text:
Algeria Angola Benin X Botswana British Indian Ocean Territory Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Congo Congo, DRC Cote d'Ivoire Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda Sao Tome & Principe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa St. Helena Sudan Swaziland Togo X Tunisia Uganda Zambia X Zimbabwe
Asia (NONE of 48)
Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Cambodia China Christmas I. Cocos Is. Gaza Strip Georgia India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Myanmar Nepal North Korea Oman Pakistan Philippines Qatar Saudi Arabia Singapore South Korea Sri Lanka Syria Tajikistan Thailand Turkey Turkmenistan United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Vietnam Yemen
Europe (1 of 48)
Albania Andorra X Austria Belarus Belgium Bosnia & Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Faroe Is. Finland France Germany Gibraltar Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Jan Mayen Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Reunion Romania Russia San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Ukraine United Kingdom
American Samoa Australia Cook Is. Fiji French Polynesia Guam Jarvis I. Kiribati Marshall Is. Micronesia X Nauru New Caledonia New Zealand Niue Norfolk I. Northern Mariana Is. Palau Papua New Guinea Pitcairn Is. Samoa Solomon Is. Timor-Leste Tokelau Tonga Vanuatu Wallis & Futuna
South America (NONE of 14)
Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador Falkland Is. French Guiana Guyana Paraguay Peru South Georgia & the South Sandwich Is. Uruguay Venezuela
This small country is situated between France and Spain. Because of its elevation and proximity to the Pyrenees the climate is generally pleasant throughout the year.
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During the summer months the temperatures can rise to 30c but there is usually a cooling breeze. Lightening storms can occur during the summer months associated with torrential rain.
Sun Exposure and Dehydration
Those from Northern Europe can develop significant sun exposure and so remember to use a wide brimmed hat when necessary. The altitude can also lead to significant tiredness and dehydration so take sufficient initial rest and drink plenty of fluids.
The level of crime throughout the country directed at tourists is very low. Nevertheless take care of your personal belongings at all times and use hotel safety boxes where possible.
There are strict laws regarding the use of illegal drugs. Make sure you have sufficient supplies of any medication you required for your trip and that it is clearly marked. The European E111 form is not accepted in Andorra and so it is essential that you have sufficient travel insurance for your trip.
Andorra is one of the regions where many travel to partake of their winter sport facilities. Generally this is well controlled and one of the safer regions. Nevertheless, make certain your travel insurance is adequate for the activities you are planning to undertake.
The only standard vaccine to consider for Andorra would be tetanus in line with many other developed countries of the world.
Government in Andorra vows to kick habit of cigarette advertising
Pollution Andorra - 2 years ago
Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2018 15:24:06 +0200
Andorra la Vella, Andorra, July 12, 2018 (AFP) - The tax haven of Andorra has long been a favourite destination for smokers looking to stock up on cheap cigarettes, but the enclave said Thursday that it would soon stop advertising the fact. The government said it had signed up to the World Health Organization's (WHO) anti-tobacco convention, which aims to encourage people to quit smoking and combat contraband sales. "The goal is to contribute to public health and pursue the fight against trafficking," government spokesman Jordi Cinca said at a press conference.
The tiny principality of Andorra, perched in the Pyrenees on the border between France and Spain, attracts millions of shoppers each year to duty-free stores, where prices of alcohol, cigarettes, electronics and clothes can be up to 20 percent cheaper than elsewhere in the EU. High taxes on tobacco imposed by many countries to help people kick smoking make Andorra's cigarettes a particularly good deal. The average pack costs just three euros ($3.50) compared with eight euros in France, which has said it will gradually raise the price to 10 euros a pack by November 2020.
Tobacco sales bring in some 110 million euros a year for Andorra, whose economy is otherwise based almost entirely on tourism. It is also an enticing destination for smugglers, with French and Spanish border agents regularly seizing cartons from people trying to sneak them out, either by car or by hiking down the mountain trails which criss-cross the Pyrenees. No date has been set for the advertising ban, which will come into effect three months after the ratification of the WHO accord is voted by parliament.
Population in Andorra witness first strike since 1933
Strikes Andorra - 2 years ago
Andorra la Vella, Andorra, March 16, 2018 (AFP) - The tiny principality of Andorra is witnessing a once in a generation phenomenon -- a widespread strike. Around a third of civil servants across the mountainous micro-state have walked out to protest proposed reforms to their sector in what has been described as Andorra's first large-scale strike since 1933.
With no negotiation breakthrough in sight, picket lines are expected to be manned again on Friday with customs officers, police, teachers and prison staff among those taking part. The first major strike in 85 years was sparked by plans from the government of Antoni Marti to reform civil servant contracts. He has assured officials "will not do an hour more" work under the reforms and that 49 million euros would be allocated for the next 25 years to supplement civil servant salaries. But government workers are unconvinced with unions warning the reforms could risk their 35 hour working week and pay.
Customs officers involved in the strike interrupted traffic on the Andorran-Spanish border this week, according to unions, while some 80 percent of teachers have walked out of classes. Strikers have occupied the government's main administrative building and held noisy protests outside parliament calling for Marti's resignation. "We have started collecting signatures to demand the resignation of the head of government and now nobody will stop us," Gabriel Ubach, spokesman for the public service union, told reporters.
Report on 2016 outbreak of Norovirus in Catalonia (Spain) linked to water from Andorra
Disease Norovirus Andorra - 2 years ago
Date: Mon 27 Sep 2017
Source: Contagion Live [edited]
http://www.contagionlive.com/news/2016-norovirus-outbreak-in-spain-linked-with-bottled-water
A recent Dispatch article published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, offers insight into a large norovirus outbreak that sprung up in Spain in 2016 that had been linked with bottled spring water. The Public Health Agency of Catalonia (ASPCAT) reported a staggering 4136 cases of gastroenteritis from 11-25 Apr 2016. Of the 4136 cases, 6 individuals required hospitalization. The CDC defines a "case-patient" as an "exposed person who had vomiting or diarrhoea (3 or more loose stools within 24 hours)," as well as 2 or more of the following symptoms: nausea, stomach pain, or fever.
ASPCAT investigators traced back the outbreak to contaminated bottled spring water in office water coolers. The water came from a source in Andorra, a small independent principality located between Spain and France. Norovirus is a "very contagious virus," according to the CDC, and it is common for individuals to become infected by eating contaminated food. Although it is possible to be infected by consuming contaminated drinking water, this mode of transmission is "rare in developed countries," according to the article.
The investigators collected water samples from a total of 4 19-L water coolers in 2 different offices located in Barcelona, "from which affected persons had drunk; samples 1 and 2 came from 2 water coolers in one office, while samples 3 and 4 came from 2 water coolers in another office. Using "positively charged glass wool and polyethylene glycol precipitation for virus concentration," the investigators tested the samples.
"We detected high RNA levels for norovirus genotype I and II, around 103 and 104 genome copies/L, in 2 of the 4 water cooler samples concentrated by glass wool filtration and polyethylene glycol precipitation," according to the article. The investigators noted that a drawback of using molecular methods is that they are not able to differentiate between particles that are infectious and those that are not. Therefore, they "predicted the infectivity of norovirus in the concentrated samples by treating the samples with the nucleic acid intercalating dye PMA propidium monoazide and Triton X surfactant before RT-qPCR," which allowed them to "distinguish between virions with intact and altered capsids."
In those 2 water samples, they found high genome copy values -- 49 and 327 genome copies/L for norovirus genotype I and 33 and 660 genomes copies/L for norovirus genotype II. This was not an unexpected finding, due to the large number of infected individuals associated with the outbreak. Through "PMA/Triton treatment before RT-qPCR assays," the investigators found that the proportion of infected virions accounted for 0.3% to 5.6% of the total number of physical particles in the water samples, "which was enough to cause gastrointestinal illness."
The investigators also analyzed faecal samples collected from infected individuals who worked at the office in which the 1st 2 water samples were collected. They detected the following genotypes in those faecal samples: GI.2 and GII.17. In the faecal samples collected from the other office, they isolated the following genotypes: GII.4/Sydney/2012, GI.2, GII.17, and GII.2.
"We hypothesize that the spring water was contaminated by all 4 strains (GI.2, GII.2, GII.4, and GII.17) but levels of viral contamination for each genotype were not homogeneous in all bottled coolers," the investigators wrote. "We may have detected only the GII.4 genotype in water samples 1 and 2 because of a higher concentration of this specific genotype or because of bias caused by the sampling, concentration, and molecular detection procedures."
The investigators admit one limitation to their study: the small number of water samples collected and analyzed. They attribute this to the fact that on 15 Apr 2016, 4 days after the onset of the outbreak, the company that produced the drinking water recalled over 6150 containers of water "of suspected quality" as a precautionary measure. The recall prevented the investigators from collecting more samples to assess, according to the article.
Although the exact cause of the contamination has not yet been identified, the investigators posit that "the high number of affected persons from 381 offices that received water coolers, and the many different genotypes found in some patients' faecal specimens" suggest that the spring aquifer had been contaminated by "sewage pollution," and the Andorra Ministry of Health and Welfare banned further use of the spring.
The investigators suggest that assessing commercially-produced mineral waters for different harmful pathogens, such as norovirus would be beneficial. They note, however, that creating, enhancing, and managing such "virus surveillance systems" would be costly. Thus, the investigators suggest taking a "balanced approach to keep both the cost and the time required for the analyses within feasibility limits." [Byline: Kristi Rosa]
[The interesting article published in the September 2017 issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases is:
Blanco A, Guix S, Fuster N, et al: Norovirus in bottled water associated with gastroenteritis outbreak, Spain, 2016. Emerg Infect Dis. 2017; 23(9): 1531-34; https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/23/9/16-1489_article. - ProMED Mod.LL]
[Catalonia and Andorra can be located on the HealthMap/ProMED-mail map at http://healthmap.org/promed/p/1341. - ProMED Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]
Skier and snowboarder die in Europe avalanches
Accident Andorra - 6 years ago
Date: Thu, 26 Dec 2013 22:25:05 +0100 (MET)
ANDORRA LA VELLA, Andorra, Dec 26, 2013 (AFP) - A Spanish skier and a French snowboarder have died in avalanches in different mountain ranges in Europe, officials said Thursday.
