Africa Covid-19 Infections on the Decline
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ADVERTISE THE AFRICAN STORY WITH US DON’T BE LEFT BEHIND ISSUE NUMBER 740 VOLUME 2 5 - 11 OCT 2020 African island states launch joint medicines procurement initiative page 4 South Africa pledges support for Mozambique gas AFRICA projects COVID-19 INFECTIONS ON page 9 THE DECLINE eBotswana rebrands to YTV • Transmission rate has for the past two months been on a downward trend • WHO attributes this a mix of socio-ecological factors page 12 page 16 2 Echo Report Echo Newspaper 05 - 11 Octo 2020 THE AFRICAN STORY News, Finance, Travel and Sport Telephone: (267) 3933 805/6. E-mail: newsdesk@echo. co.bw Advertising Telephone: (267) 3933 805/6 E-mail: [email protected] Sales & Marketing Manager Ruele Ramoeng [email protected] Editor Bright Kholi [email protected] Head of Design Ame Kolobetso [email protected] Distribution & Circulation Mogapi Ketletseng [email protected] Echo is published by YMH Publishing YMH Publishing, Unit 3, Kgale Court, Plot 128, Africa Covid-19 GIFP, Gaborone Postal address: P O BOX 840, Gaborone, Botswana Telephone: (267) 3933 805/6. E-mail: [email protected] www.echo.co.bw Infections On The DISCLAIMER: Echo Newspaper welcomes concise letters from readers. Letters must carry the full name and address of the sender. Letters must Decline conform to the laws of Botswana and to the Press Council of Botswana’s Code The downward trend of have seen steady declines every and public health measures are Zambia (43%), Comoros (39%), Of Ethics. Letters will also be Covid-19 transmission continues week for the past two months relaxed, cases start ramping up Senegal (30%), Benin (29%), edited for length, libel and across the Africa region and is and these include South Africa, again,” she said. Madagascar (28%), Burkina Faso language. attributed to robust public health Algeria, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Dr Moeti further indicated (26%), Guinea-Bissau (25%), measures taken by individual Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, that while testing patterns Namibia (25%), Liberia (22%), governments in the continent as Madagascar and Ethiopia. per country remain low, the Niger (22%), Algeria (22%), Mali well as socio-ecological factors. region’s statistics on testing have (21%) and South Africa (21%). As of Saturday October 3, This pattern in decline is largely been useful for policy as they However, there are some the World Health Organisation attributed to a mix of socio- reflect the patterns of infection countries that experienced (WHO) Covid-19 figures in Africa ecological factors such as low within a country, and the missed during this reporting period were at 1187 689 cases, and 24 464 population density and mobility, COVID-19 cases are largely from September 23 reported an deaths in 47 African countries. hot and humid climate and the because they are asymptomatic. increase in case-counts; Burundi The World Health governing body lower age group. The health She added that there is no (700%), Mauritius (600%), has indicated that transmission body in Africa has warned that evidence of miscalculation of Botswana (482%), Sao Tome Read more Echo has since July been on the decline the decline should not in any death figures, which are more and Principe (200%), Lesotho stories on our contrary to initially fears that way mean the war against the difficult to miss statistically. (178%), Seychelles (100%), Facebook page by it will spiral out of control and pandemic has been won. “Africa has not witnessed an Côte d’Ivoire (51%), Cabo Verde overwhelming the already weak While the World Health exponential spread of COVID-19 (30%), Kenya (27%), Congo scanning the QR health systems in most African Organization (WHO) Regional as many initially feared,” said Dr (18%), Ghana (3%%), Eritrea code below with countries. Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti. “But the slower spread of (3%), Mozambique (3%), and your mobile phone According to the WHO Moeti has said the trend is a infection in the region means we Mauritania (1%). Angola and Covid-19 situation report positive development for the expect the pandemic to continue Sierra Leone did not record any published on September 30, continent that speaks to the to smoulder for some time, with significant change in their case thirty-one countries recorded a robust and decisive public health occasional flare-ups.” incidence. decrease in new cases compared measures taken by governments The statistics for the decreasing Another worrying trend is to 29 countries in the previous across the region, she has warned trends in Covid-19 transmission that Health worker infections period ended September 23. against complacency. in Africa as of September 30 continue to increase gradually Eighteen of them registering “We must not become shows the decline as follows with 