It is 6 pm and I am sailing on the mighty Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake in the world.

The huge waves keep flapping against the local man-made boat, I arrive ashore on Myende Island at 8 pm. I brave the last-minute moments of being carried off the boat. Uganda’s water industry is a developing one, the piers here are not yet developed so you can only swim or be carried by some energetic people to the shore.

Dawn broke and, and I couldn’t wait to get off the floor where I slept. I am now relaxed after my 4-kilometre jog. Ahead are some makeshift houses. Strolling through the few makeshift wooden houses that seem like the island trading centre, I see a group of women seated having a meal. The air here is different, filled with cigarette fumes mixed with marijuana fumes. Most of the youth I see seem to be intoxicated.

It is midday now and I enter a makeshift restaurant. On sitting I pick a conversation with one Nakachwa who then tells me that most women in the Myende-Ngaga fishing village struggle and face sexual exploitation as the lake gets depleted of fish due to improper disposal of waste particularly plastic.

Islands in Uganda are silently facing similar environmental degradation.

Myende is an island in Koome, this is a group of Islands in Uganda surrounded by Lake Victoria. It is located off the coast of Entebbe City.

The Island with its beautiful rocky scenery is just a few minutes away from Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary. It is home to quite a several species of birds.

Sexual exploitation

“We are facing sexual exploitation as we do not know our rights. We have not undergone any formal education and neither can we speak out for ourselves or speak back to these men to fight sexual exploitation, a man will abuse you in whichever way he wants without any support until you manage to escape,” says Nakachwa

This includes rape, early marriage, forceful childbearing after child marriage and prostitution.

“Because we have to fend for ourselves and the children as the men are involved in alcoholism and drugs, we don’t deny that we are greatly contributing to the endangering of the freshwater lake. The dumping of plastic bottles in which the alcohol, energy-giving beverages and sodas are packed is such a challenge. These are dropped by everyone. Women enjoy alcohol too. It kills our stress and for now, it is the only solution we have. The other alternative is to escape and go to Kimi or Ngamba island,” says Nakachwa.

The plastic bottles then end up in Lake Victoria and interfere with fish reproduction cycle of fish as fish like tilapia lay their eggs close to the shores.

Tilapia which is a common delicacy on the island is getting rare. This has contributed greatly to the lack of employment of both men and women as fishing is the main source of income on the island.

This has therefore resulted in unwanted pregnancies and thus making Myende Island inhabitable. They then move from island to island and the circle continues. But clearly, it is not a safe haven for women as their peace and security are compromised.

As I look across the island it is so clear, the indigenous tree species on the island are disappearing, this is due to illegal logging for charcoal burning and firewood . She goes on further to explain to me that this is contributing to the general erosion of the island and the soil is getting infertile.

Sustainable Solutions

Different projects are coming up to improve habitat conditions and enhance its population using the establishment of community tree nursery beds, training and deployment of tree conservation volunteers.

Conservation education and the establishment of village environment conservation committees enforced by peacebuilders, voluntary organisations like the Rotary International that plan on planting trees, proper waste management, and maternal and child care, safe water and basic education for all. One of the main focus areas of Rotary is peace-building all over the world.

There is an urgent call for a sustainable solution to waste management. How to transport the plastic bottles and transport them ashore is still a puzzle. The Uganda Government is still researching to find a sustainable solution by setting up a recycling plant for plastic bottles so that the lake is not endangered by plastic pollution from the used plastic bottles.

Other projects under Africa Institute for Energy Governance are also developing Uganda’s political strategy for combatting pollution in lake Victoria.

AFIEGO’s Communication officer Diana Nabiruma affirms that they together with other organisations like Global Water Partnership are strategizing on how to finance projects and distribute knowledge and advice across islands to save the lake from pollution and encourage livelihood.

The local village council on Myende Island is setting up alternative incomes, through private investors for the islanders such as beekeeping as a contribution to species survival both on land and the lake. Beekeeping is such a sustainable project as the bees help in the pollination of flowers and thus continuing the tree cycle of multiplication.

