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Tens of Thousands of Tigray Children Face Imminent Death, UNICEF Warns

The U.N. Children’s Fund warns at least 33,000 severely malnourished children in northern Ethiopia’s Tigray region face imminent death if they do not receive immediate help to treat their condition.

UNICEF is appealing to the Ethiopian government to live up to its promise of unimpeded access to conflict-ridden Tigray province. Agency spokesman James Elder warns this man-made disaster will have unimaginably tragic consequences for thousands of children if aid agencies are unable to reach them.

“Incredulously, things can actually deteriorate further for children as food insecurity is expected to worsen over the coming months. So, we risk many more deaths than the 33,000 that we fear if crops cannot be planted. So, it is imperative that parties to the conflict ensures humanitarian access to UNICEF and unimpeded and safe access on the ground to stave off widespread famine,” he said.

UNICEF reports at least 140,000 people in Tigray are facing famine-like conditions. Amid this crisis, it projects some 56,000 children will need treatment for severe acute malnutrition. This, it notes is almost six times higher than the average annual caseload for the region.

Elder said helping these children will be difficult. He said the warring parties have inflicted extensive damage to essential systems and services on which children depend for their survival.

He said health facilities have been looted or damaged, and water infrastructure has been destroyed, causing safe drinking water to be in short supply. This, he warns could lead to outbreaks of disease, putting malnourished children at even greater risk of dying.

He said health workers have been attacked and harassed, discouraging many from returning to work.

“Mobile health and nutrition teams need to be able to do their jobs safely. They are trying right now as we speak to do upcoming measles, polio, vitamin A nutrition campaigns. Remember, it is not just the lack of food that kills under-fives, it is other diseases, water and sanitation,” said Elder.

UNICEF is calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities so children can safely receive the lifesaving services they need to begin to rebuild their lives. It says it also needs the cash to be able to fund these services.

The UN children’s agency says it is $13 million short of the $47 million it needs to care for 1.3 million children, many of whom are struggling to survive.

Source: Voice of America

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SNOMED International identifies the benefits of using SNOMED CT for its broad range of stakeholders in new report

London, United Kingdom, June 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SNOMED International is pleased to announce the launch of a new report that details the value each of its many stakeholder groups can experience by implementing SNOMED CT, the most comprehensive global language for health terms. This report builds on the work captured in a series of videos completed in 2020 in which a New Zealand health board highlights the advances it has made in realizing its vision of a connected, integrated system by using SNOMED CT.

The report, titled SNOMED CT: Articulating Stakeholder Value, was developed over the past year as part of our efforts to meet our 2020-2025 Strategy commitments and to realize our vision of better health and improved patient outcomes worldwide.

It identifies where and how SNOMED CT is used, providing an end-to-end perspective of the entire universe of SNOMED CT users, including Members, policy makers, care providers, patients and citizens, researchers and knowledge producers, implementers, vendors and collaboration partners, and expands and extends our existing value propositions to each of those groups. It also lays out the pathway to realizing the full value of SNOMED CT when embedded in a clinical information system, a health data and analytics platform or an interoperability solution.

“There has been enormous evolution in the SNOMED CT product and community since the organization came into being,” states Don Sweete, CEO of SNOMED International. “As the organization and our community have evolved, so, too, has the value that the product and its resources offer healthcare systems and stakeholders worldwide.” Don also noted, “As a core clinical reference terminology that is unchallenged in terms of its clinical breadth and depth, our renewed value propositions mirror the evolution of our stakeholders in their past, present and future use of SNOMED CT.”

Based on the Delone and McLean IS Success Framework as the theoretical underpinning for the development of these segmented value propositions, the report demonstrates the role of SNOMED CT as a critical component of the entire ecosystem of clinical terminologies and the importance of collaboration among the sponsors of those terminologies.

It also provides government decision-makers with a clear understanding of how their investments in SNOMED CT translate into positive outcomes for the health of their nation’s citizens.

