TIG Post

Tag: COVID-19

  • In the UK, COVID infections are up 14% and have reached a million

    Official estimates indicate that there are now over one million Covid infections in the UK.

    The number of individuals testing positive increased by 14% in the week ending September 20. This is the highest increase since the summer.

    But according to the Office for National Statistics, there is no concrete indication that a fall Covid surge has begun (ONS).

    More recent data showing a rise in hospital admissions with Covid has been called “a wake-up call”.

    Dr Thomas Waite, deputy chief medical officer for England, told BBC News that a number of new sub-variants of Omicron were circulating at low levels, and could be behind the hospital figures.

    Daily hospital admissions are lower than where they were for much of July but highest among the oldest age groups.

    However, six out of 10 people with Covid in hospital are being treated for something else – not Covid-19.

    “The fact there are people getting so seriously ill they need to go into hospital is a wake-up call to us all that Covid is still here,” said Dr Waite.

    Health experts have warned of a flu and Covid “twindemic” this winter, urging those who qualify to get their free jabs now.

    Too early to call

    Although Covid is increasing in England and Wales, the trend is uncertain in Scotland and Northern Ireland, the ONS says.

    Sarah Crofts, from the ONS Covid-19 Infection Survey, said: “It is too early to identify whether this is the start of a new wave of infections. We will continue to closely monitor the data.”

    The ONS estimates are based on thousands of random tests on people in private households across the UK, whether or not they have symptoms.

    In the UK as a whole, it is the first time estimated Covid infections have risen above one million since the end of August 2022.

    In England, infections rose in the North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, the West Midlands, the East of England, London, and the South East – and in all age groups.

    The tests found that about one in 60 people had Covid in the UK in the week to 20 September, up from one in 70 the week before.

    But there were noticeable differences in trends in the four nations of the UK.

    The ONS says Covid is infecting:

    • one in 65 people in England (up from one in 70)
    • one in 50 people in Wales (up from one in 75)
    • one in 80 in Northern Ireland (the same as the week before)
    • one in 45 in Scotland (up from one in 55)

    Data is for the week ending 17 September 2022 for England, and the week ending 20 September 2022 for Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

    The most common Covid symptom is currently a sore throat, with fever and loss of smell much rarer, according to symptoms logged by 3,000 people testing positive via the Covid symptom app.

    Booster jabs against Covid, alongside flu vaccinations, are now being offered to the most vulnerable to help protection over the winter.

    Most people will receive a new type of vaccine – made by Pfizer or Moderna – which tackles both the original Covid virus and the recent Omicron variant, offering better protection.

    ‘Unpredictable’

    There were 7,000 people in hospital in England with Covid last week – a 37% increase from the week before.

    Hospital admissions with Covid were running at around 900 per day, compared to roughly 2,000 in early July during the last surge of Omicron infections.

    Hospital patients and care home residents are no longer being tested for Covid in most of the UK unless they have symptoms.

    Dr Mary Ramsay, director of public health programmes at the UK Health Security Agency, is expecting “an unpredictable winter” which will put additional pressure on health services.

    “In the coming weeks, we expect a double threat of low immunity and widely circulating flu and Covid-19,” she said.

    “While Covid-19 and flu can be mild infections for many, we must not forget that they can cause severe illness or even death for those most vulnerable in our communities.”

    She urged people who were unwell this winter to stay at home and avoid contact with vulnerable people to help prevent infections from spreading.

  • We’re yet to recover from COVID-19 impacts – Aflao SMEs

    Owners of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) at Aflao in the Ketu South district say they are still suffering the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis.

    They said the COVID-19-induced restrictions, especially the closure of the border for two years, had affected the municipality and in particular, Aflao, home to Ghana’s busiest land border, leading to the collapse of their businesses.

    This came to light at a town hall meeting organised at Aflao by a civic organisation, BudgIT Ghana in partnership with OXLADE Consulting and Open Foundations Society on the OSIWA Project.

    The OSIWA project is aimed to assess post economic resilience of small-scale businesses in the country to have accurate information to aid in the recovery of these businesses.

    The town hall meeting was on the theme: “Pre and Post-COVID-19 Pandemic Socio-Economic Resilience Strategies: Impact and Lessons from Stakeholders.”

    Attendees shared their experiences during the Covid-19 period, and thereafter, with major emphasis on the adaptation and coping strategies of their businesses, employment and working conditions, impacts on wages and incomes, food consumption, borrowings and asset holdings, and the level of government support.

    Participants, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency, said their day-to-day economic activities halted due to the trade restrictions and confinement measures announced by the government and with no form of support to cushion them from the economic hardship.

    Mama Hedenya Xenyo II, Queen of Aflao Aflagatigorme, said the economic impact on her subjects and some colleague traditional leaders during the peak of COVID-19 was huge and it would be good for some support to be extended to them because “even now, we’re yet to fully recover from it.”

    “We thank our Chief, Torgbui Aglasu Xenyo III because, at a time when it became difficult for my electorates to feed, he gave out money for items, including bags of maize, rice and gallons of cooking oil.

    No support came from the local Assembly or the central government to us, not even the free water because for a long time, we’ve not had water,” Alhaji Mohammed Amuzu, Assembly member for Aflagatigorme Electoral Area said.

    Madam Lebene Dzumador, a shopkeeper, said: “We’re still feeling the heat and now that this organisation has come to hear our concerns, it’s my hope that something positive will happen.”

    Mr Khiddir Iddris, Research and Programme Lead at BudgIT Ghana said his organisation and stakeholders’ role in boosting health sector accountability and vaccine equity in Ghana.

    He said the government, like others globally, continued to play a crucial role in cushioning people and firms from the pandemic and its economic fallout.

    “It’s important that we assess the relief packages that the government has provided so far as well as socio-economic resilience of businesses, especially from this border town,” Mr Iddris said.

    Source: GNA

  • We’re yet to recover from COVID-19 impacts – Aflao SMEs

    Owners of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in the Ketu South district’s Aflao claim that the COVID-19 crisis’ economic effects are still being felt there.

    They claimed that the COVID-19-induced limitations, particularly the two-year border closure, had an impact on the municipality and in particular Aflao, which is home to Ghana’s busiest land border, causing their enterprises to fail.

    This was revealed at a town hall meeting on the OSIWA Project that was held in Aflao by the civic organization BudgIT Ghana in collaboration with OXLADE Consulting and Open Foundations Society.

    In order to have reliable information to support the rehabilitation of these enterprises, the OSIWA project aims to analyze the post-economic resilience of small-scale businesses in the nation.

    The town hall meeting was on the theme: “Pre and Post-COVID-19 Pandemic Socio-Economic Resilience Strategies: Impact and Lessons from Stakeholders.”

    Attendees shared their experiences during the Covid-19 period, and thereafter, with major emphasis on the adaptation and coping strategies of their businesses, employment and working conditions, impacts on wages and incomes, food consumption, borrowings and asset holdings, and the level of government support.

    Participants, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency, said their day-to-day economic activities halted due to the trade restrictions and confinement measures announced by the government and with no form of support to cushion them from the economic hardship.

    Mama Hedenya Xenyo II, Queen of Aflao Aflagatigorme, said the economic impact on her subjects and some colleague traditional leaders during the peak of COVID-19 was huge and it would be good for some support to be extended to them because “even now, we’re yet to fully recover from it.”

    “We thank our Chief, Torgbui Aglasu Xenyo III because, at a time when it became difficult for my electorates to feed, he gave out money for items, including bags of maize, rice and gallons of cooking oil.

    No support came from the local Assembly or the central government to us, not even the free water because for a long time, we’ve not had water,” Alhaji Mohammed Amuzu, Assembly member for Aflagatigorme Electoral Area said.

    Madam Lebene Dzumador, a shopkeeper, said: “We’re still feeling the heat and now that this organisation has come to hear our concerns, it’s my hope that something positive will happen.”

    Mr Khiddir Iddris, Research and Programme Lead at BudgIT Ghana said his organisation and stakeholders’ role in boosting health sector accountability and vaccine equity in Ghana.

    He said the government, like others globally, continued to play a crucial role in cushioning people and firms from the pandemic and its economic fallout.

    “It’s important that we assess the relief packages that the government has provided so far as well as socio-economic resilience of businesses, especially from this border town,” Mr Iddris said.

  • Don’t abandon COVID-19 protocols : Public advised at health science conference

    The fourth biennial scientific conference of the College of Health Sciences of the University of Ghana opened in Accra yesterday[September 28, 2022], with a call on Ghanaian public to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols in order not to be overtaken by events.

    The Chief Executive Officer of Promasidor Ghana, Festus Tettey, who made the call, said the public appeared to have become complacent with the pandemic, and were no longer vigilant.

    “A few places of business still provide hand sanitisers, while most don’t provide hand-washing logistics. Let us not become complacent in adhering to all the necessary precautions that we have learnt to follow,” he advised.

    The three-day conference — attended by professionals and experts in the health sciences — was dubbed: “COVID-19 pandemic to date: the uncertain path ahead”.

    Mr Tettey said it was possible to slow down and prevent the spread of the pandemic and any new diseases that the country might encounter, stressing, however, that the onus was on everyone to take personal responsibility by adhering to the protocols.

    Health system

    He pointed out that COVID-19 had become a feature of the health system, and that it was important that people learnt to live with it.

    “Despite the strides made globally and in the country in combating the pandemic, the path ahead is still unclear. Indeed, as recently as last month, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned of more dangerous COVID-19 variants.

    “This come on top of other viral disease outbreaks such as Monkeypox. All these facts support the assertion that the path ahead is uncertain.

    Let us not be complacent in adhereing to all the necessary precautions in our everyday lives,” he added.

    Mr Tettey said the outbreak of COVID-19 affected the economy, including supply chain disruptions that had led to massive costs to businesses.

    Poor vaccination

    The Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Research, Innovation and Development of the University of Ghana, Prof. Felix Ankomah Asante, said it was serious that about 68 per cent of the country’s population were reported not to have been vaccinated against the health crisis.

    He urged the conference to deliberate on why Ghanaians were behaving that way towards the vaccination, pointing out that if the country was able to achieve 100 per cent coverage immunisation of children under five in certain areas, it should be possible to achieve same for the whole population.

    Prof. Asante gave the assurance that the university would continue to provide the enabling environment to conduct high quality research to address the needs of the country.

    He disclosed that the university, through its office of research, innovation and development, hoped to review its current research areas towards ones that promoted innovation; re-orient its research towards addressing global challenges, and for its faculty to train the next generation of scientists and researchers.

    Prof. Asante explained that malaria research would, for example, be broadened to include COVID-19 and non-communicable diseases, while considering the use of artificial intelligence in the research strategy.

    The Provost of the College of Health Sciences of the University of Ghana, Prof. Julius Fobil, said conferences of the college were one of the several ways it sought to promote its research, provide services and address the health challenges of the nation and the global community.

    Source:graphiconline.com

  • Ghana is benefiting from Russia-Ukraine war – John Jinapor

    The Ranking Member of Parliament’s Mines and Energy Committee, John Jinapor, has refuted claims by the government that the Russia-Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic are the cause of the challenges in Ghana.

    According to him, data from the Ministry of Finance shows that these two events have been a blessing to the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government.

    John Jinapor, who made these remarks in an XYY interview monitored by GhanaWeb, explained that because of the Russia-Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic, the government had exceeded most of its revenue projections.

    “If you look at the summary of the financial data of the country from January to June this year, which was published by the Ministry of Finance, you will notice that the government has benefited from these two things, particularly because of the rise in the prices of petroleum prices.

    “The Summary of Central Government Operation, which was published by the ministry, shows that the country at the end of the 2nd quarter collected 127 percent of its projected tax revenue from oil products. When it comes to royalties from oil production, we have gotten 133 percent of projected revenue. For the financial sector levy, we have gotten 133 percent of projected revenue.

    “For the COVID-19 levy, we have gotten 170 percent of what we budgeted for. We have gotten 150 percent of the oil revenue we budgeted for. So, one can observe that Ghana is rather benefiting from the Russia-Ukraine war in terms of revenue when it comes to the government side,” he said in Twi.

    Jinapor, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Yapei-Kusawgu, further stated that Ghanaians are going through a lot of hardship because the government has refused to use the windfall in revenues to bring some reprieve to the citizenry.

    Meanwhile, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, during his speech at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, said that the Russia-Ukraine War was having a devastating impact on Ghana and other African countries.

    “As we grappled with these economic challenges, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine burst upon us, aggravating an already difficult situation. It is not just the dismay that we feel at seeing such deliberate devastation of cities and towns in Europe in the year 2022; we are feeling this war directly in our lives in Africa.

    “Every bullet, every bomb, every shell that hits a target in Ukraine, hits our pockets and our economies in Africa. The economic turmoil is global with inflation as the number one enemy this year,” the president said.

  • He knew the consequences would come – Kwamena Duncan to Akufo-Addo

    President of the Republic Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo ‘prophesied’ the economic woes that have befallen Ghanaians, according to former Central Regional Minister Kwamena Duncan.

    Kwamena Duncan claims that the President made steps to save lives during the Coronavirus outbreak while well aware that the nation would eventually confront these crises.

    He stated that the President made a hard choice when the deadly viral disease swept the country.

    “It is by his efforts that we all have lived today to go up and down, that today it’s impossible that thousands and thousands of our Ghanaian youth could gather at the Independence Square. He chose to protect, to save lives. That’s what the President did; so he must continue to hold his head high . . . If you save lives, it will be at the expense of some other thing. Akufo-Addo was prophetic when he made the hard choice and which was the best choice. So, he knew the consequences would come,” he said.

