Africa News Mirror: Tanzanian Food and Drugs Authority receives four u...

Africa News Mirror: Tanzanian Food and Drugs Authority receives four u...: By Eric Akasa   To help combat counterfeit medicines in Tanzania, the Global Pharma Health Fund (GPHF), a charitable initiative fund...

Tanzanian Food and Drugs Authority receives four unique mobile compact laboratories

By Eric Akasa 

To help combat counterfeit medicines in Tanzania, the Global Pharma Health Fund (GPHF), a charitable initiative funded by the German pharmaceutical, chemical and life science company Merck presented four mobile compact laboratories to Hiiti Sillo, the head of Tanzanian Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA) in Dar es Salaam Monday. The TFDA is part of the Tanzanian Health Ministry.

 Also called Minilabs, are part of a donation to the Tanzanian Health Minister announced in February, this year. These Minilabs are globally unique and ensure better quality control for medicines especially in rural and far-flung areas.

 “TFDA is currently in possession of 11 Minilabs that are used for screening medicines at different ports of entry, at the hospitals and retail shops, including pharmacies. This will indeed help TFDA to eliminate substandard and counterfeit medicines from the public,” said Hiiti. “One Minilab is worth about 7, 9 million Tanzanian shillings (around €4,000), but the most important value is to improve healthcare,” explains Klaus Boehm, Managing Director of Merck in South Africa.

 “Essentially, these Minilabs will also ensure that scarce resources are not wasted on these dangerous medicinal scams. Our modest contribution certainly will save lives of many unsuspecting people,” Boehm adds.

 Interpol estimates that 10% to 30% of all medicines in Africa are counterfeit or of inferior quality. In this context, GPHF Minilabs offer rapid, easy and low cost test methods to check medicines for external abnormalities and identifies 57 active pharmaceutical ingredients which are generally used for antibiotics, anthelmintics, virustatics, anti-malarial medicines, tuberculostatics and other medicines, particularly used for infectious diseases.

 To date, GPHF has supplied over 500 Minilabs to more than 80 countries, which one-third are in Asia and half of these countries are located in Africa, including Tanzania. The Minilabs are reliably and rapidly used to identify inferior and counterfeit medicines with instantaneous results.

 The Minilab encloses a combination of simple, reliable onsite testing and a manual with detailed instructions on conducting unique tests. Training is also offered to ensure that the users are familiar with the testing procedure.

 In addition, Merck continues to participate in external research with the aim of increasing the number of medicines that can be tested as well as to discover other possibilities for optimizing the Minilab.

Africa News Mirror: Special Olympics Kenya help Intellectually Disable...

Africa News Mirror: Special Olympics Kenya help Intellectually Disable...: By Eric Akasa Special Olympics Kenya recently held a unified soccer tournament for selected teams ...

Special Olympics Kenya help Intellectually Disabled fight Stigma through Sports

By Eric Akasa

Special Olympics Kenya recently held a unified soccer tournament for selected teams from around the country which gave the coaches an opportunity to identify a team to represent Kenya in the forthcoming Africa unity cup in Johannesburg later in October 2012.

Unified soccer is one of the unified Special Olympics unified sports that help break down stereo types about people with Intellectual disabilities in a fun way. Unified sports joins people with and without Intellectual disabilities on the same team inspired by a simple principle of training and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding.

The forthcoming Africa unity cup will be a seven-aside featuring four footballers with Intellectual disability and three without Intellectual disability in the same team.

“This type of unified sport teams is made up of people of similar age and ability which makes practice more fun and games more challenging and exciting for all. In fact unity sport events have become signature exhibitions of the power of sport to reveal truths about how small the differences are between all people and how valuable the experience of how team work is, this is also aimed to fostering acceptance shunning away from stigmatization” Remarks John Makathimo the national Coordinator Special Olympic Kenya (SOK)

“This event will be used to select a team that will represent Kenya in the Special unified Olympics 7-aside in Johannesburg South Africa later in October.” Points out Mr. Makathimo

Mr. Makathimo urged parents with children with intellectual disabilities to join with Special Olympics Kenya.