The 27-year-old skier, a woman from Barcelona, died Wednesday while going off-piste alone in the Soldeu resort in Andorra, in the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain, a resort manager told AFP. Although she was rescued within 10 minutes, after her glove was spotted on the surface, she was unable to be revived despite a helicopter dash to hospital.
In the Italian Alps, close to the border with France, a 24-year-old Frenchman who was snowboarding with three friends on a closed run died Thursday when an avalanche swept over him in the resort town of Les Arnauds. Local officials said he succumbed to multiple injuries, asphyxia and hypothermia.
Avalanches are common in Europe's ski resorts at this time of year, when early snows are heavy with moisture, and several deaths occur each winter. Last Sunday, a 35-year-old Frenchman died in an avalanche in the Alps near the Italian border while on a three-day trek with a friend.
Andorra: Independent Outbreaks of Gastroenteritis
Disease Gastroenteritis Andorra - 17 years ago
Date: Fri 7 Feb 2003 From: Jaime R. Torres Source: EFE Salud, Thu 6 Feb 2003 (translated by Maria Jacobs) [edited] -------------------------------------------------- Close to 300 students in one school and 173 tourists staying in 7 hotels in the Principality of Andorra have been affected by outbreaks of gastroenteritis that, according to local authorities, are not related to each other. Monica Codina, Minister of Health, stated that the outbreak that has affected almost 300 children and 8 adults in the San Ermengol school was detected last Monday [3 Feb 2003] but that it may have started Wednesday or Thursday of the previous week. The epidemiological surveys of a group of pre-school and grammar school students that may also be affected have not been performed yet. Also pending are the results of the microbiological tests of the food and water served in the school dining room, but the minister has indicated that the probable cause of the outbreak is the fact that water pitchers were filled with hoses directly from the faucet. The Minister stated that this outbreak of gastroenteritis is not related to the one that affected 173 tourists, most of them young people on holiday, who where staying in 7 hotels of the Principality. The government is also investigating the cause of this outbreak and has indicated that an anomaly in the system that supplies water to the hotels was detected, requiring a process of chlorination, which has not been carried out due to the heavy snowfall of the past few days. * * * * * * * * * * [The suspicion that defective water supplies may be responsible for all of these independent outbreaks suggests that the etiologic agent may be an enterovirus, hepatitis A virus, or non-viral, rather than one of the noroviruses associated with sudden-onset viral gastroenteritis. Information on the outcome of diagnostic tests in progress would be welcomed. - ProMed Mod.CP]
Benin - US Consular Information Sheet
Benin is a developing country in West Africa. Its political capital is Porto Novo. However, its administrative capital, Cotonou, is Benin's largest city and the Read More Show Less
site of most government, commercial, and tourist activity. Read the Department of State Background Notes on Benin for additional information.
ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS: A passport and visa are required. Visas are not routinely available at the airport. Visitors to Benin should also carry the WHO Yellow Card ("Carte Jaune") indicating that they have been vaccinated for yellow fever. Contact the Embassy of Benin for the most current visa information. The Embassy is located at: 2124 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008; tel: 202-232-6656.
Information about dual nationality or the prevention of international child abduction can be found on our web site. For further information about customs regulations, please read our Customs Information sheet.
U.S. citizens should avoid crowds, political rallies, and street demonstrations and maintain security awareness at all times.
U.S. citizens should not walk on the beach alone at any time of day. It is also highly recommended not to carry a passport or valuables when walking in any part of the city. Travelers should carry a notarized photocopy of the photo page of their passport (see Crime section). They should not walk around the city after dark, and should take particular care to avoid the beach and isolated areas near the beach after dark.
The ocean currents along the coast are extremely strong and treacherous with rough surf and a strong undertow, and several people drown each year.
The Department of State urges American citizens to take responsibility for their own personal security while traveling overseas. For general information about appropriate measures travelers can take to protect themselves in an overseas environment, see the Department of State's pamphlet A Safe Trip Abroad.
CRIME: Street robbery is a significant problem in Cotonou. Robbery and mugging occur along the Boulevard de France (the beach road by the Marina and Novotel Hotels) and on the beaches near hotels frequented by international visitors. Most of the reported incidents involve the use of force, often by armed persons, with occasional minor injury to the victim. Travelers should avoid isolated and poorly lit areas and should not walk around the city or the beaches between dusk and dawn. Even in daylight hours, foreigners on the beach near Cotonou are frequent victims of robberies. When visiting the beach, travelers should not bring valuables and should carry only a photocopy of their passport. If you are a victim of crime, you should contact the U.S. Embassy immediately. There has been a continued increase in the number of robberies and carjacking incidents after dark, both within metropolitan Cotonou and on highways and rural roads outside of major metropolitan areas. Motorists are urged to be wary of the risk of carjacking. Keep the windows of your vehicle rolled up and the doors locked. Stay alert for signs of suspicious behavior by other motorists or pedestrians that may lead to carjacking, such as attempts to stop a moving vehicle for no obvious reason. Travelers should avoid driving outside the city of Cotonou after dark and should exercise extreme caution when driving in Cotonou after dark (see Traffic Safety and Road Conditions below). Overland travel to Nigeria is dangerous near the Benin/Nigeria border due to unofficial checkpoints and highway banditry.
Travelers should avoid the use of credit cards and automated teller machines (ATMs) in Benin due to a high rate of fraud. Perpetrators of business and other kinds of fraud often target foreigners, including Americans. While such fraud schemes in the past have been largely associated with Nigeria, they are now prevalent throughout West Africa, including Benin, and are more frequently perpetrated by Beninese criminals. Business scams are not always easy to recognize, and any unsolicited business proposal should be carefully scrutinized. There are, nevertheless, some indicators that are warnings of a probable scam. Look out for:
Any offer of a substantial percentage of a very large sum of money to be transferred into your account, in return for your "discretion" or "confidentiality";
Any deal that seems too good to be true;
Requests for signed and stamped, blank letterhead or invoices, or for bank account or credit card information;
Requests for urgent air shipment, accompanied by an instrument of payment whose genuineness cannot immediately be established;
Solicitations claiming the soliciting party has personal ties to high government officials;
Requests for payment, in advance, of transfer taxes or incorporation fees;
Statements that your name was provided to the soliciting party either by someone you do not know or by "a reliable contact";
Promises of advance payment for services to the Beninese government; and
Any offer of a charitable donation.
These scams, which may appear to be legitimate business deals requiring advance payments on contracts, pose a danger of both financial loss and physical harm. Recently more American citizens have been targeted. The perpetrators of such scams sometimes pose as attorneys. One common ploy is to request fees for "registration" with fictitious government offices or regulatory authorities. The best way to avoid becoming a victim of advance-fee fraud is common sense – if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Travelers should carefully check out any unsolicited business proposal originating in Benin before committing any funds, providing any goods or services, or undertaking any travel. For additional information, please see the Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs brochure, International Financial Scams.
Scams may also involve persons posing as singles on Internet dating sites or as online acquaintances who then get into trouble and require money to be "rescued." If you are asked to send money by someone you meet online please contact the U.S. Embassy before doing so.
INFORMATION FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME: The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to the local police and the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If you are the victim of a crime while overseas, in addition to reporting to local police, please contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for assistance. The Embassy/Consulate staff can, for example, assist you to find appropriate medical care, contact family members or friends and explain how funds could be transferred. Although the investigation and prosecution of the crime is solely the responsibility of local authorities, consular officers can help you to understand the local criminal justice process and to find an attorney if needed.
MEDICAL FACILITIES AND HEALTH INFORMATION: Medical facilities in Benin are limited and not all medicines are available. Travelers should bring their own supplies of prescription drugs and preventive medicines. Not all medicines and prescription drugs available in Benin are USFDA-approved. Malaria is a serious risk to travelers to Benin. For information on malaria, its prevention, protection from insect bites, and anti-malarial drugs, please visit the CDC Travelers' Health web site at http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/.
Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747) or via the CDC's website at http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/default.aspx. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization's (WHO) web site at http://www.who.int/en. Further health information for travelers is available at http://www.who.int/ith/en.
MEDICAL INSURANCE: The Department of State strongly urges Americans to consult with their medical insurance company prior to traveling abroad to confirm whether their policy applies overseas and whether it will cover emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation. Please see our information on medical insurance overseas.
TRAFFIC SAFETY AND ROAD CONDITIONS: While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning Benin is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.
With the exception of the road linking Cotonou in the south to Malanville on the border with Niger in the north, and from Parakou in central Benin to Natitingou in the northwestern part of the country, roads in Benin are generally in poor condition and are often impassable during the rainy season. Benin's unpaved roads vary widely in quality; deep sand and potholes are common. During the rainy season from mid-June to mid-September, dirt roads often become impassable. Four-wheel drive vehicles with full spare tires and emergency equipment are recommended.
Most of the main streets in Cotonou are paved, but side streets are often dirt with deep potholes. Traffic moves on the right, as in the United States. Cotonou has no public transportation system; many Beninese people rely on bicycles, mopeds, motorbikes, and zemidjans (moped taxis). All official Americans are required to wear safety helmets when on a motorcycle and are strongly discouraged from using zemidjans. Travelers using zemidjans, particularly at night, are much more vulnerable to being mugged, assaulted or robbed. Buses and bush taxis offer service in the interior.
Gasoline smuggled from Nigeria is widely available in glass bottles and jugs at informal roadside stands throughout Cotonou and much of the country. This gasoline is of unreliable quality, often containing water or other contaminants that can damage or disable your vehicle. Drivers should purchase fuel only from official service stations. There are periodic gas shortages, which can be particularly acute in the north of the country where there are few service stations.
