Browsing: COVID-19

A few African countries have also imposed similar restrictions on entry into their territories. The southern African countries include Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia and Eswatini.
Russia and South Africa, which later joined in 2011, are both members of the BRICS, and since the outbreak of the coronavirus in December 2020, have discussed some aspects as well as the prospects for collaborative work in fighting the disease.
Russia and South Africa previously proposed localizing production of Russian vaccines, but the key setback was that the vaccines were yet to be approved by the World Health Organization. As a result, there were neither concrete practical results nor effective collaboration between the two countries.…

The growth witnessed in Kenya is reflective of the payments landscape in the rest of Africa. 

In the beginning, Consumers sought alternative digital payment methods as physical establishments were closed, and when they reopened, these methods provided safer payment alternatives in an effort to contain the spread of Covid-19. 

That is no longer the case as the shift in customer behaviour is strengthening digital payments adoption across several business sectors. …

This year’s current account surplus was replaced by a deficit of 1.8 per cent of GDP and a budget deficit of 2.9 per cent in 2020, respectively.
A depreciation of ZWL2.5 to the US dollar was recorded in February 2019 before stabilizing at ZWL82 in December 2020. Unemployment remained high in 2019 at over 21 per cent, with poverty at 70.5 per cent and unemployment at 70.5 per cent respectively.
Currently, the banking sector is sound. …

• Africa’s death rates from COVID-19 infections are significantly higher in patients with diabetes
• The disease causes inflammation and poor blood circulation, both of which increase the risk of complications, including death, from COVID-19
• In addition to people with diabetes, the three most frequent underlying conditions included patients with HIV and hypertension

New data indicates that Africa’s sharp increase in diabetes is clashing with the COVID-19 pandemic and poor access to vaccines.

Africa’s death rates from COVID-19 infections are significantly higher in patients with diabetes, according to a preliminary analysis which the World Health Organization (WHO) presented today in advance of the World Diabetes Day on 14 November.

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa said the COVID-19 pandemic will eventually subside, but Africa is projected in the coming years to experience the highest increase in diabetes globally.

“We must act now to prevent new cases, vaccinate people who have …

The Commission was established to recommend a set of actions to accelerate an end to adult smoking and other toxic tobacco use.

Chaired by Ambassador (ret.) James K. Glassman, former U.S. Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, the Commission includes representatives from India, Indonesia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.

A major focus of the report is the failure of governments and international organizations to address the special needs of LMICs , as well as the needs of marginalized communities within higher-income countries, including racial minorities, indigenous people, those with mental health conditions, and those living with diseases. The report examines the role of emerging innovations, physicians and risk-proportionate policies in ending smoking.…

• The Foundation has announced a commitment of up to $120 million to accelerate access to the investigational antiviral drug molnupiravir 
• The Foundation said the funding will be allocated based on consultations with partners

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced a commitment of up to $120 million to accelerate access to the investigational antiviral drug molnupiravir for lower-income countries as part of its COVID-19 response effort.

In a statement, the Foundation said the funding will be allocated based on consultations with partners, and will support the range of activities required to develop and manufacture generic versions of the drug, which is being developed by Merck & Co in collaboration with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.

The commitment builds on the foundation’s ongoing efforts, including $1.9 billion in funding, since the start of the pandemic to increase access to COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and tests by supporting R&D, regulatory work, at-risk manufacturing, and product …

• The region had drawn a number of important lessons from the pandemic especially in relation to the economic sectors that were hard hit such as tourism
• EAC citizens should be charged local rates while entering public tourist sites such as national parks and reserves that are distributed across the region
• EAC Partner States should also diversify their tourism products by developing other products

East African Community Partner States lost 92% of revenues in the tourism sector due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with arrivals to the region falling from 6.98 million arrivals before the pandemic to 2.25 million arrivals occasioning the losses.

EAC Secretary General Hon. (Dr.) Peter Mathuki however noted that the region was now open again for business, and urged EAC Partner States governments and other stakeholders to work together to market the region’s tourist attractions and products as part of efforts to ensure speedy recovery for the sector.…

Interesting market developments encircled WPP ScanGroup in this review period. The counter’s share price has been on a rally albeit a sharp decline in its bottom line (-1,191.1% y/y) in the just-released FY20 results.

The uptick – that comes after a sequential diminution – is on the back of the exoneration of the suspended senior management that boosted investor confidence given the fact that there was no adverse effect on the counter’s financial performance, position and/or operations linked to the aforementioned. We opine that the rally will continue in the near term to 2Q21 levels as investors accumulate on the earlier exited positions.…

For the first time, Pfizer vaccines from the United States have landed in the country.

The country received 795,600 doses of the expected 1.4 million doses of Pfizer vaccine provided by the US Government.

Due to the nature of the Pfizer vaccines, they can only survive in extremely low temperatures which is minus 70
degrees. The government thus had to make prior arrangements with its partners to acquire ultra-cold storage and install it to maintain the quality of the vaccines.

To enable the use of Pfizer vaccines in Kenya, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has recently procured 12 ultra-low temperature freezers and accessories with funding from the Government of Japan.

The Pfizer vaccine is the 4th type of Covid-19 vaccine to be deployed in the country making an approximate number of doses received so far over into the country 6.3 million in their various assortments.

These vaccines will go a …

Kenya and Uganda are among the countries selected for the Phase 1 clinical trial of an HIV vaccine.  According to the Globally Relevant AIDS Vaccine Europe-Africa Trials Partnership (GREAT), the first dose will be given in Lusaka, Zambia while Kenya and Uganda will receive the vaccines in a few weeks.  

Dr. William Kilembe, project director of the Center for Family Health Research in Zambia (CFHRZ) and trial principal investigator, said that international partnerships are crucial in developing and evaluating HIV vaccine candidates in countries and communities where HIV vaccines will ultimately have the greatest public health impact. 

“CFHRZ is proud to be part of the consortium evaluating HIVconsvX and to deliver the first dose of this experimental HIV vaccine in the HIV-CORE 006 trial,” he said.  

The trial will see 88 healthy, HIV-negative adults, aged 18-55, who are considered not to be at high risk of infection, receive one …