7 Amazing Everyday Examples Of Nanotechnology In Action

By Bernard Marr Nanotechnology essentially means controlling matter on a tiny scale, at the atomic and molecular level. This sounds truly sci-fi, but can, in fact, be put to some very ordinary uses in surprisingly everyday products. In this article, we’ll explore common products that make use of nanotechnology – but first, let’s get a…

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Out of Tragedy Comes Opportunity: How Can Global Health Multilateralism Seize the Moment?

Julia Kaufman, Alexander Winch, Shu-Shu Tekle-Haimanot, and Kalipso Chalkidou How will the pandemic affect health services and financing across Africa? How can global health multilateralism play a more effective role in securing good health for all in the face of COVID-19? And how can health aid be most effectively targeted? Last month, CGD and the Global…

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Ecobank Group appoints Alain Nkontchou as Chairman

Mr. Nkontchou has always utilised his wealth of experience on the Board and the Ecobank Group looks forward to his successful and strong leadership The leading pan-African banking group, Ecobank (www.Ecobank.com), is delighted to announce the appointment of Mr Alain Nkontchou, a Cameroonian and Independent Non-Executive Director since 2015, as Board Chairman of its holding…

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AWIEF Launches Enterprise Development for Women-Owned Ventures in Green Energy Startup Incubator

The Startup Incubator programme is aimed at helping women turn their renewable and green energy enterprise idea into a product or service that customers want to buy The Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) (http://www.AWIEForum.org) has launched a new initiative “Enterprise Development for Women-Owned Ventures in Green Energy” and is pleased to announce the…

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African Risk Capacity appoints Jennifer Blanke into its board

The African Risk Capacity Insurance Limited (ARC Ltd) has appointed Dr Jennifer Blanke to its Board of Directors. Dr Blanke was, until recently, the Vice-President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development of the African Development Bank Group, based in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, where she was responsible for overseeing the strategy, lending and programming for a…

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Zee World putting safety first in COVID-19 times

Zee Entertainment’s popular General Entertainment Channel Zee World ensured its viewers safety by distributing face masks at various malls across South Africa. Cloth masks have been endorsed by the governments across the globe to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and Zee World has been at the forefront of keeping its viewers safe through initiatives…

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Screening Of Travellers Can Help Curb Spread Of COVID-19: PAZ

By Ronnie Chisamba The Passengers Association of Zimbabwe (PAZ) has proposed the screening of commuters at roadblocks and other checkpoints as a move that can curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tafadzwa Goliati, the association’s president, made the suggestion on behalf of the organization in a press statement that was released on various social…

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Achieving Zero Hunger by 2030 in doubt, UN report warns

Securing healthy diets for the billions who cannot afford them would save trillions in costs More people are going hungry, an annual study by the United Nations has found. Tens of millions have joined the ranks of the chronically undernourished over the past five years, and countries around the world continue to struggle with multiple…

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European Union steps up support to COVID-19 response

The European Union has granted another EUR 6.5 million (USD 7.33 million) to step up the COVID-19 response in Zimbabwe. The funds are a top-up for the EU’s existing support to the multi-donor Health Development Fund (HDF). The additional support will contribute to the supply of essentials commodities (PPE, diagnostic tests among others). Additionally, training…

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Women’s Coalition urges President Mnangagwa to urgently address deteriorating healthcare provision

By Anyway Yotamu The Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ), a woman’s organization umbrella board has blasted the deteriorating health sector in the country and urged President Emmerson Mnangagwa to urgently address the situation. In a statement, the pressure group says women and girls have lost the little hope they had realised before the COVID-19 pandemic induced…

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New NHS Board expected to deal with the current and aftermath of Covid-19: Government

By Anyway Yotamu The newly appointed National Handling Services (NHS) private limited is expected to deal with the current and aftermath of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic which has wreaked havoc, in particular, the aviation industry and tourism sectors world over. Addressing the newly appointed board members in Harare today Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development,…

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Breaking research advances announced ahead of virtual COVID-19 Conference

Important advances in COVID-19 research, including promising data on new treatments, were announced today ahead of the virtual COVID-19 Conference, the world’s first abstract-driven scientific meeting dedicated to the global pandemic. Hosted by IAS – International AIDS Society, the COVID-19 Conference will take place on 10 July (extending into July 11 in some time zones), following…

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How Do We Move Towards More Sustainable and Transparent Mechanisms to Prevent and Address Corruption?

