The Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) has launched its first medical outreach in the Federal Capital Territory at Gidan Mangoro community of Karu in Abuja, treating more than 4,000 beneficiaries and providing medical supplies to five local primary schools. This is the latest phase of Shell’s Health-in-Motion programme which was rolled out in the Niger Delta in 2005.
Shell’s Regional Community Health Manager, Dr. Akinwunmi Fajola (left), presenting a First Aid box to one of the beneficiaries of the SNEPCo Health-in-Motion programme held in Gidan Mangoro community of Karu in Abuja
Speaking at the opening session of the two-day programme in Abuja, Managing Director of SNEPCo, Bayo Ojulari, said the crusade aimed to take free promotive, preventive and curative health services to the hard-to-reach communities in Nigeria. By doing this, he said, “we hope to be able to support the efforts of government at all levels in providing accessible healthcare to the people.”
Ojulari, represented by Shell’s Regional Community Health Manager, Dr. Akinwumi Fajola, advised against ignoring early signs of health challenge which he said could make it difficult for prompt and effective management by medical officers.
The Minister of Health, represented by Dr. Adebimpe Adebiyi, commended the Health-in-Motion initiative, adding that the Federal Government was willing to collaborate with SNEPCo to take the programme to other communities in Nigeria.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Iyke Judith, a widow, said: “My heart is full of joy to know that all the services – eyes screening and glasses; drugs; laboratory tests; everything is free. I am so happy; may God Almighty bless the company. I believe it is because of me that the company came here because I have been sick for some time now especially after my spinal surgery and had no money to visit the hospital. This programme has just solved my health issues.”
A total of 4,224 people from the community benefitted from different health services including include eye, dental, mass deworming, cardiovascular screenings, HIV & malaria testing and breast and cervical cancer screenings services. Three women were treated with cryotherapy on the spot for early stages of cancer of the cervix while 17 women with breast lumps had free mammograms done. Six hundred people with impaired vision received reading glasses while those requiring further management were referred to the General Hospital Karu.
The medical outreach was held in collaboration with the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and had in attendance representative of the FCT Minister, Dr. Mathew Ashikeni; the traditional ruler of Karu, His Royal Highness, Emmanuel Kyauta Yewp; and Chairman of AMAC, Mr. Abdullahi Adamu Candido.
Unabated climate change would bring devastating consequences to countries in Asia and the Pacific, which could severely affect their future growth, reverse current development gains, and degrade quality of life, according to a report produced by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK).
Flooding in Asia
Under a business-as-usual scenario, a 6 degree Celsius temperature increase is projected over the Asian landmass by the end of the century. Some countries in the region could experience significantly hotter climates, with temperature increases in Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the northwest part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) projected to reach 8 degree Celsius, according to the report, titled “A Region at Risk: The Human Dimensions of Climate Change in Asia and the Pacific.”
These increases in temperature would lead to drastic changes in the region’s weather system, agriculture and fisheries sectors, land and marine biodiversity, domestic and regional security, trade, urban development, migration, and health. Such a scenario may even pose an existential threat to some countries in the region and crush any hope of achieving sustainable and inclusive development.
“The global climate crisis is arguably the biggest challenge human civilization faces in the 21st century, with the Asia and Pacific region at the heart of it all,” said Bambang Susantono, ADB Vice-President for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development. “Home to two-thirds of the world’s poor and regarded as one of the most vulnerable region to climate change, countries in Asia and the Pacific are at the highest risk of plummeting into deeper poverty – and disaster – if mitigation and adaptation efforts are not quickly and strongly implemented.”
“The Asian countries hold Earth’s future in their hands. If they choose to protect themselves against dangerous climate change, they will help to save the entire planet,” said Professor Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, PIK Director. “The challenge is twofold. On the one hand, Asian greenhouse-gas emissions have to be reduced in a way that the global community can limit planetary warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, as agreed in Paris 2015. Yet even adapting to 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature rise is a major task. So, on the other hand, Asian countries have to find strategies for ensuring prosperity and security under unavoidable climate change within a healthy global development. But note that leading the clean industrial revolution will provide Asia with unprecedented economic opportunities. And exploring the best strategies to absorb the shocks of environmental change will make Asia a crucial actor in 21st-century multilateralism.”
More intense typhoons and tropical cyclones are expected to hit Asia and the Pacific with rising global mean temperatures. Under a business-as-usual scenario, annual precipitation is expected to increase by up to 50% over most land areas in the region, although countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan may experience a decline in rainfall by 20-50%.
