Category: AFRICA

AMR Threatens SDGs Attainment In Africa

Michael Gwarisa
AMR

By Michael Gwarisa The World Health Organisation (WHO) data shows that Africa remains heavily burdened with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) compared to all WHO Regions. Africa also has the highest mortality from AMR despite the region having the lowest prevalence of resistance. In 2015, after realising the need for urgent action to combat the growing scourge of AMR, the World Health Assembly adopted the Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance. Over the years, AMR has been identified as a leading cause of treatment failure in several morbidities such as HIV tuberculosis…

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Hope on the Horizon As New TB Vaccine Trials Kick Off

Healthtimes

Hundred years later after the first Tuberculosis Vaccine was developed, a new TB vaccine is on the horizon. By Mandy Collins Imagine a world where TB doesn’t steal millions of lives each year. That dream might be inching closer, thanks to a groundbreaking vaccine trial kicking off in South Africa. Towards the end of March 2024, the first doses of potentially the first new tuberculosis (TB) vaccine in a century were administered at a clinical trial site in Johannesburg, South Africa, marking a crucial step in the fight against this…

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Community-based TB treatment highly effective in Togo

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter New research finds that a community-based approach to delivering TB treatment is highly effective at achieving successful TB treatment outcomes in Togo. The Union led the study in partnership with Togo’s National TB Programme (NTP) and the World Health Organization’s Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases. The researchers found that 93% of participants had favourable outcomes after six months (e.g. cured and/or completed treatment) through a community health worker-led approach to supervising treatment intake, compared to 78% through a family member supervising treatment intake.…

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African Region Triumphs Over Wild Polio Type 1

Michael Gwarisa

Brazzaville/Lilongwe/Maputo – Following thorough assessments in Malawi and Mozambique, an independent Polio Outbreak Response Assessment Team (OBRA) today recommended the closure of the wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) outbreak in Malawi and Mozambique, marking a significant milestone in the fight against polio in the African region. The last WPV1 case in the African Region, linked to a strain circulating in Pakistan, was reported in Mozambique´s Tete Province in August 2022. A total of nine cases were detected in Mozambique and neighbouring Malawi, where the outbreak was declared in February 2022.…

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Namibia reaches key milestone in eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and hepatitis B

Healthtimes

Windhoek – Namibia has become the first country in Africa – and the first high-burden country in the world – to reach a significant milestone on the path towards eliminating vertical mother-to-child transmission of both HIV and viral hepatitis B. Eastern and Southern Africa is home to more than half the world’s HIV burden and Africa accounts for two thirds of new hepatitis B infections globally. Namibia is home to more than 200 000 people living with HIV and new infections disproportionately impact females. Progress is possible. Globally, 2.5 million…

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GEAR Project Boosts Access To Quality Education For Vulnerable School Girls In Three African Countries

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa The GEAR (Girls Education Advocacy in the Region) project, an initiative aimed at enhancing access to quality education, has made significant progress in advancing quality education for girls in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi. Valued at US$828 000, the project is a collaborative effort among four organizations from Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, termed the GEAR Alliance coordinated by SAYWHAT with support from Education Out Loud. Speaking in an interview with HealthTimes, PraiseGod Masunga, the SAYWHAT Regional Coordinator said the primary goal of the project is to contribute towards…

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IAS 2025 to take place in Kigali, Rwanda

Michael Gwarisa

2 May 2024 (Geneva, Switzerland) – IAS – the International AIDS Society – announced today that IAS 2025, the 13th IAS Conference on HIV Science, will take place in Kigali, Rwanda, from 14 to 17 July 2025. Pre-meetings will be held on 13 July. The conference will spotlight challenges and opportunities in some of the world’s most HIV-affected regions while offering insights gained from other areas of the world. IAS 2025 will serve as a critical reflection point to collectively take stock of how and in what ways the advances in HIV science can…

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NCDs In African Children Put On The Spotlight As Inaugural ICPPA Conference Kicks Off In Tanzania

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania The First International Conference on the PEN-Plus Regional Strategy to Address Severe Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Africa (ICPPA), has commenced in Tanzania, amidst calls for increased investment towards prevention, research and care for childhood NCDs. The four-day confrence is running from April 23 to  April 25 2024, under the theme, “Prioritising Person-Centered Approach to Chronic and Severe NCDs-Type 1 Diabetes, Sickle Cell Diseases, and Childhood Heart Diseases.” The conference is being hosted by the  Tanzania Ministry of Health in Tanzania and the…

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OCP and Fortescue to partner to develop green energy, hydrogen and ammonia in Morocco

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter The OCP Group, a global leader in plant nutrition and phosphate-based fertilizers, and Fortescue Energy, part of global green energy, metals and technology company Fortescue Ltd (Fortescue), announced a landmark Joint Venture (JV) in Morocco. This equal partnership aims to supply green hydrogen, ammonia, and fertilizers to Morocco, Europe, and international markets. It includes the potential development of manufacturing facilities and an R&D hub to advance the rapidly growing renewable energy industry in Morocco. Fortescue and OCP Group, leaders in iron ore and phosphate respectively, are united…

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Amref Puts A Spotlight On Widening Climate Change Induced Health Inequalities in Africa

Michael Gwarisa

“As dire as the situation is, financing for climate adaptation is only a drop in the ocean of what is needed. This scenario has been, and continues to be the reason why Africa is one of the most vulnerable continent.” By Michael Gwarisa As the world commemorates World Health Day, governments around the world are seized with addressing climate change challenges, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) data estimating that between 2030 and 2050, climate change will likely cause approximately 250 000 additional deaths per year, from undernutrition, malaria, diarrhoea…

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