                                                                                         

Special Olympics Kenya will take two teams and two coaches to compete in the Africa unity cup. Selecting the national team was aimed at giving them time to train together in readiness for the tournament.

According to Gilbert Mwaganda a parent from Mombasa, it is hard to identify children with Intellectual disabilities “It took me time to know that my twin sons had intellectual disabilities. At the age of five I took them to an ordinary school but they could not comprehend anything” Says Mr. Mwaganda

Mr. Mwaganda says that his children were in the ordinary school for five years without making any remarkable progress hence that prompted him to want to know the reason behind the problem little did he know that his children were intellectually disabled.

He went to the school where his children used to learn and there he was advised by a teacher to take his children for assessment where he took his children and were assessed and recommended to be taken to a special school.

“From there, I faced a lot of challenges for I took them to Kisauni Special Olympics Club in Kisauni and I stay in Kikambala so I had to take them to school and pick them later in the evening spending at least two hundred and forty shillings every day for transport without lunch and that was a big challenge to me with this economy.” Narrates Mwaganda. “Despite being intellectually disabled, one of my sons has epilepsy a condition which calls for keen observation for I have to watch over him all the time.” Adds Mwaganda.

Being a clergy with Kikambala Baptist church, Mr. Mwaganda has been chosen by the Special Olympics Kenya to go in Mombasa and look for children with intellectual disabilities in families where they are hidden and sensitize their parents to take them to schools.

”My advice to those parents who hide their children with intellectual disabilities is that they should not hide them because they may be very important people in the society.” Advises Mr. Mwaganda.

Another parent Muhammed Said with a child with Intellectual disability narrates his experience with his child to Africa news Mirror. “I took my son to a private school at the age of three when he completed his baby classes, but what surprised me is that he could not remember anything learned at school that prompted me to examine him myself at home where I gave him assignments which he could understand but after ten minutes he forgets everything.” Says Mr. Said.

“When I realized that the problem was persistent I talked to his teachers and they advised me to take my son to an assessment centre. I took him to an assessment centre and he was found to be intellectually disabled.” Says Said.

Thereafter Said took his son to Garissa Special School. He says that in Garissa, most parents lock children with Intellectual disabilities indoors for they fear and believe that it is a curse. He advises such parent to take their children to special schools for Gods plans cannot be shot changed.

According to Fridah Mutwiri a nurse at Meru Hospital most parents lack knowledge about intellectual disabilities that’s why it takes them a long time to know that their children are suffering from the condition “from the onset I knew that my daughter was intellectually disabled and when school going age came I just took my daughter straight to a special school, Meru mentally challenged school.”  Says Mrs. Mutwiri

“Before I was not used to the condition of my daughter and people used to see us as kids while walking her to school but with time I got used to her and accepted her that way I am happy wither.” She says.

“I advice those parents who lock up their children with intellectual disabilities to stop and expose their children for others to learn about intellectual disabilities.” Remarks Mutwiri. Sentiments also shared by Mercy Ndachi  who also has a child with intellectual disability and a member of Kenyatta University  Special Olympics Club which deals with Intellectually challenged children .

“We parents take our children with intellectual disabilities to Kenyatta University every Saturday for them to play with others.” Says Ndachi.

Ndachi says that the Kenyatta University Special Olympics club deals in income generating activities to help parents. “We make detergents, fire briquettes, and other products which we sell to help the group and individual parents.” She points out.

Ndachi says that those parents who lock their intellectually disabled children indoors fear stigma from the society but she advises that disability is a special ability.

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Africa News Mirror: Aviation firm to acquire more planes to fly local ...

Africa News Mirror: Aviation firm to acquire more planes to fly local ...: By Eric Akasa. Aircraft Leasing Services (ALS) Ltd has unveiled an expansion plan that includes acquiring more aircraft and launch...

Aviation firm to acquire more planes to fly local routes

By Eric Akasa.