Highlights of the benefits by stakeholder groups

  • Policymakers are more informed when making policy and management decisions, accelerating data-driven analytics and decision-making processes
  • Members can ensure that high-quality clinical information is available to stakeholders within their nations
  • Collaboration Partners contribute their best-in-class clinical knowledge to SNOMED CT to ensure its clinical integrity and create the one language of health
  • Researchers and Knowledge Producers can accelerate data, information, evidence and knowledge creation, supporting a wide range of analytics and research to benefit the decision-making of policymakers and healthcare stakeholders
  • Implementers can collect data once and reuse it for a diverse range of clinical, management and research purposes to support a broad range of health stakeholders
  • Vendors can open up markets globally and expand market share by enhancing the information quality of their products, using a global standard used in over 80 countries
  • Care Providers can improve patient outcomes by being knowledgeable about their patient’s health and options for care, achieving a more informed and collaborative relationship when making critical care decisions
  • Patients/Citizens can control their own health information and be knowledgeable about their health and self-care options

Over the coming months, SNOMED International will build on this work with the release of an in-depth SNOMED CT Case for Investment, supported by economic benefits modeling and data-driven exemplar case studies of SNOMED CT use.

To read the report, Articulating Stakeholder Value, visit snomed.org/value.

About SNOMED International

SNOMED International is a not-for-profit organization that owns and develops SNOMED CT, the world’s most comprehensive healthcare terminology product. We play an essential role in improving the health of humankind by determining standards for a codified language that represents groups of clinical terms. This enables healthcare information to be exchanged globally for the benefit of patients and other stakeholders. We are committed to the rigorous evolution of our products and services, to deliver continuous innovation for the global healthcare community. SNOMED International is the trading name of the International Health Terminology Standards Development Organisation.

Media Inquiries

Kelly Kuru

Chief Communications Officer

comms@snomed.org

Attachments

Kelly Kuru
SNOMED International
comms@snomed.org
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First Advantage Announces Launch of Initial Public Offering

ATLANTA, June 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — First Advantage Corporation, a leading global provider of technology solutions for screening, verifications, safety and compliance related to human capital, today announced the launch of the initial public offering of 21,250,000 shares of its common stock, of which 17,750,000 shares of common stock will be sold by First Advantage and 3,500,000 shares of common stock will be sold by certain existing stockholders of First Advantage. First Advantage and the selling stockholders expect to grant the underwriters in the offering a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 3,187,500 shares of common stock, of which, up to 2,662,500 shares of common stock would be sold by First Advantage and up to 525,000 shares of common stock would be sold by certain existing stockholders of First Advantage. The estimated initial public offering price is between $13.00 and $15.00 per share. First Advantage has applied to list its shares on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “FA”.

Barclays, BofA Securities and J.P. Morgan will act as lead bookrunners for the proposed offering. Citigroup, Evercore ISI, Jefferies, RBC Capital Markets, Stifel and HSBC will act as bookrunners, and Citizens Capital Markets, KKR Capital Markets LLC, MUFG, Loop Capital Markets, R. Seelaus & Co., LLC, Ramirez & Co., Inc. and Roberts & Ryan will act as co-managers for the proposed offering.

A registration statement on Form S-1 relating to the proposed offering has been filed with the SEC but has not yet become effective. These securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation, or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of that jurisdiction. Any offers, solicitations or offers to buy, or any sales of securities will be made in accordance with the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

The proposed offering will be made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the preliminary prospectus related to the offering can be obtained from: Barclays Capital Inc., Attn: Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, by telephone at 888-603-5847, or by email at Barclaysprospectus@broadridge.com; BofA Securities, Attn: Prospectus Department, NC1-004-03-43, 200 North College Street, 3rd floor, Charlotte, North Carolina, 28255-0001, by email at dg.prospectus_requests@bofa.com; or J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Attention: Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717 or by telephone at 866-803-9204 or by email at prospectuseq_fi@jpmorganchase.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts. The words “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include any statements regarding the commencement of trading of First Advantage’s common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those described under “Risk Factors” under First Advantage’s registration statement relating to the offering. Except as required by law, First Advantage has no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements to conform these statements to actual results or revised expectations.

