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Uganda Still Behind on HIV/AIDS ARV target

KAMPALA, 7 January 2013 (PlusNews) – Uganda continues to fall short of achieving its goal of ensuring that 80 percent of people living with HIV receive antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) by 2015, according to the Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC).

Some 62 percent of those needing HIV treatment were on ARVs in March 2012, up from 50 percent in 2010. Uganda managed to enroll an estimated 65,493 new HIV cases on life-prolonging ARVs in 2012, bringing to 356,056 the number of those receiving ARVs, according to UAC statistics.

But just 8 percent of these cases were children. A recent government survey has revealed that just 49 percent of infants in need of treatment are receiving it. (The government recommends that all HIV-positive infants under age two receive ARVs.) Some 20,000 to 24,000 children are infected with HIV each year, according to the Ministry of Health. Continue reading “Uganda Still Behind on HIV/AIDS ARV target”

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It’s Not Bad to Be an Outsider, After All.

I was reading the transcript of an interview done with Chrystia Freeland, the Editor of Thompson Reuters Digital on her book Plutocrats: The Rise of the New Global Super-Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else. In that interview, Ms. Freeland said something that I found very interesting. She said:

“I think it’s quite helpful in having both an outsider’s perception of the world, which helps to see change, and maybe an outsider’s desire to succeed”

That’s a very powerful statement: an outsider’s perception to see change, and an outsider’s desire to succeed.

This is my brief commentary on her statement. If you’re part of a system, if you’re an insider, you see change as a threat; you’re comfortable with the status quo. But if you’re an outsider, you see change as an opportunity to profit, a chance to succeed, an opening to take a new position. Continue reading “It’s Not Bad to Be an Outsider, After All.”

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WHO Says Progress in Malaria Threatened by Funding

Insecticide-treated mosquito net for preventing malaria
Insecticide-treated mosquito net for preventing malaria

Recent gains in the fight against malaria could be reversed because funding has stalled, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.

Its latest World Malaria Report says 1.1 million lives were saved in the past decade but that the expansion in funding from 2004-09 halted in 2010-12.

Less than half of the $5.1bn (£3.1bn) needed was spent last year.

The WHO’s latest figures – for 2010 – show some 219 million people were infected, with 660,000 people dying. Continue reading “WHO Says Progress in Malaria Threatened by Funding”

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How Old Is Your Knowledge?

A couple of weeks ago I was with my mentor in his office. I went to him not to be lectured, but for a different purpose. As I was about to tell him my mission, a woman came in. This woman, apart from being a veterinary doctor, also holds a Ph.D. in Innovation and Technology Management. She wanted my mentor to drill her for the interview she was to have the next day. Without blinking an eye, my mentor, in his characteristic manner, immediately began to ask some questions on current affairs. At a point I was wondering why my mentor would be asking a Ph.D. holder such ridiculous questions. To my dismay, she could only answer 1 or 2 out of almost 15 questions she was asked. Continue reading “How Old Is Your Knowledge?”

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John Mahama Declared Winner in Close Ghana Election

Ghana’s presidential election has been won by incumbent President John Mahama, the electoral commission has announced.

The electoral commission said that Mr Mahama had won 50.7% against his NPP rival Nana Akufo-Addo on 47.74%.

The announcement came hours after the opposition accused the governing party of conspiring with commission staff to fix Friday’s poll.

Police in the capital Accra fired tear gas to disperse opposition protesters from outside the commission’s offices.

Roads around the electoral offices were also barricaded by police as the results were announced.

“Ladies and gentlemen, based on the results given, I declare John Dramani Mahama president-elect,” electoral commission chief Kwadwo Afari-Gyan told journalists.

Ghana, one of the world’s fastest growing economies, is regarded as one of Africa’s most stable democracies.

Mr Akufo-Addo lost the 2008 presidential poll by one percentage point, but accepted the result.

However, on Sunday his party said they had “enough concrete evidence” to prove that he actually won this year’s election.

“The ruling NDC conspired with certain EC staff in constituencies across the country to falsify the election results and thereby abuse the mandate of the people of Ghana,” the party said.

“It was this planned, systematic stealing of votes at the collation level that was, thankfully, discovered in time.”

The party cited discrepancies between initial tally sheets and the results reported in the media.