Aircraft Leasing Services (ALS) Ltd has unveiled an expansion plan that includes acquiring more aircraft and launching scheduled flights on local and regional

Chief Executive Cornwell Muleya said the company will this year acquire two 50-seater Embraer planes and increase the number next year. “More customers are asking for bigger aircraft and travel increases locally and within the East and central Africa region,” Muleya says when ALS staff received the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Safety Management Systems (SMS) certification. “The 50-seaters are easier and economical to operator on these shorter routes.”

ALS, which runs a fleet of over 25 aircraft that it leases to organizations and airlines, said it would soon start its own flights to strategic routes like Kitale, Garissa and Malindi in what is likely to spark fierce competition with other airlines already operating on the routes. He said ALS was in talks with some airlines for cooperation deals on some routes.

The IATA-SMS certification recognizes the aircraft leasing company’s commitment to safety in the increasingly sensitive aviation industry. The certificates were awarded to 13 ALS employees by IATA regional head for East Africa Hassim Pondor, who noted that Africa still led in air accidents globally.

Safety Management System training ensures that an aviation company is proactive in assessing and dealing with the hazards associated with its operations. “We are committed to the safety of our customers and employees,” points out Mr Muleya. “And this places the company high on the list of companies who consider safety to critical and we expect this to bring us more business.”He adds

ALS Ltd was admitted to IATA in September last year, after passing the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), which is the benchmark in assessing the management and control systems of an airline. IATA is the world’s umbrella body for airlines and aviation-related businesses and admission to it is taken as a vote of confidence in air safety standards.

He said the benefits of the training were already being seen in its safety management techniques and procedures which had improved significantly. The company spends about $100,000 (Sh8.4 million) annually on training its staff in SMS and upgrading its emergency and response procedures and upgrading safety equipment.

With this expansion, he said, safety management had become even more important for ALS. “Heads of departments have already been trained in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Safety Management Systems. All the crew and operations staff undergo in-house safety training yearly,”he remarks.

New Countries to Start Phase-Out of Inefficient Lighting, with Major Economic and Climate Benefits

By Eric Akasa

A total of five percent of global electricity consumption could be saved every year through a transition to efficient lighting, resulting in annual worldwide savings of over US$ 110 billion.

These are among the main findings of 150 national assessments and a new global policy map on efficient lighting, released Thursday by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and partners.

In some cases, the assessments show that the financial savings and climate change mitigation benefits achieved by phasing out incandescent lighting in developing and middle-income countries are much more significant than previous studies suggested.

The yearly savings in electricity of the phase-out would be equivalent to closing over 250 large coal-fired power plants, resulting in avoided investment costs of approximately US$ 210 billion. Additionally, the 490 megatonnes (Mt) of CO₂ savings per year is equivalent to the emissions of more than 122 million mid-size cars.

A group of 14 pilot countries will seek to benefit from such opportunities as part of a Global Efficient Lighting Partnerships Programme  co-ordinated by UNEP and partners – that will get underway next month.

Countries will receive support to develop national phase-out plans for inefficient lamps from experts provided by the en.lighten initiative: a public-private partnership led by UNEP and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in collaboration with Philips Lighting, Osram AG, and the National Lighting Test Centre of China.

A new global policy map also launched Thursday produced by the en.lighten initiative - shows in detail the status of efficient lighting policies in countries around the world.

The first resource of its kind in the lighting industry, the online map provides an overview of efficient lighting policies and successes, specifically in the residential sector. The information for each country covers standards, labels, supporting policies, product quality control activities and end-of-life policies, as well as a national ranking in terms of policy development.
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Ratings will be regularly updated according to a country’s progress in achieving a sustainable transition to efficient lighting.

 “One of the most cost-effective ways to contribute to the reduction of global carbon emissions is the phase-out of inefficient lighting technologies,” says Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director.