U.S. citizens traveling by road should exercise extreme caution. Poorly maintained and overloaded transport and cargo vehicles frequently break down and cause accidents. Drivers often place branches or leaves in the road to indicate a broken down vehicle is in the roadway. Undisciplined drivers move unpredictably through traffic. Construction work is often poorly indicated. Speed bumps, commonly used on paved roads in and near villages, are seldom indicated. Drivers must be on guard against people and livestock wandering into or across the roads. Nighttime driving is particularly hazardous as vehicles frequently lack headlights and/or taillights, and brake lights are often burned out.
With few exceptions, Cotonou and other cities lack any street lighting, and lighting on roads between population centers is non-existent. The U.S. Embassy in Cotonou prohibits non-essential travel outside of metropolitan areas after dusk by official Americans and strongly urges all U.S. citizens to avoid night driving as well. There have been numerous carjackings and robberies on roads in Benin after dark, several of which resulted in murder when the driver refused to comply with the assailants' demands. The National Police periodically conduct vehicle checks at provisional roadblocks in an effort to improve road safety and reduce the increasing number of carjackings. When stopped at such a roadblock, you must have all of the vehicle's documentation available to present to the authorities.
Please refer to our Road Safety page for more information. Visit the website of the country's national tourist office at http://www.benintourisme.com.
AVIATION SAFETY OVERSIGHT: As there is no direct commercial air service to the United States by carriers registered in Benin, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not assessed Benin's Civil Aviation Authority for compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards. For more information, travelers may visit the FAA's web site at http://www.faa.gov/safety/programs_initiatives/oversight/iasa.
U.S. citizens are advised to keep a notarized photocopy of the photo page of their passport with them at all times when traveling in Benin.
The Embassy has had a few reports of officials requesting a "gift" to facilitate official administrative matters (e.g., customs entry). Such requests should be politely but firmly declined.
It is prohibited to photograph government buildings and other official sites, such as military installations, without the formal consent of the Government of Benin. In general, it is always best to be courteous and ask permission before taking pictures of people. Beninese citizens may react angrily if photographed without their prior approval.
Obtaining customs clearance at the port of Cotonou for donated items shipped to Benin from the United States may be a lengthy process. In addition, to obtain a waiver of customs duties on donated items, the donating organization must secure prior written approval from the Government of Benin. Please contact the U.S. Embassy in Cotonou for more detailed information.Please see our Customs Information.
CRIMINAL PENALTIES: While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen is subject to that country's laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those in the United States and may not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law. Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for similar offenses. Persons violating Benin laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Benin are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime, prosecutable in the United States. Please see our information on Criminal Penalties.
CHILDREN'S ISSUES: For information see our Office of Children's Issues web pages on intercountry adoption and international parental child abduction.
Americans living or traveling in Benin are encouraged to register with the U.S. Embassy through the State Department's travel registration web site so that they can obtain updated information on travel and security within Benin. Americans withoutInternet access may register directly with the U.S. Embassy. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency. The U.S. Embassy is located at Rue Caporal Anani Bernard in Cotonou. The Embassy's mailing address is B.P. 2012, Cotonou, Benin. The 24-hour telephone numbers are (229) 21-30-06-50, 21-30-05-13, and 21-30-17-92. The Embassy's general fax number is (229) 21-30-06-70; the Consular Section's fax number is (229) 21-30-66-82; http://cotonou.usembassy.gov/.
This replaces the Country Specific Information for Benin dated August 17th, 2007 to update sections on Safety and Security and Traffic Safety and Road Conditions.
French special forces free 4 hostages in Burkina Faso taken from Pendjari National Park in neighbouring Benin
Tourism Benin - 8 months ago
By Hazel WARD and Daphne BENOIT
Paris, May 10, 2019 (AFP) - French special forces have freed two French hostages, an American and a South Korean in northern Burkina Faso in an overnight raid in which two soldiers died, authorities announced Friday. The operation was launched to free two French tourists who had disappeared while on holiday in the remote Pendjari National Park in neighbouring Benin on May 1.
But during the raid, the French troops were surprised to discover two women also in captivity, with top officials saying they had been held for 28 days. The French tourists were identified as Patrick Picque, 51, and Laurent Lassimouillas, 46, but the women's identities were not immediately clear. "No one was aware of (the women's) presence," French Defence Minister Florence Parly told reporters, while French armed forces chief Francois Lecointre said. "We know little about these other two hostages," Parly told reporters, saying that even Seoul and Washington did not appear to be aware the pair were in increasingly unstable Burkina Faso. The raid was approved by French President Emmanuel Macron in what was seen as the last opportunity to stop the hostages being transferred to lawless territory in Mali to the north.
Parly said it was "too early to say" who had snatched the two French nationals from Benin, which has long been an island of stability in a region where Islamist militants are increasingly active. "The message to terrorists and criminal gangs is clear: those who attack France and its nationals know that we will not spare any effort to track them down, find them and neutralise them," she said. Four of the six kidnappers were killed in the raid. French forces, helped by intelligence provided by the United States, had been tracking the kidnappers for several days as they travelled across the semi-desert terrain of eastern Burkina Faso from Benin to Mali. They seized the opportunity to prevent "the transfer of the hostages to another terrorist organisation in Mali," Lecointre said, referring to the Macina Liberation Front (FLM). The FLM is a jihadist group formed in 2015 and headed by a radical Malian preacher, Amadou Koufa. It is aligned with Al-Qaeda in the region.
- US intelligence support -
In a statement, Macron congratulated the special forces on the operation, in which he also expressed sorrow over the death of the two soldiers "who gave their lives to save those of our citizens". And Parly thanked authorities in Benin and Burkina Faso for their help with the "complex operation", as well as the United States which provided intelligence and support.
The operation was also made possible by the presence of France's Operation Barkhane, which counts some 4,500 troops deployed in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad to help local forces battle jihadist groups. American special forces and drones are also known to operate in the violence-wracked Sahel region, which France fears could become further destabilised as jihadist groups are pushed out of north Africa, Iraq and Syria. Burkina Faso has suffered from increasingly frequent and deadly attacks attributed to a number of jihadist groups, including the Ansarul Islam group, the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM) and Islamic State in the Greater Sahara.
- Relief and sadness -
The French tourists -- Patrick Picque who works in a Paris jewellery shop, and Laurent Lassimouillas a piano teacher, -- went missing with their guide on the last leg of their holiday in usually peaceful Benin. The Pendjari wildlife reserve, which is famed for its elephants and lions, lies close to the porous border with Burkina Faso. The badly disfigured body of their guide was found shortly after they disappeared, as well as their abandoned four-wheel Toyota truck. The two freed men will be flown back to France on Saturday, alongside the South Korean woman, where they will be met on arrival by Macron and other top French officials. Washington thanked the French forces for freeing the American hostage, with France saying she would likely be "repatriated independently" from the other three.
The two dead French soldiers were named as Cedric de Pierrepont and Alain Bertoncello, decorated naval special forces members born in 1986 and 1991 respectively. They were part of the prestigious Hubert commando unit of the French naval special forces which was deployed to the Sahel at the end of March. A total of 24 French soldiers have died in the region since 2013 when France intervened to drive back jihadist groups who had taken control of northern Mali. The last death was on April 2.
Concern that husband and wife in Kwara State of Nigeria with Lassa Fever could have been infected in Benin
Disease Lassa Fever Benin - 1 year ago
Source: Punch [edited]
<https://punchng.com/kwara-confirms-cases-of-lassa-fever-yellow-fever-polio/>
The Kwara state government has confirmed 2 cases of Lassa fever infecting a husband and wife in the state.
Speaking with newsmen on Tuesday [15 Jan 2019] at a news briefing, the Kwara commissioner for health, Alhaji Usman Rifun-Kolo, said the outbreak of Lassa fever was identified in a farm settlement in Taberu, Baruten local government area.
He explained that the 2 cases of the disease affected a husband and wife, natives of Benin republic, which shares a border with the state. He added that the husband and wife are farming in Baruten. "These cases of Lassa fever originated from Benin republic, whose citizen have interrelations with people in the Baruten area," he said.
According to him, the husband and wife were diagnosed in a health facility, and the state government had already deployed a disease-surveillance team to identify those who have been in contact with the patients.
Rifun-Kolo further explained that the surveillance team identified 4 people with a history of fever in the area. He said that the 4 cases raised suspicion of Lassa fever, which prompted them to take samples from the individuals for further investigation. He noted that the 4 individuals have commenced treatment in Taberu, Baruten LGA.
[The above report states that the couple was infected in Benin, although the timeline when that may have occurred is not given. The report also mentions 4 individuals in the Kwara state who had a history of Lassa fever, implying that the virus is present in that state in Nigeria as well. In December [2018], there were Lassa fever cases in Benin that were imported from Nigeria as well as infections that were locally acquired in Benin, so the Lassa fever cases cross the border in both directions. The source of the infecting virus for any of these cases is not mentioned. - ProMED Mod.TY
Benin: <http://healthmap.org/promed/p/59>
Kwara state, Nigeria: <http://healthmap.org/promed/p/19690>]
4 new cases of Lassa Haemorrhagic fever reported in Benin
Date: Wed 26 Dec 2018
Source: Quotidein Le Matinal [in French, trans. ProMED Corr.SB, edited]
<http://quotidien-lematinal.info/fievre-hemorragique-a-virus-lassa-au-benin-4-nouveaux-cas-detectes-dont-1-a-cotonou/>
Minister of health Benjamin Hounkpatin confirmed on Wednesday [26 Dec 2018] 4 new cases of Lassa haemorrhagic fever in Benin, including one in Cotonou. This occurred in the period from 15-26 Dec 2018.
In the case of Cotonou, a 28-year-old (has been infected). His case was detected on 24 Dec [2018], but his illness commenced the previous week. He had a fever, a cough, a cold, and fatigue. Due to the persistence of the cough and cold, and with the appearance of traces of blood in nasal discharge on 24 Dec 2018, the alert was given.
