Day: September 15, 2022

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Roche enters partnership with Jhpiego to improve cervical and breast cancer outcomes for women in resource-constrained countries

  • Roche and Jhpiego are supporting the implementation of sustainable cervical and breast cancer programs through a new partnership designed to meet the needs of underserved women and patients in low-resource settings, where the disease burden is highest.
  • The collaboration aims to increase access to quality screening, early detection, diagnostics and treatment in order to help prevent or reduce the morbidity and mortality of women facing breast or cervical cancer.
  • In collaboration with the Government of Ghana, the partnership will begin with an initiative in Ghana to foster an integrated, resource-stratified, women’s cancer care continuum in support of the Ghana National Strategy for Cancer Control.

ACCRA, Ghana, Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Roche today announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Johns Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynecology and Obstetrics (Jhpiego) to improve cervical and breast cancer outcomes in resource-constrained countries.

Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer and the cause of the most cancer-related deaths in women2. Similarly, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women, with more than 600,000 women diagnosed with the disease in 2020. Preventable through early HPV screening, cervical cancer is the number one cause of female cancer-related deaths in sub-Saharan Africa.3 

“In resource-constrained countries, mortality rates are higher as women are often diagnosed with breast and cervical cancer at a more advanced stage, when a positive outcome is less likely,” said Dr. Stefan Seliger, Head Global Access & Policy at Roche Diagnostics. “This partnership will use the capabilities and expertise from both Roche and Jhpiego to identify and enhance ways to improve women’s health by removing barriers to early detection and treatment.”

In the new partnership, Roche and Jhpiego will prioritise low- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia, where the burden of breast and cervical cancers is highest. The initiative will take a multi-pronged approach to increase access to diagnostics and treatment. This will include offering technical and clinical guidance to local providers, and sharing evidence with local decision makers to support policy adoption and financing for education, screening and patient care programs. The partnership will also support country programs to implement the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines for cervical screening, including the recommendation for an HPV DNA-based test as the preferred method4, and the WHO’s Global Breast Cancer Initiative to strengthen systems for detecting, diagnosing and treating breast cancer.

“We firmly believe that every woman should be empowered with the knowledge to understand the symptoms and risk of women’s cancers and have access to quality screening, detection, diagnosis and treatment. We are excited to partner with Roche and advance our complementary efforts towards reducing preventable deaths from women’s cancers,” said Dr. Leslie Mancuso, President and CEO of Jhpiego.

The first initiative supported by the partnership will begin in Ghana in close collaboration with the Government of Ghana and relevant stakeholders to foster an integrated, resource-stratified women’s cancer care continuum in support of the Ghana National Strategy for Cancer Control.

Cancer is one of the most significant public health challenges in Ghana, and of all cancers, breast cancer is the most pervasive, accounting for more than 32 percent of all new cancer cases in Ghanian women in 20207. Women in Ghana face multiple challenges to accessing quality breast and cervical health care during their patient journey, including health, mental, social and financial hurdles. Once symptomatic women encounter the health system, the disease is often already in an advanced stage. According to the Ghana National Strategy for Cancer Control 2012-2016, almost seven out of 10 women diagnosed with breast cancer each year in Ghana will die from their disease. Roche and Jhpiego plan to support the Ministry of Health’s efforts through an integrated and scalable model that improves access to screening, early detection and treatment of women’s cancers.

The partnership is also exploring additional collaborations in Asia, such as in India and the Philippines, where breast and cervical cancer are the most common cancers among women.8,9

About Roche
Founded in 1896 in Basel, Switzerland, as one of the first industrial manufacturers of branded medicines, Roche has grown into the world’s largest biotechnology company and the global leader in in-vitro diagnostics. The company pursues scientific excellence to discover and develop medicines and diagnostics for improving and saving the lives of people around the world. We are a pioneer in personalised healthcare and want to further transform how healthcare is delivered to have an even greater impact. To provide the best care for each person we partner with many stakeholders and combine our strengths in Diagnostics and Pharma with data insights from the clinical practice.

