Category: AFRICA

#BREAKING: WHO Hints On Declaring Mpox Public Health Emergency Of International Concern

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa WORLD Health Organisation (WHO) Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned of a more deadly and highly infectious Mpox strain spreading across Africa and other parts of the world. This follows revelations that the mpox outbreak that has been raging in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over the past several months might have spilled beyond the DRC borders. A report by science publication www.science.org shows that sequencing of the mpox viruses in three cases reported earlier this week in Uganda and Kenya has now confirmed…

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Namibian Doctor Develops Groundbreaking Digital Health Solution For Africa

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Doctor Esperance Luvindao, a Namibian Medical Doctor,  in partnership with OSAAT Africa Health Foundation and MENGA Healthcare Technology have unveiled MENGA, a digital health solution that will address health access related barriers across the African region. Invented by Dr. Luvindao, the plat form  will assist patients throughout African Semi-Rural Areas and suburbs to gain access to prescribed medication without having to travel long distances or acquire out of pocket health costs through the conventional methods of consultation and medication acquisition. Speaking to HealthTimes following the launch, Dr…

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New IAS President Welcomes Decision To Rotate International AIDS Conference

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Newly elected International AIDS Society (IAS) president, Beatriz Grinsztejn says the decision to rotate hosting of the International AIDS Conference. This comes amid indications that Rwanda will be hosting the 2025 edition the annual International AIDS Conference. The move is set to reduce incidences of Visa related challenges experienced by attendees mainly from Africa and other third world countries. Announcing the development, newly elected IAS president,  Beatriz Grinsztejn said the rotational policy was a step in the right direction. Following the many denied visas at AIDS 2022…

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Africa CDC and Africa Public Health Foundation Forge Strategic Partnership to Strengthen Health Systems

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter Nairobi, Kenya. July 25, 2024 – The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and Africa Public Health Foundation (APHF) have signed an agreement to support strengthening health systems in Africa Union Member States. APHF was established to enable investments in public health activities that support Africa CDC’s goals and objectives across the continent. It’s main operational vectors include resource mobilisation, grants management, advocacy for improved policies, private sector engagement and contributing to the analysis of public health data. H.E. Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General…

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HIV vaccines tested in PrEPVacc fail to reduce infections

Michael Gwarisa

The results of the PrEPVacc HIV vaccine trial conducted in Eastern and Southern Africa, which ran between 2020 and 2024, show conclusively that neither of the two experimental vaccine regimens tested reduced HIV infections among the study population. Vaccinations in the PrEPVacc trial were stopped in November 2023 (and publicly announced in December 2023) when it became clear to independent experts monitoring the study data that there was little or no chance of the vaccines demonstrating efficacy in preventing HIV acquisition. The PrEPVacc vaccine trial results, announced today at AIDS…

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Dr Agnes Mahomva Appointed to WHO Afro’s Emergencies Technical Advisory Group

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe’s Public Health Advisor to the President and Cabinet, Dr Agnes Mahomva together with 16 other African health leaders have been appointed to the African Region, the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa Emergency Preparedness & Response Technical Advisory Group (EPR-TAG). The independent body serves as the principal advisory group to WHO AFRO for strategic guidance on all matters pertaining to public health emergency preparedness and response. The EPR Technical Advisory Group will support WHO African Member States to fortify health security in the face of…

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All Set For Southern African Regional Students and Youth Conference

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa An estimated 250 delegates are set to grace the fifth edition of the Southern African Regional Students and Youth Conference (SARSYC) that will run from July 17-19, 2024 in Gaborone, Botswana. The conference will attract speakers from diverse young people groups as well as experienced public health experts, development partners and government officials. In an interview with HealthTimes ahead of the conference,  Jimmy Wilford, the Conference Convener and SAYWAHT Executive Director said it was all systems go the annual conference. We are prepared, we have a dedicated…

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AMR Threatens SDGs Attainment In Africa

Michael Gwarisa
AMR

By Michael Gwarisa The World Health Organisation (WHO) data shows that Africa remains heavily burdened with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) compared to all WHO Regions. Africa also has the highest mortality from AMR despite the region having the lowest prevalence of resistance. In 2015, after realising the need for urgent action to combat the growing scourge of AMR, the World Health Assembly adopted the Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance. Over the years, AMR has been identified as a leading cause of treatment failure in several morbidities such as HIV tuberculosis…

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Hope on the Horizon As New TB Vaccine Trials Kick Off

Healthtimes

Hundred years later after the first Tuberculosis Vaccine was developed, a new TB vaccine is on the horizon. By Mandy Collins Imagine a world where TB doesn’t steal millions of lives each year. That dream might be inching closer, thanks to a groundbreaking vaccine trial kicking off in South Africa. Towards the end of March 2024, the first doses of potentially the first new tuberculosis (TB) vaccine in a century were administered at a clinical trial site in Johannesburg, South Africa, marking a crucial step in the fight against this…

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Community-based TB treatment highly effective in Togo

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter New research finds that a community-based approach to delivering TB treatment is highly effective at achieving successful TB treatment outcomes in Togo. The Union led the study in partnership with Togo’s National TB Programme (NTP) and the World Health Organization’s Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases. The researchers found that 93% of participants had favourable outcomes after six months (e.g. cured and/or completed treatment) through a community health worker-led approach to supervising treatment intake, compared to 78% through a family member supervising treatment intake.…

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