90 winners across Africa, Asia and Latin America. I’d like to encourage media to apply for “Mask Up with Care” Media Recognition Awards These Media Recognition Awards will encourage media to sensitize our communities. Raising awareness about coronavirus in our communities will also contribute to supporting health workers who are at the forefront of COVID-19 response – providing high-quality, respectful treatment and care. Also, it will enhance their great efforts in leading community dialogue to address fears and questions. Looking forward to valuable inputs from all media representatives”.

Merck Foundation has been actively raising awareness on sensitive health issues like infertility and eliminating its stigma. Merck Foundation has also raced to respond to coronavirus pandemic, in partnership with 18 African First Ladies, Ministries of Health, Information and Education through various programs and activities.

Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej further elaborated, “As the world marks World Health Day, our hearts and thoughts go out to the people who have been affected by this unprecedented event COVID 19, which has highlighted that access to healthcare is unequal. In accordance with this year’s theme ‘Building a Fairer, Healthier World for Everyone’, we at Merck Foundation are committed towards providing access to quality and equitable healthcare solution by providing for more than 1100 Doctors from 42 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America with one & two-year speciality training in multiple fields such as Oncology, Diabetes, Preventative Cardiovascular Medicine, Endocrinology, Sexual and Reproductive Medicine, Acute Medicine, Respiratory Medicine, Human Assisted Reproduction and Embryology & Fertility speciality, to be the first in their countries”.

“Furthermore, Merck Foundation together with African First Ladies started the process of providing scholarships for local doctors, of new medical underserved specialities such as; Urology, Ophthalmology, Gastroenterology, Rheumatology, Pain Management, Dermatology, Neonatal, Paediatric Dermatology, Internal Medicine, Surgery Trauma and Orthopedic, Mental Health and Psychiatry and more. We are looking forward to receiving applications from doctors in underserved communities on our email: info@merck-foundation.com” Dr. Kelej added.

“At Merck Foundation, we appreciate all the healthcare workers around the world who are on the frontline working towards containing this pandemic. Let us all work together towards a healthier and fairer world” said Dr. Kelej.

About Merck Foundation community support during coronavirus pandemic;
Merck Foundation made Community donations to support the livelihood of thousands of women, casual workers and persons living with disabilities, affected by Coronavirus lockdown in the following countries in partnership with their First Ladies; Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Niger, Malawi, Liberia, Ghana, The Gambia, DR Congo, Burkina Faso and Burundi. Merck Foundation also undertook a similar relief activity in Egypt.

Merck Foundation launched Stay at Home Media Recognition Awards to help raise awareness about COVID 19, and also released a storybook “Make the Right Choice” to sensitize children and youth on how to keep healthy and safe during COVID 19 pandemic across Africa.

Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation also created an inspiring pan African song called ‘My White Army’ which aimed to thank the doctors and nurses fighting on the front lines of the coronavirus battle, who are risking exposure to the virus so everyone else can stay home and stay healthy. “This song is my personal contribution to COVID-19 response, I appreciate and salute all front line workers- doctors, nurses and health workers, for their selfless act during the COVID 19 pandemic” concluded Dr. Kelej.

Listen to the song by clicking here: 

Details of the Merck Foundation “MASK UP WITH CARE” Media Recognition Awards 2021:

Who can apply:
Journalists from Print, Radio, Online, and Multimedia platforms from the following groups:

1. Southern African Countries
2. West African Countries
3. East African Countries
4. African French Speaking Countries
5. African Portuguese Speaking Countries
6. Latin American Countries
7. Asian Countries

How to Apply:

Entries can be submitted via email to: submit@merck-foundation.com

The Subject line of the mail should mention: Merck Foundation “MASK UP WITH CARE” Media Recognition Awards 2021

Please specify your name, country, category of application, and contact details in the mail.

Categories and Prize Money for each group:

About Merck Foundation:
The Merck Foundation, established in 2017, is the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through science and technology. Our efforts are primarily focused on improving access to quality & equitable healthcare solutions in underserved communities, building healthcare and scientific research capacity and empowering people in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with a special focus on women and youth. All Merck Foundation press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Foundation Website. 

Depuis le début de l’épidémie déclarée le 10 mars 2020, le cumul des cas est de 28.665 dont 28.664 cas confirmés et 1 cas probable. Au total, il y a eu 745 décès  et 25.841 personnes guéries.        

• 54 nouveaux cas confirmés, dont 18 à la Tshopo, 17 au Nord-Kivu, 16 à Kinshasa, 2 au Kongo Central et 1 en Ituri ;
• 305 échantillons testés ;
• Aucun nouveau décès parmi les cas confirmés ;
• Aucune nouvelle personne n’est sortie guérie dans les CTCo, ni parmi les personnes suivies à domicile (Zones de santé).

1. Kinshasa     :     20.432 cas ;
2. Nord-Kivu    :     2.192 cas ;
3. Haut-Katanga     :    1.911 cas ;
4. Kongo Central    :    1.663 cas ;
5. Sud-Kivu     :     894 cas ;
6. Lualaba    :    830 cas ;
7. Ituri         :     281 cas ;
8. Tshopo    :    143 cas ;
9. Haut-Uélé    :    106 cas ;
10. Equateur    :    62 cas ;
11. Maniema    :    42 cas ;
12. Nord-Ubangi    :    40 cas ;
13. Kasaï Central    :    17 cas ;
14. Kwilu         :     9 cas ;
15. Sud-Ubangi    :    7 cas ;
16. Tanganyika    :    7 cas ;
17. Kasaï  Oriental    :    7 cas ;
18.  Bas-Uélé    :    6 cas ;
19. Kwango    :    5 cas ;
20. Kasaï        :    4 cas ;
21. Tshuapa    :    3 cas ;
22. Maï-Ndombe    :    2 cas ;
23. Haut-Lomami    :    1 cas.

/!\ Les données présentées dans ce tableau sont susceptibles de changer ultérieurement, après investigations approfondies et après redistribution des cas et décès dans leurs zones de santé respectives.

L’article RDC/Covid-19 : 54 nouveaux cas confirmés lundi est apparu en premier sur Matininfos.NET – Information de la RDC en toute impartialité.

Source: Matininfos

Source : African Media Agency (AMA)

By Boris Esono Nwenfor

With the country said to be in its second wave of coronavirus officials in Cameroon say the first doses of vaccine against the health pandemic will arrive in the country on April 11. Cameroon is said to receive 200,000 doses of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine.

Over 500 vaccination centres that will be involved in administering the vaccines have been identified across the country. Dr Shalom Ndoula, Permanent Secretary of the Expanded Program on Immunization says the vaccines will be dispatched to these vaccination centres as soon as they arrive in the country.

This will be the first phase of vaccination exercise in the country and people don’t need to take the jab. Frontline health caregivers, teachers, taxi and bus drivers, and motorbike riders are among the target groups of persons to receive the vaccines. Authorities say other persons willing to be administered the vaccine will be permitted to do so after the persons at risks should have been vaccinated.

Dr Shalom Ndoula said: “The first vaccination will be just for a small group of people who are at risk, and very exposed especially people with pre-existing health conditions like diabetes, hypertension, which are at high risk of severe forms of COVID.”

The arrival of this vaccine will be to fulfil a promise the Chinese Ambassador made to Cameroon’s Minister of External Relations. In early March, the Chinese Ambassador to Cameroon, Wang Yingwu had a meeting with the Minister of External Relations, Lejuene Mbella Mbella, during which he announced that his country will offer 200,000 samples of the COVID19 vaccines to Cameroon.

This is a major shift for a country that continues to see cases on an upward trajectory. It is also a major shift in the type of vaccine that the country will be receiving.

A few weeks back, Russia had indicated that their Sputnik V vaccine will be sent to Cameroon after the country declined the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine due to complications.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF, Russia’s sovereign wealth fund) announced the approval of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against coronavirus by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Cameroon on March 19 2021. The government of Cameroon has yet to officially confirm this information and the Minister of Public Health is also muted on the matter.

“Africa is among the leaders in terms of the number of approval of Sputnik V. We welcome the decision of the Ministry of Health of Cameroon which will help the population of the country to obtain access to one of the best solutions against coronavirus in the world,” Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russia Direct Investment Fund said as quoted by Pharmieweb.