    But the former Minister was however confident that the President will not let down the citizenry.

    He assured Ghanaians that the President and his government is set on the right course to salvage the economy, therefore called on them to rally behind the Akufo-Addo administration.

    “This country, we need to stay together. What has happened now is a major hurdle but I trust the leadership, we will go over this hurdle and we get back on course,” he stated.

    Kwamena Duncan made these submissions on Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo” morning show while discussing the Government of Ghana’s resort to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout.

  • Ofori-Atta says Ghana’s economy is gradually improving despite shocks

    In spite of recent devastating shocks, the economy of Ghana, according to Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta, is growing only a little.

    “Overall, our growth outturn of 3.4% and 4.8% in Q1 and Q2 of 2022 respectively, coupled with modest improvements in our fiscal position, suggests our economy is gradually on the upswing despite the numerous shocks we have faced over the past two years,” he said at a press briefing on Wednesday.

    “These figures demonstrate that in spite of recent challenges, there has been economic growth, modest as the gains so far may be,” the Finance Minister added.

    Mr. Ofori-Atta said this progress gives Ghana a solid foundation to confront its economic challenges head-on.

    “Undoubtedly, global risks remain on the horizon, including a strengthening US dollar and higher interest rates which negatively affect external borrowing. This development is exerting enormous pressure on our Balance of Payment position, and thus the need for us to expedite our engagement with the IMF.”

    Ghana is currently seeking a $3 billion bailout programme from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

    Ghana was compelled to seek IMF support because of the worsening debt stock, fiscal challenges, depreciation of the cedi, upsurge in inflation, as well as shocks from COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war.

    Mr. Ofori-Atta told the press that the Ghana Revenue Authority has intensified its efforts to shore up domestic revenue mobilization, particularly in relation to the enforcement of compliance measures, in a bid to resolve the country’s fiscal challenges.

    “The increased visibility of GRA officials at shopping malls and various commercial establishments and at our borders across the country is in pursuit of meeting our revenue objectives.”

    Cedi depreciation

    With regard to the cedi which has depreciated by 37.1% against the US Dollar as of Tuesday, September 27, 2022, Ofori-Atta said the government has put efforts in place to arrest the free fall of the currency.

    He further indicated that the Bank of Ghana has introduced enhanced measures such as a Special Foreign exchange auction for bulk distribution companies and a Gold Purchase Programme to contain the depreciation of the cedi.

    “As part of measures to shore up our reserves, improve exchange rate stability and address some of the funding needs, the Ministry successfully worked on a US$750 million Afreximbank loan facility which was received in August 2022. The traditional Cocoa Syndication Loan, expected in the last quarter of 2022 which will promote the cocoa sector, will further help us build our FX reserves and provide a strong buffer for the cedi in the last quarter of the year.”

    “Additionally, the Bank of Ghana has introduced enhanced measures such as a Special Foreign exchange auction for bulk distribution companies and a Gold Purchase Programme to contain the depreciation of the cedi, which is now slowing down,” he added.

  • Disaster plan needed for extractives sector — GhEITI report

    For extractive businesses and metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies, Ghana Extractives Industry Transparency International (GhEITI) has advocated the creation of a disaster and epidemic preparedness and response plan (MMDAs).

    This will serve as a guide for developing future disaster response plans.

    It recommended expanding the number of medical facilities nationwide in order to effectively handle upcoming pandemics.

    The recommendation was contained in a study by GhEITI after it assessed the “Effects of COVID- 19 on the Petroleum and Mining Sector in Ghana.”

    The study findings are intended to be used by stakeholders, both to support their recovery from the pandemic and prepare for future uncertainties.

    Some findings

    It emerged that due to the pandemic, extractive sector governance and statutory obligations (companies): governance mechanisms including routine engagement with community members, local authorities and stakeholders, were all suspended to reduce the risk of contracting the virus.

    “For instance, application for permits and follow-up verification visits were hindered as a result of COVID-19 measures, including movement restrictions and closure of regulatory agencies’ offices.”

    “At the sub-national level, local-level engagement between MMDAs and communities, which provided the platform for addressing mining communities’ grievances, were irregular,” it said.

    According to the study, the slowdown of economic activities by the pandemic affected revenue mobilisation efforts of sub-national governments and hindered the delivery of public goods.

    District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) releases to MMDAs were also severely constrained by the impact of the pandemic on central government revenue mobilisation and expenditure.

    The study, however, revealed that mineral royalties were the most consistent government revenue stream for MMDAs during the pandemic.

    Extractive sector

    The study states that the extractive sector is a significant contributor to Ghana’s economy, and contributes about 14 per cent of the gross domestic product with more than 67 per cent of the economy’s incomes from export emerging from the sector.

    Additionally, about 50 per cent of externally sourced investments into the economy come from the sector. Regarding tax revenue, the sector contributes the most. It accounts for about 18 per cent of government revenues, while contributing about two per cent to the country’s employment.

    COVID-19 on production

    Crude oil production in Ghana is sourced from the Jubilee, Tweneboa Enyenra, Ntomme (TEN) and Sankofa Gye Nyame fields.

    According to the study, in 2020, a total of 66,926,806 bbls was produced from the three producing fields, representing about six per cent decline compared to the 2019 production figure of 71,439,585 bbls. This was as a result of production decline on the Jubilee and TEN fields.

    As price of crude oil tumbled on the global market, petroleum revenue shortfall was inevitable. Crude oil benchmark price was reset to US$39 instead of its projected US$62.90 at the start of 2020.

    “Overall, petroleum receipts declined to US$666.4 million (GHȻ3,838 million) in 2020, compared to the receipts of US$937.6 million (GHȻ4,899.91 million) in the same period in 2019.

    “Declining petroleum revenues also affected transfers to the Ghana Heritage Fund (GHF) and the Ghana Stabilisation Fund (GSF). The GSF lost about US$1.9m of possible revenue, while the GHF and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) lost between US$78m and US$110m respectively in transfers.

  • Government will hit a snag with debt calculation in IMF negotiation – Terkper

    According to Seth Terkper, a former minister of finance, the government will face difficulties when calculating the various debts accumulated throughout the time period for the debt sustainability analysis with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

    On Tuesday, September 27, 2022, Mr. Terkper said on Morning Starr with Francis Abban that the administration must provide a number of debts for examination as part of the bargaining process.

    If there is a chance that they won’t be paid, any additional debt that Parliament guaranteed will need to be added.
    Therefore, this is where the scanning must be done.
    These will all need to be discussed in relation to the framework for debt sustainability.

    “That is what the statement that was issued yesterday was talking about the success of the negotiations which is dependent on a stable situation going forward. The debt sustainability framework actually puts in all these debt situations, for example your ability to generate foreign exchange to service the foreign debts. Your ability to raise revenue,” Mr. Terkper stated.

    He continued: “Now your trade and other things come in, your growth probability and others are fed in and extended over a long period of ten years plus. So that is how long that analysis goes and it means there is a major problem as we have always discussed the calculation of arrears and the calculation of debts.”

    He added that there are issues of arrears arising from nonpayment of domestic and foreign on the purchase of crude during the COVID-19 period and arrears owed contractors among others.

    The Ministry of Finance on Monday announced that the IMF delegation is currently undertaking a comprehensive debt sustainability analysis of the country.

    “The Government of Ghana is putting together a comprehensive post-Covid-19 economic programme which will form the basis for the IMF negotiations.

    “The programme seeks to establish a macro-fiscal path that ensures debt sustainability and macroeconomic stability, underpinned by key structural reforms and social protection.”

    Background

    An International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff team, led by Stéphane Roudet, Mission Chief for Ghana, is in Accra to continue discussions with the Ghanaian authorities on policies and reforms that could be supported by an IMF lending arrangement.

    The IMF staff will also further engage with other stakeholders during the visit.

    There was an IMF staff team visit in July that saw the initial discussions with the Ghanaian authorities.

    “We characterized that mission as constructive, kickstarted the process, and laid the groundwork for engagement,” Gerry Rice, the Director of Communications for the IMF told a media engagement ahead of this week’s visit.

    Ghana is in dire need of a $3 billion package from the fund to shore up its economy.

  • Nzema Manle Rural Bank posts impressive turnover in 2021

    The Nzema Manle Rural Bank PLC recorded a profit after tax of GH¢632,039 for the year ending 2021, against GH¢553,427 in 2020 with a percentage change of 14.20.

    The bank recorded such performance despite the challenging global and domestic environment such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian and Ukraine war.

    Mr. Wisdom Quaku, Board Chairman of the bank, announced the performance at the 39th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of shareholders and directors of the bank at Tikobo Number Two in the Jomoro Municipality of the Western Region.

    Mr. Quaku announced the approval of a final dividend of GH¢0.0073 per share totaling GH¢101,403 for shareholders, adding that the “payment of this dividend is necessary after almost two years when the last dividend was declared.”

    He said the bank would continue to pay dividends to shareholders depending on their investments or shares and hinted that a total deposit recorded in 2021 was GH¢54,160,100 against GH¢47,657,971 with a percentage change of 13.64%.

    The bank also recorded an investment of GH¢36,401,689 in 2021 as against GH¢30,266,874 in 2020 with a percentage change of 20.27.

    Total Income soared from GH¢6,921,757 in 2020 to GH¢8,630,159 in 2021 with a percentage change of 24.68., while a total Expenditure in 2020 was GHc6,167,108 with a sharp increase of GH¢7,451,847 in 2021 representing a 20.83 percentage change.

    He said paid-up capital increased from GH¢1,261,954 in 2020 to GH¢1,269,571 in 2021 with 0.06. With shareholders Fund also rose from GH¢3,700,424 in 2020 to GH¢4,098,634 in 2021 with a percentage change of 10.76.

    Total Assets increased from GH¢54,948,539 in 2020 to GH¢61,173,277 in 2021 recording 11.33.

    Mr. Quaiku told shareholders that as part of corporate governance directive, the bank was committed to managing its business in a sustainable way and upholding the highest standards of ethics and corporate governance practices.

    On corporate social responsibility, he said the bank had expended GH¢45,044 across its operational areas, adding that an amount of GH¢5,800 was devoted to medical support.

    He said the Tikobo Number Two Anglican Primary School water project was completed at a cost of GH¢13,294.00 with GH¢4,950.00 spent on packets of iron sheets of the Gwira Enyinase M/A Junior High School.

    The bank also spent GH¢3,000.00 on the orientation of newly trained teachers and GH¢500 on ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) Week celebration of the Ellembelle District court.

    One thousand cedis went to the Association of Nzema Students and GH¢6,000.00 being the cost of hospital beds donated to the St. Martin’s De Porres Hospital at Eikwe.

    On the outlook for 2022 and beyond, Mr.Quaiku said the war between Russia and Ukraine, the passage of the E-Levy Act, rising inflation, rising fuel prices, exchange rate depreciation was likely to affect economic activities in the country, in the short to medium term.

    He was confident that economic activities across the globe would rebound when countries had adjusted to the current geo-economic climate in the world.

    “The opening up of our borders along the ECOWAS countries after their closure following the COVID-19 pandemic businesses and trading would soon pick up across West Africa.

    The Managing Director of ARB Apex Bank, Mr. Alex Kwesi Awuah, said his outfit was ready to assist the Bank as part of the rural banking sector support.

    He said the ARB Apex Bank would continue to partner Rural Banks and assured shareholders of their support to grow the banks.

    Mr. Awuah lauded the Board and Directors for the prudent management and appealed to shareholders to invest in the bank and buy more shares.

    President of the Western Regional Rural Banks Association (WERBA) whose speech was read on his behalf by the Board Chairman of the Jomoro Rural Bank, Professor Cobbold, stated that in the face of the COVID-19, it was commendable for the Nzema Manle Rural Bank to post impressive financial performance.

    He also lauded the Bank for its Corporate Social Responsibility and urged them to do more.

    Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NMRB, Mr. Thomas Quayson lauded the efforts of stakeholders of the Bank and that the Bank would intensify its efforts to maximize its operational results.

    Chief of Tikobo Nana Arvo Nwiah V heaped praises on the Bank for its sterling feat at a time when many business champions in the world were collapsing.

    He said the town had benefitted immensely from the Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility and appealed to the Bank to bring more developmental projects to the area as more of the shareholders came from the area.

    Awards such as flat screen Television sets, Refrigerators, fridges, machetes and plaques were given to shareholders who had transacted business with the Bank for 10 years and above.

    Source: GNA

  • Korle-Bu staff to undergo mass vaccination following renewed COVID-19 outbreak

    Staff of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital have been directed to undergo mass testing and vaccination following the renewed COVID-19 cases reporting to the facility.

    Within the last two weeks, the hospital has confirmed about 45 positive cases compared to only three as of 11th September, 2022.

    “Surveillance data from the Public Health Unit of the Hospital indicate that from the week ending 11th September 2022 to the week ending 23rd September, 2022, the number of confirmed COVID-l9 cases has risen from 3 to 45,”…. an internal memo sighted by myxyzonline said.

    Subsequently, the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital has directed heads of all Units, Directorates, Departments and Sub-BMCs (UDSs, to mobilize staff for an ongoing COVID-19 vaccination mop-up exercise.

    The notice said a desk has also been set up at the Public Health Event Park for staff and patients interested.

