Spotlight On Female COVID-19 Frontline Health Workers

Dr Charity Sarpong- Greater Accra Regional Director for Health Services

When Ghana’s capital, recorded the country’s first two cases of COVID-19 on March 12, 2020, Dr. Charity Sarpong knew she had to brace herself for an arduous task. 
As the in-charge of the Greater Accra Region that has the most COVID-19 cases, she has over the past months shouldered the responsibility of implementing a seamless response system to fight the novel viral infection.   

Update COVID-19 31 March 2021

COVID_19 Update Rwanda

31 March 2021 — One hundred and thirty-eight (138) new COVID-19 cases were identified out of 9464 samples tested today. This brings the cumulative number of confirmed cases twenty-one thousand, seven hundred, and eighty-three (21783). To date, twenty thousand, one hundred, and eighty-two (20182) patients have recovered, including one hundred and eighty-one (181) in the past 24 hours. The number of active cases is one thousand, two hundred, and ninety-four (1294) and three hundred and seven (307) deaths. 

Nigeria will get adequate COVID-19 vaccines-Professor Tomori

Prof Tomori.jpg

Abuja, 1 April 2021 - The COVID-19 outbreak and response has been accompanied by a massive infodemic. Professor Oyewale Tomori, a former WHO regional virologist weighs in on the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines currently being produced and distributed worldwide and also assures of availability. He is fondly remembered for his role in championing poliovirus eradication efforts in Nigeria. Presently, the government enlists his support on COVID-19 response as an advisor to the Minister of Health.

The UN family in South Africa will continue to support the Country towards achieving commitments to End TB

World TB Day 2021commemoration
TB is still one of the top infectious killers in the world, with 1.4 million people having died from TB in 2019. Meanwhile, Drug-resistant TB remains a public health crisis which is estimated to affect 77,000 Africans each year. The African region accounts for 25% of the global TB burden, with more than 500,000 African lives lost to this disease every year. Of these deaths, 58 000 were in South Africa. In South Africa HIV and TB remain colliding epidemics with 62% of TB deaths being among people living with HIV. In 2019 there were 360 000 new TB infections, 58% of them were in people living with HIV. On the other hand, TB was the cause of death for half of all HIV-related death (36 000 out of 72 000) in 2019. This underscores the importance of integrated TB and HIV interventions and services. Presenting a message of support on behalf of the UN family in South Africa at this year’s National World TB Day (WTBD) commemoration, the WHO Representative in South Africa, Dr Owen Kaluwa, called on the government and other stakeholders to bridge the financial gap for the TB response and to accelerate efforts towards achieving the targets and commitments to End TB, for the benefit of the South African population and her future generations.

My vaccination experiences-recipients speak after receiving COVID-19 vaccine 

Nurse Mary Yarda, a staff of National Hospital, Abuja receiving the COVID-19 vaccine

Abuja, 31 March 2021 - “Nine days after receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, I am yet to experience any negative side effect and I was among the first set of health workers in Nigeria who received the vaccine. The vaccine is safe as I have not felt any different or ill”, says Mary Yarda, a Nursing officer at the National Hospital, Abuja. 

For Nurse Yarda, receiving the vaccine is mind-settling working in an environment that makes health workers susceptible to contracting the virus. 

International Women’s Day 2021

WHO Eritrea celebrated March 8

March 8 holds a special place in every woman’s heart. It’s a day of celebration for acknowledgement of women’s contribution to human development. Women in the past were house makers, but today women play a major role in cultural, economic, political, and social affairs. Women are the majority in the world population and their contribution is a matter of great importance.  

This year, the theme for International Women’s Day held on (8th March), was “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world”.

Update COVID-19 30 March 2021

COVID_19 Update Rwanda

30 March 2021 — One hundred and fifty-five (155) new COVID-19 cases were identified out of 7792 samples tested today. This brings the cumulative number of confirmed cases twenty-one thousand, six hundred, and forty-five (21645). To date, twenty thousand and one (20001) patients have recovered, including one hundred and forty-one (141) in the past 24 hours. The number of active cases is one thousand, three hundred, and thirty-eight (1338) and three hundred and six (306) deaths.