Malawi declares polio outbreak

An outbreak of wild poliovirus type 1 has been declared in Malawi after a case was detected in a young child in the capital Lilongwe, the World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed. It is the first case of wild poliovirus in Africa in more than five years.

Laboratory analysis shows that the strain detected in Malawi is linked to the one that has been circulating in Sindh Province in Pakistan.  

In a statement, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, said urgent measures are being taken to forestall the spread.

 

“As long as wild polio exists anywhere in the world all countries remain at risk of importation of the virus. Thanks to a high level of polio surveillance in the continent and the capacity to quickly detect the virus, we can swiftly launch a rapid response and protect children from the debilitating impact of this disease," Moeti stated.

 

According to the Polio Coordinator in the WHO Regional Office for Africa, Dr Modjirom Ndoutabe: “The last case of wild polio virus in Africa was identified in northern Nigeria in 2016 and globally there were only five cases in 2021. Any case of wild polio virus is a significant event and we will mobilize all resources to support the country’s response,”

 WHO is supporting the Malawi health authorities to carry out a risk assessment and outbreak response, including supplemental immunization. Surveillance of the disease is also being ramped up in neighbouring countries. 

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) Rapid Response Team which is based at the WHO Regional Office in Africa is deploying a team to Malawi to support coordination, surveillance, data management, communications, and operations. Partners organizations will also send teams to support emergency operations and innovative vaccination campaign solutions.

 

Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. It invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis within hours. The virus is transmitted from person to person mainly through the fecal-oral route or, less frequently, through contaminated water or food, and multiplies in the intestine.

While there is no cure for polio, the disease can be prevented through the administration of a simple and effective vaccine.

Africa was declared free of indigenous wild polio in August 2020 after eliminating all forms of wild polio from the region. Polio remains endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan. As an imported case from Pakistan, this detection does not affect the African region’s wild poliovirus-free certification status.

Novel fast-spreading HIV variant accelerates immune system decline

A more transmissible and damaging sub-type of HIV, has been isolated, according to the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

People living with the newly revealed subtype, experience double the rate of immune system decline (measured by the CD4 count level of infection-busting T cells) and have higher viral loads.

They are vulnerable to developing AIDS two to three times faster after diagnosis, than if they were living with other strains of the virus.

A research in the Netherlands also revealed that the variant has been circulating in the Netherlands for years and remains receptive to treatment.

The study, led by researchers from the University of Oxford’s Big Data Institute, is the first to report on the subtype-B of the virus.

Persons affected are two to three times as vulnerable to developing AIDS after diagnosis, than if they were living with other strains of the virus, UNAIDS stated.

The research also revealed that the variant has been circulating in the Netherlands for years and remains receptive to treatment.

The study, led by researchers from the University of Oxford’s Big Data Institute, is the first to report on the subtype-B of the virus.

According to UNAIDS, the discovery highlights the urgency to “halt the pandemic and reach all and reach all with testing and treatment”. 

The long-running HIV pandemic continues to take a life every minute and scientists have long worried about the evolution of new, more transmissible, variants of the virus. 

UNAIDS said the newly identified variant does not represent a major public health threat but underscores the urgency of speeding up the UN’s drive to end AIDS. 

In a statement, the UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Eamonn Murphy, noted that around 10 million people living with HIV are still not on antiretroviral therapy, “fuelling the continued spread of the virus and potential for further variants.”

“We urgently need to deploy cutting-edge medical innovations in ways that reach the communities most in need. Whether it’s HIV treatment or COVID-19 vaccines, inequalities in access are perpetuating pandemics in ways that harm us all”, he said. 

Lagos screens 100,000 women annually for breast, cervical cancers

As part of efforts to reduce the menace of cancer in Lagos State, no less than 100,000 women will be screened free-of-charge, for breast cancer and cervical cancer annually by the Lagos State government. 

Disclosing this as part of activities to mark the 2022 World Cancer Day,  the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, said free screenings for breast and cervical cancer have commenced in 62 State health facilities including designated General Hospitals offering gynecology and obstetrics care services and flagship primary health care centers across the State.

Ogboye said this year’s World Cancer Day theme: "Close The Care Gap", has provided yet another opportunity to improve awareness on cancer and to encourage its prevention through early screening and detection, diagnosis, and prompt treatment of the various types of cancers.

 "Cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Globally, nearly one in six deaths are due to cancer and 70 percent of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries such as Nigeria".