In recognising our endeavor to pursue a long-term perspective in all we do, Roche has been named one of the most sustainable companies in the pharmaceuticals industry by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for the thirteenth consecutive year. This distinction also reflects our efforts to improve access to healthcare together with local partners in every country we work.

Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan.

For more information, please visit www.roche.com.

All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law.

References
[1] IARC Globocan 2020
[2] https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/documents/health-topics/cancer/the-global-breast-cancer-initiative.pdf?sfvrsn=b1192ada_18
[3] www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/human-papillomavirus-(hpv)-and-cervical-cancer
[4] https://www.who.int/news/item/06-07-2021-new-recommendations-for-screening-and-treatment-to-prevent-cervical-cancer
[5] https://www.unaids.org/en/cervical_cancer
[6] www.who.int/news/item/08-03-2021-new-global-breast-cancer-initiative-highlights-renewed-commitment-toimprove-Survival
[7] https://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/factsheets/populations/288-ghana-fact-sheets.pdf
[8] https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/GO.20.00122
[9] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35959499/

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Huawei Cloud Pledges to Build Global Startup Ecosystem, to Enable 10,000 High-Potential Startups in Three Years

SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Today, at the Huawei Cloud Global Startup Founders Summit held in Shenzhen, Huawei Cloud announced their commitment to building a global startup ecosystem and three key initiatives to accelerate startup growth: an innovative cloud platform, startup acceleration programs, and business resources. Joined by several veteran venture capitalists, they also announced the Huawei Cloud Accelerator, a program aiming at empowering startups at all stages of their lifecycles.

Mr. Zhang Ping'an announcing Huawei Cloud's global startup ecosystem strategy

In his speech at the summit, Mr. Zhang Ping’an, Huawei Senior Vice President and Huawei Cloud CEO, said that Huawei Cloud firmly believes in the power of startups to change the world, and that Huawei Cloud is ready to share with startups Huawei’s over 30 years of experience in technology and innovation, and to build a robust startup ecosystem powered by Huawei’s global cloud infrastructure and extensive Technology-as-a-Service offerings, with the purpose of empowering startups and accelerating their growth on the cloud.

Huawei Cloud stresses driving innovation with technology and accelerating startup growth with a strong global ecosystem. This is why they have announced plans to step up efforts in ecosystem building along with three key initiatives — an innovative cloud platform, startup acceleration programs, and business resources. Over the next three years, Huawei plans to help 10,000 high-potential startups worldwide to accelerate innovation and growth on the Huawei cloud platform and in the greater ecosystem.

At the summit, Mr. Zhang Ping’an, joined by several veteran venture capitalists, officially announced Huawei Cloud Accelerator. This program currently focuses on six key areas: enterprise services/SaaS, AI, biotech, fintech, smart energy/carbon neutrality, and industrial digitization, but will later be expanded to cover more industries and domains. It offers an Early-stage Startup Bootcamp and an Industry-themed Bootcamp to meet the needs of startups at different stages of their lifecycle.

Going forward, Huawei Cloud is committed to working with partners and customers to build an inclusive, vibrant startup ecosystem, which is expected to become a powerful engine for digital transformation.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1899699/image_1.jpg

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Madison Realty Capital Originates $85 Million Loan for Luxury Condominiums on Fisher Island in Miami, Florida

Loan Facilitates Acquisition of Last Remaining Development Site on Exclusive Island

NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Madison Realty Capital, a vertically integrated real estate private equity firm focused on debt and equity investment strategies, today announced that it has provided an $85 million loan to The Related Group (“Related”), BH Group, Teddy Sagi’s Globe Invest, and Wanxiang Group Corporation for the acquisition and pre-development of a 6.51-acre land parcel with approved plans for the development of a luxury condominium project on Fisher Island in Miami Beach, Florida.

