By: Christian Alpha Conte

The World Health Organisation has endorsed the Mosquirix vaccine, the first step in a process that should lead to wide distribution in poor countries. “To have a malaria vaccine that is safe, moderately effective and ready for distribution is a historic event,” said Dr Pedro Alonso, director of the W.H.O.’s global malaria program.

Malaria kills about 500,000 people each year, about half of them children in Africa. The new vaccine isn’t perfect, but it will help turn the tide, experts say.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organisation’s Director-General, said the long-awaited vaccine was a breakthrough for science and could save tens of thousands of young lives each year.

“As some of you may know, I started my career as a malaria researcher, and I longed for the day that we would have an effective vaccine against this ancient and terrible disease. And today is that day. Today, W.H.O. is recommending the broad use of the world’s first malaria vaccine,” Dr Ghebreyesus said.

This recommendation is based on results from an ongoing pilot program in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi that has reached more than 800,000 children since 2019. This long-awaited malaria vaccine is a breakthrough for science, child health and malaria control. Using this vaccine, in addition to existing tools to prevent malaria, could save tens of thousands of young lives each year.

This new development means the world has gained a new weapon in the war on malaria one of the oldest known and deadliest of infectious diseases.

Malaria kills about half a million people each year, nearly all of them in sub-Saharan Africa this includes 260,000 children under 5.

The new vaccine, made by GlaxoSmithKline, awakens a child’s immune system to thwart Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest of five malaria pathogens and the most prevalent in Africa.

Malaria is rare in the developed world. There are just 2,000 cases in the United States each year, mostly among travellers returning from countries in which the disease is endemic.

The vaccine, called Mosquirix, is not just a first for malaria, it is the first developed for any parasitic disease. Parasites are much more complex than viruses or bacteria, and the quest for a malaria vaccine has been underway for a hundred years.

This week, a working group of independent experts in malaria, child health epidemiology and statistics, as well as the W.H.O.’s vaccine advisory group, met to review data from the pilot programs and to make their formal recommendation to Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“We still have a very long road to travel, but this is a long stride down that road,” Dr Tedros said at a news conference on Wednesday.

The next step is for Gavi, the global vaccine alliance, to determine that the vaccine is a worthwhile investment. If the organisation’s board approves the vaccine, given the vaccine’s moderate efficacy and the many competing priorities, Gavi will purchase the vaccine for countries that request it, a process that is expected to take at least a year.

But as with COVID-19, problems with vaccine production and supply could considerably delay progress. And the pandemic has also diverted resources and attention from other diseases, said Deepali Patel, who leads malaria vaccine programs at Gavi.

“COVID is a big unknown in the room in terms of where capacity is currently in countries, and rolling out COVID-19 vaccines is a huge effort. We are going to have to see how the pandemic unfolds next year in terms of when countries will be ready to pick up all of these other priorities,” Ms Patel said.

By: Christian Alpha Conte

For the first time in over 20 years the world has awoken to a new sickle cell treatment, the National Health Service (NHS) England has revealed. The treatment NHS says will help keep thousands of people out of hospital over the next three years.

Sickle cell disease is the name for a group of inherited health conditions that affect red blood cells. The most serious type is called sickle cell anaemia. People with sickle cell disease produce unusually shaped red blood cells that can cause problems because they do not live as long as healthy blood cells and can block blood vessels.

Sickle cell disease is a serious and lifelong health condition, although treatment can help manage many of the symptoms.

People with the condition endure severe pain during a ‘sickle cell crisis’ that can occur multiple times per year, often requiring hospital admission so they can be given morphine to control the pain and prevent organ failure which can be fatal.

Known as Crizanlizumab, the new drug will be delivered by a transfusion drip and works by binding to a protein in the blood cells to prevent the restriction of blood and oxygen supply that lead to a sickle cell crisis.

Announcing the new treatment, Amanda Pritchard, NHS Chief Executive, said the drug deal, struck by the NHS, would help thousands of people over the next three years to have a much better quality of life.

Patients with sickle cell suffer from monthly episodes, making it difficult for them to continue in their jobs or other everyday activities.

The hereditary condition is much more prevalent among people of African or African-Caribbean origin.

According to Amanda Pritchard NHS Chief Executive, “This is a historic moment for people with sickle cell disease who will be given their first new treatment in over two decades. This revolutionary treatment will help to save lives, allow patients to have a better quality of life and reduce trips to the hospital for A&E by almost half.”

This announcement paves the way for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to publish final guidance on Crizanlizumab which will take into consideration the data that will be collected as part of the agreement.

People aged 16 and over who suffer from multiple sickle cell crises, or vaso-occlusive crises as they are scientifically known, per year will be eligible for the treatment.