About First Advantage

First Advantage is a leading global provider of technology solutions for screening, verifications, safety and compliance related to human capital. The company delivers innovative solutions and insights that help customers manage risk and hire the best talent. Enabled by its proprietary technology platform, First Advantage’s products and solutions help companies protect their brands and provide safe environments for their customers and their most important resources: employees, contractors, contingent workers, tenants and drivers. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, First Advantage has offices in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Media Contact:

Elisabeth Warrick
First Advantage
employment.solutions@fadv.com
(888) 314-9761

Jeanne Achille
The Devon Group
firstadvantage@devonpr.com
+1-732-706-0123, ext. 700
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A2 Global Risk publishes new report assessing the investment risks associated with port infrastructure expansion in Sub-Saharan Africa

LONDON, June 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — London and Hong Kong-based risk management consultancy A2 Global Risk published a new report assessing the investment risks associated with port infrastructure expansion in Sub-Saharan Africa, against the backdrop of global geopolitical competition. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions on travel and operations caused unprecedented disruption to international trade and highlighted the risks linked with ageing port infrastructure and regional bottlenecks.

Cognisant of such risks, African governments are actively seeking to expand their infrastructure and trade provisions to reduce non-tariff barriers, as part of their efforts to modernise their trade infrastructure, such as airports, seaports, roads, and internet access. International actors active in this space are ramping up their competition for market access amid mounting trade and geopolitical tensions globally.

In Africa, traditional global powers such as France and the European Union on one hand, and China on the other, have for years competed over lucrative port expansion and management contracts. But both Western and Chinese companies have been accused of abuses and neo-colonialism. A growing number of Middle Eastern countries, led by the United Arab Emirates as well as Turkey, is now providing a third alternative.

While this growing competition offers African countries new alternatives to choose from, which may in turn foster local agency, it also raises questions about responsible corporate actors and signals emerging political risks to companies with an established presence.

“Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia and the UAE, have markedly increased their presence on the continent, particularly in the Horn of Africa, over the past decade,” says Senior Analyst for Sub-Saharan Africa Olivier Milland. “To a large extent this forms part of their strategic development plans to diversify economies and secure future food supplies. Meanwhile, efforts at home to attract foreign capital or entice companies to establish offices in the region means that corporate standards there need to be elevated to the same level as those in advanced economies, placing a greater compliance burden on Gulf-based companies if they are to maintain a competitive advantage.”

About A2 Global RIsk
A2 Global Risk is a political and security risk management consultancy headquartered in Hong Kong with offices throughout Asia-Pacific as well as London and Washington DC. We provide subscription-based Information Services platform and bespoke security risk management services across the globe to help companies understand their political environments and mitigate risk accordingly. For more information visit www.a2globalrisk.com.

CONTACTS:
Carolyn Taylor
Senior Editor
Tel: +44 203 102 4053
Email: ctaylor@a2globalrisk.com

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Philips issues recall notification* to mitigate potential health risks related to the sound abatement foam component in certain sleep and respiratory care devices

une 14, 2021

  • Philips is initiating a voluntary recall notification* to ensure patient safety in consultation with regulatory agencies
  • Corrective actions include the deployment of updated instructions for use and a repair and replacement program for affected devices
  • Philips aims to address all affected devices within the scope of this correction as expeditiously as possible

Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Following the company update on April 26, 2021, Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG; AEX: PHIA) today provides an update on the recall notification* for specific Philips Bi-Level Positive Airway Pressure (Bi-Level PAP), Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), and mechanical ventilator devices to address identified potential health risks related to the polyester-based polyurethane (PE-PUR) sound abatement foam component in these devices. The majority of the affected devices within the advised 5-year service life are in the first-generation DreamStation product family.

To date, Philips has produced millions of Bi-Level PAP, CPAP and mechanical ventilator devices using the PE-PUR sound abatement foam. Despite a low complaint rate (0.03% in 2020), Philips determined based on testing that there are possible risks to users related to this type of foam. The risks include that the PE-PUR foam may degrade into particles which may enter the device’s air pathway and be ingested or inhaled by the user, and the foam may off-gas certain chemicals. The foam degradation may be exacerbated by use of unapproved cleaning methods, such as ozone,** and high heat and high humidity environments may also contribute to foam degradation.

Therefore, Philips has decided to voluntarily issue a recall notification* to inform patients and customers of potential impacts on patient health and clinical use related to this issue, as well as instructions on actions to be taken.

“We deeply regret any concern and inconvenience that patients using the affected devices will experience because of the proactive measures we are announcing today to ensure patient safety,” said Frans van Houten, CEO of Royal Philips. “In consultation with the relevant regulatory agencies and in close collaboration with our customers and partners, we are working hard towards a resolution, which includes the deployment of the updated instructions for use and a comprehensive repair and replacement program for the affected devices. Patient safety is at the heart of everything we do at Philips.”

