Beyond plunging the nation into a quagmire of ethnic tension, Ethiopia’s ongoing Tigray conflict has become the catalyst for a potentially greater crisis: an outbreak of disease. This is the dire warning sounded recently by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Amid threats of secession by the Tigrayan leadership, Ethiopia’s government launched a military strike against the region in November, causing a major break in the flow of humanitarian aid. This has caused severe disruption in essential health services in the area, with disastrous consequences.

Between January & November of 2020, over 9,000 cases of malaria were reported within the region, with over 4,000 cases of measles diagnosed in children. During the same period, over 6, 700 cases of Covid-19 were reported, with 47 deaths. According to WHO estimates, over 4.5 million people in the region require assistance. Half of these are children.

Many hospitals & clinics are only partially functioning, say observers. And with the UN & other humanitarian agencies given only limited access to the area, the need for essential healthcare services is dire. Health experts warn that without urgent intervention, future outbreaks of disease can be expected. In addition to more incidences of Covid-19, malaria & measles, the spread of yellow fever & meningitis are also likely, they say.

Moreover, the threat of starvation looms large over the region, exacerbating the dangers of disease. The Tigrayan conflict is one which is all too familiar for Pascal Mukadi, a healthcare entrepreneur with business & philanthropic interests across Africa. He warns that, unless Africa develops stronger mechanisms for dealing with conflict, its healthcare systems will remain one of the greatest threats to its development.

“Over 60 years since the dawn of independence on the continent, Africa remains chained by our inability to resolve our differences” says Mukadi, founder of the Pascal Mukadi Foundation (PMF), an NGO.

“Because of this, we are literally destroying the lives of our people – mind & body. We’ll never
achieve our potential until we rid ourselves of this tendency.”

Through PMF, Mukadi seeks to develop & strengthen healthcare systems across Africa by promoting investment, skills transfer & leadership. In collaboration with governments, businesses & academic institutions, he implements public-private partnerships across the continent. He looks forward to working with Ethiopia to develop its healthcare infrastructure.

“Ethiopia will be one an economic engine for East Africa, and a key player on the continent” says Mukadi. “We can’t allow that destiny to be delayed or hampered in any way.”

“As PMF, we’re looking forward to partnering with this dynamic country.”

Written by: Mambande Thomas

Editor MFM Media

Entrepreneur Pascal Mukadi working to build African healthcare infrastructure
With the launch of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA), Africa has entered a bold new era – the dawn of the regional common market. Yet, without a continent-wide embrace of universal healthcare, Africa will never realize its full economic benefits.

This is according to Pascal Mukadi, Executive Chairman of the Medical Fund Management (MFM) – a Johannesburg-based firm which manages healthcare funds & medical travel logistics.

“African governments have not fully understood the importance of healthcare in driving our economic growth” warns Mukadi. “Over the long term, we won’t be able to enjoy a fully-fledged African Common Market without strengthening national healthcare systems.”

A serial entrepreneur who has travelled widely throughout Africa, Mukadi says that healthcare systems are routinely ignored among those who plan the continent’s growth strategies. This is a big mistake, he cautions.

“We talk a lot about building infrastructure for transport, manufacturing & telecommunications – but very little about fortifying Africa’s healthcare infrastructure. However, weaknesses in our healthcare systems have the potential to derail our economic progress”.

With 54 nations having signed on to ACFTA, Africa looks set to become one of the world’s largest free trade areas, with an estimated value of over US $2.2 trillion per annum – and a marketplace of 1.2 billion consumers. Once it has come into full effect, the pact will see free movement of goods, services & people across the continent – with tariffs & visa requirements eliminated or drastically curtailed.

The vision conceived of by the forefathers of African independence – the vision of a united Africa – will have come closer to fruition.

Yet, widespread lack of healthcare access continues to cripple the lives of millions of Africans, who have the shortest average lifespan on the planet. HIV/AID, malaria & TB – along with a rising scourge of non-communicable diseases such as cancer & diabetes – are increasingly draining the human capital required to fuel African economies. Moreover – outside of a few notable exceptions such as South Africa, Kenya & a few others – African countries lack the medical resources to cope with the soaring tide of disease.