    It urged departmental heads to ensure that staff, patients and relatives adhere strictly to COVID -19 protocols at all entry points to OPDs, wards, offices and waiting areas within their buildings/structures.

  • COVID-19: Korle Bu witnesses surge in cases

    This comes after the facility recorded an increase in COVID-19 cases from three to 45 within twelve days among staff and patients.

    The management of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital has beefed up COVID-19 safety protocols following a spike in the number of recorded positive cases last week.

    This comes after the facility recorded an increase in COVID-19 cases from three to 45 within twelve days among staff and patients.

    A  memo sighted by Asaase News said, “Surveillance data from the Public Health Unit of the Hospital indicate that from the week ending 11 September 2022 to the week ending 23 September 2022, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has risen from three to 45.”

    “In response to this alarming trend of sample positivity rate among staff and patients in the Hospital, a mop-up exercise for COVID-19 vaccination is being conducted by the public health unit from 22 to 25 September in all units,” the memo said.

    Earlier surge

    In June this year, at least 35 staff of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital were infected with COVID-19.

    Sources at the hospital said over 70% of the new infections were acquired within the hospital with 30% of the infections coming from outside the health facility.

    The hospital has since advised workers to strictly adhere to the COVID-19 protocols to help contain the upsurge in cases.

    “As healthcare workers, learn to live safely with coronavirus (COVID-19), it is our responsibility to reduce the risk of catching COVID-19 and passing it on to another healthcare worker or family members,” a notice to hospital staff said.

    Source: Asaase news

  • ‘I almost went mad’ – Crime Check CEO details how his wife died

    About three months after the passing of his dearest wife, the Executive director of the Crime Check Foundation, Mr. Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng, has given a vivid account of how he lost his wife to breast cancer shortly after she took a COVID-19 vaccine jab.

    Earlier in June 2022, news of the death of Mr. Oppong Kwarteng’s wife, the late Amina Oppong Kwarteng went viral.

    It can be recalled that he took to social media to break the news of his wife’s demise which he described as extremely painful.

    But in what seems like a step-by-step narration of what led to her demise, Mr. Ibrahim said among other things that his mental health deteriorated.

    According to the Crime Check Foundation boss, his whole world came to a standstill after his bubbly wife was suddenly diagnosed with breast cancer, and struggled with it ever since till she died.

    Narrating his bitter story, the Crime Check Foundation CEO said the several sessions of Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, Physiotherapy, and even the almost 100 drips/infusions couldn’t save his wife.

    Asides from the trauma of watching his wife suffer right before his eyes, Ibrahim established that he had to incur the cost of all the above treatments with his entire life savings in a Turkish hospital that charged $500 and $800 per night.

    According to him, he made all the sacrifices in high hopes that his wife would be back into his arms safe and sound and yet the unfortunate happened.

    Speaking on the Crime Check Foundation’s official YouTube channel, Mr. Oppong Kwarteng said;

    “It’s sad and heartbreaking that a woman I’ve spent 20 years with suddenly died and was been thrown away just like that. My wife is someone who stays out of trouble, she’s got no friends. She fell ill but the most painful part is, it all happened suddenly. For the past twenty years we were married she never visited the hospital or complained of any form is sickness.”

    “She went in for a COVID vaccine and after that, she started complaining of pain and discomfort in her breast. She went to the hospital and it was detected that she had breast cancer. She was required to undergo eight sessions of chemotherapy. The pain and suffering that the procedure put her through was not easy. Then she was required to go through radiotherapy afterward but we flew her to Turkey for that.

    “She went through 25 sessions of radiotherapy. Also, the cancer spread into her armpit and affected her lymph nodes so they had to operate on her and take out ten of the nodes that were affected. Prior to that, she had to go through physiotherapy 15 solid times. After that, she gave up and said she won’t continue. Later it was detected that her oxygen level dropped and her lungs were filled with water. I was going mad. I really felt like I was running mad. Then we were admitted into a ward that charges $500 a day,” he added.

    After all these, Mr. Oppong Kwarteng again disclosed that things got much worse and his wife was placed on life support on two occasions.

    “Not long after the nurses rushed to the ward and transferred her to the ICU department where we were being charged $800 a day. She was placed on life support and things ended up getting worse. Suddenly it looked like she got better again but that didn’t last. She was placed on life support for the second time and the doctors requested my consent to insert some tubes all over her body. I went back to the hotel and I received a call from the hospital to quickly rush there. I got there only for me to be told that they tried their best but my wife couldn’t make it,” he said.

    The late Mrs. Amina Oppong Kwarteng was buried earlier on Friday, June 24, 2022, at the Maqbara-e-Musian Cemetary situated in Kasoa.

    She left behind four sons.

  • Government puts together post COVID-19 Economic programme to guide IMF negotiations

    Government says it is putting together a post COVID-19 Economic programme which will form the basis for negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.  This was captured in a press statement released by the Finance Ministry on 26th September, 2022.

    According to the ministry, the programme seeks to establish a macro-fiscal path that ensures debt sustainability and macroeconomic stability underpinned by key structural reforms and social protection.

    The statement maintained that the Ministry of Finance, and the Bank of Ghana have commenced discussions with the IMF for an IMF-supported programme.

    “A key prerequisite for a programme is confirmation that Ghana’s debt is on a sustainable path; this will require a comprehensive Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA), which is currently ongoing” the Finance ministry added.

    It also disclosed that “government negotiations with respect to the IMF-supported programme is commencing this week and we are optimistic about making progress in our discussions”.

    “Government remains committed, and shall continue to actively engage all stakeholders, both public and private, in a clear and transparent manner as we seek to fast-track this process”, it added.

    Source: Myjoyonline

     

  • Canada removes  vaccination entry requirements and makes the Arrive Can  optional

    All remaining Covid border restrictions, including the requirement for traveller vaccinations, have been lifted, Canada reports.

    As of 1 October, travellers will also no longer need to provide proof of Covid vaccination, undergo any testing, or isolate and quarantine.

    The mask mandate on planes and trains will also be lifted.

    The ArriveCan app – used to upload health documents when entering Canada – will become optional.

    Federal health minister Jean-Yves Duclos said in an announcement on Monday that Canada is “in a much better position” than it was earlier in the pandemic, in part due to the availability of Covid-19 vaccines and treatment options.

    The country’s high vaccination rate – with around 82% of the population having received two doses – and a falling death rate are also factors.

    Around 32 Canadians are currently dying each day from the virus.

    Covid-19 cases are slowly rising in Canada and signs point to a resurgence ahead of autumn, Mr Duclos said, but he added this is “largely explained by the domestic transmission of the virus”.

    He said Ottawa is open to reintroducing measures, especially if a new, highly-transmissible variant emerges.

    Vaccine mandates for travellers entering the US remain in place, and some American lawmakers have urged President Joe Biden to drop the remaining restrictions.

    Other countries, including the United Kingdom, dropped Covid entry requirements earlier this year.

    Covid-19 mandates were opposed by some in Canada and were the subject of the ‘Freedom Convoy’ protests in Ottawa, which were held in support of truckers who refused to get vaccinated to cross the US-Canada border.

    The February protests gridlocked Canada’s capital for two weeks.

    Supporters of the convoy also staged blockades at key border crossings between the US and Canada, disrupting the flow of goods between the two countries.

    The protests were eventually cleared after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the never before used Emergencies Act, which gives the government additional powers in times of national crisis.

    The World Health Organisation declared in early September that Covid-19 deaths have hit their lowest point but experts have warned about the ongoing threat of the virus, especially if new variants emerge.

    Despite the end of the restrictions, Mr Duclos urged people to get their booster shots and encouraged people to continue wearing masks in public.

  • Boat sinks off the coast of Syria, killing dozens of people

    The health minister reported that 71 migrants’ bodies had been discovered when the boat they were on capsized off the coast of Syria.

    Twenty survivors are receiving medical care in a hospital in Tartus, Syria.

    Officials said Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian nationals – including women and children – were believed to be among the 120-150 people who were on board when the boat sank on Thursday.

    It is not clear what caused the accident. A rescue attempt is ongoing.

    Officials added that the vessel had departed from Minyeh, a city near the Lebanese port city of Tripoli.

    The boat is believed to have been heading to Europe when it sank.

    Tartus, where survivors have been transported, is about 30 miles (50 km) north of Tripoli.

    Victims’ families mourn in Tripoli

    In a small dark room in a poor neighborhood in Tripoli, northern Lebanon, a family mourns.

    Mustafa Mesto, 35, died with his two daughters and son, while his wife and her father are still in critical condition in a hospital in Syria.

    Mustafa, was a Lebanese taxi driver, married to a Syrian Kurd who fled the war the country’s vicious civil war. One family fleeing devastation in two countries. They had hoped to reach Italy, dreaming of a better life.

    But now their families, like those of others who lost their lives on this boat, are in shock.

    Mustafa’s mother, Adla, sits in the middle of a big room filled with grieving relatives. She wails out loud, blaming the Lebanese government for her son’s fate.

    “He ran away from poverty and the terrible conditions they left us in. These politicians could not care less about our lives. Nothing will bring him back to me, nothing will bring his little children back to me.”

    Lebanon hosts an estimated 1.5 million Syrian refugees, and almost 14,000 from other countries, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). It hosts the largest number of refugees per capita in the world.

    However, the country is facing a severe economic crisis, fuelled by Covid-19 and the 2020 Beirut port explosion, with more than 80% of the population struggling to afford food and medicine.

    The situation is having a severe impact on the country’s migrant population, many of whom are choosing to flee elsewhere, including to Europe.

    Earlier this month, six people, including children, were killed when a boat carrying migrants from Lebanon to Europe sank off the coast of Turkey. The country’s coast guard said 73 migrants from four boats had been rescued.

  • Covid: Controversial hotel quarantine policy to stop in Hong Kong

    The Hong Kong government, mandatory hotel quarantine would no longer be required starting on Monday for visitors to Hong Kong.

    Additionally, passengers won’t need to present a negative Covid test in order to board a flight to Hong Kong.

    Instead, they will monitor themselves for possible infection for three days.

    The news sparked a rush for flight tickets to Hong Kong, with the Cathay Pacific website operating a queuing system to book.

    The airline said it was adding more than 200 pairs of flights in October to both regional and long-haul destinations.

    “While we will continue to add back more flights as quickly as is feasible, it will take time to rebuild our capacity gradually,” a statement said.

    Hong Kong has had some of the world’s toughest rules as it follows China’s zero Covid policies.

    So its departure from what the mainland is doing is a long-awaited decision. Restrictions on people arriving have been in place for more than two years.

    And there are still rules in place for travelers. They cannot enter common areas such as restaurants or shopping malls for the first three days after arrival. They also have to undergo PCR tests on days two, four six.

    The prolonged closure of the border has however hit Hong Kong’s economy hard and left the Asian financial center at a disadvantage compared with its rivals in the region such as Singapore.

    Singapore on Friday unseated city as Asia’s top financial market in the Global Financial Centres Index.

    “Hong Kong has been isolated from the international community for two-and-half years and is suffering from it,” Hao Hong, chief economist of Grow Investment Group told the BBC.

    “While the end to hotel quarantine is a step forward, rebuilding confidence takes time, especially against the tide of the exodus of talents from Hong Kong.”

    “It will take a while before people and businesses respond to the new arrangements and airlines adjust their schedules,” said Louis Kuijs, chief Asia Pacific economist of S&P Global Ratings.

    “And a sizeable share of the people and activities that have left Hong Kong in recent years will not come back.”

    Earlier on Friday Japan announced that it was relaxing entry rules, with tourists able to visit without a visa and without needing to go through a travel agency from 11 October. A cap on daily arrivals will also be lifted.

  • Ghana has the greatest amount of outstanding debt in Africa, according to the IMF

    According to a Joy Business report, Ghana has the greatest outstanding debt to the Bretton Woods institution according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

    According to the Fund’s most recent Quarterly Finances report for the period ending July 2022, Ghana’s outstanding debt obligations are anticipated to be worth 1.31 billion SDRs, or roughly $1.69 billion.

    According to the report’s further explanation, Ghana’s unpaid loans make up 9% of the overall amount owed by African nations to the Fund but unpaid loan commitments.

    It added that the percentage is equivalent to 178 percent of its share of monies borrowed from the IMF.

    The Quarterly Finances report, however, excluded COVID-19-related and economic support received by Ghana which amounts to more than $1.2 billion from the Fund.

    Ghana’s loan exposure has since been classified by the IMF as concessional lending – which comes with low-interest financing.

    Meanwhile, Ghana’s external debt component was pegged at $28.1 billion as of June 2022, with a large portion of the loans used for commercial purposes.

    The IMF rankings have also placed Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2nd and 3rd in Africa with the largest outstanding loans.

    The two countries have Special Drawing Rights of 992 million and Special Drawing Rights of 990 million respectively.

  • COVID-19: Japan set to remove travel restrictions for tourists

    After having its borders closed due to the Covid pandemic for more than two years, Japan will once again welcome international travellers.

    Starting on October 11, visitors won’t require a visa and won’t have to go via a travel agency to enter the nation.

    A cap on daily arrivals will also be lifted.

    Japan’s announcement comes at around the same time Taiwan and Hong Kong also relaxed entry rules for visitors.

    Taiwan will drop quarantine requirements for international arrivals by mid-October, while Hong Kong on Friday said it would move from hotel quarantine to stay-at-home requirements from 26 September.

