Day: June 24, 2021

On 7 June 2021, Ghana joined the rest of the world in commemorating 2021 World Food Safety Day which aims to draw attention to food borne risks and encourage the practice of food safety standards to help prevent, detect and manage food borne diseases. The day was celebrated in Accra under the theme: ‘Safe Food Now for a Healthy Tomorrow’.

Present at the occasion were the Mr Kwabena Boadu Oku-Afari – Chief Director of Ministry of Health, Mrs Delese A. A. Darko – Chief Executive Officer of Food and Drugs Authority, Dr Francis Kasolo – WHO Ghana Country Representative, Representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme among other virtual participants.

The Minister for Health, Hon Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, in a speech read on his behalf, lauded the collaborative effort between the Food and Agriculture Organization and the FDA in organizing the event, and said he was hopeful that the fruitful discussions would leave participants challenged to do their part to ensure adherence to food safety standards.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Food and Drugs Authority, Mrs Delese A. Darko in her address stated that, the COVID-19 pandemic had made it a lot more compelling for even stricter adherence to food safety standards to help boost the immune system and prevent disease transmission. She said the chosen theme for this year, supports the theory that production and consumption of safe food benefits everyone and highlighted some of the areas of benefit as: Safe preservation and storage of food, Prevention of food borne diseases, Being a major factor in food security, Protection of the population’s health, Economic prosperity and sustainable development.

Mrs Darko further shed light on some of the works initiated by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to ensure that food safety remained a priority for governance and the country in general. These include: Continuous public education in schools, markets and other public places, training workshops for food manufacturers, food service establishment operators and street food vendors, facility inspections to bring manufacturers, and food handlers into compliance with good manufacturing and good hygiene practices as well as the introduction of the Progressive License Scheme (PLS) to bring particularly local micro and small scale food manufactures in compliance with food safety requirements.

Mrs Darko disclosed that the Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority has adopted the National Food Safety Emergency Response Plan (FoSERP) which was developed with support from the World Health Organization to provide a blueprint to guide a national and holistic response approach to food safety emergencies whenever they arise.

A representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization, Dr Blaise Ouattara in a brief statement stressed that unsafe food situations negatively impact food security, human health, economy, agriculture and market access, adding that there could not be food security without food safety since people need to consume safe food for active and healthy life.

The WHO Country Representative for Ghana, Dr Francis Kasolo in his remarks commended the Food and Drugs Authority and partners for marking the day annually since its launch in 2019. He said according to World Health Organization global estimation, 600 million people, that is 1 in 10 people, fall ill while 420,000 died annually as a result of consuming contaminated food stuff. “Incidentally the African Continent contributes the highest number of cases and deaths with, more than 91 million people falling ill from consuming contaminated food and approximately 137,000 people dying every year” he added.

Dr Kasolo also highlighted a World Bank report of 2018, which estimated a total loss of 110 billion USD in low and middle income countries due to conditions related to foodborne diseases. He therefore re-echoed the need to institute preventive measures for detection of foodborne risks along the food chain. This, he said would help avert the huge economic losses low and middle-income countries suffer due to conditions related to foodborne diseases.

He further stated that the COVID-19 pandemic should remind everyone of the importance of the adaptation and strengthening of the One Health approaches in any country’s preparedness and response efforts to emergencies including those related to foodborne disease.

Dr Kasolo reiterated WHO’s commitment to strengthen laboratory-based foodborne disease surveillance, build national capacity to prevent, detect and respond to food safety emergencies as well as engaging in food safety health promotion initiatives.

A representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization, Dr Blaise Ouattara in a brief statement stressed that unsafe food situations negatively impact food security, human health, economy, agriculture and market access, adding that there could not be food security without food safety since people need to consume safe food for active and healthy life.

Source: World Health Organization. Africa

Africa is facing a fast-surging third wave of COVID-19 pandemic, with cases spreading more rapidly and projected to soon overtake the peak of the second wave the continent witnessed at the start of 2021.

COVID-19 cases have risen for five consecutive weeks since the onset of the third wave on 3 May 2021. As of 20 June—day 48 into the new wave—Africa had recorded around 474 000 new cases—a 21% increase compared with the first 48 days of the second wave. At the current rate of infections, the ongoing surge is set to surpass the previous one by early July.

The pandemic is resurging in 12 African countries. A combination of factors including weak observance of public health measures, increased social interaction and movement as well as the spread of variants are powering the new surge. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda that are experiencing COVID-19 resurgence, the Delta variant has been detected in most samples sequenced in the past month. Across Africa, the variant—first identified in India—has been reported in 14 countries.

“The third wave is picking up speed, spreading faster, hitting harder. With rapidly rising case numbers and increasing reports of serious illness, the latest surge threatens to be Africa’s worst yet,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa. “Africa can still blunt the impact of these fast-rising infections, but the window of opportunity is closing. Everyone everywhere can do their bit by taking precautions to prevent transmission.”

WHO is deploying more experts to some of the worst-affected countries, including Uganda and Zambia as well as supporting South Africa-based regional laboratories to monitor variants of concern. WHO is also boosting innovative technological support to other laboratories in the region without sequencing capacities to better monitor the evolution of the virus. In the next six months, WHO is aiming for an eight- to ten-fold increase in the samples sequenced each month in Southern African countries.