The NHS agreed on a deal to make Crizanlizumab available for patients earlier than would have otherwise been possible at a price that is fair for taxpayers.

It is the latest in a line of deals secured by the NHS, including a new cholesterol-busting jab and lung cancer drug last month as well as the world’s most expensive drug which treats spinal muscular atrophy in infants, earlier in the year.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “It is fantastic news that this ground-breaking new treatment for sickle cell disease will soon be available in England where it will make a difference to thousands of people’s lives.

Mai Fatty has announced the passing of his younger brother Muhammed Fatty.

The younger Fatty passed away a few hours ago, GMC leader Mai Fatty announced on his official Facebook page on Thursday.

“Unto Allah we originate from and unto Him we shall return. I seek prayers for my younger brother Muhammad Fatty, my Mom’s last, who passed away few hours ago, after a brief illness. May Allah admit him into Jannatul Firdaws. Ameen,” Mai Fatty wrote.

The Scorpions were thrashed 7-2 on Thursday by Morocco in the first of three friendly international matches.

Morocco’s El Karti scored a hat-trick and Azaro scored twice in a game that saw Morocco field their B team.

Gambia was 6-nil down when Modou Barrow pulled one back in the 68th minute. The striker grabbed a second in the 90th minute after a blunder by Morocco’s keeper.

The Gambia will assume the presidency of the ECOWAS Commission, for the first time in the country’s history.

State House announced on Wednesday The Gambia will assume the position of President of the ECOWAS Commission for the period 2022-2026. The decision was arrived at unanimously by the ECOWAS Council

The Gambia’s candidate is Dr Omar A Touray but who is the man?

Dr Touray served as foreign minister of The Gambia as well as Gambia’s permanent representative at the United Nations. He also worked with the Islamic Development Bank.

A website has said anti-FGM campaigner Jaha Dukureh is slated to become the world’s youngest female president.

Mrs Dukureh joined PDOIS in March this year, one of only a few famous women leaders to publicly declare their support for a party.

Mrs Dukureh made a name for herself a few years ago when she was tapped by The Guardian to lead a campaign against female genital mutilation in Africa.

A quote attributed to Mrs Dukureh on the www.jahadukureh.com website said: “Together we hold the future of The Gambia in our hands. We must walk forward together, with intention and focus. Moving as one, we can we protect the country we love.”

The Fatu Network understands Mrs Dukureh launched her campaign for president virtually on Wednesday attended by people close to her. Another launch with PDOIS leader Halifa Sallah is set to take place.

It wasn’t immediately clear if Mrs Dukureh will run in the December presidential election.

The Police Anti Crime Unit (ACU) and Police Intervention Unit (PIU) conducted intensive patrols last night within KM and WCR resulting in the arrest of 13 people.

“Three of the suspects were caught on the act of breaking into a shop at Bundung with intention to steal. They are currently helping police with investigations,” police said today.

“Members of the public are encouraged to volunteer information about unusual criminal activities within their communities,” police added.

The Police Anti Crime Unit (ACU) and Police Intervention Unit (PIU) conducted intensive patrols last night within KM and WCR resulting in the arrest of 13 people.

Police said today a total of 13 suspects were arrested in connection with allegations of burglary, breaking and stealing, possession of suspected stolen properties among other offenses.

“Three of the suspects were caught on the act of breaking into a shop at Bundung with intention to steal. They are currently helping police with investigations

“Members of the public are encouraged to volunteer information about unusual criminal activities within their communities,” police said.

By Reuters

Guinea’s military junta on Wednesday named Mohamed Beavogui, a former civil servant and expert in agricultural finance, as prime minister to preside over a promised transition back to democratic rule following a coup in September.

Beavogui, 68, is also the nephew of Diallo Telli, a celebrated Guinean diplomat who served as the first secretary-general of the Organisation of African Unity, the predecessor to the African Union, and was killed by the regime of dictator Sekou Touré in 1977.

Beavogui, whose nomination was announced in a decree read on national television, will oversee a transition whose precise contours have yet to be defined.

In the 1980s, Beavogui worked as a civil servant and at the Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinee (CBG), one of the country’s leading producers of bauxite. Guinea possesses the world’s largest reserves of aluminum ore.

He later worked for the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization and, more recently, as director-general of African Risk Capacity, an African Union agency that helps governments plan for natural disasters.

Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya, who led the ouster of former President Alpha Conde, was inaugurated as interim president last Friday. He promised to organize free and transparent elections but did not say when.

By AFP

Sixteen soldiers were killed and 10 wounded in an attack in central Mali on Wednesday, security and health officials in the war-torn Sahel state said.

