Category: AFRICA

More than US$ 1.8 billion in support for African vaccine manufacturing, catching up missed children and pandemic preparedness approved as Gavi Board steps up efforts to tackle backsliding and fight health emergencies

Healthtimes

Gavi’s Board today approved the establishment of the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA), a financing instrument that will make up to US$ 1 billion available to support sustainable vaccine manufacturing in Africa Efforts to translate pandemic learnings into concrete action further include the establishment of a US$ 500 million First Response Fund to ensure immediate financing for vaccine response in the event of a future pandemic, as well as extraordinary support for countries to close routine immunisation gaps created during the COVID-19 pandemic The Board approved the inclusion of the…

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Alcohol abuse and under nutrition increasing TB mortality and morbidity in Africa

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere AFRICA must also address the issue of undernourishment to prevent mortality in TB patients, a tuberculosis World Health Organization Africa regional office official  has said. Head of the Green Light Committee for TB at WHO Afro Dr Jean-Louis Abena told delegates during a session at the ICASA conference that the issue of undernutrition and alcohol use disorder are proving to be a thorn in the flesh for the continent. “But this year, undernutrition becomes one of the most contributing factor that make people become ill in TB. And…

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All Hands On Deck To Reach Zero Dose Children With Immunisation In Africa

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Despite immunisation being one of the most impactful and cost-effective public health interventions, responsible for preventing over 4 million deaths every year, the African continent is currently lagging behind other world regions in terms of access to vaccines. According to World Health Organisation (WHO) data, every year, more than 30 million African children under the age of five suffer from Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPDs); and over half a million die due to limited access to immunisation services. This translates to 58 percent of global deaths from VPDs.…

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Africa Warms Up To Single-Dose HPV Vaccine

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Following the relaunch of the Human papillomavirus (HPV) programme by GAVI the Vaccine Alliance, in line with the new World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations for a single-dose HPV vaccine, African states are embracing the administering of the one dosage in eligible populations. The developments come amidst indications that GAVI has set an ambitious target to reach 86 million girls with the HPV vaccine by 2025, as immunisation partners outline an ambitious plan to protect millions of girls in lower- and middle-income countries against cervical cancer. Speaking during…

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Health Ministry pledges support to CODEX activities

Kuda Pembere

The Zimbabwean government is committed proffer high level support as well as having national CODEX activities included in the national budget, a senior health and childcare ministry official said last Wednesday. By Kuda Pembere This was said at the CODEX Trust Fund 2 inception workshop by the Permanent Secretary in the Health and Childcare Ministry Dr Aspect Maunganidze in a speech read on his behalf by Government Analyst Laboratory Director Mr Livingstone Masiyambiri. Zimbabwe successfully applied for the CTF2 in 2021, and preparations have been underway to initiate its implementation.…

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Zim startup’s Cancer diagnostic application wins Cyber Cybertech Africa Security and Blockchain Hackathon

Kuda Pembere

A Zimbabwean startup company which developed a computer application that detects cancers emerged the winner of this year’s Cyber Cybertech Africa Security and Blockchain Hackathon competition held in Kigali, Rwanda. By Kuda Pembere The application was developed by Clarity Technologies which comprises of four persons namely Collins Jimu and Zvikomborero Duri who are software engineers, Terry Mdiwa, a business executive and and Dr Koshesayi Madzika a lawyer. The company bagged the first prize earning themselves US$5 000 after outwitting 120 other competitors from other countries. In an interview, Mr Collins…

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Africa Needs to Strengthen Disease Surveillance and Innovation to Address Re-emerging Infectious Diseases- Dr Nyirenda

Michael Gwarisa

The world is slowly recovering from the ravaging effects of COVID-19 which lasted close to three years before the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that it was no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). According to WHO data, globally, as of 2 August 2023, an estimated 6,953,743 COVID-19 deaths and 768,983,095 confirmed cases of COVID-19 had been reported to WHO. By Michael Gwarisa While the risk of COVID-19 has subsided, and the rest of the world seems to be moving forward, Africa is experiencing a new wave…

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Launch of a Regional Initiative to Tackle Climate Change-related Health Challenges for Africa

Michael Gwarisa

At the Seventy-sixth World Health Assembly, African governments represented by Ministers of Health, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa (WHO) and Amref Health Africa launched a regional initiative to tackle health impacts of climate change in Africa. This is an effort to harness the power of collaboration among countries and stakeholders through experience sharing and collective action in climate adaptation and mitigation. By Staff Reporter Besides enabling multisectoral work, the initiative seeks to strengthen the voice of health and well-being in Africa at the…

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Uganda approves Anti-LGBTQ Law

Healthtimes

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has signed one of the world’s harshest anti-LGBTQ laws, his spokesperson said on Monday, defying international condemnations and the risk of sanctions from donors. Same-sex relations were already illegal in Uganda, as they are in more than 30 African countries, but the new law goes further in targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. It imposes the death penalty for so-called aggravated homosexuality, which includes having gay sex when HIV-positive, and a 20-year sentence for “promoting” homosexuality. ALSO READ | Uganda outlaws identifying as LGBTQ,…

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Gay People are sick in the head says Museveni

Healthtimes

Uganda Attorney General, Kiryowa Kiwanuka recently informed President Yoweri Museveni that the Anti-Homsexuality bill if passed by Parliament in its current form criminalizes even those who voluntarily come out to have practiced homosexuality and need to be helped. By Staff Reporter The development resulted in President Museveni returning the controversial bill to parliament for fine-tuning citing that it was silent on psychologically disoriented persons and how it intends to deal with those who voluntarily come out as gay and how they will be helped to access mental rehabilitation services. Once…

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