The patient was placed in isolation on [Tue 25 Dec 2018], and on the morning of Wed 26 Dec 2018, his result from the laboratory came back positive [for Lassa fever]. Subsequently, the patient was isolated and put on treatment.
According to the details provided by Hounkpatin, there is no indication of travel [by the patient] to an epidemic locality of Lassa fever. According to the patient's statements, there is no known contact with rodents.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the minister reassured the public that public health measures are underway. He also reminded people of the behaviours that will help avoid becoming infected. This involves washing hands regularly with soap and water; avoiding contact with stool, sperm, urine, saliva, vomit, and contaminated objects from a person suspected to be ill or dead from Lassa; and protecting food and keeping it in a safe place, out of reach of rodents.
It should be recalled that 7 cases have been recorded since the beginning of the epidemic to date, including 5 positive cases.
[One case is located in Cotonou on the Benin coast and apparently was locally acquired, perhaps from contact with the rodent host or its excrement. The location of the other 3 cases is not mentioned, but a 13 Dec 2018 report indicated that there were 3 cases in the municipality of Parakou in Borgou Department, in the northern part of Benin. Perhaps these 3 cases, which came from the village Taberou (in Nigeria), located 5 km [3.1 mi] from Tandou in the commune of Tchaourou, are the ones mentioned in this report.
The previous Lassa fever cases in Benin this year [2018] occurred in January and also involved case importation from Nigeria. A previous WHO report stated that Lassa fever is endemic in bordering Nigeria, and, given the frequent population movements between Nigeria and Benin, the occurrence of additional cases is not unexpected. Strengthening of cross-border collaboration and information exchange between the 2 countries is, therefore, needed. - ProMED Mod.TY]
[Images of the rodent reservoirs of Lassa fever virus can be seen as follows:
For _Mastomys natalensis_, see
<https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/45326-Mastomys-natalensis>.
For _M. erythroleucus_ and _Hylomycus pamfi_, see
<http://punchng.com/nigerias-large-rat-population-threatens-lassa-fever-war/>.
Littoral, Benin: <http://healthmap.org/promed/p/52088>]
Government in Benin bans strikes in defence and health and justice sectors
Strikes Benin - 2 years ago
Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2018 13:37:32 +0200
Cotonou, June 29, 2018 (AFP) - Benin's Constitutional Court has banned the right to strike by workers in the country's defence, security, justice and health sectors, sparking concern among union officials and legal observers. The ruling, issued late on Thursday, came after months of wrangling between the government and the court, which had previously said the measure was unconstitutional.
"Civil servants, public security forces and equivalents should fulfil their duties in all circumstances and not exercise their right to strike," the court said in its new ruling. "There should be no disruption to the duties of public sector defence, security, justice and health workers." The decision was taken "in the public interest" and for "the protection of citizens", it said.
Speaking on Friday, one senior union leader, who asked to remain anonymous, described the ruling as shocking and a "hammer blow". And Benin legal affairs expert Albert Medagbe told AFP the decision was a "worrying sudden legal U-turn". Earlier this month, a close ally of President Patrice Talon, Joseph Djogbenou, was elected to lead the Constitutional Court during a vote held behind closed doors. Djogbenou is Talon's former personal lawyer and was previously Benin's attorney general.
Until his arrival, the court had strained relations with Talon, and had criticised the government for misunderstanding and failing to respect the constitution. The small West African nation was last year hit by a wave of public sector strikes, which brought the education, health and justice system to a near halt. The industrial action was sparked by Talon's attempts to introduce free-market reforms.
Unprecedented 'fake medicines' trial opens in Benin
Drug Trade Benin - 2 years ago
Cotonou, Feb 21, 2018 (AFP) - Nine people appeared in a Benin court Wednesday on charges of selling fake drugs at the start of a landmark trial in a regional campaign against illicit medicines. The suspects, who include executives from major pharmaceutical companies operating in the West African nation, were remanded in custody until March 6 on technical grounds. They are accused of "the sale of falsified medicines, (and) display, possession with a view to selling, commercialisation or sale of falsified medical substances." A tenth defendant, the head of the Directorate for Pharmacies, Medications and Diagnostic Evaluation (DPMED) under the control of the ministry of health, was not in court on the trial's opening day. He is accused of failing to prevent the offences.
Benin launched the crackdown last year after mounting alarm about the scale of the trafficking of expired and counterfeit drugs in West Africa. Fake medicines are drugs that are bogus or below regulatory standards but often are outwardly indistinguishable from the genuine product. Taking them may do nothing to tackle an illness or -- in the case of antibiotics -- worsen the problem of microbial resistance. According to an investigation by the Paris-based International Institute of Research Against Counterfeit Medicines (IRACM), West African markets are awash with fake drugs made in China and India.
In 2015, the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene estimated that 122,000 children under five died due to taking poor-quality antimalarial drugs in sub-Saharan Africa. A 15-nation regional body, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), last April announced an investigation into the fake drugs business. A lawyer for the civilian plaintiffs told AFP that the trial in Benin was adjourned until March 6 at their request "in order to incorporate another case, of illegal pharmaceutical practice".
Togo US Consular Information Sheet
Togo is a small West African country with a stagnant economy in a state of political uncertainty.
French is the official language, but Ewe and Mina are commonl Read More Show Less
spoken as well.
Tourism facilities are limited, especially outside the capital city, Lomé.
Read the Department of State Background Notes on Togo for additional information.
Travelers are encouraged to obtain visas prior to arrival due to recent difficulties with requesting them at the airport in Lomé or at some of the land borders.
Visas issued in Togo are limited to 7 days and can take an hour or more to be issued.
Travelers applying for visa extensions can also experience significant delays.
Vaccination against yellow fever is required before entry.
U.S. citizens should carry copies of their U.S. passports and vaccination records with them at all times while traveling in Togo so that, if questioned by local officials, they have proof of identity, U.S. citizenship, and required vaccinations readily available.
Travelers may obtain the latest information and details from the Embassy of the Republic of Togo, 2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
Overseas, inquiries should be made at the nearest Togolese embassy or consulate.
For further information about customs regulations, please read our Customs Information.
U.S. citizens are urged to avoid political rallies, street demonstrations, and maintain security awareness at all times.
Togo has experienced periodic violence, strikes, and political tensions since 1990.
Following the death of President Eyadema in February 2005, political activists took to the streets and held demonstrations throughout the country that resulted in more than 500 deaths.
Land borders with Ghana and Benin are routinely shut down during elections. The October 2007 legislative elections were non-violent with only minor incidents reported during the single post-election demonstration. The next major elections are the presidential elections scheduled for 2010.
Up-to-date information on safety and security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada, or for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll-line at 1-202-501-4444.
Over the past year, Togo has seen a marked increase in incidents of violent crime throughout the country, including several recent machete attacks in poorly lit areas of Lomé.
Rapid inflation and food shortages have contributed to increases in already critical crime levels in urban areas.
Particular areas for Americans to avoid within Lomé, especially during the hours of darkness, include the Grand Marché area, the beach road, and the Ghana-Togo border areas.
Travelers should avoid the beach even during daylight hours as purse-snatchings and muggings occur there regularly.
Pick pocketing and theft are common in Togo, especially along the beach and in the market areas of Lomé.
While incidents of residential burglary are less common against foreigners, carjacking is on the rise, and even western diplomats have been victims of carjacking. Theft while riding in taxis is also increasing, as thieves steal bags, wallets, and passports.
Taxicabs should not be shared with strangers.
Perpetrators of business fraud often target foreigners, including Americans.
Formerly associated with Nigeria, these fraud schemes are now prevalent throughout western Africa, including Togo, and pose a danger of both financial loss and physical harm.
An increasing number of Americans have been the targets of such scams, losing anywhere from several thousand to several hundred thousand dollars.
Typically, these scam operations begin with an unsolicited communication, usually by e-mail, from an unknown individual who describes a situation that promises quick financial gain, often by assisting in the transfer of a large sum of money or valuables out of the country.
The scenarios vary:
an American must pretend to be the next-of-kin to a recently deceased Togolese who left a fortune unclaimed in a Togolese bank, or a person claiming to be related to present or former political leaders needs assistance in transferring large sums of cash, or even a business deal that appears to be legitimate.
The requests are usually for the payment of advance fees, attorneys' fees, or down payments on contracts.
The final payoff does not exist; the purpose of the scam is to get any money possible and to gain information about the American's bank account.
The best way to avoid becoming a victim of advance-fee fraud is common sense – if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
You should carefully check out any unsolicited business proposals originating in Togo before you commit any funds, provide any goods or services, or undertake any travel.
Please check the Embassy web site at http://togo.usembassy.gov/ for the most current information on fraud in Togo.
For additional information, please see the Department of State brochure on International Financial Scams.
The local equivalent to the "911" emergency line in Togo is: 117 or 171 for police, 172 for Gendarmerie, 242 for the Pharmacy on Duty, and 118 for Fire Services.
Medical facilities in Togo are limited and of very poor quality, with no adequate emergency medical care.
Availability of medications through local pharmacies is unreliable, and travelers should carry all necessary medications, properly labeled, with them.
Malaria, a serious and sometimes fatal disease, is prevalent in Togo.
For additional information on malaria, including protective measures, see the CDC travelers' health web site at http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/.
For information on avian influenza (bird flu), please refer to the Department of State's Avian Influenza Fact Sheet.
According to the Togolese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Health, there are no HIV/AIDS entry restrictions for visitors to or foreign residents of Togo.
The information below concerning Togo is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.
While some major thoroughfares in urban parts of Togo are paved, many secondary streets are not, and become severely flooded every time it rains.
Driving conditions are hazardous throughout Togo due to the presence of pedestrians, large numbers of small motorcycles, disorderly drivers (moped, car and truck drivers), livestock on the roadways, and the poor condition of the roads, including deep potholes.
Overland travel off the main network of roads generally requires a four-wheel-drive vehicle.
Many drivers in Togo do not obey traffic laws and most traffic signals do not function properly.