According to the Minister of Public Health Dr Manaouda Malachie the country currently has a total of 61, 731 cases of COVID-19 with 56, 926 have recovered. There have been 919 deaths since the first cases were detected in the country in March last year.

Depuis le début de l’épidémie déclarée le 10 mars 2020, le cumul des cas est de 28.511 dont 28.510 cas confirmés et 1 cas probable. Au total, il y a eu 745 décès  et 25.841 personnes guéries.        

•    37 nouveaux cas confirmés, dont 16 au Nord-Kivu, 15 à Kinshasa, 3au Kongo Central, 2 dans le Haut-Uélé et 1 au Sud-Kivu ;
•    255 échantillons testés ;
•    Aucun nouveau décès parmi les cas confirmés ;
•   Aucune nouvelle personne n’est sortie guérie dans les CTCo, ni parmi les personnes suivies à domicile (Zones de santé).

N.B : Le test Covid-19 est gratuit pour tout le monde en République démocratique du Congo. Cependant, le test des voyageurs est payant à 30 dollars américains.

*Les 23 provinces touchées :

1.    Kinshasa     :     20.388 cas ;
2.    Nord-Kivu    :     2.149 cas ;
3.    Haut-Katanga     :    1.879 cas ;
4.    Kongo Central    :    1.655 cas ;
5.    Sud-Kivu     :     887 cas ;
6.    Lualaba    :    830 cas ;
7.    Ituri         :     279 cas ;
8.    Tshopo    :    125 cas ;
9.    Haut-Uélé    :    106 cas ;
10.    Equateur    :    62 cas ;
11.    Maniema    :    42 cas ;
12.    Nord-Ubangi    :    40 cas ;
13.    Kasaï Central    :    17 cas ;
14.    Kwilu         :     9 cas ;
15.    Sud-Ubangi    :    7 cas ;
16.    Tanganyika    :    7 cas ;
17.    Kasaï  Oriental    :    7 cas ;
18.     Bas-Uélé    :    6 cas ;
19.    Kwango    :    5 cas ;
20.    Kasaï        :    4 cas ;
21.    Tshuapa    :    3 cas ;
22.    Maï-Ndombe    :    2 cas ;
23.    Haut-Lomami    :    1 cas.

/!\ Les données présentées dans ce tableau sont susceptibles de changer ultérieurement, après investigations approfondies et après redistribution des cas et décès dans leurs zones de santé respectives.

L’article Covid-19 en RDC :  37 nouveaux cas confirmés jeudi est apparu en premier sur Matininfos.NET – Information de la RDC en toute impartialité.

Source: Matininfos

Source : African Media Agency (AMA)

By Deng Machol

Juba – South Sudan on Tuesday launched the Covid-19 vaccination exercise in three centers in Juba capital of East Africa’s youngest nation after a week of deliberation within the country’s leadership.

On March 30th, medical doctors made a presentation to President Salva Kiir Mayardit and the leadership of the country about the vaccine but the presidency downplayed prospects of  its launching.

But, on Tuesday, South Sudan’s Minister of Health, Elizabeth Acuei officiated a launching at the Juba Teaching Hospital, she became the first government official in the country to take the vaccine. 

The three facilities where the vaccine will initially be available are Juba Teaching Hospital, Giada Military Hospital, and the Police Hospital in Buluk in Juba.

In the coming weeks and months, all frontline health workers in South Sudan will be offered the vaccine through a national vaccination campaign. 

Subsequently, people with co-morbidities and people above 65 years of age will also be offered the vaccine.

Speaking to journalists during the vaccine launch, Minister Elizabeth Achuei reassured that the vaccine is safe.

Minister Achuei said  “the aim of the roll out of the COVID-19 vaccine is to protect the prioritized groups against COVID-19”.The vaccination is targeting health care workers as well as persons aged 65 years and older, given their increased risk of severe disease and death due to a potential COVID-19 infection.”

“Do not be afraid, I just took it now. So there is nothing really to be afraid about,” minister said.

South Sudan aims at vaccinating 40 per cent of its population against COVID-19.

The COVAX facility has committed to providing half of the required doses meaning 732,000 doses in total. 

Therefore, the vaccination must be done in phases as the vaccines arrive.

“This is a significant moment for the people of South Sudan. “said Patience Musanhu, Gavi Senior Country Manager for South Sudan. “By protecting the most vulnerable groups, we can save lives, take pressure off health systems and ease the economic burden brought on by the pandemic.”

A person being vaccinated with the Astra Zeneca vaccine requires two doses to ensure optimal immune response against the COVID-19 virus. 

The COVID-19 vaccination in South Sudan will be provided on a voluntary basis and free of charge.  All people receiving the vaccine will be asked to consent prior to being vaccinated.

“The COVID-19 vaccination marks an important step towards control of COVID-19 in South Sudan, which pose a threat to our well-being”, said Dr Fabian Ndenzako, WHO Representative to South Sudan. “Safe, effective, and quality vaccines for COVID-19 are our best hope for bringing the pandemic under control, together with other public health interventions, such as physical distancing, washing hands and mask use”.

Over several months, COVAX partners have supported governments and partners, particularly in low-income countries including South Sudan, to prepare for the vaccination roll-out. 

This includes assisting with the development of national vaccination plans, supporting cold chain infrastructure, as well as stockpiling of half a billion syringes and safety boxes for their disposal, masks, gloves and other equipment to ensure that there is enough equipment for health workers to start vaccinating priority groups as soon as possible.

“If there is one lesson we can draw from the pandemic, it is that we need more partnerships like these in the world,” said the UNICEF South Sudan Representative Hamida Lasseko. “UNICEF is proud to have made vaccine deliveries all over the world including South Sudan on behalf of COVAX. Children in South Sudan are now safer because the warm hands of health workers are safer through vaccination.

Minister Achuei further commended the health ministry’s partners such as UNICEF and WHO for their continuous support to combat Covid-19 in the restive country.

In his statement to the press during the vaccine launch in Juba on Tuesday, the World Health Organization Country representative in South Sudan, Dr. Fabian Ndenzako said he was excited to witness the launch.

The health body further advised the public to continue practicing safety measures even after taking the vaccine.

This is the first time the country rolls out the vaccine since receiving the first batch of its 132,000 doses of AstraZeneca from the COVAX facility on March 25.

They are part of the 2.4 million doses South Sudan requested from COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access, known as COVAX.

The jabs will also be put in the arms of people with underlying conditions such as cancer, asthma, and heart disease, among others.

By Samuel Ouma

Kenya has installed measures to ensure a steady supply of oxygen in its hospitals.

The country’s Ministry of Health Thursday announced the “Oxygen Task Force” formation to handle the gas cylinder shortage amid the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Ministry noted it is working with partners and suppliers to address the acute shortage.

The Taskforce has identified service, maintenance, operation, and piping as the requirement, added the Ministry.

” All suppliers are working hard to address the shortage and ensure that the oxygen is available,” the Ministry said via a post on Twitter.

  Last month Kenya’s Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe declared the shortage of oxygen in various hospitals across the country as the number of Covid-19 patients increase.

According to Mutahi, the oxygen demand has more than doubled to 880 tons a month from 410 tons before the pandemic.

Kagwe pleaded with individuals, hospitals, and other institutions holding onto cylinders to release them immediately to avert the looming crisis.

“There are about 20,000 oxygen cylinders out there in homes and other institutions which are required back in the industry immediately. I appeal to all Kenyans to return oxygen cylinders immediately so that companies can use them to supply oxygen to hospitals,” said Kagwe noting that each cylinder costs roughly ksh40, 000 (About $400).

Kenya has 73 oxygen plants, but some of these plants face several challenges, including the Production of oxygen with lower than recommended concentration levels, said Kagwe.

Following the announcement, a steel manufacturing company, Devki Group, offered to give free oxygen to both private and public hospitals. Devki Group Chairman Narendra Raval said the hospitals are required to bring cylinders for exchange.

As of April 7, 236 patients were reported to be in the ICU, fifty-three of them being on ventilators and more than a hundred under supplementary oxygen.

