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Two more people have died of COVID-19, the Health Department reported Thursday morning, raising the number of deaths from the virus since Monday to eight, and to 53 since the pandemic began in March 2020.
A November 26 letter from the presidency asked the head of Uganda's national drug authority to 'work out a mechanism' to clear the importation of the vaccines.
China has about five COVID-19 vaccine candidates at different levels of trials. It was not clear what vaccine was being imported into Uganda.
One of the frontrunners is the Sinopharm vaccine developed by the Beijing Institute of Biological Product, a unit of Sinopharm’s China National Biotec Group (CNBG).
On Wednesday, the United Arab Emirates said the vaccine has 86% efficacy, citing an interim analysis of late-stage clinical trials.
China has used the drug to vaccinate up to a million people under its emergency use program.
On Tuesday, Morocco said it was ordering up to 10 million doses of the vaccine.
Record cases
Uganda on Monday registered 701 new COVID-19 cases, the highest-ever daily increase, bringing its national count to 23,200.
The new cases were out of the 5,578 samples tested for the novel coronavirus over the past 24 hours, the country's health ministry said in a statement.
Tuesday's tally was 606, the second-highest ever number of new infections, bringing the cumulative number of confirmed cases in the east African country to 23,860.
Health authorities have blamed ongoing election campaigns which have drawn huge crowds for the rise in infections.
Carolyn Wright named Interim Director of Solid Waste Management Division and Kenneth Allen named Interim…
The post Mayor Sylvester Turner Appoints Two Interim Directors appeared first on Houston Forward Times.
MULTI-AWARD-WINNING Afro-pop artiste Isheanesu “Ishan” Chigagura says while the success of his yesteryear hit Kure may has spurred him to the top on the music scene he is not pressured to try and reproduce similar magic on future projects. BY KENNEDY NYAVAYA Kure, which won him 10 awards locally, would be a hard act to follow, and Ishan sought to deflect the pressure to replicate its success. The 23-year-old vocalist broke into the limelight last year with Kure, a collaboration with rapper Ti Gonzi. In an interview with NewsDay Life & Style yesterday, Ishan, who recently released an extended play (EP) titled Bhundu Pop, said creating a sound that connects with an audience was his main goal. “I have never felt pressured to match or surpass a song, the pressure I only have is to become a better version of myself each and every day,” he said. “The goal is always to make good music that I connect with and in turn connects with everyone, and I am happy that music we have made as well connects with people the way I did while I was making this project.” The nine-track EP that he produced alongside Gangster Madeit, Texas, Rayo, Lloyd Soul, Boi Tricky and Young DLC features artistes such as Gze, Gemma, Tamy Moyo and Nutty O. Ishan said the EP, that was inspired by his upbringing in rural Mvurwi was a culmination of work that had been shelved over the years. “I was raised in Mvurwi and we would wake up everyday going to herd cattle. Those moments inspired me to become the musician I am today. So by Bhundu I mean those bush moments,” he said. Although he concedes that like many local musicians plans to grow his brand have been dealt a huge blow by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ishan envisions a better 2021. “There is more growth to be expected as an artiste and brand-wise, so that means more songs, more collaborations and a bit of business ventures. We are, however, going to begin with the release of more visuals to complement the Bhundu Pop EP,” he said. Follow Kennedy on Twitter @ken_nyavaya
Five Artists Share $70,000 in Eighteenth Cycle Five recipients of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s Mary L. Nohl Fund Fellowships for Individual Artists have been selected from a field of 151 applicants in the eighteenth annual competition. Ck Ledesma and Nirmal Raja were chosen in the Established Artist category and will each receive a $20,000 fellowship. […]
The post 2020 Mary L. Nohl Fellowships for Individual Artists Awarded appeared first on Milwaukee Community Journal.