Recall notification* advise for patients and customers
Based on the latest analysis of potential health risks and out of an abundance of caution, the recall notification* advises patients and customers to take the following actions:

  • For patients using affected BiLevel PAP and CPAP devices: Discontinue use of your device and work with your physician or Durable Medical Equipment (DME) provider to determine the most appropriate options for continued treatment. To continue use of your device due to lack of alternatives, consult with your physician to determine if the benefit of continuing therapy with your device outweighs the risks identified in the recall notification.*
  • For patients using affected life-sustaining mechanical ventilator devices: Do not stop or alter your prescribed therapy until you have talked to your physician. Philips recognizes that alternate ventilator options for therapy may not exist or may be severely limited for patients who require a ventilator for life-sustaining therapy, or in cases where therapy disruption is unacceptable. In these situations, and at the discretion of the treating clinical team, the benefit of continued usage of these ventilator devices may outweigh the risks identified in the recall notification.*

Possible health risks
The company continues to monitor reports of potential safety issues as required by medical device regulations and laws in the markets in which it operates. To date, there have been no reports of death as a result of these issues. Philips has received reports of possible patient impact due to foam degradation. The potential risks of particulate exposure include headache, irritation, inflammation, respiratory issues, and possible toxic and carcinogenic effects. The potential risks of chemical exposure due to off-gassing include headache, irritation, hypersensitivity, nausea/vomiting, and possible toxic and carcinogenic effects. Philips has received no reports regarding patient impact related to chemical emissions.

Repair and replacement program
Philips is providing the relevant regulatory agencies with required information related to the launch and implementation of the projected correction. The company will replace the current sound abatement foam with a new material and has already begun the preparations, which include obtaining the relevant regulatory clearances. Philips aims to address all affected devices in scope of this correction as expeditiously as possible.

As part of the program, the first-generation DreamStation product families will be modified with a different sound abatement foam and shipped upon receipt of the required regulatory clearances. Philips’ recently launched next-generation CPAP platform, DreamStation 2, is not affected by the issue. To support the program, Philips is increasing the production of its DreamStation 2 CPAP devices, that are available in the US and selected countries in Europe.

Financials
In terms of the financial impact, Philips anticipates that the expected revenue headwinds in the Sleep & Respiratory Care business in 2021 will be compensated by the strength of the company’s other businesses. Therefore, the full year comparable sales growth and Adjusted EBITA margin guidance provided on April 26, 2021 remains unchanged.

The updated instructions for use of the affected devices have resulted in adjustments to and acceleration of the repair and replacement program, as well as intensified communication with customers and patients. This had led to an increase of EUR 250 million in the expected costs of the corrective actions on the installed base, in addition to the provision that the company recorded in the first quarter of 2021.

Additional information
For more information on the recall notification,* as well as instructions for customers, users and physicians, affected parties may contact their local Philips representative or visit www.philips.com/SRC-update.

*     This is a recall notification for the US only, and a field safety notice for the rest of the world
**   Potential Risks Associated With The Use of Ozone and Ultraviolet (UV) Light Products for Cleaning CPAP Machines and Accessories: FDA Safety Communication.

For media and investor questions, please contact:

Steve Klink
Philips Global Press Office
Tel.: +31 6 10888824
E-mail: steve.klink@philips.com

Leandro Mazzoni
Philips Investor Relations
Tel.: +31 20 59 77222
E-mail: leandro.mazzoni@philips.com

About Royal Philips
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2020 sales of EUR 17.3 billion and employs approximately 77,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.

Forward-looking statements
This release contains certain forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of Philips and certain of the plans and objectives of Philips with respect to these items. Examples of forward-looking statements include statements made about the strategy, estimates of sales growth, future EBITA, future developments in Philips’ organic business and the completion of acquisitions and divestments. By their nature, these statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to future events and circumstances and there are many factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these statements.

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US Renews Condemnation of Nigeria on Its Suspension of Twitter

The United States has renewed its condemnation of Nigeria for its recent suspension of Twitter, a move that senior U.S. officials said is a sign of restricting political space in the largest country in West Africa.

Nigerian authorities indefinitely suspended Twitter earlier this month after the U.S.-based social media company deleted a tweet by the country’s President Muhammadu Buhari for violating its terms of service.