Coastal and low-lying areas in the region will be at an increased risk of flooding. Nineteen of the 25 cities most exposed to a one-meter sea-level rise are located in the region, 7 of which are in the Philippines alone. Indonesia, however, will be the most affected country in the region by coastal flooding with approximately 5.9 million people expected to be affected every year until 2100.
Increased vulnerability to flooding and other disasters will significantly impact the region – and the world – economically. Global flood losses are expected to increase to $52 billion per year by 2050 from $6 billion in 2005. Moreover, 13 of the top 20 cities with the largest growth of annual flood losses from 2005-2050 are in Asia and the Pacific: Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Zhanjiang, and Xiamen (PRC); Mumbai, Chennai-Madras, Surat, and Kolkata (India); Ho Chi Minh City (Viet Nam); Jakarta (Indonesia); Bangkok (Thailand); and Nagoya (Japan).
Climate change will also make food production in the region more difficult and production costs higher. In some countries of Southeast Asia, rice yields could decline by up to 50% by 2100 if no adaptation efforts are made. Almost all crops in Uzbekistan, meanwhile, are projected to decrease by 20-50% by 2050 even in a 2 degree Celsius temperature increase (Paris Agreement scenario). Food shortages could increase the number of malnourished children in South Asia by 7 million, as import costs will likely increase in the subregion to $15 billion per year compared to $2 billion by 2050.
Marine ecosystems, particularly in the Western Pacific, will be in serious danger by 2100. All coral reef systems in the subregion will collapse due to mass coral bleaching if global warming increases by 4 degree Celsius (global business-as-usual scenario). Even with a 1.5 degree Celsius temperature increase, 89% of coral reefs are expected to suffer from serious bleaching, severely affecting reef-related fisheries and tourism in Southeast Asia.
Climate change also poses a significant risk to health in Asia and the Pacific. Already, 3.3 million people die every year due to the harmful effects of outdoor air pollution, with the PRC, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh being the top four countries experiencing such deaths. In addition, heat-related deaths in the region among the elderly are expected to increase by about 52,000 cases by 2050 due to climate change, according to data from the World Health Organisation (WHO). Deaths related to vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue may also increase.
A business-as-usual approach to climate change could also disrupt functioning ecosystem services, prompting mass migration – mostly to urban areas – that could make cities more crowded and overwhelm available social services.
Moreover, a warmer climate for the region could endanger energy supply. Climate change can exacerbate energy insecurity through continued reliance on unsustainable fossil fuels, reduced capacities of thermal power plants due to a scarcity of cooling water, and intermittent performance of hydropower plants as a result of uncertain water discharges, among other factors. Energy insecurity could lead to conflicts as countries compete for limited energy supply.
To mitigate the impact of climate change, the report highlights the importance of implementing the commitments laid out in the Paris Agreement. These include public and private investments focused on the rapid decarbonisation of the Asian economy as well as the implementation of adaptation measures to protect the region’s most vulnerable populations. Climate mitigation and adaptation efforts should also be mainstreamed into macro-level regional development strategies and micro-level project planning in all sectors, in addition to the ongoing renewable energy and technology innovation efforts in urban infrastructure and transport. The region has both the capacity and weight of influence to move towards sustainable development pathways, curb global emissions, and promote adaptation, the report concludes.
ADB approved a record $3.7 billion in climate financing in 2016 and has committed to further scale up its investments to $6 billion by 2020.
ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, ADB is celebrating 50 years of development partnership in the region. It is owned by 67 members – 48 from the region. In 2016, ADB assistance totaled $31.7 billion, including $14 billion in cofinancing.
Catholic Medical Practitioners have called on the federal government to legislate, regulate and monitor the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Nigeria.
GMOs
While demanding that attention be payed to the labelling of GMO products, they demanded adequate funding for research and development by the GMO regulatory agencies for the nation to derive benefits from the technology.
“But more importantly, to protect our people and environment from the many possible dangers thereto: decreasing food productivity, food gene extermination, corruption of soil ecology, food insecurity and biological imperialism as well as various health hazards on human beings, the environment, animals and plants,” declared the Association of Catholic Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (ACMPN) in a communique released at the close of its 12th scientific conference and annual general meeting that had “Genetically-Modified Organisms: How Harmful, Harmless or Beneficial?” as the theme.