In part due to these factors, many observers expect a decline in economic & labor productivity across the continent in the coming years. Africa’s healthcare malaise can also stymie the long-term viability of the African Free Trade Area. This is also one of Mukadi’s concerns.

“Disease is bearing down heavily upon the finances of Africans – and at levels we’ve never seen before” he says. “If quality healthcare capacity remains limited to a small handful of countries, it will skew the progress that an African common market is meant to promote. Persistent outflows of financial & human capital will persist, dampening our prospects for sustainable growth & development.”

Mukadi is passionate about this point – so much so that he’s embarked upon an initiative to drum up investment in African healthcare facilities on the continent. In addition to raising funds throughout Africa & abroad, he’s also reinvesting some of MFM’s revenues on various infrastructure projects within the countries where the company operates.

And while new investors have already begun querying opportunities to partner with MFM on some of these projects, Mukadi is careful about ensuring that they’re a good fit.

“Look, obviously we’re keen to explore avenues for partnership, and it’s good that we’ve begun to generate excitement in the marketplace”, Mukadi says confidently. “But, beyond just investment, we’re looking for partners who are serious about Africa’s long-term development.”
“We’re looking for partners who can grasp the big picture.”

Author: MFM Editor

Published by: MFM media

Lack of holistic healthcare is hindering Africa’s potential, warns Pascal Mukadi of Medical Fund Management Pty. Ltd.

With Covid-19 flaring across Africa, many of the continent’s other health crises have fallen below the public’s radar. Among them is a deadly, silent killer.

Diabetes is on the rampage across Africa. A disease once associated with richer, Western nations – it is now becoming widespread here, with rates soaring to historic levels. Many public health experts are now citing it as an epidemic.

According to epidemiologists – in the near future, the economic & health toll from diabetes in Africa will exceed those of HIV/AIDS. 

In the year 2000, approximately 7.1 million people in sub-Saharan Africa were suffering from diabetes mellitus. Now, according to the International Diabetes Federation, more than 16 million people in the region are living with the disease. Africa now has the greatest number of people living with undiagnosed diabetes – with projections showing that the continent will experience the world’s greatest rise in confirmed cases over the next decade.

Not only are African bodies being ravaged by the disease – but African economies as well. In 2015 alone, the total estimated cost of diabetes was US 19.45 billion or 1.2% of Africa’s GDP. Over 55% of this was in direct medical costs, with total out-of-pocket expenses exceeding the total health budgets of many countries. 

Pascal Mukadi, an entrepreneur and philanthropist, believes that stemming the crisis will require African governments to change their healthcare mindset. 

“Overwhelmingly, African health departments approach diabetes – and disease in general – with a lopsided view of treatment” says Mukadi. “They rely almost exclusively on medicines & surgery to manage these conditions, without emphasizing the need for holistic wellness solutions which can actually prevent many of these diseases.”

Mukadi is Executive Chairman of Medical Fund Management (MFM), which manages healthcare funds for individuals, governments & organizations across Africa. Through its various divisions, it delivers a range of healthcare, wellness & lifestyle services throughout the continent. 

Mukadi warns that Africa is sitting on a time bomb. Lifestyle diseases are becoming endemic on the continent, he says, threatening to derail the continent’s future economic growth & stability. If Africa is to turn the tide, holistic wellness initiatives will need to be integrated in society at all levels.

“Throughout the continent, we need to improve not only how we treat our bodies through nutrition & exercise, but how we manage & maintain the health of our minds” says Mukadi, a fitness enthusiast. “A mind/body approach is crucial to taking African healthcare forward.”

To drive this ethos, Mukadi has added an integrated wellness division to the MFM group. EcoFitness. A digital health & wellness platform, EcoFitness will provide a range of services aimed at boosting the mental & physical wellbeing of Africans throughout the continent.

 These include 24-hour access to health, nutrition & wellness coaching as well as interactive sessions on meditation, yoga & lifestyle diagnostics.  Mukadi plans to launch the service during the first quarter of 2021.