Drivers should be prepared for other vehicles to run red lights or stops signs and drive in the wrong direction on one-way streets.
Nighttime travel on unfamiliar roads is dangerous.
Poorly marked checkpoints, often manned by armed, undisciplined soldiers, exist throughout the country, including in the capital.
Banditry, including demands for bribes at checkpoints, has been reported on major inter-city highways, including the Lomé-Cotonou coastal highway.
Travelers are advised to be aware of their surroundings and to drive defensively.
At official checkpoints, Togolese security officials prefer that you approach with your dome light on, and have your driver's license, registration, and proof of insurance ready.
Americans should be aware of the staged-accident ploy when driving in Lomé.
In this scam, a motorbike will cut in front of you, cause a collision, and draw a crowd, which can turn hostile if you attempt to leave the scene of the so-called accident.
Such encounters appear designed to extort money from the vehicle driver.
Pedestrians also cause staged accidents.
Genuine accidents can also draw hostile crowds.
Travelers should drive with their car doors locked and windows closed, and have a cell phone in the vehicle.
If you are involved in this kind of accident and can drive away, you should leave the scene, drive to a safe location, and alert both the police and the U.S. Embassy.
Violent carjackings are periodically reported in Togo and tend to increase during the summer months and holiday season. Travelers are advised to exercise caution when using any form of local public transportation.
Never get into a taxi with unknown passengers and always agree on the fare before getting in.
Visit the web site of the country's tourist office at http://www.togo-tourisme.com/.
As there is no direct commercial air service to the United States by carriers registered in Togo, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not assessed Togo's Civil Aviation Authority for compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards.
For more information, travelers may visit the FAA's internet website at http://www.faa.gov/safety/programs_initiatives/oversight/iasa.
Power outages, voltage fluctuations, and water shortages are common throughout the country.
Only certain U.S. credit cards are accepted in Togo.
Most major hotels and their restaurants accept American Express, MasterCard, and Visa, while smaller hotels and restaurants do not.
Travelers planning to use credit cards should know which cards are accepted before they commit to any transaction.
Travelers should keep all credit card receipts, as unauthorized card use and overcharging are common.
There are some Automatic Teller Machines that dispense local currency in major banks and they are generally considered safe.
Well-known money transfer firms, including Western Union, operate in Togo.
Photographing places affiliated with the government of Togo, including official government buildings, border crossings, checkpoints, police stations, military bases, utility buildings, airports, government vehicles, and government or military personnel, is strictly prohibited, and local authorities will confiscate film and cameras.
Government buildings are not always clearly identifiable, as they vary from being very well marked to being not marked at all.
Persons violating Togo's laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned.
Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Togo are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.
Americans living or traveling in Togo are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department's travel registration web site so that they can obtain updated information on travel and security within Togo.
The U.S. Embassy is located on Boulevard Eyadema, Neighborhood Lomé II, Lomé; telephone (228) 261-5470, fax (228) 261-5499. The local mailing address is B.P. 852, Lomé.
The web site is http://togo.usembassy.gov/
This replaces the Country Specific Information for Togo dated March 3, 2008, to update the sections on Crime, Information for Victims of Crime, and Medical Facilities and Health Information.
Report from Togo relating to fake medicines
Drug Trade Togo - 4 days ago
Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2020 03:48:17 +0100 (MET)
By Emile Kouton with Celia Lebur in Lagos
Lome, Jan 15, 2020 (AFP) - After he was struck down by malaria and typhoid, Togolese tailor Ayawo Hievi thought he was set to recover when he started taking drugs prescribed by his doctor. But far from curing him, the medication he was given at the neighbourhood clinic made him far worse -- eventually costing him one of his kidneys. The drugs were fake. "After four days of care, there was no improvement, but I started to feel pain in my belly," Hievi, 52, told AFP.
After two weeks of suffering he became unable to walk and was rushed into the university hospital in the West African nation's capital Lome. "The doctors told me that my kidneys had been damaged... the quinine and the antibiotics used to treat me in the medical office were fake drugs." Now, over four years later, he remains crippled by chronic kidney failure and has to go to hospital for dialysis regularly. Hievi's horror story is far from unique in a continent awash with counterfeit medicines. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that every year some 100,000 people across Africa die from taking "falsified or substandard" medication.
The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene estimated in 2015 that 122,000 children under five died due to taking poor quality anti-malaria drugs in sub-Saharan Africa. Weak legislation, poor healthcare systems and widespread poverty have encouraged the growth of this parallel -- and deadly -- market. Since 2013, Africa has made up 42 percent of the fake medicine seized worldwide. The two drugs most likely to be out-of-date or poor, ineffective copies are antibiotics and anti-malarials, say experts. And bogus drugs not only pose a risk to the patient -- they also play a worrying part in building resistance to vital frontline medications.
- 'Difficult to trace' -
In a bid to tackle the scourge, presidents from seven countries -- the Republic of Congo, Gambia, Ghana, Niger, Senegal, Togo and Uganda -- meet Friday in Lome to sign an agreement for criminalising trafficking in fake drugs. The goal is to bolster cooperation between governments and encourage other African nations to join the initiative. But even if leaders put pen to paper, the task of stamping out the flows of counterfeit medication is huge. Medicines spread out on plastic sheets or offered at ramshackle stalls are for sale at markets across West Africa.
Those hawked on the streets are often a fraction of the price of what's available in more reputable pharmacies where controls are stricter and supplies often have to come through official channels. "It is very difficult to trace where the fake medicines come from," said Dr Innocent Kounde Kpeto, the president of Togo's pharmacist association. "The countries which are mentioned on the boxes are often not the countries of origin or manufacture of these drugs. The manufacturers cover their tracks so as not to be identified".
It is estimated that between 30 and 60 percent of medicine sold in Africa is fake and Kpeto said most of it comes from China or India. Efforts to staunch the deadly torrents of counterfeits have made some headway. Some trafficking hubs have been dismantled, such as Adjegounle market in Cotonou that served as a key gateway for fakes heading to giant neighbour Nigeria. In mid-November, the police in Ivory Coast made a record seizure of 200 tonnes in Abidjan and arrested four suspects including a Chinese national.
Togo is one of the pioneer countries trying to stop the flow. It changed the law in 2015 and now traffickers can face 20 years in jail and a fine of some $85,000 (75,000 euros). In a show of force in July the authorities burnt over 67 tonnes of counterfeit pharmaceuticals discovered between But even given these recent successes, those in the industry like Dr Kpeto insist that the threat is still grave and involves "highly organised criminal networks". "The phenomenon remains major," he said. Traffickers can turn an investment of just $1,000 (900 euros) into a profit of $500,000, he claimed. The fake medicines are smuggled in the same way as guns or narcotics and often bring higher returns.
- 'Die for nothing' -
Nigeria, Africa's most populous country with a market of 200 million people, is the number one destination on the continent for fake drugs and a showcase of difficulties being faced. In September 2016 the World Customs Organization seized tens of millions of fake pills and medicines at 16 ports around Africa: 35 percent were intended for Nigeria. Across the vast nation there are tens of thousands of vendors selling the counterfeits. Competition between traffickers is fierce and the official agency meant to combat the problem is overwhelmed.
In a bid to improve the situation, Vivian Nwakah founded in 2017 start-up Medsaf and raised $1.4 million to help Nigerians track their medication from producer to user. "The country doesn't have a reliable and centralised distribution network," she said. "A hospital sometimes has to deal with 30 or 40 distributors for all the medications it needs. How can you have quality control with so many suppliers?" As a result, fake or faulty medicine has not just flooded markets but also pharmacies and hospitals -- both state and private. Sometimes, without hospital administrators even being aware, that means the drugs that reach the patients can be expired, poorly stored or the wrong doses.
Medsaf works to ensure the quality control of thousands of products at over 130 hospitals and pharmacies in Nigeria. It looks forward to expanding deeper into Nigeria as well as Ivory Coast and Senegal. The company uses technology, database management and analytics to monitor the movement of medications and verifies their official registration number, the expiry dates and storage conditions. "Technology we use can help to solve most of the issues related to fake drugs," Nwakah said. "People die for nothing. We can change that."
Case of Lassa Fever reported in Kara region of Togo
Disease Lassa Fever Togo - 1 year ago
Date: Mon 7 Jan 2019
<http://outbreaknewstoday.com/lassa-fever-case-reported-doufelgou-togo-27889/>
The Togo government confirmed last week [week of 1 Jan 2019] a Lassa fever case reported in Doufelgou district [Kara region] in the north of the country, according to a Agence de Presse Africaine report (computer translated).
This was a haemorrhagic fever case according to officials.
Lassa fever is a rare but potentially life-threatening viral haemorrhagic disease. The risk of infection is low but can occur if someone comes into contact with an infected person's blood or bodily fluids. Lassa fever cannot be spread through casual contact, including skin to skin contact, without exchange of bodily fluids. Those at highest-risk would be health care workers treating patients in facilities known to have Lassa fever and family members caring for infected patients.
Early diagnosis and supportive care are essential. One should consult a medical professional if he or she has been in direct contact with an infected person within the past 3 weeks and have symptoms of Lassa fever, which include: fever, chest, stomach or back pain, cough, vomiting, diarrhoea, or mucosal bleeding.
[Lassa fever virus is endemic in much of northwest Africa, including Benin, Togo, and Burkina Faso. There have been cases of Lassa fever in Togo as recently as 2017. In the 2017 report, health authorities in Togo implemented the following measures to respond to these Lassa fever cases, including:
- deployment of rapid response teams to the affected areas for epidemiological investigation;
- identification of contacts and follow-up;
- strengthening of infection prevention and control measures in health facilities and briefing of health workers;
- strengthening of cross border collaboration and information exchanges between Togo, Burkina, Mali, and Benin.
It seems odd that the case report above does not mention contact with rodent reservoirs of the virus or their excrement as a source of infection. Lassa fever virus is transmitted to humans from contact with food or household items contaminated with excreta of multimammate rats (_Mastomys_ spp), the reservoir host. Public education is an important measure to prevent infections in the home.