On speaking to the headmaster of the only school on the Island Omeriket Alonso says that education should be a solution to the environmental degradation and female sexual exploitation on the island.

However, since the outbreak of Covid-19, 13 of the girl from his school got pregnant, 3 were married off by their guardians and 30 boys left school for fishing.

“I realised I was headed for a crisis when only seven pupils reported to the school,” he says.

“The pupils whose parents live on the island are as nomadic as their parents. They keep moving from island to island looking for fish. When Myende gets depleted they go to the next island. In this way, I fail to retain them in class. They are looking for money along with their parents.”

The Islanders need sensitisation on the benefits of education and also exposure to different UNESCO programmes education and the environment.

UNESCO calls for attention to gender equality throughout the education system in relation to access to teaching and learning contexts as guided by the UNESCO strategy for gender equality.

In addition to this, apiary lessons being introduced as beekeeping could be an alternative source of income. These are being encouraged at a child’s lower level of learning as children learn from their parents.

The call for girl child education enhancement is crucial as when you educate a girl you are educating nations.

UNESCO content with the environment curriculum should be emphasised along with education for sustainable development in response to the urgent dramatic challenges the island faces. This is to enable quality environment change education.

Another option is enforcing family planning methods. This will control young girls from getting early pregnancies and as well prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Furthermore, the rules by the UNESCO health and education sector on a minimum age in marriage for girls which is eighteen years should be taught and enforced.

Other sources of fuel such as solar and electricity should be introduced on the island. This would reduce deforestation, overfishing and nomadism thus enhancing industrialisation.

With the situation on the island, different organisations need to come up to sensitise residents on vocational skills development and also educate them on environmental laws if they are to make Myende a habitable place and a haven for women and girls.

This story is part of African Women in Media ( AWiM)/UNESCO Peace and Security Journalism Programme

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Check out the list for affected celebrities

1.Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson:The popular Hollywood couple announced on March 11 that they were infected by the coronavirus and were placed in quarantine in a Gold Coast hospital in Australia for treatment and are now in self-quarantine at their home .

Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks

Luis Sepulveda:The best-selling Chilean writer, who lives in northern Spain, also said he was infected. Reports say he showed symptoms of the coronavirus in February, after he returned from a literary festival in Portugal.

Luis Sepulveda

Olga Kurylenko: The French actress, who starred in the Bond movie Quantum of Solance, announced on March 15 that she had tested positive for the coronavirus.

Olga Kurylenko

Idris Elba: The British actor and musician said he has tested positive for COVID-19 on March 16 in a video posted on Twitter, and that although he had no symptoms so far he was isolating himself from others.

Idris Elba

Kristofer Hivju: The 41-year-old Game of Thrones actor, who played the role of Tormund, has tested positive for the new coronavirus on March 17. Known for his fiery red hair and beard, he said and his family were in self-isolation at home in Norway.

Kristofer Hivju

Daniel Dae Kim: The South Korean-American actor best known for the television series Hawaii Five-0, said on Thursday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus. Kim, speaking from his home in Hawaii, announced the news in an Instagram posting and video.

Daniel Dae Kim

Placido Domingo:On March 22, the Spanish opera singer said he had tested positive for coronavirus and had gone into self-isolation with his family.

Placido Domingo

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In early February, as the UK took a different approach to much of the rest of Europe in its handling of the crisis, Johnson said he was continuing to shake hands with people – even in a hospital in which he said there were patients being treated for coronavirus infections.

A Downing Street spokesman said Johnson, 55, experienced mild symptoms on Thursday – a day after he attended the prime minister’s weekly question time in the chamber of the House of Commons.

“The prime minister was tested for coronavirus on the personal advice of England’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty,” the spokesman said, in a statement emailed to Al Jazeera.

“The test was carried out in No 10 by NHS staff and the result of the test was positive,” the spokesman added.

“Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus,” Johnson announced on Twitter on Friday.

“I am now self-isolating, but I will continue to lead the government’s response via video conference as we fight this virus.”

