The deadly cholera outbreak in Yemen is the direct consequence of two years of heavy conflict, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have said.
Cholera victims in Yemen
In a joint statement issued on Saturday, June 24, 2017, Anthony Lake, Executive Director of UNICEF and Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO stated that, due to the conflict, collapsing health, water and sanitation systems have cut off 14.5 million people from regular access to clean water and sanitation, increasing the ability of the disease to spread.
According to them, rising rates of malnutrition have weakened children’s health and made them more vulnerable to disease, adding that an estimated 30,000 dedicated local health workers who play the largest role in ending this outbreak have not been paid their salaries for nearly 10 months.
“We urge all authorities inside the country to pay these salaries and, above all, we call on all parties to end this devastating conflict,” pleaded Lake and Chan.
They disclosed that the rapidly spreading cholera outbreak in Yemen has exceeded 200,000 suspected cases, increasing at an average of 5,000 a day.
“We are now facing the worst cholera outbreak in the world,” Lake and Chan warned.
They added: “In just two months, cholera has spread to almost every governorate of this war-torn country. Already, more than 1,300 people have died – one quarter of them children – and the death toll is expected to rise.
“UNICEF, WHO and our partners are racing to stop the acceleration of this deadly outbreak. We are working around the clock to detect and track the spread of disease and to reach people with clean water, adequate sanitation and medical treatment. Rapid response teams are going house-to-house to reach families with information about how to protect themselves by cleaning and storing drinking water.
“UNICEF and WHO are taking all measures to scale up prevention and treatment interventions. We call on authorities in Yemen to strengthen their internal efforts to stop the outbreak from spreading further.”
Nigeria is stepping out as the first country in Africa to roll-out a novel National Policy for Controlled Medicines (NPCM).
Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Nigeria, Ms. Cristina Albertin
Experts from diverse fields comprising pharmacists, anesthetists and surgeons, amongst others, gathered at a recent town hall meeting in Abuja to finalise a comprehensive policy framework to ensure availability of essential medicines, narcotics and painkillers for tertiary hospitals, primary health care centres, district and general hospitals; thereby keeping hope alive for patients with terminal cancer, those suffering from injuries caused by accident and violence, chronic illnesses and those recovering from surgery who undergo untold suffering due to lack of opioid analgesics which can easily control pain.
Such drugs which are usually recognised to have a number of medical uses, including as analgesics for the treatment of mild, moderate and/or severe pain includes, but not limited to buprenorphine, oxycodone, fentanyl, hydromorphone, methadone and morphine, to induce or supplement anaesthesia (fentanyl and fentanyl analogues such as alfentanil and remifentanil), as cough suppressants (codeine and some other substances), and for the treatment of opioid dependence syndrome (buprenorphine and methadone).
The comprehensive NPCM developed by Nigeria is the result of the cooperation between United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) under the framework of the Joint Global Programme on “Access to Controlled Drugs for Medical Purposes While Preventing Diversion and Abuse”. UNODC and WHO have complementary mandates, experience, competencies and networks.
Funding support was provided through collaboration and partnership with the European Union (EU) which had earlier supported the development of quantification guidelines for narcotic and psychotropic substance and the conduct of a survey on problematic drugs in Nigeria under the auspice of the “Response to Drugs and Related Organised Crime in Nigeria” project.
The ambitious policy shift is a response to the Global Access to Pain Relief Initiative (2012) which reported that Nigeria consumed only 0.1% of narcotic medicines required to manage pain in patients who died of HIV/AIDS and cancer in 2009.
The “Draft National Policy for Controlled Medicines and its Implementation Strategies” elaborates practical approaches to ensure availability of, and accessibility to controlled medicines and articulates a comprehensive policy framework that clearly describes the supply chain with quality assurance mechanisms. It also makes funding recommendations to ensure sustainability of the interventions to address medical needs of all patients in Nigeria as well as strategic plan of actions to implement the Policy.
