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Author: Lenias Hwenda  Covid-19 has further worsened an already fragile foundation of Africa´s health services and caused sharp decline in the provision of key life-saving essential health services. Across the region, patients have struggled to access essential services including maternal and child care services, chronic care for diabetes and HIV/AIDS, treatment of confirmed malaria cases and childhood vaccination programmes. Some 14 countries evaluated by WHO have recorded a 50% decline in services within 3 months compared to the same period in 2019.
25/10/2020 The state of cold chain supply chain infrastructure needed for Covid-19 vaccine rollout in AfricaAuthor: Lenias Hwenda  The second phase of the Covid-19 pandemic is already underway. Like the rest of the world, Africa is pinning its hopes on the anticipated imminent approval of a Covid-19 vaccine that could begin mass production by early 2021. The continent’s urgent need for vaccines emanates from a desperately weak health system.
Author: Lenias Hwenda  All indications from experts suggest that the licensing of one of the three leading Covid-19 vaccine candidates is imminent. It is expected that by the end of 2020 or at the latest, by early 2021, an approved licensed vaccine will be available for mass production and mass vaccination. Delivering the first vaccine marketed for the population will face many challenges that policymakers and leaders in industry and international organisations should plan for in order to mitigate the risks and deploy the vaccine optimally and effectively.
Author: Lenias Hwenda  Africa CDC Addis Abbaba: Analysis Based on Covid-19: First 70 days by region.*Comparison of the number of Covid-19 cases reported over the first 70 days since the first case reported in each region. Euro- European region; PAHO- Pan America Health Organisation; EMRO- Esterna Mediterenean; SEARO- South East Asia; WPRO- Western Pacific. *Global numbers taken from the latest WHO SITREP: http://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports. Day 1 for the WPRO region was based on the first reported Covid-19 onset date of 08 December 2019: http://www.who.int/csr/don/12-January-2020-novel-coronavirus-china/en/ Africa’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has received very little global but it is remarkable for the low number of deaths in a region with uniquely susceptible health systems. Adding high case loads of Covid-19 onto Africa´s health systems concurrently dealing with a high burden of infectious and chronic illnesses, malnutrition, inadequate water and sanitation and limited resources2 should have caused rampant death on a scale surpassing anything seen so far in the worst affected countries today. Author: Lenias Hwenda  UN City, Copenhagen: There is widespread hope that the HIV/AIDS epidemic ceases to be a major global public health threat, but the gains made are in grave danger of being reversed as a result of growing resistance to HIV medicines. The world is increasingly facing an urgent public health crisis of growing resistance to HIV treatment. This crisis is greatest in the Africa region, where increased access HIV treatment has significantly reduced AIDS-related deaths.Author: Lenias Hwenda Africa’s energy revolution has been largely overlooked because of the tendency to focus on the kind of stories that have come to define Africa, stories of strife and suffering such as disease outbreaks, disasters and terrorism when covering Africa.
The stories we do not hear enough of are the narratives about the resilience of Africa’s people and their enduring entrepreneurial spirit. Africa today should be defined by its steady, remarkable progress. Author: Lenias Hwenda  Picture: Dr Oly Ilunga Kilunga: Minister of Health Democratic Republic of CongoWe can all breathe a collective sigh of relief after the recent announcement by the Minister of Health of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Dr Oly Ilunga Kalenga that the ninth and most deadly Ebola epidemic in the DRC is now under control. This is welcome news in an international system rife with bad news. The speed and success of the DRC’S responses to an Ebola outbreak that had all the hallmarks of a potentially devastating epidemic has much to do with strong and decisive leadership, testament to what happens when governments take ownership of national health security challenges and work effectively with partners to overcome the threat. 23/7/2018 Medicines for Africa Launches Inaugural Essay Competition on the Good Governance of Medicines Photo: Copyright: Medicines for AfricaTinotenda Gwisai. Harare Zimbabwe. Tino is a biomedical engineer and a young leader who specialised in social medicine and is currently embarking on Ph.D. studies at ETH Zurich in Switzerland. This month,Medicines for Africa launched a nationwide essay competition on the Good Governance of Medicines in Zimbabwe. The aim of the competition is to encourage students to play an active role in formulating ideas and strategies for improving good governance in the pharmaceutical sector. We believe that early and sustained engagement of students on issues pertaining to good governance will, over time, assist in equipping future leaders with some of the essential tools and knowledge necessary to strengthen good governance in the pharmaceutical sector. Author: Lenias Hwenda  Photo: WHO Director General Dr Tedros joins Committee A yoga breaks during the World Health Assembly in Geneva 2018, Palais des Nations.. The majority of low and middle-income countries have evolved to become passive recipients of ideas, products and solutions towards some of their most pressing public health challenges. As a result, decades of development support has not resulted in significant strengthening of country capabilities in creating inclusive public health systems that meets the needs of entire populations.
Solutions that empirical evidence has shown to be ineffective continue to be implemented in countries. This disconnect between what all partners agree to be the best solutions and what is actually practiced is the paradox of global health and development support. |