New drug to address deadly meningitis in Nigeria

Meningitis

Meningitis

from EMEKA OKONKWO in Abuja, Nigeria
ABUJA, (CAJ News) NIGERIA has introduced a new vaccine into its immunisation scheduled to curb the spread of meningitis that has left hundreds of people dead in recent months.

The introduction of Meningitis A Conjugate Vaccine into the routine Expanded Programme on Immunisation schedule follows the prevalence of the disease in 25 states and the Federal Capital Territory where 26,7 millions of Nigerians are at risk.

In 2018, there were 4 516 reported cases and 364 deaths in Nigeria .

Children are worst affected.

“I therefore call on all mothers to ensure their children are vaccinated from this disease,” said Dr Faisal Shuaib, Executive Director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA).

Meningitis is an infection of the thin lining that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, called the meninges.

Meningococcal meningitis, which Nigeria is enduring, is the bacterial form of meningitis.

It is a devastating disease associated with high fatality of 50 percent when untreated.

Over 10 000 cases of meningitis occur annually in Nigeria.

In 2017, 14 766 cases were reported with 1 207 deaths occurred.

Anuradha Gupta, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, said the expansion in Nigeria’s immunisation programme had the potential to save hundreds of lives every year.

“It shows the government’s commitment to protecting every child in the country against deadly, preventable diseases,” Gupta said.

– CAJ News

Downgrades, US-China impasse hammer SA’s Rand

US-China-presidents.jpg

by SAVIOUS KWINIKA 
Editor-In-Chief
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) SOUTH Africa’s volatile Rand currency is bearing the brunt of escalating trade tensions between China and the United States as well as possibilities of agencies downgrading the country’s sovereign rating.

This depreciation spells further doom for motorists, with the price of fuel increasing again in September.

The local unit opened the trading week at R15,25, R17,08 and R18,42 against the US Dollar, Euro and the British Pound respectively. This was down from R14,75 and R16,38 as well as R17,88 at the previous week’s close.

Mpho Tsebe, the Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) economist, said the Rand had been “bruised and battered” in the past week following a spate of negative domestic news flows and an escalation in US-China trade tensions.

She added the currency had been on the back foot since Moody’s released a statement that the additional bailout to troubled power utility, Eskom, was credit-negative for South Africa.

This was followed by news that Fitch rating agency revised the country outlook to negative from stable, only to be exacerbated by worsening trade relations between the US and China again, as negotiations broke down between the global economic powerhouses.

Analysts project rand and other emerging market (EM) currencies remained vulnerable to risk sentiment, as the escalation in trade tensions between the US and China had reignited fears of the US economy falling into a recession.

The Central Energy Fund recently indicated the price of 95 unleaded petrol would increase by about ten cents in September, following the 11 cents increase in August.

Tsebe explained this was because the 10,2 percent month-to-date decline in the price of Brent crude oil had been offset by a 6 percent depreciation in US$/Rand.

The Nedbank Group Economic Unit also highlighted the emerging market risk aversion and heightened fears that Moody’s would downgrade South Africa’s sovereign rating had led to the Rand lose further ground.

“The rating agency made further pessimistic comments on Eskom, to the effect that the utility needs a long-term turnaround plan urgently,” the unit stated.

The firm noted the local equity market had a volatile week due to continued concerns about growth, both locally and globally, and unresolved trade tensions between the US and China.

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) all-share index lost 1,3 percent over the week to close at 55 535,24 last Friday, with financials and industrials down by 3,5 percent and 1,6 percent respectively to 37 522,27 and 77 879,88.

“The risk-off sentiment will see riskier assets trade on the back foot until trade tensions ease or some positive news emerges,” Nedbank stated.

Analysts also warned the political upheaval in South Africa was exacerbating the Rand’s prospects as the currency faced poor economic growth, and a rising risk of further fiscal slippage with a Moody’s negative rating in its wake.

“There’s been no support either for the rand due the persistent lack of the expected economic reforms as well as the ongoing conflict in SA’s governing party, the African National Congress ‘ANC’,” Thanda Sithole, Standard Bank economist, stated.