The meeting brought together 74 stakeholders to review the draft policy developed by a 22-member group of experts from the government agencies, private sector and civil society who provided their expertise in developing the policy. The phase was essential in order to have a broader consultation of a broad range of stakeholders to provide them the opportunity to contribute their knowledge and expertise and to make sure the policy is representative.
UNODC Country Representative, Ms. Cristina Albertin, expressed delight in Nigeria’s effort to lead the world in the development of a national policy, saying that the policy fully aligns to what has been internationally recognised by the International Drug Control Machinery.
The Right to Health is among one of the Fundamental Human Rights as stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (article 25) and it is also one of the points expressed in the Sustainable Development Goals (Goal 3.8) focusing on increasing access to essential medicines. The development and implementation of this policy is therefore fully in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Governments of Palau, Thailand, Slovenia and Viet Nam have deposited their instruments of ratification, thereby becoming the 66th to 69th future Parties to the Minamata Convention.
Tommy Remengesau, President of Palau. Photo credit: EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
The depositions were made on Wednesday, June 21; Thursday, June 22; and Friday, June 23, 2017. While Palau deposited on Wednesday and Thailand on Thursday, both Slovenia and Viet Nam did likewise on Friday.
Previously, Iran and Estonia had ratified the Convention, which has already entered into force, thanks to the landmark rash of ratifications on Thursday, May 18, 2017 that triggered the entry into force of the mercury accord, having garnered the required 50 ratifications.
On that day, the EU and seven of its member States – Bulgaria, Denmark, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Romania and Sweden – deposited their instruments of ratification at the UN Headquarters in New York, bringing to 51 that day the number of future Parties.
As a result, on August 16 2017, the Convention, which aims at protecting human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds, will become legally binding for all its Parties.
To commemorate the historic development, United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), Ministry of the Environment of Japan, Kumamoto Prefecture and Minamata City will on Saturday, July 1, 2017 hold “Celebrating Event for the Minamata Convention on Mercury – Voice from Minamata towards the Entry into Force ” in Minamata City, Kumamoto, Japan.
The event includes the first part with the video letters from overseas and the declaration by the Junior High School students in Minamata City calling for the global attention. In the second part, H.E. Mr. Fernando Lugris, the Chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Mercury, will deliver a commemorative speech followed by the “Minamata Talk” lead by Mr. Hiroshi Nishida, Mayor of Minamata City, and other speakers.
The 1st Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention (COP1) will gather governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations from around the world in Geneva from September 24 to 29, 2017.
The Minamata Convention on Mercury (“Minamata Convention”) is a new international environmental convention for global community to work collaboratively against mercury pollution. The Minamata Convention aims at achieving environmentally sound mercury management throughout its life cycle. The Convention was adopted at the diplomatic conferences held in Minamata City and Kumamoto City in October 2013.
A newly released peer-reviewed paper appears to have drawn attention to environmental challenges associated with genetically-modified (GM) crops, as well as the gaps in scientific knowledge of their effects.
GM banana. Photo credit: radioaustralia.net.au
GM crops are plants used in agriculture, the DNA of which has been modified using genetic engineering methods. In most cases, the aim is to introduce a new trait to the plant which does not occur naturally in the species.
Tagged “Environmental impacts of genetically modified plants: A review,” the scientific review made some vivid remarks on the environmental impacts and regulatory assessment of GM plants.
Reviewed by scientists Aristidis M. Tsatsakis, Muhammad Amjad Nawaz, Demetrios Kouretas, Georgios Balias, Kai Savolainen, Victor A. Tutelyan, Kirill S. Golokhvast, Jeong Dong Lee, Seung Hwan Yang and Gyuhwa Chung, the publication emphasises that GM crops negatively impact the environment such as modification in crop pervasiveness or invasiveness, the emergence of herbicide and insecticide tolerance, transgene stacking and disturbed biodiversity.
