Health
Avian Flu Outbreak Reported in South Africa
An outbreak of Avian Influenza in South Africa will derail export expansion plans by the country’s poultry industry through the Poultry Master Plan and further decrease poultry exports.
According to a report released late Friday by the Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN), South Africa has experienced multiple Avian Influenza outbreaks in six commercial farms across three provinces during April and May 2021.
The outbreak is suspected to be linked to the flu caused by European wild birds.
On 13 April, 2021, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) announced that an avian influenza (also known as “bird flu”) outbreak was detected in Ekurhuleni Municipality in Gauteng Province.
The outbreak occurred in a commercial layer farm and that led to the culling of 240,000 birds. Six days later, two additional commercial chicken properties tested positive for the H5 variant.
Samples from the farm were taken to the lab, and tested positive for the H5 strain of the avian influenza. Upon confirmation of the H5 strain, the birds in the affected house were immediately culled by the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development authorities.
The Department mentioned that the farm was also part of the H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak in 2017.
The department made arrangements for the samples to be urgently tested at Onderstepoort Veterinary Research (OVR), to determine the pathotype (whether it is high (HPAI) or low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI)) as well as to determine the N type of the virus.
The avian influenza strain was confirmed to be highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1. Further genetic evaluation confirmed that it is a Clade 2.3.4.4 virus that groups closely with the currently circulating virus strains in wild birds in Europe.
The entire farm was culled (approximately 270,000 birds) and approval was obtained for burial at a nearby dumping site under controlled conditions and under state veterinary supervision.
On 19 April, an additional two commercial chicken properties tested positive for H5. One is a commercial chicken layer farm in City of Tshwane, Gauteng. The other is a commercial chicken parent breeder farm in J. B. Marks Local Municipality in the north.
South Africa is not a major poultry exporter, as the majority of its poultry exports go to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region because they can’t access other markets as a result of sanitary and phytosanitary issues..
For the last four years, Lesotho has been the leading importer, followed by Mozambique
During May, two more outbreaks were reported in the Western Cape and in Gauteng. As a result of these outbreaks, Botswana and Mozambique restricted imports of poultry from South Africa. Notably, one of the three affected facilities is a registered compartment for export.
On 6 May, the Western Cape Department of Agriculture reported that an Avian Influenza outbreak was detected at a broiler breeder farm in the Worcester area. The provincial agriculture department reported that the affected farm is under quarantine, and the process of humanely culling the affected commenced thereafter.
On 7 May, another outbreak was reported in a commercial chicken farm in the Gauteng Province, Randfontein area.
Botswana, Namibia and Mozambique have put restrictions on the imports of poultry from South Africa.
In agreement with international trade recommendations, Namibia and Botswana have only banned poultry and poultry raw products from this affected compartment.
Both countries still allow the export of poultry and poultry raw products from registered compartments within South Africa that comply with the monthly surveillance requirements.
In addition to these restrictions, Lesotho and Hong Kong have restricted the importation of poultry and poultry products from Gauteng Province. (PANA/NAN)
Health
Psychiatrists Demand Decriminalization of Attempted Suicide
By Ubong Ukpong, Abuja
Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN) President, Prof. Taiwo James Obindo, has asked for the decriminalization of attempted suicide in the country.
He made the call at a stakeholders meeting organized by the House of Representatives Committee on Specialty Healthcare on the need to prioritize and implement the Mental Health Act.
Obindo said the establishment of the National Counselling Centers all over the country in an attempt to address mental health was like putting the cart before the horse, because suicide attempt was still a criminal offense in both the Criminal Act and the Penal Code.
“Hence the first step would be a move to decriminalize attempted suicide.
Criminalizing attempted Suicide has proven to be a major barrier for suicide prevention intervention service uptake.“The archaic law, inherited from our Colonial masters, in an attempt to stop the act of suicide did not address the thoughts and social determinants of Suicide. Significant evidence showed that 90% of those who take their lives through suicide had a background history of Mental Health Conditions; out of which 80% are attributable to Depression due to various bio-psycho-social aetiologies.
“Why do we, as a Nation, then punish individuals who are ill and need medical attention rather than prosecution? It will shock you to know that Nigeria, the giant of Africa, is lagging behind as quite a number of our neighbouring nations have abrogated that law.
“Establishing a Counselling center, without abrogating this archaic law would put, even the counselors at risk because the law also prescribes penalties for those who are aware of the plan but did not report,” he said.
