Africa and the Politics of Coronavirus Treatment

All major Nigerian news dailies were recently awash with front page headlines about the Presidential directive to the COVID-19 Taskforce to obtain the Madagascar cure for Coronavirus called COVID-Organics. This comes weeks after the announcement of the drug’s triumph in treating patients in the East African island of a pandemic which has claimed more than 286,000 lives globally with 2,400 African lives.

Madagascar on the other hand, with 186 cases as at May 12, has zero fatalities.

COVID-Organics is a herbal remedy developed from the plant Artemsia annua by a Congolese doctor working in Madagascar, Dr. Jerome Munyangi. Available in a bottled drink form, Madagascar’s President Andriy Rajoelina has enthusiastically marketed it as a traditional remedy to the raging pandemic.

So far, several African countries like Gambia. Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Niger and Tanzania have taken delivery of consignments of the tonic.

However, even as the herbal mix is catching on in the African continent as a remedy for the deadly pandemic, the body language of the World Health Organization and some Western nations clearly suggest they prefer to develop their own vaccines. The prospects of COVID-Organics being a workable preventive tonic certainly does not feature in the plans of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) which is working on raising $2bn to fund ongoing research for a vaccine. Neither is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation offering any funding. Couching their incredulity in admittedly valid scientific doubts over the safety of the herbal mix, global bodies don’t seem very interested in even pursuing the possibility of COVID-Organics being the silver bullet for the raging pandemic.

Perhaps, the controversy following Dr. Munyangi’s work on using the Artemisia plant in treatment for another deadly disease, malaria, may shed more light on the reluctance of the West to give COVID-Organics a critical look-in as a possible solution to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Dr. Jerome Munyangi who obtained his medical degree from the University of Kinshasa and has two Masters degrees from the Paris Diderot University and the University of Otawa, has been at the forefront of research into the use of the artemisia plant as tea infusion for malaria treatment rather than in the form of the Artemisinin Combination Therapy (ACT), the combination therapy administered in popular anti-malarials like Coartem. The artemisinin used in these ACT drugs are synthetically produced by big pharmaceutical companies for a huge market.

Some reports suggest the powerful pharmaceutical industry may have taken a disagreeable view to Dr. Munyangi’s work in this field which report he published in 2019. His clinical trials in the Congo Democratic Republic proved the two varieties of Artemisia annua and Artemisia afra plant infusions worked just as well as the ACT therapies approved by WHO and produced and marketed by big pharma. The success of the trials suggested tea infusions as an established alternative therapy for malaria treatment but the funds needed for further research were simply not available. A similar research by Frank van der Kooy at Leiden University also petered out for lack of funds.

 Perhaps, very revealing is a documentary aired by France 24 in January 2019 where it strongly suggested that the use of artemisia tea threatens the business of the big pharmaceutical companies who produce these ACT drugs. It is estimated that the ACT anti-malaria market alone will be worth almost $700m by 2025.

Could this then be the basis for the scientific disdain which COVID-Organics has received outside Africa? Global multi-sector leadership initiatives have raised a potential $6.5bn to fund urgent research into a vaccine against the Coronavirus. This raises the question about how much attention COVID-Organics is (not) receiving save the product requests from African countries. 

It cannot be overstated that at moments where the world is at a crossroads, Africa must seek African solutions. The power and influence of the huge pharmaceutical companies are well acknowledged but this pandemic offers a very important and perhaps once-a-lifetime opportunity for the continent to adopt and standardize homegrown cures for its illnesses. Without a doubt, funding deeper and broader research into products like COVID-Organics is absolutely imperative. The challenge lies with Africa.

The entire pandemic offers the continent unique opportunities to come into her own especially in the field of health. With the developed world reeling from the Coronavirus, Africa, in spite of her shaky health system, seems to be getting off lightly by comparison. The specific factors which created this relative immunity are begging to be identified and engineered to future benefit.

A more prescient AU will begin to work out institutional ways of supporting local research into local remedies for diseases native to the continent while at the same time maintaining high public safety standards. This may be at the sub regional or country level.  Entire new protocols, futuristic and unique, must be developed to harness the rich floral offerings on the continent. Mainstreaming pharmacognosy into the continents’s healthcare system has become exigent. 