By Samuel Ouma

Kenya has now administered the Covid-19 vaccine to 370,000 people, announced the Ministry of Health.

The country is aiming to have 16 million people inoculated by June 2022.

In early March, Kenya received the first batch of 1.02 million doses of AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine from the global COVAX initiative meant for the low and middle-income countries.

Minister of Health Mutahi Kagwe said the Ministry is prioritizing medical workers, teachers, police officers, the elderly, and those with underlying medical conditions.

According to President Uhuru Kenyatta, the second batch of the vaccine is expected by the end of April.

Out of the 370,000 people, 279 had severe effects, with seven others experiencing severe symptoms.

Unfortunately, a pregnant woman died after receiving the jab.

A probe has been launched by Kenya’s Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) to unveil what might have killed her.

Deputy Director at PPB Dr. Peter Ikamati said the board would release the report on the incident on Friday.

“What we can say is it was a misreport, an expectant female got a miscarriage, it happened within period of being given vaccine. Miscarriage could have happened, it does not have to be linked to the shot,” he said.

Depuis le début de l’épidémie déclarée le 10 mars 2020, le cumul des cas est de 28.410, dont 28.409 cas confirmés et 1 cas probable. Au total, il y a eu 745 décès  et 25.841 personnes guéries.                 

• 33 nouveaux cas confirmés, dont 17 à Kinshasa, 15 au Nord-Kivu, 1  dans le Haut-Katanga ;
• 238 échantillons testés ;
• Aucun nouveau décès parmi les cas confirmés ;
• Aucune nouvelle personne n’est sortie guérie dans les CTCo, ni parmi les personnes suivies à domiciles.

L’article RDC : 33 nouveaux cas de covid-19 enregistrés mardi est apparu en premier sur Matininfos.NET – Information de la RDC en toute impartialité.

Source: Matininfos

Source : African Media Agency (AMA)

By Samuel Ouma

The number of Covid-19 related deaths in Kenya on Monday hit 2 244 after twenty more people succumbed to the virus.

The country’s Ministry of Health announced that out of the 20 new fatalities, one transpired within 24 hours, 10 in the last month, and nine are from the facility record audits.

Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe revealed 460 more people also tested positive for Covid-19 raising the total number of infections to 139,448.

The new infections were found from a sample size of 2,753 tested within 24 hours.

Mr. Kagwe noted that the new patients consisted of 446 Kenyans and 14 foreigners, with 250 males and 210 females.

In terms of age, the youngest patient is seven months old, and the oldest is 89 years old.

Kenya’s positivity rate stands at 16.7 percent.

The Ministry at the same time said that 178 patients have recovered from the deadly disease bringing the total number of recoveries to 94,361. Whereas 79 were from Home-Based and Isolation care, 99 were from various health facilities across the country.

So far, 1 590 patients were reported to be admitted to hospitals, 5,998 from Home-based and Isolation care, and 200 are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Of the 200 patients in the ICU, 40 are on ventilatory support, 130 on supplemental oxygen and 30 others are under close observation.

Depuis le début de l’épidémie déclarée le 10 mars 2020, le cumul des cas est de 28.354 dont 28.353 cas confirmés et 1 cas probable. Au total, il y a eu 745 décès  et 25.587 personnes guéries.        

• 29 nouveaux cas confirmés, dont 16 à Kinshasa et 13 au Nord-Kivu ;
• 179 échantillons testés ;
• Aucun nouveau décès parmi les cas confirmés
• Aucune nouvelle personne n’est sortie guérie dans les CTCo, ni parmi les personnes suivies à domicile (Zones de santé).

1. Kinshasa     :     20.331 cas ;
2. Nord-Kivu    :     2.103 cas ;
3. Haut-Katanga     :    1.872 cas ;
4. Kongo Central    :    1.652 cas ;
5. Sud-Kivu     :     886 cas ;
6. Lualaba    :    817 cas ;
7. Ituri         :     273 cas ;
8. Tshopo    :    125 cas ;
9. Haut-Uélé    :    104 cas ;
10. Equateur    :    62 cas ;
11. Nord-Ubangi    :    40 cas ;
12. Maniema    :    20 cas ;
13. Kasaï Central    :    17 cas ;
14. Kwilu         :     9 cas ;
15. Sud-Ubangi    :    7 cas ;
16. Tanganyika    :    7 cas ;
17. Kasaï  Oriental    :    7 cas ;
18.  Bas-Uélé    :    6 cas ;
19. Kwango    :    5 cas ;
20. Kasaï        :    4 cas ;
21. Tshuapa    :    3 cas ;
22. Maï-Ndombe    :    2 cas ;
23. Haut-Lomami    :    1 cas.

/!\ Les données présentées dans ce tableau sont susceptibles de changer ultérieurement, après investigations approfondies et après redistribution des cas et décès dans leurs zones de santé respectives.

L’article RDC : 29 nouveaux cas de covid-19 enregistrés dimanche est apparu en premier sur Matininfos.NET – Information de la RDC en toute impartialité.

Source: Matininfos

Source : African Media Agency (AMA)

By Jean d’Amour Mbonyinshuti

Rwanda has announced that the second round of vaccination exercise against COVID-19 pandemic starts today countrywide starting from those who received the Pfizer vaccine.

Rwanda launched the vaccination drive early in March administering both Pfizer and AstraZeneca. Both vaccines require two doses for beneficiaries to gain enough immunity in their bodies according to health experts.

  About 400,000 Rwandans in different categories of age and employment received the first dose of vaccine and await the second one.

For those receiving Pfizer, the exercise started on Friday 2 April 2021 and will go on up to 21 April 2021 while the date for AstraZeneca vaccine is yet to be announced.   

According to the statement from Rwanda Biomedical Centre those who received the first dose should ensure they receive the second one if they are to gain immunity.

“It is very important to take two doses of the vaccine in different periods to ensure the body has enough immunity,” it reads.

It added that for AstraZeneca vaccine, it takes between 8 and 12 weeks to have the second dose while for Pfizer it takes between 21 and 28 days

“We would like to remind that whoever receives the second dose of the vaccine should keep respecting measure in place to fight COVID-19 pandemic including the proper wearing of facemasks, social distancing, avoiding gatherings and regular handwashing,” it added.

Rwanda has recorded 21, 918 positive cases including 1302 active cases and 308 deaths since Mid March 2019 when it recorded the first case of COVID-19. 

Webinar offers strategies for communicating new findings1 April 20218:00 AM EDT // 3:00 PM EATRegister here 

New York, USA , 30 March 2021 -/African Media Agency (AMA)/- Last week, the Partnership for Evidence-Based COVID-19 Response (PERC) released findings from its third survey, which polled more than 25,000 adults from 19 African Union Member States on the social and economic impacts of COVID-19 and governmental response measures. PERC analyzes public opinion survey responses along with social, economic and epidemiological data.

Some notable findings from the most recent survey include: • Respondents’ willingness to be vaccinated varied widely across the continent—from 35% of respondents in Tunisia to 91% of respondents in Morocco. • Although support for individual preventive measures such as hand-washing and mask-wearing remained high, support for measures restricting social gatherings and movement restrictions dropped dramatically since August 2020.• Income loss and problems with food access were severe in almost all Member States and have largely worsened since August.  This online seminar featuring panelists from Ipsos, Columbia University and the Ghana Health Service is designed for journalists to learn how to use data compiled by PERC accurately and effectively. A Q&A moderated by Rolf Rosenkranz of the Global Health Advocacy Incubator will follow the discussion.

Date: Thursday 1 AprilTime: 08:00 – 09:00 EDT // 14:00-15:00 CATLanguage: English/French To attend the webinar, please registerhere. 

