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LIGHT FOR THE WORLD Reaches-Out To Blind and Disabled People

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Vienna (Austria) – For many years, LIGHT FOR THE WORLD has been contributing to the constant drop of the global blindness rate. When the organisation first started 25 years ago, 0.6 per cent of the world’s population were still blind, whereas today thanks to a global effort, only 0.47 %* are affected.

LIGHT FOR THE WORLD not only combats avoidable blindness, but also supports people with various disabilities. In 2014 more than 59,000 children with disabilities accessed different kinds of rehabilitation and assistive devices, with 11,500 also receiving school education.

This was only possible thanks to the support of donors, foundations and public institutions, among them Bausch + Lomb, CROMA Pharma, Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung, Fondation L’OCCITANE and Sint Antonious Foundation.
Progress in the elimination of Trachoma

Trachoma is one of seven neglected tropical diseases (NTD) that are on track to be eliminated by the year 2020. LIGHT FOR THE WORLD managed to complete the mapping of trachoma in suspected endemic regions in Ethiopia and Mozambique in 2014.

After the completion of the global mapping project which is funded by the UK government, this highly painful and blinding disease will be tackled worldwide by applying a strategy called SAFE. It involves Surgeries, Antibiotics, Facial cleanliness, and Environmental change (access to clean water).

Patients who already suffer from trachoma are treated with medication and eye-lid operations.

 

New eye clinic in Mozambique

In July 2014 the groundbreaking ceremony for a new eye clinic took place in Beira, Mozambique’s second biggest city. The clinic will serve as eye-care hub for two million people in the province of Sofala. Starting from next year, 1,200 eye surgeries will be carried out annually and, most notably, thirty eye-care professionals will be trained every three years.

Source: APO

Philips Foundation Commits To Improving Lives Of Children Through UNICEF

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Nairobi (Kenya) – The Philips Foundation has extended its partnership with UNICEF as one of the 5 founding partners and steering committee member of the UNICEF Global Innovation Center (GIC).

The GIC based in Nairobi, Kenya is designed to build scale and accelerate innovations that will improve children’s lives around the world. The Philips Foundation will also provide UNICEF’s innovation team with consultation and access to Philips innovation processes and solutions as well as the company’s internal network of researchers and designers to solve challenges.

“With the Global Innovation Centre and Innovation Fund, UNICEF is building new forms of engagement between businesses and development organizations that bring resources and expertise, to bear on children’s issues,” said Dr. Sharad Sapra, Director of the UNICEF Global Innovation Centre.

“UNICEF welcomes the valuable contribution of the founding members of the Global Innovation Centre and Innovation Fund for their willingness to approach partnerships in an innovative way, and for their commitment to improving children’s lives and futures,” he added.

The Philips Foundation is actively engaging in projects around the world that improve people’s lives since it was incorporated as a charitable organization in 2014.

The Foundation will link UNICEF’s Innovation team with support at Royal Philips to maximize the strength of their current projects and realize opportunities to scale technology across countries even faster.

They will meet this week in a workshop led by Philips Design to bring the GIC committee members together in a collaborative environment to explore the many ways in which each member can engage with innovation opportunities to create the most impactful outcomes for children in the near future.

“Supporting the UNICEF Global Innovation Centre is a natural next-step in our partnership with UNICEF as it allows us to leverage Royal Philips’ technology, innovation know-how and employees in a really meaningful way to bring scale to social innovators in communities around the world in support of children,” said Ronald de Jong, Member of the Executive Committee at Royal Philips and Chairman of the Philips Foundation.

“Innovation as a means to improve people’s lives is at the heart of who we are at Philips and we increasingly seek engagement and co-creation with strong partners like UNICEF.”

It is the second project in the Philips Foundation-UNICEF partnership following the Maker Movement project which supports social entrepreneurs to create, prototype and scale-up, low-cost maternal and newborn child health equipment in Nairobi, Kenya.

The project also leverages the on-ground expertise of employees at the Philips Africa Innovation Hub in Nairobi to mentor social entrepreneurs to support infrastructure.
Source: APO

Nigeria: Stakeholders Seek Quick Implementation of National Health Act Provisions

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By Mohammad Ibrahim

Kaduna (Nigeria) – A Nigerian Non-Governmental Organisation, Maternal and Child Health Civil Society (MCH-CS) Partnership has called for the timely release of guidelines that will lead to effective implementation of the National Health Act.

An official of the Partnership, Benjamin Maigari who made the call was speaking at a Civil Society-Media Forum, organised by Development Communication Network DEVCOMS in Kaduna, Northwest Nigeria.

He described the guidelines as the sure roadmap needed by relevant stakeholders to understand their scope and limits, as well as what is expected of them in the implementation of the law.

He applauded Nigeria for coming up with the Act, saying the country will through it demonstrate its seriousness and love for ‘women of child bearing age’ and address health concerns, especially at the Primary Health Care level.

He said Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria are willing to engage and support government towards implementation of the Act for the good of the citizens.

