HEALTH - The African Mirror

Jul

13

2022

COVID gives the fight against malaria, NTDs a shot in the arm

COVID-19

SETH ONYANGO, BIRD STORY AGENCY AT the Kigali Summit last month, states, donors and pharmaceutical pledged over US$4 billion of new funding to end malaria and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). It was the first in a series of commitments to bolster progress against the aforementioned diseases in Africa where malaria still kills thousands. Nature journal analysis shows there were an estimated 241 million cases of malaria and 627,000 deaths globally, with 95 per cent of these cases reported in Africa. But this could change as governments, using lessons learned to battle coronavirus, cooperate and adapt healthcare systems in an invigorated…

Jul

02

2022

By FRANCISCA MUTAPI

Five actions to prepare African countries better for the next pandemic

COVID-19

GLOBALLY, cases of COVID-19 and related deaths are lower in June 2022 than they were at the beginning of the year. But the infection numbers are rising. Africa is no exception. The past two years have caused unimaginable disruption of normal life. And these disruptions continue to delay the recovery of economies and health systems in Africa. To meet the continuing health system challenges and avoid the same fate in future pandemics, African countries must take bold actions to repair their health systems and make them more resilient. The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response set up by the…

Jun

25

2022

By The African Mirror

Somali president tests positive for COVID-19

COVID-19

SOMALI President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said he had tested positive for COVID-19 and was in self-isolation. Abdikarim Ali Kaar, Mohamud's spokesperson, said the president had returned to Somalia on Friday from a trip to the United Arab Emirates. The official Somali president's Twitter account shows a video of him meeting the president of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, with both men wearing masks, dated June 22. He also met Somalis based in the UAE. "My fellow citizens, I would like to inform you that today I tested positive for COVID-19. So far, I have no symptoms but I…

Jun

28

2022

By The African Mirror

Male voices dominated South African COVID reporting: that has to change

COVID-19

THE onset of the COVID pandemic and the many months of uncertainty, anxiety and push for scientific breakthroughs sent journalists all over the world on the hunt for expert voices. They wanted sources who could explain to audiences what was happening and why. Authors MARINA JOUBERT, Science Communication Researcher, Stellenbosch University LARS GUENTHER, Postdoc in Science Communication at University of Hamburg; Extraordinary Associate Professor at Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch University LILI RADEMAN, PhD candidate in Science and Technology Studies, Stellenbosch University Research has shown that when journalists look for sources, they often focus on already visible – and accessible – experts…

Jun

24

2022

By ALEXANDER WINNING and ANAIT MIRIDZHANIAN

South Africa repeals COVID rules as fifth wave fades

COVID-19

ALEXANDER WINNING and ANAIT MIRIDZHANIAN SOUTH AFRICA has repealed COVID-19 rules that made masks mandatory in indoor public spaces, limited the size of gatherings and imposed entry requirements at its borders, the health minister said on Thursday. South Africa has recorded the most coronavirus cases and deaths on the African continent, with over 3.9 million confirmed infections and more than 101,000 deaths. Minister Joe Phaahla said authorities had noted a decline in cases, hospitalisations and reported deaths and concluded that a limited fifth wave was dissipating. "The COVID-19 virus is not yet gone, ... we are just stronger than before…

Jun

18

2022

By The African Mirror

Morocco’s king tests positive for COVID

COVID-19

KING Mohammed VI of Morocco has tested positive for COVID-19 but has exhibited no symptoms, his doctor said on Thursday. The king will be on sick leave for a couple of days, his doctor Lahcen Belyamani said in a statement carried by state media. King Mohammed, who holds sweeping powers, has headed the Muslim world's longest-serving dynasty since 1999.

Jun

16

2022

By The African Mirror

Has COVID affected your sleep? Here’s how viruses can change our sleeping patterns

COVID-19

DURING the early phases of the pandemic, and especially during lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, many people reported disruptions to sleep and their sleeping patterns. As COVID infections have increased, we’re again seeing reports of people experiencing poor sleep during and following COVID infection. Some people report insomnia symptoms, where they struggle to fall or stay asleep, with this commonly being referred to as “coronasomnia” or “COVID insomnia”. Others report feeling constantly fatigued, and seemingly can’t get enough sleep, with this sometimes being referred to as “long COVID”. Author GEMMA PAECH, Conjoint Senior Lecturer, School of Medicine and Public Health, University…

Jun

12

2022

By The African Mirror

U.S. drops COVID testing for incoming international air travellers

COVID-19

DAVID SHEPARDSON THE United States rescinded a 17-month-old requirement that people arriving in the country by air test negative for COVID-19, a move that follows intense lobbying by airlines and the travel industry. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky issued a four-page order lifting the mandate, effective at 12:01 a.m. ET (0400 GMT) Sunday, saying it is "not currently necessary."Advertisement · Scroll to continue The requirement had been one of the last major U.S. COVID-19 travel requirements. Its end comes as the summer travel season kicks off, and airlines were already preparing for record demand. Airlines have said…

Jun

11

2022

By The African Mirror

BioNTech to soon start mRNA vaccine factory construction in Rwanda

COVID-19

COVID-19 vaccine maker BioNTech said construction of an mRNA vaccine factory to enable African nations to jump-start their own manufacturing network would start on June 23 in Rwanda. The groundbreaking ceremony in the capital city of Kigali is to be attended by Rwanda's President Paul Kagame, further heads of African states, as well as representatives from the European Union and the World Health Organization, the biotech firm said in a statement on Thursday. The German company's modular factory elements, to be assembled in Africa to so-called BioNTainers, would be delivered to the Kigali construction site by the end of 2022, it…

Jun

08

2022

By The African Mirror

No COVID-19 apocalypse in Africa, as WHO expects a steep drop in fatalities

COVID-19

SETH ONYANGO, BIRD STORY AGENCY TALES of the coronavirus apocalypse in Africa will not be told after all, with the WHO now predicting a dramatic drop in fatalities, from an average of 970 fatalities each day last year, to around 60 a day by the end of 2022. This is in sharp contrast to the grim predictions about COVID-19 in Africa. Comments from health organisations and aid agencies were at the time criticised for pandering to stereotypes about Africa. Some, including philanthropist Melinda Gates, warned that dead bodies from COVID-19 would litter the continent. "My first thought was Africa. How…