The Sacramento Observer and Capital Public Radio (CapRadio) are pleased to announce that they have been selected as one of 64 new newsrooms around the nation to co-host a Report for America journalist to expand coverage of underserved areas in the greater Sacramento region. This support from Report for America will enable the organizations to […]
Police yesterday nabbed five men suspected of being part of a vehicle theft and smuggling syndicate. BY PRAISEMORE SITHOLE The thieves were caught after they allegedly smuggled a stolen white Toyota Hilux single cab vehicle from South Africa and drove it to Zimbabwe, but they ran out of fuel along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road. National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday confirmed the arrest. “A white Toyota Hilux single cab was stolen in South Africa on December 3 and it was driven to Zimbabwe. Police managed to arrest five suspects in Mazunga area,” Nyathi said without naming them. “The area where they were arrested is 255km along Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road, after the vehicle had run out of fuel. Investigations are still in progress.” Nyathi said they had received a report from the South African side that a hired car had gone missing. “We received a report that a white Hilux which belonged to a car rental company had been hired on December 3 and was supposed to be returned on December 4. The car was not returned and on December 5 a report was made to the Beitbridge Police that a vehicle was missing. “The five were caught when they tried to refuel the car after they had run out of fuel. Investigations are still ongoing.” In 2018, a 63-year-old South African national Willem Schalk Janzen-Root was jailed for seven years in Zimbabwe over vehicle smuggling charges. Janzen-Root was believed to be part of a vehicle trafficking syndicate which uses Zimbabwe as a transit route for luxury cars from South Africa for resale in other countries. Follow Praisemore on Twitter @TPraisemore
CHAIRPERSON of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga has called on government to come up with an education policy which caters for vulnerable children as the COVID-19 pandemic has left many orphans. BY Evans Mathanda Misihairabwi-Mushonga said this on Tuesday during a meeting with officials from Mashambanzou Care Trust (MCT) at an event where the organisation presented a paper titled Education for Life. MCT is a private voluntary organisation that works with vulnerable communities to deals with HIV/Aids and its effects. It is currently working on implementing an education for life project aimed at ensuring quality education for marginalised children. “The issues that you have raised (in the paper) are the same issues that we have been observing as we work on the ground as a committee and we need to work with CSOs to come up with that policy,” Misihairabwi-Mushonga said. “We had a zoom meeting with Unicef (United Nations Children’s Fund) were they raised issues of gender and girl's rights, and you are also allowed to petition Parliament with regards to the introduction of an inclusive education policy,” she said. MCT projects officer Tinashe Zimondi said there was need for policies that promote early childhood education, disability and girl child inclusion. “The government has made efforts in assisting vulnerable children through programmes like the Basic Education Assistance Module and the recent Education Amendment Act. We recognise that our work is only complementary to these and other government efforts, and our main focus is on marginalised children that have been affected by HIV/Aids,” he said. MCT runs six schools in Zvimba and five in Harare, including Hopley and Mbare. Follow Evans on Twitter @EvansMathanda19
The first wave of coronavirus vaccines should reach the public this week, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommending that all adults receive the vaccination in 2021. While the CDC said there should be enough doses for as many as 20 million people to receive vaccination by the end of December, health officials expect a much larger […]
Police were deployed in DR Congo's parliament on Tuesday on the second day of clashes sparked by a crisis between Tshisekedi and supporters of his predecessor Joseph Kabila.
At least three people were hurt as rival groups, including lawmakers, brawled and hurled objects before police restored order.
The violence between the two sides started after Tshisekedi said on Sunday he planned to form a new coalition in order to push through reforms.
He warned he might be forced to dissolve parliament and hold fresh elections.
Meanwhile, a petition was filed on Tuesday for the resignation of the president of the National Assembly and Kabila supporter, Jeanine Mabunda, and other members.
The session was mainly attended by deputies who support President Tshisekedi, it was attended by 279 of the 500 lawmakers, said Mboso N'kodia Mpwanga, who chaired the session.
No roll call was made and Mabunda was not present.
The petitions will be considered in a plenary session on Thursday.
Kabila's supporters, the Common Front for the Congo (FCC), which holds more than 300 out of the 500 seats in the National Assembly, accused Tshisekedi of breaching the constitution.
After pro-Tshisekedi lawmakers on Monday trashed the assembly's podium, the plenary room was closed, even though legislators on both sides had called for a legislative session.
The tensions have sparked international alarm, reviving memories of the Democratic Republic of Congo's long record of volatility.
The African Union called on the country's leaders to \"work resolutely and sincerely for national harmony and to preserve peace and stability\".