    For Japan, the anticipated influx of travelers will be a welcome boost to government and local businesses and comes as the Japanese yen has slid to its slowest point against the US dollar in six months.

    “Japan will relax border control measures to be on par with the US,” said Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

    The country has allowed visitors since June, but they had to be part of tours.

    Mr Kishida also announced a domestic travel incentive scheme that will give discounts on travel, theme park prices, sporting events, and concerts. Japanese residents and citizens will be eligible for an 11,000 yen (£69; $77) subsidy.

    Similar programmes have been introduced in other countries re-openings to encourage locals to spend and stimulate the economy. However, like elsewhere, the rise in the cost of living has been a dominant concern for locals.

    The world’s third-largest economy was one of the last Asian powerhouses to keep its borders closed due to Covid health concerns.

    Its death rate is the lowest among the world’s wealthiest nations, while the country’s vaccination rate is among the highest.

    Japan also never mandated lockdowns or mask-wearing, but many locals readily adopted protections.

    Japan saw nearly 32 million foreigners visit in 2019, the last year prior to the pandemic. And the restrictions on travellers in recent months had precluded many foreigners from visiting, reports showed.

  • Ahafo Region gets Infectious disease centre

    The Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr George Yaw Boakye, has said the region is one of the three regions in the country that was benefitting from the Ghana Infectious Disease Centre (GIDC).

    Others were located in the Eastern and the Greater-Accra regions to provide quality healthcare to residents in those areas and beyond.

    Mr Boakye stated these on Tuesday when he inspected the GIDC at Goaso Municipal Hospital (GMH), as part of his two-day official working tour to the Asunafo North Municipality.

    He said the 100-bed capacity hospital, which was 95 per cent complete, has been developed in response to COVID-19 pandemic to serve Ahafo Region and the rest of the middle belt.

    The Regional Minister indicated that the facility was developed by the Ghana COVID-19 private sector fund, an initiative committed to provide a prompt response to the hardship caused by the pandemic.

    Mr Boakye stated that the contractor used resource-efficient designs and technologies such as energy-saving lighting system, insulation and low-flow plumbing fixtures to lower the hospital’s utility cost.

    “The hospital which will cater for all manner of infectious disorders will soon be handed over to the Goaso Municipal hospital,” he emphasised.

    The Regional Minister was optimistic that the facility which was built in a serene environment would provide comfort, security and fast recovery for patients, adding that the COVID-19 relief fund is really impacting lives.

    Mr Boakye expressed gratitude to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for honouring the people of Ahafo with such a landmark health infrastructure saying that “we are all indebted to him”.

    He urged residents of the newly created Ahafo region to be patient with the government to redeem the various promises made to them during the electioneering campaign.

    Source: The Ghanaian Times

  • Edem Farrie shares a message on United Nations International Peace Day

    21st of September on the United Nations calendar is celebrated as the International Day of Peace. The UN General Assembly has declared the day as one devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, by observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire.

    The main purpose of this is to achieve world peace.

    Edem Farrie is a UN Youth Ambassador who also is a reporter with GH One television, and a fashion model. As an ambassador, her role is to join the universal call to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and security.

    She shares a message about world peace. In her message, she made this statement: “Fellow youth, peace is critical to security, and security is critical to peace.

    In solitude, gather your thoughts and be reflective upon the causes of our chaos and the gravity of our losses as humans. In times of dispute, use reasoning and dialogue for your resolutions.

    When blades are drawn, blood is likely to spill. Be still, be collected and be a champion for peace and the security of humanity. Thank you, Youth Network for UN Security Council for your commitment to resolution 2250).

    Edem Farrie has worked on intriguing stories which relate to general health, women in society, and COVID-19; given talks at various seminars on domestic violence against women and engaged in philanthropic activities as well.

    Source:ghanaweb.com

  • Ghana’s $430 million COVID combat budget is deemed sufficient by the World Bank

    The $430 million COVID-19 support from the Bretton Woods institution was used by the government in a manner that has been acknowledged as satisfactory by the World Bank.

    The World Bank claims that the expense complied with procurement regulations.

    The government has been charged with mismanaging the World Bank-funded COVID-19 program meant to combat the pandemic.

    Pierre Frank Laporte, the country director for Sierra Leone, Ghana, and Liberia at the World Bank, stated on TV3 that “we know each and every dollar that is spent and accounted for.”

    “We have done audits. There are always a few things here and there and some documentation that needs to be followed, but largely, speaking, we are very satisfied that our resources were spent in line with the procurement requirements that existed.”

    “All the funds for COVID were not spent. There were immediate things to be spent on, but there was also construction and procurement of equipment. We don’t feel that our resources have not been properly spent,” Mr. Laporte explained.

    The money provided by the World Bank was for communication campaigns, the sensitization campaign, equipping labs, equipping new facilities to receive patients, among others.

    The World Bank further provided an additional $130 million for the purchase of vaccines.

    Meanwhile, Seth Kwame Acheampong, the Eastern Regional Minister has said the government led by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo went to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout to continue the development of the country.

    He said the government seeking IMF support was not to solve the economic challenges the country faces.

    He made this known when he addressed the Muslims at the Central Mosque in Koforidua during the celebration of this year’s Eid-ul- Adha.

    The Minister noted that Ghana is not broke as being festered for political gain by some Ghanaians especially the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

    Acheampong said “During the COVID pandemic, the President said we know how to bring back the economy but not the dead. So it is the same path of economic restoration that we are on now. I know many people think Ghana is broke reason we are going to IMF. No! That is not the case.

    “Fund to run the country is available but going to IMF for more funds to enable government continues its programs and developmental projects. So it doesn’t mean Ghana is broke.”

    “This is not the first time Ghana is going to IMF. For the sake of politics, people will say the government has mismanaged the economy but that is not the case.”

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has stated that all countries around the world are working to return themselves to a state of normalcy following the devastating impact of the pandemic of COVID-19, whose effects have been exacerbated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

  • Ghana Gov’t used our $430m COVID money well – World Bank

    The World Bank has confirmed that the Akufo-Addo-led government put to good use the money it received from the Bank to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Speaking to the media, the Bank’s Country Director for Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, Mr. Pierre Frank Laporte, revealed that the World Bank held the country accountable by perusing all the necessary documentations and receipts on what the money was spent on.

    “We know each and every dollar that is spent and accounted for. We have done the necessary audits”, he said.

    Mr. Pierre Frank Laporte, however, noted that “There are always a few things here and there and some documentation that needs to be followed.”

    Nonetheless, he added that “we are very satisfied that our resources were spent in line with the procurement requirements that existed.”

    According to Mr. Pierre Frank Laporte, the government has not spent all the funds it received to combat the virus.

    “All the funds for COVID were not spent. There were immediate things to be spent on, but there was also construction and procurement of equipment. We don’t feel that our resources have not been properly spent,” he explained.

    In 2020, the World Bank is provided $100 million to Ghana to assist the country in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.

    This financing package included $35 million in emergency support to help the country provide improved response systems.

    In addition to the emergency facility, a $65 million contingency emergency response component was triggered from the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development Project (GARID) to support critical activities such as laboratory equipment and chemicals essential medical equipment and supplies including test kits and personal protection equipment.

    Apart from the $430 million, the World Bank also advanced an additional $130 million to Ghana for the purchase of vaccines.

    In June 2022, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, announced that a total of ¢12.04 billion has been expended so far on COVID-19.

    According to figures put out by the Finance Minister in his address to Parliament on Wednesday, June 22, an amount of GH¢11.16 billion was allocated for expenditures related to Covid-19.

    However, government ended up spending GH¢8.12 billion by the end of 2020.

    In the arena of Covid-19 funding, according to data contained in the 2021 mid-year budget, government also received ¢19.3 billion in 2020 as budget support, following the impact of the pandemic.

    Funding Sources for 2020 Budget

    • IMF – ¢5.85 bn
    • World Bank – ¢1.33 bn
    • EU – ¢504 m
    • AfDB – ¢405.7 m
    • Bank of Ghana – ¢10 bn
    • GOG Contingency Fund – ¢1.2 bn

    Funding sources for 2021 Budget

    According to the 2021 mid-year budget document, government also received ¢6.29 billion in the same year.

    • Government of Ghana – ¢4.51 bn
    • World Bank – ¢1.2 bn
    • Korea – ¢349 m
    • Germany – ¢281 m

  • After attending Queen’s funeral, Danish queen tests positive for Covid

    The Danish Royal Court has revealed that the Queen of Denmark tested positive for Covid-19 a second time this year.

    After learning of the diagnosis on Tuesday night, Queen Margrethe II canceled her appointments for this week.

    The 82-year-old monarch was one of 2,000 guests who attended Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral on Monday.

    She is Europe’s longest-serving head of state following the British monarch’s death.

    She and Queen Elizabeth were third cousins, both being descended from Queen Victoria.

    Queen Margrethe has been vaccinated against Covid and last tested positive in February this year when she presented mild symptoms.

    In a statement on the palace website, a spokesperson said she would be recovering at Fredensborg Palace, north of Copenhagen.

    Her son and heir, Crown Prince Frederik, and his wife Mary, the Crown Princess, will take her place in hosting members of the government, the Danish parliament, and Danish members of the European Parliament at a reception on Friday in Copenhagen.

    In recent days, Queen Margrethe was pictured at several events in London to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s death.

    King Harald V of Norway, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands, King Philippe of Belgium, King Felipe VI of Spain, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

    At Westminster Hall on Sunday, on the eve of the late Queen’s funeral, she joined the crown prince to pay her respects at the lying-in-state.

    At Westminster Abbey the following day, she sat in the same section as monarchs from other European nations, including King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Prince Albert II of Monaco, and King Philippe of Belgium.

    In a letter of condolence to King Charles on the death of his mother, she wrote: “She was a towering figure among European monarchs and a great inspiration to us all.”

    She became queen in 1972 at the age of 32 after the death of her father, King Frederick IX.

  • Government signs agreement with Banks to push YouStart implementation

    The Government has signed an agreement with 13 Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs) to support the implementation of the commercial part of the GHS10 billion YouStart entrepreneurship programme.

    Through the partnership, the PFIs would provide a loan facility of about GHS5 billion in the next three years, ranging from GHS100,000 and GHS500,000 to businesses under the programme.

    The funds would be used to meet the working capital requirement of businesses, support their expansion needs and purchase of equipment or machinery to enhance productivity and create more well-paid jobs, especially for the youth.

    Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, the Minister of Finance, signed for the Government, with Managing Directors of the 13 PFIs signing for their respective banks.

    Mr John Awuah, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ghana Association of Bankers (GAB), signed for the coordinating institution of the PFIs, which is GAB.

    In his speech at the programme, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister of Finance, said the signing of the agreement showed the commitment on the part of the Government and the private sector to strengthen links between education and job market stakeholders.

    He explained that the partnership would provide access to finance, skills, and markets for young Ghanaian entrepreneurs and increase the ability of the private sector to create decent and sustainable jobs.

    “Fundamentally, we had to adopt this approach because the pandemic taught us, we must re-orient our approach towards structural transformation and react with a clear plan to reap the benefits of our population dividend by building an Entrepreneurial State,” Mr Ofori-Atta said.

    He noted that the three components of the YouStart programme (Commercial, module, District Entrepreneurship and YouStart Grace Modules) were to ensure that “no one is left behind in building Ghana as an entrepreneurial nation.

    Dr John Ampontuah Kumah, the Deputy Minister of Finance, said the partnership was critical in the Government’s quest to build future entrepreneurs and make Ghana an entrepreneurial State.

    Dr Kumah said the YouStart programme was to deliberately grow start-ups and make them contribute to the Government’s agenda of creating three million jobs but depend largely on the support of banks.

    He, therefore, urged the PFIs to sustain their support to the programme and ensure its extension to entrepreneurs with businesses in rural areas to help create jobs and uplift many living in those areas from poverty.

    The CEO of GAB, told the Ghana News Agency that the banks saw the support as a responsibility to help grow businesses with financial and other needed support to build the economy.

    “Part of the COVID-19 pandemic has taught as that we need to have a homegrown economy, one that is owned and managed by Ghanaians. This signing is an attestation that the public and private sector can work together to create value and the entrepreneurial nation we’ve all been yearning for,” Mr Awuah said.

    He noted that the Banks had worked with the Finance Ministry to design the YouStart programme to help propel businesses forward, particularly younger and smaller businesses.

    “It is a positive development. We only must ensure that what we’ve put on paper, when it gets to execution, we all come to the table in a way the agreement has been signed,” Mr Awuah encouraged.

    Providing a brief on the programme, Mr Andy Ameckson, Acting Coordinator, YouStart, said under the commercial part, Banks would provide loans to beneficiary businesses at interest rates lower than the market rate.

    “There will not be any collateral for businesses to access loan under the programme, and the recovery is also dependent on them [beneficiaries],” Mr Ameckson pointed out.

    The pilot phase of the YouStart programme was implemented in February 2022, involving 85 young entrepreneurs, and currently awaiting the availability of the President for the launch and full-scale implementation of all three modules.

    The Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) and National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) are the implementing agencies of the programme, whose goal is to create a Wealthy, Inclusive, Sustainable, Empowered and Resilient (WISER) society.

    They would be supported by the National Youth Authority, Ghana Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Service and Nation Builders Corps (NABCO) in its roll-out.

    Source: GNA

  • World Bank satisfied with expenditure of $430m for COVID fight – Country Director

    The World Bank says it is satisfied with the way the government spent the $430 million COVID-19 support from the Bretton Woods institution.