“By some distance, Boris Johnson is the most important world leader to have announced he’s contracted the virus,” said Al Jazeera’s Laurence Lee, reporting from London.

“The coronavirus has its epicentre in London – which is the epicentre of the country – and within that it has actually been centred around Westminster. Several people in Whitehall have all said they have got it, and Boris Johnson has obviously been in regular contact with all these people every day. So on one level, you can look at this and say ‘wow, the prime minister has coronavirus, that’s amazing’, but on another, it’s quite expected and not much of a surprise.

“He managed to get through a two-minute video on Twitter without coughing once, which is pretty amazing given an uncontrollable cough is one symptom.”

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has also announced he has the virus and will be in self-isolation, working from home.

“Fortunately for me, the symptoms so far have been very mild, so I’ve been able to carry on with the work of driving forward the UK response,” he said.

source; www.aljazeera.com

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According Mr. Emmanuel Ainebyoona, the senior spokesperson of the ministry of health, “the equipment reached the country in the evening by the Ethiopian airline’s cargo flight that landed at Entebbe airport. It had 100,000 masks and 20,089 test kits,”

Mr. Ainebyoona said the consignment also had 741 personal protective equipment and 1,111 face shields.

He said the ministry will first assess and see the right groups to give out the masks and personal protective equipment.
“Our first priority is, however, the health workers,” he said.

Jack Ma CEO Alibaba pledged to donate 20,000 testing kits, 100,000 masks and 1,000 protective suits to Countries fight coronavirus.

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“Dear Ugandans, this is a very critical moment for everyone as the number of positive cases keeps scaling up. Five more people have been confirmed positive, including two of the six Chinese that were got in Zombo. They cannot be presented in court for fear of further spread,” Dr Kaducu announced through her Twitter handle.
So far, we have 12 Ugandans and two Chinese who have tested positive for the virus.

Among the five new cases is a 63-year-old Ugandan national and resident of Najjanakumbi, Kampala who travelled from Germany recently. He presented high fever, cough and shortness of breath.

The second victim is a 57-year-old trader and resident of Adjumani District in northern Uganda who has never travelled out of Uganda and not come in contact with someone who travelled abroad. He’s admitted to Adjumani hospital. Apparently, he operates his business at Elegu border point with South Sudan.

“He had no history of travel abroad or contact with anybody who had travelled abroad,” Dr Henry Mwebesa, the Director General Health Services told journalists in Kampala on Wednesday.

The third victim is 8-month-old baby from Iganga District in eastern Uganda whose father travelled from Kisumu, Kenya recently.
“The baby presented with flu and high fever before she was admitted to Iganga hospital,” Dr Mwebesa added.

He said two Chinese who travelled from China and have been under quarantine in Uganda also tested positive.
“They are part of the six who tried to cross to DRC via Zombo District but were intercepted and taken back to the quarantine. Four of them tested negative.

All the previously confirmed cases (Nine) are in stable condition and Entebbe Hospital.

Dr Mwebesa admitted that the ministry’s call Centre had been overwhelmed by the number of phone calls from suspected virus patients ever since the outbreak was reported.
“The number of call Centre agents have been increased from 20 to 100 and they will be working in three shifts daily. The call Centre will be operating 24 hours and so we encourage the public to call the ministry toll free numbers that have been provided,” Dr Mwebesa.

“We would like to reiterate that the public is encouraged to call the Ministry of Health on 0800-100-066, 0800-203-033 or 0800-303-033 to enable our surveillance teams assist you,” he added.

Following the ministry’s appeal to all individuals who travelled from Dubai in the past two weeks, a total of 574 individuals have been listed countrywide.

“We have so far screened 60 travellers at Mulago National Specialized Hospital. We further direct all persons who travelled from Dubai in the past 2 weeks to come to Ward 2A at Mulago National Specialized Hospital (New Mulago) for assessment,” Dr Mwebesa said.

To date, a total of 2,661 travellers including Ugandans identified; 1,230 are under follow up, 764 are under institutional quarantine, 466 are under self-quarantine.

