Zimbabwe’s cholera emergency
Zimbabwe has intensified emergency measures to combat a virulent outbreak of cholera that has particularly affected the capital city, Harare. Necessary antibiotics and medications are being rushed to hospitals. Arrangements have been made to deliver pure water and improve sanitation in the worst affected areas. Unofficial death toll is more than 25, while over 2000 new cases have been recorded.
Zimbabwean authorities appear thoroughly embarrassed by the latest incident.
Our medical correspondent writes that this outbreak is one too many.
The last one claimed nearly 4000 lives.
The central government and Harare city authorities should have taken measures to permanently improve sanitation and potable water supply in the poorer districts and mobilized the public to keep the surroundings clean.
Good sanitation is not often a matter of money. Arguably, Zimbabwe has a better resource base than Rwanda, but Kigali, the Rwandan capital; is about the cleanest city in Africa.
Ethiopia Eritrea Border
In other developments across Sub-Saharan Africa, there were reports of tumultuous scenes of celebration on the border of towns separating Eritrea and Ethiopia as border trade reopened after 20 years.
There were even happy reunions among long separated relatives. Now, Ethiopian Prime Minister Ahmed has pursued a very successful policy of resettling relations with Eritrea after decades of hostile relations.
Lafia, Nigeria
The death toll in the filling station gas explosion has risen to 50 at Lafia, near Abuja.
Local authorities are considering a ban on the sale of gas cylinders at filling stations or crowded places.
In another embarrassment to Nigeria, the Forbes magazine ranking of investor-friendly African countries put Rwanda above Nigeria as regards investor protection.
Poor Quality Health Systems Said To Kill 376,000 Nigerians
Just over 376 thousand deaths occurred in Nigeria in 2016 as a result of insufficient access to quality health care systems , according to findings in a request by the Global Health Commission of Britain’s Lancet Medical Journal.
The report went further to stress that improved access to care is not sufficient to improve health in the face of what it described as an epidemic of poor quality care.
Among factors cited as contributing to the underperformance of Nigeria’s health system are weak public financial management and utilization of policies built around a federal system, which breeds unintended dysfunction and complexities that make it hard to achieve intended benefits.
Nigeria Updates: MTN’s $10 billion shocker moves to court
MTN has sued the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Attorney- General over alleged $8.1 billion tax evasion.
The Nigerian telecom giant is seeking an injunction from eh courts to restrain further action over their orders to reclaim the alleged debts.
Nigeria’s Central Bank had last week alleged improper dividend repatriations by MTN Nigeria and ordered that $ 8.1 billion be returned to its coffers.
The Attorney- General of the Federation had also alleged that MTN did not pay taxes on foreign payments and imports amounting to approximately $2 billion and ordered the telecoms comp any to make the payments within 14 working days.
On its part, MTN had categorically denied both allegations, insisting that it had always complied with and paid all its taxes and done its financial obligations dutifully to the Nigerian government.
