HEALTH - The African Mirror

May

2024

Nigeria is pioneering a new vaccine to fight meningitis – why this matters

NIGERIA recently became the first country to roll out a new vaccine (called Men5CV) recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), which protects people against five strains of meningococcus bacteria. The Conversation Africa asked Idris Mohammed, a professor of infectious diseases and immunology and former board chair of Nigeria’s National Programme on Immunisation, to explain the new vaccine and its likely impact. What is meningitis? Meningitis is the inflammation of the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord, usually caused by infection. It can be fatal. Meningitis can be caused by several species of bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. The…

May

2024

By The African Mirror

Safeguarding our future: Protect communities from vaccine-preventable diseases

HEALTH

AFRICAN Vaccination Week took place from 24 to 30 April, and this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) launched by the Department of Health which aims to provide life-saving vaccines to every child, regardless of their location or socioeconomic status. Since its inception, the EPI has made outstanding achievements, including eradicating smallpox in 1978 and the current drive to eradicate poliomyelitis. Through immunisation campaigns, there have been significant reductions in morbidity and mortality, particularly in children, due to vaccine-preventable diseases like tuberculosis, poliomyelitis, hepatitis, influenza, measles, rubella, yellow fever, tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping…

Apr

2024

By PULCHERIE ADJOHA

West Africa’s Benin, Liberia and Sierra Leone launch malaria vaccination

HEALTH

BENIN, Liberia and Sierra Leone launched large-scale malaria vaccine programmes on Thursday under an Africa-focused initiative that hopes to save tens of thousands of children's lives per year across the continent. The three West African countries are the latest to participate after successful rollouts of routine malaria immunization for children in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, the global vaccine alliance GAVI said in a statement. The World Health Organization-approved vaccine is meant to work alongside existing tools such as bed nets to combat malaria, which in Africa kills nearly half a million children under the age of 5 each year.…

Apr

2024

By SUSAN GOLDSTEIN

Sugar in baby food: why Nestlé needs to be held to account in Africa

HEALTH

NESTLÉ has been criticised for adding sugar and honey to infant milk and cereal products sold in many poorer countries. The Swiss food giant controls 20% of the baby food market, valued at nearly US$70 billion. Nadine Dreyer asked public health academic Susan Goldstein why extra sugar is particularly bad for babies and how multinationals targeting low-income countries with sweeter products get away with it. Why has Nestlé been criticised? Public Eye, a Swiss investigative organisation, sent samples of Nestlé baby-food products sold in Asia, Africa and Latin America to a Belgian laboratory for testing. The laboratory found in many…

Apr

2024

By The African Mirror

Congo Republic declares mpox epidemic

HEALTH

THE Republic of the Congo has declared an epidemic of mpox after 19 cases were confirmed across five departments, including the capital Brazzaville. No deaths have yet been recorded, Health Minister Gilbert Mokoki said in a statement on Tuesday. He called on the public to take precautions including avoiding close contact with suspected cases, avoiding contact with animals and avoiding handling game meat with bare hands. The World Health Organization (WHO) has named the virus mpox to replace the older term monkeypox, citing concerns of stigma and racism associated with the name. Mpox was first detected in humans in the…

Apr

2024

By ALESSANDRA PRIORESCHI

Read, sing, dance and funny faces: expert tips on how you can help your baby’s development through play

HEALTH

PLAY is how children learn about the world, explore their environments, and engage in physical activity. It’s also essential in nurturing children’s social, emotional and cognitive capabilities and is an important component of bonding with caregivers. Playtime for children is as important for their development as exercise is for adult health. Guidelines have been developed in South Africa, which closely follow international guidelines, for how much sleep, physical activity and sedentary time children should get each day from when they are born. Children under the age of two should spend as much tummy time – time spent on their tummies…

Apr

2024

By OPE ADETAYO

Nigeria becomes first country to roll out new meningitis vaccine, WHO says

HEALTH

NIGERIA has become the first country in the world to roll out the "revolutionary" new Men5CV vaccine against meningitis, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. Nigeria is one of the hotspots of the deadly disease in Africa. Last year, a 50% rise in annual cases was reported across 26 African countries regarded as meningitis hyperendemic countries, according to the WHO. “Nigeria's rollout brings us one step closer to our goal to eliminate meningitis by 2030," Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, was quoted as saying in a statement. Between last October and mid-March this year, 1,742 cases were suspected in the country,…

Apr

2024

By The African Mirror

Diet and nutrition: how well Tanzanians eat depends largely on where they live

HEALTH

CITIES are growing faster in sub-Saharan Africa than elsewhere, with an annual urban population growth rate of around 4% compared to the world average of 1.5%. Across the continent, the urban share of the total population is projected to increase to 50% by 2030 and 60% by 2050. Urbanisation is associated with lifestyle changes such as less physical activity and less labour-intensive work. This is often accompanied by an increased intake of high-calorie fast foods, snacks, and sugar-sweetened beverages. This combination has contributed to rising obesity in cities in low- and middle-income countries. At the same time, undernourishment and micronutrient…

Apr

2024

By CLEMENCE MANYUKWE

As Zimbabwe makes strides on HIV/AIDS, LGBTQ+ people left behind

HEALTH

AS a gay man in Zimbabwe, Admore braced himself for a hostile reception from medical staff when he went for an HIV test at a city-run clinic in Harare five years ago. His worries proved justified. "When I (said) I was gay ... they gave each other that look that made me feel they thought I was not normal," said Admore, who asked to use a pseudonym to protect his identity. Despite such uncomfortable dealings with health workers, Admore - who tested positive - has been able to access life-saving antiretroviral treatment (ART). But his experience helps explain why LGBTQ+…

Mar

2024

By THOKOZANI SIMELANE

Almost 50% of adult South Africans are overweight or obese. Poverty and poor nutrition are largely to blame

HEALTH

MALNUTRITION, in all its forms, includes undernutrition (wasting, stunting, underweight), inadequate vitamins or minerals, overweight and obesity. South Africa has undergone a nutritional transition over the past 30 years characterised by the triple burden of malnutrition: households are simultaneously experiencing undernutrition, hidden hunger, and overweight or obesity due to nutrient-poor diets. Results of the first in-depth, nationwide study into food and nutrition since 1994, the National Food and Nutrition Security Survey, found almost half the adult population of South Africa were overweight or obese. While there was sufficient food to feed everyone through domestic production and imports, many families and…