Basic Protective Measures Against Coronavirus

Stay aware of the latest information on the COVID-19 outbreak, available on the WHO website and through your national and local public health authority. Most people who become infected experience mild illness and recover, but it can be more severe for others. Take care of your health and protect others by doing the following:

Wash your hands frequently

Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.

Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands.

Maintain social distancing

Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.

Why? When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease.

Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth

Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.

Practice respiratory hygiene

Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.

Why? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19.

If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early

Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority.

Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections.

Stay informed and follow advice given by your healthcare provider

Stay informed on the latest developments about COVID-19. Follow advice given by your healthcare provider, your national and local public health authority or your employer on how to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.

Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on whether COVID-19 is spreading in your area. They are best placed to advise on what people in your area should be doing to protect themselves.

International Women’s Day: NLC Women Hold March

The Women’s Committee of the Nigeria Labour Congress has held a rally in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja to raise awareness on gender-based violence and to campaign for a work environment free from sexual harassment.

The women made up of members of affiliate unions marched from Labour House in Central Area in Abuja to the Ministry of Women Affairs where they presented a letter to the Minister demanding the ratification of ILO Convention 190.

ILO Convention 190 a.k.a the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 is an international labour framework that provides for protection from gender-based violence and workplace harassment. It mandates member nations to adopt a comprehensive strategy to implement measures to prevent and combat violence and harassment as well as establish enforcement mechanisms among others.

Several speakers rallied women to stick together in the fight against gender inequality. Comrade Rita Goyit, the HOD Women and Youth Department of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) addressed and led the women’s march.

Below are pictures from the event....

International Women’s Day. 2020

Addressing gender inequality and discrimination against women and girls occupied discourse as the world celebrated the 2020 International Women’s Day.

The theme for this year’s celebration, ‘I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights’ is aligned with UN Women’s new multigenerational campaign, Generation Equality, which marks the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the most progressive roadmap for the empowerment of women and girls everywhere.

The emphasis on generational equality cannot be glossed over in view of Nigeria’s peculiar demographics. 62% of Nigerian population is below 24yrs and this means that any positive shift in entrenched attitudes must needs be one that will be fully owned by today’s youth. 

In a statement, UN Secretary-General Antonio Gueterrez identified the issues as “from the ridiculing of women as hysterical or hormonal, to the routine judgement of women based on their looks; from the myths and taboos that surround women’s natural bodily functions, to mansplaining and victim-blaming – misogyny is everywhere”, he said

Last month marked the start of a Decade of Action to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aimed at building peaceful, prosperous and inclusive societies while also safeguarding the planet. 

Gender equality being the 5th SDG targets among other things women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision making in political, economic and public life.

However, exclusion of women from the decision-making structure especially in developing countries like Nigeria and the barrier to equal opportunities this presents has been the major bane to women development. Most such countries have a strong male patriarchal setting that places barriers to women entrance.

Gueterrez says “At the heart of the issue is power, as male-dominated power structures underpin everything from national economies, to political systems, to the corporate world and beyond.” But he also pointed out that patriarchy also has an impact on men and boys, trapping them in rigid gender stereotypes, declaring that a systemic change is long overdue. “

While countries have made appreciable progress in gender inclusion, Nigeria is still a long way away from admitting women into political power structures. For instance, women constitute just 5.8% of members of the National Assembly.

iRise Africa recommends constitutional amendments to give a quota to women in appointive positions as a starting point in opening the political space for greater inclusion. Very importantly, girl child education must be prioritized while financial institutions should be encourage to set aside significant portions of their loan stock to promote small scale businesses for women.

How NGO deterred mother of twins from genitally mutilating her 3 months old daughters

How NGO deterred mother of twins from genitally mutilating her 3 months old daughters



By Lanre Oloyede

As part of its activities to commemorate the International Day of zero tolerance  for Female Genital Mutilation, Empower Her for Sustainable Development Initiative in Africa, a Non-Governmental Organization focused on girl-child education and women empowerment has succeeded in dissuading a mother of twin girls from going ahead to circumcise her daughters. 