Speakers: 
• Virginia Nkwanzi Isingoma, Public Affairs Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, IPSOS
• Dr. Wilmot James, Senior Research Scholar, Columbia University, formerly Member of Parliament (South Africa)
• Dr. Da Costa Aboagye, Director of Health Promotion, Ghana Health Service

Questions: Reporters can share their questions in advance via press@vitalstrategies.org

** Reporters dialing in via phone will not have access to Zoom’s Q&A feature and therefore must submit questions via press@vitalstrategies.org

About the Partnership for Evidence-Based COVID-19 Response (PERC)
The Partnership for Evidence-based Response to COVID-19 (PERC) is a public-private partnership that supports evidence-based measures to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on African Union Member States. PERC has published two quarterly regional reports (Part I in May 2020 and Part II in September 2020); other products are available on PERC’s website. PERC member organizations are: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention; Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative of Vital Strategies; the World Health Organization; the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team; and the World Economic Forum. Ipsos and Novetta Mission Analytics bring market research expertise and years of data analytic support to the partnership.

About Resolve to Save Lives
Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative of the global health organization Vital Strategies, focuses on preventing deaths from cardiovascular disease and by preventing epidemics. Resolve to Save Lives is funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Gates Philanthropy Partners, which is funded with support from the Chan Zuckerberg Foundation. Resolve received additional funding for the COVID-19 response from these donors and Start Small Foundation, CDC Foundation and Stavros Niarchos Foundation. It is led by Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To find out more, visit: https://www.resolvetosavelives.org or Twitter @ResolveTSL and @DrTomFrieden.

About Vital Strategies
Vital Strategies is a global health organization that believes every person should be protected by a strong public health system. We work with governments and civil society in 73 countries to design and implement evidence-based strategies that tackle their most pressing public health problems. Our goal is to see governments adopt promising interventions at scale as rapidly as possible. To find out more, please visit www.vitalstrategies.org or Twitter @VitalStrat. 

About Ipsos
Ipsos is the third largest market research company in the world, present in 90 markets and employing more than 18,000 people. Our passionately curious research professionals, analysts and scientists have built unique multi- specialist capabilities that provide true understanding and powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers or employees. Our 75 business solutions are based on primary data coming from our surveys, social media monitoring, and qualitative or observational techniques. “Game Changers” – our tagline – summarises our ambition to help our 5,000 clients navigate with confidence our world of rapid change.

Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos is listed on the Euronext Paris since 1 July 1999. The company is part of the SBF 120 and the Mid-60 index and is eligible for the Deferred Settlement Service (SRD). ISIN code FR0000073298, Reuters ISOS.PA, Bloomberg IPS:FP https://www.ipsos.com/en/news-and-polls/overview.

About Ghana Health Service
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) is a Ghanaian government body established in 1996 as part of the Health Sector Reform of Ghana. The Health Service is under the Ministry of Health. The Health service primarily administrates the health services provided by the government and in implementing government policies on healthcare.

Click here for the press kit

Source : African Media Agency (AMA)

29 March 2021 — In a historic COVID-19 vaccine procurement Agreement signed on 28 March 2021, all African Union Member States, through the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT) set up in November 2020 under the African Union chairmanship of H.E President Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa, will have access to 220 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson single-shot COVID-19 vaccine, with the potential to order an additional 180 million doses.

Most of the supplies will be produced at the giant pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in South Africa operated by Aspen Pharma. The vaccines will be made available to African countries through the African Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP), over a period of 18 months.

Meanwhile, H.E Cyril Ramaphosa will later today tour the facilities of Aspen Pharma in Port Elizabeth with Johnson & Johnson Executives to inspect preparations for the production of vaccines. The production of vaccines at the facility will be a massive boost for jobs in South Africa.

The transaction was made possible through the US$2 billion facility approved by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), who also acted as Financial and Transaction Advisers, Guarantors, Installment Payment Advisers and Payment Agents.

The successful conclusion of the Agreement was made possible by the support of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), who supported the negotiation process with Johnson & Johnson. UNICEF is also acting as procurement and logistics agent. The African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT) was supported in terms of advice on various aspects by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Prior to the conclusion of the Agreement with Johnson & Johnson, African Member States were asked to make pre-orders for the vaccines and many countries showed strong preference for this particular vaccine. The countries will be able to purchase the vaccines either using cash, or a facility from Afreximbank. Most countries have already completed their pre-orders.

The direct acquisition of vaccines by the African countries through the AVATT initiative is part of the continental objective to achieve a minimum of 60% immunization of the African population, in order to eliminate COVID-19. This target is in line with targets set in other regions such as Europe and the United States. The international donor community has pledged to provide 27% through the COVAX Initiative (which is coordinated by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the WHO), whilst Africa must find the rest. AVATT and COVAX work very closely together.

H.E Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa, African Union Champion for the COVID-19 vaccine strategy and acquisition, and Chairman of AVATT, welcomed this historic Agreement, which he personally initiated directly with the company, during his tenure as Chair of the African Union.

“This Agreement is a significant milestone in protecting the health of all Africans. It is also a powerful demonstration of African unity and of what we can achieve through partnership between the state sector, the private sector and international institutions that puts people first,” said President Ramaphosa.

Professor Benedict Oramah, President of Afreximbank, said: “Afreximbank is proud to be associated with this historic and collective effort. In the midst of a very tight COVID-19 vaccine market, we are highly honoured to have been given the opportunity by the African Union to facilitate this impactful transaction under the auspices of the Africa Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT). Acting as Financial and Transaction Advisors, Guarantors, Installment Payment Facility Arrangers and Payment Agents, we look forward to beginning the deployment of the US$2 billion Vaccine Procurement facility approved by the Bank’s Board of Directors towards assisting the continent to begin to rid itself of the pandemic and rebuild its economy. This financing will support Intra-African Trade and we have already commenced engagement with our financial partners to secure the additional funding that would support procurement if Africa decides to procure the additional 180 million doses.

Dr. John Nkengasong, Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), said: “The Africa CDC recommended to the African Union that a minimum of 750 million Africans (60%) must be immunized if we are to contain the spread of COVID-19. This transaction enables Africa to meet almost 50% of that target. The key to this particular vaccine is that it is a single-shot vaccine which makes it easier to roll out quickly and effectively, thus saving lives.

Mr. Strive Masiyiwa, African Union Special Envoy signed for AVAT, while Mr. Jaak Peeters, Johnson & Johnson Special Envoy for COVID-19 vaccine, signed on behalf of Johnson & Johnson.

Mr. Masiyiwa thanked H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission for his tremendous support to the work of AVATT. He also thanked H.E Amira Elfadil Mohammed Elfadil, Commissioner for Social Affairs, Africa Union Commission, for her contributions to AVATT. Finally, Mr. Masiyiwa expressed his appreciation to the staff of Afreximbank, the Africa CDC, ECA and UNICEF for their extraordinary effort over the last three months in putting this Agreement together.

About AVATT

The African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT), a 10-member team drawn from across the continent, was established in August 2020 to ensure that the African continent would be able to secure sufficient COVID-19 vaccine doses to achieve herd immunity. The AVATT is a key component in support of the Africa Vaccine Strategy that was endorsed by the African Union (AU) Bureau of Heads of State and Government. It is chaired by Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa and includes Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, Dr. Zweli Lawrence Mkhize, Mr. Strive Masiyiwa, Dr. Donald Kaberuka, Professor Benedict Oramah, H.E Amira Elfadi, Dr. John Nkengasong and others, as to be nominated by the Chair of the African Union and the Chairperson of the Commission.

About Afreximbank

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution with the mandate of financing and promoting intra-and extra-African trade. Afreximbank was established in October 1993 and owned by African governments, the African Development Bank and other African multilateral financial institutions as well as African and non-African public and private investors.

The Bank was established under two constitutive documents, an Agreement signed by member states, which confers on the Bank the status of an international organization, and a Charter signed by all Shareholders, which governs its corporate structure and operations. Afreximbank deploys innovative structures to deliver financing solutions that are supporting the transformation of the structure of Africa’s trade, accelerating industrialization and intra-regional trade, thereby sustaining economic expansion in Africa.

At the end of 2020, the Bank’s total assets and guarantees stood at US$21.5 billion and its shareholders funds amounted to US$3.4 billion. The Bank disbursed more than US$42 billion between 2016 and 2020. Afreximbank has ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A-), Moody’s (Baa1) and Fitch (BBB-). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.

About Africa CDC

Africa CDC is a specialized technical institution of the African Union that strengthens the capacity and capability of Africa’s public health institutions as well as partnerships to detect and respond quickly and effectively to disease threats and outbreaks, based on data-driven interventions and programmes.

