Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The African continent will have 44 million infections and about 19,000 deaths if countries fail to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease-COVID-19. This is according to a study carried out by the World Health Organisation regional office for Africa and published in the British …
Read More »WHO cautions against use of Madagascar anti-virus potion
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | The World Health Organization on Thursday advised governments to clinically test a herbal drink touted by Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina as a remedy against coronavirus. The Covid-Organics infusion is derived from artemisia — a plant with proven anti-malarial properties — and other indigenous herbs. Rajoelina …
Read More »The Wuhan lab at the heart of the US-China virus spat
Beijing, China | AFP | The Chinese laboratory accused by top American officials of being the source of the coronavirus pandemic conducts research on the world’s most dangerous diseases. US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have both claimed that there is evidence the pathogen came from the …
Read More »Red Cross looks to global influencers to fight virus ‘infodemic’
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The Red Cross on Tuesday launched what it said was the first global network of social media influencers to battle misinformation about the new coronavirus and spread lifesaving content about the pandemic. Experts have been warning for months that the pandemic has been cloaked in a …
Read More »WHO says has no proof from US on ‘speculative’ Wuhan lab claims
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The World Health Organization said Monday that Washington had provided no evidence to support “speculative” claims by the US president that the new coronavirus originated in a Chinese lab. “We have not received any data or specific evidence from the United States government relating to the …
Read More »Malaria still kills 1,100 a day
It can’t afford to lose resources to coronavirus | FREDROS OKUMU | Today, another 1,100 people will die from malaria. The number will be repeated tomorrow, and the day after. As a public health researcher, I embrace the idea that all lives have equal value. That our goal is much …
Read More »Danish Govt gives sh6bn COVID-19 support to Uganda
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Danish Government has offered sh6 billion (14,500,000 Danish Kronner) to support Uganda’s efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. The two grants, 10 million DKK for WHO and 4.5 million DKK for UNFPA, aim at supporting Government of Uganda’s efforts towards the emergency response to the …
Read More »Health experts want WHO to find source of COVID-19
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | International health experts have asked the World Health Organisation (WHO) to identify the animal source of the coronavirus (COVID-19) so as to enable further research. The need to find the source was one of the recommendations that health experts made to WHO during the …
Read More »WHO targets teens on social media to debunk virus myths
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The World Health Organization said Friday it was working with social media companies in a bid to quash misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic — including on more light-hearted apps popular with teenagers. The WHO said it had started working with TikTok and Snapchat since the …
Read More »WHO wants invite to China’s probe into virus origins
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The World Health Organization said Friday it hoped China would invite it to take part in its investigations into the animal origins of the novel coronavirus. “WHO would be keen to work with international partners and at the invitation of the Chinese government to participate in …
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