Day: April 28, 2022

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Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Surging in Africa Due to COVID-19 Disruptions

The World Health Organization warns that vaccine-preventable diseases are spreading across the African continent because routine immunizations against killer diseases have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tens of millions of people have missed out on routine immunization services. That not only puts their lives at risk from potentially deadly diseases but creates an environment in which killer diseases can thrive and spread.

Benido Impouma, director for communicable and noncommunicable diseases in the World Health Organization’s regional office for Africa, said the pandemic has put a huge strain on health systems. It has impaired routine immunization services in many African countries and forced the suspension of vaccination drives.

Over the past year, he said, outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases have increased across the continent.

“For instance, between January and March of this year, around 17,000 cases of measles were recorded. This is a 400 percent increase compared with the same period last year,” Impouma said. “Twenty-four countries in our region confirmed outbreaks of a variant of polio last year, which is four times more than in 2020.”

He noted that outbreaks of other vaccine-preventable diseases, such as yellow fever, also are surging.

The World Health Organization and UNICEF recently issued a report warning of a heightened risk of vaccine-preventable diseases. They attribute it in large part to increasing inequalities in access to vaccines due to pandemic-related disruptions.

They expressed particular concern about a worldwide spike in measles cases, which have increased by 79 percent in the first two months of this year. They noted that most cases were reported in Africa and in eastern Mediterranean regions.

WHO is working to improve immunization coverage and protection for children, Impouma said, adding that WHO and its partners are supporting African countries to carry out catch-up routine vaccination campaigns.

“More than 30 African countries implemented at least one routine catch-up immunization campaign in the second half of last year,” he said. “And this year, countries are showing progress, with measles and yellow fever campaigns starting again. Central African Republic, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Somalia and South Sudan have reinstated measles campaigns, which is good news.”

However, COVID-19 news is not as promising. WHO said that this week new COVID-19 cases and deaths on the continent have increased for the first time after a decline of more than two months for cases and one month for deaths.

The latest recorded figures put the number of cases at 11.6 million, including nearly 253,000 deaths.

Source: Voice of America

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Titane actor Vincent Lindon to lead Cannes jury

Cannes, A year after starring in the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or winner “Titane,” French actor Vincent Lindon will preside over the jury deciding the top prize at this year’s festival.

The Cannes Film Festival announced Tuesday that Lindon would be jury president at next month’s festival in the south of France, AP reports.

Lindon won best actor at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival for his performance in “The Measure of a Man” and received raves at the 2021 edition for his performance in Julia Ducournau’s body horror thriller Palme-winning “Titane.”

The other jury members are: Rebecca Hall, the British actor and filmmaker; India star Deepika Padukone; Swedish actor Noomi Rapace; Italian actor-director Jasmine Trinca; the Oscar-winning Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi; French director Ladj Ly; American filmmaker Jeff Nichols; and Norwegian director Joachim Trier, whose “The Worst Person in the World” was also a prize winner at last year’s Cannes.

The 75th Cannes Film Festival begins May 17 and culminates with the presentation of the Palme d’Or on May 28.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

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Families of Kidnap Victims Reject Nigerian Bill Punishing Ransom Payments

Relatives of kidnap victims in Nigeria have expressed concerns about a bill passed the Nigerian Senate on Wednesday that would outlaw ransom payments for someone’s release.

Paul Mshelia, the father of a kidnap victim, was alerted by phone of an attack at a forestry college in Kaduna state the morning of March 12, 2021. His caller told him that his son, who is a student at the school, and 38 others had been taken away by armed gangs.

Mshelia says it was a difficult moment for his family.

“The experience we have passed through with my wife is still affecting me psychologically,” he said. “Till today, at 4 a.m. when the day is breaking, I remember the experience. I’ll wake up from sleep and won’t go back to sleep.”

Mshelia’s family and the parents of other kidnapped students say that after weeks of negotiations, they paid about $100,000 to secure the release of their children.

They negotiated despite warnings from Nigerian authorities not to give in to pressure from the kidnappers.

This week, the Nigerian Senate approved an amendment to the country’s terrorism law that would outlaw ransom payments. Anyone who paid ransom could face up to 15 years in prison.

The bill also proposes the death penalty for convicted kidnappers when the abduction leads to loss of life, and life imprisonment in other instances.

Authorities warn that paying ransom was only making kidnappers emboldened and hope the bill will address the spate of kidnappings.

But Mshelia disagrees.

“To me, it’s out of context because I don’t think it’s going to solve any problem,” he said. “Even if you jail somebody today and this kidnapping continues, people will still go out of their way to pay.”

The bill still needs approval from the lower house of parliament and from President Muhammadu Buhari before it becomes law.

Authorities in northern Nigeria are struggling to contain armed gangs who are on a kidnapping spree and have earned huge sums of money through ransom payments.

Human rights lawyer Martin Obono says the government is shifting responsibility by criminalizing ransom payment by citizens.

“This is government actually trying to shift the post. If you’re now saying that you want to criminalize ransom payment, who’s going to criminalize government’s failure to provide or guarantee my own security?” Obono said.

According to a report by Lagos-based risk analysis firm SB Morgen Intelligence, at least $18.3 million in ransom was paid to Nigerian kidnappers between 2011 and 2020.

Source: Voice of America

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ARC-WH launches My Heritage film competition

Manama, Apr. 25 (BNA): The Arab Regional Center for World Heritage (ARC-WH) is launching “My Heritage” film competition, on the 50th anniversary of the 1972 World Heritage Convention and the 10th anniversary of its establishment.

The competition is part of ARC-WH’s Arab Youth for Heritage initiatives that encourages youth to build a deeper understanding of the significance of such sites and build personal connection with it; by highlighting heritage and the impact it has on their lives.

The competition is open to all Arab youth interested in culture, heritage, media, and technology between the ages of 18 and 28 who have access to a World Heritage site in their country of residence.

The primary language of the entered films must be Arabic and submitted via ARC-WH’s website (www.arcwh.org) no later than May 15.

The films can be the works of an individual or groups not exceeding three people. Previous experience in media or film productions is not necessary.

The creators of the shortlisted films will attend two workshops conducted via teleconferencing by ARC-WH offering tips and guidance in the fields of film production, editing, and proper use of technical equipment to improve their films.

Following the final judging process, the winners will be announced and invited to screen their films during ARC-WH’s 10th anniversary celebrations in September.

Source: Bahrain News Agency