The parcel is located at 6 Fisher Island Drive at the last remaining condo development site on the 216-acre private island, which is accessible only by ferry, boat, or helicopter and offers significant privacy for its 800 residents. The condominiums will rise ten stories and consist of 51 units across a mix of three- to five-bedroom residences, three villas and two penthouses with premium finishes and appliances. The property will include 450 feet of private oceanfront and valet parking for 169 spaces as well as 7 private two-car garages and 93 golf cart spaces. Residents will have access to premier amenities as well as membership to the Fisher Island Club, which offers beaches, seaside golfing, tennis courts and restaurants.

Josh Zegen, Managing Principal and Co-Founder of Madison Realty Capital, said, “Fisher Island is one of the most exclusive residential locations in the country. Owing to the scarcity of land, limited supply of new residences, and significant development timeline, property values on Fisher Island have performed through market cycles. We are pleased to provide financing for the acquisition and predevelopment of such a rare development site and to complete our second transaction with Related and BH Group in such a short period of time.”

The loan is Madison Realty Capital’s second to Related and BH Group. In July, it provided the partners with a $76 million loan for the development of District 225, a 343-unit luxury condominium in Downtown Miami.

About Madison Realty Capital 

Madison Realty Capital is a vertically integrated real estate private equity firm that, as of August 31, 2022, manages approximately $9.5 billion in total assets on behalf of a global institutional investor base. Since 2004, Madison Realty Capital has completed approximately $21 billion in transactions providing borrowers with flexible and highly customized financing solutions, strong underwriting capabilities, and certainty of execution. Headquartered in New York City, with an office in Los Angeles, the firm has approximately 70 employees across all real estate investment, development, and property management disciplines. Madison Realty Capital has been frequently named to the Commercial Observer’s prestigious “Power 100” list of New York City real estate players and is consistently cited as a top construction lender, among other industry recognitions. To learn more, follow us on LinkedIn and visit www.madisonrealtycapital.com.

Nathaniel Garnick/Grace Cartwright
Gasthalter & Co.
(212) 257-4170
madisonrealty@gasthalter.com

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Heart Aerospace unveils new airplane design, confirms Air Canada and Saab as new shareholders

Swedish electric airplane maker Heart Aerospace today unveiled significant design updates to its first electric aircraft and confirmed Air Canada, one of North America’s largest airlines and Saab, the Swedish aerospace and defense- company, as new minority shareholders.

Gothenburg, Sweden, Sept. 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Swedish electric airplane maker Heart Aerospace today unveiled significant design updates to its first electric aircraft and confirmed Air Canada, one of North America’s largest airlines and Saab, the Swedish aerospace and defense- company, as new minority shareholders.

The new airplane design, called the ES-30, is a regional electric airplane with a capacity of 30 passengers and it replaces the company’s earlier 19-seat design, the ES-19. It is driven by electric motors powered by batteries, which allows the airplane to operate with zero emissions and low noise.

Air Canada and Saab have each invested USD 5 million in Heart Aerospace. In addition to its investment, Air Canada has also placed a purchase order for 30 ES-30 aircraft.

“We are thrilled to have two such strong partners as Saab and Air Canada join our mission to electrify regional air travel. Growing up in Sweden, Saab is synonymous with aerospace, and our partnership will not only support our programme, but help us to become a part of the proud Swedish aerospace heritage,” said Anders Forslund, founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace. “Air Canada is a strategically important partner with one of the world’s largest networks operated by regional turboprops, and as a progressive, future leaning company.”

“Air Canada is very pleased to partner with Heart Aerospace on the development of this revolutionary aircraft. We have been working hard with much success to reduce our footprint, but we know that meeting our net-zero emissions goals will require new technology such as the ES-30. We have every confidence that the team at Heart Aerospace has the expertise to deliver on the ES-30’s promise of a cleaner and greener aviation future,” said Michael Rousseau, President and Chief Executive of Air Canada.

The ES-30 has a comfortable three-abreast flat-floor cabin seating, and it features a galley and a lavatory. Cabin stowage and overhead bins will add to the large external baggage and cargo compartment and provide airlines with network flexibility.

The airplane will also include a reserve-hybrid configuration, consisting of two turbo generators powered by sustainable aviation fuel. The reserve-hybrid system is installed to secure reserve energy requirements without cannibalizing battery range, and it can also be used during cruise on longer flights to complement the electrical power provided by the batteries.

