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Sep
11
2024
By MISHECK MUTIZE
Rating agencies and Africa: the absence of people on the ground contributes to bias against the continent – analyst

Rating agencies and Africa: the absence of people on the ground contributes to bias against the continent – analyst

BUSINESS
RATING agency Fitch recently warned that the rapid spread of the mpox virus in sub-Saharan Africa could add to the fiscal pressures many countries in the region are already experiencing. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have declared the latest outbreak of mpox in Africa a health emergency. An epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo has spread to neighbouring countries. Seven countries rated by Fitch – Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda – have confirmed mpox cases. Fitch cautioned investors about possible under-reporting of mpox cases and that…
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Sep
03
2024
By The African Mirror
Mpox could spread into conflict zones in east Africa – how to manage the response

Mpox could spread into conflict zones in east Africa – how to manage the response

NEWS
KENYA, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda are some of the east African countries that have reported cases of mpox – a viral infectious disease – in the latest outbreak which started in the Democratic Republic of Congo in January 2023. The outbreak was declared a public health emergency of international concern by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and the World Health Organization in August 2024. There is a danger of the virus spreading further afield. The most vulnerable are countries in east Africa and the Horn that are at war or have recently faced serious conflicts. Past – or ongoing…
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Sep
02
2024
By The African Mirror
DRC – hardest hit by Mpox infections – set to receive vaccines

DRC – hardest hit by Mpox infections – set to receive vaccines

NEWS
THE Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the latest outbreak of Mpox has already infected over 18,000 people, is expected to be the first recipient of an emergency tender from UNICEF to procure vaccines to combat what the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a global pandemic. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has announced that Mpox vaccines are set to arrive in the DRC within the next few days to fight a new strain of the virus. "We hope to have the first delivery in the next few days, and then it will build up," Tedros told reporters. WHO official…
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Aug
30
2024
By ANNA-LISE WILLIAMSON
Mpox vaccines: where they come from and what stands in the way of distributing them in Africa

Mpox vaccines: where they come from and what stands in the way of distributing them in Africa

NEWS
THE Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization (WHO) have declared the latest outbreak of mpox in Africa a health emergency. An epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo has spread to neighbouring countries and more than 1,400 new mpox cases were detected in just one week. Vaccination is one of the key strategies to contain the disease. Virologist Anna-Lise Williamson unpacks how vaccines have evolved and who should be first in line in any vaccination campaign. What vaccines are there against mpox? Monkeypox virus (MPXV), the virus that causes mpox disease, is related to…
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Aug
25
2024
By The African Mirror
Africa faces mounting challenges as Mpox outbreak intensifies

Africa faces mounting challenges as Mpox outbreak intensifies

NEWS
IN the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Africa is now grappling with its most significant health crisis: a widespread Mpox outbreak. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has declared a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS) as cases surge across the continent. From January to August 23, 2024, 21,466 cases and 591 deaths have been reported across 13 African Union Member States, with a case fatality rate of 2.9%. This represents a staggering 160% increase compared to the previous year. This is the picture that Dr Jean Kesaya, Director-General of the Africa CDC, outlined in…
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Aug
14
2024
By The African Mirror
Africa CDC declares mpox public health emergency

Africa CDC declares mpox public health emergency

NEWS
AFRICA’S top public health body declared what it termed a "public health emergency of continental security" on Tuesday over an outbreak of mpox that has spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighbouring countries, according to Reuters. Reuters reports that the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) had warned last week of an alarming rate of spread of the viral infection, which is transmitted through close contact and causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. According to the Reuters report, most cases are mild but mpox can be fatal. "We declare today this public health emergency of…
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Jul
05
2024
By CONRAD ONYANGO, BIRD STORY AGENCY
Africa races to increase vaccine manufacturing capacity, concerns rise over Europe’s control

Africa races to increase vaccine manufacturing capacity, concerns rise over Europe’s control

NEWS
AS Africa races to be more independent in vaccine production, Europe is seeking greater control in building and scaling local manufacturing hubs. In June, France hosted the launch of the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA) an approximately US$1 billion project geared towards making vaccines more available in Africa - away from African soil. Only 2% of vaccines in Africa are made on the continent- most of them are made in South Africa, among the few countries with the ability to produce vaccines. The African Union wants to raise that percentage to 60% by 2040. “France and Europe have supported this…
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Jan
12
2023
By The African Mirror
Africa should not be arena for international competition, says Chinese foreign minister

Africa should not be arena for international competition, says Chinese foreign minister

NEWS
DAWIT ENDESHAW AFRICA should not be an arena for competition between world powers, China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Wednesday, opening a new headquarters for a pan-African health body at the start of a five-country Africa tour. Qin visited facilities of the African Union in Addis Ababa, including the new headquarters of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. China financed the complex's construction, as it previously did for the headquarters of the AU itself, also based in the Ethiopian capital. China has been Africa's largest trading partner for over a decade. It competes for influence with the…
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Mar
11
2022
By The African Mirror
Africa CDC has MOU with Pfizer for supplies of COVID-19 pill

Africa CDC has MOU with Pfizer for supplies of COVID-19 pill

COVID-19
AFRICA'S top public health agency has agreed on a memorandum of understanding with Pfizer to bring supplies of the pharmaceutical firm's Paxlovid antiviral COVID-19 pills to the continent, its director said on Thursday. Data from a mid-to-late stage study in November showed Paxlovid was nearly 90% effective in preventing hospitalisations and deaths compared to placebo, in adults at high risk of severe illness. John Nkengasong, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), also said it was still talking to Merck about obtaining supplies of its molnupiravir COVID pill and a call was scheduled for this week about that.…
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Feb
25
2022
By The African Mirror
Omicron BA.2 sub-variant more infectious but not more severe – Africa CDC

Omicron BA.2 sub-variant more infectious but not more severe – Africa CDC

COVID-19
THE Omicron BA.2 sub-variant of COVID-19 appears to be more infectious than the original BA.1 sub-variant but does not cause more severe disease, the head of Africa's top public health body said citing data from South Africa. "South Africa is reporting that it is more transmissible than the BA.1 variant, but interestingly and very encouragingly the severity seems to be the same," said Dr John Nkengasong, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. South Africa was one of the first countries to detect the Omicron variant of COVID-19, which has since swept around the globe and become…
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