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☆ Uganda university drops mandatory pregnancy tests for students after outcry
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Amarachi Orie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A university in Uganda has withdrawn a requirement for female nursing and midwifery students to take a pregnancy test before sitting their exams, after facing a backlash. Female nursing and midwifery students being asked to take a pregnancy test, at their own cost as a pre-condition for sitting exams is peak nonsense!!! !”Dr. Githinji Gitahi, CEO of non-profit Amref Health Africa, responded by tweeting: “What? Because pregnancy has what to do with exams? I wish you all the best in the forthcoming exams,” he continued.

☆ Kuda, a Nigerian fintech backed by Peter Thiel's Valar Ventures, is launching in the UK to offer remittances to Africans
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Nigerian fintech banking startup Kuda is launching its UK operations to offer remittances. UK to Nigeria remittances are worth $3.1 billion each year, according to data from the World Bank. Kuda has looked to diversify its sources of revenue in 2022 and is on the lookout for M&A. Nigerian fintech startup Kuda is launching in the UK to offer its remittance services for Africans. The banking startup, which was founded in 2017, has raised $90 million in funding from the likes of Peter Thiel's Valar Ventures and Target Global.

☆ Uganda Struggles to Contain Its Second-Deadliest Ebola Outbreak
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Nicholas Bariyo | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Uganda is struggling to contain an Ebola outbreak that has already infected at least 156 people and killed 74, including in the capital Kampala. The outbreak, first detected on Sept. 20 in a small farming town in central Uganda, is caused by a relatively rare strain of the virus for which there are no proven vaccines or antiviral treatments. It has since spread to eight districts throughout the East African country, including Kampala, a crowded city of around five million people, prompting warnings from the World Health Organization that neighboring countries should prepare for imported infections.

☆ Kenya deploys troops to Congo to help end decades of bloodshed
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Edwin Waita | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Thomas MukoyaNAIROBI, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Kenya's President William Ruto on Wednesday officially deployed troops to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to join an East African regional force aiming to end decades of bloodshed. The seven countries of the East African Community (EAC), which Congo joined this year, agreed in April to set up a joint force to fight militia groups in Congo's east. Despite billions of dollars spent on one of the United Nation's largest peacekeeping forces, more than 120 armed groups continue to operate across large swathes of east Congo, including the M23 rebels, which Congo has repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting. Uganda has already sent troops into Congo as part of separate deployment to chase down an Islamic State-linked armed militants, one of the warring groups in eastern Congo. "We have been working very hard to mobilise the international community to support the east African force," Kenya's defence minister Aden Duale said at the event.

NBC News, in collaboration with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, The Washington Post, and Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism, interviewed more than 40 current and former employees of contractors at military bases. According to an NBC News analysis, at least 10 companies with substantiated trafficking violations since 2007 have received billions in new government contracts. ‘Mad scramble’Foreign workers are crucial for the more than 700 military bases with U.S. service members around the world. One company that continues to get work at Middle East bases despite past violations documented in an Army compliance agreement is Tamimi, Abdulla’s employer. Lusambu Karim, a 50-year-old Ugandan, told NBC News about trafficking violations he said he encountered working for Aegis in Afghanistan from 2018 to 2020.

☆ Uganda steps up Ebola response as virus infects 109, kills 30
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A woman and her child arrive for ebola related investigation at the health facility at the Bwera general hospital near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo in Bwera, Uganda, June 14, 2019. Fifteen of the confirmed cases were among health workers, of whom six had died, she told a news conference. The virus circulating in Uganda is the Sudan strain of Ebola, for which there is no proven vaccine, unlike the more common Zaire strain seen during recent outbreaks in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. "The main objective is to evaluate their efficacy to protect primary contacts of Ebola patients within 29 days of contact," Aceng said. Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; Writing by George Obulutsa; Editing by Estelle ShirbonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ COP27: World on track to increase emissions 10.6% by 2030 - UN report
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Gloria Dickie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says a 43% reduction in emissions by 2030 is needed to limit warming to 1.5 Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures. "At the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow last year, all countries agreed to revisit and strengthen their climate plans," said Simon Stiell, executive secretary of UN Climate Change in a statement. "The fact that only 24 new or updated climate plans were submitted since COP26 is disappointing." The latter, which sees most emissions come from deforestation and peatland clearance, now says it will cut emissions levels by at least 31.89% by 2030. Last year's UN assessment found countries were on track to up emissions by 13.7% by 2030.

