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Coronavirus
Covid-19: CBN wants to fund research for Nigerian Made vaccines
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has disclosed that it is developing a framework to provide financial support to aid the fight against Coronavirus Disease in the country.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has disclosed that it is developing a framework to provide financial support to aid the fight against Coronavirus Disease in the country. Governor of the apex bank, Godwin Emefiele, disclosed this at the unveiling of the THISDAY Dome testing, tracing, and treatment centre in Abuja on Tuesday.
On the Twitter handle of the apex bank, Emefiele explained that the fund would be released as soon as the vaccine is validated by health authorities. He said,
“In order to encourage greater research and development in Nigeria of drugs and vaccines that would help prevent the spread of the virus, the CBN is developing a framework under which grants and long term facilities will be provided to researchers, science institutions and biotechnology firms to develop the Nigerian vaccine.
“Needless to state that if we are to wait for foreign countries to develop their own vaccines, we will be the last in the queue to receive curative remedies for our teeming population.
“The Central Bank of Nigeria today challenges Nigerian scientists at home and in the diaspora to go back to their laboratories and develop a Nigerian vaccine. Once validated by the health authorities, the CBN will step in and do the needful for the sake of over 200 million Nigerians now confronted by COVID-19.”
READ ALSO: Why shareholders of Nigerian banks should expect lesser dividend payouts in 2020
Thread:#CBN develops framework for grants and long-term facilities to researchers, science institutions and biotechnology firms to develop Nigerian Vaccine for Corona Virus.
— Central Bank of Nigeria (@cenbank) May 12, 2020
Emefiele added that apex bank recently launched an N100bn healthcare intervention fund. “Practitioners in the Pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors will be able to access finance at a single-digit rate through this fund,” he said.
#Emefiele challenges Nigerian Scientists across the world to develop a Nigerian vaccine to check corona virus
— Central Bank of Nigeria (@cenbank) May 12, 2020
In a bid to cushion the effects of the pandemic on the Nigerian economy, the CBN has implemented several initiatives such as the provision of one trillion naira facility for firms operating in the agriculture and manufacturing sectors, according to Emefiele.
“We are also working with financial institutions to enable the continuous flow of credit to viable businesses while putting in place provisions such as moratoriums and restructuring of existing loans under CBN intervention funds, that have been provided to businesses,” he added.
Coronavirus
Combined Vaccine Manufacturing capacity to hit 6.8 billion doses in 2021
COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing capacity is expected to hit 6.8 billion doses in 2021.
Meristem Group disclosed that the combined effort in manufacturing COVID-19 vaccines for global use is expected to yield about 6.8 billion doses in 2021.
This was revealed in the Annual Outlook 2021 report presented by Meristem Group, titled “Bracing for a different future.”
According to the report, the existing manufacturing capacity will only be sufficient enough to immunize about 44% of the global population, which would create obvious vaccination gap and make the pandemic last longer than necessary.
The report states,
- “The cold temperature requirements for vaccine storage pose major logistics concern particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and other low-income countries. WHO estimates that about 50% of vaccines are wasted every year, largely due to a lack of temperature control.”
According to the report, the estimated 6.8billion doses are expected to be collaboratively manufactured as follows: CanSino – 0.2billion, AstraZeneca – 3.0 billion, Gamaleya – 0.3billion, Moderna – 0.4billion, Pfizer-BioNtech – 1.3billion, SinoPharm – 1billion, and SinoVac – 0.6billion.
What you should know
- The global population as of 2020 is 7.8billion and 70% is required to achieve herd immunity (otherwise called herd protection)
- Herd Immunity or herd protection is achieved when you have most of the population immunized against an infectious disease.
- 2 doses of the vaccines are required for each person for immunity.
- It is expected that between 11 and 15 billion doses would be required to achieve the desired herd immunity, globally.
- From all indications, herd immunity may not be achieved until mid or late 2022, with the subsisting 100% vaccine production capacity utilization in 2021 – with neither production nor distribution losses.
- To achieve regulatory approval, a vaccine must undergo a three-stage clinical development process after the exploratory and pre-clinical stages and the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sets a phase 3 efficacy benchmark of 50%.
Coronavirus
Covid-19: Global deaths surpass 2 million
Global casualty record for the Covid-19 pandemic surpassed 2 million deaths on Friday.
The Global casualty record for the Covid-19 pandemic surpassed 2 million deaths on Friday, with the United States accounting for 1 in every 5 deaths, as it has recorded over 386,000 casualties so far.
This was disclosed in a report by Reuters in its Covid-19 tally reported on Friday evening.
After the United States, Brazil, Mexico, India and the U.K contribute nearly 50% of the combined casualties.
The report also disclosed that an average of 11,900 casualties are recorded per day in year 2021, despite the fact that it took 9 months for the world to record 1 million casualties.
United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, said the 2 million death count was “a heart-wrenching milestone.”
- “Behind this staggering number are names and faces: the smile now only a memory, the seat forever empty at the dinner table, the room that echoes with the silence of a loved one,” he added.
The WHO warned that 2021 could be tougher due to the nature of new variants which transmit the disease faster.
- “We are going into a second year of this. It could even be tougher given the transmission dynamics and some of the issues that we are seeing,” WHO Chief, Mike Ryan, said.
Analysts expect the global death toll to surpass 3 million by April 2021.
What you should know
- Nairametrics reported that the total number of covid-19 cases in Nigeria had surpassed the 100,000 mark on Sunday 10th January 2021, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
- The African Union stated that it secured 270 million Covid-19 vaccine doses for the continent from drug manufacturers to supplement the COVAX programme, a step towards the commencement of the complex task of vaccinating over 1.2 billion people with limited financial resources.
- The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on Friday 15th January 2021, announced that 1,867 new cases of the covid-19 virus were recorded across 24 states in the country. This represents the highest number of cases recorded in a single day.
Coronavirus
Nigeria records highest number of daily covid-19 cases
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control announced that 1,867 new cases of the covid-19 was recorded on Friday
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on Friday 15th January 2021, announced that 1,867 new cases of the covid-19 virus were recorded across 24 states in the country.
This represents the highest number of cases recorded in a single day. It also represents a 26.23% surge compared to 1,479 cases recorded on Thursday, 14th January 2021.
According to the NCDC, the cases were recorded across 24 states, with Lagos State recording the highest with 713 new cases, representing 38.2% of the total daily cases.
Others include: Plateau (273), FCT (199), Kaduna (117), Oyo (79), Enugu (58), Ondo (53), Kano (49), Sokoto (43), Ogun (37), Osun (37), Nasarawa (36), Rivers (28), Benue (24), Delta (24), Niger (24), Gombe (18), Edo (15), Taraba (12), Bayelsa (10), Ekiti (9), Borno (6), Zamfara (2), Jigawa (1).
The latest figure brings the total number of cases to date to 107,345 and 1,413 recorded deaths. A total of 84,535 patients have been discharged so far, while 21,397 patients are still on admission.
What you should know
- A total of 19,766 cases of the disease has been recorded in 2021, compared to 19,980 cases recorded in December 2020.
- As of today, Nigeria records a fatality rate of 13.2 deaths per 1000 cases. This means that for every 1000 positive cases of covid-19 in Nigeria, 13 people died.
- Meanwhile, the African Union stated that it secured 270 million Covid-19 vaccine doses for the continent from drug manufacturers to supplement the COVAX programme, a step towards the commencement of the complex task of vaccinating over 1.2 billion people with limited financial resources.
