BRAZZAVILLE: Only a quarter of health workers in Africa are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday warning that majority of the continent’s frontline medical workforce were dangerously exposed.
By contrast, a recent study of 22 predominantly high-income countries revealed that more than 80 percent of health care workers there were fully vaccinated against coronavirus, according to the WHO.
“The majority of Africa’s health workers are still missing out on vaccines and remain dangerously exposed to severe Covid-19 infection,” WHO’s Africa director Matshidiso Moeti said after revealing just 27 percent of health workers on the continent were jabbed.
“It is important to have high vaccine coverage among health workers not only for their own protection but also for their patients and to ensure health care systems keep operating during a time of extreme need,” the WHO said.
Only one country in Africa had the necessary number of health workers — 10.9 per 1,000 population — while 16 countries had fewer than one per 1,000, according to the WHO.
“Any loss of these essential workers to Covid-19 due to illness or death therefore heavily impacts on service provision capacity,” the WHO said.
The WHO intervention came as scientists in South Africa revealed that they had detected a new Covid-19 variant with “a very high number of mutations,” blamed for an “exponential” surge in infections there.
For the first time since the third wave peak in August, cases in Southern Africa have increased, jumping 48 percent to November 21, compared with the previous week.
“With a new surge in cases looming over Africa following the end-of-year festive season, countries must urgently speed up the rollout of vaccines to health care workers,” said Moeti.
WHO says just 1 in 4 African health workers COVID-19 jabbed
https://arab.news/rv7g3
WHO says just 1 in 4 African health workers COVID-19 jabbed
- "The majority of Africa's health workers are still missing out on vaccines," said WHO's Africa director
- "It is important to have high vaccine coverage among health workers,” the WHO said
Indonesia strips citizenship of ex-officers who joined Russian mercenary forces
- Muhammad Rio, Satria Kumbara went viral after claiming they were fighting in Ukraine
- Both were dishonorably discharged, Indonesian police and navy have separately confirmed
JAKARTA: Indonesia has revoked the citizenship of former security forces personnel who joined Russian mercenary forces, the government said, addressing the cases of a former policeman and a navy officer who have reportedly joined the fighting in Ukraine.
Muhammad Rio, a former member of Indonesia’s paramilitary police force Brimob in Aceh province, said he was recruited by Russia’s Wagner Group in videos and photos that have widely circulated since last week.
His case followed that of former Indonesian marine Satria Kumbara, who also went viral last year after uploading clips on TikTok, where he claimed to be fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.
Their Indonesian citizenships have been revoked, said Law Minister Supratman Andi Atgas.
“Anyone, be it a Brimob officer or a civilian, who joins a foreign military without the president’s permission will automatically lose his citizenship … That is clearly stipulated in the law,” he told reporters.
According to Atgas, the Indonesians who joined Russian mercenary forces did so discreetly, had their own contacts and never reported to the local Indonesian Embassy following their arrival, which makes them “difficult to track down.”
After the latest case of Rio made headlines across Indonesia, Aceh police spokesperson Joko Krisdiyanto issued a statement over the weekend, saying that the ex-policeman had deserted his post since Dec. 8 and left Indonesia on Dec. 18.
On Jan. 7, he sent photos and videos to a group chat comprising fellow police officers, “showing that the concerned person has joined the Russian mercenary division, while also describing the registration process and the salary received in Russian ruble converted to Indonesian rupiah.”
He was slapped with a dishonorable discharge on Jan. 9 over a series of misconduct, including his alleged involvement with the Russian military, Krisdiyanto said.
The Indonesian Navy has also confirmed that ex-marine Kumbara was dishonorably discharged in 2023.