“The Twitter suspension was very concerning and remains a source of concern,” said Akunna Cook, deputy assistant secretary of state for African affairs, during a Monday webinar hosted by the Washington-based Atlantic Council.

Cook, a daughter of Nigerian immigrants, said the country can “play a constructive role” in West Africa but “signs of closing of political space” and signs of restricting free speech are worrisome.

The Nigerian government’s subsequent threats to arrest and prosecute its citizens who use Twitter has drawn wide criticism from the West and international human rights organizations. Nigerian authorities said they banned Twitter because it was persistently being used “for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.”

Separately, Cook on Monday called China a “strategic competitor” on the continent, while urging Beijing to have “greater transparency” when giving loans to African countries.

“Transparency limits corruption,” said the deputy assistant secretary of state. “China has become a large lender to African countries and many large borrowers from China are struggling, struggling with debt sustainability.”

The State Department’s top official on African affairs also said there will be “more robust engagements” between the U.S. and Africa under President Joe Biden’s administration but stopped short of elaborating whether there will be a U.S.-Africa summit in 2022, the same year as a planned Russia-Africa summit.

Source: Voice of America

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South African Afrikaners Group Trains Farmers in Self-Defense

In South Africa, a group called Afriforum has launched self-defense training for white commercial farmers. The group says the farmers are vulnerable to attacks, which it says are driven by tensions over unequal farmland distribution more than 25 years after the end of apartheid.

South African farmer Shernice Potgieter, a young single mother, lived in a tranquil, remote rural farmhouse with her daughter, Denise, and two dogs for eight years.

That peaceful existence was shattered on a summer morning when she returned home after dropping Denise off at school.

Potgieter recalls horror when two men emerged from the cornfield, tied her up and ransacked her farmhouse.

“This is the passage where they made me lay down,” she said pointing an area on her farm. “I had to lay [sic] here so that I couldn’t see outside. When it started, I just thought to myself, ‘Today I’m losing my life.’ When I saw them coming for me, the first reaction was, ‘Today I am going to die.’ I was worried about my daughter and what would happen to her, say something would’ve happened to me.”

While Potgieter survived the ordeal, Afrikaner rights group Afriforum says 59 white farmers were killed in 2020 alone, a 30% increase in fatalities from 2019.

Although the motive for these attacks has not always been attributed to racial tensions, Afriforum says most perpetrators are Black.

In January, the group began a self-defense program for commercial farmers, the majority of them white Afrikaners.

Afriforum legal and risk manager Marnus Kemfer described the substance and goal of the training.

“The first aspect of the training will be how to use a firearm. We showed them how to use this firearm in and around the house. We then also issued them with digital radio, we actually give them training in how exactly to utilize this radio. In the end, we want all of these farmers and their neighbors to have an effective communication network,” Kemfer said.

Tensions spiked in October 2020 when a white farmer was killed and his body found tied to a pole in the town of Senekal, in the eastern part of the Free State province.

The incident heightened racial tensions in the area, and politically-motivated protests followed.

Racial anger, observers say, is fueled by the fact that white farmers still own 70% of South Africa’s commercial farms 27 years after the end of apartheid.

Groups representing white farmers, like Transvaal Agricultural Union South Africa (TLU SA), accuse authorities of failing to protect them.

Black farmers also have been victimized by these attacks, but to a lesser degree, says the farmers union.

Chris Van Zyl, the chairman of the Transvaal union, emphasized the need for farmers to defend themselves against these criminal acts.

“We cannot expect that the police will ensure 24 hours, seven days a week presence in areas which is troubled by violent criminals. The local inhabitants need to organize themselves and they must be trained to enable them to withstand a violent, criminal attack,” Van Zyl said.

South Africa’s national police declined several requests for an interview, but police statistics show 49 white farmers were killed between April 2019 and April 2020. That’s out of more than 21,000 murders nationwide — where the majority of the victims are Black.

President Cyril Ramaphosa last year urged South Africans not to rally communities along racial lines.

In March, the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters party accused Afriforum of being racist for opposing farmland expropriation without compensation.

Afriforum says it is extending a helping hand to whomever needs guidance and assistance irrespective of race.

Source: Voice of America

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Britain Delays Plans to Lift COVID-19 Lockdowns

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has delayed plans to lift coronavirus restrictions by a month because of the highly contagious Delta variant, first identified in India.