☆ Uganda's Ebola outbreak sees a worrisome increase in infections after spike in cases over the weekend
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

A top World Health Organization official in Africa said last week that Uganda’s Ebola outbreak was “rapidly evolving,” describing a challenging situation for health workers. Ugandan health authorities have confirmed 75 cases of Ebola since Sept. 20, including 28 deaths. Fears that Ebola could spread far from the outbreak’s epicenter compelled authorities to impose an ongoing lockdown, including nighttime curfews, on two of the five districts reporting Ebola cases. Uganda has had multiple Ebola outbreaks, including one in 2000 that killed more than 200 people. The 2014-16 Ebola outbreak in West Africa killed more than 11,000 people, the disease’s largest death toll.

☆ Uganda says 9 more Ebola cases confirmed in Kampala, urges vigilance
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/James Akena/File PhotoOct 24 (Reuters) - Uganda has reported nine more Ebola cases in the capital Kampala, bringing the total number of known infections to 14 in the last two days, the health minister said on Monday. The outbreak began in September in a rural part of central Uganda. Report yourself if you have had contact or know of a person who has had contact," Aceng said in her tweet. Ebola spreads through contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person. There have been more than 90 confirmed and probable cases in Uganda since the start of the outbreak, including at least 44 deaths, according to statements by the health ministry and the World Health Organization.

☆ Uganda says two more Ebola cases confirmed in Kampala hospital
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NAIROBI, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Two more people in an isolation unit of Uganda's main hospital have tested positive for Ebola, bringing total cases recorded in the facility to five, the health minister said on Sunday. Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng said on Saturday that three patients among 60 people in isolation at Kampala's Mulago Hospital tested positive for the disease a day earlier. "Two more contacts to the Kassanda case, who are quarantined in Mulago Isolation facility, tested positive for Ebola yesterday..." Aceng said on Twitter. It was not clear if the numbers included the three first new Kampala cases. The government said last week two other cases of Ebola confirmed in Kampala had come from Mubende and were regarded as originating there, not the capital.

☆ Uganda applies well-honed lessons to new Ebola outbreak
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Mithil Aggarwal | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Now, the East African country — lauded for its coronavirus response, which was built around engaging the community and training health officials — is drawing lessons from the first Ebola outbreak in 2004. “They alerted the WHO early and put in the basic pillars of a response early,” Dr. Benjamin Black, an obstetrician, said recalling the West African Ebola response from 2014 to 2016. But Ghebreyesus said Wednesday a clinical trial of vaccines to combat the Sudan species of the Ebola virus could start within weeks. “There’s burnout amongst health workers, health officials and the public across the board in Uganda,” Agoada said. The threadlike Ebola virus spreads when it comes in contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids.

☆ Ebola tests are positive for three people in Uganda hospital
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 22 (Reuters) - Three people in an isolation unit of Uganda's main hospital have tested positive for Ebola, the country's health minister said on Saturday. "Yesterday ... three individuals from among the 60 in our Mulago isolation facility tested positive for Ebola," Jane Ruth Aceng said on Twitter. The government has introduced a three-week lockdown around the Mubende and Kassanda districts in central Uganda, the epicentre of the outbreak of the Sudan variant of the Ebola virus. The government said last week two other cases of Ebola confirmed in Kampala had come from Mubende and were regarded as originating there, not the capital. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by George Obulutsa; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Uganda health minister:3 people in Kampala hospital positive for Ebola
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 22 (Reuters) - Three people in an isolation unit of Uganda's main hospital have tested positive for Ebola, the country's health minister said on Saturday. "Yesterday ... three individuals from among the 60 in our Mulago isolation facility tested positive for Ebola," Jane Ruth Aceng said on Twitter. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterMulago is in Uganda's capital Kampala. The government said last week two other cases of Ebola confirmed in Kampala had come from Mubende and were regarded as originating there, not the capital. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by George Obulutsa; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Uganda court hands life sentence to man caught with elephant ivory
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KAMPALA, Oct 21 (Reuters) - A Ugandan court has handed a life sentence to a man caught with nearly 10 kg of elephant ivory, the country's highest punishment ever for wildlife violations, authorities said on Friday. Pascal Achiba was sentenced by the country's Standards, Utilities and Wildlife Court on Thursday after being convicted for unlawful possession of protected species, the state-run Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) said in a statement. Achiba was arrested in January in a suburb of the capital Kampala alongside two pieces of ivory weighing 9.55 kg. Poaching and illicit wildlife trade is rampant in Uganda where police frequently seize hauls of ivory, rhino horns, pangolin scales and other wildlife products. In July 2020, a man who pleaded guilty to killing Rafiki, a beloved 25-year-old male gorilla in Uganda, was sentenced to 11 years in jail.

