Musings From Abroad

End of the road for malaria as vaccine gains momentum

Published

2 years ago

September 8, 2022

Anti-malaria vaccines developed by scientists at Oxford University have maintained a high level of protection against the disease.

According to researchers, the new vaccine offers protection for two years and has been termed as a game changer in the fight against the deadly disease.

Across sub-Saharan Africa, the prevention of new cases of malaria has resulted in major cost savings for endemic countries as the booster dose of a new malaria vaccine has maintained a high level of protection against the disease.

Adrian Hill, a vaccine specialist at Oxford and co-author of the study, said “we could be looking at a very substantial reduction in the horrific burden of malaria, a reduction in deaths and disease in the coming years, certainly by 2030.

The institute “is willing and able to manufacture 200 million doses a year starting next year,” Hill said. The six to 10 million doses GSK can produce a year is “not enough for 40 million children who need four doses in the first year,” Hill said.

According to UNICEF, every 75 seconds, a child under five dies of malaria. Many of these deaths are preventable and treatable. In 2019, there were 229 million malaria cases globally which led to 558,000 deaths in total. Of these deaths, 74 percent (416,000) were children under 5 years of age. This translates into a daily toll of nearly 750 children under age 5.

Musings From Abroad

Brazilian meatpacker JBS invests $2.5 billion in Nigeria, builds six facilities

Published

1 day ago

November 22, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Brazilian meatpacker JBS says it has inked a memorandum of understanding with the Nigerian government for a $2.5 billion investment plan that will include the construction of six new plants in the African nation.

Three of the plants would deal in poultry, two in beef, and one in pork, according to a statement from JBS.

In accordance with the memorandum of understanding, JBS stated that it would develop a five-year investment plan in Nigeria, which would include budget estimates, feasibility studies, and an action plan for the development of the local supply chain.

The Nigerian government would then guarantee the sanitary, regulatory, and economic conditions required for the project’s viability, JBS continued.

Musings From Abroad

China’s Xi meets with Morocco’s Crown Prince

Published

1 day ago

November 22, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Morocco’s official media reports that Chinese President, Xi Jinping, visited Morocco briefly on Thursday.

According to Morocco’s MAP, Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan welcomed Xi in Casablanca. The visit demonstrated the close ties of camaraderie, collaboration, and solidarity between the Moroccan and Chinese peoples, it said.

China’s official broadcaster, CCTV, said that Xi and Hassan had a “cordial conversation” at the airport after being received by the Crown Prince and Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch.

After attending the G20 Summit in Brazil, Xi paid the visit.

In recent years, China has increased its investments in Morocco’s rail and infrastructure. Morocco is desirable for Chinese electric car battery manufacturers because of its proximity to Europe, free trade agreements with important EU and US markets, and an established automotive sector.

Morocco was chosen by Chinese EV battery company Gotion High Tech in June to establish Africa’s first gigafactory, which will cost $1.3 billion in total.