Fewer worshippers than in previous years came to Faisal Mosque in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, to pray on the Eid al-Fitr holiday on May 24. Face masks were obligatory to enter the mosque amid the coronavirus outbreak. In Quetta, in Pakistan’s province of Balochistan, the main holiday prayers took place outdoors. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan
Such choices underscore the challenges of preventing the spread of the coronavirus in slums, camps and other crowded settlements around the world where clean water is scarce and survival is a daily struggle.
The Russian Army has set up field hospitals in a remote Siberian village, where more than 1,200 people have been infected with COVID-19 at the country’s largest gold mine
The study is the first to publish results from the initial phase of testing of a COVID-19 vaccine. More than 100 others are in development around the world, including nine others in clinical trials.
Kenya has stepped up efforts to find a local treatment for COVID-19. The Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), East Africa’s leading medical research facility, is testing the efficacy of an herbal medicine known as Zedupex. Kenya itself has seen more than 1,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus disease so far, and about 50 deaths
Ghana, the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred health technology innovations – from applications to track symptoms in workplaces, to online diagnosis and drone delivery of test samples. As confirmed infections continue to rise in Ghana, reaching over 6,000 cases and over 30 deaths, health tech experts want to ensure people have access to needed medicines and doctors. Stacey Knott reports from Accra
There has been a surge of claims in Tanzania of herbal cures for the coronavirus. Despite endorsements by some public officials, medical experts warn that no treatments should be taken at face value until scientifically tested
Prompted by widespread reports of police beatings of protesters, heavy-handed enforcement of safe-distancing measures and other abuses, rights groups and academics are raising the alarm over what they see as a squeeze on basic human rights in Africa’s fragile democracies
While laboratory evidence demonstrates hope for the drug, the results are inconclusive, prompting the creation of the international, double-blind study.
Thousands of Nigerians are receiving free mental health care through a program to help people cope with stress and isolation from COVID-19. The program, Mentally Aware Nigeria, or MANI, was formed by psychologists and medical experts to create an environment where people can seek mental health care without fear of stigma or discrimination. Timothy Obiezu …