News
Nigeria to Benefit from UK’s £210 million Funding to Tackle Antimicrobial Resistance
Nigeria to Benefit from UK’s £210 million Funding to Tackle Antimicrobial Resistance
By: Michael Mike
The United Kingdom has announced a funding plan of up to £210 million for the building of state-of-the-art laboratories, cutting-edge disease surveillance systems, and a bigger global workforce to tackle deadly antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Nigeria and countries in Africa and Asia.
A statement on Thursday signed by the Senior Communications & Public Diplomacy Officer, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office/ British High Commission, Atinuke Akande-Alegbe revealed that the funding from the government’s UK aid budget will support the Fleming Fund’s activities to tackle AMR in countries across Asia and Africa over the next three years, helping to reduce the threat it poses to the UK and globally.
According to the statement, the funding would bolster the surveillance capacity in up to 25 countries where the threat and burden of AMR is highest – including Nigeria, Indonesia, Ghana, Kenya, and Papua New Guinea – with more than 250 laboratories set to be upgraded and provided with state-of-the-art equipment.
The statement further revealed that: “This investment includes new genome sequencing technology which will help track bacterial transmission between humans, animals and the environment.
The investment will also strengthen the international health workforce by supporting 20,000 training sessions for laboratory staff, pharmacists and hospital staff, and over 200 Fleming Fund scholarships to boost expertise in microbiology, AMR policy and One Health – which recognises the connection between humans, animals and the environment.”
The UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Steve Barclay was quoted to have said: “Antimicrobial resistance is a silent killer which poses a significant threat to people’s health around the world and here in the UK, and will be an important topic here at the G20 in India.
“It’s vital it is stopped in its tracks and this record funding will allow countries most at risk to tackle it and prevent it from taking more lives across the world, ultimately making us safer at home.
“It also builds on work the government is doing to incentivise drug companies to develop new antibiotics – a model which some G20 countries are looking to implement.”
According to the statement, around 1.27 million people around the world die each year due to antimicrobial resistance – where bacteria have evolved so much that antibiotics and other current treatments are no longer effective against infections – with one in five of those deaths in children under five. In 2019 AMR was found to have caused between 7,000 and 35,000 deaths in the UK alone.
The UK Special Envoy on AMR Dame Sally Davies said: “I am proud and delighted that the UK’s Fleming Fund will continue to create real impact to tackle AMR and build pandemic preparedness on the ground across the world, using data to drive action and catalyse investment.
“This world-leading investment in AMR laboratories, workforce and systems is a vital contribution to realise our vision of a world free of drug-resistant infection.”
The statement said the present investment will deliver the second phase of the UK-Nigeria Fleming Fund partnership.
Nigeria to Benefit from UK’s £210 million Funding to Tackle Antimicrobial Resistance
Suspected Lakurawa bandits kill farmer in Sokoto attack
By: Zagazola Makama
Armed bandits suspected to be members of the notorious Lakurawa group have killed a farmer in Marake Village, Gudu Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
Zagazola Makaka gathered that the incident occurred on July 16 at about 4:00 p.m. when the assailants, riding on motorcycles, stormed the farmlands where local farmers were working.
During the attack, one of the farmers, identified as Hamisu Bala, was shot and died on the spot.
Troops of Nigerian Army’s Operation FANSAN swiftly responded to the distress call and visited the scene.
The victim’s body was conveyed to a nearby hospital, while security operatives launched a patrol and manhunt operation in the surrounding villages to track down the fleeing attackers.
Suspected Lakurawa bandits kill farmer in Sokoto attack
Man allegedly kills three children in Osun, dies after mob attack
By: Zagazola Makama
Tragedy struck in Oba-Ile, Osun State, as a man suspected to be a drug addict allegedly macheted three children to death before being lynched by an angry mob.
Zagazola gathered that the incident occurred on July 15 at about 8:05 p.m. when the suspect, identified as Sodiq Eniola, aged 30, stormed the compound of one Mr Ganiyu Bamidele at Ese Ola’s compound.
According to Mr Bamidele, the suspect went directly to his wife’s shop located within the premises where he found the couple’s three children sleeping and attacked them with a machete, killing all three on the spot.
Upon receiving the distress report, police officers from Oba-Ile Division swiftly mobilised to the scene, where they met a mob attempting to mete out jungle justice to the suspect.
Despite efforts to rescue him, Sodiq Eniola sustained severe injuries from the mob assault and later died while being transported to the hospital.
Man allegedly kills three children in Osun, dies after mob attack
One killed, two policemen injured in Katsina communal clash over grazing land
By: Zagazola Makama
A communal clash between residents of Rijiyar Tsamiya village in Sandamu Local Government Area and Munawa village in Dutsi LGA has left one person dead and two policemen injured.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that the violence erupted on Wednesday morning following a longstanding dispute over grazing land between the two communities.
The sources said that at about 7:00 a.m., a mob from Rijiyar Tsamiya launched an attack on Munawa village, during which several mud silos used for storing grain were set ablaze.
In the ensuing violence, a 20-year-old man identified as Gaddafi Umar from Rijiyar Tsamiya sustained critical injuries. Two policemen who responded to the disturbance also sustained injuries during the operation.
All three victims were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre in Daura for treatment. However, Gaddafi Umar was later confirmed dead by medical personnel, while the two police officers were treated and discharged.
Police sources say Preliminary investigations indicate that the root cause of the conflict was a dispute over grazing land a common source of tension in the region.
Security personnel have since restored calm to the area and assured residents that normalcy has returned, while further investigation is ongoing to prevent a recurrence.
One killed, two policemen injured in Katsina communal clash over grazing land
Suspected Lakurawa bandits kill farmer in Sokoto attack
Man allegedly kills three children in Osun, dies after mob attack
One killed, two policemen injured in Katsina communal clash over grazing land
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