By ZIMCODD The dismissal of the former Minister of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), Obadiah Moyo by President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday, 7 July 2020 highlights the perversity of public corruption and the inadequacy of oversight mechanisms in Zimbabwe. Conditions of weak oversight mechanisms, poor remuneration, breakdown in the rule of law and weakened commitment…

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WHO calls for equitable access to future COVID-19 vaccines in Africa

WHO and partners launched the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator to speed up the development, production and equitable access to COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines The World Health Organization (WHO) in Africa (www.Afro.WHO.int) joined immunization experts in urging the international community and countries in Africa to take concrete actions to ensure equitable access to…

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HDF procures lifesaving equipment to fight COVID-19 and strengthen immunization in Zimbabwe

The Health Development Fund (HDF), managed by UNICEF and UNFPA with funding from the United Kingdom (DFID), European Union (EU) Sida-Sweden, Irish Aid and the Global Vaccine Alliance (Gavi),  continues to support the Government of Zimbabwe in the strengthening of its health systems with the procurement of 198 Oxygen Concentrators for the fight against COVID-19; and…

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Covid-19 Lock-down Order: Relaxation for Some Tourist Facilities and Operators

By Veritas Late on Friday the 3rd July the Minister of Health and Child Care gazetted an SI which allows restaurants, National Parks facilities and safari operators to resume restricted operations.  The SI is the Public Health (COVID-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment) (National Lockdown) (Amendment) Order, 2020 (No. 13) (SI 160 of 2020).  It is…

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Look out for returnees absconding quarantine: President Mnangagwa

By Anyway Yotamu President Emmerson Mnangagwa has expressed concern over the number of returnees who are absconding from quarantine facilities around the country and has urged Zimbabweans to be on the lookout for returning residents who do not have COVID-19 clearance certificates. COVID-19 is wreaking havoc across the globe with Zimbabwe not being spared. This…

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Government of Zimbabwe Receives $1, 755, 890 from ARC Ins. Ltd to Combat Drought Risk Amidst COVID19 Pandemic

The African Risk Capacity Insurance Company Limited (ARC Ltd) today made payouts of USD 1.4 million to the Government of Zimbabwe and another US$ 290,288 to UN World Food Programme (WFP), in parametric drought risk insurance payouts to support the extensive drought response efforts in Zimbabwe. The payouts announced via a virtual ceremony were the…

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Sunny Yi Feng Tiles pledges environmental compliance

Following an outcry from the community about flouting of rules, the management of tile manufacturer, Sunny Yi Feng in Norton, has pledged environmental compliance. Briefing Environment Minister, Hon. Mangaliso Ndlovu who was accompanied by Minister of State for Mashonaland West Province Mrs. Mary Mliswa Chikoka at a tour organised on the behest of Norton legislator,…

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International Trade Centre launches a groundbreaking tool to track policies for women in trade

The International Trade Centre yesterday announced the launch of SheTrades Outlook, a digital tool that allows governments and others to track progress on gender equality in trade, and progress toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5 to empower all women and girls. SheTrades Outlook provides quantitative and qualitative data using 83 indicators across six policy areas. It contains more…

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Dealing with touts and Malayitshas in facilitating trade at Beitbridge Border Post in Zimbabwe

By Juliet Matare (Customs & Excise and Trade Facilitation Expert) INTRODUCTION The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) plays a major role in trade facilitation at the several ports of entry in the country. This paper focuses on challenges faced at Zimbabwe’s largest and busiest border post in Southern Africa, the Beitbridge Border, as it tries to…

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UNFPA, partners call for urgent action to confront the silent and endemic crisis of Gender-Based Violence & harmful practices

Every year, millions of girls are subjected to practices that harm them physically and emotionally with the full knowledge and consent of their families, friends and communities, according to the State of World Population 2020, recently launched by UNFPA, the United Nations’ sexual and reproductive health agency. Findings from the State of the World Population…

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The knowledge brokering role of transporters in African food systems

By Charles Dhew Beyond transporting commodities from production zones to markets, transporters have a much more important knowledge brokering role in African food systems. Transporters are unique informants who get information from diverse actors and sources such as farmers, traders, other transporters, fuel dealers, equipment manufacturers and others. They also convey information from the market…

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ZNOART piles pressure on City of Harare to end graft

By Anyway Yotamu The Zimbabwe National Organisation of Associations and Residents Trusts (ZNOART) is piling pressure on the Harare City Council to end corruption and improve service delivery. In a statement to this publication, ZNOART  National Chairperson Mr. Shalvar Chikomba said, “City Council officials and councillors have a major problem on their hands. The truth…

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MSF response to UNAIDS 2020 Global AIDS Update

As the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) released its 2020 Global AIDS Update Report yesterday, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said it remains concerned that COVID-19 will interrupt lifesaving care for people living with HIV/AIDS—a group at a higher risk of becoming severely sick if infected with COVID-19. UNAIDS’ new…

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Johnson & Johnson TB drug price reduced

MSF has pushed J&J for years to lower the price of its lifesaving TB drug bedaquiline The international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) welcomes Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) announcement today to reduce the price of its tuberculosis (TB) drug bedaquiline to $1.50 per day. Governments must now urgently scale up the use…

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U.S. contributes $60.55 million to the WFP to assist Zimbabwe during the lean season

The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), will provide $60.55 million toward the World Food Programme’s (WFP) 2020/21 Lean Season Food Assistance program in Zimbabwe.  The lean season assistance will begin in August and will feed nearly one million people during the peak of the season, from January to April 2021. …

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Vultures circle over Redwing mine: Mines ministry

