Day: April 8, 2022

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Africell customers make free calls

Luanda – Customers of Africell, a company that on Thursday officially launched operations as the fourth mobile phone company in Angola, have an open line to communicate free of charge, said its Chief Executive Officer, Gonçalo Faria.

Speaking at the formal ceremony to launch operations, Chief Executive Officer, Faria said that over the next few weeks around 120 distributors, including shops and mobile points, would be available for people to buy phones, Sim cards, amongst other equipment and services at affordable prices, such as the data balance, which is up to 50 percent of what is currently available on the market, where 1GB is equal to Kz 1500.

The CEO explained that the company’s accelerated expansion depends on the system of infrastructure sharing with other operators, as it is a process that optimises costs and guarantees service quality, which is why it has done so with public and private companies such as Movicel, EPAL, ENSA, amongst others.

“The company’s expansion plan was designed with several phases that it aims to anticipate, if possible, and currently work is underway in Benguela and Lobito, and to launch the network in Huíla (Lubango) and some prospecting in Cabinda, until July, he said, adding that Huambo would only be reached at the end of 2022.

Here are AFRICELL’s plans

Voice, SMS and data plans of the new network: “COMBO WEEK” package 15GB+500mns+500sms for only 1200kzs for 7 days.

“FALA BUÉ for a Month “: 500MB+1000mns+1000sms for 1800 kzs for 30 days.

“MEGA FALA BUÉ for a Month “: 3GB+1500mns+1500sms for 3200 kzs for 30 days.

“NET ESSENTIAL for a Month”: 4GB+1500mns+1500sms for 4000 kzs for 30 days, with the chip costing kz 200.

The company Africell

It is an American operator that experts say provides fast, reliable, low-cost mobile network coverage and related technology services to more than 12 million subscribers in sub-Saharan Africa.

Based in London, United Kingdom, the company directly and indirectly employs over 10,000 people, and will compete directly with counterparts Unitel and Movicel, as well as telephony company Angola Telecom, in a market regulated by the National Telecommunications Institute (INACOM).

Source: Angola Press News Agency

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Sonangol sells stake held in eight blocks

Luanda – Sonangol has sold its participating interests in eight oil blocks in production and exploration to Somoil, Sirus, Afentra and Namcor, Sequa and Petrolog, as part of the public tender for partial sale.

According to a statement sent to ANGOP, Sonangol, after evaluating the proposals submitted by a total of 10 companies, selected Afentra for Block 3/05, which held 20 percent, Namcor, Sequa and Petrolog for Block 15/06, with 10 percent, and Somoil and Sirus for Block 18, with 8.5 percent, all blocks in production.

In Block 31, which is in production, Somoil and Sirus again joined forces to buy Sonangol’s 10% participating interest.

For the blocks in exploration, Namcor, Sequa and Petrolog also formed a joint venture as operator for Block 23, holding 40% and Afentra 40%.

In the same model of “Joint Venture”, appear the interested parties of Block 27, Namcor, Sequa and Petrolog buying 35% and the other 25% were acquired by Somoil and Sirius.

“The transmission act culminated with the establishment of those whose values were closest to those established in the sale conditions defined by Sonangol,”reads the note.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

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First lady unveils Maternity, Child Centre in Luanda

Luanda – A maternity and child centre with capacity to attend to 200 people daily was inaugurated this Friday in the urban district of Morro dos Veados, in Luanda, by the First Lady of the Republic, Ana dias Lourenço.

The health unit, located in the municipality of Belas, and which will assist pregnant women and children, occupies a total area of three thousand square metres and comprises five blocks, namely maternity and nursery, paediatrics, pharmacy, among other rooms.

On the occasion, Ana Dias Lourenço delivered an ambulance and 25 kits for traditional midwives, for women of the district who provide support to the community.

Diseases such as malaria, acute diarrhoea and malnutrition are the most frequent in the area, according to the municipal health director, Isabel Massocolo.

She stressed the importance of the centre in the locality for a prompt intervention by the technicians.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

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Vice-President reiterates commitment to youth

Luanda – The Vice-President of the Republic, Bornito de Sousa, on Friday in Luanda, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to address the main concerns of young people.

Bornito de Sousa, who was speaking to the press at the end of a working visit to the Angolan Youth Institute (IAJ), said that some tasks were seen as priorities, mainly those of the education and training of young people, as they gave them access to a set of elements for life and for the country’s development.

“It is through study and training that will allow them to embark on employment and entrepreneurship initiatives, giving access to improved social and cultural conditions and food security,” said the Vice President.

