HEALTH - The African Mirror

Jul

03

2021

COVID-19 knocks out ex-world boxing champ

COVID-19

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER AT his prime, Lehlonolo "Hands of Stone” Ledwaba knocked out many of his opponents on his way to winning three world titles. On Friday, the former champ was knocked out for the count by COVID-19, which has claimed the lives of 60 000 South Africans. Ledwaba (49), who was now a boxing trainer and promoter, passed away as his family was preparing to take him to hospital after he fell ill. His uncle Peter Leopeng said Ledwaba had tested positive for COVID-19 but had initially refused to go to hospital. “When he fell ill he went to…

Jul

03

2021

By The African Mirror

South Africa hits record 26,845 new COVID-19 cases in third wave

COVID-19

SOUTH Africa has registered more than 26 485 cases of COVID-19 , its highest tally of new infections since the pandemic began, as a third wave of the virus spread through a population in which just 5% have been vaccinated. The surge in cases in Africa's most industrialised nation has overwhelmed hospitals, especially in the main city of Johannesburg, and left overworked healthcare personnel struggling to find enough beds for critically ill patients. Bureaucratic failures have worsened the health crisis. The South African Medical Association threatened on Thursday to take the government to court because more than 200 new junior…

Apr

11

2021

By The African Mirror

Libya launches COVID-19 vaccination drive after delays

COVID-19

LIBYA’S new unity government launched a long-delayed COVID-19 vaccination programme yesterday after receiving some 160,000 vaccine doses over the past week, with the prime minister receiving his jab on live television. While Libya is richer than its neighbours due to oil exports, the country's healthcare system has been strained by years of political turmoil and violence, and it has struggled to cope during the pandemic. Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibeh called it a "blessed day" in the fight against COVID-19 after receiving his shot, without saying which vaccine he had been given. At least 100,000 of the doses that arrived this week…

Jul

03

2021

By The African Mirror

‘Data shows J&J vaccine works well against Delta variant’

COVID-19

DATA from laboratory studies show Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine works well against the Delta variant that now dominates new infections in South Africa, the head of the country's Medical Research Council has said. "All the data that we see indicate good immediate and sustained immune response against Delta, and we see surprising durability in the immune response for the single dose J&J right up to eight months," Glenda Gray told a news conference. South Africa is using the J&J and Pfizer vaccines in its immunisation campaign.

Apr

11

2021

By The African Mirror

Calls to tackle vaccine hesitancy

COVID-19

KIM HARRISBERG WARINESS about taking AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine in Africa could be compounded by the African Union's decision to halt plans to procure the shot, health experts said on Friday, calling for public awareness programmes to fight misinformation. The African Union (AU) said its announcement was not related to recent findings by European and British medicine regulators that there are possible links between the vaccine and extremely rare blood clots, but rather a case of diversifying options. Still, experts said the timing of Thursday's announcement could fuel vaccine hesitancy. "The announcement happening around the same time the European medical authority…

Jul

03

2021

By The African Mirror

‘We urge caution,’ WHO says on Tokyo Olympics

COVID-19

STEPHANIE NEBEHAY THE World Health Organization, which is advising the International Olympic Committee in the run-up to the Tokyo Games opening later this month, is urging caution so as to stem the spread of the coronavirus, a senior WHO official has said. Crowds at Euro 2020 soccer stadiums and in pubs and bars in host cities are driving the current rise in COVID-19 infections in Europe, the WHO's regional office said on Thursday. Maria van Kerkhove, WHO technical lead on COVID-19 at its global headquarters, was asked what lessons it was drawing from the Euro 2020 tournament in order to…

Apr

11

2021

By The African Mirror

Are vaccine passports a risk to society?

COVID-19

IMOGEN PARKER IN a matter of weeks COVID-status certificates, or ‘vaccine passports’, which allow people to more easily show their COVID-19 status, have moved from a fringe issue to the centre of polarised political debates. In the UK, the announcement this week of COVID-status certificate pilots has triggered outcry, from the public, parliamentarians and publicans. In the U.S., the White House has ruled out a federal system that ‘requires Americans to carry a credential’ on the grounds they infringe on privacy and human rights. Meanwhile, Walmart and New York State, forge ahead with their own rollouts. Why are countries giving serious consideration to these…

Apr

11

2021

By The African Mirror

Tunisia reduces overnight curfew

COVID-19

TUNISIA reduced its night curfew yesterday, a day after President Kais Saied requested a review of the measure to avoid the loss of thousands of jobs in the month of Ramadan. ''The curfew will start 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.,'' Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi told reporters, reducing it from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. Mechichi's government has announced tougher curfew restrictions on Wednesday to combat a surge in new coronavirus cases.

Apr

21

2021

By The African Mirror

Why African countries need reliable local data on sugary drinks taxes

HEALTH

DIETS in sub-Saharan Africa are changing as more countries advance from low-income to middle-income status. People’s eating habits are shifting from food rich in starchy staples, vegetables and fruits to a more westernised diet high in sugar, saturated fats and oils. This shift to unhealthy foods is fuelling obesity-related chronic, non-communicable conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Preventive measures are more critical than ever to curtail this tsunami that is overwhelming health systems. One area that must adjust is the food and beverage sector in sub-Saharan Africa. The processed food industry is promoting the region as a growth…

Jul

03

2021

By The African Mirror

COVID-19 shows why Africa’s reliance on outsiders for health services is a problem

HEALTH

THE COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced several truths about the detrimental effects of Africa being over-reliant on western and international stakeholders to solve its health challenges and using western solutions to Africa’s health problems. FRANCISCA MUTAPI, Professor in Global Health Infection and Immunity. and co-Director of the Global Health Academy, University of Edinburgh The continent has suffered heavily from the global COVID-19 supply chain crisis. Competitive procurement by governments with deeper pockets has hiked prices of vaccines while national export controls on essential commodities and raw materials have blocked access. These effects were recently highlighted by the African Union special envoy,…