According to them, recent claims of consensus over the safety of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) seem to be an artificial and misguided perpetuated construct – regardless of contradictory evidences published during the last three decades which lead scientific community to reconsider that the debate on the topic isn’t over yet.
“Current regulatory pathological and toxicological tests are confined on only one mammal and for 90 days which is insufficient and could not be generalised. So, toxicology studies should be prolonged to full life span of the test organism and other experimental mammals should also be considered for such tests,” say the authors, adding:
“Safety studies involving GM plants produced as a result of ds-RNA mediated gene silencing should be conducted and after effects of administering GM foods having artificial siRNAs must be examined on a laboratory scale especially for their unintended effects on humans.
“Sub-lethal effects on nontarget species should be assessed for several successive generations rather than single or two generations.”
The reviewers stress that the current state of knowledge notwithstanding, impacts of GMO crops on the environment require a more in-depth view and critical research so as to unveil further facts.
They point out that most of the reviewed scientific resources provide similar conclusions and there currently seems to be an insufficient amount of data available and, up until today, the impression is that the consumption of GM plant products are safe for consumption to a greater extent with few exceptions.
The paper updated what the reviewers tag “the undesirable impacts of GM crops and their products” on target and non-target species, while attempting to shed light on the emerging challenges and threats associated with it.
While discussing future prospects, the underpinning research also realises the influence of GM crops on a disturbance in biodiversity, development of resistance and evolution slightly resembles with the effects of non-GM cultivation.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has announced that its executive secretary, Patricia Espinosa, will grace the 9th Africa Carbon Forum (ACF), which is scheduled to hold from Wednesday, June 28 to Friday, June 30, 2017 in Cotonou, Benin Republic.
The Palais Des Congrès, along the Boulevard de la Marina, Cotonou, is venue of the event
The UN body, which made the disclosure in a tweet on Sunday, June 25, 2017, is one of the several organisers of the much publicised event. Others include: the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), African Development Bank (AfDB), World Bank Group, UNEP DTU Partnership (formerly UNEP Risø Centre), International Emissions Trading Association (IETA), and Africa LEDS Partnership (AfLP).
According to the organisers, the 2017 ACF will focus on how engagement between State and non‐State actors can be further strengthened in the key sectors for Africa (energy, agriculture and human settlements), including the role of future carbon markets to achieve enhanced climate action, towards the goals of sustainable development.
Themed: “Collaborative climate action for sustainable development in Africa”, the event will cover:
Practical examples of policies, initiatives and actions in Africa;
Barriers and enabling measures for engaging climate action in key sectors;
Financial instruments and regulatory frameworks;
Advancing the implementation of climate action.
The forum will provide an opportunity and platform for African policymakers and practitioners to:
discuss the latest developments related to climate change policy, carbon markets and finance;
share knowledge on innovative solutions in the context of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and other strategies; and,
explore possibilities for collaboration on regional and global climate change initiatives.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted cloudy morning over the Central States on Saturday, June 24, 2017 with prospects of localised thunderstorms over Yola, Lafia, Abuja, Jos, Minna, Ilorin, Jalingo and Mambilla Plateau.
Heavy rainfall in Lagos
NiMet’s Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office on Friday, June 23 in Abuja also predicted prospects of localised thunderstorms over Abuja, Jos, Lafia and its environs during the afternoon and evening hours.
It also predicted cloudy morning over the region on Sunday, June 25 with prospects of localised thunderstorms over Minna and Ilorin and chances of localised thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours.
NiMet added that the central region would have day and night temperatures 26 to 32 and 17 to 27 degrees Celsius respectively.
The agency said the South Eastern States would experience cloudy morning on Saturday with chances of localised thunderstorms over Owerri, Umuahia, Awka, Abakaliki and Abakiliki in the afternoon and evening hours.
It added that Sunday would witness cloudy morning with chances of localised thunderstorms over Umuahia, Enugu, Awka and its environs in the afternoon and evening hours.
