Countries may be able to reopen schools safely if adults strictly observe masking and social distancing measures, and show restraint in leisure activities, said World Health Organization Health Emergencies Executive Director Mike Ryan. “We have to reduce transmission at community level in order to lower the risk to those older and vulnerable people, and to […] Continue reading ->
Brazzaville – The independent Africa Regional Certification Commission (ARCC) for Polio Eradication officially declared on Tuesday that the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region is free of wild poliovirus. This marks the eradication of the second virus from the face of the continent since smallpox 40 years ago. And while vaccine derived polio is still circulating […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization and UNICEF have issued new age-specific mask guidance for children, recommending looser masking protocols for younger children. The agency’s new guidance comes the week after a new study from researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital found that children infected with COVID-19 had higher virus levels in their nose and throats than […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization recommended postponing routine dental visits in areas with community transmission of COVID-19 in new guidelines released last week. Many dental procedures can generate aerosols, or tiny solid or liquid particles that contain disease-causing pathogens. If dentists were unknowningly treating coronavirus infected patients, aerosols laden with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, […] Continue reading ->
Funding for research into sexual and reproductive health issues, ranging from HIV/AIDs to pregnancy prevention, comes from only three major donors, and the global recession caused by COVID-19 may shrink the funding landscape further. “There’s a clear gap in investment to research and develop new products to meet people’s needs in low-resource settings. With a […] Continue reading ->
Mothers should continue to breastfeed their children as the benefits of breastfeeding outweigh the risks of COVID-19 during the pandemic, said WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Monday, kicking off World Breastfeeding Week. The risk of transmitting COVID-19 to via breastmilk is low, according to the World Health Organization. So far, there have been […] Continue reading ->
Kilifi County, Kenya – Elyne Kaingu, a 33-year old mother from the beautiful Mnarani area of Kilifi County, overlooking the Indian Ocean, was extremely wary during her first pregnancy about the silent killer in her midst – malaria. She knew some other first time mothers had fallen ill with the disease, and had even lost […] Continue reading ->
Ibadan, Nigeria – Twenty-two year-old Uwaila Vera Omozuwa, freshly admitted to university, had retreated to study in a church in the city of Benin, Nigeria during lockdown, when she was raped and killed on May 30. The following day, 18-year-old Barakat Bello was reportedly raped and killed in Oyo state. 29-year-old Azeezat Shomuyiwa and 21-year-old […] Continue reading ->
While children seem to largely escape the worst COVID-19 infections, lockdowns to curb the pandemic have increased exposure to a different threat to children’s health – abuse and violence. In Eastern Uganda, where so far no child has been infected with COVID-19, lockdowns have led to an uptick in reports of child abuse, exploitation, and […] Continue reading ->
A severe disruption of reproductive and children’s health services during the pandemic could cause more deaths in women, children, and adolescents than COVID-19 itself, according to World Health Organization Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “The indirect effects of COVID19 on this group may be greater than the number of deaths due to the virus itself,” […] Continue reading ->