Health is important for the development of any nation. In essence, health and development are symbiotic hybrids. guest column:Johannes Marisa So many people have lost confidence in the public health system in Zimbabwe with the private medical sector also being blamed for exorbitant charges which are beyond the reach of many. Many people blame the government for lack of hospital equipment, medicines and sundries that are required for a robust health service delivery. In 2007, World Health Organisation (WHO) came up with a framework describing health systems in terms of six core components or building blocks and these are leadership, medicines, health workforce, information systems, financing and service delivery. The Health and Child Care deputy minister, John Mangwiro, on Sunday at a Kadoma conference for private medical practitioners pointed out that the popularity of Karanda Mission Hospital was because of the attitude of its staff. I visited Karanda at one time, the reception even from the gate keeper was warming, the receptionists were always smiling, nurses and doctors were always mingling with patients in a jovial way. In contrast, government hospitals were labelled death traps. We need to know the other side of the coin if we are to unearth the real cause of public hospital service disintegration in our beautiful country. A lot of people have often rushed to blame the government or the Health ministers for the poor service being offered at some government hospitals. What I witnessed on Sunday at Chegutu Hospital exposes preventable staff failure. Some of these hospitals are dying today because of maladministration, poor attitude and being inconsiderate on the part of medical staff. If a hospital like Chegutu District Hospital, which is along a major highway, is allowed to run without emergency preparedness yet we are approaching the festive season, then our country is doomed. The events I am narrating will tell you who to blame for some of the medical mishaps in a lot of public hospitals. Bad attitude, maladministration, arrogance, lack of consideration and empathy have slaughtered our health sector. An accident occurred on Sunday just 7 kilometres after Chegutu Hospital. Two people lost their lives and the injured were rushed to Chegutu Hospital. When we got to the scene of the accident on our way from a conference in Kadoma, it was already 2 hours after the incident. My sixth sense told me to drive back to Chegutu Hospital to check on the state of the survivors. Upon arrival in the casualty department, we introduced ourselves and then asked for gloves, suture material and other things to use because the three patients were groaning in pain and two of them were bleeding from lacerations. To my surprise, the following is what we discovered: • The injured were yet to be attended to, three hours after the accident • There was no single pair of gloves available • There were no available suture packs, what was only available was vicryl, an absorbable suture • No surgical blade • No painkillers for emergency cases
CHILD-FOCUSED non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Africa often use international policy guidelines in their efforts to protect children. They also depend on international donors to fund their activities. guest column:Sampson Addo Yeboah NGOs rely on standardised childhood policy frameworks, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Little attention is given to indigenous knowledge on childhood and its inclusion in child-focused interventions. We conducted a study to explore the interplay between these two worlds. The study, using an ethnographic method of participant observation and interviews, explored indigenous knowledge on child protection in a rural cocoa growing community of Ghana. We explored rural parents’ attitudes to an NGO intervention on children’s rights to basic schooling and the illegality of child labour. We focused mainly on the effects of indigenous knowledge on the outcomes of a child-rights based intervention; and interactions between parents and staff of a child-focused NGO. Using ethnographic methods enabled us to capture insights behind practices on rural childhood which would have been impossible with a quantitative approach. Findings from the study shows that parents perspectives on child protection were fundamentally different from those promoted by NGO frontline workers and the UNCRC. Rural parents viewed child protection as providing for the physical wellbeing of children and making sure they were trained in the norms and customs of the community. Based on our findings we recommended that for sustainable child protection interventions in rural Africa, child-focused NGOs working in these settings should meaningfully include local knowledge on childhood in their intervention programmes. This may ensure long-term local ownership by rural stakeholders and sustainability of the intervention. The history The idea of a “normative child” only came into being in Western Europe between the 17th and 19th century. During this period, childhood was constructed as a distinct phase of life separate from adulthood and children were seen as needing an enabling environment to play, receive formal education and to be free from work. Today these constructs are the embodiment of childhood in Western countries and are enshrined in documents such as the UNCRC which has become the conveying instrument of this approach. Organisations such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and United Kingdom and US aid bodies work mostly with countries that have ratified the UNCRC. In most African countries, too, the legal construction of what a proper childhood should be is guided by the UNCRC. But, as realised in our study, traditional African childhoods differ from the child-rights based on UNCRC. The organisation and coherence of African childhoods are usefully oriented toward different contextual purposes to those reflected in the UNCRC approach. In traditional African societies, children get to know the ways of their community through family traditions. They work alon