The event held from Thursday, July 6 to Saturday, July 8, 2017 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The conference called on the government to re-commit to working for all Nigerians, truly developing a national consciousness on shared values.
They also want the government to lead Nigerians to possess, take ownership and protect the nation morally, socially, politically, and economically in a truly independent and progressive manner.
“The protection of lives of everyone, including the unborn Nigerians is a sacred duty for all, especially those in authority,” the medical practitioners noted, calling on the authorities to adequately train the personnel, equip and fund the national agencies mandated to protect the health and lives of citizens, the environment and natural resources.
“In this way, these agencies will not become mere facilitators and local proxy organisations for global businesses and so-called development partners whose underlying targets may be inimical to the strategic interests of Nigeria and her peoples.”
The conference further called on Catholic doctors to engage in health insurance and especially community-based health insurance to help citizens access health care, and for Nigeria to achieve universal health coverage to improve its current low indices.
It also called on all doctors of goodwill to adopt healthier, ethically and culturally adequate approaches in their maternal, child and family health care, rather than the values of the “culture of death”.
The ACMPN also re-committed itself to promote the sanctity of human life, marriage between a man and a woman, natural family planning and NaProTechnology in pursuit of family health and national development.
The Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety requires just two more instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession for it to enter into force, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has said.
Faustin-Archange Touadéra, President of the Central African Republic. Photo credit: REUTERS/Luc Gnago
The Supplementary Protocol, which provides for response measures in the event of damage from living modified organisms, moved closer to such a noteable achievement when the Central African Republic deposited its instrument of ratification on Thursday, June 15, 2017, thereby becoming the 39th Party to the treaty.
The Protocol will enter into force on the 19th day after the deposit of the 40th instrument of ratification, accession, acceptance or approval.
Adopted as a supplementary agreement to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, the Supplementary Protocol aims to contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity by providing international rules and procedures in the field of liability and redress relating to living modified organisms.
Dr. Cristiana Paşca Palmer, Executive Secretary of the CBD, said: “The ratification by the Central African Republic brings us very close to the entry into force of this important instrument. I urge all Parties to the Biosafety Protocol that have yet to do so to ratify the Supplementary Protocol as soon as possible. I also urge Parties to the Biodiversity Convention that have not yet done so to ratify the Biosafety Protocol so that they can also become Parties to the Supplementary Protocol.”
The Secretariat says it is developing capacity-building materials and undertaking a range of awareness-raising activities to expedite the entry into force and implementation of the Supplementary Protocol.
Scientists announced on Wednesday, July 12, 2017 that a much-anticipated break at the Larsen C ice shelf in Antarctica has occurred, unleashing a massive iceberg that is more than 2,200 square miles in area and weighs a trillion tons.
The iceberg is more than 2,200 square miles in area and weighs a trillion tons. The iceberg, which is expected to be dubbed ‘A68’, is predicted to be one of the 10 largest icebergs ever recorded. Graphic shows how the iceberg compares in size. Credit: DailyMail
In other words, the iceberg – among the largest in recorded history to splinter off the Antarctic continent – is close to the size of Delaware (a state located in the northeastern region of the United States) and consists of almost four times as much ice as the fast melting ice sheet of Greenland loses in a year. It is expected to be given the name “A68″ soon, scientists said.
“Its volume is twice that of Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes,” wrote researchers with Project MIDAS, a research group at Swansea and Aberystwyth Universities in Wales that has been monitoring the situation closely by satellite.
The break was detected by one NASA satellite instrument, MODIS on the Aqua satellite, and confirmed by a second, they said. The European Space Agency has also confirmed the break.
The iceberg contains so much mass that if all of it were added anew to the ocean, it would drive almost 3 millimeters of global sea level rise. In this case though, the ice was already afloat so there won’t be a substantial sea level change.
The Project MIDAS group said on Wednesday that the effect of the break is to shrink the size of the floating Larsen C ice shelf by 12 percent. While they can’t be certain, they’re concerned that this could have a destabilising effect on the remainder of the shelf, which is among Antarctica’s largest.
“The iceberg is one of the largest recorded and its future progress is difficult to predict,” said Adrian Luckman, the lead MIDAS researcher and an Antarctic scientist at Swansea University, in a statement. “It may remain in one piece but is more likely to break into fragments. Some of the ice may remain in the area for decades, while parts of the iceberg may drift north into warmer waters.”
There is no expected immediate effect on shipping, Luckman said by email.
