One of the first things to notice in the new “Children and Digital Dumpsites” report from the World Health Organization is how little e-waste – castoff phones, computers and other electronics – originates in African nations. It may be the most important thing to notice, though, because the enormous amounts…
African nations can expect 5 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from the United States, according to U.S. President Joe Biden. The commitment was announced Thursday as part of a U.S. plan to send vaccines to low-income nations still waiting for the lifesaving medicine. Biden described an allocation of the…
Namibian President Hage Geingob is recovering well following last week’s positive COVID diagnosis, according to a spokesman for the presidency. “The President and the First Lady are in a stable condition and in good spirits. All precautionary measures are taken, and neither the President nor the First Lady have been…
With just 65 days to go before the opening ceremony of the delayed 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, the International Olympic Committee said Wednesday it is prepared to hold the games despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the organizational challenges. John Coates, head of the IOC Coordination Commission, issued a…
The head of the World Health Organization has made another appeal for the developed world to reconsider how COVID vaccines are being distributed because just 0.3 percent of the global supply is going to low-income countries. “Trickle down vaccination is not an effective strategy for fighting a deadly respiratory virus,”…
Tanzania is implementing new pandemic restrictions meant to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections, according to an announcement from health minister Abel Makubi. The new rules include a ban on all flights to or from India, where the coronavirus is spreading at an alarming pace and emerging variants are adding…
Ugandan officials say they’ve confirmed the first case of a COVID-19 variant that emerged in India and has contributed to that nation’s overwhelming coronavirus outbreak. The Ministry of Health confirmed the presence of the B.1.617 variant on Thursday, noting that it was identified in travelers who returned from India to Kampala…
As with so many other facets of global wealth (and health) inequality, the rollout of the four Covid-19 vaccines produced by Western pharmaceutical companies and approved by American and European health officials – the “Big Four” of Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, Oxford/AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson – has quickly became yet another…
Top African health officials are calling for more equitable vaccine distribution, noting that less than 2 percent of the vaccines delivered to date have been for people on the continent and most of that is in just 10 nations. “Although progress is being made, many African countries have barely moved…
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia says it will issue permits for some visits to Muslim holy sites during the upcoming month of Ramadan, but only if applicants comply with COVID pandemic restrictions. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced earlier this week that only people who are fully vaccinated for…
The head of Africa’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that ongoing delays in receiving Astra Zeneca vaccines from India pose a threat to controlling the COVID-19 pandemic in the face of emerging variants. John Nkengasong says any interruption would definitely impact the ability to continue vaccinating people….
Health officials in Kenya say they’re seeing a spike in COVID-19 infections that is placing a strain on resources, even as the country continues to roll out its vaccination plans. “The Ministry of Health Kenya is extremely concerned with the number of rising cases of those contracting the coronavirus disease…
Somalia received its first shipment of the Oxford Astra Zeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses on Monday, just as other nations – particularly across Europe – put their vaccination efforts on pause because of concerns over the safety of the product. The first batch of 300,000 doses to arrive in Mogadishu is…
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a sobering impact on global nature conservation, with Africa and Asia the most severely affected, according to new research papers published in PARKS, the journal of the IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas. More than half of protected areas in Africa reported that they were…
Ghana on Wednesday became the first nation to receive coronavirus vaccines through the global COVAX initiative, a partnership supported by UNICEF in West Africa. “The shipments also represent the beginning of what should be the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation in history,” said UNICEF in a statement. “The COVAX…