. Food security and safety using solar dryers for preservation.

Food security and safety by food preservation using solar dryers. The challenge brings a solution to curbing food waste by processing produce to extend shelf life and obtain a zero waste culture.

 Did you know 1/3 of food produce is lost or wasted along the value chain? Did you know food processing will curb food waste and loss? Did you know processing can be done at affordable prices with locally fabricated machines/equipment? Did you know harnessing the power of the sun is a cheap method of processing and preservation?

 

The good news is this solar dryers can be used for a variety of products and local fabrication is a cheap option. See how its used to process fish

 The products are processed  in hygienic conditions by properly kitted operators ensuring food safety. The processed foods are taken to food tanks/food banks for onward distribution by food vendors using the food on wheels model.

       

. #COVID-19 #Coronavirus

VETERINARY MEDICINE:Poultry, pigs not susceptible to COVID-19.

German researchers: Poultry, pigs not susceptible to COVID-19.Scientists in Germany have confirmed that chickens and pigs are not susceptible to COVID-19. Researchers around the world have been trying to find out whether SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19, can infect other species after it was understood to have originated from bats. Germany’s Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut started infection studies in chickens, pigs, fruit bats and ferrets several weeks ago, inoculating animals nasally with SARS-CoV-2 to mimic the natural route of infection in humans. While early results indicated fruit bats and ferrets are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, pigs and chickens are not.The researchers said they tested chickens and pigs due to the close contact they make with humans. Tests were carried out to discover whether animals become infected, whether the pathogen replicates, and if the animals show symptoms of the disease.“Under experimental conditions, neither chickens nor were found to be susceptible to infection with SARS-CoV-2,” the institute said. “According to the current state of knowledge, they are not affected by the virus and therefore do not pose a potential risk to human health.” The final results are expected at the beginning of May. The German study follows research carried out in China that investigated the susceptibility of ferrets and animals in close contact with humans to COVID-19. Scientists at the Harbin Vet Research Institute found that SARS-CoV-2 replicates poorly in dogs, chickens, pigs, and ducks but efficiently in ferrets and cats. #COVID-19 #coronavirus #veterinarymedicine #onehealth.

Without proper strategies, prisons could become COVID-19 ‘epicenter’.

Without proper strategies, prisons could become COVID-19 ‘epicenter’Compared with other countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States generally has a higher incarceration rate, with more than 10 million people booked into jails each year. This specific setting poses “a unique set of challenges” when it comes to COVID-19 prevention that require action and attention, according to an editorial published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Q: What makes inmates susceptible to COVID-19? A: People who are incarcerated are susceptible to COVID-19 for many reasons. They tend to, on average, have a higher burden of chronic illness compared with their nonincarcerated counterparts. In addition, factors at the facility level can put people in these institutions at increased risk, too. In these settings, it is very difficult to engage in social distancing, soap and/or hand sanitizer are not widely available and there may be medical copays that act as a barrier to seeking help.

Veterinary scientist hailed for Faroe Islands' lack of Covid-19 deaths.

Veterinary scientist hailed for Faroe Islands' lack of Covid-19 deaths.A scientist who adapted his veterinary lab to test for disease among humans rather than salmon is being celebrated for helping the Faroe Islands avoid coronavirus deaths, where a larger proportion of the population has been tested than anywhere in the world. The north Atlantic archipelago currently has only one person in hospital with Covid-19 and it is one of three European countries, along with Georgia and Liechtenstein to so far not have any deaths from the virus. On Wednesday, the country’s prime minister, Bárður á Steig Nielsen, announced that as of 20 April the country’s kindergartens, nurseries and early years classes in primary schools would reopen. Pupils in the last year of secondary school will also return to class and sport will recommence without spectators. The success of the Faroese approach is said by local politicians to be largely a result of the foresight of the veterinary scientist Debes Christiansen, the head of department at the National Reference Laboratory for Fish and Animal Diseases in the capital, Tórshavn. In Nigeria, the

Can You Be Re-Infected After Recovering From Coronavirus? .