☆ Somalia signs oil exploration agreement for seven blocks
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOGADISHU, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Somalia has signed a petroleum exploration agreement for seven offshore blocks with United States-based Coastline Exploration, the company said in a statement on Friday. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterNo government officials were immediately reachable for comment. Coastline, an upstream oil and gas company focused on East Africa, said in a statement on Friday it had paid a $7 million signature bonus to the government and would now proceed with exploration. In 2019, Somalia passed a petroleum sector law paving the way for exploration, especially off its coast. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Abdi Sheikh; Writing by George Obulutsa;Editing by Elaine HardcastleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Fact Check-As of Oct. 20, no suspected or confirmed cases of Ebola in the U.S., officials say
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Chicago Public Health Department (CPHD) told Reuters that as of Oct. 20 “no suspected, probable, or confirmed cases of Ebola” had been reported in Chicago, contrary to claims online. Bert Kelly, a spokesperson for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also told Reuters that “there are no suspected Ebola cases in the U.S.” as of Oct. 20. Health authorities in Uganda confirmed an outbreak of the Sudan strain of Ebola on Sept. 20 (here). The Chicago Public Health Department told Reuters no “suspected, probable, or confirmed cases of Ebola” had been reported in Chicago as of Oct. 20. The U.S. CDC similarly said no suspected Ebola cases in the U.S. had been reported as of that date.

As an outbreak of Ebola spreads in Uganda, officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention remain confident that the virus can be contained. The people most at risk, therefore, are household contacts and health care workers treating Ebola patients. In 2019, a vaccine was approved for the Ebola virus that caused the 2014 outbreak. The current Ebola outbreak, however, is caused by a different species of the virus, and no vaccines or direct treatments are available. The Ebola virus causes hemorrhagic fever, leading to problems with how the body clots blood.