About AMSP

The Africa Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP) is a non-profit initiative launched by the African Union as an immediate, integrated and practical response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The online platform was developed under the leadership of the African Union Special Envoy, Strive Masiyiwa and powered by Janngo on behalf of the African Union’s Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and in partnership with African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) with the support of leading African & international Institutions, Foundations & Corporations as well as Governments of China, Canada & France.

Despite COVID-19 diverting attention from malaria, two-thirds believe they are the generation to end the disease, says new survey released one month before this year’s World Malaria Day, April 25^th.

New research finds that 9 in 10 African youth want to take personal action in the fight against malaria, with almost two-thirds (61%) believing the disease can be eliminated in their lifetimes.

A new survey released by the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, in collaboration with Gallup International, explores attitudes to malaria among young people aged 18-34 in six countries: Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa.

The data shows that youth are most likely to volunteer their time to support malaria control efforts, for example by distributing mosquito nets or supporting community clean-up activities (50%), even ahead of simply sharing information about malaria on social media (45%). A quarter also hope to make a difference by calling on national policymakers (26%) or engaging community leaders (25%) to prioritize malaria.

Nearly 90% of youth in these countries already take preventative measures to protect themselves and their families against the disease, except for South Africa where malaria is less common. In Rwanda and Senegal, which have made significant progress against malaria in recent years, young people aged 18-24 were more than 20 percentage points less likely to have had direct experience with the disease compared to those aged 25-34, showing how country-led action protects young people’s futures. In higher burden countries, the risk did not change between age groups.

Despite their optimism, only a quarter (27%) of youth surveyed believe leaders are doing enough to end malaria. This sentiment was most pronounced in urban areas, where youth are only half as likely to agree policymakers are doing enough (21%) than youth living in rural areas (44%).

The ongoing spread of COVID-19 threatens the malaria response, particularly in the highest malaria burden countries where the rate of progress has slowed in recent years, and the full impact is not yet known. In 2020, frontline health workers and governments, with support from partners, sustained more than 90% of mosquito net distribution and seasonal malaria chemoprevention campaigns in 30 countries, avoiding a worst-case scenario of a doubling of malaria deaths in sub-Saharan Africa in 2020 alone. Despite these efforts, however, the majority of youth – 61% — feel national attention towards malaria has decreased during the pandemic.

Ms. Jayathma Wickramanayake, United Nations Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth says:

“Health is a human right, not a privilege. No one should get sick and die from diseases that are preventable and treatable. All our efforts in the response and green recovery to COVID-19 need to ensure that other diseases, such as malaria, are not neglected. We must continue to invest in youth-led solutions to combat malaria around the world.”

These findings informed ‘Draw the Line Against Malaria’ – a youth-focused, Africa-first global campaign launched by the RBM Partnership and its partners this year. Supported by African icons in sport and culture, the campaign urges youth across the continent to take their futures back from malaria – a disease which caused 409,000 deaths in 2019 and continues to prevent children from going to school and realizing their full potential.

World Malaria Day 2021 puts the spotlight on nations reaching zero malaria

The survey findings are released one month ahead of World Malaria Day 2021, the global awareness day celebrated on 25^th April each year. This year’s theme – ‘Zero Malaria – Draw the Line Against Malaria’ – will celebrate progress achieved by a diverse set of countries who have achieved zero malaria since 2000, encourage a growing number of nations on the cusp of elimination, and re-ignite the movement to end malaria in countries still impacted by the disease. 

To mark World Malaria Day, on 21^st April, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the RBM Partnership will jointly hold the Virtual Forum on Malaria Elimination. On this occasion, WHO will announce 27 countries and territories that have the potential to eliminate malaria by 2025, as well as review progress towards the achievement of the 2020 global elimination milestone of 10 countries recording three consecutive years of zero malaria cases since 2015. These include Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan and Algeria, as well as El Salvador, the first Central American country to be certified malaria-free earlier this year.

In addition, countries around the world will observe World Malaria Day with their own events, with several countries launching nationwide Zero Malaria Starts with Me campaigns and others illuminating landmarks at 21:00 local time on 25^th April in a global relay to celebrate progress towards zero malaria around the world and highlight the urgency of ending this disease everywhere.

Dr Abdourahmane Diallo, CEO of the RBM Partnership adds:

“This World Malaria Day we celebrate countries around the globe that have reached zero malaria since 2000, and a growing number of nations that are on the cusp of elimination.

“Yet despite this incredible progress, World Malaria Day must also serve as a crucial reminder for people everywhere that we must accelerate with urgency to fight this preventable and treatable disease that still takes a child’s life every two minutes. Over this past year, COVID-19 has threatened our hard-won progress against malaria, so now more than ever we must make a commitment to end malaria once and for all.”

Ahead of World Malaria Day, the RBM Partnership to End Malaria urges people in Africa and worldwide to Draw the Line Against Malaria at ZeroMalaria.org and join the conversation on social media by using #DrawTheLine, #ZeroMalaria and #WorldMalariaDay. 

About malaria

·         Malaria is one of the world’s oldest and deadliest diseases. It existed since the time of the dinosaurs and some believe it has killed half the people that ever lived.

·         Malaria is entirely preventable and treatable. Despite this, over 400,000 people die from it each year—most of them children under the age of five. A child still dies from malaria every two minutes.

• Half the world is still at risk from malaria, with more than 90% of the world’s malaria burden in Africa.

Research methodology

Gallup International carried out a nationwide representative survey on Youth Attitudes to the Malaria Fight between 19 February and 16 March 2021. This survey targeted the population aged between 18 years and 34 years living in Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa.

In all countries, interviews were conducted online. The samples in all the countries were stratified by gender, age, administrative region and type of locality. The sampling design ensured that all administrative regions in every country were included and for each a number of interviews was allocated proportionally to the size of its population.

About Draw the Line Against Malaria

Draw the Line Against Malaria is a new campaign providing a rallying cry for young people to unite and fight malaria by driving more action, more innovation, more funding and more political leadership to achieve zero malaria within a generation. The campaign builds on the pan-African Zero Malaria Starts with Me movement that shows the power we each have to help end malaria.

Nigerian artist Láolú Senbanjo created the ‘Muundo’, a fresh new universal language made up of lines, symbols and patterns allowing people across cultures and continents to add their line to a collective message against malaria. Further talent fronting the campaign include Nigerian musician Yemi Alade, Kenyan Olympian Eliud Kpichoge and South African rugby champion Siya Kolisi, among others.

Youth in Africa, and people globally, are encouraged to draw the line on the ‘Muundo’ to demand action at zeromalaria.org.

About the RBM Partnership to End Malaria

The RBM Partnership to End Malaria is the largest global platform for coordinated action against malaria. Originally established as Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership in 1998, it mobilizes for action and resources and forges consensus among partners. The Partnership is comprised of more than 500 partners, including malaria endemic countries, their bilateral and multilateral development partners, the private sector, nongovernmental and community-based organizations, foundations, and research and academic institutions. The RBM Partnership Secretariat is hosted by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in Geneva, Switzerland. endmalaria.org 

Ellen Agler, CEO of the END Fund

LONDON, Britain, 24, March 2021 -/African Media Agency (AMA)/- Since the dawn of medicine, the UK has been a pioneer and world leader in preventative medicines like vaccines, antibiotics and neglected tropical disease (NTD) treatments. It started with Lady Mary Wortley Montagu’s introduction to deliberately inoculating people with a mild case of disease in the eighteenth century, and was followed decades later by Edward Jenner’s creation of the first smallpox vaccine. The field of tropical medicine was created by Scottish parasitologist Sir Patrick Manson in the nineteenth century. Manson discovered that an insect (e.g. a mosquito) can serve as an intermediate host for a developing parasite, radically advancing the knowledge of tropical diseases including malaria, and NTDs like lymphatic filariasis, schistosomiasis, leprosy, and loa loa.

The recent reduction to the United Kingdom’s foreign aid budget forces some difficult decisions that could jeopardize this illustrious history. My hope is that one of those decisions is to honor the legacy of the U.K.’s historic commitment to NTDs. A cut to NTD program funding would be a setback for millions of people around the world, at a time when the possibility of seeing an end to these diseases is so tangible. 