Ogboye, while reiterating the need for periodic screening and lifestyle modification as preventive measures against the non-communicable disease stated that the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that as many as 40 percent of deaths from cancer are preventable.

He noted that raising awareness for cancer prevention, screening, and early management has become a very important goal for all stakeholders and citizens.

"Cancer is no respecter of persons, age, sex, religion, residence or wealth. Therefore, it is very essential that we continue to inform ourselves about cancers and the fact that every single person has the ability to make a difference, be it large or small, and also that together we can make real progress in reducing the global impact of cancer, create a cancer-free world and prevent millions of deaths each year.

"This year's World Cancer Day commemoration event has provided the opportunity to conduct advocacy to the people of Ikosi-Isheri as well as the entire citizenry and increase awareness on the importance of early screening, prompt diagnosis, and treatment of cancers", he said.

Ogboye noted that 200 women of childbearing age were screened for breast and cervical cancer during the outreach program at Ikosi-Isheri adding the State Government will provide free treatment for cervical precancerous lesions for women who require it.

"I want to encourage us all to adopt a healthy and safe lifestyle. Let us ensure we go for regular screening as and when due and we seek medical help early as prevention is always better, cheaper, preferable, and less stressful than curative measures", he concluded.

The Director Disease Control, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Rotimi Agbolagorite, said the Lagos State Government commenced the State Cancer Control Program in 2005 in recognition of the increasing trend of the global epidemic of cancers.

He explained that the Lagos State Cervical Control entails awareness creation, sensitization, health education and promotion, and free screening for breast, cervical, and prostate cancer for citizens.

Agbolagorite stated that the State Government with the support of n, Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), has built the capacity of over 300 healthcare workers across the State’s primary and secondary health facilities, and LASUTH to provide secondary prevention services for cervical cancer to Lagosians across all the LGAs in the State.

"In addition, the organization has provided requisite equipment, materials, and consumables to be utilized for these screenings", he added.

Also speaking, the Cervical Control Program Coordinator for CHAI, Dr. Maltida Kerry stated that CHAI through UNITAID grant is supporting the Lagos State Ministry of Health to screen approximately 200,000 women for cervical cancer and provide precancerous treatment for those in need in Lagos over a two year period.

"Since the launch of the cervical cancer program in 2019, CHAI through the support of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Health Service Commission and the State Primary Health Care Board has been able to create cervical cancer service demand generation and increase access to cervical cancer services", she noted.

Nestlé emerges Top Employer for 2022

Nestlé has been recognized as a Top Employer in Nigeria for 2022.

Being certified as a Top Employer showcases an organization’s dedication to a better world of work, exhibited through excellent HR policies and people practices.

In a statement, the MD/CEO of Nestlé Nigeria Plc, Mr. Wassim Elhusseini, noted: “We are pleased with the recognition as a Top Employer 2022 and will continue to focus on the wellbeing and safety of our people who are indeed our greatest assets.”

The Top Employers Institute program certifies organizations based on the participation and results of their HR Best Practices Survey. 

The survey covers 6 HR domains consisting of 20 topics including People Strategy, Work Environment, Talent Acquisition, Learning, Well-being, Diversity & Inclusion, and more.

David Plink, CEO, Top Employers Institute says: “Reflecting on the demanding year that has, like the year before it, impacted organizations across the world, Nestlé Nigeria has continued to show that it prioritizes maintaining excellent people practices in the workplace. 

The company continues to meet the challenges of the changing world of work while working tirelessly to make a positive impact on the lives of its workforce.

"We are pleased to celebrate and applaud the organizations that have been certified as Top Employers in their respective countries this year.”

WHO monitoring 4 Omicron sub variants

It is too early to declare victory against the coronavirus as there are four subvariants of the highly infectious omicron variant currently circulating even as the World Health Organization (WHO) is monitoring more subvariants.

Specifically, the WHO is watching the BA.1.1, BA.2, and BA.3 variations of the Omicron variants, 

“This virus is dangerous, and it continues to evolve before our very eyes,” said WHO Chief, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus. "The WHO is currently tracking four sub-lineages of the Omicron variant of concern, including BA.2.” 

Preliminary findings seem to indicate that BA.2 is more transmissible, but not more virulent than the original Omicron.

Tedros and other WHO officials sought have warned countries not to let their guards down, particularly with respect to Omicron. 

“BA.2-designated sequences have been submitted to GISAID from 57 countries to date, with the weekly proportion of BA.2 relative to other Omicron sequences rising to over 50% during the last six weeks in several countries.”

