Shafiq – KMAUPDATES

May252020 by ShafiqNo Comments

Coronavirus – Zambia: WHO Donates COVID-19 Supplies to MOH within the framework of the UN joint effort aimed at supporting government to scale up preparedness and response actions

CORONAVIRUS

LUSAKA, Zambia, May 25, 2020/ -- Since Zambia reported its first case of COVID 19 on 18 March 2020, cases have been on the upswing. During recent weeks confirmed cases rose from 103 on 1 May 2020 to 920 by May 22 with a total number of seven deaths. Zambia has also seen an increase of cases of COVID-19 in the northern town of Nakonde due to a porous border. More than 80 health workers have been affected by the virus countrywide. On 22 May 2020, the World Health Organization Country Office donated Personal Protective Equipment, emergency equipment for the Emergency Operations Centre and laboratory supplies worth more than seven hundred thousand United States Dollars to the Ministry of Health. This donation has been made possible through the UK Department for International Development (...

May202020 by ShafiqNo Comments

Philippe Ghanem has acquired all the shares of SquaredFinancial in a move to create a new-generation, one-stop solution for traders and investors

Business, FEATURE STORIES

On 19th May 2020, SquaredFinancial announced that Philippe Ghanem has acquired all the shares of the company. This paves the way for it to expand its services and geographical footprint, and offer a new, one-stop solution to traders and investors seeking secure, regulated and technology-led access to global markets. A pioneer in online trading, Swiss businessman and financier Philippe Ghanem founded SquaredFinancial Group, one of the sector’s first platforms, in 2005 and was already its majority shareholder. After more than 15 years in the international arena, including managing one of the market’s largest companies, he has decided to acquire all the shares of the company and resume his position as Executive Chairman in order to make it a leading player. Philippe Ghanem comme...

May102020 by ShafiqNo Comments

Coronavirus – Uganda: Pickup Truck from the Indian Business Forum for fight against COVID-19

AFRICA, CORONAVIRUS, Covid 19 Donations, EAST AFRICA, HEALTH, INTERNATIONAL, UGANDA

KAMPALA, Uganda/ -- On behalf of the National Task Force, the PS Dr. Diana Atwine received a single pickup truck from the Indian Business Forum as part of their support to the fight against COVID-19 in Uganda.

May102020 by ShafiqNo Comments

Coronavirus – Nigeria’s COVID-19 fight receives a boost as Dr. Olorunnimbe Mamora receives Samsung’s 5000 Testing Kits

AFRICA, CORONAVIRUS, Nigeria

The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Health has received 5, 000 testing kits from Samsung Heavy Industries, Nigeria to boost the containment of COVID-19 in Nigeria. The Honourable Minister of State for Health, Dr. Olorunnimbe Mamora received the items from a delegation of Samsung Heavy Industries, Nigeria led by Ju-Yeol LEE, Counsellor/Economy, Embassy of Republic of Korea at the Ministry’s headquarters, Abuja on Thursday, May 7, 2020.The Minister described the donation as very significant to Nigeria as they are very important saying that testing is the starting point before isolation and treatment of COVID-19 positive persons. Dr. Mamora assured the delegate that the testing kits would be delivered to appropriate testing locations.The Honourable Minister of State fo...

May102020 by ShafiqNo Comments

On UN Global Compact Forum, panelists urge robust multi-stakeholder response to the coronavirus pandemic

Banking, CORONAVIRUS, UNITED NATIONS

The African Development Bank is ready to be a partner in coordinated international responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, and can offer expertise on the ground in Africa, an emerging and critical battleground in defeating the worldwide crisis. This was the top line message Acting Senior Vice President Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala delivered during a United Nations Global Compact virtual panel titled Global Cooperation for Crisis Response to discuss strategies and recommendations for mounting a global response. In her opening statement, the acting SVP drove home the imperative for close cooperation at every level. “No country is exempt or immune from the health and economic consequences which are unraveling. COVID-19 affects us all whether we are in a developed or developing countries,” she ...