The psychiatrists Association President called for the implementation of the Mental Health Act, which he said was a product of legislation that went through rigorous processes by the legislature, assented to by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2022, and has been gazetted as a law in the Country.
This, he said, would address the “many years of neglect of this important aspect of our nationhood.”
Obindo said a requirement for the effective implementation of the Act was the establishment of a Mental Health Services Department in the Federal Ministry of Health.
“It will shock you to hear that, more than a year later, the department is yet to be established. Most of, if not all, the items in your plan are meant to be supervised by this department in obedience to the rule of law! Hence, the establishment of the department is germane to the success of all your plans,” he said.
He said the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria was an umbrella body of all Psychiatrists in the Country and other allied Practitioners.
He said they have been at the forefront of campaigns and advocacy for global best practices.
He lauded the Committee for the initiative, saying when well-implemented, would positively impact the hitherto neglected Mental Health, persons affected by Mental Health Conditions, and Mental Health Practitioners.
Chairman of the Committee on Special Healthcare, Dr Alex Egbona, said all stakeholders must partner to address mental health challenges and other related health cases.
The lawmaker said the committee was created to provide the requisite legislative frameworks for improved healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
He said the session was a collaborative initiative of the committee to share its mandate and planned activities with identified relevant institutions and organisations.
“I, therefore, solicit the support and partnership of all stakeholders, our development partners, international NGOs, and CSOs, you are all urged to take interest in building the capacity of the committee members and staff to enhance the efficacy of the committee.
“Consider our five thematic areas of Mental Health, Trauma and Obstetrics Fistula, Oral Health and ENT, Blood Transfusion, Blood and Management, Traditional Complementary and Alternative Medicine and engage the committee for maximum impact,” he said.
Health
WHO Expresses Concern over Monkey Pox Outbreak in DRC
25,318 suspected cases of monkey pox, including 1,204 deaths, have been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since the declaration of monkey pox outbreak in December 2022.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday.
According to the latest report, the outbreak, which was declared by the DRC Health Ministry on Dec.
16, 2022, was prompted by a notable surge in cases and fatalities associated with monkey pox as well as a fast spread to non-endemic provinces.Since the beginning of 2024, a total of 5,133 suspected cases, including 321 deaths, have been reported, according to the WHO report. It warns that the current situation of the outbreak in the DRC is of “grave concern” due to the sustained increase in suspected cases compared to previous years.
It added that with a significant burden in younger populations, particularly children under 15 years of age, who constitute the majority of both suspected cases and deaths.
In April 2024, a high-level emergency regional meeting on monkey pox in Africa was convened in DRC capital Kinshasa, gathering 12 health ministers of regional countries, aiming to develop common strategies to prevent and intervene effectively in the face of monkey pox in Africa.
“We must prevent the DRC from becoming the source of cross-border transmission, and our partnership must prioritise the health of those affected,’’ said Jean Kaseya, the director general of the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) at the meeting.
“Over the years, monkey pox has become a real public health problem for our communities in the DRC, a regional threat and ultimately a global problem.
“We must now mobilise to resolve this crisis,” said Roger Kamba, DRC minister of public health, hygiene and prevention, said at the meeting.
Monkey pox, first detected in laboratory monkeys in 1958, is assumed to be transmitted from wild animals such as rodents to people or from human to human (Xinhua/NAN)
Health
WHO Warns of ‘Bloodbath’ as Rafah Offensive Looms
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned of dire consequences if Israel goes ahead with an impending military operation in Rafah.
The planned push into the southern border city of Rafah would lead to “a bloodbath,” the organization wrote on X, formerly twitter on Saturday
The WHO said that more than 1.
2 million people were currently sheltering in the area, many unable to move anywhere else.“A new wave of displacement would exacerbate overcrowding, further limiting access to food, water, health and sanitation services, leading to increased disease outbreaks, worsening levels of hunger, and additional loss of lives.
”According to the WHO, only 33 per cent of Gaza’s 36 hospitals and 30 per cent of primary health care Centre’s were functional in some capacity amid repeated attacks and shortages of vital medical supplies, fuel, and staff.
WHO calls for an immediate and lasting ceasefire and the removal of the obstacles to the delivery of urgent humanitarian assistance into and across Gaza, at the scale that is required.
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu is determined to launch an offensive in Rafah to eliminate the remaining strongholds of Hamas.
The organisation said that although Israel’s allies have repeatedly urged caution, as a large majority of the approximately 2.2 million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip have fled to the south during the war. (dpa/NAN)