HEALTH - The African Mirror

Apr

18

2022

How COVID added to the stresses of the most vulnerable young women in South Africa

COVID-19

BY 2021, South Africa’s unemployment rate was at 44%. Around 55.5% of South Africans were living in poverty. Figures show that in 2021, 10 million people, including 3 million children, lived in a household affected by hunger. Poverty is a key driver of poor mental health. People who also experience insecure income, housing and food supply are particularly vulnerable. The burden of mental illness in South Africa is high. Nearly half of the population (47.5%) is at risk of developing a psychiatric disorder in their lifetime. Despite this high burden, access to mental healthcare in South Africa is severely limited.…

Apr

15

2022

By The African Mirror

Africa COVID cases on longest run of declines since pandemic’s start

COVID-19

AFRICA is experiencing its longest-running decline in weekly COVID-19 infections since the start of the pandemic, the World Health Organization said on Thursday. Recorded weekly cases have fallen for the past 16 weeks and deaths for the last eight, the latter dropping to 239 in the past week, it said in a statement. The upcoming cold season in the southern hemisphere could prompt a new spike in cases, it said. "With the virus still circulating, the risk of new and potentially more deadly variants emerging remains, and the pandemic control measures are pivotal to an effective response to a surge…

Apr

12

2022

By The African Mirror

South Africa has lifted most COVID-19 restrictions. But risks remain

COVID-19

IN early April South Africa ended most of the mandatory measures it put in place to curb the spread of SARS-CoV-2. The country terminated its “state of disaster” and moved to a transitional phase. For 30 days certain measures will remain in place. These include wearing face masks in indoor public spaces, restrictions on gatherings as well as proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test for people travelling to the country. To find out more about the implication of this decision and the reasoning behind it, The Conversation Africa’s Ina Skosana spoke to Harsha Somaroo, who has been supporting…

Apr

08

2022

By The African Mirror

Over two-thirds of Africans infected by COVID virus since pandemic began

COVID-19

MORE than two-thirds of Africans have been infected by COVID-19 since the pandemic started, 97 times more than reported confirmed cases, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) study published on Thursday. The study found that by September 2021, 800 million Africans had been exposed to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, compared with 8.2 million cases reported at that time. The WHO said that under-counting was happening everywhere, but to a lesser degree than in Africa. It said that on average globally, true infections were 16 times higher than confirmed cases. The agency's regional director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso…

Apr

07

2022

By The African Mirror

COVAX, African Union decline to buy more doses of Moderna’s COVID shots

COVID-19

COVAX, the global project to share COVID-19 vaccines, and the African Union have declined options to buy additional doses of Moderna's shot, as developing nations struggle to allocate supplies. The global alliance did not exercise the option for 166 million doses of the shot for the third quarter of 2022, as well for 166 million doses in the fourth quarter, which expired on April 1, a Moderna spokesperson said. COVAX, which is backed by Gavi, the World Health Organization and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, is struggling to place more than 300 million doses, Reuters reported in February. Moderna and…

Apr

06

2022

By The African Mirror

Bye bye lockdown…

COVID-19

CYRIL RAMAPHOSA FOR the past 750 days, South Africa has been in a National State of Disaster. This is an extraordinary situation that is unprecedented in our country’s history. The declaration of a state of disaster was a response to a global health crisis that posed a grave threat to the lives and the well-being of our people. There is no doubt that such a response was necessary under these circumstances. The declaration of the National State of Disaster on 15 March 2020 empowered government to take the measures that prevented many more people from becoming severely ill and saved…

Apr

04

2022

By The African Mirror

SA lifts Covid-19 state of disaster restrictions

COVID-19

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER LOW Covid-19 infections, few deaths and admissions to hospitals were some of the reasons behind the South African government’s decision to end the state of disaster of 750 days. The government imposed it on March 15, 2020 in response to the outbreak of Covid-19 which has killed close to 100 000 South Africans and infected millions. SA President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the state of disaster will be replaced by soon-to-be-promulgated health regulations. He said: “The end of the National State of Disaster also means that the Coronavirus Alert Levels will no longer apply. The few transitional…

Mar

31

2022

By The African Mirror

Ghana to start producing own Covid-19 vaccines in January 2024

COVID-19

GHANA will start producing its own COVID-19 vaccines in January 2024, President Nana Akufo-Addo said in his State of the Nation Address in parliament. A National Vaccine Institute would be established to lay out a strategy for the West African country to begin the first phase of commercial production for the jabs, he said without providing further details. "A bill will shortly be brought to you, in this House, for your support and approval for the establishment of the National Vaccine Institute," he said. So far Ghana has fully vaccinated around 21.4% of its 30-million-odd inhabitants against coronavirus, according to…

Mar

30

2022

By The African Mirror

Explainer: Omicron ‘stealth’ COVID variant BA.2 now dominant globally

COVID-19

JENNIFER RIGBY and JULIE STEENHUYSEN A sub-variant of the highly transmissible Omicron version of coronavirus known as BA.2 is now dominant worldwide, prompting surges in many countries in Europe and Asia and raising concern over the potential for a new wave in the United States. Below is a summary of what is known about BA.2. MORE TRANSMISSIBLE BA.2 now represents nearly 86% of all sequenced cases, according to the World Health Organization. It is even more transmissible than its highly contagious Omicron siblings, BA.1 and BA.1.1, however, the evidence so far suggests that it is no more likely to cause…

Mar

25

2022

By The African Mirror

How drug companies are sidestepping the WHO’s technology transfer hub in Africa

COVID-19

PHARMACEUTICAL company Moderna announced on 7 March 2022 that it would develop a site in Kenya to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines. The company holds much of the key intellectual property relating to the messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. Due to their higher efficacy, mRNA vaccines are the preferred option in developed countries. They account for 92% of all vaccinations to date in the US and European Union. Author DAVID RICHARD WALWYN, Professor of Technology Management, University of Pretoria Moderna’s decision to continue making the vaccine itself, though on the Kenyan site, is a signal that the company (at least for the moment)…