Connect with us

International

There are 12 African countries to receive malaria vaccine – UN

Published

on

535 Views

The World Health Organisation, WHO, Global Vaccine Alliance (GAVI) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have announced that twelve African countries would receive the malaria vaccine.

The agencies, in a statement issued on Wednesday, disclosed that the nations would receive eighteen million doses of the first-ever vaccine against malaria over the next two years.

The RTS,S vaccine has been overseen to more than 1.6 million children in Kenya, Ghana and Malawi since four years ago and has been shown to be safe and effective.

NAN reports that it resulted in a considerable reduction in severe malaria and a decline in child deaths.

The WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus said malaria remained one of Africa’s deadliest diseases, killing nearly 500,000 children under the age of five yearly and accounting for approximately 96 percent of global malaria deaths in 2021.

“With the climate crisis changing weather patterns, mosquitoes that carry these diseases are increasing in density and spreading further afield,” Ghebreyesus said while speaking during his regular media briefing from Geneva.

The initial eighteen million dose allocation will allow nine additional African nations to introduce the vaccine into their routine immunisation programmes for the first time.

Those countries include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burkina Faso, Niger, Uganda, Benin, Liberia, Burundi, Sierra Leone and Cameroon.

The first doses are expected to arrive during the last quarter of this year, with rollout set to start by early 2024.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

International

Trump sends envoys to Russia, Ukraine with new peace plan

Published

on

11 Views

US President Donald Trump has dispatched special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow and Kyiv this weekend with a new proposal aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

Trump announced the mission on Friday, describing Witkoff and Kushner as “two great negotiators” who are carrying “a proposal to end the war.” He said there “may be a good chance” of progress and added that the United States has “an idea for peace,” without confirming whether the plan involves territorial concessions.

According to reports, the envoys were expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday before travelling to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday. A senior Ukrainian official confirmed the Kyiv leg of the trip. Russian state media reported that Witkoff and Kushner arrived in Moscow on Saturday.

The visit marks the first time the two envoys will travel to war-torn Kyiv since Trump returned to office. Previous diplomatic efforts involving the pair had focused more heavily on contacts with Moscow.

Zelensky said Ukrainian forces would refrain from airstrikes on Russia while the envoys were in the country and called on Moscow to reciprocate by pausing attacks on Ukraine. The mission represents Washington’s latest attempt to break the long-running diplomatic stalemate in the conflict that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

Continue Reading

International

Uber introduces robotaxi services in London after exiting Nigeria

A licensed operator will remain inside the vehicle initially to monitor the journey. Fully driverless operations are expected in the future, subject to regulatory approval.

Published

on

By

36 Views

Ride-haling company, Uber, in partnership with British Artificial Intelligence company Wayve, has unveiled an autonomous rides in London, marking a new step in the company’s expansion of robotaxi services.

Reuters reported that the move comes few hours after Uber exited Nigeria, where the company had operated its ride-hailing service for over 12 years.

According to Reuters report on Thursday, London is now the second city in Europe where Uber offers autonomous rides, after first it launched it robotaxi service in Zagreb.

At the initial stage, fewer than 20 Wayve-powered Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles will be available.

Passengers requesting UberX, Uber Comfort or Uber Electric could be matched with one of the autonomous vehicles at no additional cost.

A licensed operator will remain inside the vehicle initially to monitor the journey. Fully driverless operations are expected in the future, subject to regulatory approval.

Uber’s Global Head of Autonomous Mobility, Sarfraz Maredia, said the launch would help build public and government confidence in the technology.

“This will build credibility with consumers as well as with the government,” Maredia said.

Continue Reading

International

China -Egypt lubricate over 70 years trade, diplomatic relation

President Xi noted that China and Egypt were both ancient civilizations, with a traditional friendship that has endured and grown stronger over millennia.

Published

on

By

41 Views

Photo: Chinese President Xi Jinping (m), his wife, Peng Liyuan (l), and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, during the arrival of President Xi and his wife in Cairo, Egypt, on state visit.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, are in Egypt, on a state visit, via a special plane.

President Xi is in Egypt on the invitation of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry disclosed on its official website that upon Xi and Liyuan’s arrival at Cairo International Airport, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and his wife were present to warmly greet them.

During the visit , Xi will have an in-depth exchange of views with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on China-Egypt relations, all-round bilateral cooperation, and international and regional issues of mutual concern, jointly charting the course for the development of the China-Egypt comprehensive strategic partnership and opening a new chapter in the history of China-Egypt friendship.

President Xi noted that China and Egypt were both ancient civilizations, with a traditional friendship that has endured and grown stronger over millennia.

Xi also said that over the 70 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have always stood together and cooperated for mutual benefit, regardless of changes in the international and regional landscape.

“In recent years, together with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, I have guided the China-Egypt comprehensive strategic partnership to achieve leapfrog development.

Continue Reading

Trending