According to NiMet, south eastern states will have day and night temperatures of 30 to 33 and 22 to 24 degrees Celsius respectively.
NiMet predicted: “South Western region is expected to be cloudy on Saturday morning with chances of localised thunderstorms over Akure, Ibadan, Ado-Ekiti, Abeokuta, Shaki and its environs in the afternoon and evening hours.
“Cloudy conditions are expected on Sunday morning with chances of localised thunderstorms over places like Akure, Ado-Ekiti, Ibadan, Oshogbo and its environs in the afternoon and evening hours.
“Day and Night temperature values are expected to be in the range of 28 to 32 and 20 to 25 degrees Celsius respectively.”
NiMet further predicted that South-South region would experience prospects of localised rains over Port Harcourt, Yenagoa, Benin, Calabar, Lagos and Warri Saturday and Sunday mornings.
It also predicted prospects localised thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening periods throughout the forecast period with day and night temperatures of 29 to 33 and 21 to 24 degrees Celsius respectively.
According to NiMet, Northern States will experience localised thunderstorm on Saturday morning with cloudy conditions and prospects of isolated thunderstorms over Sokoto, Yelwa, Dutse and Kano during the afternoon and evening hours.
It stated: “Cloudy conditions will characterise the sky on Sunday morning with chances of localised thunderstorms over Sokoto, Yelwa, Dutse, Kano and Gusau.
“Later in the day, the entire region is expected to remain cloudy with day and night temperatures of 30 to 34 and 20 to 26 degrees Celsius respectively.
“There are prospects of localised thunderstorms occurrence in most cities across the country especially in the afternoon and evening hours in the next 48 hours.”
In the past couple of days, three countries ratified the Minamata Convention, even as indications emerged that the entry of the global treaty into force will be commemorated next week.
The City of Minamata in Japan
On Thursday, June 22, 2017, Thailand became the latest nation to endorse the mercury accord when it deposited its instrument of ratification, thereby becoming the Convention’s 66th future Party.
Previously, Iran and Estonia had ratified the Convention, which has already entered into force, thanks to the landmark rash of ratifications on Thursday, May 18, 2017 that triggered the development, having garnered the required 50 ratifications.
On that day, the EU and seven of its member States – Bulgaria, Denmark, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Romania and Sweden – deposited their instruments of ratification at the UN Headquarters in New York, bringing to 51 that day the number of future Parties.
As a result, on August 16 2017, the Convention, which aims at protecting human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds, will become legally binding for all its Parties.
To commemorate the historic step, United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), Ministry of the Environment of Japan, Kumamoto Prefecture and Minamata City will on Saturday, July 1, 2017 hold “Celebrating Event for the Minamata Convention on Mercury – Voice from Minamata towards the Entry into Force ” in Minamata City, Kumamoto, Japan.
The event includes the first part with the video letters from overseas and the declaration by the Junior High School students in Minamata City calling for the global attention. In the second part, H.E. Mr. Fernando Lugris, the Chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Mercury, will deliver a commemorative speech followed by the “Minamata Talk” lead by Mr. Hiroshi Nishida, Mayor of Minamata City, and other speakers.
The 1st Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention (COP1) will gather governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations from around the world in Geneva from September 24 to 29, 2017.
The Minamata Convention on Mercury (“Minamata Convention”) is a new international environmental convention for global community to work collaboratively against mercury pollution. The Minamata Convention aims at achieving environmentally sound mercury management throughout its life cycle. The Convention was adopted at the diplomatic conferences held in Minamata City and Kumamoto City in October 2013.
The Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) dedicated the year’s World Giraffe Day (observed on Wednesday, June 21, 2017) to saving Masai giraffe in Kenya and Tanzania.
Driven by habitat loss, civil unrest and illegal hunting, the global giraffe population has plummeted by up to 40% over the last 30 years, and the species has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List
Giraffe have recently been listed as Vulnerable to extinction on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Giraffe numbers in Africa are said to have plummeted by a staggering 40% over the last 30 years.
