Epidemics Tracker

Kampala, Uganda | XINHUA | The increasing demand for medical products to contain COVID-19 has led to an expansion in the trafficking of substandard and falsified medical products, posing significant risks for public health, said a United Nations research published on Wednesday. The coronavirus has further highlighted the shortcomings in …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The high numbers of COVID-19 cases reported in the world are not as a result of mass testing, this is according to the World Health Organization-WHO. Data from the WHO shows that it took 12 weeks for the world to reach 400,000 cases of …

Kampala, Uganda | XINHUA | The COVID-19 pandemic is reversing decades of progress on poverty, healthcare and education, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs said Tuesday in an annual report. The 15-year global effort to improve the lives of people around the world through the achievement of the …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Busia district leaders have halted the enforcement of the mandatory wearing of face masks after failing to secure enough masks for the entire population of the area. The border district received 305,000 face masks for distribution as part of a government declaration calling for …

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | XINHUA | Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro announced on Tuesday that he has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Bolsonaro came down with symptoms on Monday, including a fever of 38 degrees Celsius, cough and headache, leading to a test at the Brazilian Armed Forces Hospital. …

Bujumbura , Burundi | XINHUA | The Burundian government on Monday kicked off a mass screening campaign in the commercial captial Bujumbura to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Three sites of a technical school, a hotel and a Catholic parish were chosen to screen people who voluntarily receive …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Vice Chancellors from both public and private universities have undergone a mandatory COVID-19 test ahead of their scheduled meeting with the Education and Sports Minister, Janet Kataha Museveni. A source told URN on Monday evening that the office of the Education Minister had sent …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | HIV targets set for 2020 will not be reached owing part to deeply unequal access to antiretroviral therapy and service disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is according to a report released by the Joint United Nations Program on HIV and AIDS- UNAIDS, …

Beijing, China | XINHUA | Rebutting U.S. politicians’ slanderous remarks, China on Monday urged the United States to respect facts and stop political maneuvering over COVID-19. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a press briefing, refuting a U.S. politician’s allegation that China has never reported the virus …

Kampala, Uganda | XINHUA | Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) is playing a role in mitigating the spread of COVID-19, an official with the SGR operator said on Monday. The last four months have seen a steep rise in the amount of bulk goods transported by rail as opposed to …