“Increasing numbers of countries are now achieving major financial savings, generating green jobs, and seeing reductions in mercury, sulphur dioxide, and other pollutants from power stations, through a switch to efficient lighting. As the Rio+20 negotiations continue, these new findings from the en.lighten initiative demonstrate that ambitious policies and partnerships must be seized if the social, economic, and environmental benefits of a transition to a low-carbon, resource efficient green economy are to be realized.” He adds

“The en.lighten initiative is a showcase for the benefits of public private partnership,” points out Monique Barbut, CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility.

“Working together, we are accelerating the understanding of technology options, establishing quality and certification protocols, and promoting sound policies for countries to achieve their climate mitigation goals. We need more private sector leaders to follow the example of Philips and Osram and join the GEF in advancing technologies to protect the environment and foster sustainable development.”  

The assessments released todayat Rio+20 analyze the benefits of shifting from inefficient light bulbs for consumers, the industrial, commercial and street lighting sectors. Products cover a wide range of technologies including innovative LEDs.  

The assessments were produced in conjunction with the International Energy Agency (IEA) and cover 150 countries including Russia, India, China, and Brazil.

“The cleanest, most secure type of energy is the one that is not needed, which is why the IEA attaches so much importance to energy efficiency in our 28 member countries and beyond,” Observes Maria Van der Hoeven, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA)

“Lighting has a key role to play in improving energy efficiency, and continuing efforts to phase-out inefficient lighting products at a global level will enhance energy security and reduce global energy demand.” She adds.

The new assessments show that a country such as India could cut its lighting electricity consumption by over 35 percent, which is equivalent to avoiding the construction of 11 large coal-fired power plants and taking over 10 million cars off the road. Annual savings would be over US$2 billion.

Rio+20 host country Brazil could save over US$ 3 billion annually and reduce over 5 percent of national electricity consumption through a transition to energy efficient lighting.

Due to the technological shift towards innovative LED technology, there is a great opportunity for countries to leapfrog to this advanced lighting solution in national markets.

Although LED lamps are currently expensive to buy for individual consumers, bulk procurement by governments, tax incentives and subsidies are making them a viable alternative.  LEDs do not contain any mercury and last up to ten times longer than their CFL counterparts.

"Lighting accounts for around 20 percent of global electricity consumption. Therefore, energy efficient products are key to a sustainable and green future. Green is lean," said Constantin Birnstiel, Chief Sustainability Officer, Osram AG. “As a long-term partner of the UN’s en.lighten initiative, OSRAM strongly supports the combat against climate change with energy-efficient lighting around the globe. Private partners can accelerate the success of global initiatives with their experiences and resources in individual countries.”

 “Already many emerging and developing countries have committed to phase out inefficient lighting, thereby helping to create the first global industry sector transition to low-carbon innovative and sustainable solutions,” remarks Harry Verhaar, Head of Global Public & Government Affairs, Philips Lighting.

“As a public-private partnership, the en.lighten initiative is putting the Green Economy and Global Environmental Governance into practice, which helps to drive sustainable global development and enhances people’s lives with light,” he adds

To date, almost 50 developing and emerging countries supported by en.lighten have committed to phasing out incandescent lamps by 2016.

Work also begins next month in 14 new pilot countries to develop national plans towards phasing out incandescent lighting, as part of the UNEP en.lighten Global Efficient Lighting Partnerships Programme. The first national workshops will be held in July in Uruguay and Chile, followed by Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Morocco, Jordan, Philippines and Tunisia.

The government of Mexico will be a key ally for the Central and South American pilot countries, as the first country in the developing world to enact climate change legislation, including the phasing out of inefficient lighting.  

“We took a leadership role and began our phase-out initiative earlier this year and it has been met with excellent results,” said Mr. Juan Rafael Elvira Quesada, Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources. “We are encouraged in moving forward based on the new lighting assessments which show that Mexico could save almost US$ 1 billion in less than six months by extending the call for efficient lighting to other sectors.”

2012 marks the United Nations International Year of Sustainable Energy for All, which aims to double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency by 2030.

For the lighting sector, this goal can be reached in just four years, if the target to phase out inefficient incandescent lamps worldwide by 2016 is met.