Former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has urged the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to invest in agriculture and particularly cassava, soybean, cowpea and plantain. Speaking during the official inauguration of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Kalambo research station in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by the country’s President, Felix Tshisekedi, Obasanjo…
IITA renames DRC research station after Olusegun Obasanjo
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Kalambo Station – located in South-Kivu Province, in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo – will be named “The President Olusegun Obasanjo Research Campus” by His Excellency the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mr Felix Tshisekedi Tshilombo. The efforts of this former Nigeria…
WHO lauds Rwanda’s Ebola preparedness efforts
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Thursday commended Rwanda on its ongoing Ebola preparedness efforts and confirmed that no cases of Ebola have been reported from the country to date. “Rwanda has been proactive and engaged in Ebola preparedness at all levels since the outbreak was declared almost one year ago in neighbouring Democratic Republic…
Ebola response, too little, too late!
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has called on the Director-General of the World Health Organization Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to demonstrate resolute leadership on Ebola or resign. The call, coming shortly after the WHO finally declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on July 17 wants the…
Uganda confirms first Ebola outbreak, raises fears of an epidemic
Uganda’s first case of Ebola has been confirmed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the World Health Organization (WHO), marking the first case to be confirmed outside of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since the outbreak began last August. The first confirmed Ebola case was a 5-year-old child from Uganda with…
Ebola outbreak response gets new funding
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance on Monday provided an extra US$ 9.2 million to support Ebola vaccinations in Eastern DRC, where the Ebola outbreak has now claimed over 1,100 lives. The new funding for the WHO will support operational costs for the vaccination effort, funding the vaccination teams, transportation, syringes and other vaccine supplies, as well…
Ebola vaccine to help tackle DRC outbreak
Gavi has released US$1 million towards deployment of the Ebola vaccine to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to boost efforts to contain the disease. Gavi’s funding will support the deployment of health workers, transport, critical supplies and other operations. The vaccination will be implemented by the Government of DRC and partners including WHO,…
Why “Namikonga” farmers’ variety can withstand devastating effects of deadly viral cassava disease
Scientists have now shed more light on how a farmers’ variety in Tanzania is able to tolerate the deadly viral Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD) disease after infection, showing limited symptoms and impact on yield. The team have established that ‘Namikonga’ plants have a complex line of defense involving many biochemical pathways and genes that…