COVID-19: ANGOLA RECOVERS 319 PATIENTS IN LAST 24 HOURS

 

Luanda - The health authorities announced Wednesday the recovery of 319 patients, 128 new cases and 3 deaths, in the last 24 hours.

According to the daily bulletin, amongst those recovered, 282 reside in Luanda, 21 in Huíla, 8 in Huambo, 3 in Bengo, 2 in Benguela, 2 in Malanje and 1 in Bié.

In terms of new infections, the bulletin said, 91 were diagnosed in Luanda, 15 in Huambo, 6 in Cuanza Norte, 6 in Huila, 4 in Namibe, 2 in Bié, 2 in Cuando Cubango and 2 in Malanje.

Among the new cases, whose ages range from 1 to 81, 67 are men and 61 women.

The deaths involve two citizens resident in Huambo and one in Luanda.

In the last 24 hours, laboratories processed 1,317 samples by RT-PCR.

There are 110 patients in the hospitalisation centres, 74 are in institutional quarantine, while 2,323 contacts of positive cases are under medical follow-up.

The country records 38,002 positive cases, with 875 deaths, 32,322 recovered patients and 4,802 active. Of the active ones, 16 are in critical condition, 24 severe, 40 moderate, 30 mild and 4,692 asymptomatic.

AFRICA REPORTS SLIGHT PROGRESS IN AGRICULTURE - DIPLOMAT

 

Luanda - African continent has made some progress in Agriculture sector in the last years, said the Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment of African Union (UA).

Josefa Correia Sacko said so at the 4th Conference of the Ministers of Agriculture of African Union and European Union held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Monday.

 

Speaking by video conference, the diplomat linked the increase to the declaration of bilateral and multilateral agenda in force since 2019.

 

She said that under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) the African states pledged to spend at least 10% of their budget on agriculture with a view to reaching 6% of the annual increase of the sector’s Gross Domestic Product.

 

“However, the latest CAADP analysis points that few countries are in the right way”, concluded the official.

 

The Commissioner pointed to Covid-19, as having worsened the challenges for the sustainable transformation of agriculture and the rural development in Africa.

 

To the official, the CAADP revitalised in the Malabo Declaration of 2014, is the political framework for agricultural transformation, creation of wealth, food and nutrition security, economic increase and prosperity for all.

 

Diplomat assured that AU is working on implementation of a Food Security Agency for Africa, aimed at strengthening food security, affordable safe and nutritious products.

ECCAS ASSESSES E-COMMUNICATION INFRASTRUCTURE

 Luanda – Ministers of Telecommunications and Information Technologies of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) discussed Thursday the consensual action plan for the implementation of electronic communications infrastructure in the region .

The plan will allow the provision of electronic communications services and the integration of infrastructure between governments, states and companies, in addition to strengthening information security and electronic commerce, especially in rural areas.

The virtual meeting appreciated, among other documents, the report of the committee of experts held on the 22nd of this month, which discussed the proposal for giving priority to the projects, the implementation roadmap and the draft declaration on the development of electronic communications infrastructure in the Central Africa.

According to the Angolan minister, Manuel Homem, who was speaking on the sidelines of the event, Africa, in general, and the central region, in particular, has been creating the necessary conditions for the intended development to be carried out in a sustainable manner.

Manuel Homem stated that, in order to be sustainable, investment in infrastructure is crucial, bearing in mind that the objective is to create a strong digital economy capable of allowing greater economic collaboration between countries in the region.

He is of the view that the telecommunications and information technologies have been the lever in technological and industrial evolution.

"The continent must continue to address the improvement of telecommunications infrastructure, a project of the 20/63 agenda of the African Union, which will allow a digital agenda for the continent", he stressed.

Angola, he added, cannot be left out, having already taken significant steps to give and have more access to digital services as such.

The minister pointed out the recent inauguration of the African interconnection project of the single African fiber optic network.

The Heads of State of the ECCAS Government, who met  in January 2020, in Libreville (Gabon), approved an institutional framework for its implementation and the project to strengthen the capacity of Member States, within the framework of broadband and infrastructure. supporting the digital economy.

At the level of the African continent, the implementation of the Central African installations programme entered the second phase with the adoption, in February 2020, of a set of projects that will constitute the priority plan for the development of infrastructure in Africa, for the period 2021/2030.