Images of the rodent reservoirs of Lassa fever virus can be seen as follows:
_Mastomys natalensis_:
<https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/45326-Mastomys-natalensis>
_M. erythroleucus_ and _Hylomyscus pamfi_:
<http://punchng.com/nigerias-large-rat-population-threatens-lassa-fever-war/>. - ProMED Mod.TY]
[Maps of Togo:
<https://www.comersis.com/c-images/TG/Togo-regions-prefectures-map.jpg>
and < http://healthmap.org/promed/p/64802>]
Hunger strike in Togo over opposition arrests
Disturbances Togo - 1 year ago
Lome, Sept 24, 2018 (AFP) - A former lawmaker in Togo was on Monday on hunger strike to call for the release of opposition supporters who were arrested during anti-government demonstrations. Nicodeme Ayao Habia, head of the Democrats party, began his protest six days ago in front of Ghana's embassy in the Togolese capital, Lome. "I am on hunger strike to demand the release of all people who were arrested during protests by the opposition coalition who are still languishing in prison," he told AFP. "I won't move from here as long as these people are in prison," he said, holding a small sign with photos of three of those detained. "This morning, police tried to move me along but I refused as I am within my rights. They even tried to rough me up."
Habia held a two-day hunger strike previously this month in front of the US Embassy in Lome. Some 44 people who were arrested during opposition protests against President Faure Gnassingbe and his government remain in prison, according to the coalition. The oppositions wants the re-introduction of a two-term limit for presidents, applied retroactively, which would prevent Gnassingbe from standing for re-election in 2020. The government has agreed to the two-term limit but not the retroactive element, which would allow the president to stand at polls in 2020 and 2025. He has already been in power since the death of his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, in 2005. The army general seized power of the West African state in 1967.
As well as the release of opposition detainees, Habia said he also wanted the government to stick to the roadmap set out by leaders of the West African bloc ECOWAS. "The regime must absolutely respect the recommendations contained in the ECOWAS roadmap," he added. On Sunday, the government and opposition finally agreed common ground in the composition of the country's independent national electoral commission (CENI). Lack of agreement about the make-up of the body had delayed an announcement of the date of local and parliamentary elections. Local polls and a referendum on the proposed constitutional reforms will now take place on December 16, with parliamentary elections four days later.
Togo healthcare workers join strike as protests mount
Strikes Togo - 2 years ago
Lome, Jan 31, 2018 (AFP) - Togo's government was facing fresh turbulence on Wednesday as healthcare workers went on strike, joining thousands of demonstrators holding opposition protests on the streets. The two-day nationwide strike was called by the National Union of Hospital Practitioners of Togo (SYNPHOT) who are demanding better equipment and more nursing staff. "The strike is well-followed throughout the country. We will take stock tomorrow evening to know what to do in the coming days," SYNPHOT secretary-general Atchi Walla told AFP.
At Sylvanus Olympio university hospital, the country's largest health care centre, several departments were closed, according to an AFP journalist. "We are here only for very urgent cases. The other patients will be rescheduled," said a worker at the entrance to the emergency surgery department. There was a similar situation in the operating room and at reception, where only one person was working. "This situation is tiring. I came to get treatment but nobody can help because they are on strike," said Albert Kudju, a retired civil servant. "The authorities should meet the demands of the workers."
Primary and public school teachers are also on strike, demanding an increase in their wages, while students are protesting against a sharp rise in tuition fees. The walk-outs come against a backdrop of widespread discontent with the government and opposition calls for the resignation of President Faure Gnassingbe. Gnassingbe has been in power since 2005 and took over from his father, General Gnassingbe Eyadema, who himself ruled Togo for 38 years. A coalition of 14 opposition parties has been organising almost weekly marches for the past five months.
Rival protests in Togo as government blasts street 'coup d'etat'
Disturbances Togo - 2 years ago
Lome, Sept 20, 2017 (AFP) - Thousands thronged the streets of Togo's seaside capital Wednesday after the ruling party asked supporters to march at the same time as planned opposition protests demanding the removal of President Faure Gnassingbe, the scion of Africa's oldest political dynasty. The rival demonstrations in Lome came a day after the opposition boycotted a vote on constitutional reform which would have included a presidential term limit, arguing that it was a ploy to let Gnassingbe remain in power till 2030.
The opposition wanted the limit to apply retroactively so that Gnassingbe, who has been in power since 2005, could not run again in 2020. His father Gnassingbe Eyadema ruled from 1967 till his death in 2005. The opposition marches began at around 11:00 am (1100 GMT) at three meeting points. They came after giant rallies on September 6 and 7 seeking the president's ouster that drew more than 100,000 people on the streets -- a record in a country which has been widely criticised for stifling democracy. The protesters held up posters declaring "Faure must go" and "Free my country, 50 years is enough".
Police and soldiers armed with heavy machine guns flanked the streets in pick-up trucks. Mobile phone networks and 3G services appeared to have been severed. "We are not jihadists, we are not rebels," said Abdallah, 42, a supporter of the Panafrican National Party (PNP). "We just want democracy, we are tired." Communications Minister Guy Lorenzo condemned what he called a "coup d'etat" on the streets. The government meanwhile asked the opposition to show "responsibility and restraint" and warned that "people of foreign nationalities were looking to participate in acts of violence" during the marches.
- 'Explosive situation' -
More protests are planned on Thursday against what veteran opposition leader Jean-Pierre Fabre called "the monstrous machine that has been crushing Togo's people for more than 50 years". He said there would be "no let-up" as long as Gnassingbe remains in power. Comi Toulabor, head of research at the Institute of Political Studies in Bordeaux, called the counter-rallies by the ruling Union for the Republic (UNIR) party "a strategy to disrupt the opposition protest". "It's very amateurish but it shows the party isn't ready to give way," he told AFP, calling the situation "explosive".
About one thousand UNIR supporters quietly gathered on the beach in Lome on Wednesday, some sitting in the shade of palm trees. "It is a pleasure to be here," UNIR supporter Georgia, 34, told AFP. "We are peaceful." One young protester said he received 5,000 CFA francs (7.50 euros, $9) to participate in the pro-government rally. "You think we're here for politics?" asked Justin, 17, as his friends nodded approval. The failure to pass the constitutional reform bill in parliament forced a referendum, which a member of the government said will be held in the coming months. Gnassingbe has now won three elections, the results of which have been contested by the opposition. Half of Togo's population lives below the poverty line, according to the United Nations, despite a GDP growth rate of five percent over the last three years.
Zambia US Consular Information Sheet
Zambia is a developing country in southern Africa. Tourist facilities outside of the capital, Lusaka, Livingstone (Victoria Falls), and well-known game parks are not f Read More Show Less
lly developed. Read the Department of State Background Notes on Zambia for additional information.
ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS: A passport and visa are required. A visa may be obtained in advance at a Zambian Embassy or Consulate or at the port of entry. Zambia raised the visa fee for American passport holders to $135 as of January 26, 2008. American citizens should bring exact change, whenever practical. Visas are valid for 3 years, and for multiple entries. At the time of entry, the immigration officer will stamp your passport with the permitted length of stay. This is normally 30 days and can ordinarily be extended twice (for a total time of 90 days) by visiting the immigration home office in Lusaka. All Americans, except resident diplomats, must pay an airport departure tax which is collected in U.S. dollars. Airlines include this tax in the cost of the ticket. However, passengers will need to verify that this tax has been paid at the airport. The passenger will receive a "no-fee" receipt reflecting this payment.
Travelers transiting through South Africa should ensure that they have at least two blank (unstamped) visa pages in their passports. South African immigration authorities routinely turn away visitors who do not have enough blank visa pages in their passports. Zambian Immigration officials insist visitors carry the original or a certified copy of their passport and their immigration permit at all times. Certified copies must be obtained from the immigration office that issued the permit. American citizens should closely follow immigration guidelines, including visa requirements for travel to Zambia.
NOTE: Some tour operators were previously able to obtain visas at reduced rates using a special tourism waiver. Zambia announced that they were ending this waiver program as of January 26, 2008 and that all American tourists would be required to pay the new $135 fee. Travelers with outstanding reservations with tour operators should be prepared to pay the difference upon arrival in Zambia.
Additional information on entry requirements may be obtained from the Embassy of the Republic of Zambia, 2419 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008, telephone (202) 265-9717 or 19 or online at http://www.zambiaembassy.org. Information about dual nationality or the prevention of international child abduction can be found on our web site. For further information about customs regulations, please read our Customs Information sheet.
U.S. citizens are advised to exercise caution when traveling in northern Luapula Province and in areas of the Northern Province adjacent to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Although a cease-fire is currently in effect, the DRC is not yet stable and uncontrolled militias operate in the eastern DRC. In the past, armed gunmen have occasionally attacked vehicles near the DRC-Zambian border. Land mines and unexploded ordnance along the western, southern, and eastern borders make off-road travel to those areas potentially hazardous. For these reasons, the U.S. Embassy discourages travelers from driving off-road or on remote little-used tracks near the borders with DRC and Angola. American citizens who must drive in these areas are encouraged to drive in convoy and to carry satellite telephones.
U.S. citizens should avoid political rallies and street demonstrations and maintain security awareness at all times. For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs' web site at http://travel.state.gov, where the current Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts, as well as the Worldwide Caution, can be found.
The Department of State urges American citizens to take responsibility for their own personal security while traveling overseas. For general information about appropriate measures travelers can take to protect themselves in an overseas environment, see the Department of State's pamphletA Safe Trip Abroad.
CRIME: Travel in many sections of Lusaka, Livingstone and most other major cities as well as in the major game parks, is generally safe during daylight hours. Travelers using public transportation or visiting high pedestrian traffic areas are advised to be vigilant against robbery and pick-pocketing.
Vehicle thefts, burglaries, and armed robbery occur throughout the country. Carjacking remains an ongoing problem, especially in Lusaka and other major cities. Carjackers generally employ a strategy of blocking the back of one's car when the car is waiting to pass through a security gate into a residence or other facility. It is recommended to drive with doors locked and windows closed at all times and remain vigilant when entering or exiting one's residence.
