Afro-Descendant Leaders Release Demands For COP16: Recognize Land Rights, Key To Conserving Biodiversity In Latin America

 For the first time, ahead of COP16, 25 Afro-descendant organizations announce recommendations to prioritize land rights of communities contributing to conservation in Latin America and the Caribbean  

A declaration released at a press briefing highlights significant overlap between lands claimed by Afro-descendant Peoples in Latin America and the Caribbean and biodiversity hotspots; call for the inclusion of the term Afro-descendants in the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

 Bogotá, Colombia, June 14 – At a press briefing held on Friday, June 14, the Coalition of Territorial and Environmental Rights for Afro-descendant Peoples in Latin America and the Caribbeans, in alliance with Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI), Proceso De Comunidades Negras (PCN), Coordenação Nacional de Articulação das Comunidades Negras Rurais Quilombolas (CONAQ), and various Afro-descendant organizations released a series of evidence-based recommendations that will call on organizers of the 2024 United Nations Biodiversity Conference to include full respect for the rights and contributions of Afro-descendant communities at the global event that will open on October 21 in Cali, Colombia.

Climate Change And Threats Of Another Pandemic

 By Adeze Ojukwu

Another deadly pandemic is imminent. In fact, it looms large. It is scary. It is dreadful. The world is rattled. Environmentalists, researchers, doctors and policy makers are agitated. Questions about the when, why, how of the omnious outbreak and other flustering posers are mounting at various high-level interventionist global conferences. Indeed, this verdict remains a reality, that cannot be easily waved away. 

Director General of World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Adhanom Ghebreyesus, handed down this grievous news, at the just-ended 76th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. He said, “The threat of another variant emerging that causes new surges of disease and death remains, and the threat of another pathogen emerging with even deadlier potential remains.” 

No Tobacco Day: WHO And Smoking Epidemic In Africa

 By Adeze Ojukwu

World Health Organization (WHO) has again raised concerns over a looming tobacco epidemic in Africa. It called on African leaders to confront cigarette companies, who are bolstering tobacco farming in the continent. 

“The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health challenges the world has ever faced, killing more than eight million people around the world every year. While the number of people using tobacco products is decreasing in other parts of the world, it is rising in the Africa Region.” 

250,000 To Benefit From Free Short-Course TB Preventive Treatment Across Seven Countries

Support from global consortium will expand access to shorter TB prevention options, help advance efforts towards TB elimination

 Johannesburg, 24 March 2023 – The Unitaid-funded IMPAACT4TB Consortium, led by the Aurum Institute, announced today that it will provide 250,000 patient courses of short course rifapentine-based preventive treatment regimens to seven countries to help prevent tuberculosis (TB). The patient courses will include the three-month 3HP regimen, and the even shorter 1HP, that is only taken for 28 days. This contribution is part of the Consortium's ongoing efforts to end TB and improve global health outcomes.

COVID-19 Burden Lessens In Africa, Vigilance Crucial As Year-End Season Begins

 Brazzaville, 8 December 2022 

While Africa is witnessing its lowest level of new COVID-19 cases since the onset of the pandemic, a recent four-week rise—the first such sustained increase in four months—underscores the criticality of maintaining vigilance as the end-year holiday seasons sets in.

The continent recorded a four-week long rise until 20 November, but the number of new cases dropped slightly in the past two weeks ending on 2 December breaking the upward trend. However, the new cases reported in late November account for less than 10% of cases recorded in the same period in 2021 and 2020. While deaths rose by 14% in the week ending on 27 November from the week before, they were low at 53—approximately 4% of the deaths recorded in the same period in 2021 and 2020. The current COVID-19 caseload is not exerting any significant strain on health facilities, with hospitalizations remaining low.

Rising Cases Of Suicide

 By Ifeanyichukwu Mmoh  

There has been a sudden rise in the incidences of suicide lately, to the extent that there is now a sort of panic feelings that has left many wondering who the next victim could be. Although, suicide is not entirely novel, its sudden prevalence – in my opinion – is due largely to the neglect of certain important facts of our physical health, namely our mental health.

To begin with, suicide – according to the World Health Organization – is a conscious and premeditated attempt by a person to take their own life. Suicide doesn’t just happen. In fact, what we see as suicide is only the end of a complicated process of emotional deterioration that started from unhappiness. Yes, suicide begins with unhappiness. And the state of unhappiness can be triggered by either the loss of a loved one, the loss of a breakthrough opportunity; or because of delay in getting married or due to a prolonged wait for conception.