43 514 (3.7%) infections a decrease of more than 20%. complacent. Other regions of the Cameroon (62%), Gambia (61%), reported in 43 countries since This trend has seen some of world have experienced similar Equatorial Guinea (44%), Chad the beginning of the outbreak. the most affected countries trends only to find that as social (44%), South Sudan (43%), Echo Newspaper 05 - 11 Octo 2020 3 4 Echo Report Echo Newspaper 05 - 11 Octo 2020 AFRICAN SPORTS BRIEFS ZAMBIA’S FORMER FINANCE MINISTER SAYS 2021 NATIONAL BUDGET LIKELY TO INCREASE THE COUNTRY`S DEBT Zambia’s Former Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane says the country’s 2021 National Budget is likely to further increase the country`s debt levels. Speaking when he featured on Phoenix FM`S Let the People Programme, Dr Musokotwane says the revenue that government is collecting is inadequate to pay salaries for public workers, finance public projects and repay debt, a situation he says will lead to more borrowing. Dr. Musokotwane has further stated that some debts will also be paid by borrowed money because more than 40 percent of the 2021 budget will be financed by borrowed money which he says will ultimately increase the country`s debt levels. Meanwhile, Dr. Musokotwane says the current economic crises is a direct consequence of the over borrowing by government and not the impact of covid-19. Dr Musokotwane has indicated that contrary to assertions by some sections of society that Covd-19 has led to the current economic crisis, the major cause of the current situation is debt servicing. African island states launch joint Finance Minister Dr. Bwalya Ng’andu last Friday unveiled a K119.6 Billion 2021 national with more than K27 Billion of medicines procurement initiative the amount due to be spent on servicing Zambia’s external debt. (Phoenix News) Ministers of Health from seven to take advantage of economies of congratulated the ministers for and noncommunicable diseases, LATEST GLOBAL REPORT small African island states today scale and collective bargaining. this important step forward and it is essential that countries have signed an agreement to jointly High cost of drugs and medical pledged continued support from systems in place for the timely ON TOBBACO REVEALS procure drugs and vaccines in supplies is one of the major WHO to help the countries in procurement of supplies at a INCREASE IN TOBACCO a bid to improve quality and challenges the small island implementing the agreement. reasonable cost and in sufficient CONSUMPTION AMONG access to medicines and other states face due to their modest Dr Moeti noted that the efforts quantities to address treatment health products. populations. made so far in establishing the needs and efficiently complement ZAMBIAN YOUTHS The ministers from Cabo World Health Organization joint procurement programme important investments in health The latest 2020 Global Tobacco Verde, Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, (WHO) Director-General, Dr had already increased promotion. Industry Interference Index report Madagascar, Mauritius, Sao Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus, the attractiveness of the For the small island states, the has revealed an increase in tobacco Tome & Principe and Seychelles and WHO Regional Director for pharmaceutical market of the pooled procurement of drugs consumption among the youth that form the Small Island Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, Small Island Developing States. is also expected to harmonize thereby contributing to over Seven Developing States signed the joined the ministers in the virtual “By creating a larger stream of medicines management systems, Thousand number of tobacco Pooled Procurement agreement signing ceremony. Dr Tedros demand, we can look forward improve supplier performance related deaths in Zambia. to better access to quality and and reduce procurement work Speaking during the launch competitively-priced medicines. load. Joint procurement is the of the report in Lusaka on The high cost of medicines is ultimate model of intercountry Monday this week, Tobacco Free one of the major barriers many collaboration aimed at improving Association of Zambia Executive countries in our region face procurement efficiency. Director Brenda Chitindi says in providing affordable health Plans to set up the joint this trend shows the reluctance care of good standard. Pooling procurement initiative began by the Zambian government to our resources is one way of in 2017 in Seychelles during a domesticate the World Health overcoming this challenge,” meeting of health ministers from Organization Framework said Dr Moeti. five Small Island Developing States Convention on Tobacco Control The agreement inked today who expressed commitment Implementation. formalizes the objective of the to implement the programme, Chitindi has since stressed on the Pooled