Daily Monitor
Tuesday March 16 2021
On March 5, the Kenyan Government issued a ban on the importation of maize from Uganda. The decision, according to the head of Kenyan Agriculture and Food Authority, stemmed from their findings on the safety of food imports to Kenya that revealed maize from Uganda and Tanzania contains substances that cause cancer. This decision has attracted an unprecedented response from some Ugandan legislators, who proposed a ban on agricultural imports from Kenya in retaliation. Whereas the need to protect Ugandan traders involved in maize export is understandable, our legislators should become more proactive to deal with the root cause of the problem and save us from future troubles.
Daily Monitor
Wednesday February 17 2021
A vial containing the Covid-19 vaccine by AstraZeneca at the Robert Bosch Hospital in Stuttgart, Germany. PHOTO AFP
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The AstraZeneca vaccine being purchased by government has 63 per cent efficacy in preventing Covid-19 illness, the World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed on Monday.
“The AstraZeneca/Oxford product is a viral vectored vaccine. AstraZeneca has been found to have 63.09 per cent efficacy and is suitable for low and middle-income countries due to easy storage requirements,” WHO said in a statement, adding the vaccine has been listed for emergency use.
This efficacy is, however, 30 per cent below the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are being used in other countries, including Rwanda.
Daily Monitor
Tuesday February 16 2021
Develop strategies, reduce air pollution, KCCA, WHO, towns, Kampala
The Daily Monitor of yesterday reported that the air pollution levels in Uganda have exceeded the World Health Organisation (WHO) limit (see: ‘Alarm as air pollution levels exceed WHO limit).
The emerging evidence has linked the smoggy skylines observed in several towns across the country to high levels of pollution.
The fear about the hazy skylines was worsened by the KCCA revelation that it detected pollution several times higher than the WHO normal range of 25 microgram per cubic metres.
The results from the 23 air quality monitors across Kampala indicated that average particulate matter (PM 2.5) is at 75 micrograms per cubic metre higher than the WHO cut-off point. Particulate matter is the sum of all solid and liquid particles suspended in the air, many of which are hazardous to human health. Particulate matter 25 are the final inhalable particles.