“We estimate today that there are only less than 100,000 giraffe remaining in all of Africa,” disclosed the organisation.
According to the GCF, some populations have been harder hit than others and Masai giraffe seem to be taking the brunt of it. It adds that, as one of the most populous giraffe populations in Africa, there are only 32,000 Masai giraffe remaining in southern Kenya and Tanzania.
“Their number has dropped by more than half in the last 30 years. And this trend continues.
Masai giraffe are under threat and you can help us make a difference.”
The GCF adds: “Masai giraffe are facing a wide range of threats, but the biggest by far is the rapid expansion of human populations, settlements and associated habitat loss throughout East Africa. There is simply less and less space remaining for wild animals – including giraffe. It is time to act now! And we can’t do this in isolation. GCF is working closely with local and regional partners to ensure high priority for giraffe on national and regional conservation agendas.
“Together we can make a difference and secure a future for giraffe in Africa. For World Giraffe Day 2017, GCF is partnering with the Kenya-Tanzania Borderland Conservation Initiative and its partners, as well as the Kenya Wildlife Service, focussing on community-based conservation of Masai giraffe.”
Initiated by the GCF to celebrate the longest-necked animal on the longest day or night of the year – June 21 – every year, the World Giraffe Day is regarded as an annual event to raise support, create awareness and shed light on the challenges giraffe face in the wild.
It is believed that there are only 100,000 giraffe remaining in the wild.
Zoos, schools, NGOs, governments, institutions, companies and conservation organisations around the world host events on June 21 every year to raise awareness and support for giraffe in the wild.
Over the last years the Nigerian economy has been in doldrums, leaving behind tales of inflation, unemployment, poverty and the likes. To stem the ugly tide and return the country on the part of economic prosperity, the administration of President Mohammadu Buhari launched the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).
Cross section of participants during the seminar
The strategic importance of the Plan to the country in its drive to exit recession came to the fore at the Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo (FUNAI), Ebonyi State, on Thursday, June 22, 2017 during a daylong seminar, where eminent scholars, economists, policy makers, government officials and the citizenry converged to take an in-depth sectorial analysis of the plan and determine if it has the capacity to take the country out of the woods and put it back on the right economic trajectory. It is said to be the first time in any Nigerian university that the plan was subjected to such robust sectorial review by critical stakeholders.
Welcoming the participants to the event, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Chinedum Nwajiuba, stated that the seminar was part of the university’s contribution to the development of the country, adding that experts were invited to do a diagnostic review of the plan. He also noted that the seminar would help in putting the plan in the public domain and setting policy agenda for the governments in different sectors of the economy even as it would also provide a feedback mechanism to enable policy makers feel the pulse of the citizenry concerning the plan.
Decrying the decay in the Nigerian university system, Professor Nwajiuba urged academics to show the way by operating at a level the country would be proud of, adding that “there is so much to be done.” He further challenged academics to shun mediocrity and breast up to their calling to be able to provide solutions to the numerous problems confronting the nation and also compete globally.
Speaking on the topic: “Change and Economic Recovery and Growth Plan”, the Director General of West African Institute of Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM), Prof. Akpan Hogan Ekpo, noted that though the plan is laudable, yet there abound some grey areas that government needs to sort out if it is to be a success, adding that a period of 4 years which the plan was meant to last is also not long enough to tackle many challenges facing the nation.
He maintained that even the political class and most Nigerians were yet to understand the kind of change the government is advocating; stressing that Nigerians should decide to do things differently if the envisaged change is to happen. He equally advised the Nigerian political elite to emulate the success story of Lee Kuan Yun Singapore who at a point decided that enough was enough and that it was time to change their country for good.
The former Vice Chancellor of University of Uyo explained that recession was a permanent feature of a market-driven economy, adding that government has a crucial role to play in economic recovery no matter what the organized private sector (OPS) does.