“Ultimately, turning the tide on diseases like diabetes will require that we manage our lives better as individuals” advises Mukadi. “As more of us learn to manage ourselves from within, we’ll then manifest the vitality & power needed to eradicate this disease from our continent.”

“This is what we’re working towards as MFM.”

Africa needs far greater healthcare entrepreneurship if it is to overcome its public health challenges, says Pascal Mukadi of Medical Fund Management Pty. Ltd.

With the recent announcement of a high-powered vaccine against Covid-19, a wave of excitement has overtaken the globe. Based on initial test results, the drug’s manufacturers – Pfizer and BioNTech – claim an efficacy rate of over 90%. Pending approval from the US Food & Drug Administration, the vaccine could become available for global distribution within weeks.

But will Africa miss out?

The vaccine – recently hailed as the world’s best hope of quelling the pandemic – needs to be stored at minus 70 degrees Celsius, far below freezing temperature. Yet, except for a few major research institutions, Africa doesn’t have the ultra-cold freezers required to store the drug. And at a cost of between US 10, 000 to US 16, 000 each, these units are prohibitively expensive.

So while the European Union, the UK, Germany and other wealthy nations have already placed their orders for the vaccine, African governments have been slow to move. Poor healthcare infrastructure – especially inadequate cold chain facilities – is to blame. As a result, experts say that is unlikely that the vaccine will be made widely available on the
continent.

Without greater private investment in healthcare, challenges like this will persist – even after Covid-19, says Pascal Mukadi – Executive Chairman of Medical Fund Management (MFM).

“Africa’s public health challenges are simply too great for governments to manage by themselves” says the South African-based healthcare entrepreneur & philanthropist. “The Covid-19 pandemic has underscored this reality. As a continent, we could be making far greater headway in managing this crisis if more entrepreneurs – especially innovative, African entrepreneurs – were given access to public-private partnerships.”

MFM manages healthcare funds for African healthcare seekers, governments & private sector organizations. Headquartered in South Africa, the company provides a range of health & wellness solutions to consumers across the continent.

“One of the reasons why Africa lags behind in developing modern medical equipment is that – as African entrepreneurs – we’re not properly incentivized within the healthcare space” says Mukadi. “Our governments prioritize investments from foreign companies & aid agencies. As a result, Africans don’t create enough home-grown solutions to our public health issues.”

Mukadi says that African governments & entrepreneurs should forge stronger partnerships in researching, designing & manufacturing medical equipment and facilities. He says that the cold chain equipment required for vaccines is but one example.

“We should be producing ultra-cold equipment right here in Africa. We shouldn’t have to rely on expensive imports in order to handle our Covid vaccination processes” Mukadi says. And this, he believes, is just the tip of the iceberg.

“Continent-wide, we should be on a major drive to upgrade our medical facilities for the challenges of the 21 st century –” explains Mukadi. “We need major investment – now – in identifying & solving our medical challenges on the continent.”

Mukadi is putting his money where his mouth is. Through MFM, he’s recently launched Mediquip, a specialized investment fund aimed at developing healthcare facilities & medical technologies across Africa. The fund is currently eyeing initial investments in Nigeria, Congo & Kenya.

“With or without Covid-19, Africa has an ongoing health crisis”, warns Mukadi. “At MFM, we’re spearheading African solutions.”

INDORE: Nearly half a dozen children experienced nausea and vomiting after being administered medication during a drive under the National Deworming Programme in Dewas district on Thursday.
The incidents reported in Pipalranwa village were managed by the medical staff on the field, said Dewas chief medical and health officer Dr SK Saral.

Asked about complaints of stomach ache and vomiting among children reported from various states, Mishra said that any drug will have certain side effects and asserted that these were “manageable”.

It is known that deworming medications can cause such side effects, he said adding if the worm load is very high, it creates a problem, there is vomiting and stomach ache. But these are all manageable.
The children were taken to a primary health centre and treated, he added.

Health ministry sources said that deworming may have very few side effects and some children, especially those with high worm infections, might experience nausea, mild abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and fatigue.
In line with the guidance from the ministry, comprehensive adverse event protocols have been put in place, Dr Saral said.

