IBADAN – African countries are hosting a large conference in April to discuss the local production of vaccines, as key players in Africa’s public health sector try to address the continent’s vaccine shortages. Circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine production and distribution had necessitated this conversation, William Kwabena Ampofo, Chairperson of African Vaccine Manufacturing Initiative, said […] Continue reading ->
COVID-19 has presented new risks to the African continent, with already limited financial resources needed to respond to climate hazards and natural disasters now being diverted to fight the pandemic. The pandemic has made it all the more challenging to ensure there is adequate disaster financing on the continent, and this now needs urgent attention, […] Continue reading ->
South Africa’s vaccination programme for health workers is inching forward, fuelled by small deliveries of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine every two weeks.  However, overall supplies remain far short of the needs – even for the health sector.  The country has an estimated 1.25 million health workers in public and private health to serve its […] Continue reading ->
Kenya has officially announced a third wave of the COVID-19 outbreak this week, while the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Africa region reported a “slight uptick in cases and an upward trend in 12 countries, including in Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia and Cameroon.” Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, during the weekly press conference said […] Continue reading ->
Rumours about the whereabouts of Tanzanian president John Magufuli, are intensifying as the leader who questioned the existence of the SARS-CoV2 virus was reportedly in intensive care with COVID-19 – somewhere in Nairobi or possibly now even in India. Magufuli has not been seen for almost two weeks, sparking widespread speculation about his health. His […] Continue reading ->
NAIROBI – Kenya is one of the leading African countries yet to ratify the African Medicines Agency Treaty (AMA) – but a senior official in the Ministry of Health has said that the move  should come soon.  According to Susan Mochache, the country’s Principal Secretary in the Ministries of Health (MoH), Kenya has already undergone […] Continue reading ->
“The future generations are not going to excuse this,” pleaded Kawaldip Sehmi, CEO of the International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations (IAPO). “They will be looking at us and will say, ‘What the hell were they doing procrastinating on their neighbors during a pandemic?” Sehmi was one of seven speakers from across Africa who convened at […] Continue reading ->