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The World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for Africa in Brazzaville, Congo, says there are currently over 609,000 confirmed cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Africa.
The UN health agency gave the update on its regional official Twitter account @WHOAFRO on Tuesday. “There are over 609,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases on the African continent – with more than 305,000 recoveries and 13,000 deaths,’’ it said.
Lagos Govt, Striking Doctors Have Resolved Major Issues ― Sanwo-Olu
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Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday said his government and striking doctors in the state have resolved the major issue that led to the strike, saying it was all due to inadequate communication and misunderstanding.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, who described the situation as unfortunate, disclosed this while fielding questions from journalists at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), Yaba where he commemorated the Year 2020 Tree Planting Day and commissioned a 36-chamber morgue donated by IHS Towers to the state government.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says no fewer than 8,000 health workers have been infected with novel COVID-19 in the Africa Region. WHO Regional Office for Africa in Brazzaville, Congo, disclosed this on its official Twitter account @WHOAFRO on Tuesday.
“This is why Infection Prevention Control (IPC) awareness is vital for all. “WHO and partners have trained more than 50,000 health workers to protect themselves and patients. “The organisation aims to reach over 200,000 in 2020,’’ it said.
The Commissioner for Health in Plateau, Dr Nimkong Lar, has said that 57 health workers were infected with COVID-19 in the course of their legitimate duties in various health centres in the state.
Lar stated this at a press briefing after an executive council meeting on Wednesday in Jos. He said that they were workers managing COVID-19 patients in primary health centres, hospitals and private clinics across the state. According to him, the state has a total of 571 confirmed cases with a record of 28 cases on Tuesday, which is the highest recorded so far.
The World Health Organisation and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), have warned of an alarming decline in the number of children receiving life-saving vaccines around the world because of COVID-19 pandemic.
WHO, in a statement posted on its website, stated that the decline was due to disruptions in the delivery and uptake of immunisation services caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to new data by WHO and UNICEF, these disruptions threaten to reverse hard-won progress to reach more children and adolescents with a wider range of vaccines, which has already been hampered by a decade of stalling coverage.
Lagos doctors suspend strike, govt begins health workers’ recruitment
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Doctors, under the aegis of Medical Guild, Lagos State, have suspended their three-day warning strike which began on Monday. The Secretary of the guild, Dr Ismail Ajibowo, in an interview with our correspondent, said the doctors would resume work on Thursday.
He said, “We decided to suspend the strike to allow for further engagement with the state government on our demands. We expect our members to resume work tomorrow (Thursday) morning.” Ajibowo said negotiation with the state government would continue and the guild would release a statement soon.
Nigeria recorded 643 new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, bringing total cases to 34,259. Announcing via its website, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control said six more coronavirus-associated deaths were reported in the country on Wednesday, bringing total confirmed fatalities to 760.
It added that 13, 999 coronavirus patients have been discharged upon treatment and recovery from the Federal Capital Territory Abuja and 35 states.
The federal government warned yesterday that though COVID-19 presents symptoms similar to malaria such as fever, both diseases are caused by different organisms and differ in mode of transmission.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) stated this on its official twitter handle, warning that Nigerians should resist the temptation of taking COVID-19 and malaria as the same infection. This is just as the NCDC announced 653 new cases in the country, as total number of infections from the virus rose to 36,107.
Over 500 new coronavirus cases in Nigeria have raised the nationwide tally to 38,344, authorities announced on Wednesday. According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), 543 more COVID-19 cases and eight fatalities were recorded in the country on Wednesday.
The new figure of infections shows a slight decrease from the 576 cases reported on Tuesday. Nigeria has averaged over 500 cases per day in almost two weeks. The death toll in the country rose to 813 while a total of 15,815 patients have recovered from the virus.
The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) Wednesday said there is no hiding place anymore for fake pharmacists in the profession, as it is working with the Nigerian Police Force and other law enforcement agents to ensure that they face the full wrath of the law. It further said that erring pharmacists will also be made to face the full extent of extant laws governing the practice of Pharmacy in the country, as the practice of pharmacy concerns life and death.
The Chairman of the PCN, Prof. Ahmed Mora, made this known in Abuja during the inaugural meeting of the Investigating Panel of PCN. Those inaugurated to the Investigating Panel were – Pharm. Yakubu Akawu, Pharm. Umar Garba Gumau, Pharm. Edith Egbuonu, Prof. Moses Akanmu. Others were Prof. Garba Uthman Sadiq, Pharm. Ifraimu Irimiya Kifasi, FPSN, and Pharm. Williams Etubiebi.
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The National Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioners, ( NGGDP) Benue state chapter, said they will not call off the ongoing strike until government meet their demands. Members of the Association have been on indefinite strike for over a month.
They are demanding for an improve welfare and better working conditions. Among their demand are nonpayment of 2017 salary arrears to health workers, delay in payment of monthly salaries to all health workers,
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on Tuesday said it had set up five new COVID – 19 testing laboratories in the country.
The new centres will be located at Edo Specialist Hospital, Benin; ATBU Teaching Hospital, Bauchi; Rivers Indorama Company Molecular Lab; State Specialist Hospital, Amachara, Abia; and University of Abuja, Gwagwalada GX Lab. The NCDC in a statement said the development brought the total number of laboratories in its Molecular Laboratory Network to 58.
The House of Representatives has told the World Health Organisation to be fair in its regulation of clinical trials for COVID-19 drugs and vaccines. Chairman, House Committee on Health Services, Mr. Tanko Sununu, said this in Abuja on Wednesday at a meeting with the new WHO Representative in Nigeria, Dr Walter Mulombo, and five health-related committees of the House.
Sununu noted that the outgoing country representative maintained a healthy relationship with the National Assembly, especially the health committees, saying he hoped that Mulombo would relate with the parliament same way.
Global Fund: Nigeria receives $890 million to tackle HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria
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Nigeria has received an $890 million grant from the Global Fund to reduce the burden of HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria over an implementation period of three years, beginning from 2021 to 2023. The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, announced the receipt of the grant at a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja.
The Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GF) is an innovative international financing mechanism established by the United Nations in 2002, with its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
