Health

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Medical workers under their umbrella organization, the Uganda Medical Association are threatening to lay down their tools if the government doesn’t clarify how they are to operate in the wake of Coronavirus Disease (COVID -19) which came with lockdowns, in among others, public transport. …

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP |  The Democratic Republic of Congo is prepared to take part in testing of any future vaccine against the coronavirus, the head of the country’s taskforce against the pandemic said on Friday. “We’ve been chosen to conduct these tests,” said the head of the national …

Paris, France | AFP | From being a killer in the shadows, to having its own international day and UN programme, HIV’s emergence into a global reality can offer many lessons in how to respond to COVID-19, the head of the International Aids Society told AFP Thursday. Kevin Osborne, who has lived with HIV for nearly half his …

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | With all eyes on the rapid global spread of the novel coronavirus, health experts fear a drop in routine vaccinations could fuel other, potentially deadlier outbreaks of diseases like measles. With nearly half of the world’s population told to stay at home, many parents are having to postpone taking their …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | A man who coughed on a police officer and threatened to infect him with coronavirus was on Wednesday sentenced to six months in jail in Britain, a police statement said. Adam Lewis, 55, was sentenced under a specific law governing assaults against emergency workers, …

  Kampala, Uganda | ISAAC KHISA | International Air Ambulance (IAA) Healthcare, a leading Health Membership Organisation in Uganda has announced that it will not cater for medical bills for any of its clients infected with coronavirus. This follows declaration of the disease as pandemic by the World Health Organisation. …

Malaria, HIV/Aids, and tuberculosis still kill more of the world population | THE INDEPENDENT | The avalanche of coronavirus infections in the current pandemic has been accompanied by a similar avalanche of information, making it hard to sift reliable news from the noise. Among the most crucial questions is: how …

PAMAfrica consortium gets USD$50 million for new malaria therapies research | Munyaradzi Makoni | Scientists racing to stop drug resistant malaria spreading globally are optimistic they can marry the molecules needed to find effective treatments. Malaria kills 400,000 people every year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Although treatments, …

Geneva, Switzerland | THE INDEPENDENT |  With the COVID-19 pandemic already affecting 47 Gavi-supported countries, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance has already taken new steps to help strengthen the preparedness of health systems in lower-income countries with the full support of its Board. Gavi will also be working closely with WHO, …

COVER STORY | THE INDEPENDENT TEAM |  As the coronavirus pandemic ravages the globe, countries are scrambling to protect citizens financially, cushion businesses and companies, and ensure their economies do not fail from the fallout. This is because the coronavirus pandemic is not only straining the world’s health sector, businesses …