“Icebergs from this region occasionally make it out beyond the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, but it will take a while for that to happen to this iceberg or its fragments, and there is not a lot of shipping in the area that I am aware of,” he explained.
The change is large enough that it will trigger a redrawing of the Antarctic coastline, according to Ted Scambos, senior research scientist with the National Snow and Ice Data Center.
Indeed, it means that the Larsen C ice shelf, previously the fourth-largest of its kind in Antarctica, is now probably only the fifth- or sixth-largest, Scambos said.
Even larger icebergs than this have broken off of Antarctica in the past, however, including a berg of over 4,000 square miles, dubbed B15, in 2000. That was almost twice the size of this one and broke off the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica’s largest floating ice body. It was the biggest iceberg ever recorded.
Larsen C also lost an even larger piece in 1986, Scambos said, but that occurred in considerably different circumstances. It came after the shelf had grown considerably and extended much farther out into the Weddell Sea than it does now.
“This calving is a little bit different, because it makes the ice shelf so much smaller,” Scambos said. Calving refers to the process in which chunks of ice break away from an ice shelf or glacier into the ocean.
Indeed, the front of Larsen C ice shelf has retracted back farther than ever previously observed, according to Eric Rignot, a glaciologist with NASA and the University of California-Irvine.
“The ice front is now almost 40 km farther back,” said Rignot by email. “A similar evolution was seen on Larsen A and B before they collapsed in 1995 and 2002 respectively,” he added, referring to Larsen C’s now missing northern cousins.
If you add together all the ice lost from the various Larsen ice shelves since the 1970s, it is around 7,350 square miles, according to figures provided by Rignot. That is a little bit smaller than the state of New Jersey.
Scientists will track the iceberg using satellite imagery and should be able to get a chance at regular glimpses even in Antarctic night, due to the use of radar and thermal imaging.
The iceberg’s progress is expected to be northward in the direction of South America. First, it will be swept up in the Weddell Sea Gyre, an elongated circuit of ocean flow, and then should pass to the west of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, according to Helen Amanda Fricker, an Antarctic expert at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Then the iceberg, or its pieces, will become swept up in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, which encircles the entire continent, flowing in a west-to-east direction.
Before the break, a rift across the Larsen C ice shelf had extended more than 100 miles in length, and just a few miles of remaining ice connected the nascent iceberg to the shelf. The break began several years ago but had quickened its advance in the last year, increasingly convincing scientists that the iceberg detachment was inevitable, despite the fact that it is actually winter in Antarctica right now.
There is a debate over whether this event can be attributed in any way to climate change. Scientists don’t have all the data that they would need to show what is happening in the environment of the floating Larsen C ice shelf, which is affected not only but air temperatures above it but also ocean temperatures below it.
Antarctica’s ice shelves do carve large pieces regularly, a natural process. But at the same time, Larsen C is the next ice shelf in line in a southward progression that has previously seen the collapse of the Larsen A and Larsen B ice shelves, making this occurrence at least suspicious.
“I think we’re all scratching our heads as to just what combination of changes in the ice, air, and ocean caused this,” said Scambos. “It’s unclear if this is a new trend for this area of Antarctica. The case for a climate-related cause is not nearly as good as for other areas of Antarctica.”
But Eric Rignot, the NASA and University of California-Irvine researcher, is convinced of a climate role.
“For me, there is no doubt that this event is not part of a natural cycle,” he said by email. “The Larsen C ice shelf will not collapse for another few decades, most likely, but this calving is unique in the history of the ice shelf since first seen by human eyes by the Norwegian explorer Carl Anton Larsen in 1893.”
Rignot observed that Larsen C’s northern cousin Larsen B, which collapsed in 2002, is believed to have previously held its position for over 10,000 years and something similar is probably true of Larsen C.
The Antarctic continent is ringed by ice shelves, which are large, thick, floating extensions of glaciers that have extended from the land, where they have built up due to snowfall over vast time periods, into the sea. These shelves are now vulnerable to warming air temperatures and ocean waters, which can cause them to thin, break off pieces at an unusual rate, and even collapse. And when they do so, the ice behind them is liberated to flow more rapidly into the ocean, raising seas.
Scientists stress, however, that because the trillion-ton iceberg is already afloat in the Weddell Sea, its detachment does not raise the globe’s sea level. Their fear, however, is that its loss could speed up the outward ice flow of the remainder of the Larsen C ice shelf, which would indeed increase sea level – but glaciers in this region only have the potential to raise seas by about a centimeter.