“Government has to spend not only on capital projects but also on current and structural changes.”
He added: “For the nation’s economy to jump-start, government should go beyond providing the enabling environment to actually playing significant role through investment.”
The foremost economist further advised the Federal Government to initiate a comprehensive perspective plan that could last at least for 20 years in other to engineer sustainable economic growth and inclusive development in the country.
In his presentation on “Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security through the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan”, Prof. Ajuluchukwu Obi of the University of Fort Hare, South Africa, noted that the country cannot achieve agricultural transformation without structural transformation.
He added that until government tackles the structural challenges facing the nation the present tempo on agriculture cannot be sustained, noting that most farmers in the country are still being hampered by structural and administrative lags with little or no technical support from government.
The Professor of Agricultural Economics warned that if nothing concrete is done about revamping the Agriculture sector that the teeming population of the country would be in danger of serious hunger and abject poverty, stating that only 20% of the Nigerian population is controlling the economy while the remaining 80% is merely eking out a living.
Discussing the topic: “Financing the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan”, the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Dr. Dennis Ekumankama, warned the Federal Government not to allow the plan to end up in shelves, wondering how government is going to raise the enormous money required for its implementation now that the revenue from crude oil has been depleted.
He therefore advised that government should rather pursue its economic diversification policy and also take another look at the report of the 2014 National Conference and implement its recommendations.
From the papers presented by the resource persons and its robust discussion by the participants, the Federal Government still has a lot of work to do especially in making the Nigerian public buy into the plan and ensuring that resources are made available for its holistic implementation.
One hundred and forty mayors of the world’s largest cities have expressed their commitment implement the Paris Climate Change Agreement at a meeting in Montréal, Canada, and pledged city leadership on climate action.
Mayors at the Montréal meeting
Almost 60 percent of the world’s population already lives in urban regions, and this proportion is constantly increasing. The lion’s share of heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions is produced in the world’s cities, as is the bulk economic activity, so cities are uniquely positioned to grasp the economic opportunities of the transformation to low carbon and resilience.
At the 12th Metropolis World Congress and the 2017 General Assembly of the International Association of Francophone Mayors (AIMF), the mayors issued a “Montréal Declaration”, in which they say:
“We reaffirm our role and our determination to ensure the effective implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change as well as the Declaration of the Climate Summit for Local Elected Officials, regardless the international political context, as well as our determination to mobilise a broad coalition of stakeholders from all milieus to ensure the success of this historic agreement, vital to the future of our planet and humanity.”
On the conclusion of the meeting, Montréal Mayor and Metropolis President, Denis Coderre, said: “The mayors and city representatives from the four corners of the planet are more than ever determined to exercise strong leadership and to work towards solving global problems that affect city dwellers and indeed the entire global population. The Montréal Declaration confirms the commitment of cities to implement the Paris Agreement, as well as the Declaration of the Climate Summit for Local Leaders, regardless of the international political context,” said Montréal Mayor and Metropolis Presiden, Denis Coderre.
The document also highlights the determination of its signatories to achieve the New Urban Agenda, adopted by the United Nations in 2016, and to meet all the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.
Under the theme “Global Challenges: Major Cities in Action”, the Congress focused on topics ranging from sustainable development, inclusion, living together, economic development, smart cities, mobility and urban planning, to leadership and city governance.
In addition to the cities and urban regions that are members of Metropolis and the AIMF, major international networks such as United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, and the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) add their voice to the Montréal Declaration.
“The Montréal Declaration aspires to be the concrete manifestation of the commitment of cities to play a central role in terms of local and global issues. In this document, local governments formally commit to address with determination some of the most pressing challenges of our time, particularly regarding the climate, the fight against pollution and for air quality, as well as a more equitable representation of women in governance positions,” said the Mayor of Paris, AIMF President and C40 President, Anne Hidalgo.
