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Oct
08
2020
By The African Mirror
Coronavirus may push 150 mln people into extreme poverty – World Bank

Coronavirus may push 150 mln people into extreme poverty – World Bank

COVID-19
THE World Bank says that the coronavirus pandemic could push as many as 150 million people into extreme poverty by the end of 2021, wiping out more than three years of progress in poverty reduction. Releasing its flagship biennial report on poverty and shared prosperity, the multilateral development lender said that an additional 88 million to 115 million people will fall into extreme poverty - defined as living on less than $1.90 a day -in 2020. The report said this could grow to 111 million to 150 million by the end of 2021. That would mean that 9.1-9.4% of the…
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Oct
07
2020
By The African Mirror
Braving coronavirus, pilgrims flock to Senegal’s ‘little Mecca’

Braving coronavirus, pilgrims flock to Senegal’s ‘little Mecca’

COVID-19
CHRISTOPHER VAN DER PERRE ORGANISERS of an annual religious festival in the Senegalese city of Touba are expecting three to five million pilgrims this week, despite the main ceremony being cancelled in an effort to lower the risk of coronavirus contagion. Other events are being video-streamed to avoid overcrowding, but no restrictions are in place to prevent followers of the Mouride Brotherhood from making the trip to the sacred site. The expected crowds would represent a marked departure from religious gatherings and sports events around the world that have been cancelled or severely curtailed to reduce the risk of COVID-19…
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Nov
13
2020
By The African Mirror
Pollution adds to Covid-19 deaths, say scientists

Pollution adds to Covid-19 deaths, say scientists

HEALTH
TONY CARNIE HEART and air chemistry experts in Germany say the Covid-19 death toll in South Africa and other parts of the world has been significantly exacerbated by high levels of toxic air pollution in several big cities and industrialised nations. In a study published on 27 October in the international journal Cardiovascular Research, a team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz medical centre found that 15% of Covid-19 deaths globally are attributable to underlying diseases caused by tiny particles of industrial dust pollution. These include diseases of the heart, blood vessels and…
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Nov
12
2020
By The African Mirror
How COVID-proofing the slums upended Kenya’s business culture

How COVID-proofing the slums upended Kenya’s business culture

COVID-19
TOM FINN  HALF a million reusable masks, 123 tonnes of soap and 1,750 hand-washing stations. These numbers are music to the ears of business consultant James Irungu Mwangi - telling the story of the efforts he led to protect Kenyan slum-dwellers from COVID-19. They also show how socially minded businesses can thrive in times of crisis, said Mwangi, who for years has urged African firms to look beyond profit and tackle issues like poverty and climate change by working with governments and non-profits. The coronavirus pandemic has driven many firms to do just that, he said, describing the health crisis…
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Nov
12
2020
By The African Mirror
South Africa should aim to cover 10% of population via COVAX, advisors say

South Africa should aim to cover 10% of population via COVAX, advisors say

COVID-19
ALEXANDER WINNING SOUTH Africa should aim to cover 10% of its population via a global coronavirus vaccine scheme while also negotiating directly with manufacturers, a group of experts has advised the government. South Africa has recorded the most novel coronavirus infections of any African nation. While it has publicly expressed support for the COVAX scheme co-led by the World Health Organization, it has yet to make the formal commitment confirming its participation. The race to secure enough vaccines to protect at-risk groups is heating up following Monday's announcement by Pfizer that its vaccine candidate is more than 90% effective based…
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Nov
11
2020
By The African Mirror
Botswana signs agreement with global vaccine scheme for 20% of population

Botswana signs agreement with global vaccine scheme for 20% of population

COVID-19
BOTSWANA has signed an agreement with the global vaccine distribution scheme co-led by the World Health Organization, giving it the option to buy coronavirus vaccines for 20% of its population, a senior health official told Reuters. The southern African country has registered a relatively low number of coronavirus cases, around 7,800 with 27 deaths, but its economy has been dealt a severe blow by the pandemic. Unlike many other African countries, Botswana does not qualify for subsidised vaccines under the COVAX scheme because it is classified as an upper middle income country like neighbours Namibia and South Africa. Botswana made…
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Nov
11
2020
By The African Mirror
Tunisia prime minister says coronavirus deaths may reach 7,000

Tunisia prime minister says coronavirus deaths may reach 7,000

COVID-19
Hichem Mechichi TUNISIAN Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi says the death toll from the coronavirus pandemic in the country may reach 6,000-7,000, describing the health situation as "very dangerous". Coronavirus cases have been rising quickly in Tunisia, which had managed to contain the virus earlier this year, and have now reached 70,000 cases and 1,900 deaths in a country of 11.5 million. Medical sources told Reuters intensive care units in most state hospitals had reached maximum capacity. The government imposed a night curfew this month and banned travel between cities to slow a second wave of the pandemic. - Thomson Reuters…
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Nov
10
2020
By The African Mirror
Can vaccines reach the world’s poorest?

Can vaccines reach the world’s poorest?

COVID-19
THIN LEI WIN  PFIZER Inc has said its experimental COVID-19 vaccine was more than 90% effective, a major victory in the fight against a pandemic that has killed more than a million people and infected 50 million. Drugmakers around the globe have been racing to develop vaccines against COVID-19, but organisations such as the vaccine alliance GAVI have expressed fears that poor nations would lose out in the global race. Wealthier countries have forged multibillion-dollar supply deals with drugmakers and purchased 3.8 billion doses of potential coronavirus vaccines, leaving few doses available for poor nations, according to a recent analysis…
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Nov
09
2020
By The African Mirror
COVID-19 breakthrough: New vaccine is more than 90% effective

COVID-19 breakthrough: New vaccine is more than 90% effective

COVID-19
PFIZER Inc has revealed its experimental vaccine was more than 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 based on initial data from a large study, a major victory in the fight against the pandemic. Pfizer and German partner BioNTech SE are the first drugmakers to show successful data from a large-scale clinical trial of a coronavirus vaccine. Following are reactions to the news. LUCIO ROVATI, CEO OF ITALY'S ROTTAPHARM BIOTECH, WHICH IS WORKING WITH TAKIS BIOTECH ON A COVID-19 VACCINE "This is important news. Nothing that was not expected. Anyway, great, great. The problem remains that the data is limited in duration,…
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