The COVID-19 upsurge comes as the vaccine supply crunch persists. Eighteen African countries have used over 80% of their COVAX vaccine supplies, with eight having exhausted their stocks. Twenty-nine countries have administered over 50% of their supplies. Despite the progress, just over 1% of Africa’s population has been fully vaccinated. Globally, around 2.7 billion doses administered, of which just under 1.5% have been administered in the continent.

As many high-income countries vaccinate a significant proportion of their populations, proof of vaccination is leading to fewer movement restrictions. Globally,16 countries are waiving quarantine for those with a vaccination certificate. Measures to prevent COVID-19 transmission are crucial, but with many African countries having limited access to vaccines, it is important that vaccines be only one of the conditions countries use to open borders and increase freedom of movement.

“With high vaccination rates it’s shaping up into a summer of freedom, family and fun for millions of people in richer countries. This is understandable and we all long for the same joys,” said Dr Moeti. “Vaccine shortages are already prolonging the pain of COVID-19 in Africa. Let’s not add injury to injustice. Africans must not face more restrictions because they are unable to access vaccines that are only available elsewhere. I urge all regional and national regulatory agencies to recognize all the vaccines Emergency Use listed by WHO.”

In the European Union, a COVID-19 passport system for vaccination, testing and recovery will take effect from 1 July. However, only four of the eight vaccines listed by WHO for emergency use are recognized by the European Medicines Agency for the passport system.

WHO and the European Medicines Agency use the same standards in assessing vaccines. Manufacturers may choose not to apply to the European Medicines Agency if they do not intend to market their products in countries in the European Union or European Economic Area. But the safety and efficacy of all WHO emergency use listed vaccines has been proven globally in preventing severe COVID-19 illness and death.

In Africa, a WHO survey of 45 countries show that their borders are open for air travel and only Mauritius will require proof of vaccination for international travellers from 15 July 2021. Most countries do not give quarantine exemptions for travellers who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and require a negative COVID-19 test.

Dr Moeti spoke during a virtual press conference today facilitated by APO Group. She was joined by Mr Kamil Alawadi, Regional Vice President for Africa and Middle East, International Air Transport Association (IATA). Also on hand to answer questions were Dr Richard Mihigo, Coordinator, Immunization and Vaccines Development Programme, WHO Regional Office for Africa, Dr Thierno Balde, Team Leader, Operational Partnerships, WHO Regional Office for Africa, and Dr Nicksy Gumede-Moeletsi, Regional Virologist, WHO Regional Office for Africa.

Source: World Health Organization. Africa

WHO (WCO/ Eritrea, AFRO and HQ) in collaboration with Neglected Tropical Disease NTD prevention & control Unit the Ministry of Health conducted three days virtual training programme for health care providers on diagnosis and case management of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in WHO/ Eritrea Conference room from 15-17 June 2021.

Leishmaniasis is one of the case management neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) caused by the Leishmania parasite and transmitted by the bites of infected female sand fly. It is prevalent in the tropics and affects the poorest people living in remote rural areas.

Eritrea is endemic for both forms of leishmaniases: visceral which is fatal if left untreated and cutaneous leishmaniasis, which is the most common form. In recent years, Eritrea has observed a sharp increase in number of VL cases majority of cases coming from Gash Barka, Debub and Anseba areas.

Dr. Theodros Tekeste HPD Officer and NTD focal person officially opened the training. He congratulated and welcomed the experts and colleagues from the WHO Regional Office for Africa and Headquarters, Geneva and WHO collaborating centers for investing their precious time and effort. He called on the participants to take advantage of this 1st time training for the country to equip themselves with the new knowledge to improve their performance on case management of VL.

The training was conducted to enhance the capacity of the Neglected Tropical Disease prevention and Control Unit of the Ministry of Health, to diagnose and treat VL in line with the WHO recommendations, develop guideline and protocol for eradication and control Leishmaniasis.

All the necessary Public health COVID19 pandemic preventive measures was taken according to WHO and the national protocol for the prevention of COVID19 transmission.

The training is expected to help Eritrea to roll out VL case management in the country in line with the WHO recommendations including the use of rapid diagnostic test (RDT) for VL diagnosis, use of combination treatment with sodium stibogluconate plus paromomycin for VL management, which is the first line regimen recommended by WHO for VL treatment in east Africa and use of the administration of liposomal amphotericin B for complications and in special groups.

The training was facilitated by Leishmania experts from the WHO Regional Office for Africa, HQ-Geneva and WHO collaborating centers the University Hospital, Madrid, and Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda Spain.

As a result of the training four Clinicians (doctors), three senior Laboratory technicians, One NTD Program Manager MOH and One WHO country office focal person enhanced their capacities to manage this deadly disease and countries capacity to be developing a national guidelines and surveillance protocols.

As a closing remark Dr. Araia Berhane Communicable disease Director (CDC) MOH Eritrea congratulated and gave his sincere thanks to the facilitators from WHO (Eritrea, AFRO and HQ) and WHO Collaborative Centers and Participants for making this important capacity enhancing TOT training.

Finally, recommendations were passed by participants to support organize similar cascade training for Leishmania endemic zobas (Debub, Gash- Barka and Anseba) to improve their skills in the prevention, detection and case management of VL; to strengthen facility capacity by equipping with adequate and appropriate diagnostic tools like RDT and Medicines for better management of VL.

Source: World Health Organization. Africa