He also highlighted the contribution of youth in the country’s development.

In her turn, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Ana Paula Sacramento, considered it imperative that young people know how to take advantage of the opportunities offered, for a greater participation in the country’s development.

“We will continue to work and give a voice to young people. Still this month, we are going to award the young people of merit, because it is with these actions that we have managed to show to other young people that to reach excellence is to contribute with the development of the country”, she underscored.

On his turn, the deputy director-general of the IAJ, Arsénio Satyohamba, explained that the institution has internal and transversal programmes such as the Integral Plan for Youth Development, with axes for the insertion of youths in active life, the programme of economic guidance for youths (Proej), aimed at strengthening the institutional capacity of associations and youth organizations with the training of leaders, financial and methodological support, as well as the credit line (Projovem).

The Angolan Youth Institute is a public institution created by Presidential Decree No. 309/14, endowed with legal personality and administrative, financial and patrimonial autonomy, with the task of operationalizing public policies for youth.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

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MAT rules out further extension of deadline for Ex-officio Electoral Registration

Luanda – The Ministry of Territory Administration (MAT) has ruled out the possibility of a second extension of the deadline for the Ex-officio Electoral Registration, ahead of 2022 general elections.

According to the national director of the Ex-officio Electoral Registration, Fernando Paixão, there will be no further extension of the deadline for the electoral registration, having added that the Single Public Service Desks (BUAP) will, in the coming days, carry out internal services.

“The BUAP will be open to make some corrections, to ensure the operation of the system for managing the database of voters who will need information on the places where they will exercise their right to vote”, the official has told the press.

Among the internal works, Fernando Paixão also highlighted the inventory of the equipment that served the process in terms of field records.

As for the balance on the Electoral Registration, the official said it was premature to do so now, since data that should be processed and compiled are still reaching the database.

The Ex-officio Electoral Registration began on the 23rd of September 2021, throughout the national territory, and aimed at registering citizens with active electoral capacity.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

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Angola, India broaden cooperation base

Luanda – Angola and India on Friday in Luanda signed three new legal instruments in the areas of migration, health and diplomacy.

These are the Visa Waiver Agreement for Holders of Diplomatic, Official and Service Passports, as well as the Memorandum of Understanding between the health ministries of the two countries.

The third agreement involves the Diplomatic Academy “Venâncio de Moura” (Angola) and the Institute of Foreign Service Sushma Swara (India).

The signing of the respective agreements aims to strengthen the exchange and cooperation between the two states, which established diplomatic relations in 1985.

According to the Indian ambassador to Angola, Pratibha Parkar, the formalization of the three agreements is a demonstration of the interest of both parties in strengthening the existing cooperation.

In her turn, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Esmeralda Mendonça, said that the three legal instruments reflect the importance that Angola and India give to bilateral cooperation.

The Angolan Secretary of State for Health, Franco Mufinda, said that the memorandum would contribute to training Angolan staff in the health sector and to manufacturing of medicine and vaccines, in Angola.

In terms of traditional medicine, the secretary of State noted that India is a reference.

Franco Mufinda said that there were joint projects in that segment, but that they were awaiting approval of the respective law by the Angolan parliament.

The Indian government annually offers 12 scholarships to Angolan citizens for short training courses in different areas.

On the sidelines of the act of signing the agreements, the Indian diplomat conveyed to the Angolan diplomatic chief, Téte António, the invitation of the President Conservator of the Raisina Dialogue Observation and Research Foundation to be a speaker at the Seventh Edition of “Raisina Dialogue”, to be held in New Delhi, from 25 to 27 April this year.

Raisina Dialogue is the conference on geopolitics and geo-economics, organized by the Observer and Research Foundation and the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, since 2016.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

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Managing COVID-19 waste in Africa

Brazzaville – Masks. Gloves. Personal protective equipment. Vaccines. These items have become ubiquitous during the COVID-19 pandemic: as protection against the virus itself, but also as medical waste, burdening Africa’s already clogged landfills.

Before the onset of the pandemic, Africa produced an estimated 282 000 tonnes of medical waste each year, according to a 2021 report on waste management published by Sage, a journal. Now, many countries are reporting increases in medical waste as high as fivefold.

To address the surge, World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting African countries to develop targeted and tailored waste management protocols that complement existing measures. These include promoting safer methods of waste disposal that are feasible, economical and sustainable.

“WHO is engaging in multi-sectoral efforts to effect changes in waste management systems in Africa,” says Claude Mangobo, Technical Officer for Vaccine Logistics and Supply Chain in the Vaccines Pillar of the WHO Regional Office for Africa. “It is a critical process that we are committed to for the health of the continent and its people.”

