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Nigeria Exempted As 12 African Countries Set To Receive ‘Lifesaving’ Malaria Vaccine

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Global Vaccine Alliance (GAVI), the World Health Organisation and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Wednesday announced that 12 African countries would receive malaria vaccine.

The agencies, in a statement, stated that the countries would receive 18 million doses of the first-ever vaccine against malaria over the next two years.

The RTS,S vaccine had been administered to more than 1.6 million children in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi since 2019 and shown to be safe and effective.

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It resulted in a substantial reduction in severe malaria and a fall in child deaths.

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The WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus said malaria remained one of Africa’s deadliest diseases, killing nearly half a million children under the age of five every year, and accounting for approximately 96 per cent of global malaria deaths in 2021.

“With the climate crisis changing weather patterns, mosquitoes that carry these diseases are increasing in density and spreading further afield,” Ghebreyesus said, speaking during his regular media briefing from Geneva.

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The initial 18 million dose allocation will enable nine more African countries to introduce the vaccine into their routine immunisation programmes for the first time.

Those nations include Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Niger, Sierra Leone and Uganda.

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The first doses are expected to arrive during the last quarter of 2023, with rollout set to start by early 2024.

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This vaccine has the potential to be very impactful in the fight against malaria, and when broadly deployed alongside other interventions, it can prevent tens of thousands of future deaths every year,” Thabani Maphosa, Managing Director of Country Programmes Delivery at Gavi, said.

The partners said at least 28 African countries have expressed interest in receiving the RTS,S vaccine, while a second malaria vaccine is currently under review for pre-qualification, and if successful provides additional supply in the short term.

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Nigerian’s Request To Be Buried Alive For 24 Hours Causes Stir Online [VIDEO]

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A Nigerian man simply identified as Young C caused a stir online on Wednesday, May 8, when he embarked on a challenge to be buried alive in a coffin for 24 hours.

In a post shared on his Instagram page, Young C said he intends to broadcast live footage from the coffin at night.

Sharing a video on his Instagram account, he said

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I am going to be spending the next 24 hours buried in this casket. Guys, this is real, not fake. And the most amazing part is that I am going to go live by night.”

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In a subsequent update, Young C revealed that he had been buried for over 8 hours and was experiencing physical discomfort, including excessive sweating.

“Guys, I have been buried alive for over 8 hours now. For those of you who saw my first video, I have been down here. As you can see, my camera is still rolling, and I have my light down there, I am sweating, guys.”

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In yet another update, Young C said he has started experiencing heat and that his fear now is for his rechargeable fan not to run out of power. He also showed a container where he has been urinating since he began the challenge.

Watch video below:

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Nigerian Emerges First Black Woman To Bag PhD In Robotics At Michigan Varsity

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A Nigerian woman, Oluwami Dosunmu-Ogunbi, has made history as the first black woman to bag a PhD in Robotics at the University of Michigan in the United States.

Speaking at the university’s College of Engineering convocation, Dosunmu-Ogunbi, a daughter of Nigerian immigrants, spoke on the support she received in realising her aspirations.

She said,  “I do not stand here on my own two feet alone. None of us got here by our individual merit alone, whether it be teacher, friends, family, mentors, or role models, we each have one or multiple people to whom we are grateful for making this moment possible.”

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She added that she wants to be remembered as the University of Michigan’s first black woman to get a PhD in Robotics and she wants to use her knowledge in engineering to improve the lives of others.

She added, “A Michigan Engineer is one who does not just provide scientific and technological leadership, but is also one who is intellectually curious, socially conscious, creates collaborative solutions to societal problems, and promotes an inclusive and innovative community of service for the common good.

“We each have a solemn duty to make positive contributions to the world. Well, my reasons for becoming an engineer were initially frivolous, but they eventually moved into something more meaningful. I want to have a positive impact on the world.”

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The University of Michigan Robotics Department website describes Dosunmu-Ogunbi’s journey as one shared by many PhD students who initially lack a clear vision for their final goals.

It added that Dosunmu-Ogunbi has been an active community builder in robotics, earning an MLK Spirit Award from the College of Engineering for mentoring and inspiration as well as being named an outreach ambassador by Robotics for three years, 2021–2023.

The Department also disclosed that she was named a runner-up in the
College of Engineering’s three–minute thesis competition and has been inducted into the Bouchet Society, which recognises outstanding scholarly achievement and promotes diversity in graduate education and the professoriate.

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Dosunmu-Ogunbi is currently interviewing for faculty positions, the department revealed.

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Delta Bloodbath: Relief As Army Withdraws Soldiers From Okuama Community

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Soldiers of the Nigerian Army who have been laying siege on the Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State since March 14, 2024, following the killing of 17 army officers and soldiers on a peace mission, have been pulled out from the community.

Local sources from Akugbene and Okoloba communities in Bomadi Local Government Area told newsmen on Wednesday that “the military troops were sighted suddenly pulling out of Okuama community on Tuesday, May 7, 2024.”

Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, while confirming the troops withdrawal from Okuama community, lauded President Bola Tinubu and the military high command for their interventions.

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READ ALSO: Okuama-Ewu identifies 11 persons Killed By Military, 413 Houses Destroyed

Oborevwori, at a media briefing, said that with the withdrawal of the troops, the people of Okuama could now safely return to their homes and begin the process of reintegration and rebuilding their homes and community.

The governor said, “My dear good people of Delta State, I have the pleasure to announce to you that, upon many deliberations and collaborations between the state government and the military leadership, the Nigerian Army has agreed to withdraw its officers and men from Okuama.

“I spoke with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, on Monday, 6th of May, and as of today, 8th of May, 2024, the military has withdrawn from Okuama.

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“With this development, the people of Okuama can now safely return to their homes and begin the process of reintegration and rebuilding their homes.”

Although Oberevwori had earlier appealed to indigenes and farmers to move into a rehabilitation camp being set up for Internally Displaced Persons by the state government “for proper welfare as a first step towards their resettlement to their community,” Okuama leaders had reportedly expressed reluctance to yield to the governor’s call regarding IDPs.

The Chairman of the State Government Committee to manage the Ewu IDP Camp, Mr. Abraham Ogbodo, who affirmed that the governor had already released N10 million to the Committee to ease the take-off of the Camp site at Ewu Grammar School lamented the noticeable lack of willingness by the Okuama indigenes to move into the IDP camp despite the efforts being put in place.

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