WHO
Interpol raises the alarm over fake coronavirus vaccines
The International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) has alerted Nigeria, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, and 190 other countries of threat from organised criminal groups during the upcoming COVID-19 vaccination campaigns, including fake vaccines and the theft of supplies. The alert came as the UK yesterday became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for widespread use. The need for a vaccine has become more urgent globally and nationally with Nigeria recording over 67,000 COVID-19 infections and over 1,000 associated fatalities, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has so far identified 49 “candidate vaccines” at the stage of clinical trials in humans. Hopes are high ...
WHO: 1 out of 5 coronavirus deaths in Africa linked to diabetes
The World Health Organisation (WHO), says nearly one in five COVID-19 deaths in Africa is linked with diabetes, according to a study. The post WHO: 1 out of 5 coronavirus deaths in Africa linked to diabetes appeared first on TODAY. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair share of Internet revenue.
Nigerian doctor named one of TIME’s Most Influential People in the world
TIME named Nigerian physician Tunji Funsho to the 2020 TIME100, its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. The full list and related tributes are available now at time.com/time100, and Mr Funsho’s TIME100 profile is available here. The list, now in its seventeenth year, recognizes the activism, innovation and achievement of the world’s most influential individuals. Mr Funsho, a cardiologist based in Lagos, Nigeria, is the first Rotary member to receive this honour for the organisation’s work to eradicate polio, having played an essential role in ensuring Africa’s certification as wild polio-free in August of 2020. “I’m honored to be recognized by TIME for my part in ensuring that no child in Africa will ever again be paralyzed by wild polio, a disease that once disabl...
PTF warns against neglect of virus protocols
The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has warned against perceived neglect of the non-pharmaceutical protocols and other measures aimed at tackling the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the country. The PTF chairman and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, gave the warning at the daily briefing by the PTF on Monday in Abuja. He said that there was increasing disregard for basic non-pharmaceutical measures that have proven to be very successful. He said face masks have now been turned into chin masks, social distancing and gatherings are returning to the pre-COVID era. Mustapha, however, called for vigilance in order to forestall any danger of second wave of the pandemic as the countries in Europe were currently facing. According to him, th...
Nigerian government approves new test kit for HIV
In its effort to ensure that the spread of the HIV virus is drastically reduced, the Federal Government has approved the inclusion of ”Wondfo HIV I and II rapid test kits” for use in the country. The National Coordinator, National AIDS/STI Control Programme (NASCP) Dr Akudo Ikpeazu, made the this known while presenting the evaluation report on the kit, on Tuesday in Abuja. “The Wondfo rapid test kit, could be used as a confirmatory test because of its high specification of 99.4 per cent,” she said. The coordinator said that in 2019, the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) approved the conduct of the laboratory performance evaluation of Wondfo HIV I and II rapid test kit. “The result of the evaluation which was conducted at the reference testing laboratory Public Health in Vitro Diagnostic La...
WHO harps on virus prevention plans
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has emphasised the need for effective COVID-19 prevention plans as countries reopen their economies and borders. Its Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, gave the advice during a news briefing from Geneva on Monday. Ghebreyesus said he had observed the eagerness of countries to “get their economies going again”, eight months into the coronavirus pandemic. According to him, if countries are serious about opening, they must prioritise the suppression of transmission and safety of lives. He warned that opening up without efficient and effective prevention measures in place was “a recipe for disaster”. Ghebreyesus said this might seem an impossible balance, but it could be done if countries were in control of the transmission. “The more control they have...
Nigeria’s polio eradication a journey of leadership, hard work, commitment – NPHCDA chief
Nigeria’s Wild Polio Virus (WPV) eradication, a journey of leadership, hard work, passion and commitment. Dr Faisal Shuaib, Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), made this known on the agency’s verified account. @NphcdaNG. Newsmen report that the African Regional Commission for Certification of Polio Eradication (ARCC), an organ of the World Health Organization (WHO), accepted Nigeria’s Wild Polio Virus Free Documentation after 30 years. Nigeria attained wild polio-free status after meeting all the criteria for certification, which include three years of non-detection of any wild polio virus case in the country. ”The leadership provided by President Muhammadu Buhari and traditional leaders, completed the success story. ”Achieving the eradicatio...
Lagos records 404 new virus cases in 24 hours
Lagos State has recorded spike in COVID-19 cases with 404 in the last 24 hours, increasing the state’s infection figures to 17,764. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) made the disclosure on Sunday in its COVID-19 Situation Report for Aug. 22. According to NCDC, Lagos has 404 new cases out of the 601 confirmed cases reported in the last 24 hours from 21 states. The health agency also disclosed that 684 patients who were treated and had fully recovered, were discharged, making the number of COVID-19 patients discharged in the state at 15,209. It, however, announced one COVID-19 related death in the state, increasing the state’s COVID-19 mortality to 202. Newsmen report that Lagos remains the epicentre of COVID-19 cases with 17,764 of the total 51,905 cases in the country. Also, da...
PTF: Nigerians poor attitude towards virus testing is worrisome
The Presidential Taskforce, PTF, on COVID-19, on Thursday, decried the poor attitude of Nigerians towards COVID-19 testing and safety protocols, saying, despite the increased capacity, sample collection remains very low. Expressing displeasure during the weekly COVID-19 briefing in Abuja, the Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce, Boss Mustapha, further lamented that the numbers of local governments, LGAs, that are hot spots have increased from 16 to 20 and regrettably happened to be a hard-to-reach area. “Initially, we have 10 local government areas that are hot spots which eventually increased to 16 but now we have 20 LGAs that are hot spots. Regrettably, this recent local government is more remote. “Presently, Nigeria now has the capacity to test 15,000 people daily but sadly, what we ...
FIFA partners AU, WHO, CAF to promote campaign against domestic violence in Africa
FIFA is joining forces with the African Union, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to jointly address the issue of domestic violence by launching the #SafeHome campaign across the African continent. The initiative is designed to support women and children victims of domestic violence, particularly as stay-at-home measures in response to COVID-19 have put them at greater risk. A number of African football stars are supporting the campaign via video awareness messages distributed on social and traditional media. The African Union-FIFA-CAF memorandum of understanding, which was concluded in February 2019, covers joint campaigns on topics of mutual interest and the promotion of gender equality, a key principle. Other areas of collaboration includ...
Akwa Ibom enforces compulsory use of facemasks in rural communities
Akwa Ibom State Government said it has directed the state Commissioner of Police, CP Imohimi Edgal, to enforce compulsory use of facemask in all the rural communities in the State. The Secretary to State Government and Chairman, COVID-19 Management Committee, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, who announced this on Monday during a press briefing at government house, noted that government instructed village heads, youth presidents and local government council chairmen to ensure compliance. According to the SSG, “We have noticed with dismay, the manifest flouting of the regulation requiring the use of face masks. As a responsible government, we must act to curb the spread of the virus and protect our citizens and residents. “To this end, the Governor has directed the State Commissioner of Police to order ...
WHO: Hepatitis patients at higher risk of coronavirus
World Health Organization Dr Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Africa says people with hepatitis-related complications are at a higher risk of developing severe cases of COVID-19. Moeti said this in her message to commemorate the World Hepatitis Day 2020, to increase awareness of this public health threat. World Hepatitis Day, observed on July 28 every year, aims to raise global awareness of hepatitis — a group of infectious diseases known as Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E — and encourage prevention, diagnosis and treatment. According to her, people with hepatitis-related complications are at a higher risk of COVID-19 and must continue to receive essential hepatitis prevention and treatment services during the pandemic and beyond. “With political commitme...