    The World Bank says the expenditure was in line with procurement requirements.

    The government has been accused of mismanaging COVID-19 provided by the World Bank to fight the pandemic.

    Speaking on TV3, World Bank Country Director for Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, Pierre Frank Laporte, said “we know each and every dollar that is spent and accounted for.”

    “We have done audits. There are always a few things here and there and some documentation that needs to be followed, but largely, speaking, we are very satisfied that our resources were spent in line with the procurement requirements that existed.”

    “All the funds for COVID were not spent. There were immediate things to be spent on, but there was also construction and procurement of equipment. We don’t feel that our resources have not been properly spent,” Mr. Laporte explained.

    The money provided by the World Bank was for communication campaigns, the sensitization campaign, equipping labs, equipping new facilities to receive patients, among others.

    The World Bank further provided an additional $130 million for the purchase of vaccines.

    Source: Citinews

  • The government receives $30 million in AfDB financing for a project to recover from COVID-19

    The government has obtained a $30 million AfDB grant through the Ministry of Finance to aid in the economic recovery of particular institutions.

    The Post COVID-19 Skills Development and Productivity Enhancement Project (PSDPEP) aims to improve higher education’s health-related curricula, restore livelihoods, improve public discourse, and generate employment opportunities for women and young people.

    Small and Medium-Sized Businesses would receive loans totaling $4 million at a reduced interest rate to help them endure the effects of the epidemic.

    The Social Investment Fund, the Microfinance and Small Loans Center, the Biotechnology Center, the School of Nursing and Midwifery, and the Microbiology Center are among the PSDPEP’s beneficiaries.

    The rest are the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Vocational Training Institute.

    Mr Osei Bonsu Amoah, the Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, inaugurating the steering and technical committees to supervise the implementation, commended the AFDB for the support, “, especially at the time where donor funding was weaning”.

    He said PSDPEP’s goals were in line with the Government’s National Decentralisation, Policy and Strategy Programme which focused on local economic development, physical decentralisation and rural development.

    “Health is a major component and we are happy this is coming on board to help. In meeting the targets of this project majority of our strategies on growth and development will be actualised,” he said.

    Mr Amoah advised the committees to work assiduously to ensure the expected outcomes were met timely and successfully.

    The Deputy Minister also urged the committees to consider issues of cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

    The Committees have been tasked to, among others, ensure that all project beneficiary institutions perform their roles satisfactorily and also ensure that the project implementation failures are corrected expeditiously.

    The membership comprises officials of the Ministries of Local Government and Rural Development and Decentralisation, Education, Health, Finance, Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation.

    The rest are the Gender, Children, and Social Protection, the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations; the University of Ghana, MASLOC; the Ministry of Information, the Ghana Statistical Service, and the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA).

    The Project Technical Committee will regularly review project implementation and report to the Project Steering Committee and its membership of all project beneficiaries.

    Mr Kofi Frimpong, the Executive Director, Social Investment Fund, said the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many sectors of the economy, especially the health and small and medium enterprises, hence the focus of the project on skills development in those areas.

    He stated that the credit and entrepreneurship arm of the project was expected to benefit at least 24,800 directly and 50,000 indirectly through the Bank’s Youth Entrepreneurship and Investment Fund (YEIB).

    Mr Emmanuel Fordjour, Desk Head of AfDB at the Ministry of Finance, said the project was well thought-out and that the GNA, would see some of its offices renovated and re-tooled to deliver on its mandate.

    The University of Ghana would be empowered to be able to develop vaccines.

    Mrs Yvonne Quansah, the Director, External Resource Mobilisation and Economic Relations at the Ministry of Finance, who Chairs the PSDPEP Steering Committee, gave an assurance that it would discharge its duties to ensure the effective implementation of the Project.

  • Somalis among dozens charged in US with Covid fraud

    US-based Somali nationals with ties to Kenya have been identified among 47 people accused of stealing from a programme aimed at providing meals for children during the Covid-19 pandemic.

    They have been charged in the US in connection with theft of $250m (£220m) in an alleged Covid-19 relief fraud scheme.

    US federal authorities on Tuesday announced that the suspects are linked to Aimee Bock – the founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future, a non-profit organisation that was a sponsor participating in the Federal Child Nutrition Program in Minnesota.

    Ms Bock denies any wrongdoing.

    As part of the alleged scheme, Feeding Our Future employees recruited individuals and entities to open Federal Child Nutrition Program sites throughout the state of Minnesota.

    These sites, created and operated by the defendants and others, claimed to be serving meals to thousands of children a day within just days or weeks of being formed.

    The suspects are alleged to have issued bills for meals they did not serve to children who did not exist, said the Department of Justice (DoJ) in a statement.

    The department alleges the defendants spent the spoils to purchase luxury vehicles, residential and commercial real estate in Minnesota as well as property in Ohio and Kentucky, real estate in coastal Kenya and Turkey, and to fund international travel.

    One of the suspects, Mohammed Jama Ismail, was arrested in the US in April as he tried to leave the country for Kenya via Amsterdam. He pleaded guilty to passport fraud last month.

    “Today’s indictments describe an egregious plot to steal public funds meant to care for children in need in what amounts to the largest pandemic relief fraud scheme yet,” said FBI director Christopher Wray.

    The suspects are charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering and bribery.

    Minnesota hosts a large community of immigrants from East Africa, mainly Somalis and Ethiopians.

    Source: BBC

  • The country would change if the banking system was more specialized – Economist

    According to economist Reverend Dr. Samuel Worlanyo Mensah, Ghana needs additional specialist banks to advance the country’s development objectives.

    The majority of local businesses and entrepreneurs rely on banks for beginning capital and other forms of financial support, according to Rev. Dr. Mensah, the executive director of the Centre for Greater Impact Africa, which highlights the need for specialist banks to help various industries.

    He also urged the government to take more measures to support industrialization and productivity by fostering an atmosphere that will allow the local population to flourish and be competitive on the world market.

    Rev. Dr. Mensah stated at the Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office’s Industrial News Hub Boardroom Dialogue platform.

    The GNA Tema Industrial News Hub Boardroom Dialogue is a media think-tank platform for state and non-state and commercial and business operators to communicate to the world and address global issues with Ghanaian expertise.

    Rev. Dr. Mensah lamented that most banks in the country were running the normal universal banking activities, and most were not ready to help local entrepreneurs to stand on their feet.

    He again said most of the small businesses have been left stranded because financial institutions that supported them had been dissolved.

    He said the lack of a strong national development plan module to develop the country contributed to the economic crisis the nation is experiencing recently despite COVID-19 and the touted Russian-Ukraine war.

    He said the government must plan in a way that, in the next ten to 15 years, it would raise solid entrepreneurs who could support the economy, reiterated that the banking and financial sector cleaning exercise was laudable at that time it was undertaken but unfortunately COVID-19 pandemic had revealed that the decision was not economically motivated.

    Mr Francis Ameyibor, Tema Regional Manager of Ghana News Agency reiterated that the media landscape is going through rapid transformation, and the old system of institutions organizing face-to-face seat-in events at a big conference hall is passing away.

    He said, “from now onwards don’t expect more invitations to seat-in events, newsroom managers must adopt new means for news gathering, and dissemination.”

    Mr Ameyibor said: “Due to global communication and information transformation, state and non-state institutions that used to organize conferences, meetings, seminars and invite journalists to cover are rapidly resorting to the use of Zoom, Skype, and other web-based platforms for meetings.

    “Now web-based meetings have come to stay and the old system of organizing a big conference is dead and gone, media practitioners should not be looking for event focus assignment again.”

    Mr Ameyibor said GNA-Tema has moved ahead to set up parameters to engage strategic stakeholders consistently to prepare the ground to be more active and profitable to society.

  • Covid-19 pandemic is over in the US – Joe Biden

    President Joe Biden has declared the pandemic over in the US, even as the number of Americans who have died from Covid continues to rise.

    Mr Biden said that while “we still have a problem”, the situation is rapidly improving.

    Statistics show that over 400 Americans on average are dying from the virus each day.

    The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said last week that the end of the pandemic is “in sight”.

    In an interview with 60 Minutes on CBS, Mr Biden said that the US is still doing “a lot of work” to control the virus.

    The interview – aired over the weekend – was partly filmed on the floor of the Detroit Auto Show, where the president gestured towards the crowds.

    “If you notice, no one’s wearing masks,” he said. “Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape…I think it’s changing.”

    In August, US officials extended the ongoing Covid-19 public health emergency, which has been in place since January 2020, through 13 October.

    To date, more than one million Americans have died from the pandemic.

    Data from Johns Hopkins University shows that the seven-day average of deaths currently stands at over 400, with more than 3,000 dead in the last week.

    In January 2021, by comparison, more than 23,000 people were reported dead from the virus over a single week-long span. About 65% of the total US population is considered fully vaccinated.

    Some federal vaccine mandates remain in place in the US – including on healthcare workers, military personnel and any non-US citizen entering the country by airplane.

    Public health officials have expressed cautious optimism in recent weeks that the world is edging towards a pandemic recovery but continue to urge people to remain careful.

    On Monday, Dr Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, acknowledged the situation has improved.

    But in comments made at Washington DC think-tank, he added that the current daily death rate is still “unacceptably high”.

    “We are not where we need to be if we’re going to be able to ‘live with the virus,’” he said.

    He also cautioned that new Covid-19 variants could still emerge, especially in the coming winter months.

    The US recently authorised new vaccines that match the version of the Omicron variant currently dominant in the country, with federal health officials asking Americans to keep their jabs up-to-date.

    Last week, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the world has “never been in a better position to end the pandemic”.

    “We are not there yet,” he said. “But the end is in sight.”

    Covid-19 also continues to have a significant impact on the US economy, with the National Bureau of Economic Research reporting last week that Covid-related disease has slashed the US workforce by approximately 500,000 people.

    Mr Biden said he believes that the pandemic has had a “profound” impact on the psyche of Americans.

    “That has changed everything…people’s attitudes about themselves, their families, about the state of the nation, about the state of their communities,” he said.

    “It’s been a very difficult time. Very difficult.”

    More than 6.5 million people have died since the beginning of the pandemic around the world. The US has had the highest death toll, followed by India and Brazil.

    Source: BBC

  • Broken Covid-19 promises: Nurses, midwives threaten to leave profession

    If the government doesn’t keep its promises and commitments to them, more nurses and midwives are threatening to quit their jobs.

    The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association claims that its members are dissatisfied with the Covid-19 insurance packages not being paid to frontline health professionals.

    The Association is therefore questioning the government’s commitment to their welfare.

    “The major challenge is the insurance package government promised all nurses and midwives who contract the virus. But as of now, we’ve not gotten any positive information from our members.”

    Speaking to JoyNews, the Association’s General Secretary David Tenkorang said such disappointments are a major push factor for the high attrition.

    “Most of our people had to take care of their own medical bills when they tested positive for Covid -19. And this is unacceptable,” he stated.

     

  • Why can’t the government act rationally like developed countries? – IEA asks

    The Institute of Economic Affairs has questioned Ghana’s government’s capacity to recommend long-term remedies to the country’s economic problems, just as it has done with the problems facing other nations across the world.

    He contends that the government must address the major causes of the recent increase in the country’s inflation rate.

    According to the Institute, various nations have established tactics and policies aimed at easing the current problems faced by their citizens.

    The current rate of inflation for the month of August is 33.9%.

    A statement by the IEA on September 19, 2022, said: “Countries around the world, including major economies, where inflation tends to be mostly demand-driven, and where demand-management approaches, such as IT, may be more appropriate tools, have resorted to interventions directed to the supply factors attendant to Covid-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war. The US has passed the Inflation Reduction Act.

    “The new UK Prime Minister has imposed caps on energy prices for two years. France has capped fuel prices and limited electricity tariff increases to 4%. If these countries are taking these unorthodox and innovative measures to cushion their citizens, who are far richer than us, why can’t our policymakers be equally proactive?” he queried.

    The IEA also noted that the Bank of Ghana’s IT framework for dealing with inflation has not been able to properly deal with the situation.

    “We have repeatedly pointed out the inadequacy of the IT framework in dealing with these supply and cost drivers of inflation, especially at the primary level, although, we acknowledge its potential role in stemming second-round effects of these factors. The supply and cost factors should be directly targeted with appropriate policy interventions,” it mentioned.

  • COCOBOD vows to significantly lower debt levels – CEO

    Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Joseph Boahen Aidoo, claims that management has made a decision to lessen the enormous debt load.

    The significant portion of debt accumulation—roughly GH12.30 billion as of September 2020—comes from short-term cocoa loans, which make up GH8.49 billion or 69.02 percent of all debts.

    Mr. Aidoo stated at the University of Professional Studies’ Public Lecture & Media Launch for the 2022 National Cocoa Day celebration that the considerable impact COVID-19 had on the cocoa trade caused a large decline in cocoa demand, which ultimately had the effect of lowering profits.

    “Unfortunately, the ramifications of COVID-19 continue to cause more economic meltdown; thereby leading to plummeting demand for our cocoa. This has adversely affected the global cocoa trade, as projected revenue dropped abysmally and led to great financial shocks on Ghana’s cocoa regulator,” the CEO said.

    Mr. Aidoo assured that management has decided to significantly cut debt levels in light of the fact that precipitating causes were wholly beyond COCOBOD’s control.

    “In view of the fact that the precipitating factors were absolutely beyond our control, the Board and Management have resolved to reduce debt levels drastically.

