HEALTH - The African Mirror

Oct

03

2020

Nigeria to reopen federal government schools from October 12

COVID-19

NIGERIA will allow federal government schools to reopen from October 12, while schools run by states and private owners may open on their own timetables, the education minister has announced. New COVID-19 cases in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, have steadily fallen in recent weeks, according to official data. The education minister, Adamu Adamu, said the drop spurred the decision to reopen schools. "Since the beginning of September 2020, we have witnessed a considerable decline in the rate of infections," Adamu said in a statement. The Oct 12 date affects 104 federal institutes known as Unity colleges. The reopening of…

Oct

03

2020

By The African Mirror

How three prior pandemics triggered massive societal shifts

HEALTH

ANDREW LATHAM, Professor of Political Science, Macalester College BEFORE March of this year, few probably thought disease could be a significant driver of human history. Not so anymore. People are beginning to understand that the little changes COVID-19 has already ushered in or accelerated – telemedicine, remote work, social distancing, the death of the handshake, online shopping, the virtual disappearance of cash and so on – have begun to change their way of life. They may not be sure whether these changes will outlive the pandemic. And they may be uncertain whether these changes are for good or ill. Three…

Oct

07

2020

By The African Mirror

How smartphones could help improve child health in Malawi

HEALTH

GRIPHIN BAXTER CHIRAMBOADAMSON S. MUULABO ANDERSSONCIARA HEAVINJOHN O'DONOGHUEMATTHEW THOMPSONYVONNE O'CONNOR MANY low- and middle-income countries, such as Malawi, continue to experience high child mortality rates. Most of these deaths are caused by preventable and treatable diseases such as diarrhoea, malaria and pneumonia. But managing these conditions is a challenge in Malawi, where around 83% of the population lives in rural areas where access to appropriate health facilities is difficult. To identify sick children and ensure they get treatment close to home the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF introduced a community case management protocol in 2008. It’s mostly managed by…

Oct

06

2020

By The African Mirror

Zambian study points to why some mothers don’t carry on taking HIV drugs

HEALTH

JERRY JOHN NUTOR, Assistant Professor, Family Health Care Nursing, University of California, San Francisco THERE are more than 85,000 children living with HIV in Zambia. The primary source of infection is from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is an effective strategy to eliminate these new infections. But it only works if women take their medications consistently. Adherence to ART is still a major challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, especially among pregnant and breastfeeding women. In 2012, the World Health Organisation (WHO) introduced new guidelines for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Women with HIV…

Oct

06

2020

By The African Mirror

One in 10 may have caught COVID, as world heads into “difficult period” – WHO

COVID-19

STEPHANIE NEBEHAY and EMMA FARGE ROUGHLY one in 10 people may have been infected with the coronavirus, leaving the vast majority of the world's population vulnerable to the COVID-19 disease it causes, the World Health Organization has said. Mike Ryan, the WHO's top emergency expert, was addressing the agency's Executive Board, where the United States made a thinly veiled swipe at China for what it called a "failure" to provide accurate and timely information on the outbreak. But Zhang Yang of China's National Health Commission, said: "China has always been transparent and responsible to fulfil our international obligations." China maintained…

Oct

06

2020

By The African Mirror

Maradona has been tested for coronavirus

COVID-19

ARGENTINE soccer legend Diego Maradona has been tested for COVID-19, his lawyer has revealed on Twitter. The man who led Argentina to the World Cup in 1986 took the test after he came into close contact last Friday with Facundo Contin, a player who tested positive for the virus less than a day later. The results of the former striker's test are expected within 24 hours, his lawyer Matias Morla said. Morla shared a photo of a medical worker swabbing Maradona. "In compliance with protocols and to put Diego and his family's mind at rest, Maradona was tested at his…

Oct

05

2020

By The African Mirror

Algeria takes further measures to ease coronavirus restrictions

COVID-19

ALGERIA will take further steps to ease the coronavirus lockdown including reopening schools and universities after a fall in the number of daily injections, the government said on Sunday. Under the new measures, schools and universities will reopen on October 21 and November 22 respectively, the government said in a statement after a cabinet meeting. The North African country has eased restrictions relating to the novel coronavirus, including resuming public transportation as well as reopening some businesses, mosques and leisure venues. It has so far reported 52,136 cases and 1,760 deaths. - Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Oct

05

2020

By The African Mirror

Tunisia to ban gatherings, cut public-sector work hours due to pandemic

COVID-19

TUNISIAN authorities will ban all gatherings and reduce working hours for employees in the public sector in order to stop the rapid spread of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi has announced. The decision was taken amid strong fears that hospitals in the North African nation will be unable to cope with a high number of patients because of the shortage of intensive-care beds. The total number of coronavirus cases has jumped to more than 20,000 compared with roughly 1,000 cases before the country's borders were reopened on June 27. In a speech announcing the latest measures to combat the…

Oct

05

2020

By The African Mirror

Prominent people diagnosed with COVID-19

COVID-19

MORE than 1 million people have died after contracting the novel coronavirus and over 33 million infected. Leading figures in politics, sport, royalty and entertainment are among them: Sadio Mane - Senegalese football star and Liverpool striker. British actor Robert Pattinson tested positive for COVID-19, news media reported on September 3, halting production of "The Batman". Pro-wrestler turned Hollywood actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson said in a video message posted on social media on September 2 that he, his wife and their two young children tested positive for COVID-19 in recent weeks but that they all have recovered and are…

Oct

04

2020

By The African Mirror

Pandemic pushes forward new generation of African cyclists

COVID-19

LOUCOUMANE COULIBALY WEARING a bright green helmet, cyclist Andy Costa weaves a dangerous path through trucks barrelling down the streets of Abidjan in the Ivory Coast. Africa's traffic-clogged cities make it the world's deadliest continent for pedestrians and cyclists, according to the World Health Organisation. Many lack pavements, let alone bike lanes. That may soon change thanks to a generation of African cycling activists who have been given a boost by the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to avoid crowded public transport. Last month, after 10 years of campaigning, authorities finally told Costa he could help plan bike lanes in…