Can You Be Re-Infected After Recovering From Coronavirus? Here's What We Know About COVID-19 Immunity.Troubling headlines have been cropping up across Asia: Some patients in China, Japan and South Korea who were diagnosed with COVID-19 and seemingly recovered have been readmitted to the hospital after testing positive for the virus again. Because SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, was only discovered a few months ago, scientists are still trying to answer many big questions related to the virus and the disease it causes. Among them is whether patients can be reinfected by the virus after they seem to recover from the symptoms. With other coronavirus strains, experts say the antibodies that patients produce during infection give them immunity to the specific virus for months or even years, but researchers are still figuring out if and how that works with COVID-19. The answer has huge implications for the spread of the disease, since researchers believe it will continue to crash across the world in waves, hitting the same country multiple times. Can you get re-infected after recovering from COVID-19? There remains a lot of uncertainty, but experts TIME spoke with say that it’s likely the reports of patients who seemed to have recovered but then tested positive again were not examples of re-infection, but were cases where lingering infection was not detected by tests for a period of time.

Gender equality in the time of COVID-19.

Gender equality in the time of COVID-19.

In a report published earlier this week, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) points out that disease outbreaks affect women and men differently, and pandemics make existing inequalities for women and girls worse. 

 With women representing 70 percent of the health and social sector workforce globally, special attention should be given to how their work environment may expose them to discrimination, as well as their sexual and reproductive health and psychosocial needs as frontline health workers, the report says.

 In times of crisis, women and girls may be at higher risk of intimate partner violence and other forms of domestic violence due to increased tensions in the household. Also, sexual and reproductive health and rights is a significant public health issue that requires high attention during pandemics. 

Safe pregnancies and childbirth depend on functioning health systems and strict adherence to infection prevention, the report says. “Clearly, we must fight the virus for all of humanity, with a focus on people, especially the most affected: women, older persons, youth, low-wage workers, small and medium enterprises, the informal sector and vulnerable groups,” Secretary-General António Guterres has stressed throughout the pandemic

UN working to fight COVID-19 and achieve Global Goals.

UN working to fight COVID-19 and achieve Global Goals. The coronavirus pandemic presents an opportunity for the human family to act in solidarity and turn this crisis into an impetus to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth Almost 25 million people could lose their jobs due to a coronavirus-induced economic and labour crisis, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has projected. In her blog, ILO Senior Economist Janine Berg warned that people in informal employment would not have social protection they need in times of crisis. She noted that the ILO Social Protection Floors Recommendation, 2012 (No. 202) said that countries should guarantee at least a basic level of social security to all, and progressively ensure adequate levels of protection to as many people as possible, as soon as possible. “In light of the COVID-19 crisis, now is a good time to heed this advice and restructure and rebuild the systems we have in place,” she emphasized. Goal 6: Water and Sanitation One of the most effective ways to slow down transmission is to wash or sanitize hands. However, globally three billion people do not have access to even basic hand washing facilities at home. Lack of access to clean water affects vulnerability to disease and ill health. It is for this reason that UN-Water members and partners are committing to the SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework, which will unify the international community and deliver fast results in countries at an increased scale as part of the Decade of Action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Goal 4: Quality Education According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), roughly 1.25 billion learners, or 72.9 per cent of total enrolled learners, worldwide have been affected by the coronavirus outbreak as of 20 March. “In this crisis, which is first and foremost a public health crisis, our thoughts are of course with the sick and all those who are suffering today and struggling against the coronavirus,” says UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, adding that “We must, however, remain mobilized, because this crisis also tells us several things that are very dear to UNESCO’s mission.” UNESCO is supporting Governments for distance learning, scientific cooperation, and information support. Goal 17: Partnerships To make all the goals a reality will require the participation of everyone, including Governments, the private sector, civil society organizations and people around the world. The fight against COVID-19 is no exception.