At least 1,431 have been identified as high risk travellers who have completed their 14 days of follow up.

Source; Daily Monitor

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Chinese government’s push to use Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in the fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) helps stimulate the patients’ abilities to resist and recover from the disease, which is an effective way of therapy.

 Traditional medicine was used by Chine fight viruses in the past, such as the SARS pandemic in 2002 and 2003 that killed hundreds in China.

The spokesperson for Beijing Health Gao Xiaojun said, “In Beijing 87% of patient that received Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), 92% had shown improvement”

He added that Traditional Chinese medicine has played an active role in improving the recovery rate and lowering the fatality rate among patients

More than 50,000 novel coronavirus patients have been discharged from hospital, and the majority of them used TCM

Source CNN

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The announcement came as the World Health Organization (WHO) upgraded the global risk of the coronavirus outbreak to ‘very high’ – its top level of risk assessment.

In a statement released last evening, the UN humanitarian chief, Mark Lowcock, says the emergency grant will support countries with fragile health systems to boost their detection and response efforts with a view of save the lives of millions of vulnerable people.

The funding will be used by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to undertake essential activities such as monitoring the spread of the virus, investigating cases, and operating national laboratories.

UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore explains that UNICEF will use its share of the funds to support global efforts to inform children, pregnant women and families about how to protect themselves.

WHO head Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the new line of funding will help vulnerable countries to protect frontline workers and treat patients appropriately.

He adds that the potential spread of the virus to countries with weaker health systems are one of the WHO’s primary concerns.

Lowcock says that despite this, it is not too late to contain COVID-19: “We do not yet see evidence that the virus is spreading freely. As long as that’s the case, we still have a chance of containing it.”

Source; URN

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The new victims contacted the virus from the previous confirmed cases in UK, the new cases were confirmed in Brighton. The victims were later moved to London over the weekend to receive special medical care.

According to media in UK, the Virus was transmitted by a business man who had gone for a conference in Singapore and contacted the virus.

As this man was traveling to Brighton, he felt unwell and was taken to London where he was confirmed positive for the virus.

The government has deployed new measures to deal with the spread of coronavirus.

The new measure deployed by the department of health includes setting up quarantine for positive people and stopping infected people from traveling.

There have been more than 40,000 cases of the virus globally, mostly in China. The total number of deaths in China is now 908 – but the number of newly-infected people per day has stabilised.

The Department of Health has described the coronavirus as a “serious and imminent threat” to public health.

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This was addressed during the annual African union summit in Addis Ababa the capital city of Ethiopia, Guterres said UN will now extend support to Sudan.

African Union summit 2020,Courtesy Photo

The 33rd African Union (AU) summit was a two-day meeting, under the theme “Silencing the Guns: Creating conducive conditions for Africa’s development”

The annual African Union summit begun on Sunday February 9^th 2020, the Libya conflict and Sudan where the most important issue on the agenda.

Sudan has been welcomed back to the international scene   after the overthrow of the former president Omar al-Bashir.

Africa leader at the summit will later discuss on how to restore peace and end civil in Libya

Congregations Sudan

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According to United Nations Food and Agriculture Organizations (FAO) Desert locusts have demolished vegetation in Kenya as they move toward Uganda.

Desert locust,courtesy photo

Desert locust is potentially the most dangerous of the locust pests because of the ability of swarms to fly rapidly across great distances; they can destroy about 192 million kilogrammes of vegetation in two days.

Desert locusts can live for up to five months, depending on weather. They can lay eggs that can hatch after two weeks, with locusts maturing to adulthood in two to four months on average.

Workers carry pesticides from a truck onto a waiting army helicopter, courtesy photo

The government of Uganda has procured 2,000 manual pumps and 18,000 litrers of cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos chemicals to fight against locust invasion.

According to Mr. Martin Owor, the Commissioner for Disaster Preparedness, in the Office of the Prime Minister, the process of spraying the pests will begin on Monday 1oth February 2020 and the ground surveillance teams are monitoring the movement of the swarms.

Desert locusts in Kenya, courtesy photo

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