HEALTH - The African Mirror

Oct

13

2020

‘Corona carriers’: Stigma halts medication and meet-ups for HIV+ Malawians

COVID-19

CHARLES PENSULO MALAWIAN student Kondwani has fought against the stigma of being HIV-positive for most of his life, but COVID-19 has reignited old prejudices and given rise to a new term of abuse - "corona carrier". A widely held misconception that HIV-positive people are at high risk of catching the coronavirus is fueling discrimination and making it harder for them to access the medical care they need, health activists in the southern African country said. Kondwani, 24, said it was also spreading anxiety among the 1.1 million people who live with HIV in Malawi - which has one of the…

Oct

12

2020

By The African Mirror

UK study tests if BCG vaccine protects against COVID

COVID-19

THE widely used BCG tuberculosis vaccine will be tested on frontline care workers in Britain for its effectiveness against COVID-19, researchers running the UK arm of a global trial said. Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, used to protect against tuberculosis, induces a broad innate immune-system response and has been shown to protect against infection or severe illness with other respiratory pathogens. "BCG has been shown to boost immunity in a generalised way, which may offer some protection against COVID-19," Professor John Campbell, of the University of Exeter Medical School, said. "We are seeking to establish whether the BCG vaccine could help…

Oct

12

2020

By The African Mirror

Pulmonary hypertension: why creating awareness is key in Africa

HEALTH

GERALD J. MAARMAN, Lecturer & Principal Investigator, CARMA: Centre for Cardio-Metabolic Research in Africa, Stellenbosch University PULMONARY hypertension is elevated blood pressure that occurs exclusively in the lungs. It is a deadly condition that affects an estimated 75 million people worldwide. Around 80% of them live in low- and middle-income countries. In a recent literature review, my colleagues and I found that the prevalence of pulmonary hypertension in Africa can range anything from 10% to 68%. Pulmonary hypertension is completely different from systemic hypertension, a disease many people develop between the ages of 55-70. With pulmonary hypertension, cells in the…

Oct

10

2020

By The African Mirror

WHO urges Europe to stem rise of COVID-19 cases, curb mass gatherings

COVID-19

EMMA FARGE THE World Health Organization's top emergencies expert said that European governments must take decisive action to shut down transmission of the coronavirus, including by curbing mass gatherings, to avoid more painful lockdowns. Europe surpassed 100,000 daily reported COVID-19 cases for the first time on Thursday, after countries such as Russia and Britain saw no respite from the mounting number of infections every day in the past five. "There are no new answers. We know what we need to do," Mike Ryan told a news briefing in Geneva. "It is though sad to see many countries in Europe experiencing…

Oct

10

2020

By The African Mirror

Nurses suffer burn-out, psychological distress in COVID fight – association

COVID-19

CECILE MANTOVANI MANY nurses caring for COVID-19 patients are suffering burn-out or psychological distress, and many have faced abuse or discrimination outside of work, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) said. Supplies of personal protective equipment for nurses and other health workers in some care homes remain insufficient, it said, marking World Mental Health Day. "We are extremely concerned about the mental health impact on nurses," Howard Catton, a British nurse who is the ICN's chief executive, told Reuters Television at the association's headquarters in Geneva. "Our most recent survey of national nurses' associations shows that more than 70% of…

Oct

10

2020

By The African Mirror

High COVID-19 infections at South African mental institution

COVID-19

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER ONE of South Africa’s largest mental institutions, the Sterkfontein mental hospital has a high number of COVID-19 infections, with 125 staff and 64 patients infected, information from the Gauteng Department of Health has shown. Gauteng Health MEC Jacob Mamabolo The statistics were revealed by acting Gauteng Health MEC Jacob Mamabolo in a written reply to questions by the opposition Democratic Alliance in the Gauteng Legislature. In a response to a question by the DA’s Jack Bloom, Mamabolo revealed that one of the infected staff died. However, Bloom said staff at the hospital had told him that there…

Oct

10

2020

By The African Mirror

Nearly 3 million migrants stranded by COVID-19 – UN report

COVID-19

CORONAVIRUS border closures and restrictions have stranded nearly 3 million migrants around the world who want to return home but cannot, the U.N. migration agency has said, adding some had been "warehoused" in unhygienic settings. The International Organization for Migration report is the most comprehensive to date on the issue, covering more than 100 countries. It includes only migrants who want to return but are unable to do so because of the COVID-19 restrictions -- such as seafarers stuck on decommissioned ships, miners or construction workers. "It should be clear that migrants can be returned home in a safe and…

Oct

09

2020

By The African Mirror

Nigerian informal retailers turn tech-savvy to stock up amid pandemic

COVID-19

NNEKA CHILE and ABRAHAM ACHIRGA WHEN the coronavirus outbreak forced shops to close in Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos, kiosk store owner Funmilayo Akinola weighed up her safety against the need to make a living. After deciding that she couldn't afford to stop working, she faced the challenge of replenishing her stock as the pandemic has made it harder for informal traders to buy wholesale goods due to safety measures disrupting supply chains. The answer lay in a logistics firm that provides an online marketplace where manufacturers and retailers connect. Lagos-based Trade Depot delivered goods that she bought using the company's…

Oct

08

2020

By The African Mirror

Tunisia considers curfew to slow second wave of pandemic

COVID-19

TAREK AMARA TUNISIA was expected on Wednesday to announce a curfew in the capital after the governors of four provinces that make up greater Tunis called for action to halt a surge in coronavirus infections. "The decision has come too late but it will help us break the rise in cases," said Imed Souissi, a fruit seller. The governors proposed measures that would include a curfew between 8:00 pm and 5:00 am and a suspension of Friday prayers in mosques. A government decision was expected later on Wednesday, with the curfew likely to take effect from Thursday. Tunisia entirely shut…

Oct

08

2020

By The African Mirror

Congo to receive $142 million COVID-19 support

COVID-19

THE African Development Bank has approved $100 million of grants and a $42 million loan to the Democratic Republic of Congo to support its budget and help it to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the country's finance minister has announced. The coronavirus has hit Congo's domestic revenue just as increased spending has applied significant pressure on foreign exchange reserves. - Thomson Reuters Foundation.