May102020 by ShafiqNo Comments

First Unitization Agreement between Eni and Springfield Exploration and Production (E&P) will usher a New Era for Ghana’s Upstream Sector

AFRICA, ghana

Following study of technical evidence from Springfield E&P (SEP)’s West Cape Three Points 2 (WCTP2) License and Eni’s Offshore Cape Three Points (OCTP) License offshore Ghana, the Government of Ghana has declared earlier this year that the Afina-1x Cenomanian reservoir and the Sankofa Cenomanian reservoir are “one and the same”. This conclusion calls for a Unitization Agreement between both operators in order to develop the reservoir that straddles both of their blocks. This Unitization Agreement of the Afina and Sankofa Fields was requested by Minister of Energy, Hon. John-Peter Amewu, in a letter sent to SEP and Eni in early April 2020. The government’s direction then requested unitization talks to be completed within 120 days (four months). Shall both parties fail to comply with...

May102020 by ShafiqNo Comments

Coronavirus – Sierra Leone: UNICEF signs Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Sierra Leone Football Association and local football players on COVID-19 sensitisation and awareness

AFRICA, CORONAVIRUS, Sierra Leone

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a joint communication and advocacy campaign, which will see local football players engaged in public sensitisation around the Corona Virus disease (Covid-19). The MoU will guide UNICEF and SLFA on how to jointly use print, audio and video platforms to disseminate accurate information on how to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 and to encourage everyone to take personal responsibility to contain the outbreak in the country. Campaign messages will also help people to identify and respond to the secondary impacts of COVID-19 such as exploitation and abuse of children, disruptions in learning and limitations on social interactions. “COVID-...

May102020 by ShafiqNo Comments

Coronavirus – Djibouti: IMF Executive Board Approves a US$ 43.4 Million Disbursement to Djibouti Under the Rapid Credit Facility and Debt Relief Under the Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust to Address the COVID-19 Pandemic

AFRICA, CORONAVIRUS, Djibouti

The IMF Executive Board approved a US$ 43.4 million loan to Djibouti to support the authorities’ response to the COVID-19 crisis, as well as debt relief under the CCRT, which will generate additional resources of US$ 2.3 million over the next five months, and potentially up to US$ 8.2 million over the next 23 months; IMF support will provide additional resources for the essential health and other emergency spending, including social safety nets. It will also help catalyze additional donor support; The authorities are committed to use the additional IMF resources transparently and to ensure that expenditures are well-targeted and cost-effective. The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) today approved a disbursement under the Rapid Credit Facility (RCF) equivalent to&...

May102020 by ShafiqNo Comments

Coronavirus – Africa: Commemorating Smallpox Eradication – a legacy of hope, for COVID-19 and other diseases

AFRICA, CORONAVIRUS

On 8 May 1980, the 33rd World Health Assembly officially declared: ‘The world and all its peoples have won freedom from smallpox.’ The declaration marked the end of a disease that had plagued humanity for at least 3 000 years, killing 300 million people in the 20th century alone. It was ended, thanks to a 10-year global effort, spearheaded by the World Health Organization, that involved thousands of health workers around the world to administer half a billion vaccinations to stamp out smallpox. The US$ 300m price-tag to eradicate smallpox saves the world well over US$ 1 billion every year since 1980. Speaking at a virtual event hosted at WHO-HQ, involving key players in the eradication effort, WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “As the world c...

May102020 by ShafiqNo Comments

Coronavirus – Nigeria: In line with Head of Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF) guideline, Permanent Secretary procures five units of manually operated hand-washing machine for staff use

AFRICA, Nigeria

An erroneous impression was conveyed by earlier information released from the Press and Public Relations Unit of our Ministry – Federal Ministry of Health, giving the impression that the five units of manually-operated hand washing machine was “donated” by the Permanent Secretary, Health for use by staff members to stave off COVID-19 spread. The Permanent Secretary, Health, Mr. Abdullaziz Mashi Abdullahi has since clarified that the equipment were no personal donations but procurement in line with guidelines from the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation for Ministries, Departments and Agencies should make available equipment and materials that can protect staff members from the ravaging COVID-19. It is therefore in line with the directives from the Head of Civil Ser...

