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Cholera kills nursing mother, 10 others in Ebonyi
About 11 persons have died following a cholera outbreak in Ndibokote village of Ezza Inyimagu, Izzi Local Council of Ebonyi State. Meanwhile, African countries and health partners have pledged up to $314 million to a new monkey pox (mpox) fund, the Head, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Jean Kaseya, announced yesterday.
Among the cholera victims is a nursing mother, who left behind a nine-month-old baby. The Commissioner for Health, Moses Ekuma, confirmed this in a statement by the ministry’s spokesman, Lucy Anyim.
Apart from the deceased, about 20 persons affected by the outbreak are reportedly responding to treatment, as efforts have been made to put the disease under control.
Noting that Governor Francis Nwifuru approved the procurement of medical commodities to curtail the outbreak the commissioner added that three treatment centres, including the Iziogo Health Centre, Sudan Mission Onuenyim and Ndibokote village had been established in the area.
Open defecation and poor hygiene have been attributed to the outbreak as most communities got drinking water from streams. Such people were advised to take precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the disease.
Kaseya said $129 million would come from the pandemic fund to support 10 countries impacted by mpox, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia and South Sudan.
“Our team is working with the pandemic fund team to allocate these resources in the 10 countries approved for support,” he said at a virtual news conference.
The funding, created at a meeting of African heads of state earlier this week, is expected to bolster country and regional capacity in critical areas, including disease surveillance, diagnostics, laboratory networks and health workforce while addressing the immediate challenges posed by mpox.
The continental preparedness and response plan for Africa has a budget of about $600 million. Kaseya said the United States also committed to provide $500 million to support the continental response plan and one million vaccine doses.
According to him, Africa has secured 4.4 million vaccine doses against 10 million doses needed to control the disease. A total of 2,910 new cases of mpox and 16 new deaths, mostly in central and eastern Africa, were recorded the last week, according to the latest data from Africa CDC.
More than 32,000 confirmed cases have been recorded on the continent with 840 deaths this year. Compared to the same period last year, Kaseya said there had been more than a 194 per cent increase in cases in 15 African countries.
Mpox cases are steadily increasing across affected countries, Kaseya said, citing contact tracing and low testing capacity among the challenges. The testing rate on the continent stands at 49.5 per cent, whereby many cases cannot be confirmed.
Kaseya said, this week, Africa CDC would deliver available vaccines from the European Union (EU) to some affected countries like Rwanda, Central African Republic (CAR), South Africa, Burundi and Cameroon. DRC, the most affected country in the region, will begin vaccinations in the first week of October.
“Our objective is to stop this outbreak in the next six months and we need full support from member states and our partners,” he said.
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Video: Watch moment Senator Manu tasks NAFDAC officials on poor budget presentation
The Senator representing Taraba Central, Manu Haruna white washed officials of NAFDAC for poor budget presentation during 2025 budget defense on Friday.
In a video, Senator Manu a former Deputy Governor of Taraba State opened the underbelly of NAFDAC on improper presentation of figures in the outlines.
He pointedly told the officials that the presentation was designed to mislead senators.
Watch video below:
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Why I returned N100m excess fund to Kano Govt Commissioner
The Kano State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Tajo Othman, who was recently in the news for returning N100 million excess fund to the state government, has revealed the reason behind his action.
The commissioner while addressing newsmen in Kano on Friday said his action was influenced by the state governor’s “exemplary leadership style,” adding that in an ideal situation, leaders are always a pace setter for others to follow.
He said he did not expect Governor Kabir Abba Yusuf to reveal the act to the public, but the governor chose to do so during the flag-off of the free uniform distribution to encourage the future generation to be transparent.
He said, “In an ideal governance setting, the leader is a pace setter for others to follow. We have seen the governor’s body language and as such we fall in. That is what exactly happened. it is the wish of the governor that everybody should be as transparent as possible.
“He is a transparent governor and therefore we should be transparent as well. I never expected the governor to go public with it, but I believe the reason behind his announcement is indeed genuine.”
The commissioner added that as the head of the committee for school uniform distribution, the state governor entrusted him with the task and advised the committee to execute it to the best of their ability.
The commissioner who was a retired customs officer was in the news when the Governor Yusuf publicly commended him for returning N100 million in unspent funds from a N2 billion budget earmarked for the production of 798,000 uniforms for pupils of primary 1 in the state.
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Nigerian Online Population Shows Strong Enthusiasm for AI – Report
A new global survey report from Ipsos and Google has shown widespread use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools among Nigerian online population.
The study, tagged: “Our Life with AI: From Innovation to Application,” surveyed 21,000 people across 21 countries, and observed that global AI usage has jumped to 48 per cent and excitement about its potential now exceeds concerns (57 per cent vs. 43 per cent, up from 50 per cent / 50 per cent last year).
According to the report, in Nigeria, AI adoption and enthusiasm are even higher, as 70 per cent of the Nigerian online population used generative AI, surpassing the 48 per cent global average. Moreover, 87 per cent are excited about AI’s potential and see its benefits outweighing the risks.
Analysing the report, President of Global Affairs, Google & Alphabet, Kent Walker, said: “AI is starting to deliver magic at scale, making people’s lives easier and better. The survey results show the more people use these tools, the more excited they get about the possibilities and about the personal, professional, and scientific breakthroughs on the way.”
The survey results indicate that optimism about AI is growing within the surveyed online community in Nigeria. Key findings from the survey, show that among survey participants in Nigeria, 70 per cent reported using generative AI in the past year, which is significantly higher than the global average of 48 per cent. A substantial 87 per cent of Nigerian respondents feel that AI’s potential benefits outweigh the associated risks, suggesting a strong belief in the positive impact of AI. A significant 81 per cent of surveyed Nigerian adults believe AI will positively change the economy.
Furthermore, 90 per cent of the survey respondents in Nigeria anticipate AI having a positive impact on science and medicine, demonstrating the widespread belief in the potential of AI to drive progress in these sectors.
According to the report, Nigeria’s online population demonstrates a higher level of excitement and adoption of AI when compared to other regions. The survey indicates: Nigeria is among the top countries in terms of AI usage and excitement about its potential.
This contrasts with more cautious sentiment in some European and North American countries.
The report also said the Nigerian online community saw immense potential for AI in science and medical advancements:
“A significant 90 per cent of survey respondents expect AI to have a positive impact on science and medicine. This is one of the highest rates globally, highlighting the strong anticipation of breakthroughs in these fields through AI,” the report said, and onlinerd that the population in Nigeria recognised AI’s potential to enhance personal and professional development:
“Many believe AI can make people’s lives better by boosting productivity and providing access to resources. Within the Nigerian online population surveyed, there is a prevailing sentiment that supports the fostering of AI advancement rather than restrictive regulations. This suggests that those surveyed are keen to embrace innovation,” the report further said.
The survey results highlight the strong enthusiasm and optimism of the surveyed online population in Nigeria about the role of AI in various aspects of life, particularly in the economy, healthcare, and scientific advancement. The findings suggest that Nigeria’s online community is among the most enthusiastic globally about the transformative potential of AI.
Google has been pursuing AI boldly and responsibly for years. In 2018, Google was one of the first companies to establish AI Principles grounded in beneficial use and avoidance of harm. Two years ago, it unveiled its opportunity agenda, which shard concrete recommendations for governments to ensure AI benefits the broadest range of people possible.
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