According to WHO, 43 per cent of the global population and 64 per cent of the Indian population less than 14 years of age are at risk of Soil Transmitted Helminths (STH) infection. The rate of open defecation, an important risk factor for STH transmission, is as high as 91 per cent in some areas and nationally it is 51 per cent.
According to the ministry which has done the STH mapping, the prevalence was recorded at 12.5 per cent in Madhya Pradesh in a 2015 survey.

SOURCE:The Times of India

The bodies were lying in the streets un-buried. All railroads and vessels carrying food and such things into the great city had ceased runnings and mobs of the hungry poor pillaging.

Story highlights

Finland has set a goal to be tobacco-free by 2040, with new measures introduced in January
Measures include bans on smoking on balconies and extremely high fees for vendors
(CNN)The Finnish government has set an ambitious goal for residents in a bid to benefit their health — and their bank balances.

Officials plan to make the country tobacco-free by 2040, meaning they want less than 2% of their adults to consume tobacco — in any form — by that deadline.
So that’s more than 98% of the Finnish population saying no to cigarettes, snuff and other forms of smokeless tobacco, cigars, pipes and even e-cigarettes.
As per the trend in industralized countries, smoking rates in Finland have been on the decline in recent decades due to measures such as bans on advertising and shop displays, and the creation of smoke-free public spaces. In 2013, 16% of 15- to 64-year-olds in Finland smoked on a daily basis, while nearby in the UK, 19% of adults were smokers in 2014.
But at the start of this year, a new level of control measures came into force.

But at the start of this year, a new level of control measures came into force.
“The Finnish approach is revolutionary,” said Kaari Paaso, head of the unit on harm prevention at the country’s Ministry of Health and Social Affairs. “We want to get rid of all tobacco products.”
Experts agree that the Finnish government is using innovation and creativity to get everyone to kick the habit.
Rather than targeting one area at a time, such as exposure in public spaces or cigarette use, Paaso said his ministry wants to be precautionary from every angle. It doesn’t go down the path of advocating milder products that may do less harm, such as e-cigarettes or snuff. “It’s a comprehensive set of policies,” he said.

For example, neighboring Sweden has also seen a dramatic reduction in the number of smokers — just 12.7% among men and 15.2% among women in 2013 — but achieved this in part by promoting the use of snus, an oral smokeless tobacco product. The product, along with all other forms of oral tobacco, is banned in other member states of the European Union.

The UK is also adopting a harm reduction approach to reduce the number of smokers. Instead of snus, it backs the use of e-cigarettes to help people kick the habit.
But Finland wants rid of it all.

“We don’t want to fall into the trap of other policies that have less harmful products,” said Paaso, who fears that promoting other products will result in a new addiction for health officials to deal with in the future. “We want to phase out all products.”And that phasing out has begun.Raising the cost of selling tobacco

Experts agree that one of the strongest policies in terms of tobacco control globally has been taxation. The rising cost of the habit, linked to higher taxes, has meant that many can no longer afford to smoke, and those who can smoke provide revenue for anti-smoking campaigns and quitting support services, to name a few options.
“The evidence suggests increasing pricing is the single most effective way to reduce demand,” said Vaughan Rees, director of the Center for Global Tobacco Control at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

“In states where we see the highest tax rates, we see the lowest prevalence,” he said, highlighting New York City, where then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg introduced city taxes on top of state taxes in 2010. Just over 14% of New Yorkers smoked in 2016, according to the NYC Smoke-Free program.

So Finland has now introduced another giant financial barrier for users: It increased the costs for vendors selling tobacco products.”There’s quite a high fee to license it and to sell it,” Paaso said.

Any business wanting to sell tobacco must first apply and pay for a license, a one-off process, but an additional fee must be paid annually to cover the costs of surveillance officers in each municipality who will check that retailers are following the rules.

The surveillance fee is the killer, as this is calculated per checkout or cashier in any business and can be as high as €500 ($536) annually per checkout.
The fee is now set by individual municipalities, not the state, many of whom have decided this upper limit should be the actual cost.

