By Grace Kuria In a statement sent on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said, “China expresses deep condolences over the death of Tanzanian President John Magufuli and sincere sympathies to his family and the government of Tanzania.” Mr. Zhao added that Magufuli attached great importance to developing relations with China and made important contributions…
By Grace Kuria Pregnant women vaccinated against COVID-19 could pass on protection to their babies, according to a new study. Research conducted in Israel in February showed antibodies were detected in all 20 women who were given both doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine during their third trimester of pregnancy and in their newborns, through placental transfer….
By Grace Kuria A few days after being elected unopposed as President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe on Tuesday outlined his plans to advance the sport in the continent. Motsepe said African football must aspire for one of its national teams to win the World Cup in the near future, “In the…
By Grace Kuria Desert locust swarms continue to decline in Kenya and Ethiopia thanks to ongoing control operations and no breeding, according to a report by Locust watch. The absence of rainfall has caused the swarms to remain immature and are awaiting the start of the rains to mature and breed. However, showers being currently experienced…
By XINHUA Rwanda will continue administering the AstraZeneca vaccines as the reported side effects have not been confirmed, the country’s Health Minister Daniel Ngamije said Tuesday. Some European countries have suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine following reports of blood clots in some recipients. The World Health Organization (WHO) is conducting safety review of the vaccine….
By CGTN Africa Uganda is expected to launch locally developed rapid kits for COVID-19 screening.According to Dr. Misaki Wayengera, the lead developer, staff and students at Makerere University will be among the first to receive the rapid antibody test kits. The kits arrive on campus today, March 17. Dr. Wayengera, a researcher at the Department of…
By Jerry Omondi Zimbabwe on Tuesday received a second shipment of Sinopharm vaccines to help it continue its mass COVID-19 vaccination drive. The Air Zimbabwe plane carrying the vaccines touched down at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in the morning hours with 344,000 doses comprising 200,000 donated by China and 144,000 purchased by the Zimbabwean…
By Grace Kuria The Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC) is reviewing its guidance on the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine after several countries suspended its use amid concerns about blood clots. Speaking with Bloomberg TV on Tuesday, Africa CDC Director John Nkengasong said “The AstraZeneca vaccine was seen to be safe and efficacious and we would need to…
By Grace Kuria World Health Organization (WHO) safety experts on Tuesday meet over the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine whose rollout has been halted in several countries, over blood clot fears. WHO however continues to insist that the vaccine is safe and should be used, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, WHO Chief Scientist said, “We need to continue to closely…
By XINHUA Namibia on Monday said it is going ahead with a plan to procure COVID-19 vaccines through suppliers. The country’s Ministry of Health and Social Services Public Relations Office called on all companies willing to assist in procuring COVID-19 vaccines to submit their bids. The Ministry of Health said the bidding process is being held…
