Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The World Health Organization is purely focused on saving lives and halting the coronavirus pandemic, its chief said Wednesday after US President Donald Trump announced he was freezing funding for the WHO. “There is no time to waste. WHO’s singular focus is on working to serve all people to save …
Read More »WHO: This is a time for all to be united, not divided
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP & WHO | The World Health Organization said Wednesday it was reviewing what impact the US decision to halt funding would have, and said it was looking to others to help fill financial “gaps”. “WHO is reviewing the impact on our work of any withdrawal of US …
Read More »Ebola outbreak: Uganda tightens health surveillance along Lake Albert shores
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | There is heightened health surveillance and security along Lake Albert shores in Bunyoro districts following the fresh outbreak of Ebola in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo-DRC. Over the weekend, DRC reported three cases of the highly contagious fever in the eastern part of the …
Read More »Online predators putting children at risk during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Self-isolation has driven more and more children to move online during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to an unprecedented rise in screen time and raising safety risks for millions of young people, according to Child Rights defenders. More than 1.5 billion children and young people have …
Read More »Uganda to use antibody, antigen test to detect COVID-19 virus
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Health is considering adding two other testing methods to its COVID-19 response plan. Currently, Uganda is using the Polymerase Chain Reaction where swabs are used to detect viruses from the nose or throat as recommended by the World Health Organization-WHO. However, due …
Read More »DR Congo Ebola outbreak still international emergency: WHO
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The World Health Organization said Tuesday it was extending its global emergency designation of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo after fresh cases were detected. The announcement comes just a day after the vast central African country had been expected to announce that its outbreak was …
Read More »Trump suspends WHO funding over COVID-19
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump announced Tuesday a suspension of US funding to the World Health Organization because he said it had covered up the seriousness of the COVID-19 outbreak in China before it spread around the world. Trump told a press conference he was …
Read More »More than 117 million children at risk of missing measles vaccines
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | As the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread globally with positive cases going to the highs of 1.9 million people, over 117 million children in 37 countries may miss out on receiving life-saving measles vaccine as measles immunization campaigns in 24 countries have already been …
Read More »Saudi deportations of Ethiopians could fuel COVID-19 spread: UN
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Saudi Arabia has deported nearly 3,000 Ethiopian migrants in recent days, despite concerns that such operations could hasten the spread of the coronavirus, the United Nations says. Since mid-March, the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) has registered 2,870 Ethiopian returnees, all but 100 of …
Read More »Maintain a healthy diet during the COVID-19 pandemic
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The COVID-19 pandemic is causing many changes in the daily lives of people around the world, but there are things that can be done to maintain a healthy lifestyle in these difficult times. Everyone is encouraged to follow World Health Organization (WHO) guidance and …
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