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By Longtong Ibrahim
Mundipharma, a network of Pharmaceutical Companies has announced its partnership with Direct Relief to donate supplies of its BETADINE® range of anti-virals to support aid organisation’s efforts to contain the current outbreak of Ebola in West African Countries.
According to a statement made available to Prime news, the partnership will provide more than two million anti-viral hand washes to the Ebola treatment centres of West Africa.
Commenting Mundipharma, Raman Singh, President, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa, said, “Mundipharma is committed to supporting the international aid efforts against Ebola.
We hope that our proactive approach will enable Direct Relief to continue to quickly and efficiently provide important preventative measures in limiting the outbreak of this serious and growing health issue.
“We are very pleased to partner with Mundipharma to continue our relentless efforts to combat Ebola at this crucial time.
Thomas Tighe, Chief Executive Officer of Direct Relief explained that curtailing the further spread of the virus is a fundamental step in our fight against Ebola and providing aid workers, healthcare professionals and the general population with a means to implement proper hand hygiene via Mundipharma’s donations will play an important role in our task.”
The supplies of BETADINE® Surgical Scrub and BETADINE® Scalp & Skin Cleanser donated by Mundipharma are medicated soaps containing povidone iodine, a well- known antiviral, to provide hand disinfection even in areas without access to clean running water.
BETADINE® has also demonstrated strong efficacy against enveloped viruses and sufficient efficacy against non-enveloped viruses and its use to contain the spread of Ebola has already been endorsed by the Australian Department of Health and Ageing.
The donation is one of a number of initiatives currently being implemented by Mundipharma employees globally in a proactive drive to address the rising medical needs of Ebola patients.
Based on World Health Organisation guidelines, hand hygiene is the most important infection prevention and control measure.
This outbreak has spread rapidly through human-to-human transmission causing wide spread concern globally.
According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the Ebola virus is frequently found in saliva with evidence stating that close face-to-face contact without adequate personal protective equipment (including eye protection) puts others at moderate risk of acquiring the disease.
Those at higher risk of infection include health workers, family members in close contact with infected people and mourners who have direct contact with the bodies of the deceased as part of burial ceremonies.
The best way to reduce the possibility of contracting the disease is to practice proper hygiene.
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By Juliana Katung
A fight broke up Tuesday, at a venue of press briefing in Johannesburg, South Africa, between the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Central Command team and the supporters of MPs Andile Mngxitama and Khanyisile Tshabalala – both suspended from the party, for causing a fractional dispute within the party.
MPs Mngxitama and Tshabalala held a press Conference last week to reveal the misuse of the party’s fund by its leadership.
This has caused fractional battle within EFF in recent time, which led to their suspension in the late night of Monday; both notified through Email – also tweeted on Tuesday morning – but still went ahead with the press briefing as scheduled, but were interrupted by a few members from the Central team.
Speaking on behalf of the central team, spokesperson Mbuyiseni NTelos said they expected Mps Andile Mngxitama and Khanyisile Tshabalala to respect the decision of the majority of the party that suspended them.
The spokesperson who stated this in a statement made available to reporters said the central command team of the party has taken a unanimous decision to take disciplinary action against the two fighters.
“The leadership hopes that the fighters Mngxitama and Tshabalala will also co-operate and give the internal process of the organisation due respect and attention.
“This is strictly an internal process and we shall not be engaging the media about it beyond this point”, the statement added.”
Meanwhile, Mngxitama had to be escorted out of the Cape Sun Hotel in Cape Town last week Thursday, where he had intended holding a press conference ahead of the state-of-the-nation address by President Jacob Zuma.
Fights broke out between EFF members and suspended members supporters same Thursday.
The Press conference earlier scheduled last week Thursday according to Mngxitama’s which was later reschedule for Tuesday morning, was to clarify “why some of the EFF MP’s cannot insist for the party leadership to payback the alleged misuse of fund.
