Africa
HIV in the military causes Mozambique concern
Health authorities in Mozambique have expressed concern at the prevalence of HIV among the country's militarily, says a BBC News report. They say 11.5% of the force is HIV-positive. The head of military health, Agueda Duarte, said the force also had...
Nigerian president need not reveal his medical treatment costs
June 13th, 2018 Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari does not have to reveal the cost of his treatment for an undisclosed illness that incapacitated him for several months, The Times reports a judge has ruled. Buhari, 75, spent a large part of last year in...Rwanda provides health insurance for 90% of citizens — Kagame
Rwandan President Paul Kagame told the World Health Assembly that Rwanda has managed to cover 90% of citizens with health insurance, reports Health-e News. “Two-thirds of the costs are covered by contributions from beneficiaries, with government...WHO raises Ebola risk in DRC to ‘very high'
Democratic Republic of Congo faces a "very high" public health risk from Ebola after the disease was confirmed in one patient in a major city, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday of last week, raising its assessment from "high"...WHO moves rapidly on DRC Ebola outbreak but sceptics warn against complacency
Although the rapid World Health Organisation response to the outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is a far cry from the tragically slow reaction to the West African outbreak in 2014, experts warn there is no room for...New Ebola emergency in the DRC
Ebola has killed 17 people in northwest Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and, reports News24, the health ministry is describing the fresh outbreak as a "public health emergency with international impact." "Twenty-one cases of fever with...Uganda Aids conference stalls in face of homophobia
Opposition from homophobic Ugandan politicians has forced the postponement of a conference about how to combat the epidemic among LGBT Ugandans and other at-risk populations. 76Crimes reports that the Conference on Key and Priority Populations in...Addiction epidemic sees Nigeria ban cough syrups containing codeine
Nigeria has announced a ban on the production and import of cough syrup containing codeine after its investigation into its role in an addiction epidemic, reports BBC News. A health ministry spokesperson is quoted as saying that remaining stocks in...Zimbabwe legalises cannabis for medicinal and scientific use
Zimbabwe has legalised production of cannabis for medicinal or scientific use, according to new regulations. The Times reports that a statutory instrument entitled Production of Cannabis for Medicinal and Scientific Use Regulations, said prospective...WHO opposes banning meat products from SA after listeriosis outbreak
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended against a trade ban on South African meat products as a result of the on-going listeria outbreak. "WHO does not currently recommend any trade related measures in relation to the current outbreak of...500 Kenyan doctors in work boycott after brain surgery debacle
More than 500 senior doctors in Kenya’s biggest referral hospital have boycotted work, demanding the reinstatement of their colleague who was suspended for performing brain surgery on the wrong patient. Sammy Oroko, the chair of the doctors’...
Rwanda's life-saving drones expand into Tanzania to serve 12m people
February 28th, 2018 The world’s first national drone delivery network, started in Rwanda by the Silicon Valley company Zipline, is now opening in Tanzania, serving 1,000 clinics and 12m people. For most in the Western world, it is a routine if traumatic event that...Leaders urged to commit to stalled malaria-free Africa initiative
African nations must renew their commitment and strengthen instruments to attain a malaria-free continent by 2030, leaders heard at a high-level briefing held on the margins of the 30th AU Summit in Addis Ababa. Senior health, finance and foreign...Zambians riot over cholera curfew
Police in Zambia have arrested 55 people in Lusaka after residents rioted over a curfew and ban on street vending imposed to control a cholera outbreak, the government said. Eyewitness News reports that the riots in the densely populated Kanyama...Tanzania to increase the use of TB-sniffing giant rats
The use of giant rats to sniff out tuberculosis (TB) in Tanzania is set to nearly double by the end of the year due to successful detection rates, a charity who trains them is quoted in a Reuters Africa report as saying. African Giant Pouched...