African leaders decry racism after CDC head stopped in Germany

African leaders decry racism after CDC head stopped in Germany

The acting director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says he won’t be attending this year’s World Health Summit in Berlin after experiencing difficulties with immigration control when his flight landed in Germany — a situation that immediately sparked outrage on social media. “I’ve been mistreated at…

WHO: Africa COVID surge is dangerous and dire

WHO: Africa COVID surge is dangerous and dire

Namibia reported a record high of 2,547 new COVID cases on Thursday, as health minister Kalumbi Shangula appealed for more oxygen supplies and nurses. South Africa saw 18,762 new cases as the government began deploying its COVID surge team. Mozambique, Uganda, Kenya – they’re all seeing impacts from a trending…

Uganda reports first case of Indian COVID variant

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…

Africa’s need for a dedicated Covid-19 vaccine supply

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…

Africa CDC worries over Astra Zeneca vaccine availability

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….

Morocco’s king kicks off COVID vaccination drive

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI became the first in his country to receive a COVID vaccination, setting the tone for a national campaign that aims to protect 80 percent of the population. The king rolled up his sleeve and got his shot at the Royal Palace in Fez on Thursday, according…

New projections see South African COVID cases climb

The number of coronavirus cases in South Africa continues to climb, with the Ministry of Health reporting 30 additional deaths on Thursday and a toll that has reached 369 victims. Among them is a 2-day-old baby who was born prematurely and did not survive on a ventilator. “The mother had…

50,000 radios distributed to help prevent COVID rumors in C.A.R.

United Nations peacekeepers in the Central African Republic are helping to battle the coronavirus pandemic alongside the government led by President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, and one of their priorities is shutting down misinformation about COVID-19. MINUSCA is distributing 50,000 solar-powered radios to communities in CAR to improve people’s access to health…

U.S. says it remains committed to Africa’s COVID response

A senior United States official says the U.S. remains in close contact with the Africa Centers for Disease Control and the continent’s national public health agencies in support of the COVID-19 response. The unnamed official, who provided a U.S. Department of State briefing on Wednesday, said the U.S. is far…

Africa CDC rolls out new COVID-19 dashboard tool

There’s a new tool in the fight against COVID-19, and it’s a tech tool from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention that shows the impact of the coronavirus pandemic across the continent in one easy-to-use dashboard. The interactive COVID-19 dashboard linked here keeps real-time cumulative case totals for…

WHO appoints three Africans as coronavirus ‘special envoys’

Three Africans have been named as special envoys on the coronavirus, as the World Health Organization (WHO) expressed growing concern Friday over the COVID-19 spread in Iran, South Korea and beyond the borders of China. The three envoys will serve to provide strategic advice and high-level political advocacy and engagement…

No coronavirus cases in African nations as death toll reaches 908

So far, there are no confirmed cases of the coronavirus on the African continent, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday. Countries including Botswana and Sudan have isolated and investigated some people for testing, but have seen those results all come back negative. Meanwhile, possible…