However, EFF leader Julius Malema questioned Mngxitama’s loyalty to the party, asking him why he will hold a press briefing on the day of the state- of-the-nation address, if he loves the party as he claim.
Schools have re-opened Monday in Monrovia, capital of Liberia, six months after the West African country was hit by Ebola Viral Disease, EVD.
Reports say students’ temperatures were taken as they entered school premises to check any suspected case of the disease.
The Deputy Education Minister Remses Kumbuyah said more than 5 000 kits have been distributed to schools which included thermometers and chlorine for hand-washing.
The minister also said schools are to avoid overcrowding – keeping class sizes to around 50 instead of 100 or more. That’s in an effort to keep students from touching and potentially spreading the virus.
However, rural schools are left behind and many are delaying reopening.
The Ebola epidemic has left almost four thousand people dead in the West African country.
Egypt says it has carried out air attacks on locations in Libya believed to be occupied by Islamic State.
The attack is part of Egyptian response to a video released by Islamic State showing the killing of about 21 Members of Egypt”s Coptic church in Libya.
Report says the joint attack carried out with Libya’s Airforce hit Islamic State camps, training sites and weapons storage areas in Libya.
A Libyan official, Saqer al-Joroushi told Egyptian state television between 40 to 50 militants were killed in the attack. “There are casualties among individuals, ammunition and the (Islamic State) communication centres,”
He said “More air strikes will be carried out today and tomorrow in coordination with Egypt.”
The Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi speaking on a National Television shortly after the release of the video, said his country would react on the deaths of its citizen as it deems fit.
Acccording to him, necessary means and timing would be choosen by Cairo for the avenge of the 21 Egyptian christian brutal killing.
Sisi, who said he met with the country’s top military commanders to discuss the killings, called for seven-day mourning .
The killing was showed in a video released on sunday morning by the jihadist group on a social media.
The beheaded Egyptian Copts were captured in Libya by the Islamic group for some time and later killed..
In the video, militants in black marched the captives, dressed in orange jump suits, to a beach and were forced on their knees, then beheaded.
The Five minute video appeared on the twitter feed of a website that supports the Islamic State with the caption: “The people of the cross, followers of the hostile Egyptian church.
In the video, a militants stood with a knife in his hand before the killings, saying “Safety for you crusaders is something you can only wish for.”
A statement by the Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox church on Sunday which confirmed the incident said it was “confident” that those who beheaded a group of Egyptian Copts in Libya will be punished.
Meanwhile the United States on Sunday condemned the killing describing the act as despicable and cowardly murder.
Reports from Gombe say Nigerian military has successfully repelled attempts by suspected Islamist Boko Haram Sect from taking over the city this Saturday.
Eyewitnesses say the insurgents attacked the city early morning having successfully conquered Dadin Kowa town, some 40 Km east of Gombe metropolis and surrounding villages.
Residents of BCGA and Yelenguruza neighbourhood in Gombe say there were sound of bombs and artillery guns in the early hours of Saturday extending till noon.
Military fighter jets were also seen carrying out attacks in areas where the insurgent were said to occupy.
A resident of Hina village, 20 Km along Gombe – Dadin Kowa road, Gambo Bright said there was mass movement by people of the village running in different directions, some towards Gombe, while others towards the popular Bima Hills.
He said “the sound of heavy gunshot by members of the sect woke us up and we had to run for our lives. If you hear the sound of their guns you will know that we are only risking the lives of our soldiers in fighting against this people – you can’t compare what our soldiers have with what these people are firing.
“I ran through the bush on my motorcycle, not knowing the direction I was taking, and somehow, miraculously I found myself in Deba – the Local Government Headquarters.
A resident of Gombe Hassan Shuaibu says the insurgents entered the town through different routes – wide apart and carried out their attacks.
Another resident said “it appeared the military had intelligent report on the attack and therefore stationed their men along Bajoga Road, on the northern axis of Gombe metropolis – only for them to be taken unaware by the insurgents through the eastern axis.