The greater fear is the loss of ice shelves, and glaciers, farther southward in Antarctica, where the sea level rise potential begins to be measured in feet.
China is planning a new “forest city” that will be covered in one million plants and 40,000 trees.
Work is expected to be complete on Liuzhou Forest City, located in the southern mountain area of Guangxi, by 2020.
It is hoped that the extra plant-life will absorb almost 10,000 tonnes of CO2 and 57 tonnes of pollutants annually and well as produce 900 tonnes of oxygen.
A study in 2015 claimed that 4,000 die of air pollution in China every day and it is hoped the new city will act as a blueprint for showing how the problem might be tackled.
The new forest city will house 30,000 people, as well as two schools and a hospital and link to the main city of Liuzhou by a high-speed electric train.
Three other similar projects are underway in other Chinese cities.
It was designed by Italian Stefano Boeri who wrote on his website that the new community will be energy efficient.
The new forest city will be covered by one million plants and 40,000 trees. Photo credit: Stefano Boeri ArchitettiIt is hoped that the extra plant-life will absorb almost 10,000 tonnes of CO2 and 57 tonnes of pollutants annually. Photo credit: Stefano Boeri ArchitettiThree other similar projects are underway in other Chinese cities. Photo credit: Stefano Boeri Architetti
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) has disclosed that it will partner with the Niger State Government in Nigeria on an urban assistance programme. The scope of activities and projects will contribute to the achievement of sustainable urban management and development in Niger State.
UN-Habitat and Niger State officials during the scoping mission in Minna
During a recent scoping mission, UN-Habitat visited towns and emirates of Minna and Suleja and held seminars with federal and state government officials and other non-state stakeholders in urban management to identify priority areas and scope of activities needed to unlock the development potential of the state through sustainability in human settlements.
In his welcoming remarks, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State in a statement read by his deputy, Ahmed Muhammad Ketso, said the state government was committed to the success of the collaboration programme with UN-Habitat.
He indicated that there was dire need to modernise cities in the state, bolster industry, entrench the generation and use of renewable energy, adding that the state was willing to uptake partners and investors to invest and develop its settlements. He noted that the state needed an urban development policy and integrated urban plans to guide development of its urban and rural areas.
Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Abiyu Abdullahi, reported to the mission team that the state had outdated planning documents for two of its major urban areas: Minna and Suleja. These plans need to be reviewed to guide urban growth, he noted, pointing out that urban growth was sprawling in an undesirable manner and most services were not coping with the demand. He called out to all stakeholders for support in their respective roles as residents of the state.
State urban policies and a smart new town
Remy Sietchiping from UN-Habitat reassured the state government of UN-Habitat’s commitment to provide technical assistance in urban development matters. The Government of Korea had committed to provide funding for the sub-national urban policy development process in Niger State and requested for the state government to commit its resources too towards the collaboration activities as agreed in the mission.
After meetings and seminars with state and non-state actors in the urban development of Niger State, the following activities were identified for priority implementation:
preparation of a State Urban Development Policy (SUDP) for Niger State based on the National Urban Development Policy of 2012 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria;
preparation of an integrated development plan for Minna, the state capital, and Suleja, located next to Abuja, the Federal Capital City;
assisting in planning and developing a Smart New Town near Suleja along the proposed bypass between the village of Maje (along Minna-Suleja Road) and Zubra (along Kaduna-Lokoja Road) to decongest Suleja and providing housing for commuters of Abuja; and
strengthening and building the capacity of state institutions, especially the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) responsible for the development and management of urban areas through training workshops, exchange visits and tours of officials from Niger State to enhance the urban management knowledge and experience of government officials.
Niger State is said to be Nigeria’s largest state with a total area of 76,363 km2 and a population of over four million people. It has been battling with a burgeoning urban population due to its close proximity to Abuja. The programme in Niger State is likely is to be scaled-up to other areas in offering solutions to local governments to ensure the impact is felt across in urban interventions. At the end of the end of the mission, a roadmap was agreed upon between UN-Habitat and State officials outlining activities that aimed at implementing priority areas.
The programme benefited from technical assistance of Professor Zubairu Mustapha of the Centre for Human Settlements and Urban Development of the Federal University of Technology in Minna.
The Green Climate Fund has signed an Accreditation Master Agreement with Conservation International, broadening the Fund’s global reach to support climate action.