With over 435 million COVID-19 vaccines administered in the rollout in Africa thus far – the biggest rollout of any vaccine in the history of the continent – the need for effective disposal of medical waste has become more urgent.

In the African region, the masks, gloves and protective equipment have become a daily uniform, particularly among health workers. They are among the 75% of COVID-19 related medical waste that are non-hazardous when handled properly.

However, the remaining 25% of material is hazardous COVID-19 vaccines waste. It includes discarded COVID-19 vaccine vials and safety boxes containing syringes and other sharp waste.

Properly designed incinerators and engineered sanitary landfills are recommended. However, in many countries there are significant gaps in the use of waste management guidelines. In their absence, measures such as burning waste in an isolated pit or safe burial on hospital premises are preferrable to dumping indiscriminately – or worse, burning waste in a drum or in the open, causing toxic emissions.

In accordance with the 1989 Basel and 2001 Stockholm Conventions governing medical waste management, WHO advocates the use of technologies that do not form and release chemicals or hazardous emissions, such as high-temperature incineration, using a high-pressure steam (autoclaving), or microwaving.

However, a recent WHO assessment of 10 African countries revealed that only four countries scored over 80% in their management of COVID-19 waste, which includes the handling of used syringes, storing and removing safety boxes, recording needle stick injuries, storing and removing used vaccine packaging, managing the waste storage area, and disposing of immunization waste on site.

A WHO report in February found that 60% of health care facilities in the least developed countries are not equipped to handle existing waste, let alone the additional COVID-19 load. This potentially exposes health workers to needle stick injuries, burns and pathogens. It also has a negative impact on communities living near poorly managed landfills and waste disposal sites through contaminated air from burning waste, poor water quality or disease carrying pests.

In response, WHO, along with the United Nations Development Programme, the Global Environment Facility, a conservation group, and Health Care Without Harm—an organization working for environmentally responsible health care—has developed a ‘decision tree’ to assist health workers in making informed decisions about COVID-19 vaccine waste management.

“In the face of COVID-19, sustainable health care waste management is more important than ever to protect communities, health workers, and the planet and prevent pollution,” says Ruth Stringer, Science and Policy Coordinator for Health Care Without Harm.

WHO is also managing the effective tracking of expired COVID-19 vaccines in the African region through weekly stock status reports that have to date been pivotal in monitoring the operationalization of the waste management protocols in place to guide destruction and disposal of unusable vaccines. A WHO-designed online waste management questionnaire will be administered each quarter of the year to continuously monitor waste management activities.

Source: World Health Organization. Africa

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Malawi receives 1.9 million doses of cholera vaccines to strengthen cholera preparedness and response readiness

Lilongwe, 8 April 2022- Malawi has received 1.9 million doses of Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) from the Global Emergency Stockpile to support the first round of the oral cholera vaccination campaign. With support from the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and partners, Malawi is planning to conduct an oral cholera vaccination campaign over the next few weeks. The vaccination campaign will target 1.9 million people comprising all adults and children from one year old upwards who are living in flood-affected and cholera-prone districts. The targeted people will receive two doses of cholera vaccines two weeks apart. This is following the declaration of a cholera outbreak in Malawi on 3 March 2022. To date, Malawi has recorded over 65 cholera cases and 3 deaths across two districts in the southern region.

A total of 3.9 million oral cholera vaccines have been approved to prevent the risk of cholera spread in flood-affected districts in Malawi with support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

To strengthen preparedness and response to cholera outbreak in vulnerable populations, WHO has correspondingly donated to the Malawi Ministry of Health assorted cholera investigation, laboratory, and case management kits valued at 64 Million Malawi Kwacha.

Acting WHO Representative in Malawi Dr Janet Kayita officially handed over the cholera kits to the Minister of Health Honorable Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda in Lilongwe on 7 April 2022. These emergency cholera kits will be prepositioned in cholera high-risk districts to enhance cholera response and readiness.

On 24 January 2022, Malawi was hit by moderate tropical storm Ana whichcaused severe flooding in 19 districts of the Southern and Central regions. The tropical storm destroyed homes, safe water sources, and toilets, thus leaving nearly 200,000 people displaced in informal camps. According to the health assessment report, the displaced people in camps have inadequate living space and insufficient access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene, putting them at risk of cholera and other vector borne diseases.