The 35 years old mother of five who lives in Abuja had planned to have her 3-month old twins genitally mutilated before the intervention of the NGO.

According to World Health Organization (WHO), female genital mutilation also known as FGM or female circumcision is a globally outlawed harmful traditional practice that involves partial or total removal of external female genitalia, particularly the clitoris, due to erroneous cultural beliefs.

Nigeria is known to have the highest absolute number of FGM worldwide accounting for about one-quarter of the estimated 115-130 million circumcised women in the world.

The practice is considered harmful to girls and women and a violation of their fundamental human rights, which usually results in infertility, maternal death, sexually transmitted infections and loss of sexual pleasure.

In May, 2015, then President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan signed a federal law banning the practice in Nigeria.

Miriam (not real name) had had her genital mutilation at the age of ten as was the practice and tradition with every female member of her family, and when she got married, she agreed with her husband to have same rite performed on their daughters.

But the story changed the moment Miriam attended a sensitization programme organized by Empower Her for Africa at Dakwa village along Kubwa expressway Abuja to educate the rural women on dangers of female genital mutilation.

Miriam had erroneously believed the age long cultural rite was necessary and important to deter women from indulging in sexual promiscuity.

“The practice is good and necessary to prevent women or girls from jumping from man to another. I am in support of it and I wish to do it for my daughters. I have a neighbor that finds it difficult to control her sexual urge anytime a man touches her because her clitoris was not cut off, but now that I know the dangers associated with it, I will not do it to my twin daughters,” she said.

According to the Executive Director of Empower Her 4 Africa, Charlene Makai Yusuf, the sensitization exercise was part of the NGOs activities marking this year’s International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation which holds every 6th of February.

Speaking on this year’s theme: Unleashing Youth Power, Mrs. Bamigbele Ebunoluwa, a Medical Laboratory Scientist enumerated the long-term consequences of FGM to include complications during childbirth, damage to the urethra resulting in urinary incontinence.

Also speaking, Mrs. Abosede Oladayo, a global ambassador of The Well Project, who incidentally was a victim of FGM explained that psychological and emotional effect of the harmful practice include lack of sexual pleasure resulting in infidelity.

UNILAG Lecturer Bags 21yrs Imprisonment For Rape

In the war against rape and offenses against women, justice took its course when a part time lecturer at the University of Lagos, Afeez Baruwa, bagged to 21- year jail term for raping an 18-year-old girl admission seeker. 

Justice Josephine Oyefeso of a Lagos High Court, sitting in Ikeja, Thursday found Baruwa guilty of a one-count charge of rape.

In his defence, Baruwa said he thought she was aged 23 years or 24 years before the incident happened.

However, Justice Oyefeso said the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt as evidence overwhelmingly showed that the sexual intercourse between the victim and the lecturer was no consensual.

“I cannot begin to imagine the emotional trauma of the girl. The convict offended his family, the victim, the society and God,” the Judge said.

Continuing, she remarked that, “This is a crime that not only offends the survivor, it offends her family, it offends the society at large, it also offends God.  

“The offence committed against this young lady was a violation of her chastity which would have left huge emotional scars from which I pray and hope she will recover. I cannot begin to imagine the physical and mental trauma she has had to endure from the man who she considered her father’s friend, a community leader who should have known better. This is a shame.”

“I find you Baruwa Afeez Akin guilty of a one-count charge of rape contrary to Section 258(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos, 2011, and I hereby convict you accordingly.”

“In line with Section 258 of the Criminal Law of Lagos, 2011, Baruwa Afeez Akin is hereby sentenced to 21 years’ imprisonment.” 

In October 2019, BBC documentary titled ‘Sex for Grades’ exposed dirty stories of sex scandals in some Nigerian and Ghanaian universities and brought to the fore the issue of sexual molestation in institutions of higher learning.

TIPS ON GIRLS' SAFETY

There is a growing trend of insecurity all over, but the most worrisome is the situation of the girl child. This is because the girl child is the most vulnerable of the human species. It is therefore very important that we do all we can, to protect her.

Every little girl you see out there is a prospective wife, and a future mother. So, inside that little body resides the future of humanity. Let us make the world safer for her, it is also for us all.