– CAJ News

Clean energy most feasible remedy to Zambia’s power woes

Solar panels

Solar panels

from ARNOLD MULENGA in Lusaka, Zambia
LUSAKA, (CAJ News) ZAMBIA’S energy crisis, an impediment to government’s economic diversification plans, tells an all-too-familiar irony in most parts of the continent: crippling deficits despite abundant sources of renewable energy sources.

This is because of an over-reliance on hyro-power.

Thus, as the Zambian government initiates efforts to diversify the economy from an over-dependence on mining (mainly copper), so is the need for the administration to broaden the country’s generation sources and capacity in line with growth ambitions.

Of Zambia’s 2 800 MW of installed electricity generation capacity, 85 percent is hydro-based.

Yet, high solar irradiation values promise strong potential for the development of solar photovoltaics (PV)-based energy generation.

The country has an average 2 000 to 3 000 hours of sunshine per year and its northern areas record what is rated to be the highest global solar irradiation of 2 300 kWh / m2 /year.

It is with great anticipation therefore that a grant has been secured to fund a feasibility study for a 150 MW wind, solar and energy storage hybrid power plant project in northern Zambia.

The study will evaluate the optimal mix of on-site wind, solar and battery storage technologies to provide energy generation and services to the country’s grid.

The United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has made the grant available to Upepo Energy Zambia for the initiative.

It will be one of the first hybrid renewable energy projects in the country and will provide much-needed generation and grid support.

The study will evaluate the optimal mix of on-site wind, solar and battery storage technologies to provide energy generation and services to the Zambian grid.

USTDA believes this feasibility study will address critical energy generation and battery storage needs in Zambia while providing improved access to affordable and reliable electricity.

Todd Abrajano, USTDA’s Acting Deputy Director, said the project would serve as a gateway for US technologies to serve an important sector in Zambia.

“USTDA believes this feasibility study will address critical energy generation and battery storage needs in Zambia, while providing enhanced access to affordable and reliable electricity,” he said in the capital Lusaka.

As noted by the International Growth Centre (IGC), without electricity, low levels of available gas, and exceedingly expensive generators, many households have reverted to charcoal for cooking.

This has resulted in a spike in prices and accelerated the rate of deforestation.

Dean Baumgardner, Upepo Energy’ Chief Development Officer, believes the project would address such crises.

“Upepo Energy is committed to working closely with all of these key stakeholders to bring this state-of-the-art clean multi-technology renewable energy project to Zambia,” Baumgardner said.

According to the Power Africa initiative, Zambia’s power access rate is an average of 31 percent. Over 7 million households have no access.

In 1996, Zambia set a goal for universal electricity access for all by 2030.

– CAJ News

Cure for Ebola is on the horizon

Ebola virus

Ebola virus

from JEAN KASSONGO in Kinshasa, DRC
KINSHASA, (CAJ News) THE first-ever multi-drug randomised control trial is offering Ebola patients hope of surviving the deadly virus.

It brings reprieve to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where more than 1 800 people have died since the latest outbreak began in August last year.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) introduced the drugs trial last November.

It is aimed at evaluating the safety and efficacy of four drugs used for treatment of Ebola patients.

Two out of the four drugs being tested have proven more effective and are the only medicines that future patients will be treated with.

WHO said it was committed to work closely with DRC, neighboring countries, mainly Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic (CAR), Congo-Brazzaville, Rwanda, Sudan, Uganda and other international partners to ensure the response to the outbreak remained robust and well coordinated.

“We will continue to conduct rigorous research and incorporate findings into the Ebola outbreak response through a variety of prevention and control strategies,” the agency stated.

An outbreak of Ebola is ravaging the Ituri and North Kivu provinces in the northeastern DRC.

It is the worst eruption in the country and the second-biggest outbreak globally after over 11 000 people succumbed to Ebola in West Africa between 2013 and 2016.

– CAJ News

scroll to top