Foreign tourists have frequently been the target of small-scale financial scams involving bogus "fees" to be paid to various Zambian officials and groups. The embassy cautions travelers to make sure that they receive an official, Government of Zambia receipt for any fines and duties paid. Often, travelers will be told that the official does not have a receipt book or that this type of fine is not receipted. Polite, but firm insistence on a Zambian Government receipt will often result in these fines disappearing.
INFORMATION FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME: The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to the local police and the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If you are the victim of a crime while overseas, in addition to reporting to local police, please contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for assistance. The Embassy/Consulate staff can, for example, assist you to find appropriate medical care, contact family members or friends and explain how funds could be transferred. Although the investigation and prosecution of the crime is solely the responsibility of local authorities, consular officers can help you to understand the local criminal justice process and to find an attorney if needed. See our information on Victims of Crime.
MEDICAL FACILITIES AND HEALTH INFORMATION: Government hospitals and clinics are often understaffed and lack supplies. Private medical clinics in major cities can provide reasonable care in many cases, but major medical emergencies usually require medical evacuation to South Africa, Europe, or the United States. Basic medical care outside of major cities is extremely limited. Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health services. Travelers should carry their prescription drugs and medications in original labeled containers, as well as the written prescription from their physician. (See "Criminal Penalties" section.)
Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747) or via the CDC's web site at http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/default.aspx. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization's (WHO) web site at http://www.who.int/en. Further health information for travelers is available at http://www.who.int/ith/en.
TRAFFIC SAFETY AND ROAD CONDITIONS: While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning Zambia is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.
Traffic circulates on the left side of the road, and there are many British-style roundabouts rather than intersections with traffic lights. There is no left turn on red. Seat belts are mandatory, as are helmets for motorcyclists. A child's seat is not mandatory by law, but is essential for safeguarding children. The speed limit is 50 km/30 mph in Lusaka and 100 km/60 mph outside of city limits. However, speed limits are rarely respected, and most cars drive 80 km/50 mph in the city and 120 km/75 mph outside town. Most vehicles operate at even faster speeds on the road from Lusaka to Livingstone. Drivers under the influence of alcohol who are involved in accidents are tested at Lusaka's University Teaching Hospital (UTH) and then taken to court.
Driving on Zambian roads can be hazardous. Most roads do not have shoulders or sidewalks; pedestrians and livestock use the roadways both day and night. While the main roads in Lusaka as well as the principal highways linking Lusaka with the major provincial capital are generally maintained, many secondary roads are in poor repair. During the rainy season (end of October to mid-March), travelers who do not have a four-wheel drive vehicle will encounter problems driving on rural roads. Even in daylight, passing another vehicle can be particularly dangerous given the general condition of roads. Driving at night can be hazardous and is discouraged. When breakdowns occur, local drivers place a few branches behind the car to indicate trouble, but this is hardly visible at night. As a result, many drivers use their high beams at night to detect stopped vehicles and pedestrians.
Since 2000, Americans have been involved in a number of series car accidents. There are no emergency services for injured or stranded drivers. Car accident victims are vulnerable to theft by those who pretend to be "helpful." It is advisable to have a cell phone when undertaking a trip outside of town, although many parts of the country do not yet have cell phone service.
City traffic is comprised mostly of cars and minibuses; motorcycles are rare. Minibuses serve as the primary means of inter-city travel in Zambia. They are often overcrowded and seldom punctual. Drivers often use pass using road shoulders or opposing traffic lanes. Often they will stop with little or no warning, in order to pick up or drop off passengers. Some luxury buses do ply the routes between Lusaka and Livingstone and the Copperbelt. Please refer to our Road Safety page for more information. Visit the web site of the country's national tourist office and national authority responsible for road safety at http://www.zambiatourism.com/.
AVIATION SAFETY OVERSIGHT:As there is no direct commercial air service to the United States by carriers registered in Zambia, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not assessed Zambia's Civil Aviation Authority for compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards. For more information, travelers may visit the FAA's web site at http://www.faa.gov/safety/programs_initiatives/oversight/iasa.
Perpetrators of business fraud often target foreigners, including Americans. While such fraud schemes in the past have been largely associated with Nigeria, they are now prevalent throughout Africa, including Zambia. For additional information, please consult The Department of State's publication "International Financial Scams." In addition, Americans are advised to exercise caution when approached with unsolicited offers to purchase gemstones or precious metals for export as the Embassy has received multiple recent complaints from Americans who have been victimized as a result of their involvement in these deals.
U.S. citizens are encouraged to carry a copy of their U.S. passports with them at all times, so that, if questioned by local officials, proof of identity and U.S. citizenship is readily available. Zambian police do not provide the U.S. Embassy with timely notification of the arrest of American citizens. If you are detained, you should insist on your right to contact a U.S. consular officer.
MasterCard and Visa cards are accepted in major supermarkets, restaurants, stores, and hotels in Lusaka and Livingstone (Victoria Falls). Credit card fraud is increasing in Zambia and there have been several cases involving fraudulent charges, including some at major hotels catering primarily to foreign visitors. Many businesses use carbonized paper documents to process payment. These documents are not secure and can pose a threat to cardholders. The Embassy urges caution when using debit or credit cards at any point of purchase, especially if the transaction is not processed electronically. Normally, American travelers can withdraw money (in local currency) from ATMs in major cities in Zambia using their ATM cards or credit cards from the United States. However, from time to time, the banks lose their connections with the credit card exchanges, thus making withdrawals impossible. Zambian banks and bureaux de change will not accept dollar-denominated notes issued before 1990.
Travel to military areas and photographing military facilities, airports, bridges, and other facilities deemed to be of security relevance, are prohibited. Often these sites are not clearly marked and the first notification that a tourist would receive is a police officer demanding their film and/or camera. Authorities may also challenge photography of areas other than tourist attractions. Service providers in Zambia, including the tourism sector, are not subject to the same standards of safety oversight that exist in the United States; visitors should evaluate risks carefully.
Travelers are cautioned to observe local or park regulations and heed all instruction given by tour guides. Even in the most serene settings, wild animals can pose a threat to life and safety.
Large numbers of travelers visit tourist destinations, including South Luangwa National Park and Livingstone (Victoria Falls), without incident. However, American citizens are advised to avoid rafting and other whitewater boating activities on the Zambezi River below Victoria Falls during the high-water season, February through June. During periods of high water, the Batoka Gorge section of the river becomes unpredictable and several tourists have been involved in fatal accidents.
CRIMINAL PENALTIES: While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen is subject to that country's laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those in the United States and may not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law. Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for similar offenses. Persons violating Zambian laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Zambia are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime, prosecutable in the United States. Please see our information on Criminal Penalties.
It is against both Zambian and U.S. law to buy, possess or transport animals or animal products, such as tortoise shell, rhino horn, elephant ivory, tusks of any animal or any items made out of these materials. In Zambia, penalties range from large fines to mandatory 5-year prison sentences. The Zambian Wildlife Authority has screeners at international ports of entry/exit and WILL prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law.
While many of these items are sold in open markets particularly aimed at foreign tourists, it remains the responsibility of the customer to ensure that he/she is not purchasing a prohibited item.
Further instructions on the importation of items to the U.S. may be found on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection web site at
http://www.customs.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/prohibited_restricted.xml.
Americans living or traveling in Zambia are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department's travel registration web site so that they can obtain updated information on travel and security within Zambia. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency. The U.S. Embassy is located at the corner of Independence and United Nations Avenues. The mailing address is P.O. Box 31617, Lusaka, Zambia. Telephone exchanges have recently changed within Zambia. When calling from the United States, please contact the American Embassy during regular work hours, Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and on Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. by dialing 011-260-21-125-0955. For after-hours emergencies involving American citizens, please dial 011-260-21-125-0955 extension 1. The fax number is 260-21-125-2225. The web site is http://zambia.usembassy.gov.
This replaces the Country Specific Information for Zambia dated February 14, 2008, to update sections on Entry/Exit Requirements and Crime.
Power shortages grip Zambia as dam levels dip
Climate Changes Zambia - 25 days ago
Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2019 18:01:59 +0100 (MET)
Lusaka, Dec 18, 2019 (AFP) - Zambia's 19-hour rolling blackouts have sent homes plunging into darkness, crippling daily life and business operations with the worst power outages the nation has seen. Recurring drought across southern Africa has cut the water reserves of the hydroelectric dam of Kariba, the main source of energy of the country. "Water levels in the dam continued receding, dropping to 476.93 metres above sea level as at 10 December 2019," the country's Energy minister Matthew Nkhuwa told parliament last week. Currently, the water level in the dam is at 1.48 metres above the minimum operating level which translates to 10 percent usable water for power generation. "At a similar period in 2018 the water level in the dam... was at 55 percent," Nkhuwa said. Residents are subjected to 19 hours of power outages daily but in some instances others stay without power for longer, fuelling popular anger.
Some residents of the slums of Lusaka's Chaisa and Chilenje areas have staged protests against prolonged blackouts, stoning power installations as well as offices of the power utility firm, ZESCO. "These long hours of staying without power have really made us suffer," local barber shop owner John Likumbi said. In November, state utility power operator ZESCO started importing power from ESKOM of South Africa to cushion the impact of the power deficit on the country's economy. But the imported power has only reduced outages by two hours. ESCO board chairperson Mbita Chitala admitted that despite importing power from ESKOM, the utility firm still faced challenges in "importing the full 300 megawatt from time to time."
Eskom faces its own woes, with its old and poorly maintained coal-fired power stations struggling to keep up with the electricity demands of Africa's most industrialised economy. Opposition leader Chishimba Kambwili blamed the rolling blackouts on the "total failure by this government." The energy minister has said he feared that if the rainfall for Zambia did not improve, the situation might worsen. For some, solar energy is the only sure way to survive the power outages. "I am making savings ... in future I plan to buy a solar panel," barber Likumbi told AFP, adding that the blackouts made it difficult to even take children to school.
