COVID-19 Pandemic: medical and pharmacy education in Nigeria

No abstract available

The Urgent Need to Intensify Vaccine Development and Manufacturing in Africa: Lessons from Emerging Pandemics

Over the years, the African continent has been severely plagued by disease outbreaks, most of which have resulted in devastating pandemics. Despite having the greatest burden and impact of these disease outbreaks, regional efforts to develop and manufacture vaccines in the continent have been inadequate, with a potential impact on pandemic preparedness and readiness efforts in the continent. Given that disease outbreaks are still likely to occur in the future, we discuss the urgent need to intensify vaccine development and manufacturing in Africa based on the lessons learnt from emerging pandemics

Impact of COVID-19 on pharmacy education

Morocco, home to nearly 36 million inhabitants has undergone demographic and epidemiological transitions over the past 50 years. Alongside this transition is the prevalence of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) which has also risen substantially and has contributed remarkably to the rise in the population's need for healthcare services. In order to respond to the increasing healthcare needs of the Moroccan population, it is necessary to ensure that healthcare providers are readily accessible and sufficient. As one of the most accessible healthcare providers, pharmacists are well positioned to address these demands. It is therefore essential to build a competent pharmaceutical workforce in Morocco with a specialized focus on pharmacy education and training. However, the education and training of pharmacy students in the country has been grossly disrupted by the present COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, we examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pharmacy education in Morocco. The net impact of this unprecedented pandemic on pharmacy education in Morocco has become well pronounced with a lot of accompanying challenges. If not addressed, the results in the long-run may be devastating

Prospects of BNAbs in management of HIV/AIDS

No abstract available

COVID-19: community pharmacy practice in Africa

No abstract available

Threats and outbreaks of cholera in Africa amidst COVID-19 pandemic:a double burden on Africa’s health systems

Abstract Every year, about 4 million cases and 143,000 deaths due to cholera are recorded globally, of which 54% were from Africa, reported in 2016. The outbreak and spread of cholera have risen exponentially particularly in Africa. Coupled with the recent emergence of the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) in Africa, the local health systems are facing a double burden of these infectious diseases due to their cumulative impact. In this paper, we evaluate the dual impact of cholera and COVID-19 in Africa and suggest plausible interventions that can be put in place to cushion its impact

COVID 19 and neglected tropical diseases in Africa: perspectives from Ghana

Since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a public health emergency, the attention of the global community has been shifted towards interventions and efforts to curb the pandemic at the detriment of other diseases, including Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). Prior to the emergence of COVID-19 in Africa, Ghana has recorded some progress in the economy which has translated to an overall expectation of a decline in the incidence of NTDs and other poverty-related diseases in the country. However, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has presented several challenges to the country’s fight against NTDs with the potential of reversing the hard-won progress of the country over the years. In this commentary, we examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on NTDs in Africa by sharing perspectives from Ghana

Applications of telemedicine in the supply and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in Africa.

Although telemedicine coverage in Africa is still limited compared to the developed world due to the lack of political commitment, poor infrastructure, and inadequate resources, it has promising potentials to facilitate prompt access to the COVID-19 vaccine, pre-vaccination, routine follow-up post-vaccination, and surveillance in Africa

COVID-19 and antimicrobial resistance: a review

As the world continues to respond to the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), there is a larger hidden threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) lurking behind. AMR remains worrisome in that the pathogens causing resistant infections to thrive in hospitals and medical facilities, putting all patients at risk, irrespective of the severity of their medical conditions, further compounding the management of COVID-19. This study aims to provide overview of early findings on COVID-19 and AMR as well as to provide recommendations and lesson learned toward improving antimicrobial stewardship. We conducted a rapid narrative review of published articles by searching PubMed and Google Scholar on COVID-19 and Antimicrobial Resistance with predetermined keywords. Secondary bacterial infections play crucial roles in mortality and morbidity associated with COVID-19. Research has shown that a minority of COVID-19 patients need antibiotics to treat secondary bacterial infections. Current evidence reiterates the need not to give antibiotic therapy or prophylaxis to patients with mild COVID-19 or to patients with suspected or confirmed moderate COVID-19 illness unless it is indicated. The pandemic has also brought to the fore the deficiencies in health systems around the world. This comes with a lot of lessons, one of which is that despite the advances in medicine; we remain incredibly vulnerable to infections with limited or no standard therapies. This is worth thinking in the context of AMR, as the resistant pathogens are evolving and leading us to the era of untreatable infections. There is a necessity for continuous research into understanding and controlling infectious agents, as well as the development of newer functional antimicrobials and the need to strengthen the antimicrobial stewardship programs