Epidemiologists say it’s early days in terms of understanding BA.2, much less BA.1.1 and BA.3, about which very little information is available.

The WHO COVID-19 Technical Lead, Maria Van Kerkhove, said that, since BA.2 is Omicron, it is a variant of concern. The two subvariants of omicron have been spreading throughout the world, raising concerns that the corona

“We still don’t know everything about the variants and the future trajectory of that. Omicron is becoming dominant worldwide. It’s overtaking Delta in a number of countries around the world.”

Airtel Africa, UNICEF announce 5-year digital learning partnership

 

*10,000 school children to benefit in Lagos, Kano

Airtel Africa and UNICEF have announced a five-year pan-African multi-million dollar partnership to scale-up digital learning for school children in Nigeria and 12 other countries in Africa. 

 The Airtel Africa and UNICEF pan-African partnership is to help accelerate the roll-out of digital learning through connecting schools to the internet and ensuring free access to learning platforms across the continent.

Under the pilot scheme of the new initiative, Airtel Nigeria and UNICEF Nigeria as longstanding partners, plan to help connect over 10,000 school children in Lagos and Kano to the internet, to enable children to learn digitally.

Besides Nigeria, learners in Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia stand to benefit from the initiative. 

In a statement, UNICEF explained that by providing equal access to quality digital learning, particularly for the most vulnerable children, the partnership will help to ensure that every child reaches their full potential.   

According to UNICEF, Airtel Africa’s financial and in-kind contribution for the partnership is $57 million over five years to 2027, noting that the programme will call on technology and expertise, in addition to direct financial support to connect schools and communities to the internet, and enable free access to online educational content for learners. 

UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said: “Hundreds of millions of children in Africa have seen their education disrupted or put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic. By championing digital education for children in Africa, this partnership with Airtel Africa will help put children’s learning back on track."

Also speaking, UNICEF Nigeria Representative, Peter Hawkins noted: “Digital learning is the gateway to equipping young people with the right skills  - skills that will support them to transition from learning to earning. We are delighted that Airtel Nigeria shares in this vision, and is helping to drive the process of scaling up internet connectivity for school children in Nigeria."

On his own part, the CEO of Airtel Africa, Olusegun Ogunsanya remarked: “As a business, we have focused on education as a key area of our corporate social responsibility, and we are delighted that this partnership with UNICEF will enable us to accelerate results. It also coincides with the launch of our new sustainability strategy, which lays out our commitment to education. 

“We are excited to be working with UNICEF to advance the education agenda on the continent through facilitating connectivity and online access to play a role in driving change,” he added.

 Airtel Africa, a leading provider of telecommunications and mobile money services in Africa, is the first African private sector partner to make a multimillion-dollar commitment to ‘Reimagine Education’, a global initiative launched by UNICEF in 2020 calling for public and private sector investment in digital learning as an essential service for every child and young person across the globe. 

This initiative aims to give children a chance to catch up on their learning needs amid the ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic.

It will also provide vital data insights to inform UNICEF’s work to scale-up digital learning and help ensure it is sustainable and meets students’ needs across Africa.

UNICEF condemns deaths of children in Borno

UNICEF has condemned the deaths of three children in Borno, north-east Nigeria, who were reportedly killed by unexploded remnants of war. Three others are in critical conditions while two other children sustained mild injuries.

In a statement, the UN agency said the avoidable deaths of the children – as young as 12 years – who were playing on Mblu Bridge in Ngala, is yet another sad reminder that children remain direct and indirect targets of the protracted conflict wracking north-east Nigeria. 

In 12 years of protracted conflict in the northeast, thousands of children in the region have been killed, maimed, abducted, displaced, and experienced multiple violations of their human rights. UNICEF is deeply worried that conflict-affected children continue to be casualties of war.

 

Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Nigeria Representative, stated: “First of all, we extend our deepest and heartfelt sympathy to the families of the children killed. No family should have to go through this – and no child should fall victim to unexploded remnants of war while playing. 

 

“These deaths are unacceptable. All sides to the ongoing conflict must protect children and prioritize their wellbeing at all times. Playing fields, schoolyards and communities must be safe and habitable for children.

 

“Children’s lives should not be at stake in a conflict they didn’t start. We must address the shrinking safe spaces for children and ensure that children – especially those already affected by conflict – are protected and have a chance to survive and fulfill their potential.”

Children are at particular risk from unexploded ordnance, which are small enough to pick up or kick around, and which children can mistake for toys or objects of value. Such weapons account for over half of those killed or injured by landmines and other explosive remnants of war globally.