In a statement, Mali’s army said the troops had been the target of a “complex IED attack”, referring to an improvised explosive device, and then came under heavy gunfire shortly before 11:30 am.

The army blamed the attack on suspected militants and said that after pursuit, 15 of the assailants were killed and 20 motorcycles seized.

Mali has been struggling to contain an Islamist insurgency that first erupted in the north in 2012 and has since claimed thousands of military and civilian lives.

By AFP

The bodies of 17 migrants were found washed up on a Libyan beach after their boat capsized during a bid to reach Europe by sea, the coast guard said on Wednesday.

Libya is a major departure point for desperate migrants, tens of thousands of whom board unseaworthy boats every year in attempts to reach Italian shores 300 kilometers (190 miles) away.

The voyages often turn deadly.

“Over the past 24 hours, the bodies of 17 migrants were found on the coast between the cities of Zawiya and Sorman, by Red Crescent teams,” a coast guard official told AFP.

The victims drowned after their boat overturned, he said.

The Red Crescent in Zawiya, 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of the capital Tripoli, published images of corpses covered in shrouds.

The Scorpions have Wednesday morning held another training session in El Jadida. This is ahead of the first of three international friendlies this week starting with tomorrow’s match against FIFA Arab World Cup champions Morocco in Mohammedia. Tom Saintfiet put his players through their paces with a 90 minutes’ workout in the day’s only session.

The headline news is that all 26 players are now in camp after the arrival of Ablie Jallow and Dembo Darboe last evening.

Darboe pulled out in previous selections due to different circumstances, but finally, the Shakhtyor Soligorsk striker is here and ready for his debut.

Born in Brikama on 17th August 1998, the 23-year-old began his career with Real de Banjul at 17. He moved to ASEC Ndiambour in Senegal after just one season in the summer of 2017. Two years later, he moved to North Macedonian club FC Shkupi. He made his breakthrough in his second season scoring 17 goals in 19 league matches. He secured a move to Shakhtyor in January this year for an undisclosed fee.

He is currently one of the most in-form players in Europe having scored a monstrous 16 goals this season, to lead his Belarusian Premier League side to the top of the table with 59 points, four ahead of second-place BATE Borisov, even though they played two games less. Darboe is hoping to see a similar form with Scorpions and has promised to give everything in him for his country.

Since 2019, Darboe has scored 34 times, with the highlight being the one he scored towards the end of August. He collected the ball in his own half and ran through the entire length of the field before rounding the keeper to score his side’s third in a 4-0 win. He’s currently scoring at a rate that has never been seen in his entire career.

He has gone, he has seen and has conquered. His addition to the Scorpions set-up has added a killer instinct with a Scorpion whose sting is as deadly as top mask man Assan Ceesay. This is another youthful addition to an already youthful side. Gambians can only dream that it has the team that has the potential to be at the peak of their prowess for at least the next decade.

Baboucarr Camara

Supporters of UDP leader Ousainou Darboe chanted, ‘Darboe who made Barrow president will remove him’ as the UDP leader entered Badibou on Day 3 of his nationwide tour.

Mr Darboe completed Nuimi and Jokadu on Wednesday holding a key meeting in Ndungu Kebbeh.

The UDP leader has just arrived in Kerewan to much fanfare.

The crowd welcoming him is massive, one person in Kerewan said.

Citizens’ Alliance’s Ansu Mboge has issued a statement blasting as false reports by Essa Faal’s campaign that he flipped to the Turnaround campaign.

A photo of Mboge and Essa Faal was shared by Mr Faal’s supporters claiming Mboge has joined Faal’s campaign.

But in a statement, Mr Mboge blasted: “I want to openly declare that the information is false, inaccurate and very misleading. I am still and will continue to be a staunch member of Citizens’ Alliance under the leadership of Dr Ceesay.

“Taking a picture with Mr Faal does not mean I have crossed carpets or throwing my weight behind Essa Mbye Faal. I have high regards for him as an individual and wish him the very best but that does not mean I am leaving my party for his party.

“We preach peace and tolerance but when it comes to practicing it, the people who talk about it the most are the ones coming up with false claims.

“I feel used by his media team for putting up that picture alongside a very misleading caption.”

The Gambia will assume the position of President of the ECOWAS Commission for the period 2022-2026.

The decision was arrived at unanimously by the ECOWAS Council, State House said in a statement on Wednesday.

The statement added: “The Gambia’s candidate to occupy this high profile position is Dr. Omar Touray. It is the first time in the history of the ECOWAS Commission that The Gambia will occupy the presidency. The position rotates among the member states of the organisation.

“President Adama Barrow received the news today with delight, saying it is a sign of the country’s recognition within the sub-region. He noted that The Gambia had gained more respect among its peers in the sub-region since he came to office in 2017.

