Culture

Outbreak of Marburg virus forces Rwanda to limit funeral sizes

Published

3 months ago

September 30, 2024

The outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus in Rwanda has forced authorities to restrict funeral sizes for victims in an effort to curb the spread of the highly contagious disease.

In new guidelines to halt the spread of Marburg, the Rwandan Health Ministry said no more than 50 people should attend the funeral of a person who died from the disease.

So far, eight people have died during Rwanda’s first outbreak of the virus, which was confirmed on Friday by the nation’s Health Ministry.

On Saturday when the official death toll was put at six, Rwanda’s Health Minister said most of the victims were healthcare workers in a hospital intensive care unit.

Director of the Boston University Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases, Dr Nahid Bhadelia, who spoke with BBC’s Newsday programme, said curbing the virus’s spread may be challenging as most reported cases have been in the densely populated capital city, Kigali, while previous outbreaks have often been in remote rural areas where they are are easier to contain.

She added that there is hope as Rwanda has “a lot better infrastructure and history of public health coordination that many other countries”.

The country’s Health Minister said on Sunday that officials were tracking about 300 people who had come into contact with individuals affected by the Marburg virus.

To this end, the authorities have urged the public to practice good hygiene, such as frequent hand washing as this is the first time Marburg has been confirmed in Rwanda.

Marburg virus which has a fatality rate of up to 88%, is from the same virus family as Ebola and spreads to humans from fruit bats and then through contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals.

Marburg virus can bring on symptoms such as diarrhoea, vomiting and, in some cases, can cause death through extreme blood loss.

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Culture

Ghana’s Supreme Court dismisses suit challenging anti-LGBT bill

Published

6 hours ago

December 19, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Ghana’s Supreme Court has dismissed two separate suits challenging the legality of one of the proposed anti-LGBT legislations awaiting assent into law by the president.

The separate suits were filed by two legal practitioners, Amanda Odoi and Richard Sky, challenging the bill, seeking to declare it illegal and prevent the president from signing it.

The two cases had challenged the constitutionality of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill.

But in a ruling on Wednesday, the Supreme Court unanimously decided to dismiss the legal challenges to the new anti-LGBT legislation that has been criticised by rights groups.

The controversial bill was passed earlier this year by Ghanaian lawmakers with three years imprisonment for people identifying as LGBT and five years for forming or funding LGBT groups.

While dismissing the cases, presiding judge, Justice Avril Lovelace-Johnson, who delivered the ruling on behalf of the seven-member panel, said the cases were premature.

“Until there’s presidential assent, there is no act, the two cases were “unanimously dismissed,” she said.

The ruling is the latest blow to the LGBTQ community in Ghana and paves the way for the president to sign into law what many say is one of Africa’s most restrictive piece of anti-LGBTQ legislation.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, whose term in office ends on 7 January, had delayed signing it pending the outcome of the Supreme Court challenge but the judges said the case could not be reviewed until it had been signed it into law.

It expected that incoming president, John Mahama, will sign the bill into law as he had always expressed his support for the bill during his electioneering campaigns.

Culture

UNESCO lists Ghana’s Kente cloth as cultural heritage

Published

1 day ago

December 18, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The iconic Ghanaian Kente, a piece of clothing, has been recognized as a cultural heritage on UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The global recognition, according to the UN body, is coming under the 2003 Convention for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage highlights the cultural and historical significance of the vibrant, handwoven textile.

In a citation on its website, UNESCO describes the Kente cloth as “originating from Ghana’s Asante and Ewe communities and renowned worldwide for its bold colors, intricate patterns, and deep symbolic meanings, embodying the creativity and identity of the Ghanaian people.”

Ghana’s Tourism Minister, Andrew Egyapa Mercer, described the recognition as a testament to Ghana’s commitment to preserving its cultural heritage.

“This achievement places Ghana at the forefront of global efforts to safeguard and celebrate cultural traditions,” he noted.

In a statement acknowledging the recognition, Mercer said the “Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MoTAC) expressed gratitude to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, UNESCO, and the artisans, cultural institutions, and traditional authorities who contributed to this milestone.”

“Special acknowledgement is given to the Bonwire and Agotime communities for their enduring role as custodians of the craft.

“As Ghana celebrates this historic moment, MoTAC reaffirms its dedication to promoting and preserving the nation’s rich cultural legacy.”