☆ Norfund, BII, Finnfund invest $200m in African forestry fund
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Rachel Savage | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JOHANNESBURG, Oct 19 (Reuters) - The Norwegian, British and Finnish development finance arms have put $200 million into an African forestry fund, the organisations said on Wednesday, as part of a plan to invest in sustainable tree businesses in the region. Norfund has put $76 million, British International Investment (BII) $75 million and Finnfund $48 million into the African Forestry Impact Platform (AFIP), a fund run by Sydney-based forest investor New Forests. Getting companies in these sectors to curb emissions is seen as crucial to limiting climate change. New Forests, which said in May it was being acquired jointly by the Japanese companies Mitsui and Nomura, said it plans to raise a further $300 million for the African forestry fund in the next two to three years to invest in other plantation owners and related companies. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Rachel Savage; Editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ WHO: 'Concerned' about Ebola spread as latest eight cases not contacts of others infected
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - The eight most recent Ebola cases reported during the outbreak in Uganda have no known links with current patients, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday, raising concerns over the spread of the deadly disease. In a briefing, the WHO said initial investigations into the cases by Uganda's Ministry of Health had shown they were not contacts of people already known to have Ebola. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThere have been 60 confirmed and 20 probable cases since the outbreak began last month, and 44 deaths, the WHO said. The strain spreading in Uganda is the Sudan strain, and the existing vaccines and therapies do not work against it. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Jennifer Rigby Editing by Gareth JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Uganda says coffee exports down 14% yr/yr due to drought
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KAMPALA, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Uganda's coffee exports declined last month due to the impact of a drought affecting many growing areas across the country, the state-run sector regulator said. The east African country shipped a total of 503,695 60-kg bags of coffee beans in September, down 14% compared with the same period a year earlier, Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) said in a report. In the 2021-2022 (Oct- Sept) crop year, Uganda exported 5.9million bags that fetched $876 million, down from 6.5 millionbags worth $630.01 million. Some years earnings are higher despite a decline in volumes, because of rises in international coffee prices. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by George Obulutsa and Estelle ShirbonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Schools in Scotland, Uganda and Chile among 'world's best' in new prize
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Schools in Scotland, Uganda, Chile, Philippines and the United States triumphed at the inaugural "World’s Best School Prizes" on Wednesday for feats including saving mangroves and expanding classrooms in an area hit by war. The five schools shared $250,000 in prize money for supporting pupils and communities, especially during the pandemic, in the awards organised by global body T4 Education. Dunoon Grammar School in Scotland won the category of community collaboration for skill-based courses, including in travel and tourism, design and maritime studies, intended to stem a brain-drain. Bonuan Buquig National High School in Dagupan City, Philippines took the environmental prize for helping rehabilitate lost mangroves and provide new habitats for fish. “Far too many children will continue to be left behind in the wake of COVID unless governments take urgent action to tackle the education crisis," T4 Education and the prizes founder Vikas Pota said in a statement.

☆ U.S. sends experimental antibody, antiviral drug to Uganda for Ebola outbreak
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Julie Steenhuysen | Nancy Lapid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

There are currently no proven vaccines or treatments for the Sudan species of Ebola, one of four known Ebola viruses to cause hemorrhagic fever in humans. The outbreak confirmed by the Ugandan health ministry on Sept. 20 is the largest of the Sudan species since 2000. "If healthcare workers start to fall ill and die, it's going to negatively impact the response," said Montgomery, who had just returned from a trip to Uganda. For instance, healthcare workers may be reluctant to assist in the response, he said in a phone interview. A large outbreak of the Zaire species of Ebola in West Africa from 2014-2016 led to effective vaccines and treatment, but there are no proven treatments or vaccines for the Sudan species.

☆ Media groups ask Uganda's top court to scrap law over free speech fears
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KAMPALA, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Media groups asked Uganda's top court on Monday to scrap a new digital communications law which they said broke the constitution and crippled free speech. read moreRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterRuling party officials and other supporters of the legislation have argued it will curb hate speech, protect children and stop the sharing of false or malicious information. Rights groups have called the law draconian, and said it adds to the arsenal authorities use to target critical commentators and punish independent media. In their filing to the Constitutional Court, the 13 petitioners said the law was unconstitutional, ambiguous and criminalised freedom of expression. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Hereward Holland and Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

CNN —Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has declared an immediate three-week lockdown in two high risk districts as the country battles a rise in Ebola infections. Places of worship, bars, gyms, saunas and other entertainment venues will close but schools will remain open, he added. The Ugandan health ministry will also increase contact tracing and assistance to local health facilities. Speaking at a media briefing earlier this month, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the vaccines used successfully to curb recent Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are not effective against the type of Ebola virus now circulating in Uganda. Museveni declared an Ebola outbreak in September after a case of the relatively rare Sudan strain was confirmed and cases began to rise across districts.

☆ Elon Musk says SpaceX will let people donate money to fund Starlink for places in need of internet
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk said SpaceX will add a donate option to Starlink for areas in need of internet. Musk said SpaceX was burning through $20 million per month to maintain Starlink in Ukraine. He also tweeted that SpaceX was burning through around $20 million per month to maintain Starlink in Ukraine. "The hell with it," he said, adding that SpaceX will go on funding the Ukraine government for free, despite the amount of money Starlink continues to lose. SpaceX, designed to provide internet to rural locations, also delivered 120 Starlink internet kits to southwest Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, according to Gov.

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