“Since assuming office, the Barrow administration has strengthened the country’s democratic credentials and respect for the rule of law and the independence of the institutions of the state.”

Police have announced arresting 25 people during patrols in the past days amid their Operation Zero Crime programme.

In a statement, police said: “Personnel of the Police Anti Crime Unit (ACU) and Police Intervention Unit (PIU) conducted robust patrols during the past days under the Patrols and Response Initiative within KM and WCR.

“Twenty-five suspects were arrested in connection to allegations of burglary, breaking and stealing, possession of suspected drugs, stealing from a motor vehicle, possession of breaking implements, going armed in public, among others. They are being processed for prosecution at courts.”

Members of the public are encouraged to volunteer information about unusual activities within their communities.

President Adama Barrow today presented two new buses to the Council of the University of the Gambia Students’ Union during a brief ceremony at the State House in Banjul.

Handing over the keys to the student representatives, President Barrow who is the Chancellor of the UTG called on them to maintain peace and stability for the country’s development. “If there was no peace in the country, we could not have been standing here to do this presentation,” said President Barrow.

President Barrow urged the students to focus on their education to prepare themselves better as future leaders. He assured them of his government’s commitment to education as a top priority. Highlighting his confidence in the country’s youths, President Barrow is hopeful that the next president after him will come from among the young. He cited former President Jawara’s address to school children during the Independence Day celebration at McCarthy Square in 1979, calling on young people to prepare for the country’s future leaders.

President Barrow said he was among those students, but little did he know that “a poor boy from Mangkamang Kunda” would be one of the country’s future Presidents.

President Adama Barrow will officially inaugurate the newly built Roads and Bridges in URR om Saturday October 9.

This fulfills NDP Strategic Priority 5; Building our infrastructure and restoring energy service to power our economy.

The URR infrastructure project is a flagship initiative to connect the north and south of the region to support socio-economic growth.

As part of his engagements, President Barrow will also lay the foundation for Phase 2 of the TVET project in Ndemban on 7th October and Sunday grace the inauguration ceremony of the Koba Kunda School, which now accommodates a Senior Secondary School.

By Batou Saidy

Barely few months after the Euro 2020 was done and dusted, the UEFA Nations League resumes in style. The first semifinal match that will feature Italy and Spain will be underway tonight at San Siro, a famous stadium in Milan, Italy. This tie will reignite the footballing rivalry between the Azzurri and the La Roja.

Italy are the European champions after their heroics at the Euro 2020 finals. This was their maiden success at a European championship. They have won the Wembley final and taken the trophy to Rome. The Three Lions were disappointed that it didn’t go home.

Spain have also gone far in the tournament, all the way to the semis, only to eventually lose to vintage Italy in the shootouts. Many people might not expect them to go that far after their gaffer, Luis Enrique called their squad ahead of the tournament, omitting notable names. But they’ve went on to refute those thoughts of underperformance and expectations of early exit.

The second semifinal clash will be Belgium versus France at the Allianz Stadium on Thursday, with the final to feature victors from either clash at San Siro on Sunday. The Red Devils suffered a shocking exit at the hands of the Azzurri, thanks to goals from Lorenzo Insigne and Nicolo Barella. Romelu Lukaku pulled one back from the penalty spot, but that wasn’t enough to salvage them from shocking exit.

For France, it was a disappointing tournament. Their early exit from the hands of Switzerland was not what many expected. But their problems were also apparent: from the overconfidence of their coach to the premium selfishness of some of their players, and even internal conflict within the squad. That made it so early for France. Les Bleus.

Running a quick analysis on this tournament, here are few points to take home:

Home advantage for Italy

The Azzurri will be locking horns with Spain today in Milan. That is a great home advantage for them to capitalize on. Putting icing on the cake, Italy are still on their unbeaten streak, a 37-match unbeaten run that stretches as far back as 2018.

It’s now or never for Belgium’s golden generation

Belgium are number one in world football ranking. They have a golden generation of players but it’s largely insane how they haven’t managed to win any honor so far. Now that the squad is running out of muscle – with Hazard, De Bruyne, Mertens, Lukaku, Vertonghen and Witsel all aging; for them to win an honor, it’s now or never. If they throw this one away, 2022 World Cup could be their only chance for glory.

France to avoid complacency

Les Bleus have a lot of problems to fix. Internal conflict. Mbappe’s ego. Overconfidence.
Amongst many other things of relevance. They can’t afford to rubbish their superiority and deny themselves of titles they can easily win en masse. However, when they play Belgium on Thursday, the Red Devils may seek to revenge. That will make the match quite interesting. And which ever side is to win this tournament has to play really hard.