Addressing participants, Director Public Health in the Kaduna State Ministry of Health, Dr Ado Zakari Mohammed said the Act was aimed at strengthening health delivery system in Nigeria, by identifying dedicated source of funding and defining roles for all stakeholders in the health sector.

“We thank God the government has assented the National Health Act, what remains now is for its proper implementation at all levels in the country for quality service delivery,” he said.

The Director also urged Nigerians to restore confidence in public health facilities, especially in Kaduna State as plans are on to strengthen supervision and other oversight functions.

Dr. Ado decried attitude of public health workers which has sent many citizens away from patronising the facilities, saying “a research has shown that 60 percent of Nigerians have lost confidence in public Health service delivery.”

Dr Ado who added that Nigeria is yet to reduce its high maternal mortality ratio, urged CSOs to educate citizens on the need to patronise health facilities for antenatal care and childbirth deliveries.

Nigerian President-Elect Orders Aides To Obey Traffic Rules

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By Mohammad Ibrahim

Kaduna (Nigeria) – President-elect Muhammadu Buhari has ordered security agents attached to him to respect and obey traffic regulations during his movements.

In a statement released by his media team in Abuja, Buhari said abiding by the law would be the guiding philosophy of his administration.

He added that without leadership by example, the ordinary citizens would become copycats of the lawlessness of their leaders.

Buhari said arrogance of power, lawlessness and disregard for rights and convenience of fellow citizens would have no place in his government.

“for leaders to inspire respect, they must obey the laws of country, knowing that when leaders treat the country’s laws with contempt, they might send the wrong message to the citizens.

Buhari lamented a situation in which fellow citizens are punished at traffic points and public roads because of the “arrogant lawlessness of the leaders”.

He said in a democracy, leaders should not inflict inconveniences and other unbearable ordeals on the citizens for their own comfort.

The president-elect advised his military and police security personnel to be in tune with his philosophy of “bringing the rule of law in the conduct of leaders during their movements on public roads”.

Nigerian Government Cautions President-Elect Over Reversing Power Sector Reform

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By Mohammad Ibrahim
Kaduna (Nigeria) – Nigeria Government has asked president-elect Muhammadu Buhari not to reverse the privatisation of the power sector carried out by the outgoing administration.
Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo made the call in an interview with State House correpondents after the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting.
According to him, any call for the incoming government to reverse the exercise was an ill-advice.
The Minister added that any effort to do that would mean to set the nation back for many decades.
“On privatisation, ‎I think the incoming government will be ill-advised to ‎reverse privatisation and liberalisation of power generation, transmission and distribution because any attempt to do that would be to set Nigeria back many decades.
“The gains of privatisation are very obvious. If we can solve the problem of gas like we are talking about energy mix, we are not just going by gas, we are doing hydros.
“It was this same administration that flagged off Zungeru hydro power plants for 750MW and it is in the bid to flag off Mambilla 3,050MW.
“Shiroro has been improved, revamped, Kanji revamped and improved, the same as Jebba.
“So, there is a lot of work being done by the government; however to turn back on privatisation would mean stopping all of these companies and then reversing the massive in-flow of investments coming into the power sector.
“Nigeria’s power consumption per capita is one of the lowest in the world and that is part of the efforts of government to reverse that. So I ‎don’t think it is in the best interest of the country to reverse privatisation.”
He also attributed the poor power provision being witnessed across the country to those he named demon-possessed Nigerians who he said deduce pleasure in vandalising gas pipelines without any reason.
“I have never in my life seen anything as frustrating ‎as what we are experiencing today.
“Every month, the Nigerian gas company spends a minimum of N120 million to fix gas pipeline.
”Every two weeks, western axis pipelines are vandalised and that is pure sabotage; the eastern axis pipelines are vandalised and that is oil theft.”
“Four major joints they are working on is going to cost them N1.5 billion. Is that the way to give light to the country?” the Minister questioned.
He said the situation underpinned the problem of planning and putting all the nation’s eggs in one basket which this government has done everything to reverse.
The minister said there were days he felt like crying over vandalism.
It should be mentioned that power sector shareholders have expressed different views about how the incoming administration should handle the industry, especially the privatisation of key power assets.
While some Nigerians call for a review of the privatisation of the power sector, others see it as unnecessary and uncalled for.

Nigeria: PDP Tackles APC Over Funds Mismanagement Allegations

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By Mohammad Ibrahim

Kaduna (Nigeria) – Special adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on political affairs, Rufai Ahmed Alkali has responded to the alarm raised by All Progressives Congress (APC) that President Jonathan is running the economy beached before handing over.

He described the allegation as immature, reckless and out of tune with the President’s desire and patriotic commitment to a peaceful transfer of power.

Alkali therefore advised APC to talk less and plan more as Nigeria moves towards the handover date.

According to him, governance is a serious business.

” Their allegation is immature, reckless and out of tune with the President’s desire and patriotic commitment to a peaceful transfer of power.