NTDs are a group of diseases that sometimes kill people but more often destroy their quality of life through malnutrition, disfigurement, blindness, and other severe ailments. These diseases affect 1.7 billion people worldwide, most of whom live in areas with limited resources such as poor access to clean water and sanitation. Infected children often cannot attend school; adults struggle to work and this affects their earning potential. As the CEO of the END Fund, a philanthropic organisation focused on ending the five most prevalent NTDs, I can say with certainty that NTDs perpetuate a cycle of poverty, sickness and suffering; they rob millions of men, women and children of the opportunity to reach their full potential.

In the past 40 years—and at an accelerating pace—more progress has been made against NTDs than any other time in human history and leadership from the U.K. has been at the heart of this progress. This surge is the result of several factors, including effective drugs (donated by pharmaceutical companies) and the unflagging work of organisations to distribute these drugs and help implement disease interventions. The number of people at risk of NTDs has been reduced by 600 million people in the last decade alone, and 42 countries have eliminated at least one NTD. We are so close to seeing a world free of the burden caused by NTDs. The new World Health Organization (WHO) 2030 NTD Roadmap ratified last November charts an ambitious path to NTD elimination over the next decade. A reduction in aid would jeopardize progress when the finish line is just on the horizon. 

Currently the U.K.’s foreign aid commitment for NTDs is about £220 million to 2022, a mere 0.6% of the aid budget per annum. On the granular level, the cost to treat or prevent the five most prevalent NTDs is less than 50 pence per person per year, on average. Each pound invested in NTD treatment in endemic countries yields £19 – £30 worth of economic benefit, which unlocks the door to health and future prosperity. A recent study by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) found that meeting parasitic worm infection elimination targets for four African countries (Ethiopia, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and Kenya) would yield £3.7 billion in productivity gains by 2040.  The U.K.’s ability to strengthen the local economy of so many nations is one of the major reasons why the commitment to NTDs should not be reduced. The recent emphasis on initiatives such as the U.K. – Africa trade will yield greater benefit if the global economy is strengthened.

Many British entities, some of which are listed below, have and continue to contribute to the field of NTDs: 

● British non-governmental organisations are leading the fight against NTDs: the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative Foundation, Sightsavers, Leprosy Mission (which Diana, Princess of Wales worked with since 1989), Mentor Initiative, LEPRA, Uniting to Combat NTDs, and others.

● Many of the most impactful British philanthropies are invested in the fight to end NTDs: Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Power of Nutrition, Virgin Unite, and Wellcome Trust.

● The oldest and most esteemed schools of tropical medicine are British: London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicines, Imperial College London, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. 

● British institutions, such as the Natural History Museum and the Wellcome Trust, provide crucial support and resources for NTD research.

● The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust’s Trachoma Initiative provided 26.6 million antibiotic eye treatments and 104,020 sightsaving operations.

● British pharmaceutical GlaxoSmithKline has donated over 10 billion tablets of albendazole to protect over 900 million people from intestinal worms and lymphatic filariasis.

Owing to the U.K.’s long tradition of altruism, contributions to this field have never slackened. It is, therefore, critical that British leadership stays the course in this movement to end NTDs over the coming decade. A funding reduction would be a devastating chapter in the U.K.’s proud history as a global leader that has been a bedrock of funding, a font of knowledge and a reliable source of action. 

Even in a world wracked by COVID-19, to divert funds from NTDs will be to lose critical progress and relinquish leadership status. It will bring a premature conclusion to what is due to seal the great British success story of ending NTDs in this decade. That is why I call on the UK government to maintain NTD funding.

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of the END Fund

About the END Fund

The END Fund is the only private philanthropic initiative solely dedicated to ending the five most common neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), which affect more than 1.7 billion people globally. It efficiently puts private capital to work, advocating for NTD programs that are innovative, integrated, and cost-effective. It facilitates strong partnerships with the private sector and has supported national disease control programs in 31 countries.

Since its founding in 2012, with its partners, the END Fund has provided over 920 million donated treatments worth over $1 billion, over 17,000 surgeries for people suffering from the effects of the advanced stages of elephantiasis and trachoma, and trained more than 2.7 million people in NTD control and elimination efforts. Visit www.end.org for more information.

Source : African Media Agency (AMA)

Depuis le début de l’épidémie déclarée le 10 mars 2020, le cumul des cas est de 27.660, dont 27.659 cas confirmés et 1 cas probable. Au total, il y a eu 726 décès  et 25.286 personnes guéries.        

• 80 nouveaux cas confirmés, dont  30 à Kinshasa, 21 au Nord-Kivu, 19  dans le Haut-Katanga, 9 au Sud-Kivu et 1 en Ituri ;
• 613 échantillons testés ;
• Aucun nouveau décès parmi les cas confirmés ;
• Aucune nouvelle personne n’est sortie guérie dans les CTCo, ni parmi les personnes suivies à domicile (Zones de santé) ;

• La province du Nord-Kivu a dépassé la barre de  mille neuf cents (1.900) personnes infectées de Coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19).

1. Kinshasa     :     20.115 cas ;
2. Nord-Kivu    :     1.905 cas ;
3. Haut-Katanga     :    1.820 cas ;
4. Kongo Central    :    1.626 cas ;
5. Sud-Kivu     :     861 cas ;
6. Lualaba    :    652 cas ; 
7. Ituri         :     269 cas ;
8. Tshopo    :    125 cas ;
9. Haut-Uélé    :    99 cas ;
10. Equateur    :    62 cas ;
11. Nord-Ubangi    :    40 cas ;
12. Maniema    :    20 cas ;
13. Kasaï Central    :    17 cas ;
14. Kwilu         :     9 cas ;
15. Sud-Ubangi    :    7 cas ;
16. Tanganyika    :    7 cas ;
17. Kasaï  Oriental    :    7 cas ;
18.  Bas-Uélé    :    6 cas ;
19. Kwango    :    5 cas ;
20. Kasaï        :    3 cas ;
21. Maï-Ndombe    :    2 cas ;
22. Tshuapa    :    2 cas ;
23. Haut-Lomami    :    1 cas.

/!\ Les données présentées dans ce tableau sont susceptibles de changer ultérieurement, après investigations approfondies et après redistribution des cas et décès dans leurs zones de santé respectives.

L’article RDC : 80 nouveaux cas de covid-19 confirmés mardi est apparu en premier sur Matininfos.NET – Information de la RDC en toute impartialité.

Source: Matininfos

Source : African Media Agency (AMA)

By Maniraguha Ferdinand

Rwanda’s Minister of Health says the tiny East African Country has detected new Covid-19 variants including the one from South Africa and United Kingdom.

Dr Daniel Ngamije was appearing on National Television this Sunday, 21^st March 2021, when he revealed that all variants were from outside the country, no local transmission.

Ngamije assured that all cases of Covid variants were detected at the airports, before spreading out into the country.

“Last week, we detected 12 people two of whom had UK Covid variant, ten had South African Covid variant. We detected them at the airport, they were coming from abroad”, he said’

“As always, we placed them in  isolation for them to get special treatment. We took care of them until we tested and results showed that they no longer have virus in their bodies”, he added.

Some Rwandans have been expressing fears that Covid-19 variants may have spread into the population especially since November last year when new cases soared.

However, Ngamije told national broadcaster that since August last year, the country has  had ability to detect any kind of Covid including new variants.

“Until now, in general population we still have the same Covid-19, we are yet to find  any local transmission of new Covid variant”, he assures.

More than 20 000 cases of Covid-19 have been detected in Rwanda since March 2020. More than 280 people  have died of the pandemic.

Early March this year, the country started vaccination. More than 300 000 people were vaccinated with Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines in the course of three weeks.

Depuis le début de l’épidémie déclarée le 10 mars 2020, le cumul des cas est de 27.580, dont 27.579 cas confirmés et 1 cas probable. Au total, il y a eu 726 décès  et 25.286 personnes guéries.     