Johnson said on Monday that restrictions will now be lifted on July 19 instead of June 21.

“I think it is sensible to wait just a little longer,” he told a news conference in London.

Johnson said he is confident that the country will be able to reopen on July 19, noting that by then two-thirds of the British population are expected to be fully vaccinated.

“It’s unmistakably clear the vaccines are working, and the sheer scale of the vaccine rollout has made our position incomparably better than in previous waves,” he said.

On Monday, the British government reported 7,742 new confirmed coronavirus cases, and Johnson said cases are growing by about 64% per week.

The Delta variant of the coronavirus now accounts for 90% of new cases in Britain.

In other countries

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe is reintroducing a lockdown in an attempt to contain the spread of a COVID-19 outbreak.

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga said in a televised speech this weekend that complacency has resulted in a spike in COVID-19 cases.

In India, a number of states eased coronavirus restrictions on Monday, including the capital Delhi, as the number of new infections dropped to the lowest level in 74 days. The country reported 70,421 new COVID-19 cases in the previous 24-hour period, the lowest since March 31.

Public health officials have cautioned that India’s tolls may be undercounted.

Novavax trials

Also Monday, U.S.-based biotech company Novavax announced that Phase 3 clinical trials of its COVID-19 vaccine show it more than 90% effective at preventing the disease and providing good protection against variants.

The Novavax vaccine, which is easy to store and transport, is expected to play an important role in boosting vaccine supplies in the developing world.

The White House’s top adviser on the pandemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci, told The Washington Post the vaccine is “really very impressive,” saying it is on par with the most effective shots developed during the pandemic.

Vaccination requirement lawsuit

A federal judge in the U.S. state of Texas on Saturday dismissed a lawsuit challenging a hospital’s COVID-19 vaccine requirement for its employees.

U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes in the Southern District of Texas wrote that the employees of Houston Methodist Hospital “are not participants in a human trial.” He said, “Methodist is trying to do their business of saving lives without giving them the Covid-19 virus.”

According to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, the United States has had the highest number of coronavirus cases, at 33.5 million, followed by India, with 29.5 million coronavirus infections, and Brazil, with 17.4 million COVID-19 cases.

Source: Voice of America

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Cameroon Aids CAR Citizens Displaced by Ongoing Post-Election Violence

Cameroon has offered huge consignments of food and mattresses to at least 3,000 displaced persons said to be in dire need on its eastern border with the Central African Republic. Most of the people, displaced by violence following December presidential elections in the CAR, say they lost everything and that ongoing unrest keeps them from returning home.

At least 700 displaced people from the Central African Republic turned out in Kentzou, an administrative unit on Cameroon’s eastern border with the CAR, Friday to receive assistance from the host country. One day earlier, Cameroon said it had sent a delegation led by Territorial Administration Minister Paul Atanga Nji to eastern Cameroon to help those displaced by the CAR crisis.

Nji visited several border villages and administrative units, including Kentzou and Garoua-Boulai. Nji said he distributed food and humanitarian assistance from the government of Cameroon. He said Cameroon decided to assist displaced persons after local government officials said the Central Africans were living in poverty.

He said the government of Cameroon mobilized 17 trucks to transport and donate mattresses, blankets, buckets and food to at least 3,400 displaced people. He said President Paul Biya instructed him to tell the displaced persons to live in peace and respect Cameroon’s laws. He said Cameroon wants to know when the displaced will want to voluntarily return to the CAR.

The violence that sparked the exodus involves armed groups and has been ongoing since Austin-Archange Touadera was reelected president in December. Much of the trouble is centered on border areas. It is suspected that fleeing rebels are among the displaced persons.

Nji said Cameroon was delighted that the items will improve the living conditions of the displaced persons until they go home.

Donatien Barka, the mayor of Kentzou, however, said host communities have been reporting clashes with the displaced Central Africans and that the area is no longer secure.

Barka said between 2017 and 2020, some 32,000 people displaced by the fighting have sought refuge in Kentzou. He said the influx inundated the 28,000 inhabitants of Kentzou and that theft of food and cattle, and conflicts over lodging and farmlands were reported daily. He said Cameroon reinforced its military in Kentzou in January when rebels protesting the CAR leadership came to Kentzou illegally.