    “Consequently, in the short- to medium-term, stringent internal reforms have been advanced to control expenditures and cut costs while efforts are underway to finance existing debts,” he said.

    One of the tactics being implemented by COCOBOD is to issue a bond with a maximum value of US$3billion to refinance the comparatively pricey cocoa bills.

    The pricey short-term cocoa payments are anticipated to be refinanced by using relatively affordable long-term debt.

    To prevent debt from building up, COCOBOD is instituting tighter financial controls by making savings to pay-off all of the debts shown on its books.

    Other debts accumulated include the 10-year BoG loan that has a balance of approximately GH¢1.39billion and is being serviced in accordance with the repayment schedule established with the Bank of Ghana.

    The moratorium on principal repayment terminated in January 2022, although COCOBOD anticipates paying off the debt in full by November 2023.

    Cocoa Farmers Welfare

    The Chief Executive noted that the Cote d’Ivoire-Ghana Cocoa Initiative’s much-lauded ‘Living Income Differential’ farmer-income development programme remains the most effective way to control cocoa prices and protect farmers from price volatility.

    Accordingly, in the 2020/21 crop year COCOBOD increased the producer price per tonne of cocoa by 29 percent to as high as GH¢10,560.

    “Making the cocoa industry more vibrant requires that our farmers are properly remunerated. It is in this regard that in the 2020/21 crop year government through COCOBOD increased the producer price per tonne of cocoa from GH¢8,240 to as high as GH¢10,560 – representing a 29 percent increase amid the ravages imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses globally,” the CEO said.

    “In addition, there is a build-up in our concept of boosting domestic value addition and consumption of cocoa in an effort to reduce gluts of our produce on the world market to secure good prices,” he added.

    Cocoa Day Celebration

    The Board’s 75th Anniversary celebration, which will be held on the theme COCOBOD @ 75: Sustaining Our Environment, Wealth and Health with a series of activities from September 28 to October 1 in 2022 at the Suhum Presbyterian Senior High School Park, Suhum in the Eastern Region, has been timed to coincide with this year’s Cocoa Day celebration.

    The annual Cocoa Day celebration is held to honour the contributions of our dedicated cocoa farmers, raise public knowledge of the nutritional and health benefits of cocoa, and inspire people to incorporate cocoa consumption into their daily life.

    In addition to other measures, the yearly celebration that was started in 2005 aims to gradually increase Ghana’s per capita cocoa consumption – even if we still have a long way to go before we catch up with consumers in Europe, America and other affluent nations.

  • 378 fish farmers trained, gain improved income through Tilapia Seed Project

    After three years, the Tilapia Seed Project (TiSeed) is coming to an end imparting long-lasting impacts for inclusive and sustainable aquaculture in Ghana.

    Ghana is the second largest tilapia producer in Africa, next to Egypt, and is the fastest growing in the last decade.

    But much of this growth is from large-scale commercial cage farming while small-scale fish production has been lagging severely with poor management, water and biosecurity practices, lack of access to quality fingerlings, and low productivity.

    The industry also suffered from fish mortality issues in 2018-2019 and further slowed down by the COVID-19 crisis, although it is showing signs of recovery.

    The TiSeed project started in February 2019 with the objective of addressing some of these challenges and facilitate a speedy recovery. The TiSeed project aimed to improve hatchery operations and enable access to quality fingerlings among small-scale women, men, and youth fish farmers in 7 major-producing regions.

    The overall goal was to contribute to improving farmers’ management practices, productivity, and incomes.

    The project has significantly contributed to these development goals and has set a strong foundation for the Aquaculture for Food and Jobs (AFJ) programme, and other ongoing and future projects to continue.

    “The project was timely and has complemented significantly the AFJ programme of the government. It has set a very good foundation in terms of strengthening the hatcheries, which are central for good and healthy seeds for the sector. It has provided much-needed technical knowledge, trainings, field visits to model farmers, training manuals, extension flyers, and WhatsApp platform, to farmers, especially the youth, who are at the center of the AFJ programme,” Mr. Mathew Oyih, Director of Aquaculture, Fisheries Commission (FC) said.

    “I was on the verge of stopping fish farming, but this training has urged me to go into it again,” said a farmer in Sunyani. “We are grateful for this capacity building opportunity and would be pleased to have more of these training conducted periodically to help us have fresh ideas to improve our practices and productivity,” said a farmer in Dormaa.

    “The project has successfully introduced the nursery model, which are critical for more remote communities to have access to quality fingerlings. Especially in Bono, Bono East and Ahafo regions where there are limited hatcheries, farmers had to travel long distances to get their fingerlings. With the nurseries set up, farmers now have suppliers of quality fingerlings that are closer to them.

    Farmers who operate these nurseries were strategically and carefully selected from the grow-out farmers who have expressed interest, have the capacity, and have been vetted and trusted by the community to have good operations and performance in fish farming.

    Furthermore, the nurseries are mapped (via Goggle Earth) to ensure they are not located close to any hatchery and are within a cluster of more than 20 farms as potential buyers of the fingerlings. We are seeing a lot of interest to expand these nurseries,” Dr. Seth Koranteng Agyakwah, TiSeed National Project Coordinator at CSIR-Water Research Institute (WRI).

    “One of the major achievements of the project is supporting the development, review, and validation of the National Aquaculture Farm Certification Protocol. Fisheries Commission had been working on this for several years now and the TiSeed project had facilitated the process. The technical inputs, the field work that pilot-tested the protocol, the revisions, and the nationwide validation workshops were tremendously helpful to the Fisheries Commission and the sector,” Mrs. Mary Nkansa, Acting Head of the Fish Health Unit, FC said.

    The project was a unique and successful partnership with a national research institution (CSIR-WRI), supported by global technical research leaders [International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), WorldFish, and Royal Tropical Institute (KIT)-Netherlands], FC for the direct link between research and implementation, two private hatcheries (Crystal Lake Ltd and SHOINT) initially, and several more hatchery operators joining in.

    “A major impact of the TiSeed project is providing quality broodstock and reviving the hatcheries, especially in the Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo regions.

    Revived hatcheries and new broodstock are giving the farmers in the region confidence on the fingerlings they buy and encouraging them to continue and expand their operations. It is boosting fish farming in our regions,” Mr. Hanson Dzamefe Jr., FC Regional Director, Bono Region. And, “it is not only benefiting Brong Ahafo regions; it is also benefiting the northern regions because farmers there get fingerlings from Brong Ahafo regions. It is also helping boost production in the northern regions,” Dr. Emmanuel Tetted-Doku Mensah, Officer-in-charge of CSIR-WRI, Northern region.

    As a research program, TiSeed project has generated four seed quality assessment studies, three field experiments, one randomized controlled trial and social experiment, and seven socioeconomic studies.

    It has also generated 5 published discussion papers and technical reports, which have been downloaded more than 3,000 times to date. The TiSeed project has also generated 5 research papers published in top scientific journals on aquaculture and agricultural policy and economics, with 13 citations to date.

    “One of the major impacts of the project was on the capacity and skills development of 9 MS students; most of them are staff key institutions, such as the CSIR-WRI and FC, and are now applying their skills and continuing to contribute toward the sector development.” Dr. Ruby Asmah, Principal Research Scientist, CSIR-WRI.

    Dr. Catherine Ragasa, project leader and senior research fellow at the IFPRI on her part said, “When we started the project, there were major data gaps and poor recordkeeping among farmers. Many farmers could not estimate production, inputs, and costs because they did not record and did not pay close attention to the business side of fish farming. The project worked hard to improve recordkeeping among farmers.

    The project worked very hard to impart knowledge on marketing and economics and how to think more of fish farming as a profitable business. With the project, we have generated credible database on production, profitability, and socioeconomics of fish farmers in 7 regions with 3 rounds of household/farm survey (2019, 2020, 2022).”

    Mr. Sena Amewu, Senior Research Officer, IFPRI-Ghana, said, “We have generated new knowledge and research findings from our series of surveys, field experiments, and assessments. These were significant data and evidence gaps that the project filled in. And, we can confidently say from our survey results and rigorous impact evaluation that many farmers have improved their record keeping, management practices, and production.”

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • 38th National Farmers Day launched

    The 38th edition of the National Farmers Day has been launched in Accra to reward farmers for their hard work and commitment to ensure food sufficiency in the country over the year.

    The event, which will be held in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital, on December 2, 2022, is on the theme: “Accelerating agricultural development through value addition”.

    The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, who launched the day in Accra last Friday, said “we need to commend our farmers for standing with us to produce food in very difficult global circumstances”.

    Recognition

    Dr Akoto said farmers deserved commendation and encouragement, particularly over the last two years when the country performed well in the agricultural sector in the midst of difficulties arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

    He said the sector stood tall as a result of the support given to farmers by the government and described the performance of farmers as “extraordinary”, compared to other sectors, particularly in the wake of the pandemic.

    According to him, there was a significant growth of 8.4 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the sector last year, as against 7.4 per cent in 2020 and 4.5 per cent in 2019.

    He said since the introduction of the Planting for Food and Jobs initiative, the government had invested about GHC 2.6 billion to subsidise improved seeds and fertiliser.

    According to him, the programme led to the cultivation of GHC 50 billion worth of farm produce, about 14,973,000 tonnes.

    Value addition

    The Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mavis Hawa Koomson, in a speech read on her behalf, said the concept of value addition in agriculture, especially in fisheries and aquaculture, would lead to additional revenue generation, job creation, foreign exchange earnings and effective post-harvest management.

    According to her, in 2021, fish production stood at 628,617 tonnes, amounting to about GHC 11.04 billion, contributing about 1.04 per cent to GDP, adding: “I am sure that if there had been value addition, the revenue would have been more.”

    Ms Koomson said her outfit had taken some measures to improve value addition and mentioned, for instance, the building of the capacity of actors in the fish value chain to ensure the production of safe and quality fish products.

    Appreciation

    The Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Kwame Acheampong, expressed appreciation to the National Planning Committee for selecting his region to host the event.

    He gave an assurance that “this year’s celebration will be one of the greatest ever held, if not the best”.

    The Chairman of the National Planning Committee, Yaw Frimpong Addo, said in the entire 38-year history of the celebration, the private sector had contributed significantly.

    Mr Addo, who is a Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, entreated the private sector to, as usual, “come to the table with their sponsorship package”.

  • COVID: Quarantine bus crash in China kills 27, 20 injured

    A bus transporting residents to a COVID-19 quarantine facility in China has been involved in a fatal accident.

    Twenty-seven individuals have lost their lives as a result, with 20 others sustaining injury.

    The incident occurred when a coach overturned on a motorway in the south-western province of Guizhou.

    The accident sparked anger online from those critical of Beijing’s “zero-COVID” policy.

    The strict policy involves mass testing and tracking. Those who test positive and their close contacts have to isolate at home or in a quarantine facility.

    Just a handful of cases can spark a city-wide lockdown.

    There is no word on the cause of the crash which occurred early on Sunday morning.

    According to Chinese regulations, passenger buses are not allowed to drive on the highway between the hours of 02:00 and 05:00. However, the accident occurred at 02:40 local time Sunday (18:40 GMT Saturday) after the bus departed shortly after midnight, indicating the bus had violated regulation.

    A woman who claimed she was the daughter of one of the victims took to social media, where she wrote a note saying she could “not accept” her mother’s death.

    “My mom stayed at home for half a month. She didn’t go anywhere apart from going out for PCR tests… but she suddenly got taken to quarantine and died.”

    Online, some described their own unpleasant experiences of being bussed to quarantine facilities.

    One said that dozens of passengers were squeezed into one bus for 12 hours at a stretch without being allowed to eat, go to the bathroom, open the windows or turn on the air-conditioning until their arrival at the quarantine hotel.

    Another comment asked, “When will all of this stop?”

    While the rest of the world is trying to live with COVID, China is the only major economy still prioritising the fight against the virus above almost everything else.

    Only two people have died from COVID in Guizhou province since the pandemic struck almost three years ago.

    Guizhou is currently experiencing a spike in infections. The province recorded 712 new cases on Saturday – about 70% of the total for China.

    The incident comes in the run-up to the Communist Party’s five-yearly congress in October, with discussion around the country’s COVID policy expected to be on the agenda.

    In the capital Beijing, more than 21 million residents are required to queue for PCR tests every three days to access public buildings and even corner shops.

     

  • Joe Biden says COVID-19 pandemic is officially ‘Over’

    United States President Joe Biden told Scott Pelley in his 60 Minutes interview on Sunday that the Covid-19 pandemic is “over.”

    Biden and Pelley were walking through Huntington Place, the site of this year’s Detroit Auto Show, when the president was asked if the pandemic is over. “The pandemic is over,” Biden responded. “We still have a problem with COVID. We’re still doing a lotta work on it …but the pandemic is over. If you notice, no one’s wearing masks. Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape. And so I think it’s changing. And I think this is a perfect example of it.”

    Two administration officials told Politico that saying the pandemic is over wasn’t part of Biden’s planned remarks heading into his 60 Minutes interview.

    His declaration comes less than a week after Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, struck an optimistic tone about the state of the Covid pandemic, but wouldn’t go as far as to say it is over. “Last week, the number of weekly reported deaths from Covid-19 was the lowest since March 2020,” Ghebreyesus said, per CNN. “We have never been in a better position to end the pandemic. We’re not there yet, but the end is in sight.”

