Africa steps up targeted COVID-19 vaccination of most at risk people.

Africa is intensifying COVID-19 vaccination of high-risk population groups with some promising signs. Nearly 50% of health workers and people over the age of 60 are fully vaccinated against the virus in countries reporting data to World Health Organization (WHO).

The data from June 2022 from 31 countries reporting on COVID-19 vaccinations of high-risk groups shows a significant increase compared with the end of December 2021 when only 33% of health workers and 10% of seniors were fully vaccinated. While this is good progress, vaccination coverage, including booster doses, needs to be significantly higher to protect these vulnerable groups.

Only two African countries (Mauritius and Seychelles) have fully vaccinated 70% of their total population. Rwanda is expected to achieve this target by the end of the month based on the pace of its current uptake, bringing to three, the number of countries in Africa reaching the 70% global target by the end of June.

However, Africa has a largely youthful demography, with 45% of the continent’s population under the age of 18. In a bid to use vaccines strategically, most countries are targeting their adult population. WHO is recommending to countries with low vaccination coverage to focus on high-priority groups – health workers, older adults and people with comorbidities. The continent’s coverage of people over 18 years is estimated at 34%, significantly higher than the 18% full coverage in the general population. Nine countries have fully vaccinated more than 70% of their adult population, while 21 have reached more than 40% of adults.

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https://www.afro.who.int/news/africa-steps-targeted-covid-19-vaccination-most-risk-people

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A workshop on Primary Health Care Finance, under the theme "Putting people first through investing in PHC", was held focusing on the recently published Lancet Global Health Commission report. The workshop was attended by the Minister of Health, Dr. Lia Tadesse, the heads of regional health bureaus, the Ministry of Health representatives, the Ministry of Finance and partner organizations.

Ethiopia is implementing a primary health care system by formulating a disease prevention and health promotion policy. According to Dr. Lia Tadesse, the Health Extension Program is working to create model woredas, increase community health insurance coverage and transform all health facilities into high performance.

According to Dr. Lia, over the years, maternal and child health has improved and prevention of major communicable diseases such as malaria, HIV, TB and others has been prevented. She also said that results have been achieved in making immunization services more accessible. She said today's forum will play a significant role in improving strong health care systems and universal health coverage.

At the workshop, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Lancet Global Health Commission, Professor Cara Hansen, presented a paper on strengthening the primary health care financing system. Minister of Health, Dr. Lia Tadesse, the heads of regional health bureaus, the Ministry of Health representatives, the Ministry of Finance, and partner organizations. coverage. age.

A workshop on Primary Health Care Finance, under the theme "Putting people first through investing in PHC", focused on the recently published Lancet Global Health Commission report. The workshop was attended by the Minister of Health, Dr. Lia Tadesse, the heads of regional health bureaus, the Ministry of Health representatives, the Ministry of Finance, and partner organizations.

Source : https://e-library.moh.gov.et/site/node/344

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Up until recently monkeypox infection outside of Africa was rare, but a look back at seven cases occurring in Britain over the past few years gives hints at what drugs work to fight the disease -- and which don’t.

The need to better understand treatments for monkeypox became more urgent this month when more than a hundred new cases were recorded across Europe and North America.

"As public health officials are trying to understand what is causing the May 2022 monkeypox outbreaks in Europe and North America -- which have affected several patients who reported neither travel nor an identified link to a previously known case -- our study offers some of the first insights into the use of antivirals for the treatment of monkeypox in humans," said study lead author Dr. Hugh Adler. He's with the Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The new analysis, published May 24 in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, looked at outcomes for seven people treated in Britain for monkeypox between 2018 and 2021. Three patients were thought to have become infected while in Africa, while three more occurred as part of a "case cluster" in Britain.

According to a Lancet news release, one more case "occurred in a health care worker 18 days after initial exposure to the virus and was the first example of monkeypox transmission in a hospital setting outside of Africa."

Two antiviral medications used against smallpox, brincidofovir and tecovirimat, were used "off-label" -- meaning they are not specifically approved to treat monkeypox -- as treatment in the monkeypox cases.

Source: www.webmd.com

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Mesfin Lemma, MD, is the first person in the world to perform minimally invasive spine surgery with the Excelsius3D 3-in-1 Intelligent Imaging System.

Mesfin Lemma, MD, of MedStar Orthopaedic Institute, recently became the world’s first spine surgeon to perform minimally invasive spine surgery using the Excelsius3D 3-in-1 intelligent imaging system. Because it displays real-time 3D video and can perform the surgery more precisely and minimally invasively.

By combining cone-beam CT, fluoroscopy, and digital radiography into a single unit, the need for multiple imaging devices is eliminated. This can save time during the procedure, which means our patients will spend less time under anesthesia.

About Dr. Lemma

Dr. Lemma is a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon, specializing in the surgical treatment of cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine disorders. He sees patients in Bel Air, Rosedale / White Marsh, and in Baltimore at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital. He currently serves as division chief of spine surgery as well as director of minimally invasive spine surgery at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital.

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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (April 2022): The Minister of Health, Dr. Lia Tadesse, has signed the African Medicines Agency (AMA) Treaty today (April 27) making Ethiopia the 29th member state of the African Union to sign the treaty.

Ethiopia’s Minister of Health, Dr. Lia Tadesse, stated on Twitter that the AMA will support national and regional efforts to build stable, dependable, and efficient regulatory systems for medicinal products that benefit the continent’s public health.

According to Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the African Union’s Deputy Chairperson, Dr. Monique Nsanzabaganwa, thanked the Minister’s leadership on their resolve to sign the treaty. She also emphasized the platform’s relevance in establishing a robust regulatory framework and fostering a thriving indigenous medical business on the continent.

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https://businessinfoeth.com/ethiopia-has-signed-the-african-medicines-agency-ama-treaty/

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Like many other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Ethiopia is a country of diverse cultures, traditions and histories.

In spite of its ancient civilizations and being the only country in the continent that was not colonized as well as one of the oldest territorial integral nation in the world, Ethiopia today is one of the least developed countries with low development indicators. Besides, the country is now the second-most populous nation in Africa, with an estimated population of 110 million.

The country struggles with persistently high mortality due to access to health services. Easy access to health services is limited, particularly for the large proportion of people living in rural areas. Expanding access to health services in order to sustain social and economic gains will require strengthening the country’s health infrastructure. However, there is a wide gap in terms of quality infrastructure provisions.

The recent economic growth and advances in education, health, and poverty reduction have contributed to the overall improvement in the health of Ethiopians. But the country’s population is rising at an increasing rate. This further undermines the gains achieved so far in the sector.

Importantly, Ethiopia has taken critical steps in policy and programs to improve the country’s health status. Over the recent three years, the country has made notable progress in education, health, and other key areas to pave a way to alleviate poverty and to improve the living standard of the people. Yet, continued high population growth, drought, and internal conflict exert pressure on the country’s resources and erodes its capacity to provide essential health services. This shows us that relevant, helpful, and supportive activities are expected of all stakeholders as well as from private and public partners of the sector.

Read More here : https://furtherafrica.com/2022/03/09/ethio-health-exhibition-is-revitalizing-the-sector/