Monkeypox: Africa Faces Another Vaccine Apartheid

 By Echey Ijezie

Even after the novel coronavirus exposed glaring flaws in the world’s collective ability to respond to infectious disease outbreaks, we are seemingly back to the old ways, as evidenced by the global response to the now endemic monkeypox. 

The world may once again lose a chance to control a pandemic. The zoonotic viral disease, which is already endemic in 10 countries in West and Central Africa, only drew the world’s attention after affecting people in rich countries in the Global North.

Even after the disruption caused by Covid-19, wealthy countries’ self-destructive unwillingness to cooperate for the benefit of the entire global population is evident again. 

This year, there have been dozens of monkeypox cases in Cameroon, Nigeria, and the Central African Republic (CAR), with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) reporting the highest number of infections with over 2,938 cases and 110 deaths.

The Greater Horn Of Africa’s Climate-Related Health Crisis Worsens As Disease Outbreaks Surge

WHO Regional Office For Africa 

Press Release

New analysis by the World Health Organization (WHO) has found that the number of reported disease outbreaks and climate-related health emergencies in the greater Horn Africa have reached their highest-ever level this century, deepening a health crisis in a region where 47 million people are already facing acute hunger. Most parts of the region are battling the worst drought in at least 40 years, with an unprecedented fifth rainy season failure now anticipated, while other parts face flooding and conflict. 

Appraising Nigeria’s Healthcare Delivery

By Carl Umegboro 

In a civilized climate, this wouldn’t stir interest but in Nigeria, where public officeholders largely work contrary to public interest, it should. Recently, the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, underwent a leg surgery in a hospital in home-country. It was a departure from the flawed status quo. Over the years, at any slight ailment, people in authority fly abroad with public funds, which chiefly accounts why healthcare centres are left in decay. Osinbajo literally displayed leadership acumen. 

The message is simple – a prudent leader can’t live foreign, abandoning the led to their fate in home facilities. The action is a template that must be sustained for a turnaround. Government is about the people. This accounts why Section 14 (2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, explicitly provides; “It is hereby, accordingly declared that (b) … the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.” 

African Union And WHO Urge Swift Action Against Childhood Tuberculosis

 
The African Union and the World Health Organization (WHO) today called for immediate and comprehensive measures to end the significant toll of tuberculosis among children in Africa. The appeal was made jointly with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) and the Stop TB Partnership on the side-lines of the Seventy-second session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa in Lomé, Togo.

Tobacco: Silently Hiding Smokers In Graves

     By Mukhtar Garba Kobi

Tobacco was historically discovered by a European in the person of Christopher Columbus in 1492, initially, it was only smoked by high-class personalities during festivities but Columbus took it back to Europe where it gained recognition.

Smoking increased dramatically during world wars, it was supplied to troops for free mainly to boost their morale but later in the 20th century, it became less popular due to a rapid increase in its health effects. Several types of research were conducted and books published on the dangers of tobacco to health, some of which are Samuel Thomas in 1795, Benjamin Rush in 1798 and many more. World No Tobacco Day was celebrated on May 31 but not known to many due to poor campaigns.

The Surge of Extreme Hunger In Africa

By Agbaje Ayomide

Over the past years, immense efforts have been made by the governments, stakeholders, non-governmental organizations and reputable international bodies to end hunger crisis and curtail food insecurity most African countries are confronted with. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, about 153 million people suffered from severe food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa.

Millions of people especially in the rural areas have died as a result of chronic starvation, and putting others at great risk of suffering from the famine in drought-prone areas while many have been displaced and become refugees in faraway regions in desperate search for food and to secure their livelihoods.

Who Controls The Quality Of Products Supplied To Africa?

By Wolff Geisler

Participants in the joint UN program on HIV / AIDS, claim that between 1981 and 2006, 25 million people died of AIDS! The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that in 2007 alone 33.2 million HIV-infected people were registered, and 2.1 million people died.

Leading the number of infected and the dead is the part of the African continent, located south of the Sahara (Black Africa). Only 10% of the world's population lives in the region, but 70% of them have AIDS!

In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the number of people living with HIV has increased by more than 150% over the past few years. And in Vietnam over the same period, the number of patients doubled. Among Asian countries, the first place in Indonesia.