    According to data collected by Johns Hopkins, there were 2.2 million cases and over 13,600 deaths in the United States due to Covid this past month.

    Source: Complex.com

     

     

  • MTN heroes of change season 6 finalist changing lives in Ve Agbome Volta Region

    Cecilia Fiaka is one of the 10 finalists of MTN Heroes of Change Season 6. A social entrepreneur, Cecilia Fiaka left her banking career to set up the Nneka Foundation, a non-profit organization aimed at providing social support, literacy, mentoring, career development and empowerment opportunities to the youth and women as well.

    Through her outreach and economic empowerment projects, Cecilia supported in mitigating the impact of COVID-19 pandemic by empowering the people of Ve Agbome community with education and vocational skills training. She mobilized resources through her foundation to train community members in producing PPEs and tippy taps for handwashing. She also equipped several women and girls with vocational training to provide income for them. She secured ready market in Accra for beneficiaries to sell their products because it was difficult transporting their goods during the peak of the pandemic.

     

    To prevent students from being idle because schools had been shut down, Cecilia organized coding and ICT training sessions for them.

    Through her COVID-19 pandemic awareness project over 900 households within Afadjato South, Jasikan District, Shai- Osudoku District and Ningo Prampram had benefitted from the initiative.

    Khadidjah Mahamah Isah who nominated Cecilia described her as a passionate and committed woman whose contributions to community development over the years and especially during the COVID-19 pandemic needs to be recognized.

    Source;mtnghana

  • Hogbetsotsoza to be launched on September 21

    The Volta Region‘s Hogbetsotso Festival, held annually by the chiefs and residents of Anlo, was postponed for two years because to the COVID-19 pandemic is back.

    In accordance with the COVID-19 regulations, the celebrated festival, also known as Hogbeza, which honors the fabled Ewe-Dogbo people’s escape from Notsie in modern-day neighboring Togo, was suspended to stop its spread.

    In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr. Silas Aidam, the publicity chair of the 2022 Hogbetsotsoza Planning Committee, stated that preparations were in progress for the launch on September 21 to announce events of the one-month festival.

    “The launch is happening on 21st September after which the rest of activities and ceremonies will follow to climax the festival on Saturday, November 5,” he said.

    These include ‘dodede’ – removal of diseases and expulsion of evil spirits; ‘nugbidodo’ – reconciliation; glimetoto – an enactment of the departure or escape from Notsie, and mini Hogbeza – best described as dress rehearsal for the main festival.

    The others are MTN Hogbetsotsoza health walk, Anlo State dinner dance, congress of chiefs, Mama Hogbe beauty pageant, and musical concerts.

    “The message we want to send to our Anlo citizens home and abroad, local and foreign tourists, is that after the COVID-19 break, Hogbeza bounces back in a special form.”

    Hogbeza is celebrated every first Saturday in November at Anloga, the traditional and ritual capital of the Anlo State.

    It is usually characterised by a display of rich tradition and culture with people treated to a variety of drumming and dancing, including the ever-popular “agbadza”, “atsia” and “misego” or “husego”, the incorporated dance style of the backward movement of the people during their exodus from Notsie.

    The 2022 edition is on the theme: “60 Years of Anlo Hogbetsotsoza: Uniting for development, sustaining our unique cultural commonwealth for future generations.”

     

  • Monkeypox: Citizens in China advised not to touch foreigners

    A day after China recorded its first monkeypox infection, locals have been entreated to desist from touching foreigners.

    In a post on Weibo, the chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Wu Zunyou advised against “skin-to-skin contact with foreigners”.

    “In order to prevent possible monkeypox infection and as part of our healthy lifestyle, it is recommended that 1) you do not have direct skin-to-skin contact with foreigners,” said Mr Wu on his Weibo page on Saturday.

    In addition, Mr Wu also called for locals to avoid skin-to-skin contact with recent travellers who had returned from abroad in the last three weeks, and with strangers.

    He posted the comments a day after the southwestern city of Chongqing reported its first case of monkeypox in an individual who arrived from abroad. It is not clear if the individual was a Chinese citizen or a foreigner.

    The post from the top Chinese health official has drawn controversy, with some labelling it as racist.

    Comments on the original post have since been disabled from the platform.

    “This is very inappropriate [to say]. At the start of the pandemic, some foreigners stood up and [defended us] by saying that Chinese people are not viruses,” wrote one commenter.

    “How racist is this? What about the ones like me who have been living in China for almost ten years? We haven’t seen our families in like 3-4 years due to borders being closed,” wrote another user on Weibo, who appeared to be a foreigner.

    China has imposed some of the world’s toughest COVID measures since the start of the pandemic, which have included snap lockdowns, border closures, mandatory testing and travel restrictions.

    The monkeypox virus, which is transmitted through close contact with infected people, animals or contaminated materials, usually causes symptoms such as fever, headache and rashes.

    Around 90 countries where monkeypox is not considered endemic have reported outbreaks of the viral disease, which the World Health Organization has declared a global health emergency.

    There have been more than 60,000 confirmed cases and some non-endemic countries have reported their first related deaths.

     

  • Free SHS has eased burden of high cost of living on families – Dr. Bawumia

    Vice president, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has said government’s Free Senior High School (Free SHS) initiative has improved the lives of families despite the economic crisis.

    He claims that the initiative has “lessened the burden on families as the nation goes through one of its biggest economic meltdowns.

    In an interview with KTN News, Kenyan private TV channel, Bawumia emphasized that the cost of living has increased dramatically over the world, with Ghana being no exception, and blamed the country’s economic difficulties on the negative effects of the Covid-19 outbreak and the Russia-Ukraine war.

    “Ghana has been no exception and I’m sure Kenya has not been an exception, either because food prices and energy prices have gone up and they have inflationary consequences and exchange rate consequences and they have really squeezed budgets in that respect.

    “In Ghana, we are trying to deal with it in this context of the very squeezed and tight budget on the monetary policy side. The Central Bank is trying to contain inflation through their monetary policy.

    “There have been a number of interest rate increases to try to contain the situation. Government continues to offer free senior secondary school education to our citizens which has also continued to lessen the burden on families in terms of cost of living. Otherwise, without it, it would have been much worse,” Bawumia contended.

    The Vice President indicated that the way to resolve crises when they plague a country is to increase production.

    “Ultimately, you deal with this crisis by expanding your production. If it is a food crisis, then we need to increase food production and that is how we want to tackle it in Ghana. The energy side is a little bit more difficult since we are net importers of oil and we are taking things at the dictates of the international market.

    “So we hope that sooner or later, the Ukraine crisis will abate and bring down energy prices for all of us. But I think that government is continuously looking at ways to deal with it [economic crunch]” he said.

    The government implemented the Free SHS programme in 2017 to eradicate financial barriers in accessing second cycle level education.

    Amid an economic crunch, there have been growing calls for government to review the programme to allow some cost to be borne by parents.

  • US: Cineworld files for bankruptcy protection

    The British organization had hoped that blockbusters like Top Gun: Maverick, The Batman, and Thor: Love And Thunder would help it recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, but the films’ box office performance fell short of expectations.

    In order to give its heavily indebted company more time to restructure, Cineworld Group has applied for bankruptcy protection in the US.

    The British company said it has filed for Chapter 11 – a type of US bankruptcy which means it will be allowed to stay in business while it tries to bounce back from its problems.

    The world’s second-biggest cinema chain operator said it is “confident that a comprehensive financial restructuring is in the best interests of the group and its stakeholders, taken as a whole, in the long term”.

    Current shareholders are likely to see their positions diluted significantly, Cineworld admitted, but shares are expected to continue trading on the London Stock Exchange.

    The business plans to emerge from bankruptcy in the first quarter of next year and said it would use the restructuring to try to negotiate better lease terms with its landlords in the US.

    It was saddled with £4bn of debt by the end of the last financial year and had pinned its hopes on blockbusters such as Top Gun: Maverick, The Batman, and Thor: Love And Thunder to aid its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Last September, it struck an agreement to pay £141m to disgruntled Regal shareholders who were angry about the price it paid to buy the chain in 2017.

    In December it was ordered to pay £720m by a court over a decision not to go through with a takeover of Canadian rival Cineplex as the pandemic broke out.

    Chief executive Mooky Greidinger appealed the court ruling, claiming the company acted in “good faith”.

  • Inhaled Covid vaccine: China, first country to approve

    China is the first country to approve the COVID inhalation vaccine.

    It is produced by CanSino and uses a safe adenovirus as a carrier for the genetic information that instructs the body on how to combat Covid.

    Inhaled as a fine mist, Convidecia Air can provide good protection after just one breath, the company says.

    Other researchers, including teams in the UK and the US, have been investigating nasal spray vaccines.

    Scientists say these may give added immunity to the lining of the nose and upper airways, where Covid typically enters the body.

    The National Medical Products Administration of China granted CanSino approval for its inhaled vaccine to be used as a booster dose.

    It can top up protection in those who have previously had a jab, trials suggest.

    Meanwhile, the latest Covid vaccine booster programme has begun in England, Wales, and Scotland.

    Infections are falling around the UK – but health bosses predict a resurgence of Covid and flu this autumn and winter.

    They are urging those eligible to protect themselves from serious illness by being vaccinated against both.

  • How Cape Coast went agog with return of Fetu Afahye

    Cape Coast, the Central Regional capital, went agog last Saturday with the return of the age-long Fetu Afahye, which was climaxed with a colourful durbar.

    Thousands of visitors had trooped to the ancient city to join the indigenes for the festival, whose celebration had to be suspended for a period of two years following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic that slowed down social and commercial activities around the world.

    The return of the festival was, therefore, welcomed with much ecstasy and patrons were served with loads of culture, fun and excitement.

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who graced the occasion, was accompanied to the durbar grounds by the ministers of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen; Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah; Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Hawa Koomson, and the Central Region, Justina Marigold Assan.

    The President of the National House of Chiefs, Ogyeahohuo Yaw Gyebi II, and the President of the Central Regional House of Chiefs, Odeefuo Amoakwa Buadu VIII, were also present.

    The theme for the celebration was: “Making Cape Coast great again through tourism, education and development.”

    Procession

    About midday last Saturday, a procession of chiefs, dressed in colourful paraphernalia and carried in palanquins, went through the principals streets of Cape Coast.

    It was preceeded by the seven Asafo companies (traditional militia), who engaged in breath-taking performances.

    The chiefs, who danced gracefully in their palanquins, received homage and cheers from their subjects and patrons, including local and foreign tourists who had lined up the streets.

    Other highlights of the festival were the famous Orange Friday carnival, Bakatue, a health walk and the Oman purification rites.

    Commendation

    President Akufo-Addo commended the chiefs and the people of the area for sustaining the festival and making Cape Coast a centre of attraction in the country.

    He also commended the traditional council and planners of the festival for the choice of theme: “Making Cape Coast great again through education, tourism and development”, saying it would help turn the fortunes of the city around.

    “It is very much in accordance with my vision and we will work to support the chiefs and the people of Oguaa in this endeavour,” he added.

    Creation of opportunities

    The Central Regional Minister, Justina Marigold Assan, said the festival served as a platform to create opportunities for the socio-economic growth of the metropolis.

    She said the youth, particularly, should use the festival as a basis to rethink and reassess themselves on how they could improve their capacity, including re-igniting the spirit of communalism and volunteerism to support the accelerated development of the area.

    The Omanhene of the Oguaa Traditional Area, Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II, urged the people to come together for the betterment of the city.

    He said the traditional area was prepared to support efforts by both private and public institutions to increase the visibility of Cape Coast.

    The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MAMDEV Ghana Limited, a headline sponsor of the festival, Kojo Mamphey, said: “If we want to make Cape Coast great again, then it is up to all of us to work together to accomplish this and not just leave it to one entity.”

    Source: Graphiconline.com

  • COVID-19 virus voice detecting app ‘more accurate than lateral flow tests’ – Researchers

    Users will have to record certain respiratory sounds, like coughing and reading a short sentence, as well as information about their demographics, smoking history, and medical history.

    Researchers claim that a mobile phone app can identify COVID in people’s voices with “possibly high precision” using artificial intelligence (AI).

    An AI model was said to be 89% accurate and cheap to use, which means it could be adopted in low-income countries where PCR tests are more expensive.

    Results can be provided in less than a minute and are said to be a “significant improvement” on the accuracy of lateral flow tests, scientists said.

    Infection normally impacts the upper respiratory tract and the vocal cords and so researchers decided to analyze changes in voices using an AI model to detect COVID.

    Wafaa Aljbawi, a researcher at the Institute of Data Science at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, said: “These promising results suggest that simple voice recordings and fine-tuned AI algorithms can potentially achieve high precision in determining which patients have COVID-19 infection.

    “They could be used, for example, at the entry points for large gatherings, enabling rapid screening of the population.”

    Data was used from the University of Cambridge’s crowd-sourcing COVID19 Sounds app. This included 893 audio samples from 4,352 healthy and non-healthy people.

    Users need to give information about their medical history, smoking status, and demographics and record some respiratory sounds, such as coughing and reading a short sentence.

    A voice analysis technique – called Mel-spectrogram – identified different voice features to “decompose the many properties of the participants’ voices”.

    Ms Aljbawi added: “These results show a significant improvement in the accuracy of diagnosing COVID-19 compared to state-of-the-art tests such as the lateral flow test.

    “The lateral flow test has a sensitivity of only 56%, but a higher specificity rate of 99.5%. This is important as it signifies that the lateral flow test is misclassifying infected people as COVID-19 negative more often than our test.