May102020 by ShafiqNo Comments

Coronavirus – Nigeria: Dr. Olorunnimbe Mamora inaugurates National Health Research Committee

AFRICA, Nigeria

The Honourable Minister of State for Health, Dr. Olorunnimbe Mamora has remarked that despite the development of the National Health Research Policy and Priorities in 2014, health research in the country has largely been uncoordinated with lack of synergy between the various research institutions, the academia and policy makers. He went further to say that health research has often been dictated by the preferences of the researchers and institutions, without recourse to the priority health needs of the country as documented in the National Health research Policy. These are some of the reasons adduced by the the Honourable Minister of State for putting a health research committee in place to fill the yearning gap. The Honourable Minister of State for Health, Dr. Olorunnimbe Mamora the...

May102020 by ShafiqNo Comments

Coronavirus – Malawi: How radio is lending Malawi’s farmers a hand in the fight against COVID-19

AFRICA, MALAWI

“I have a critical role — to raise awareness about the coronavirus among our listeners, particularly farmers,” says Gladys Phiri of Farm Radio Trust in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe. “I tell them ways to prevent it,” she says. “I also practise what I tell my listeners. Even at home and everywhere I go, I practise personal hygiene, regularly washing my hands with soap, observing social distancing and limiting my movements.” The World Food Programme (WFP) provides food assistance to more than a million people in Malawi, which has a population of nearly 18 million. Since the very first cases of COVID-19 were discovered in China at the end of 2019, the disease has continued to spread across the world, sparing no continent, almost no country. At the time of writing, Malawi has 36 confirmed...

May102020 by ShafiqNo Comments

Coronavirus – South Africa: Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane on access to menstrual and hygiene products during the Coronavirus COVID-19 lockdown

AFRICA, CORONAVIRUS, South Africa

The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) together with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Water Aid Southern Africa, Footprints Foundation and Langelihle Youth Foundation formed solidarity partnerships in ensuring that menstrual and hygiene products are made available for vulnerable women and girls in indigent households, shelters, informal settlements and quarantine spots during the lock-down period and beyond. As part of the social impact resulted from regulations to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus, there is general increase in the need for sanitary products for destitute families. The lockdown period also disrupted the normal sanitary dignity programme delivery channels such as schools. Displacement or relocation to places of safety and she...

May102020 by ShafiqNo Comments

Coronavirus – Eritrea: UNICEF applies innovative strategies for COVID-19 response in Eritrea

AFRICA, CORONAVIRUS, ERITREA

As the world hunkered down under the onslaught of COVID-19 and rushed to implement containment measures, this tiny country in the Horn of Africa was already prepared with a prevention and response plan. Even before the first positive case was detected on 21 March, UNICEF Eritrea and other UN agencies including WHO, were supporting the government’s efforts on the National COVID-19 Response Plan. By the time major transport hubs announced lockdown measures, UNICEF Eritrea’s internal contingency plan had identified bottlenecks to transport and supplies, and immediately began looking within the country for alternative channels of supply and production. Innovative strategy helps augment prevention and offsets delays from external suppliers “We anticipated delayed deliveries and our te...

May102020 by ShafiqNo Comments

Coronavirus – Kenya: 237 Kenyans arrive from India

AFRICA, CORONAVIRUS, EAST AFRICA, KENYA

The Government has confirmed arrival of 237 Kenyans who had gone to India for treatment and announced that similar flights are expected into the country in the coming days. Health Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) , Dr. Rashid Aman confirmed that 237 Kenyans came back into the country yesterday night, accompanied by their caregivers and family and were received by the Ministry of Health staff who facilitated their accommodation in hotels at the government expense as they were being processed to proceed for home based self-quarantine. Speaking during the COVID-19 media today the CAS announced that the Ministry will continue to conduct targeted testing in high risk areas and revealed that 14 people out of 922 samples tested in the last 24 hours have tested positive of coronavirus b...

