HealthCare
“Ready for Third Wave” Claim SA Oxygen Suppliers
Sourced from Times Live. /* custom css */ .tdi_4_6ee.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_6ee.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } A few weeks after the third wave of COVID-19 infections was confirmed in South Africa, the number of daily infections has again begun to steadily rise. During earlier waves last year many public and private hospitals experienced severe shortages in their oxygen supplies. Now, amongst increasing concerns that oxygen will again begin to run dry, oxygen suppliers have confirmed that they have learnt their lessons during the second wave and have helped increase capacity to meet the demand in the coming weeks or months as the third wave crests upon the country. The Third Wave is Here /* custom css */ .tdi_3_110.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_110.td-a-...
South Africa’s COVID-19 Variant Renamed to Avoid Discrimination
/* custom css */ .tdi_4_517.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_517.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } The several mutated variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, otherwise known as COVID-19, will now be known according to letters of the Greek alphabet in order to avoid “stigmatization and discrimination”, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). This new system will apply to the variants seen to be of most concern – the most severe of the four currently in circulation on Earth – and the second-level mutates of interest being tracked. Maria van Kerkhove, WHO’s COVID-19 technical lead, suggests that the new names will not replace the scientific names of the variants, but instead will be “aimed to help in public discussion.” /* custom css */ .tdi_3_c11.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: l...
Innovative Tech Critical in Vaccinating South Africa’s Rural and Remote Areas
/* custom css */ .tdi_4_9b2.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_9b2.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } As South Africa’s COVID-19 vaccination programme ramps up, with a target to vaccinate 41-million people by the end of March next year, health NGO Right to Care is deploying teams to vaccinate South Africans living in hard-to-reach places in remote parts of the country. Dr Ntombi Sigwebela, chief of party for vaccinations at health NGO Right to Care, says that “No-one should be left out of the vaccine programme, including people living in far-flung areas. There is an urgency to vaccinate as variants may emerge and spread. We need to achieve herd or population immunity to break the chain of transmission as quickly as possible.” Right to Care is supporting the National Department of...
Airtel Kenya Joins forces with MyDawa to Provide Fast Access To Medicine
Sourced from Comms MEA Airtel Kenya has partnered with ePharmacy platform, MyDawa, so that subscribers can have easy and fast access to their medication. According to Gadgets Africa, Airtel subscribers will be able to log on to the MyDawa app or website without incurring additional data charges. They will also be able to use Airtel Money to pay for medicine, health, wellness, personal care and other essential items. “This is a great partnership that will increase the access to healthcare products in Kenya. We are happy to partner with Airtel, one of the top telecommunications service providers in the country, to ensure that their subscribers are able to access quality medical products in a convenient and affordable way,” says Tony Wood, MD of MyDawa. “Free access to MyDawa’s services with ...
Could Digital Health Passports Boost Secure Travel Post-COVID-19?
/* custom css */ .tdi_3_635.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_635.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } According to the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 dashboard, there are 157,973,438 confirmed cases globally, and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) is tracking daily increases in infections pointing to a looming third wave in the coming weeks or months. Statistics show us that different countries are at different stages of their pandemic journey. In this regard, health passports are the latest step in the evolving response to the global pandemic. It is an idea that’s gaining traction too, as it seems such an obvious solution to help reopen the door to a post-COVID-19 world. However, one person’s common sense approach to halting the spread of the virus and...
VP Osinbajo: Nigerian government democratising broadband connectivity
It’s the first in sub-Saharan Africa and one of the three such cutting-edge facilities on the continent, with top prime global certifications for smart card manufacturing and it is based in Lagos, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, relished yesterday afternoon while touring SecureID company’s premises, and affirmed Nigeria’s extremely bright economic future, which he said cannot be aborted despite current challenges. According to him, “the economic future of our nation is extremely bright. Yes, we have challenges today and they may look daunting. But let me assure you that these issues will be resolved. The march of this nation to its manifest destiny as Africa’s leading economic power will not be aborted. We are more than able to overcome.” An impressed Prof. Osinbajo said the Buhari Admi...