    “In other words, with the AI LSTM model, we could miss 11 out of 100 cases who would go on to spread the infection, while the lateral flow test would miss 44 out of 100 cases.”

    The AI model is also being used for an app to predict exacerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

    The research is due to be presented to the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Barcelona on Monday.

  • Zimbabwe: Anti-vaxxers hinder the fight against measles

    Over 150 children have died in Zimbabwe due to a measles outbreak. To stop the spread, the government has started a widespread vaccination drive, but unvaccinated households are fiercely resisting because of their religious convictions.

    Zimbabwe has reported at least 2,056 cases of measles as of mid-August. Virtually all of the 157 recorded deaths were in children who had not been vaccinated, Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said last week.

    The outbreak began in the eastern Manicaland province at the beginning of August, spreading rapidly across the country. Health authorities are scrambling to contain the spread.

    The government has announced a mass vaccination campaign targeting children between the ages of six months and 15 years. Authorities are also trying to engage traditional and faith leaders to support the drive.

    Zimbabwe has continued vaccinating children against measles during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the drive has been hampered by religious groups preaching against vaccines.

    Rejection of modern medicine

    The Christian sects in question are against modern medicine and have told their members to rely on self-proclaimed prophets for healing.

    DW caught up with one of the religious groups on an annual pilgrimage in Manicaland, where thousands of members of the Johane Marange Apostolic sect had gathered to listen to an oracle. The church doctrine does not allow its members to be vaccinated or seek medical treatment when they fall sick.

    A preventable fatal disease

    Measles is among the most infectious diseases in the world. Childhood infection is caused by a virus that can be fatal for small children. It primarily spreads in the air by coughing, sneezing, or through close contact. Symptoms include coughing, fever, and a skin rash. However, a vaccine can easily prevent the disease.

    But 56-year-old sect member Kuziva Kudzanai told DW it was a sin to seek medical treatment. “If anyone gets sick, they will go to the church elders for prayers,” he insisted.

    Church gatherings that have resumed following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions have themselves “led to the spread of measles to previously unaffected areas,” the Health Ministry said in a statement last week.

    Added pregnancy risks

    The prohibition on medical care also applies to pregnant women, sect member Janet Hanyanisi told DW. “We are not allowed to be vaccinated or even to go to a hospital for treatment. Instead, we go to our church midwives for delivery,” she said.

    Health authorities have struggled to break down some religious communities’ resistance to vaccinating their children, who they believe are speeding up the spread of the disease.

    “So far what we have seen is that almost all the dead are unvaccinated children,” said Cephas Hote, a medical officer in Mutasa District, one of the worst-affected regions. He added that there were a few infections among vaccinated children, but only with mild symptoms.

    Scramble to contain measles

    The government has reacted to the outbreak by launching a national measles vaccination blitz. July Moyo, a minister in the local government, said several government departments and the police are enforcing the vaccination to “tackle the emergency.”

    Moyo hopes the involvement of the entire government will ensure that “people, especially children, get vaccinated.”

    Before the current outbreak, Zimbabwe had not recorded a single measles case for more than 10 years. Public health authorities are hoping the current outbreak can be contained before it becomes an epidemic.

    Scientists estimate more than 90% of the population needs to be immunized to prevent measles outbreaks.

    In April, the World Health Organization warned of an increase in measles cases in vulnerable countries as a result of a disruption of services due to COVID-19.

    UNICEF has said about 25 million children worldwide have missed out on routine immunizations against common childhood diseases, calling it a “red alert” for child health.

  • China locks down 21 million people in Chengdu as COVID-19 cases rise

    Chinese authorities locked down Chengdu, a southwestern city of 21 million people, following a spike in COVID-19 cases.

    Photos of empty supermarket shelves and Chengdu residents scrambling to hoard groceries went viral on social media with the order given only six hours before taking effect.

    China is the last large economy wedded to a zero-COVID policy, stamping out virus flare-ups with snap shutdowns, mass testing, and lengthy quarantines.

    Chengdu, in the southwest, became the latest city to announce a shutdown, saying in an official notice residents must “stay home in principle” from 6pm (10:00 GMT) on Thursday to combat a new wave of infections.

    Each household will be allowed to send one person out to buy groceries and essential goods per day, provided they have tested negative in the previous 24 hours, it said.

    All residents will be tested for the virus by Sunday, and it urged them not to leave the city unless “absolutely necessary”.

     

    “The current state of epidemic control is abnormal, complex and grim,” the announcement said, adding the measures aimed to “decisively arrest the spread of the outbreak and guarantee the health of all citizens”.

    Chengdu recorded 157 new local infections on Thursday, of which 51 displayed no symptoms, the city government said in a separate notice.

    Children in at least 10 cities and provinces across China face disruptions to their new academic year as pandemic controls force schools to switch to online learning, according to a report in state-affiliated media.

    Xining, the capital of western Qinghai province and home to 2.5 million people, rolled out a mass-testing drive and told residents in its main urban area to work from home for three days.

     

    China has stuck to its zero-tolerance virus strategy despite concern the approach is stifling its economy.

    Last month, travellers in the southern island province of Hainan protested after more than 80,000 tourists were stranded in a resort city because of a COVID-19 flare-up

    Source; Aljazeera

  • China lockdown: 21 million people locked down in Chengdu after COVID outbreak

    Following an epidemic of COVID-19 cases, officials in Chengdu, a city in southwest China, have announced a lockdown of its 21.2 million citizens and four days of citywide testing.

    Residents of Chengdu must “remain home in principle” starting at 6 p.m. Thursday, according to a statement from city officials, non-essential workers are being requested to work from home to help fight a fresh wave of diseases. If a household can present a negative test result within the last 24 hours, they will be permitted to send one person each day to go shopping for essentials.

    The statement went on to say all residents would be tested for the infection between Thursday and Sunday. They were urged to not leave the city unless “absolutely necessary.”

    It was not clear how long the lockdown would last. The Reuters news agency reported most of the restrictions were intended to last a few days at this point, although two provincial cities in northern China extended curbs slightly beyond initial plans.

    Similar measures have seen millions of people confined to their homes in the northeastern city of Dalian, as well as Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei province that borders the capital city, Beijing.

    State media report the economic center of Shenzhen, the most populous district in Baoan, and tech hub Nanshan, suspended large events and indoor entertainment for a few days and ordered stricter checks of digital health credentials for people entering residential compounds.

    China’s state media reported Wednesday the restrictions will affect the start of the new school year in at least 10 cities as pandemic controls force schools to switch to measures like online learning.

    China’s state-run news outlet China Daily reports, citing Chengdu’s Health Commission, that as of Wednesday there were 665 confirmed cases and 293 asymptomatic carriers under treatment or medical observation.

    The restrictions reflect China’s rigid adherence to its “zero-COVID” policy that has exacted a major toll on the economy, with lockdowns, business closures, and mass testing requirements.

  • OnlyFans creators made nearly $4bn last year

    Content creators on subscription platform OnlyFans made nearly $4bn (£3.47bn) in 2021, the company has revealed.

    The platform, which is known for hosting adult content, reported pre-tax profits of $433m last year, up from $61m in 2020.

    It comes after OnlyFans saw a spike in users during the pandemic.

    However, it has faced criticism for not doing enough to prevent under-age individuals selling explicit content.

    The company said it was continually improving its approach to safety and content moderation.

    Founded in 2016, OnlyFans has 220 million users and more than two million creators worldwide.

    In 2021 it saw a 128% increase in the number of fans using the platform compared to the previous year, and a 34% rise in the number of creators.

    Overall, creator earnings were more than double what they were the previous year.

    OnlyFans takes a 20% commission on all payments made to its content creators.

    Chief executive Amrapali Gan said: “We are empowering creators to monetise their content and have real control over it.”

    “We will continue to invest in the creator economy by enhancing safety, developing original OFTV [the firm’s free streaming platform] content, and continuing to grow our community of creators and fans,” she added.

    The site offers a platform for musicians, fitness trainers and celebrities to charge their followers for exclusive tips and visual content.

    But it is best known for allowing content creators, including porn stars and sex workers, to charge for sexually explicit photographs and videos.

    Last year the company announced that all sexually explicit content would be blocked from the platform, following pressure from banking partners.

    But following a backlash from its users, OnlyFans suspended the policy change a week later.

    In 2021, a BBC News investigation found children had used fake IDs to set up accounts on the site.

    Following the report, the children’s commissioner for England said OnlyFans needed to do more to stop under-age individuals selling explicit images on the platform.

    In response to the investigation, OnlyFans said it had closed the accounts and flagged and refunded all active subscriptions.

    Source: BBC

  • US FDA authorizes Pfizer and Moderna’s updated Covid-19 boosters

    The new Covid-19 booster shots from Moderna and Pfizer were approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday. The revised Covid-19 vaccinations have just been granted emergency use permission in the US for the first time.

    Both vaccines are bivalent and combine the company’s initial shot with another that specifically targets the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sublineages.

    The new vaccination from Pfizer comes in 30-microgram doses that are approved for persons 12 and older.
    The modernized vaccination by Moderna is available in 50-microgram doses for adults (18 years of age and older).

    The shots can be administered after they’re recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC’s vaccine advisory group is scheduled to vote Thursday on whether to support recommending the boosters for use. Then, the CDC director must sign off on the recommendation.

    An OK from the CDC would mean updated boosters could be administered within days — both to older people who may have received a booster just a few months ago and younger people who haven’t been eligible for an additional booster during the latest wave of cases.

    Booster shift

    The updated vaccines do not replace shots for the primary series, but they do replace the booster people older than 12 receive.

    “With today’s authorization, the monovalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are not authorized as booster doses for individuals 12 years of age and older,” the FDA said.

    Individuals ages 12 and up are eligible for the Pfizer bivalent booster if they have received their primary series and it has been at least two months since their last vaccine dose. Individuals ages 18 and up are eligible for Moderna boosters on the same schedule.

    People too young to receive an updated booster can still be boosted with the earlier vaccine.

    The FDA said it will “work quickly” to evaluate future submissions for authorization of bivalent boosters for younger people. Pfizer said in a news release it expects to submit an application for authorization of its updated booster for children ages 5 through 11 in early October, and it’s working to prepare an application for children ages 6 months through 4 years.

    “We want to make sure that adults and the adolescents covered by this authorization are able to get the most up-to-date version of a booster vaccine, and that’s why we are no longer authorizing the monovalent — the original — booster for administration as a booster dose to those populations,” Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said during a news briefing.

    About two-thirds of the total US population is vaccinated against Covid-19 with an initial series, according to data from the CDC. But less than half of those with their initial series — and less than a third of the total population — has also gotten a booster.

    There’s no plan yet to phase out the earlier vaccines used in the primary series, Marks said, but this is a “transitional year,” when people need to make sure they have a “good base upon which we build … which will help protect us against the unknown.”

    “If you’ve not yet received a booster dose, or it’s been several months since your last booster dose, now’s the time to consider getting one,” Marks said.

    Officials defend swift authorization

    On Wednesday, FDA officials defended their swift emergency use authorization of the updated Covid vaccine booster. Pfizer and Moderna submitted for authorization last week.

    “The public can rest assured that a great deal of care has been taken by the FDA to ensure that these updated boosters meet our rigorous safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality standards for emergency use authorization,” Marks said.

    The agency has authorized these boosters after studies in mice, but ahead of the results of clinical trials in humans.

    This is similar to the way annual flu vaccines are tested each year, but it’s a first for Covid-19 vaccines. The approach has generated some controversy among vaccine experts. In making the authorization, the agency did not call a new meeting of its independent vaccine advisers, who often weigh in on vaccine changes; the advisory group had offered its insight on updating the original vaccine in meetings over the summer.

    “We have been planning for and gathering input on our approach to updated boosters since earlier this year,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said during the news briefing. “The FDA has extensive experience with evaluating strain changes for influenza vaccines and is confident in the data supporting these latest booster authorizations.”

    In addition to the animal data, the FDA said it was basing its decision on more than a year of experience with hundreds of millions of doses of mRNA vaccines given around the globe. They are also relying on human clinical trials of different bivalent vaccines that target the original Omicron strain. That vaccine has been authorized in the UK, but will not be available in the US. More than 1,400 participants were enrolled in clinical trials of the Pfizer and Moderna bivalent vaccines against BA.1.

    Human studies of the bivalent boosters, which combine the companies’ original vaccine with one that targets the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sublineages, have started, Marks said on Wednesday. Data from those studies is expected in another month or two.

    Vaccine milestone

    “America is the first country in the world that has authorized a bivalent vaccine where the bivalent vaccine targets the viruses out there,” Dr. Ashish Jha, who is leading the White House Covid-19 response, said in a phone interview with CNN on Wednesday.

    “We try to do this every year for the flu. We almost never hit it on the mark. This has taken a lot of work by FDA. It’s been about leaning into the science, leaning into some very good modeling. And then really demanding from the companies that they produce vaccines that are going to be that are going to be matched.”

    The Omicron BA.5 subvariant has dominated transmission in the United States for more than two months. Last week, it caused 89% — nearly 9 out of 10 — new Covid infections in this country, according to the latest estimates from the CDC.

    A recent offshoot of the BA.4 variant, BA.4.6, has slowly grown in prevalence to claim second place. Across the country, it caused about 8% of new infections last week, but it has taken off more in the Midwest — Kansas, Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska — causing an estimated 17% of new infections there.