Cholera remains a neglected disease despite many developing countries in the world facing cholera outbreaks or the threat of a cholera epidemic.” Said Dr Janet Kayita Acting WHO Representative in Malawi. “Every death from cholera is preventable with the tools we have today. Therefore, WHO commits to provide support to the Ministry of Health to implement immediate, long-term cholera control, including surveillance, outbreak response and preventive measures.”

“Despite the recurring of cholera in the country, the Ministry of Health is committed to the global strategy to eliminate cholera. With technical support from WHO, the country is implementing a multisectoral approach integrating strengthened surveillance, vaccination, community mobilization and water, sanitation and hygiene to prevent and control cholera in hotspots districts.” Said Dr Storn Kabuluzi, Director of Preventive Health Services in the Ministry of Health.

Cholera contributes substantially to the disease burden in Malawi and is endemic with cases confirmed almost every year since the first cholera case in the country was detected in Nsanje district in 1973. Traditionally, cholera outbreaks are confirmed in districts along Lake Malawi and Shire River valley due to flooding in the low-lying districts in the Southern Region.

Envisioning a world where cholera is not a public health threat, the Global Taskforce on Cholera Control (GTFCC) launched the Global roadmap for reducing cholera deaths by 90% by 2030. WHO Country Offices are supporting the Member States to be in line with the global roadmap by strengthening capacities in countries like Malawi in cholera preparedness and response readiness.

Source: World Health Organization. Africa

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WHO and stakeholders call for multisectoral approach towards climate change and other environmental threats to public health

Abuja, 8 April 2022 – As Nigeria joins the world to commemorate the 2022 World Health Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) and stakeholders call for multisectoral approach towards climate change and other environmental threats to public health in the country. This call came at the Ministerial Press conference organized by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) in collaboration with WHO held on 07 April 2022.

Addressing journalists after the walk at the FMOH, the Minister of State for Health Dr Olorunmibe Mamora, reiterated the commitment of government in working with other agencies to ensure a safe and healthy environment for Nigerians to live.

Dr Mamora said the theme for the commemoration is apt as the recent events (disease outbreaks, flooding, drought) around the world emphasize the connection between human activities and the planet.

He pledged the leadership of the FMOH in (i) implementing long-term multisectoral plans; (ii) increasing private sector engagement; (iii) reducing the use of fossil fuel towards clean energy production; (iv) reduction of carbon emission; (v) implementing WHO air quality guidelines; and (vi) shift towards green economy.

“The current impact of various environmental crises such as climate change, avoidable pollution, food and waterborne disease, emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and extreme weather events on the planet, health and every individual are increasingly difficult to ignore.

Presenting the speech of the WHO Regional Director, the Deputy WHO Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Alexander Chimbaru said climate change is manifesting in increasing temperatures, rising sea levels, changing rainfall patterns, and more frequent and severe extreme weather conditions.

He added that while many countries, (including Nigeria), have implemented Early Warning, Alerts and Response Systems (EWARS) to identify potential risks for climate-sensitive water- or vector-borne diseases, much still needs to be done.

“With Africa’s population projected to grow to 2.5 billion by 2050, we can expect burgeoning urbanization into areas exposed to natural hazards, and a concomitant increase in associated injuries, disease and deaths”, he said.

Pledging WHO support to ensure Nigeria achieves Universal Health Coverage, Dr Chimbaru urged the government to urgently initiate climate change and health adaptation and mitigation actions.

“We shall support the development of Nigeria National Health Adaptation Plan (HNAP) and Conduct assessment of the vulnerability and adaptive capacity of the health systems to climate change comprising essential public health interventions, in line with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and COP26 Health Programme” he said.

Finally, he enjoined governments, civil society groups, non-government organizations, media, and communities to work together, empowering one another to ensure the continued delivery of essential health services during future extreme events, while containing the growing inside environment and lifestyle-related diseases.

“We cannot afford to lose sight of the fundamental truth that the climate crisis, the single biggest threat facing humanity today, is also very much a health crisis, ” he said.

Similarly, Dr Uzodinma Adirieje speaking on behalf of Civil Society Organizations underscored the intersection between the planet and health in human life. He urged the government and partners to prioritize interventions that reduce carbon emissions through renewable energy technologies to mitigate the harmful effect of the environment on health occasioned by human activities such as tree felling and cooking.

The highlight of the event was the health walk attended by hundreds of people from all walks of life.

World Health Day has been observed annually on 7 April, since 1950, to commemorate the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO) two years previously.

The theme “Our Planet, Our Health”, serves as a timely reminder of the inextricable link between the planet and our health, as the burden of non-communicable and infectious diseases rises alongside the growing incidence of climate-related challenges.

Source: World Health Organization. Africa

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