Life

2, May 2020

No room for debate in S. Cameroons UNIs as Education Minister censors discussion of Ambazonia Crisis ⁰

The suspension of a university professor’s classes in Cameroon has raised fears that the government wants to silence those who dare raise the subject of the country’s Anglophone crisis.

Since late 2016, Anglophone regions of Cameroon have been gripped in violence between government forces and armed groups seeking a separate state. The crisis has claimed thousands of lives.

The government has repeatedly denied that its security forces have committed abuses during the crisis, but now it seems to be taking matters even further.

On April 20, the minister of higher education sent a letter to Buea University alleging that law professor Felix Agbor Nkongho, also known as Agbor-Balla, breached “the university’s code of ethics and conduct” and called on the head of the university to take measures. Agbor-Balla’s classes were then suspended.

Agbor-Balla told Human Rights Watch that he believes the suspension of his classes was because of an assignment in which he asked students to explore the reasons behind the Anglophone crisis. He added that it was only meant to get the law students to think critically and put the crisis into a legal context.

“I don’t discuss politics in the classroom,” he said.

A Ministry of Higher Education representative told Radio France International that Agbor-Balla had “turned a classroom into a political space.”

It is not the first time teachers got into trouble for discussing current events in Cameroon. On September 13, 2019, a teacher at the high school in Avebe-Esse, a village in the South region, was arrested after mentioning in class that the government was considering allowing jailed opposition leader Maurice Kamto to participate in a national dialogue. The teacher was released five days later.

Agbor-Balla had been arrested in January 2017 for leading peaceful protests in Buea along with other Anglophone activists. Charged by a military court under the anti-terrorism law, he was eventually released in August 2017 and all charges were dropped.

Since then, he has advocated for upholding human rights during the crisis, denouncing abuses by both the military and the armed separatists.

University students should be encouraged to debate the most pressing issues of the day. The suspension of Agbor-Balla’s courses shows the government wants to stifle that debate.

Culled from Human Rights Watch

2, May 2020

COVID-19: Cameroon’s absentee and alcohol-inflamed president ends fake lockdown ⁰

Cameroonians have been celebrating ever since the country’s absentee president, Paul Biya, terminated a fake lockdown he imposed some four weeks ago.

As per the false lockdown, Cameroonians could go about their daily businesses in the afternoon as if the virus was not around or could not attack anybody during the day, but must return home before 6pm.

They were not allowed to sit in their bars to share a drink, but could soak themselves in alcohol at home with their families.

For Mr. Biya, a disciple of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, all life is predicated upon alcohol. He himself has been drinking for decades, passing off as a chemist to the point of ruining his health.

Cameroonians are currently committing suicide in their bars, with Mr. Biya and his corrupt and incompetent government officials watching from a distance the heartrending human tragedy that will reach its apogee in a fortnight.

Social distancing has been a huge part of the global health strategy aimed at overwhelming the Coronavirus that has left a trail of death and destruction across world.

Ending the lockdown is simply synonymous with making mincemeat of social distancing that has postponed death for many people across the globe.

With Mr. Biya declaring that Cameroonians can converge on many places and in large numbers, many health experts are already worried, with the World Health Organization (WHO) warning that a hasty termination of the ill-thought-out lockdown might trigger a storm of death and pain in many African countries, especially in Cameroon which is bereft of state-of-the-art health facilities that can cope with a tsunami of sick and desperate people.

Opening up an economy in the era of COVID-19 requires a risk adjustment approach to ensure that many people do not end up getting infected at the same time. This is unfortunately not the concern of the Yaounde government that is already staring down the barrel of an economic disaster.

Mr. Biya’s decision seems to be predicated upon fears that the country’s ailing economy could end up on a ventilator like most Coronavirus victims.

Many health experts have opined that the decision to urge Cameroonians to engage in their most favorite sport – drinking- is not based upon any known science.

Politics, the say, seems to be dictating things and this does not augur well for the elderly and other immune compromised individuals who might be killed by their own family members due to a government decree that cannot stand the test of sound scientific analysis.

A few days ago, Mr. Biya, the 87-year-old president, who has been hiding under his bed at the Unity Palace, signed another decree cancelling Labor Day and May 20 celebrations for fear of the Coronavirus which seems to have a bone to pick with old people, including Mr. Biya himself.

Many analysts are arguing that if it is too dangerous to celebrate May 20, which is the country’s national day, what therefore makes it safe to send millions of Cameroonians to bars and markets at a time when the virus is still illusive and very destructive.

If it is safe to send Cameroonians to bars, how come Cameroonian students are still being told to stay away from school? Students can sit in their classes with their masks, but revelers cannot wear masks while drinking.

Did the government take a look at all these details before sending its citizens to a place that could lead to mass infections?

With the lockdown over, sexual activities that have been on the decline, will now start rising again and the exchange of body fluids during bouts of sex could result in a resurgence of this virus that was still wreaking havoc in Cameroon before the decree to terminate the lockdown was issued.

Cameroon currently has a case count of more than 1,500, with more than 100 deaths. The country has not yet reached its peak, but the absentee and alcohol-inflammed president thinks that it is time to end the lockdown.

While Cameroonians have been celebrating their new found freedom to drink and even share the same bottles and glasses, they must understand that their destiny is in their hands as the government which is already cash-strapped is just seeking to guarantee that the breweries keep on paying taxes that will help sustain the corrupt and irresponsible government.

This is not the time to take our eyes off the ball. The virus is omnipresent and it has a huge appetite for recklessness people, especially those with underlying health issues.

Cameroonians must continue to comply with WHO guidelines to ensure that they do not transform their country into another USA that is currently grappling with huge case counts and large and scary numbers of death.

Cameroon lacks the health facilities and if the virus wants to punish the country for its recklessness, the toll will be unbearable.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

29, April 2020

Coronavirus patients respond positively to remdesivir in major US trial ⁰

Gilead Science’s remdesivir, one of the most highly anticipated drugs being tested against the new coronavirus, showed positive results in a large-scale US government trial, the company said Wednesday.

“We understand that the trial has met its primary endpoint and that NIAID (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) will provide detailed information at an upcoming briefing,” the company said.

Though it is difficult to precisely quantify the finding in the absence of results, it represents the first time any drug has been shown to improve outcomes against the COVID-19 illness, which has claimed more than 200,000 lives globally and brought the world economy to a grinding halt.

There have been mixed results for the intravenous antiviral in recent weeks. A summary of results posted on the website of the World Health Organization showed it failed in a smaller Chinese trial, but days before that, Stat reported it had shown significant efficacy at a Chicago hospital.

However, this trial, begun in late February and overseen by the US government, is the largest and technically most robust.

According to a data sheet, its estimated enrollment was 800 patients, a portion of whom received the drug while the rest received a placebo.

Neither the patients nor their physicians were aware of which group they belonged to, in order to eliminate unconscious bias.

It is a Phase 3 trial, the final stage before any medication can receive regulatory approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Remdesivir, which previously failed in trials against Ebola, belongs to a class of drugs that act on the virus directly — as opposed to controlling the abnormal and often lethal autoimmune response it causes.

It mimics one of the four building blocks of RNA and DNA and gets absorbed into the virus’s genome, which in turn stops the pathogen from replicating.

The antimalarial drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are also being widely used against COVID-19 on a so-called “compassionate basis” pending results from large trials, with early studies decidedly mixed.

Other therapies that are being studied include collecting antibodies from COVID-19 survivors and injecting them in patients, or harvesting antibodies from genetically-engineered mice that were deliberately infected.

Source: AFP

28, April 2020

Russia overtakes China with recorded Covid-19 cases at 87,000 ⁰

Russia overtook China in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases on Monday, when its tally climbed above 87,000, as pressure rose on the government to consider easing lockdown restrictions for businesses to help shore up the rattled economy.

Russia, the world’s largest country by territory, has been on lockdown since President Vladimir Putin announced the closure of most public spaces in late March. These measures are due to expire on April 30 and Putin has not yet said if he plans to extend them.

Anna Popova, the head of Russia’s safety watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, told state television on Monday that, in her view, restrictions should be in place until May 12.

Earlier Prime Minister Mikhail Mishushin asked his government to submit proposals by Thursday to ease some of the restrictions on businesses. Many firms have warned that they risk going bankrupt if the lockdown continues, and thousands of workers have been laid off.

Mishustin told an online government meeting that as soon as the situation started to improve “we would need to consider a step-by-step cancellation of restrictions on certain companies… operations”.

On Monday, the authorities reported 6,198 new cases of the new coronavirus, bringing the total to 87,147, with 794 deaths.

Moscow plans to open two new hospitals, with 1,500 beds each, in the defence ministry’s Patriot museum and in the Crocus exhibition centre, once a spot for lavish concerts, business daily RBC reported on Monday.

St Petersburg, the country’s second largest city, is also turning Lenexpo, which used to host Russia’s top economic forum, into a temporary hospital with 1,000 beds.

Energy sector in focus

Russia, one of the world’s top oil and gas exporters, is particularly vulnerable to the spread of the coronavirus at production sites. Most are located in remote areas accessible only by air, meaning the workers must be in close proximity, increasing their risk of infection.

Citing local officials, news agency Interfax said on Monday that an airport in Sabetta, in the northern Yamal peninsula, had been shut down for quarantine after cases of the new coronavirus were detected at the Yamal LNG production site controlled by Novatek.

A total of 143 cases were confirmed in Sabetta, the local crisis response centre said separately.

In the northwestern region of Murmansk where Novatek is building a plant to supply its next LNG project, the Arctic LNG 2, more than 800 workers tested positive for coronavirus, the local crisis response centre said on Sunday.

Velesstroy, a sub-contractor for the plant, temporarily suspended work at the site near Murmansk, but said in a statement to Reuters that the project would remain on schedule.

To limit the risk of contagion at more than 1,000 power plants in Russia, including nuclear ones, more than 200,000 employees – or nearly a third – were recently tested for the virus, the energy ministry said.

It did not say how many of those tests returned positive.

Mainland China, where the new coronavirus first emerged, reported a total of 82,830 cases on Monday. China is now fighting an increased number of new cases coming from Russia.

Source: REUTERS

28, April 2020

Coronavirus Frightens Malaria Patients in Cameroon ⁰

A song urging Cameroonians not to relent in the fight against malaria blasted through speakers Saturday — World Malaria Day — at road junctions and popular neighborhoods, as well as from publicity vans driving through Cameroon’s capital, Yaounde.

Dr. Daniel Etoundi of Cameroon’s public health ministry said health teams were being taken to every neighborhood to try to discourage patients from buying roadside drugs or resorting to African traditional healers for malaria treatment, because those can lead to severe health complications.

“If the product is toxic, the liver will be spoiled [destroyed]. Same with the kidney,” he said. “Most of the products that we consume are eliminated through the kidney by urine. Now, if the drug is toxic, it will spoil the kidney function.”

The Cameroon Ministry of Public Health reported that since March 5, when the first case of the coronavirus was reported in the central African state, many people with suspected cases of malaria or other diseases have refused to go to hospitals for fear they will catch COVID-19. As of Saturday, more than 1,500 cases had been confirmed in the country, according to Johns Hopkins University statistics.

But medical doctors say 90 percent of Cameroon’s 25 million people are at risk of malaria, while 41 percent have an episode each year.

Dr. Dorothy Achu, coordinator of Cameroon’s National Malaria Control Program, said people should understand that although there is much government emphasis on the dangers of COVID-19, malaria remains the nation’s major killer, especially of children.

“We are trying to sensitize health workers to protect themselves well but to continue to provide services,” as well as reassure the population “that it is not in all hospitals that we take care of COVID patients. So we just require them to protect themselves when they go to hospitals,” she said.

Education efforts

Innocent Kuisseu, sensitization team member for the prevention of malaria, said members also were educating Cameroonians about how to protect themselves from malaria by systematically using insecticide-treated mosquito bed nets and visiting hospitals when they suspect they might have malaria. He said people should not think that anyone who has malaria also has COVID-19.

“Efforts are being put in to make sure that the population is more and more aware of what should be the right treatment, to make sure that in suspicion of malaria there should be a rapid diagnostic test, to make sure that they sleep under insecticide-treated nets,” he said.

The International group Severe Malaria Observatory reports that malaria causes 22% of deaths occurring in health care facilities in Cameroon, and that 10% of deaths in children under 5 years old are linked to malaria.

Health officials in Cameroon blame the surge of malaria and COVID-19 cases on the fact that many people do not respect basic hygiene standards and don’t visit health facilities when they have early signs of either disease. They also say there are too many people who refuse to use treated mosquito bed nets.

Source: VOA

28, April 2020

COVID-19 cases in Africa hit 30,000 ⁰

The World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for Africa in Brazzaville, Congo says the number of COVID-19 cases in the WHO African Region has increased to over 30,000.

The UN’s health agency gave the update on its official twitter account @WHOAFRO on Sunday.

“Over 30,000 COVID-19 cases reported on the African continent with over 9,000 associated recoveries and 1,300 deaths recorded,’’ it said.

The WHO African Region COVID-19 dashboard showed that in sub-Saharan Africa, the South Africa suffered the most severe outbreak, while Cameroon and Ghana had more than 2, 500 confirmed cases.

The figures on the dashboard showed that South Africa, Algeria and Cameroon had continued to top the list of countries with the highest reported cases.

It showed that South Africa had 4, 361 cases and 86 deaths followed by Algeria with 3, 256 cases and 419 deaths, while Cameroon had 1,518 confirmed cases with 53 deaths.

According to the dashboard, South Sudan, Sao Tome and Principe, Mauritania are countries with the lowest confirmed cases in the region.

It showed that South Sudan had the lowest confirmed cases of five reported with zero death.

Mauritania, the dashboard showed, was second country with the lowest confirmed cases with seven reported cases and one death.

Source: The News

27, April 2020

Nutritional advice during the Coronavirus Pandemic ⁰

Nutritional advice during the Coronavirus Pandemic

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the first case in Cameroon of which was reported by the Ministry of Health on March 6 2020. To date, more than 800 cases have been reported in Cameroon despite the measures that were put in place by the government. Key amongst these measures were recommendations on hygiene (handwashing and/or hand sanitizing) and social distancing aimed at limiting transmission.

Other theories have been put forward as to how best to manage COVID-19, ranging from the use of pharmaceutical products like chloroquine to food supplements. For any of these to merit any serious consideration, it is important to know how the body actually reacts to viral infections. The human body generally has the appropriate mechanisms to defend itself against bacterial or viral (pathogen) attacks. The first line of defense is generally through the physical barrier provided by the skin and associated structures like dermal and nasal. If the pathogen however goes through this first line of defense into the body’s circulation, the second line of defense – the immune system immediately kicks into play, producing a variety of substances to get rid of the foreign substance which is also known as antigen. One of these substances called antibodies recognizes features of the antigen and attacks it continuously to get rid of it. The immune system’s ‘memory’ can now have the ability to produce antibodies in future if it sees the same pathogen again like in the cases for viruses that cause chickenpox or polio, destroying it before the symptoms become serious. For some other viruses like coronavirus that cause the common cold, their recognition by the immune system seems to be lost after a short while, making people vulnerable to suffering frequently from colds. Since SARS-CoV-2has only been recently discovered and presently causing havoc worldwide, it is not yet known how the immune system or the immune system’s memory is going to handle it. It is therefore important for the body to have an efficient immune system.

Nutrition plays an important role in maintaining a fully functional and efficient immune system. In this period of the COVID-19 epidemic, it is more important than ever to maintain an efficient immune system. This can be done through certain lifestyle changes as well as our choice of foods, to include foods with known properties of boosting immune function. This can be easily achieved by eating as many colors as possible through the consumption of fruits, vegetables and nuts that are readily available in Cameroon. Certain foods however stand out due to their high content of particular micronutrients with proven scientific claims. These include foods like bitterleaf (ndole), spinach, green and yellow peppers, broccoli, pawpaw and oranges which are high in Vitamin C which contributes to immune defense as well as lowers the risk of respiratory infections. Zinc also plays an important role in controlling and regulating immune function and has been shown to inhibit the replication of viruses. Zinc can be found in beans, pumpkin seeds (egusi), meat, fish, mushrooms, avocados and guavas. Vitamin D found in mushrooms, sardines, liver and eggs modulates immune response as well as helps the immune system to stay balanced.

As well as the above mentioned foods containing nutrients with proven scientific action on the immune system, the Cameroonian cuisine is generally spicy, with some of the commonly used spices containing bioactive components which are powerful antioxidants and could be beneficial to the immune system. Garlic for example is known for its immune boosting properties linked to its high sulphur content. Initial results from ongoing research with spices used in some traditional dishes from the West region of Cameroon show a lot of promise as potential immune boosters as well as antiviral agents.

Despite the above nutritional recommendations, the best way to stay healthy and SARS-CoV-2 free is by following the current WHO recommendations as well as those outlined by the Cameroon government.

*Article first published in CEFOPDIETnews, newsletter of the Professional School of Dietetics and Functional Foods(CEFOPDIET) in Yaounde

**The author is a professor of Nutritional Biochemistry at the University of Yaounde I who discovered bush mango is a therapy for obesity and is co-founder of CEFOPDIET of the J&A Oben Foundation

By Julius E. Oben

27, April 2020

Global COVID-19 caseload grows slowly, contagion curve flattens in Europe ⁰

As the global caseload of the COVID-19 disease increased more slowly, governments around the world are increasingly taking steps to revive their shuttered economies after weeks of pandemic lockdowns.

More than 206,544 people have lost their lives due to the respiratory disease caused by the new virus — well over half of them in Europe — and 2,971,477 others are currently infected with the virus across the globe, according to the latest data collected by Johns Hopkins University.

Meanwhile, the contagion curve appears to have flattened in Europe, as the continent’s worst-hit nations — Italy, Spain, France, and Britain — eventually report drops in their daily tallies.

That has allowed the governments to prepare for a staged end to weeks off coronavirus lockdowns.

Spanish children get outside after 6 weeks

Spanish children were finally free to go outside on Sunday, after six weeks of living under one of Europe’s strictest lockdowns.

Under the new lockdown conditions, children under 14 are allowed to step outside of their house for one hour of supervised activity per day.

Schools still remain closed.

Spain’s Health Ministry reported the lowest daily increase in the coronavirus fatality toll in more than a month on Sunday. It registered 288 deaths, which brought the total number of fatalities to 23,190, while the overall number of cases rose to 226, 629.

The county has recorded the world’s third-highest number of deaths, after the United States and Italy.

A man chases his daughters as they play in the street, in Barcelona, Spain, on April 26, 2020. (Photo by AFP)

Italy to reopen factories

Italy will also allow manufacturers, construction companies, and some wholesalers to reopen from next week, and will permit limited family visits after more than two months of a strict lockdown.

Under the revised rules, retailers will be allowed to reopen two weeks later.

Restaurants, however, will remain closed until the beginning of June.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, who outlined the road map to restart activities, said on Sunday, “We will live with the virus and we will have to adopt every precaution possible.”

Health authorities reported a third consecutive daily fall in COVID-19 deaths, with 260 fatalities — the lowest number since mid-March.

With 26,644 fatalities, Italy’s death toll still remains the heaviest in Europe, along with 197, 675 confirmed cases of the viral infection.

The number of new cases has been slowing and the number of patients in intensive care has been falling steadily, according to officials.

Britain reports 413 more deaths

Britain’s daily tally was also the lowest since the end of March, as officials reported 413 deaths in 24 hours, with 4,463 new confirmed cases.

That brought the total death toll across the United Kingdom to 20,732, along with 152,840 confirmed cases.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce plans for easing lockdown restrictions as early as this week.

He is due to be back at work on Monday after spending a week in hospital due to a coronavirus infection and two weeks of recovering at Chequers, his country residence.

France reports lowest deaths in over a month

France on Sunday reported the smallest rise in deaths since March 25, with a decrease in the number of patients in intensive care.

Deaths rose by 242 to 22,856, according to figures provided by the French Health Ministry on Sunday.

The number of new cases also increased by 1,129 to 191,743.

Some businesses allowed to reopen in Switzerland

Switzerland also allowed some businesses to reopen on Monday. The country has reported a total number of 29,061 cases of COVID-19 and 1,610 deaths.

Germany detects 1,018 new cases

Germany has confirmed 1,018 new cases, bringing its total to 155,193, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases on Monday.

The death toll also rose by 110 to 5,750, the data showed.

Meanwhile, millions of Muslims across the world have begun the holy month of Ramadan under coronavirus restrictions, which ban them from large gatherings for prayers in mosques.

Saudi Arabia relaxes some curfews

Saudi Arabia has kept 24-hour lockdowns in place in the city of Mecca, but eased some curfews elsewhere on Sunday.

Outside Mecca and certain lockdown areas, curfews will be eased for eight hours during the day.

The kingdom has also allowed some economic and commercial activities to re-start from Wednesday until May 13.

With 17,522 cases of infection and 139 deaths, Saudi Arabia has the highest numbers among the six members of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The countries, namely Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman, have collectively recorded almost 46,000 cases and 258 deaths.

Dubai lifts lockdown on two commercial districts

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) lifted a full lockdown on two densely-populated commercial districts in Dubai on Sunday.

Dubai, the Middle East’s business hub, already cut its 24-hour lockdown back to an eight-hour curfew on Friday.

The UAE has reported more than 10,300 cases and 76 deaths resulting from COVID-19, the second-highest count among the six-member Arab alliance.

Turkey’s death toll passes 2,800

Turkey eased a four-day curfew in 31 provinces and lifted quarantines in 177 settlements in 44 cities midnight on Sunday.

The Turkish Interior Ministry, however, said in a statement that regulations to curb the spread of the disease, such as compulsory wearing of masks and social-distancing in markets and streets would be strictly monitored over the next week.

Turkey’s confirmed cases increased by 2,357 in the past 24 hours, Health Ministry data showed on Sunday, taking the country’s tally to 110,130 — the highest total for any country outside Western Europe or the United States.

The number of deaths also increased to 2,805 after 99 people succumbed to the respiratory disease in the last 24 hours.

A total of 29,140 people in Turkey have so far recovered from COVID-19, authorities said.

A person wears a plastic water bottle with a cutout to cover her face, as she walks on a footbridge in Hong Kong, China, on January 31, 2020. (Photo by AFP)

China reports 3 new cases, no deaths

China, the first ever country to report the disease, has detected three new cases, down from 11 a day earlier, with no new deaths, the country’s health authority said on Monday.

Of the new cases, two were imported, down from five on the previous day, according to the National Health Committee.

The country has a total of 82,830 cases and 4,633 deaths.

Coronavirus keeps Muslims away from mosques across Asia

The Muslim populations in several countries across Asia have now been banned from gathering in mosques during the holy month of Ramadan.

Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country, has closed its main mosque to worshippers, calling on people to pray at home.

The country’s Istiqlal Mosque, the biggest in South Asia, which every year drew thousands of worshippers for prayers during Ramadan, was empty on Monday due to the lockdown.

Indonesia has confirmed 8,882 cases of infection and at least 743 deaths so far.

Bangladesh also closed the gates of the Mayor Mohammad Hanif Jame Mosque in the capital, Dhaka.

Bangladesh has so far reported a total of 5,416 cases and 145 deaths.

Pakistan also closed one of its biggest mosques to people on Monday.

Police patrolled outside the Faizan-e-Madina Mosque in the city of Karachi to stop worshippers from entering the mosque.

Pakistan has reported more than 11,000 confirmed cases, along with 237 deaths.

India’s Jama Masjid in New Delhi was also deserted as only five worshippers joined an evening prayer on the first day of Ramadan.

The country’s Muslim population has lately been harassed online and across the cities over allegations that they were “deliberately” spreading the coronavirus in India.

India has reported 26,496 cases of the respiratory disease and 824 deaths.

Bangladesh’s garment factories defy lockdown

In a related development, Bangladeshi garment factories defied a nationwide lockdown to resume work.

Hundreds of factories resumed operations over the weekend in the industrial areas of Gazipur and Ashulia, just outside Dhaka.

Factories said they had been “under pressure” from big-name international brands to fulfill export orders.

They had to shut down in late March due to the outbreak.

Some 200,000 workers were likely back at work just in Ashulia, according to police spokeswoman Jane Alam.

This has raised fears that the industry’s vulnerable and largely female workforce could be exposed to the virus.

More than four million people work in thousands of garment factories across the country. Last year, Bangladesh shipped out 35 billion dollars of apparel to retailers such as H&M, Inditex, and Walmart.

Almost 2 million Australians get tracking app

In Australia, nearly two million people have downloaded a government app designed to trace close contacts of COVID-19 patients.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said 1.89 million people had downloaded the app CovidSafe as of Monday. That made only more than seven percent of the country’s population of 25.7 million. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said at least 40 percent of the population would need to download the app.

The app stores 21 days of data of the users’ contacts, and has sparked concerns about the privacy of users.

People observe social distancing as they pay their respects during the Anzac Day dawn service at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, on April 25, 2020. (Photo by AFP)

Australia has recorded 83 deaths and 6,700 cases.

Some states across the country have now begun easing social distancing restrictions.

Mexico removes almost all refugees from facilities

Mexico, through which many refugees travel to reach the United States, has deported most of the refugees back to their home countries over the past five weeks.

The country’s National Migration Institute (INM) said that it had been removing refugees from its 65 facilities, which held 3,759 people last month.

Authorities have returned 3,653 refugees to Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador by road and air. Only 106 people remain in government refugee centers.

Experts say the move is being taken in line with Mexico’s policy of keeping the number of refugees in check under pressure from US President Donald Trump. The INM, however, said the refugees were being returned in order to comply with health and safety guidelines to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Health officials have reported 13,842 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 1,305 deaths in Mexico.

Source: Presstv

27, April 2020

Remembering Comrade Albert Mukong ⁰

The nite has come, with a chill winter feeling in summer time and the lights have been turned off a great soul, a legend, a patriot and a great Cameroonian icon. Yet as darkness falls, the burning candle lights of the past glows on, and though they may seem dimmed for now at a noticeable exit, not even winter’s storm can put them out.

My generation has come of age, caught in the web of cultural and customary complacence and the challenges of global progressiveness that comes with the pressures of the technological revolution. This generation, my generation, grew up as boys who read Mukong, told stories of his deeds in prison, his boldness to speak up and challenge the government of the almighty Amadou Ahidjo. I really mean those of us who were born with the gift of public and political consciousness and cravings. We read “A Prisoner Without A Crime”, along side Things Fall Apart, A Man of The People, Animal Farm, The Old Man And The Medal, as our patriotic mental massaging items, away from the western histories and literatures imposed on us by the chains of colonialism. We read “A Prisoner Without A Crime” over and over, again and again, forming a mental picture on how this man, Albert Mukong, really looks like. We glorified those who dare tell us that they physically knew Mukong. The man was a legend to us.

I returned to Cameroon from studies in the United States of America in 1987. At that time, the country was continuing its dive or descends into the slumps of an economic crisis of an immense proportion. All the hopes and dreams of the Biya’s renoveau and communal liberalism doctrines were dashed to the ground and became a matter for the history books. I joined the civil service as an economics teacher but soon realized that I had no other choice but to become a political activist (like Mukong) in my own rights. My active involvements in the various change or revolutionary movements in Cameroon during the challenging decades of the ‘90s and the ‘80s, placed me in the very unique position of meeting and forming relationships we the great Cameroonian names and personalities we only heard about with some great mystery. Albert Mukong was one of them.

Albert Mukong had left the country on self exile in 1990, immediately following the Yondo Black trial. In his absence, the Anglophone awakening had gained grounds with the Cameroon Anglophone Movement (CAM) under the leadership of Dr. Enonchong. After moving from Mundemba to Douala in 1991, I had become one of the most strategic, influential and vocal leaders of the Anglophone cause. In early 1992, words came to me that Mukong was returning to the country. I was determined to get him into the fold of the Cameroon Anglophone Movement or have him identify himself with the movement. I discussed this with Mr. Vincent Feko and we got things rolling. I sent words to Mr. George Ngwane, Dr. Bate Besong and Lawyer Charles Taku to meet me in Douala so we can meet with Albert Mukong at the airport as he arrived the country. They were all based in Buea. Bate Besong and Charles Taku could not make it. George Ngwane came a day earlier and stayed with me. Dr. Enonchong was ill at the time, so I took George to visit him and to let him know our plans for Mr. Mukong. George had just published his second book: “To every son and daughter of the southwest” and he brought an autographed copy for Dr. Enonchong. Dr. Enonchong received us by his pool. He was a little bit apprehensive over our plans to bring Mr. Mukong in but we assured him that it was the right step to take and everything was going to be ok.