“Nigerians will recall that shortly after the results of the Presidential elections were announced, President Goodluck Jonathan inaugurated a high powered transition committee to plan and organize a hitch free transition programme for the inauguration of the incoming administration.

“Surprisingly, it took the APC more than three weeks to wake up to its responsibility to constitute its own transition committee.

“How then can they turn round to accuse the government of frustrating the transition programme?

“Since the setting up of the committee, the President and the entire machinery of the Federal Government have been put on the transition mode and all government officers have been giving maximum cooperation to the incoming transition committee.” He said.

He stated that President Jonathan remains in office up to the 29th of May 2015 when he formally hands over to the incoming President according to the Constitution.

Insurgency: Nigerian Church Decries Government Silence on Support

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By Longtong Ibrahim

Jos (Nigeria) – Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN) Church has decried the silence of Nigerian Government and the International Community toward calls to assist the Church over Boko Haram insurgency, which has affected about 70 percent of its members spread across the North Eastern part of the country.

President of the Church, Rev. Dr. Samuel Dante Dali made this known at the 68th EYN annual convention at the EYN Annex Headquarters, Bolder Hills in Jos.

Rev. Dante lamented that, despites all efforts in gaining the government attention, the Christian Board and the international community, it yielded no results as they were told the insignificant number of members of about one million could not attract government’s attention.

He said the EYN church being the predominant church in the North East has been the most hit of the Boko Haram insurgency, stating that about 70 percent of its members have been displaced from their homes and scattered across the country, and beyond. This Includes 356 pastors, 346 assistant pastors, and 1,390 Evangelists and the relocation of the Church Leadership headquarters to Jos, Plateau state, he added.

“In 2009, the tsunami of Boko Haram gradually swept across our territory and drowned many of our members. Most of our churches and properties were destroyed while most of us were flushed out into unknown bushes, mountains and strange places where most of us are living as refugees or internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).”

“We have lost so many precious lives and properties which are irreplaceable. We have lost a total of 1,674 worshiping centres. Our medical and educational institution like KBC, CSS, Michika, Madu, Lassa, Chibok, Literacy Centre, and Mason Technical School and most of the medical clinics have been destroyed or closed down for an indefinite period of time,” he lamented.

Rev. Dante further added that the essence of the convention was to bring delegate from all parts of the country and the church abroad to encourage each other especially during the insurgency period; pointing out that the church in its own capacity have located the victims affected and assisted them in various means.

He said the church has made a five year plan and constituted a disaster management committee saddled with the responsibilities of purchasing food and other materials for distribution to the IDPs, purchasing Land, and construction of settlement centers for IDPs; and also organizing seminar and workshops on trauma healing, peace building and reconciliation; adding that the church hoped to rebuild the churches and properties destroyed as soon as the security situation of the country improves.

The President however thanked the Christian bodies in Nigeria, the Church of the Brethren in America and other mission partners for supporting the church through financial and material means to aid the displaced victims; and further called on its members not to relent in contributing to the rebuilding of the new EYN.

In his remarks, Rtd Cpt. Paul Thahal thanked the missionaries who established the church in 1923 and called on all Nigerians to live in peace irrespective of religious and cultural affiliation.

During the convention, 34 couples took an oath to serve as Probational Ministers to assist in church leadership in the Local church Councils; while 13 Pastors were ordained and were later admonished to be steward of God’s people and property.

Management Blames Electricity Workers For Northwest Nigeria Blackout

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By Bello Adisa

Kaduna (Nigeria) – Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Kaduna Electricity and Distribution Company (KEDC), Garba Haruna, has warned warned that as a privately owned firm, the company does not need any external labour union to operate.

Haruna was reacting to a 3-Day warning strike embarked by workers which led to black-out in four Northwestern states of Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi – the strike ended on Wednesday.

He said the company had in its privatisation stages entered an agreement with the workers that once their severance was paid, they would only be engaged as contract staff for a period of six months which is due this May.

According to the MD, the management has given interested candidates, inclusive of existing staff the opportunity to apply for job through an online process, after which successful candidates would be invited for aptitude tests and interview – all in an attempt to get best hands, as the work required efficiency.

He further added that all the existing staff were paid 100% severance package, and it was agreed that the new investor has the right to terminate their appointment and recruit young, energetic and information communication technology driven staff.

“We don’t need the union to come and sit with us and tell us what to do just the way they have been doing with previous management. I did not see where union comes in as regarding privatization process.

“The reason for blackout include the activity of the union who stopped some of the staff from work, but we are doing everything to restore the power as soon as possible while the consultation is going on. So, embarking on strike and blocking the road will not solve their problem,” the Management said.

Workers of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, KEDC had on Monday, staged a protest to mark the beginning of three-day warning strike, resulting from communication gap between the workers’ union and company’s management.

Assistant Secretary of National Union of Electricity Employees, North-West, Comrade Moses Amedu, alleged delay in payment of monthly salary, non payment of salary arrears, inadequate equipment to work with, poor medical policy, non recognition of labour union and low supply of electricity to consumers in the aforementioned states.

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