Whitepaper: Protecting Electronic Personal Health Information Through Access Rights Management
Summary The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) defines a number of requirements for your organization in order to secure personal health information (PHI). In this paper, you will be introduced to an access rights management service portfolio, the five titles of the HIPPA, and how SolarWinds Access Rights Manager can help you meet central HIPAA requirements. Data Theft in the Health Sector Based on the 2018 Healthcare Cybersecurity Report1 the healthcare industry ranks fifteenth when compared to 17 major U.S. industries. According to the report’s findings, even “top performers” struggle with network security. The U.S Department of Health and Human Services estimates that over 40 percent of privacy violations in the healthcare sector are caused by hacking or...
CBN governor seeks PPP model to improve healthcare infrastructure
Bloomberg The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has urged stakeholders in the public and private sectors to collaborate to build a more healthy and robust healthcare infrastructure in Nigeria. The CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, made the call at a movie launch titled: “UNMASKED”, a feature documentary on leadership, trust and the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. The movie was produced and directed by Mr Femi Odugbemi, a Nigerian documentary filmmaker, and co-produced by Ms Kadaria Ahmed, a renowned journalist, media entrepreneur and television host, on Friday in Lagos. According to Emefiele, addressing the public health crisis along with the downturn in the economy required strong coordination. He said the measures and interventions put in place by the CBN and private sector to improve governme...
Anambra election: PDP female aspirant urges electorate to shun inducement
A female aspirant in the Nov. 6 governorship in Anambra, Mrs Chidi Onyemelukwe, has urged the electorate to guard against monetary inducement in making their choice of candidates. Onyemelukwe who is aspiring for the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the race, made the call at a news conference in Awka on Monday. She said voting for the right candidate without inducement would make them demand the full dividends of from the people they had voted into power and hold them accountable. According to her, she is not intimidated by the number of aspirants and “money bags” in the race. The aspirant said that she had what it took to get the PDP ticket, win the and put Anambra on the part of economic prosperity and ensure higher degree of welfare for the citizens. Onyemelukwe, however...
How Hackers are Taking Advantage of the COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
Image sourced from TimesLIVE Cybercriminals are well known for taking advantage of any opportunity. The largest vaccine rollout in history is no exception, with hackers now finding ways to target the supply chain. Understanding why the COVID-19 vaccine supply chain being targeted and how to protect against such attacks is vital for IT leaders who understand that healthcare and cybersecurity must now go hand in hand. Understanding the impact of the COVID-19 vaccine supply chain on healthcare cybersecurity The healthcare sector underwent several significant shifts during the pandemic. These shifts included a move toward offering telehealth services on a large scale, setting up remote, temporary COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites, and large-scale development, manufacturing, and distr...
Safaricom is Testing a Digital Health Passport Programme
Image sourced from Techweez Safaricom has begun testing Afya Moja – a mobile health records system – in partnership with Nakuru County. The initial pilot programme will see over 100,000 people be part of the integrated electronics medical records program. According to TechIsh, Afya Moja is a simple mobile-based Digital Health Passport that receives and securely stores patient information. With the platform, users can access a copy of their health information, and share it with trusted healthcare providers. “So, a doctor can for example, upon receiving consent from a user, have access to their medical background, helping them effectively handle whatever [medical] situation is at hand.” Steve Chege, Chief of Corporate Affairs at Safaricom, says “what we aim to do through Afya Moja, is to mak...
South Africa Halts Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
South African Health Minister, Zweli Mkhize has announced that the country would temporarily halt its Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine rollout. This follows the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) temporary suspension of the vaccine in the United States after six recipients developed a rare blood-clotting disorder. According to The New York Times, all six recipients were women aged between 18 and 48, and each of them developed the illness within one to three weeks of vaccination. “We are recommending a pause in the use of this vaccine out of an abundance of caution,” says Dr Peter Marks, FDA Director for Biologics Evaluation and Research. As it stands, no South African recipients have reported experiencing blood clots following the vaccine. However, Mkhize says that they will ...