Authorities in Zambia to allow medicinal cannabis
Drug Trade Zambia - 25 days ago
Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2019 19:30:12 +0100 (MET)
Lusaka, Dec 16, 2019 (AFP) - Zambia on Monday decided to allow the cultivation of cannabis for export for medicinal purposes, a government spokesperson said. Up to now, the cultivation or possession of cannabis for whatever reasons was prohibited in Zambia and subject to a jail sentence. " I wish to confirm that the cabinet... gave its approval, in principle, ... for the cultivation, processing and exportation of cannabis for economic and medicinal purposes," said spokesperson Dora Siliya in a statement.
Siliya added that the health ministry would provide overall leadership as well as coordinate the issuance of licenses. Cannabis for medicinal purposes has been authorised in around 30 countries. The small kingdom of Lesotho was the first African nation to allow medicinal cannabis in 2017. South Africa followed suit a year later but went further and approved the consumption of marijuana for personal use by adults.
Two million Zambians face food insecurity in regional drought
Climate Changes Zambia - 3 months ago
Date: Tue, 29 Oct 2019 20:07:03 +0100 (MET)
Lusaka, Oct 29, 2019 (AFP) - More than two million Zambians are facing "severe" food insecurity after drought and flooding reduced harvests, the Red Cross said Tuesday. Southern Africa is grappling with one of the worst droughts in decades after months of erratic rainfall and record-high temperatures. Zambia Red Cross warned the drought had left an estimated 2.3 million people facing "severe food insecurity", up from 1.7 million a month ago. "The successive mixture of drought and flooding has been catastrophic for many communities," said Zambia Red Cross head Kaitano Chungu in a statement.
While rainfall hit a record low in southern and western Zambia, flash floods and waterlogging occurred in the north and east of the country. The Red Cross said that combination resulted in "poor harvests", with families in the worst-affected areas surviving on wild fruit and roots -- posing a serious risk to their health. "In most of the affected areas there isn't enough drinking water, which means that people and animals-both livestock and wildlife-are having to use the same water points," said Chungu. "This is unacceptable as it exposes people to diseases and creates a heightened risk of animal attacks," he added.
Zambia's regional neighbours have also felt the impact. More than five million rural Zimbabweans -- nearly a third of the population -- could face food shortages before the next harvest in 2020, according to the United Nations. And wildlife has been affected as well. At least 55 elephants died in Zimbabwe and 100 in Botswana over the past two months due to lack of food and water.
Reports of Polio from Zambia, Chad and Togo causes concern across Africa
Disease Poliomyelitis Zambia - 3 months ago
<http://outbreaknewstoday.com/polio-cases-reported-in-zambia-chad-and-togo-73820/>
Circulating vaccine-derived polio virus (cVDPV) type cases have been confirmed in 10 African countries through [16 Oct 2019] this year [2019]. Now, the World Health Organization (WHO) is reporting 3 additional countries from the continent that more recently reported circulating vaccine-derived polio virus type 2 (cVDPV2) cases: Zambia, Chad and Togo.
The Ministry of Health of Zambia reported last week on a confirmed case of circulating vaccine-derived polio virus type 2 (cVDPV2) in a 2-year-old child in Chienge district, Luapula province on the border with Democratic Republic of the Congo. This is the 1st case of cVDPV2 reported from Zambia in 2019. [Date of onset of paralysis reported to be 16 Jul 2019 according to another media report <https://www.lusakatimes.com/2019/10/21/polio-case-has-been-recorded-in-zambias-luapula-province/>.
In addition to the initial case-patient, 34 stool samples were collected from healthy contacts, and 2 samples tested positive for VDPV2, which were genetically linked to the case-patient. No established links have so far been found with the ongoing outbreak of cVDPV2 in Democratic Republic of the Congo, where 37 cases have been reported in 2019. The last recorded case of indigenous polio in Zambia was in 1995, while between 2001 and 2002, 5 cases of wild polio virus were identified among Angolan refugees in the Western province of the country.
Last week, WHO was informed about cVDPV2 in Chad. A cVDPV2 was isolated from a 13-month-old case of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), with onset of paralysis on [9 Sep 2019] in Chari Baguirmi province, bordering Cameroon. The isolated virus has 32 nucleotide changes from Sabin 2, and is genetically linked to a cVDPV2 detected in Borno, Nigeria and is part of the Jigawa emergence. The last indigenous wild poliovirus cases were reported in 2000 in Chad.
In addition, last week WHO was informed about cVDPV2 in Togo. A cVDPV2 was isolated from a 30-month-old case of AFP with onset of paralysis on [13 Sep 2019] in Plateaux province, bordering Benin and Ghana. The isolated virus has 32 nucleotide changes from Sabin 2 and is genetically linked to a cVDPV2 detected in Irewole state, Nigeria and is part of the Jigawa emergence as well. The last indigenous wild poliovirus case was reported in 1999 in Togo.
[Three more countries are joining the list of cVDPV outbreak countries, all with cVDPV2 isolates. Two of the 3 countries (Togo and Chad) have viruses related to the Jigawa, Nigeria cVDPV2 outbreak. The case in Zambia is suspected to be associated with the ongoing cVDPV2 transmission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), but genetic testing is presumably still pending or has been negative. See my comments below after the following section, as they are relevant to what is ongoing globally with respect to cVDPVs.
Below are the HealthMap/ProMED map links to countries where cVDPV cases/outbreaks have occurred in the past 12 months, a total of 20 countries.
Angola: <http://healthmap.org/promed/p/165>
Cameroon: <http://healthmap.org/promed/p/65>
Central African Republic: <http://healthmap.org/promed/p/66>
Chad: <http://healthmap.org/promed/p/57>
China: <http://healthmap.org/promed/p/155>
Democratic Republic of the Congo: <http://healthmap.org/promed/p/194>
Ethiopia: <http://healthmap.org/promed/p/95>
Ghana: <http://healthmap.org/promed/p/53>
Indonesia: <http://healthmap.org/promed/p/184>
Kenya: <http://healthmap.org/promed/p/174>
Mozambique: <http://healthmap.org/promed/p/177>
Myanmar: <http://healthmap.org/promed/p/148>
Niger: <http://healthmap.org/promed/p/58>
Nigeria: <http://healthmap.org/promed/p/62>
Papua New Guinea: <http://healthmap.org/promed/p/188>
Philippines: <http://healthmap.org/promed/p/158>
Somalia: <http://healthmap.org/promed/p/125>
Togo: <http://healthmap.org/promed/p/64>
Zambia: <http://healthmap.org/promed/p/170> - ProMED Mod.MPP]
Lead pollution in Zambia town a public health 'emergency'
Poisoning Zambia - 5 months ago
Date: Fri, 23 Aug 2019 15:08:04 +0200 (METDST)
By Obert SIMWANZA
Lusaka, Aug 23, 2019 (AFP) - Children living in a central Zambian mining town are still exposed to high levels of toxic lead 25 years after the mine closed, Human Rights Watch said Friday, as lawyers announced plans to take legal action. Decades of lead mining have left Kabwe, around 150 kilometres (95 miles) north of Lusaka, severely polluted, with serious health implications for residents. The mine, which operated from the early 1900s until its closure in 1994, was at one time the world's largest lead mine. It was run by the Zambian government from the early 1970s when the mining industry was nationalised. In a report published Friday, HRW said the town in the Copperbelt area still has extreme levels of contamination and children continue to be exposed to high levels of toxic lead in soil and dust around their homes, schools and play areas.
HRW's children's rights fellow and report author Joanna Naples-Mitchell described the situation in Kabwe as "a public health emergency" and said the government was "not responding with the sense of urgency that is warranted". "The Zambian government is aware that Kabwe has been severely contaminated... since the 1990s and efforts to clean up have been inadequate," she told AFP. A class action suit is being prepared to demand compensation for poisoning from Anglo American South Africa, a former investor in the mine, London-based law firm Leigh Day announced Friday. The law firm deals in human rights issues. The case will be brought in courts in South Africa, where the mining firm is based, said the lawyers, who are acting on behalf of some 200 children who have been treated for lead poisoning. Anglo American on Friday said in a statement it did not believe it was "in any way responsible for the current situation" in Kabwe. "We were concerned to learn of the situation at Kabwe as reported by the press," it said, adding "the nationalisation more than 40 years ago effectively placed these issues under the control of the Zambian Government".
- 'Severely contaminated' -
The HRW report said that although lead and zinc mining have stopped in the town, various medical studies conducted over the past seven years show children there still had elevated levels of lead in their blood. Between 2003 and 2011, the World Bank funded a government project to decontaminate Kabwe's affected townships, and to test and treat children. But some 76,000 people, or a third of the town's population, still live in contaminated areas. One recent study published last year and cited by HRW estimated that more than 95 percent of children in the townships surrounding the lead mine have elevated blood lead levels and that about half of them require medical intervention. "This is the worst environmental disaster I have seen in 30 years of practice," said lawyer Richard Meeran of Leigh Day. Johannesburg-based collaborating lawyer Zanele Mbuyisa said they will argue that "the environmental damage created has potentially contaminated almost three generations of men, women and children".
- Insufficient resources -
Three years ago, the government launched another five-year World Bank-funded project to get rid of the lead and carry out new rounds of testing and treatment. The project targets around 10,000 people including children, pregnant women and mothers. "We think this a very important opportunity for the Zambian government to find a lasting solution to this problem," said Naples-Mitchell. She urged Zambia to find new and effective methods to clean up the lead, adding that their 2018 study indicated that pollution levels were "as high they had been in the 1970s". In a letter last month, the government indicated to HRW that it does not have enough resources to address the full scale of the contamination. The government did not immediately comment on the report. Children are more vulnerable to lead poisoning since they absorb four to five times as much as an adult and this can retard their growth and IQ, while in worst cases it can result in brain damage or even death.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl