Health

South Africa preparing health facilities to cope with Omicron variant: Minister

South Africa’s government is doing everything possible to prepare its health facilities to cope with the newly identified Omicron variant, Health Minister Joe Phaahla told a news conference on Monday.

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Phaahla added that officials were engaging with countries that imposed travel restrictions on southern African countries to try to get them to reverse them.

Oman suspends entry from seven countries including South Africa over COVID-19

UAE bans travelers from southern African states over COVID-19 concerns

Health

No sign yet of H5N1 bird flu spreading between humans, says WHO chief

The H5N1 avian influenza virus has so far shown no signs of adapting to allow human to human transmission, the UN health agency said on Wednesday, urging continued surveillance.

Health

Patients in Rafah ‘afraid to seek services’, WHO reports

The World Health Organization (WHO) has taken “crucial steps” in the event of a large-scale Israeli military operation in Rafah, Dr. Ahmed Dahir, Team Lead of its office in Gaza, told UN News on Tuesday.

Health

First Person: Women in Madagascar too ashamed to seek help giving birth

Some of the poorest women in an underdeveloped region south of Madagascar are “too ashamed” to seek the maternal health services they need, according to a midwife working in a health centre supported by United Nations agencies, but that may be about to change.