Barka said he did not have updated figures of the number of displaced people remaining in Kentzou because movement across the porous border is uncontrolled. He said when there is fighting in the CAR, people cross over to Cameroon. He said his wish is for the displaced persons to return to their country.

Martial Beti-Marace, the CAR’s ambassador to Cameroon, says peace is gradually returning to the CAR and civilians who fled fighting should agree to voluntarily return to their country.

Speaking from the CAR’s capital Bangui, he said democratic institutions are gradually being put in place after the December 27 elections in which a majority of CAR civilians chose Touadera as their president. He said a majority of civilians who fled bloody conflicts between government troops and rebels in the CAR have voluntarily returned and are living in peace in their towns and villages.

Beti-Marace said Cameroon and the CAR are both struggling to maintain a collective peace because a crisis in either country affects them both. He said Cameroon and the CAR are trying to convince displaced persons to return home and contribute to the development of their country.

Violence among armed groups since 2013 has forced close to a million Central Africans to flee to neighboring Cameroon, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria.

Cameroon shares a 900-kilometer border with the CAR. Cameroon’s Territorial Administration Ministry says Cameroon has taken in and is home to more 300,000 displaced Central Africans.

Source: Voice of America

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Cameroon Albinos Ask for Greater Attention, Care

International Albinism Awareness Day on June 13 has been observed in Cameroon, with albinos asking for more government and community care and protection. Those living with this hereditary genetic condition that reduces melanin pigment in skin, hair and eyes, say stigma, violence, superstition and killing have greatly lessened, but abuses have not been eliminated.

One hundred and sixty albinos and their family members assembled at the World Association for Advocacy and Solidarity of Albinos office in Cameroon’s capital, Yaounde, to mark International Albinism Awareness Day.

Among them is 16-year-old albino Ronald Essi, who said he was abandoned because of his condition.

Essi said he wants to become a police officer to defend his country Cameroon and punish civilians who abuse albinos’ rights. He said his mother abandoned him when he was two years old. He said his grandmother resisted family pressure to kill him. He said he has been living in the streets since 2015, when his grandmother died.

Essi said a Catholic priest rescued him from the street and sent him to a school in Yaoundé.

Essi is one of the about 2,200 albinos the government says live in Cameroon.

This year Cameroon reported that prejudice and discrimination against albinos in employment and social life had lowered drastically. The government said hunting down albinos for their body parts has been eliminated from many communities.

Witch doctors who claim that albinos bring wealth and good luck to people who have access to their body parts are disappearing. In many communities, albino babies are no longer considered signs of misfortune and buried alive or starved until they die.

Jean-Jacques Ndoudoumou, the founding president of the World Association for Advocacy and Solidarity of Albinos, says albinos are gradually being accepted by communities.

He said the association he leads is happy, as people are increasingly accepting albinos as normal human beings. He said many albinos have graduated from universities and are using the knowledge they acquire to contribute to developing Cameroon. He said complaints of stigma and violence on albinos have greatly declined and there are now marriages between albinos and people without the condition.

Ndoudoumou said his association has instructed all its members to continue teaching people albinos are normal human beings who need special assistance.

Gregoire Amindeh is member of The Association for the Promotion of the Rights of Albinos.

Amindeh said that although Cameroon’s government has done a lot, albinos still urgently need special reading glasses and handheld magnifiers to stop their high school dropout rate from low vision. He said they need subsidies to be treated in hospitals since their skin is extremely sensitive to the sun and can develop cancer. He said skin cancers remain a major cause of death in African albinos.

Pauline Irene Nguene, Cameroon’s minister of social affairs, says albinos are placed in the group of people with special protection needs. She said Cameroon ensures the socio-economic integration and protection of albinos, and immediately intervenes to protect albinos whenever cases of abuse are reported.

She said in 2020, staff of her ministry visited more than a hundred villages where abuses of the rights of albinos were reported. She said civilians in the villages were taught in their local languages to respect the health, education and social rights of albinos. She said the government has continued to lobby for private enterprises, schools and outside organizations not to reject albinos looking for positions in their institutions.

Nguene said 60 government offices created in Cameroon’s administrative units receive complaints and immediately help albinos in need.

International Albinism Awareness Day is observed by the United Nations on June 13 every year. This year’s theme, “Strength Beyond All Odds,” according to the U.N. highlights the achievements of people with albinism all over the world.

Source: Voice of America

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