STAFF WRITER VULTURES are circling over mining conglomerate Metallon gold’s Penhalonga mine – Redwing, and the company needs to be vigilant to fend off invasions, a senior government official has said. Ministry of Mines and Mining Development official Innocent Murapa told a peace conference held by Green Governance in Mutare recently that the mine was…

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Illegal artisanal miners giving intelligence to Mashurugwi

STAFF WRITER Illegal artisanal miner infestation in Penhalonga is compromising the security of small-scale miners’ operations as they are passing on the intelligence of the movement of rich gold ore movement to armed criminal gangs now popularly known as Mashurugwi. Manicaland Miners’ Association (MMA) secretary-general Lovemore Kasha told a Green governance Penhalonga peace dialogue meeting…

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Strive Masiyiwa Buys Back Mascom Botswana For USD$300 Million

Masiyiwa salutes frontline healthcare workers in the Diaspora & in Africa

Econet founder and Africa Union Special Envoy for COVID-19, philanthropist and businessman Strive Masiyiwa, has paid a stirring tribute to African frontline health professionals working in the Diaspora, as well as all healthcare workers serving on the African continent. Writing on his popular Facebook blog, the businessman expresses his gratitude to the health professionals for…

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African ministers, social partners join ILO high-level summit on COVID-19 and the World of Work

The pandemic has devastated the world of work, causing massive human suffering and exposing the extreme vulnerability of millions of workers and enterprises on the continent More than 50 African ministers of labour or employment, along with representatives of workers’ and employers’ organizations and international organizations joined the International Labour Organization (www.ILO.org) Regional Office for…

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Action Alert from Adolescent Girls and Young Women with support from ATHENA network

Across the world, the public health emergency posed by COVID-19 continues to impact and unfold in multiple and intersecting ways in our communities. A crisis has the power to make the invisible visible. When it comes to adolescent girls and young women and COVID19, this is certain because while COVID19 is a public health crisis,…

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Ethiopia: African Development Fund approves $165 million grant for national COVID-19 emergency response

The grant, awarded from the country’s ADF-15 Performance-Based Allocation, will help bolster Ethiopia’s COVID-19 National Emergency Response Plan (NERP The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund (ADF) on 3 July approved a grant of $165.08 million to support Ethiopia’s response to the health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including helping to…

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Unravelling the legends, myths, and taboos of Chibvumani National Monument in Bikita

By Nimrod Ushe The Chibvumani National Monument is one of the dry-stone fortresses of the Munhumutapa Empire. It is believed that the Shona speaking people inhabited this place between 12th – 15th soon after the demise of Great Zimbabwe (Caton-Tompson 1931). According to heritage practitioners,this site was engineered using biotite granite blocks quarried from the…

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COVID-19: Women and girls face greater dangers during COVID-19 pandemic

INTERVIEW FROM SOUTH AFRICA: Providing safe abortion care during a national lockdown The COVID-19 pandemic is having potentially catastrophic secondary impacts on the health of women and girls around the world. Decisions made at every level of the response to the pandemic are resulting in women being further cut off from sexual and reproductive health…

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Zimbabwe’s debt overhang: Is it a lack of legislation or lack of political will?

By ZIMCODD Zimbabwe’s macroeconomic challenges are primarily rooted in the huge debt burden. The country has been in debt distress since 2000 when it first defaulted on its external debt obligations. Zimbabwe is one of the African countries in debt distress together with other countries including Mozambique, Sudan, and Somalia. Zimbabwe’s public debt is at…

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Caribbean countries get access to Africa Medical Supplies Platform for procurement of COVID-19 supplies

Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have been given access to the Africa Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP), a procurement system for supplies and equipment in the fight against COVID-19.  The AMSP unlocks immediate access to an African and global base of vetted manufacturers and procurement strategic partners.  It enables African Union Member States to…

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Econet launches the first low-cost KaiOS-enabled 3G phone in Zimbabwe

3G phone comes bundled with 3-month free data Econet Wireless has partnered with KaiOS Technologies, a leading maker of mobile operating systems for feature smart phones, to  launch the ‘Atom 3G’ phone – the country’s first 3G smart feature phone, that is set to help millions of Zimbabweans to access the Internet and become digitally…

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Ecobank Group spearheads new private-sector initiative to end malaria

Zero Malaria Business Leadership Initiative supports global movement for malaria elimination in Africa Today, Ecobank Group (www.Ecobank.com) confirms its commitment to support ending malaria, launching the first-of-its-kind Zero Malaria Business Leadership Initiative in partnership with Dakar-based not-for-profit strategic communications and advocacy organization, Speak Up Africa, and the UN-hosted RBM Partnership to End Malaria. The new…

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Multilateral development banks and the World Trade Organization (WTO) supporting trade finance during the COVID-19 crisis

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, multilateral development banks have stepped up trade finance programs to support essential imports and key exports The COVID-19 pandemic has provoked the deepest economic downturn of our lifetimes. In addition to the ongoing shocks to supply and demand, international trade has been affected by a reduction in the…

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