When you look at a little girl, what you see is the purity and beauty of innocence, but criminals see *sex appeal*. That is very strange, but that is why they are criminals.

Let's take note of the following safety precautions for the girl, against sexual abuse, the most worrisome aspect of the insecurity.

1. *Do not let your girl child get too familiar with male neighbours, workers or lesson teachers*.

2. *Discourage her visit to male apartments alone. This includes running errands that entail entering their room*.

3. *Also, be careful how you release your girl to go and visit her 'friends' and 'classmates'.*

Criminals know how to set traps.

4. *Let her not be fond of receiving, or requesting for gifts from people especially males*. It is by this that a trap is arranged.

5. *As much as possible, avoid leaving your girl child alone at home*.

6. *Regularly chat with your girl child. This is when you tell her not to allow and ask her of any touching of her private part by any male*. Both are of paramount importance.

7. *Notice the change of mood of your girl, or the way she walks. Has she been withdrawing? Is she afraid?*

Rapists threaten children, should they tell anybody what happened to them.

8. *Tell your children there is no room for secrets with Dad, Mum, or siblings.* Evil grows in secrecy.

9. *On a regular basis, examine your girl's private part to see any possible tampering.*

*Also check her pant to see any blood stains.*

10. *In place of pants, a pair of shorts is safer for her. Or better still, a pair of shorts over her pant is ideal*

11. *In the midst of male relatives, especially half brothers, let her always go to bed in shorts as part her night dress*. Is it not strange that some rapists are blood relatives?

12. *Try and change your style of purchases. Be sensible in where you send your daughters* Why will you send your little girl out of the house late in the evening in search of an item, all alone?

13. *Be on the lookout for your girls in gatherings - parties, church, mosque, extended family dos. Girls have been abducted, kidnapped, raped and molested through such places* Anyone should never be allowed to take your child out of the place or engage her in any form of discussions you are not aware of. Children are made to trust them thereby and made to follow them away or follow their instructions thereby at least.

14. *When you hear an unusual cry or shout of a girl, please be alerted and make efforts to see what the matter is.* You could be a girl's last hope for rescue.

15. *Every girl raped could be a reduced chances of her reproduction;* and that is a generation closed down.

16. *Please, properly examine that house-girl/nanny you want to hire, to ensure she is really a girl. Some males who resemble females take advantage of that, disguise as girls and get hired as house helps.*

The safety of your daughters in the hand of this 'girl' is left to your imagination.

17. *Very importantly, parents should desist from introducing the girl child to wild, provocative dressing*. Mothers are fond of dressing up their little girls in skimpy, scanty attire: shorts, hot pants, show back, see-through, mini, etc.

*The usually justification is "but they are little children".*

*We forget that childhood is the time to lay the foundation of whatever a child will be, at adulthood.*

Yes, we may love these little angels looking cuddly in such outfits, but the danger is that they are being watched by criminals whose sexual attraction is towards little children;

*Besides, they are being predisposed for eyebrow-raising dressing, because they will grow with it.*

*Whatever will be your child's dress code when she grows up, you're laying the foundation right now.*

*Please lay the foundation of a decent, responsible dressing.*

FOR OLDER GIRLS

1. Avoid being alone in lonely place.

2. Avoiding visiting males alone.

3. Do not take a drink that is opened and served in your absence.

A drug can be dropped into your drink.

4. Do not accept an invitation to a strange place; a trap could be waiting for you.

5. If a friend calls to invite you to any place which two of you did not discuss, politely decline. Many girls have been invited to places even by 'friends' where they were raped, and even murdered. Be wise.

6. Let shorts be part of your dressing. Preferably jeans.

Trousers are no more for fashion alone; they're now security outfits.

7. He pretends to love you. Then promises to marry you; and immediately you pack into his house. Is that not a suicide? You simply give yourself away to evil.

8. Pick some lessons in self defence. When it matters most, your shout for help may not do much; but you can ward off attackers, physically.

9. Avoid drawing attention unnecessarily; and flamboyant dressing does that for you.

10. Before you board a cab, observe the occupants. If they're all males, gently decline.

*Above all, safety belongs to God.*

*Take time to be praying specially for our children, for divine security.*

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