This was the plan: we were going to make sure the first place Mukong sets foot on Cameroonian soil after the airport, must be the residence of the Chairman of Cameroon Anglophone Movement (CAM). This was extremely important and symbolic to us. This was going to be my first time I was physically meeting Albert Mukong and it was also going to be a test of my having what it takes an activist to make things happen at this level. Mr. Vincent Feko came with his driver to pick us up for the airport. George and I prepared a welcome package for Mr. Mukong. The package was made of Georges two books: The Mungo Bridge; and To every son and daughter of the southwest; my book “Partners in Prison” and some CAM ’S documents.

When we got to the airport and as we waited for Mr. Mukong’s plane to touch down, we realized that our plans for Mr. Mukong was going to face significant opposition from the crew that came from Bamenda to take him home. They vowed they would have nothing to do with Dr. Enonchong and would not allow Mr. Mukong to even contemplate going to his house. Rather than spend time arguing with them, I made up secret plans in my head. Mr. Mukong came through security and I watched him for about 5 minutes greet his family and friends. I then rushed to him, hugged him and pulled him aside, away from everyone. I gave him the books and documents we had brought and told him why it was extremely important, for him and the struggle, for him to make his first stop at Dr. Enonchong’s house. I made my case very convincingly and he agreed with me. He went back and told the rest of the people that my plans make perfect sense and that was what he was going to do. I again succeeded in getting him to ride in our car to Dr. Enonchong’s, so we can have some acquainting opportunity.

A crowd had already gathered at Dr. Enonchong’s residence waiting for us and when we entered the compound, Dr. Enonchong went to his room to put on his red traditional hat. He hugged Mr. Mukong and then performed the traditional rites of libation. We stayed for a while at Dr. Enonchong’s and then drove to Mr. Feko’s house where Mr. Mukong was to spend the night before leaving for Bamenda the next. There too there was a huge crowd waiting for us.

With this Mr. Mukong was brought into the Cameroon Anglophone Movement and was made the Secretary General during the ordinary congress in Buea. This is how I started a personal and a significant political relationship and collaboration with Mr. Mukong. There is so much to say about Mr. Mukong for the period I have known him and related with him. He called me his political son and I called him chief.

Mr. Mukong has fought his whole life and some periods of his fighting life are difficult to comprehend but he fought from his heart. From my knowledge of Mr. Mukong’s struggles, it is certain that he never completely left the main objective of his OK party, that had as its main objective “One Kamerun” in a strong unification. It is sad that I did not have the opportunity to articulate to Mr. Mukong the vision of empowering the Cameroonian people through the bonds of unity. As Mr. Mukong leaves the stage, he should be assured that we will pick up and continue his work of uniting the Cameroonian people as one people and work to create a society that projects social justice for all and the respect for all human rights. We see the Cameroonian children from south to north, from west to east, moving hand in hand and using positively that which has been used negatively against them and their unity. The Cameroonian people are beginning to see their ethnic and cultural multiplicity and diversity as a strength and a resource; a divine gift for projecting collaboration, continuity, growth, unity and tolerance. This is not the message we have been exposed to regarding our numerous ethnicities, but now we are beginning to see clearly and this is why Mr. Albert Mukong must rest in peace. His work here is done but his memories will remain with us.

Sleep tight comrade Mukong and goodnite

By Christmas Ebini, PhD

25, April 2020

French Cameroun: Customs seizes 210 cartons of fake chloroquine ⁰

Cameroon customs on Tuesday seized 210 cartons of fake anti-malaria medication chloroquine in Ngaoundere, chief town of the mountainous region of Adamawa.

Thousands of fake tablets were almost smuggled into the country through neighbouring Nigeria.

Cameroon customs was alerted by the World Customs Organisation when the cargo vehicle carrying the fake medication was returning from Nigeria. The driver was stopped for identity and document checks but failed to provide marketing authorisation and a technical visa for the tablets, said Epoh Mbappe, a senior customs official, adding that those transporting the drugs have been remanded in custody.

Officials said Cameroon has seen a rise in the production and proliferation of fake chloroquine, as people rush to obtain the anti-malaria drug in the unproven belief it can prevent the infection of COVID-19.

Last week, health authorities in the country announced they had shut down six pharmaceutical companies that were producing and selling counterfeit drugs.

Source: Xinhuanet