• 8 nouveaux cas confirmés, dont  4 en Ituri, 2 au Nord-Kivu, 1 à Kinshasa et 1 au Kongo Central ;
• 107 échantillons testés ;
• Aucun nouveau décès parmi les cas confirmés ;
• 394 nouvelles personnes sorties guéries des CTCo et parmi les personnes suivies à domicile (Zones de santé), dont 155 à Kinshasa, 125 dans le Haut-Katanga, 55 au Lualaba, 20 au Kongo Central, 19 au Sud-Kivu, 13 au Nord-Kivu, 5 à l’Equateur, 1 dans le Haut-Uélé et 1 au Maniema ;

• La République démocratique du Congo a dépassé la barre de vingt-cinq mille (25.000) personnes guéries de Coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19).

1. Kinshasa     :     20.085 cas ;
2. Nord-Kivu    :     1.884 cas ;
3. Haut-Katanga     :    1.801 cas ;
4. Kongo Central    :    1.626 cas ;
5. Sud-Kivu     :     852 cas ;
6. Lualaba    :    652 cas ;
7. Ituri         :     268 cas ;
8. Tshopo    :    125 cas ;
9. Haut-Uélé    :    99 cas ;
10. Equateur    :    62 cas ;
11. Nord-Ubangi    :    40 cas ;
12. Maniema    :    20 cas ;
13. Kasaï Central    :    17 cas ;
14. Kwilu         :     9 cas ;
15. Sud-Ubangi    :    7 cas ;
16. Tanganyika    :    7 cas ;
17. Kasaï  Oriental    :    7 cas ;
18.  Bas-Uélé    :    6 cas ;
19. Kwango    :    5 cas ;
20. Kasaï        :    3 cas ;
21. Maï-Ndombe    :    2 cas ;
22. Tshuapa    :    2 cas ;
23. Haut-Lomami    :    1 cas.

/!\ Les données présentées dans ce tableau sont susceptibles de changer ultérieurement, après investigations approfondies et après redistribution des cas et décès dans leurs zones de santé respectives.

L’article RDC/Covid-19 : 8 nouveaux cas confirmés et 394 guéris lundi est apparu en premier sur Matininfos.NET – Information de la RDC en toute impartialité.

Source: Matininfos

Source : African Media Agency (AMA)

RWANDA, Kigali, 19, March 2021 -/African Media Agency (AMA)/- On behalf of the END Fund, African Media Agency is delighted to invite you to join a webinar discussing “A new frontier in global health: how a historic public private partnership in global health continues to break new ground.” Join us on World Water Day, March 22, as the END Fund hosts Rwanda’s Minister of Health, Dr. Daniel Ngamije, and leaders from pharmaceutical companies Johnson & Johnson and Merck KGaA Darmstadt, Germany and World Vision in a conversation exploring the importance of private public partnerships in addressing the world’s most widespread problems. 

For decades, pharmaceutical companies have donated billions of dollars worth of drugs to tackle neglected diseases globally. This panel will share insights from Rwanda’s experience of this partnership, where continued progressive government leadership has been met with commitment and innovation from leaders in the pharmaceutical industry. As a result of this leadership, and crucial coordination with the water, sanitation and hygiene sector, Rwanda has charted a path towards ending sickness from parasitic worms for good. Participants will share lessons learned from this long standing partnership, and discuss the potential impact of recent contributions from Johnson & Johnson and Merck KGaA Darmstadt, Germany and how Rwanda’s success can offer a blueprint for similar efforts across the continent.

The details are as follows:

Panelists: 

·     Dr. Daniel Ngamije, Minister of Health, Rwanda

·     Lynn Leonard, Global Program Leader, Soil Transmitted Helminths at Johnson & Johnson Global Public Health

·     Dr. Johannes Waltz, Head, Merck Schistosomiasis Elimination Program and Global Schistosomiasis Alliance at Merck Group

·     Sean Kerrigan, National Director, World Vision Rwanda

·     Moderator: Joy Ruwodo, Director Public Affairs, END Fund

Date: 22nd March, 2021

Timing: 9-10am EDT / 1-2pm GMT / 2-3pm CET / 3-4pm CAT

RSVP: Please register here. 

In addition to the panel discussion, the webinar will have a group chat feature and time to ask the panelists questions. We also welcome any questions submitted via the registration link. We hope you will join this conversation.

Click here for the press kit

Distributed by African Media Agency on behalf of  End Fund.

Source : African Media Agency (AMA)

By James Mwala

Despite growing global reports of side effects that the Astrazeneca vaccine is causing to people, the rollout continues in Malawi with top political leaders receiving the jab already.

The Covax supported initiative had its doses arrive in Malawi on 5th March. However, there have been myths associated with vaccines, feats that have only been cemented by global reports of blood clotting.

Top global media outlets have been reporting that in nationals like Italy, Netherlands and Portugal, the vaccine has been suspended.

However, in Malawi government insists, the people who have so far received the vaccine have not complained of any side effects.

For instance, in one lakeshore district of Mangochi, people attacked a school over reports that government had earmarked as a centre for vaccination.

” We have a local study that has shown that there hasn’t been any side effects on people that have received the jab here in Malawi. Let there be no panic” said Khumbize Chiponda, the Southern African nation’s Health Minister.

Top on the billing to get the jab has been President Lazarus Chakwera and Vice President Saulos Chilima. Former leaders, Bakili Muluzi who is the first democratically elected leader and Joyce Banda, the country’s first female leader.

At the moment, there are still restrictive measures that government ordered. Public gatherings remain restricted to 50 people although schools opened.

Recently, the social media has been awash with questions on why politicians are going ahead with electoral campaigns.

This comes at a time when there are by-elections in some areas whose law makers died and where the court ordered for fresh polls.

One of the areas up for contention is the lower shire district of Nsanje, which borders Mozambique where former Foreign Affairs Minister Francis Kasaila had his election quashed by the court.

The court cited electoral irregularities that took place in the 2019 parliamentary election in the area.

By Boris Esono Nwenfor

Officials in Cameroon are reviewing the use of the AstraZeneca Vaccine after the country was set to receive the first dose of the vaccine this week against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The review was submitted by Cameroon’s Minister of Public Health Dr Manaouda Malachie after a flurry of suspensions of the coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford.

In a tweet on March 12, Dr Manaouda Malachie stated: “As the side effects of the AstraZeneca vaccine continue to be debated, I would like to make it clear that I have submitted the matter to the Scientific Council and NITAG for advice. The expectation is that we will not use this vaccine while there are still doubts about its effects.”

On March 6, 2021, the Minister of Public Health had announced that the country would be receiving the first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccines in two weeks. “… the priority targets for vaccination against COVID will be health workers; people over fifty years old with comorbidity and existing conditions, vulnerable people; teachers; special groups and the general public,” Minister Manaouda Malachie tweeted on March 6.

The decision from Cameroon follows that of other countries that have opted to suspend the use of the vaccine. Sweden and Latvia joined a fast-growing list of European countries suspending the use of the vaccine as a precautionary measure following reports of blood clots. Germany, France, Italy and Spain said they would all stop administering the shot.

According to the World Health Organization, the AstraZeneCa vaccine against COVID-19, also known as AZD1222 “has an efficacy of 63.09% against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. Longer dose intervals within the 8 to 12 weeks range are associated with greater vaccine efficacy”.

Dr Shalom NDOULA, Permanent Secretary of Expanded Program on Immunization in the Ministry of Public Health had attested to the effectiveness of the vaccine. “The effectiveness of AstraZeneCa has been shown by many studies. From clinical trials, AstraZeneca has shown the effectiveness of about 70%, and more than 89% in preventing severe forms of the virus and death.

“The data from Scotland also shows an effect in reducing new cases of COVID-19 when the vaccination coverage is beyond a certain percentage,” She said as reported by CRTV on March 11.

The World Health Organization, Europe’s drug regulator and the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis have all recommended that countries continue to use the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

“The decisions by France, Germany and other countries look baffling,” said Dr Michael Head, senior research fellow in Global Health at the University of Southampton, U.K, according to CNBC.

“The data we have suggests that numbers of adverse events related to blood clots are the same (and possibly, in fact, lower) in vaccinated groups compared to unvaccinated populations,” he continued.

It should be recalled that the vaccine (whichever one will be selected) is not mandatory for the Cameroonian population. With an increase in COVID-19 cases in the country as days go by inhabitants have been urged to scrupulously respect the barrier measures that have been put in place.