Executive Director, Green Climate Fund (GCF), Howard Bamsey
Conservation International, an international non-profit organisation and GCF Accredited Entity, is helping to protect nature and encourage sustainable development in over 30 countries across six continents.
Accreditation Master Agreements are critical as they deepen ties between GCF and its Accredited Entities, which propose and carry out the climate finance projects GCF approves. They are also a prerequisite for the disbursement of project funds.
Conservation International President, Jennifer Morris, said the signing of the Accreditation Master Agreement is a critical step in helping the organisation address climate change.
“CI has a long history of using nature-based solutions to combat climate change in countries around the world least able to cope with a changing climate,” said Ms Morris.
“Joining forces with the GCF provides us with additional financial means to expand our reach and increase our impact. This will include the launch of a first of its kind public-private investment programme to stimulate investment in climate-resilient land use in Madagascar, our first approved GCF project.”
GCF Executive Director, Howard Bamsey, said GCF would benefit from the international NGO’s well-established model of conservation based on science, fieldwork and strong partnerships with governments and indigenous people’s organisations.
“Conservation International’s rich experience in reducing deforestation and improving agricultural practices will be a welcome addition to the Fund’s growing capacity to deal with climate change,” Mr Bamsey said.
Injuries on Wednesday, July 12, 2017 knocked out two top shots in the ongoing Wimbledon tennis championship as they seek the coveted trophy.
World number four, Novak Djokovic
World number four, Novak Djokovic, retired during his quarter final match against Tomas Berdych with an elbow injury.
The former world number one lost the first set 6-7, to the Czech and was two love down in the second, when he had to retire.
Wimbledon defending champion, Andy Murray, was knocked out of the Open in the quarter final by Sam Querrey, who won 3-6, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1, 6-1 to become the first American man to reach a Grand Slam semi final, since Andy Roddick at Wimbledon in 2009.
For Murray, the hip injury that disrupted his build-up to Wimbledon had finally caught up with him.
Meanwhile, Roger Federer is now the favorite after he maintained his bid for a record eight Wimbledon title, as he moved into the last four.
Federer beat last year’s runner-up Milos Raonil 6-4, 6-2, 7-6, with a trade mark display on Centre Court, as he won in his 100th singles match at Wimbledon.
He would now play Tomas Berdych in Friday’s semi final. American Sam Querrey will now play Croatia’s Marin Cilic in the other semi final.
Federer is the second man to play 100 matches at the Wimbledon in the Open era after Jimmy Connors.
Experts say Gambia could become the first country in sub-Sahara Africa to eliminate malaria on its track record of combating the mosquito-borne disease.
Adama Barrow, president of the Gambia
The prevalence of the malaria parasite in children under five has plunged to 0.2 per cent from four per cent in 2011, according to the National Malaria Control Programme (NMPC).
NMCP data shows that the total number of new malaria cases across the West African nation has fallen by about 40 per cent in that time to 155,450 in 2016, down from 262,000 in 2011.
Head of NMCP, Balla Kandeh, said Gambia is aiming to achieve the milestone of having no new malaria cases by 2020, but donor fatigue is a concern with a funding gap of over 25 million dollars.
Kandeh said: “This last mile is the most difficult, we need more support to sustain the gains we have made yet donors often turn their attention elsewhere as cases drop.”
Kandeh said that malaria rates in Gambia may rebound if more funding is not secured soon.
He hoped that Gambia’s new leadership under President Adama Barrow, who won a December election to bring an end to 22 years of autocratic rule under Yahya Jammeh, will attract back donors after many left during the previous regime.
He said: “There is a better working environment under Barrow, with less constraints and less political uncertainty.
“The fear of the unknown has gone.”
According to Carla Fajardo of aid agency Catholic Relief Services, aside from the usual control measures, such as antimalarial drugs, insecticide-treated bed nets and indoor spraying, Gambia has successfully used technology to tackle malaria.
Fajardo said tablets, online platforms and GPS have been used to track delivery of the above strategies, with real-time data enabling decisions to be made on the fly, while internet service providers have boosted bandwidth in remote areas.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says the world has made huge strides against malaria since 2000, with death rates plunging by 60 percent and at least six million lives saved globally.
The UN said efforts to end one of the world’s deadliest diseases, which kills about 430,000 people a year, mostly children in sub-Saharan Africa, are under threat as mosquitoes become increasingly resistant to measures such as bed nets and drugs.
