News & Events

The Christmas season begins in late November or early December with the start of Advent, a period of preparation for Christmas Day. Traditions like decorating Christmas trees, singing carols, attending church services, and waiting for Santa Claus are hallmarks of the Christmas season. On Christmas Eve, children eagerly wait to spot Santa and his reindeer delivering presents. Christmas Day starts with families opening gifts and enjoying festive meals together.

Many of the customs and decorations of Christmas, like mistletoe, holly, and yule logs originated from pre-Christian winter solstice celebrations. When Christianity spread, the Church gave new symbolism and meaning to these old traditions. The giving of gifts may recall the gifts of the Magi to the Christ child. Christmas carols, nativity scenes, and church services help recount and celebrate the story of Christ’s birth.

In 2022, BioNTech laid out a plan to enable African countries to produce its Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine under the company’s supervision. The goal is to promote vaccine equity and self-reliance for the region. Currently, Africa relies on imports for 99% of its vaccine needs according to the World Health Organization.

The Kigali facility will have an initial capacity to produce 50 million doses of the mRNA vaccine per year. However, it can be scaled up over time to produce several hundred million doses as needed. The modular design allows capacity to be expanded. Local staff will be trained to operate the facility to ensure knowledge transfer. The goal is for the Kigali site to eventually manufacture a portfolio of mRNA-based vaccines against malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases relevant to the region.

Rwanda was chosen as the location thanks to its relative political stability and support from government leadership. BioNTech’s goal is to spread manufacturing capacity worldwide to improve global access to vaccines when future pandemics arise.

Read the original article here: https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/other/biontech-aims-to-start-mrna-vaccine-output-in-rwanda-in-2025/ar-AA1lJJUH

The Eswatini National Plant Health Inspection Services (NaPHIS), in collaboration with the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat and other partners, concluded a seven-month assessment of Eswatini’s phytosanitary system. The partners included the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Commerce and Trade, Ministry of Tourism and Environment, Peak Timbers, Nisela Farms, and NamBoard.

During the workshops, participants from NaPHIS, representatives of other government departments, the national phytosanitary industry, grower associations and IPPC Secretariat staff reviewed and validated the outcomes of the Phytosanitary Capacity Evaluation (PCE). They also shared key outcomes with development partners. The PCE project, co-signed by the Government of Eswatini, falls within the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Policy Framework for Africa developed by the African Union (AU). It aims to spur trade among AU Member States and is being implemented in close collaboration with the African Commission Division for Rural Economy and Agriculture (AUC DARBE). The comprehensive evaluation provided critical insights into the strengths and weaknesses of Eswatini’s phytosanitary system.

Read the original article here: https://www.africa-newsroom.com/press/eswatini-concludes-evaluation-of-its-national-phytosanitary-system-to-better-protect-plant-health?lang=en