As of March 16, the country counts 40,622 confirmed cases with 35,261 recovered. There have been 601 deaths recorded since the first confirmed case was recorded in the country in March 2020.

Depuis le début de l’épidémie déclarée le 10 mars 2020, le cumul des cas est de 27.290, dont 27.289 cas confirmés et 1 cas probable. Au total, il y a eu 726 décès  et 24.361 personnes guéries.       

• 38 nouveaux cas confirmés, dont 16 dans le Haut-Katanga, 10 à Kinshasa, 8 au Kongo Central, 3 en Ituri et  1 au Nord-Kivu ;
• 110 échantillons testés ;
• 4 nouveaux décès des cas confirmés, dont :
. 1 nouveau décès dans le CTCo à Kinshasa ;
.3 nouveaux décès communautaires au Nord-Kivu ;
•  602 nouvelles personnes sorties guéries des CTCo et parmi les personnes suivies à domicile, dont 347 à Kinshasa, 80 dans le Haut-Katanga, 76 au Sud-Kivu, 50 au Lualaba,  29 au Nord-Kivu et 20 au Kongo Central.
•  La République démocratique du Congo a dépassé la barre de vingt-quatre mille (24.000) personnes guéries de Coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19)

N.B : Le test Covid-19 est gratuit pour tout le monde en République démocratique du Congo. Cependant, le test des voyageurs est payant à 30 dollars américains. 

*Les 23 provinces touchées :
1.      Kinshasa     :     19.987 cas ;
2.      Nord-Kivu    :     1.812 cas ;
3.      Haut-Katanga     :    1.761 cas ;
4.      Kongo Central    :    1.625 cas ;
5.      Sud-Kivu     :     834 cas ;
6.      Lualaba    :    596 cas ;
7.      Ituri         :     264 cas ;
8.      Tshopo    :    125 cas ;
9.      Haut-Uélé    :    98 cas ;
10.      Equateur    :    62 cas ;
11.      Nord-Ubangi    :    40 cas ;
12.      Maniema    :    20 cas ;
13.      Kasaï Central    :    17 cas ;
14.      Kwilu         :     9 cas ;
15.      Sud-Ubangi    :    7 cas ;
16.      Tanganyika    :    7 cas ;
17.      Kasaï  Oriental    :    7 cas ;
18.      Bas-Uélé    :    6 cas
19.      Kwango    :    5 cas ;
20.      Kasaï        :    3 cas ;
21.      Maï-Ndombe    :    2 cas ;
22.      Tshuapa    :    2 cas ;
23.      Haut-Lomami    :    1 cas.

*/!\ Les données présentées dans ce tableau sont susceptibles de changer ultérieurement, après investigations approfondies et après redistribution des cas et décès dans leurs zones de santé respectives.*

L’article RDC/Covid-19 : 38 nouveaux cas, 4 décès et 602 guéris mercredi est apparu en premier sur Matininfos.NET – Information de la RDC en toute impartialité.

Source: Matininfos

Source : African Media Agency (AMA)

Depuis le début de l’épidémie déclarée le 10 mars 2020, le cumul des cas est de 27.252, dont 27.251 cas confirmés et 1 cas probable. Au total, il y a eu 722 décès  et 23.759 personnes guéries.                    

• 152 nouveaux cas confirmés, dont 60 au Kongo Central, 37 en Ituri,  26 à Kinshasa, 20 au Nord-Kivu et 9 dans le Haut-Katanga ; 
• 254 échantillons testés ;
• Aucun nouveau décès parmi les cas confirmés ;
• Aucune nouvelle personne n’est sortie guérie dans les CTCo, ni parmi les personnes suivies à domicile.

1.   Kinshasa          :            19.977 cas ;
2.   Nord-Kivu       :            1.811 cas ;
3.   Haut-Katanga :            1.745 cas ;
4.   Kongo Central :            1.617 cas ;
5.   Sud-Kivu          :            834 cas ;
6.   Lualaba           :            596 cas ; 
7.   Ituri                 :            261 cas ;
8.   Tshopo            :            125 cas ;
9.   Haut-Uélé       :            98 cas ;
10.   Equateur         :            62 cas ;
11.   Nord-Ubangi  :            40 cas ;
12.   Maniema        :            20 cas ;
13.   Kasaï Central  :            17 cas ;
14.   Kwilu               :            9 cas ;
15.   Sud-Ubangi     :            7 cas ;
16.   Tanganyika     :            7 cas ;
17.   Kasaï  Oriental             :            7 cas ;
18.   Bas-Uélé         :            6 cas
19.   Kwango           :            5 cas ;
20.   Kasaï                :            3 cas ;
21.   Maï-Ndombe  :            2 cas ;
22.   Tshuapa          :            2 cas ;
23.   Haut-Lomami :            1 cas.

*/!\ Les données présentées dans ce tableau sont susceptibles de changer ultérieurement, après investigations approfondies et après redistribution des cas et décès dans leurs zones de santé respectives.*

L’article Covid-19 en RDC : 152 nouveaux cas confirmés mardi est apparu en premier sur Matininfos.NET – Information de la RDC en toute impartialité.

Source: Matininfos

Source : African Media Agency (AMA)

By Jean d’Amour Mbonyinshuti

The Cabinet meeting on Monday revised measures aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19 and resolved that movements between Kigali city and provinces and districts were allowed.

The cabinet meeting convenes at least every two weeks to revise COVID-19 measures.

Among measures taken on Monday, the cabinet resolved that inter districts movements will be allowed except in three districts namely Bugesera district in Eastern Province, Nyanza, and Gisagara districts in the Southern province. The Country has 30 districts making up four provinces and the City of Kigali. 

“Movements between Kigali and other provinces and between districts of the country shall resume except for Bugesera, Nyanza, and Gisagara districts. Specific guidelines on the three districts will be provided by the Ministry of Local Government,” reads the cabinet Communique in part.  

Over the past months, inter-districts movements were banned following the spike of COVID-19 positive cases.

The only movement of goods was allowed. Public and private servants who wished to cross one district to another had to seek travel clearance from police before they undertook any journey.  

The curfew was also extended to 9 p.m and go through 4 a.m. previously it started from 8 p.m. Businesses shall close at 8 p.m from 6 p.m previously.  

Bars will remain closed, meetings should not exceed 30 percent of the facility’s capacities, weddings should not exceed 20 people and there should be no reception after the ceremonies among other measures.

Public offices and private businesses will continue with essential staff at no more than 30 percent capacity while other employees continue working from home on a rotational basis, according to the statement.

Rwanda has so far recorded 20,302 Covid-19 cases including18,635 who have recovered. The country also recorded 282 deaths as a result of the global pandemic.

Over the past two weeks, the government has embarked on the vaccination exercise which saw over 314,000 people vaccinated against COVID-19.

It is expected that at least 30 percent of the population will have received their jabs by the end of 2021 and 60 percent by the end of next year.

By Samuel Ouma

Kwale County Assembly in Kenya’s coast was on Monday, March 15, 2021, closed for some days after five ward representatives and several staffers tested positive for Covid-19.

Confirming the temporal closure, Speaker Sammy Ruwa said the affected Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) are self-isolating, whereas the staffers have been directed to work from home.

Kenya has been experiencing a surge in Covid-19 cases in the last few weeks, with the health experts projecting a looming third wave.

The positivity rate has jumped from 2 percent in January to 14 percent.

To curb further spread of the deadly disease, President Uhuru Kenyatta extended dusk to dawn curfew for 60 days.

Addressing the nation on Friday last week, the President also banned all political gatherings for a month.

Funerals and wedding attendees were reduced to 100, and the places of worship were told to handle a third of their capacities.

Bars and restaurants have been allowed to operate up to 9 pm.

“In regard to funerals, cremations and other interment ceremonies, it is directed that they shall be conducted strictly within 72 hours of confirmation of death. That attendees for funerals and gravesides/crematoria ceremonies shall be limited to the immediate family of the deceased,” the President said.

As of Sunday, March 14, 113,236 people had contracted the virus, out of which 88,045 have recovered, and 1913 others have succumbed to it.