We hear they had their way despite the few soldiers that confronted them around Hina Junction outskirts of Gombe.”
According to him places attacked in Gombe metropolis include the Police Station in Dadin Kowa Park, the State Police Criminal Investigation Department, and the Army Quarter Guard. The Police Public Relations Officer, Fwaje Attajiri’s phone number was not reachable to confirm the information.
A Gombe based Journalists, who chose to remain anonymous for security reasons told AFRICA PRIME NEWS that “everywhere is calm now now, but there is a 24 hour curfew in place which restricts people from moving.”
About five suicide attacks had been carried out in Gombe this year – the last – two weeks ago, shortly after the re-election rally of President Goodluck Jonathan in Gombe township stadium.
Last year attacks were made by the Islamist insurgents on Nafada, Bajoga and Ashaka towns, but in each case, they were overpowered by the Nigerian military.
A 24hours curfew has been imposed on Gombe and environs in Northeast Nigeria, following attack by members of Islamist Boko Haram Sect.
A statement by Secretary to the Sate Government Sule Bage, asked residents to remain indoors and allow the military take control of the situation.
Eyewitnesses say the Insurgents made attempt to overrun the Nigerian Army Barracks in Gombe but were met with stiff resistance, which repelled their attacks.
Residents of BCGA and Yelenguruza neighbourhoods of the metropolis say they woke up this morning – to deafening sound of bombs and guns – and discovered they were under siege by Boko Haram.
The military engaged the Sect in battle using air and artilery might and successfully repelled attacks on the Barracks and city.
Mr. Istifanus, a resident of State Low Cost Housing Estate says “as I spaek with you this afternoon, there is no movement in the area and everywhere seems to be quiet, except for few sounds of gunshots at intervals.”
MORE LATER….
Concerned with high cases of malaria in Nigeria, a group, Archdiocesan Catholic Healthcare Initiative (ACHI) has embarked on training citizens on advocacy skills and how to sustain enlightenment campaign on the use of mosquito nets.
Their effort is part of a global response to a disease that affects over 3 billion people worldwide, where 80 percent of all the cases are occurring in Africa – with Nigeria and Democratic Republic of Congo taking the lead.
According to World Health Organisation, WHO there were an estimated 207 million cases of malaria in 2012, out of which 627,000 people died – a little lower than the WHO record of 660,000 deaths in 2011.
No wonder, the WHO Director-General Margaret Chan in 2013 said.”The fact that so many people are infected and dying from mosquito bites is one of the greatest tragedies of the 21st century,”
The Catholic group has trained 190 people from ten communities in Northwest Nigeria in an effort “to reduce the presumptive diagnosis of malaria in target communities, as well as educate them on how to advocate increased resources for effective malaria prevention and treatment services,” Says Uladi Amos, the Programme Manager of ACHI in Kaduna
One hundred and fifty were trained as Community Development Committees (CDCs) and 40 as community agents. The agents will be involved in distribution of mosquito nets to households that do not have access to nets in the target communities.
Amos says distribution of nets by ACHI in partnership with NAZARENE rural health ministry, will commence as soon as government in the region flags-off its distribution of Insecticide Treated Nets in the month of March – “so, we are going to compliment in communities and households that have no access to the mosquito nets after government’s distribution,” he explained.
Chairman of the trained Community Development Committees, Awwal Mohammed, described malaria as endemic called on Nigerian government to strengthen its fight against the disease by reviving the country’s primary health care delivery system.
Mohammed says Nigerian “government should demonstrate leadership role in the fight against malaria by investing funds and not just to leave things in the hands of donors and other supporting organisations.”
WHO record shows a wide gap in the funding and resources needed for universal coverage of interventions. “An estimated US$ 5.1 billion is needed every year for this purpose. In 2012, the global total of international and domestic funding for malaria was US$ 2.5 billion – less than half of what is needed.”