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Election Observers Interim Report on Ghana Election Dec 2012

EISA ELECTION OBSERVER MISSION TO THE 7TH DECEMBER 2012 PRESIDENTIAL AND PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN GHANA INTERIM STATEMENT

1. Introduction

Following an invitation by the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana, the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA) deployed a twenty five member Election Observer Mission to the 2012 Ghana Presidential and Parliamentary Elections. The EISA Election Observer Mission was led by Mr. Ahmed Issack Hassan, the Chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, Kenya, assisted by the Deputy Mission Leader, Mr. Vincent Tohbi, Director of Programmes at EISA. The members of the Mission were drawn from Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) from thirteen countries namely Burundi, Canada, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Sweden, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.

The deployment of the mission was consistent with EISA’s mission of “the promotion of credible elections, citizen participation and the strengthening of political institutions for sustainable democracy in Africa”. The EISA mission was equipped with high tech computer tablets which it used to transmit information regarding the pre-voting, voting and post-voting processes from its various teams across the country to the Mission Command Centre located at the M?venpick Hotel in Accra in real time.

The Mission noted significant efforts made by the Ghanaian electoral stakeholders to improve the voter registration through adopting biometric technology in a bid to enhance the credibility and integrity of the voters register. The 2012 elections were therefore a litmus test on the newly adopted biometric voter registration which produced new voter ID cards. The EISA Mission commends the enthusiastic and generally peaceful participation of the Ghanaian citizens in the elections. The Mission further extends its gratitude to the electoral stakeholders and the people of Ghanafor their hospitality and for having availed themselves to meet and share their perspectives on the electoral process with the Mission. Continue reading “Election Observers Interim Report on Ghana Election Dec 2012”

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Ghana Opposition NPP Alleges Vote Fraud in Close Election

Ghana’s opposition New Patriotic Party has accused the governing party of conspiring with Electoral Commission staff to fix Friday’s election.

Opposition protesters were dispersed from outside the commission’s offices in Accra by police firing tear gas.

The NPP said in a statement that the National Democratic Congress had stolen votes across the country.

NDC candidate President John Mahama had a narrow lead over NPP rival Nana Akufo-Addo, according to local media.

Joy FM said based on partial results Mr Mahama looked likely to gain more than 50% of the vote, which would give him overall victory without needing a run-off vote.

Ghana, one of the world’s fastest growing economies, is regarded as one of Africa’s most stable democracies.

Mr Akufo-Addo lost the 2008 presidential poll by one percentage point, but accepted the result.

‘Systematic stealing’

However, his party said they had “enough concrete evidence” to prove that he actually won this year’s election.

Turnout was said to be roughly 90%, and voting continued into Saturday in some areas

“The ruling NDC conspired with certain EC staff in constituencies across the country to falsify the election results and thereby abuse the mandate of the people of Ghana,” the party said.

“It was this planned, systematic stealing of votes at the collation level that was, thankfully, discovered in time.”

The party cited discrepancies between initial tally sheets and the results reported in the media.

It said thousands of votes had been stolen from Mr Akufo-Addo and added to Mr Mahama’s tally.

The opposition demanded an inquiry before official results are released.

Election commissioner Kwadwo Afari-Gyan told Reuters news agency he was not yet aware of the NPP complaint.

The NDC has not yet responded to the allegations.

Observers said Friday’s vote, for a new president and parliament, passed off in a largely peaceful manner.

Some glitches with a new finger-printing system meant that voting continued into Saturday in some parts of the country.

The turnout was reported to be high, at roughly 80%.

As a top exporter of cocoa and gold, Ghana is one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

In 2011 it saw economic growth of 14% and experts predict growth of 8% for 2012 and in 2013.

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How to be Lucky in Life

I fell in love with this anonymous quote that says “you are not a write-off yet until opportunities cease to exist” the very day I stumbled on it. Ever since, I have made it my guiding philosophy in life. Opportunities beckon daily, but whether we are able to recognise them or not is a different ball game altogether. Opportunities are dressed in different robes and they come in different sizes and shapes. The question then is: How prepared are we when they appear?

I have heard many people say that some people are lucky in life. What is luck? Luck simply means opportunities that meet with adequate preparation. Many wander through life without preparing adequately for their opportunities when they come. Nothing happens by accident. Every occurrence in life has its significance. It leaves us with one lesson or the other. Perhaps this why John Maxwell said in his book Failing Forward that there are no mistakes made, only lessons learnt. Do you learn from your daily occurrences? Or do you just see them as just happenstances? Whatever happens to man (positively or negatively) has one lesson or the other for the future. Continue reading “How to be Lucky in Life”