May102020 by ShafiqNo Comments

Coronavirus – Seychelles: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board approves a US$31.2 Million Purchase in Emergency Assistance to Seychelles to address the COVID-19 Pandemic

AFRICA, CORONAVIRUS

The IMF approved Seychelles’ request for emergency financial assistance under the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) of about US $31.2 million; the near-term economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to be severe. Restriction in travel will hinder tourism and weaken fiscal and external positions, creating large additional financing needs; the authorities reacted swiftly by taking immediate measures of containment, including border closures, strengthening health policy responses and supporting households and firms. The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved today Seychelles’ request for emergency financial assistance under the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) equivalent to SDR 22.9 million (about US$31.2 million, or 100 percent of quota) to meet the ...

May102020 by ShafiqNo Comments

Coronavirus – Libya: UNSMIL condemns indiscriminate attacks on civilian populated neighborhoods in Tripoli, causing many civilian casualties

AFRICA, libya

UNSMIL strongly condemns increased attacks on civilian populated areas in Tripoli, including the appalling shelling yesterday on Tripoli’s Zawiat al-Dahmani neighbourhood, near the Turkish embassy and the Italian ambassador’s residence, which reportedly killed at least two civilians and injured three others. UNSMIL will continue to document violations to be shared, where relevant, with the Panel of Experts and the International Criminal Court. UNSMIL is deeply alarmed by the intensification of indiscriminate attacks at a moment when Libyans deserve to peacefully observe the holy month of Ramadan and a time when they are battling the COVID-19 pandemic. These despicable actions are a direct challenge to calls by some Libyan leaders for an end to the protracted fighting and for the resu...

May102020 by ShafiqNo Comments

Coronavirus: Rwanda donates COVID-19 testing device to Central African Republic (CAR)

AFRICA, central african republic, CORONAVIRUS, EAST AFRICA, RWANDA

The MINUSCA Rwanda Contingent has donated a COVID-19 screening device to the Central African Republic (CAR). The machine will accelerate testing of suspected cases of infection as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country reached 94 over the past few days. The device – valued at approximately USD 200,000 – is used for molecular diagnosis of COVID-19. The process involves the testing of oral swabs to confirm infection with the coronavirus disease. The equipment was handed over to the National Biology Laboratory of Bangui on 17 April 2020. It will help ramp up the CAR Ministry of Health’s efforts to identify infected people in order to stop the spread of the virus and save lives. “Our laboratory was not equipped to deal with the proper handling of COVID-19 ...

May102020 by ShafiqNo Comments

Ghana Rugby helps May 9th Remembered Foundation to extend support

AFRICA, ghana, RUGBY

The President of Ghana Rugby and Former Chairman of Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Mr Herbert Mensah, echoed the COVID-19 call for “Safety First” at the 19th commemoration anniversary of the tragic Accra Sports Stadium disaster that struck on 9 May 2001 in Accra, Ghana. Due to restrictions imposed as a result of the 2020 novel Coronavirus, COVID-19, this year’s commemoration was limited to a small gathering of persons with disability who again received mobility aids donated by DESO. DESO (Disabled Equipment Sent Overseas) is a UK based charity run by ‘Aunty Mavis’, a British-Ghanaian woman whose charity work in Ghana spans over 64 years. A number of Ghana Rugby’s national men’s and women’s players, the Ghana Eagles, who wore Ghana Rugby branded face masks with the message, “PLAY YOUR PART...

May102020 by ShafiqNo Comments

Coronavirus – South Sudan: UNHCR South Sudan commends Government’s effort to preserve access to asylum

AFRICA, EAST AFRICA, SOUTH SUDAN

The UN Refugee Agency in South Sudan commends the Transitional Government of National Unity for continuing to welcome people seeking refuge from the Democratic Republic of Congo and stands in solidarity with the South Sudanese government. UNHCR commends the Transitional Government of National Unity for its continued generosity to allow people fleeing recent violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to seek refuge in South Sudan, despite the current movement restrictions to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the first reported official cross-border movement from a neighboring country since South Sudan’s borders were closed in late March 2020 in order to curb the spread of the new virus. South Sudan’s actions are an example of how COVID-19 preventative measures can be managed...