HEALTH

Govts of Liberia heighten epi-surveillance system while Sierra Leone has activated emergency response system.
This after Guinea confirms 7 cases of Ebola -including 3 deaths. (Statements frm all 3 Countries below).

Govt of Guinea officially confirm new spate of Ebola cases
(last outbreak was 5 years ago). 7 cases- of which 3 people have died.

Equatorial Guinea is set to begin roll out of China’s Sinopharm vaccine after 100,000 doses donated by Beijing arrived in Malabo.
AFRICA, BREAKING NEWS, China, COVID-19, Guinea, HEALTH, INTERNATIONAL, WORLD, World Health Organization
Doses are enough for 50,000 people- will be administered to health workers, vulnerable groups and those that work at borders.

US Embassy in Tanzania releases a health alert warning- stating that they are aware of a ‘significant rise’ in the number of Covid-19 cases since Jan 2021 in Tanzania.
(Tanzanian government has not released data related to COVID-19 cases in 10 months)

WHO group of experts on immunisation met to review evidence on AstraZeneca.
WHO statements adds that Covax had published plans to distribute 350 doses of AZ vaccine in the first half of the year-are now waiting on WHO decision/recommendations

Malawi: President Lazarus Chakwera gives controlling officers & heads of clusters in various government departments, 48 hours, to explain the expenditure of Covid 19 response funds.
It comes amid speculations of an abused K6.2 billion disbursed by Treasury last year
There are observations of a lack of civic awareness on Covid 19 in most parts of the country especially in the rural areas. In his address last night, President Chakwera did not mince words but vowed to fire all those found abusing Covid 19 response funds.

The Malawi government is exploring other Covid 19 vaccine options to compliment the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine which rolls out in March.
President Chakwera announced last night amid revelations that the vaccine has limited protection from the South Africa variant
Malawi is among African & Western countries that have been largely affected by the South Africa variant of Covid 19. A new medical study, involving around 2,000 people, found the vaccine offered "minimal protection" against mild and moderate cases of Covid-19
In his address, Chakwera acknowledged that the AstraZeneca vaccine which Malawi is procuring may not have high percentage efficancy. But he stresses that currently the interest is to save lives.

The Govt of Malawi puts on hold the national clean up campaign activities, limiting citizens to carry out the initiative in their homes.
In a statement, Secretaries for Local Government and Forest and Natural Resources call off the exercise effective 12 February.
The decision has been made to keep up with the COVID-19 containment Regulations, which among other measures restrict crowding . The cleanups normally involve large gatherings, which may be against social distancing measures.

The Mzuzu City Council-MCC in Malawi on the brink of a sanitation crisis following the expiry of its agreement with the department of forestry in which it was permitted to temporarily use a waste site at Lusangazi.
The Council’s Spokesperson McDonald Gondwe admits to the prevailing crisis but is however quick to point out that authorities are working tirelessly to resolve the issue

Zimbabwe: Private Sector, Willing Citizens Can Continue Donating Funds To Purchase The Vaccine – Mthuli Ncube
The Finance Minister has urged private citizens and the private sector willing to help the government purchase the vaccine to do so and provided the accounts to be used by the willing donors.
The Finance Minister touched a storm this week when he said private citizens were to pay for the vaccines before he said his comments were taken out of context.
Ncube also emphasised that vaccines purchased by the government will be given to citizens free of charge in the following statement:
1. Following constructive engagements between the Government, Private Sector and well-wishing Citizens, in the procurement of COVID19 vaccines, Government welcomes and appreciates the offer by the private sector to complement Government’s resource commitment by contributing its own resources towards the...