“This has resulted in criticism from small shop owners and big stores … saying it is disproportionally high from last year,” Paaso said. “But that was not the idea.” The ministry had hoped the fee would be scaled up annually.
A store with 10 checkouts could therefore pay more than $5,000 per year in addition to its license fee to sell tobacco to the public.

“Finland has come very far … and now they’re going to the next level, with innovation,” said Kelly Henning, director of the public health program at Bloomberg Philanthropies, an organization working to promote impactful tobacco control policies, founded by the former New York mayor.

Henning highlights that the World Health Organization’s Tobacco Free Initiative has six steps it recommends for effective control, known as MPOWER. The last letter stands for “Raising taxes on tobacco.”
“They have in place all MPOWER policies at the highest possible level,” she said. Smoke-free balconies and cars

Another unique approach the Scandinavian country implemented this month was the ability to apply for a ban on people smoking on neighboring balconies if their presence is a disturbance.

Housing companies may now apply for the ban if smoke is seen to be spreading from someone’s private balcony and onto other spaces. As in many other countries, bans are in place in public areas, but this new policy addresses a smoker’s private space.

“You can apply for a ban,” Paaso said. “There hasn’t been big change … but these measures are still quite new.”
Finnish residents are also no longer allowed to smoke in private cars if people under the age of 15 are present. This is not unique, as other countries such as the UK have imposed bans in cars when children are present. In the UK, the cutoff age is higher, at 18.

Preventing the appeal to minors

One key strategy in Finland’s approach to eradicate smoking is reducing the number of teenagers picking up the habit in the first place, by reducing its presence and its appeal.

As a result, new policies also limit the purchase of products that imitate tobacco or cigarettes, such as sweets and chocolates shaped as pipes or cigarettes. Though these products aren’t banned, they face restrictions. For example, stores where customers receive discounts through the use of a loyalty card cannot offer such discounts on such items.

But much bigger restrictions face the e-cigarette industry. “E-cigarettes are sold in normal shops, but we have strict rules,” Paaso said.

As of August, e-cigarettes had the same restrictions in terms of sales and public use as regular cigarettes, such as age limits, and they are no longer allowed to have any flavors. “They cannot have any distinctive taste,” Paaso said, adding, “our approach is this basic idea to phase out all nicotine products.”

The use of flavors in e-cigarettes has been the subject of much debate, amid fears that they will entice young people toward the habit and act as a gateway into smoking.

“That’s absolutely crucial,” said Harvard’s Rees, who believes that e-cigarettes can be a useful tool to help people quit smoking and advocates the UK’s stance on harm reduction. But his support ends when flavors are involved. “We’re seeing a proliferation in flavors, including gummy bear and candy flavors that are intrinsically appealing to children.”

A global mission?

Finland is not alone in wanting to reduce smoking and all tobacco-related habits among its population.
Henning and Rees highlight Australia, where plain packaging on cigarette boxes in combination with taxation has helped bring numbers down rapidly. In 2014-15, just 14.7% of adults 18 or over smoked daily — less than than Finland — compared with more than 16% in 2011-12.

“They increased the price dramatically, and we’re now seeing a benefit,” Rees said.

On the other end of the spectrum lies China. After a surge in demand for tobacco products in recent years as more people took up smoking, three cities have banned smoking indoors in public places, including the capital, Beijing.

“Tobacco-related deaths are rising because male smoking rates are so high,” Henning said. More than 1.3 million people die each year of tobacco-related disease in China, according to the Tobacco Atlas, linked to the fact that more than 45% of men are smokers. “We’re optimistic that these cities are going to lead the way.”

On a global level, the WHO set a goal to reduce tobacco use among people over the age of 15 by 30% by 2025, to fit in line with goals to reduce rates of non-communicable disease, like cancer, as a result.

But Finland remains a pioneer, the first country to set a goal to end the problem in its entirety. Experts, as well as the government, believe they can make it happen.

“Governments should set themselves that goal of achieving exactly that,” Rees said. But he acknowledges that not all countries would necessarily be able to achieve it, with culture playing a key role. “Finland, having a much more control over a relatively homogenous population, can realistically set that goal.”

And Henning agrees that simply setting a target can make a difference. “It’s a long shot,” she said. “But Finland believes it’s achievable.”

By Meera Senthilingam, CNN
Updated 0940 GMT (1740 HKT) January 26, 2017

The expansion of the Registered Traveller scheme will help medical tourists who travel regularly to the UK. Frequent travellers to the UK from 16 more countries can apply for membership of the scheme, which allows faster entry to the UK.

The government has expanded the UK Registered Traveller Service. Frequent travellers to the UK from 16 more countries can apply for membership of the scheme, which allows faster entry to the UK.

Membership is now open to travellers from Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Brunei, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Malaysia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Frequent visitors such as medical tourists regularly going to the UK can benefit from faster entry to the UK.

The UK is getting increasing numbers from South America and the Far East. Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Israel, Malaysia and Mexico, provide many inbound visitors.

The service will be expanded to certain categories of traveller from India in 2017.

Registered Traveller was already open to passport holders from Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and the US. It has 67,000 members and offers faster entry through the UK border.

The service allows approved members, who have undergone advanced security checks, faster entry at the UK border through access to the ePassport gates (if a holder of an ePassport) or the UK/EU passport lane.

They also avoid entry interviews, and the need to fill in landing cards and provide fingerprints.

To be eligible, passengers must hold an approved passport and have a visa/entry clearance or have visited the UK at least four times in the past two years.

The Registered Traveller Service was launched in April 2015 for applicants, from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the USA. The service was extended to include applicants from Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region), Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan in January 2016.

Members can only use these airports-

• Heathrow
• Gatwick
• Manchester
• Stansted
• Luton
• Edinburgh
• Birmingham
• Glasgow
• East Midlands
• London City

They can also use the Eurostar terminals at Paris, Brussels and Lille.

It costs £70 to apply to use the service for the first year and a £50 annual membership fee.

NEWS SOURCE: IMTJ

Commentary: A Frenchman is suing Uber for $48 million, after he claims a technical problem with the app informed his wife of his movements.

Technically Incorrect offers a slightly twisted take on the tech that’s taken over our lives.

For better or for worse.

This famous phrase describes our committed relationship with technology.

We go through bad times. A website won’t load, an app keeps crashing. But we stay together, because in each other we see the future.

A businessman from the Côte d’Azur in France, though, believes technology has destroyed his marriage. Specifically, Uber’s technology.

As Le Figaro reports, he claims there was a bug in the Uber app, one that enabled others to view his comings and goings. Actually, it was a very significant other, he says, who knew where he’d been — his wife.

More precisely, his ex-wife. The man claims that he borrowed his then wife’s iPhone and logged into the Uber app.

He says that after he logged off, his Uber activity was still relayed via helpful notifications on her phone. One can only surmise that his movements didn’t please his wife, as the lawsuit says that she divorced him.

So, to assuage his pain, the man is asking for Uber to pay 45 million euros (around $48 million). The case is expected to receive its first hearing next month.

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Uber didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. It did tell Le Figaro, however: “Uber doesn’t comment publicly on individual cases, and especially on cases that involve a divorcing couple.”

I’m not sure why divorces deserve special consideration. Perhaps Uber is reacting to accusations from rivals that it’s a nasty, insensitive company.

Le Figaro reveals that it was able to replicate the hurt man’s problem. A second iPhone was sent notifications without a password, it says. It says the bug doesn’t, however, give details of your exact destination, nor of real-time geolocation. Indeed, some on Twitter have noticed this issue too.

Of course, technology can lead to all sorts of relationship problems. Lovers sometimes guess passwords, accidentally (or not) see notifications or even discover secret Facebook relationships. Then, there is hell to pay. If you’re lucky, purgatory might ensue.

There was an another quirk in the alleged Uber bug. Le Figaro identified the glitch as only occurring on iPhones where the app was updated after December 16 of last year and not at all on Android phones.

Could there be a better reason for meandering, possibly philandering Frenchmen to switch to Android than this, especially with Valentine’s Day lurking so closely?

Tech Enabled: CNET chronicles tech’s role in providing new kinds of accessibility.

Technically Literate: Original works of short fiction with unique perspectives on tech, exclusively on CNET.