This gives the airplane a fully electric range of 200 kilometers, an extended range of 400 kilometers with 30 passengers, and flexibility to fly up to 800 kilometers with 25 passengers, all-inclusive of typical airline reserves.

“The ES-30 is an electric airplane that the industry can use. We have designed a cost-efficient airplane that allows airlines to deliver good service on a wide range of routes,” said Anders Forslund, founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace. “With the ES-30 we can start cutting emissions from air travel well before the end of this decade and the response from the market has been fantastic.”

“This underlines our commitment to innovative technology and solutions for sustainable aviation. Heart is a pioneer within commercial electric aviation and we look forward to contributing to the future of aviation with our experience of developing solutions at the forefront of technology,” says Micael Johansson, Saab’s President and CEO.

Previous orders for Heart Aerospace’s ES-19 electric airplane, placed by United Airlines and Mesa Air Group for a total of 200 electric aircraft with an option for an additional 100 planes, are reconfirmed for the updated ES-30 design.

“From the beginning Heart and United have been on the same page – with an acute focus on safety, reliability, and sustainability. Heart’s exciting new design – which includes expanded passenger capacity from 19 to 30 seats, and a state-of-the-art reserve-hybrid engine – is the type of revolutionary thinking that will bring true innovation to aviation,” said Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines.

In addition to those commitments, many of the ES-19 letters of intent (LOI) holders have already updated their respective letters to reflect the ES-30. These include the Nordic airlines Braathens Regional Airlines (BRA), Icelandair and SAS as well as New Zealand’s Sounds Air. Rockton, a Swedish-based lessor who has made it their mission to focus on sustainable solutions for the industry, has just signed an LOI with for up to 40 airplanes.

In total, Heart Aerospace has LOIs for 96 ES-30s.

The ES-30 is a cost efficient airplane that, on top of significant fuel savings, is cheaper to operate than a larger turboprop due to its electric propulsion. The airplane has also been designed to accommodate battery technology evolution, which will increase its fully electric range and make it even more cost efficient over time.

The ES-30 is expected to enter into service in 2028.

The Swedish electric airplane maker will establish the world’s first commercial electric aircraft industry at Säve airport, in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Heart Aerospace will build sustainable state-of-the-art offices, production, and flight test facilities which, together, will form a new campus that will go by the name the Northern Runway.

“We have a plan and it’s not just to build a new electric airplane, but a whole new industry,” said Anders Forslund, founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace. “Sweden is the origin of flight shame, an anti-flying movement, but with the Northern Runway we will make electric air travel a reality and preserve flying for future generations.”

Heart Aerospace’s Northern Runway campus will form part of the Castellum owned development area Gateway Säve, where a unique site for sustainable logistics and electric mobility is being developed.

“Gothenburg has distinguished itself as a driving force within electrification, with world class research facilities like the Swedish electric transport laboratory, SEEL, Chalmers University of Technology and a large cluster of companies focused on battery and electric vehicle development,” said Sofia Graflund, chief operating officer at Heart Aerospace. “The ambition that Castellum and the City of Gothenburg have for Gateway Säve is truly unique and that is why we have decided to establish our new industry here.”

Heart Aerospace currently employs 130 people, but the company is growing rapidly and expects to employ around 500 people by 2025.

” We are extremely proud that Heart Aerospace has chosen Gothenburg for this step in their expansion, which we will give full support. The establishment will generate an additional 500 Swedish jobs by 2025 and even more when series production begins,” said Patrik Andersson, CEO of Business Region Göteborg.

The long-term recruitment base in Gothenburg is strong due to its proximity to Chalmers University of Technology, ranked among the top 100 in the world in terms of graduate employability.

A first phase in the establishment of Heart Aerospace’s Northern Runway is scheduled to be finalized by mid-2024, with test flights scheduled to start in 2026. Heart Aerospace expects to deliver its first ES-30 aircraft in 2028.

Note to editors:

More information on “Gateway Säve” can be found on www.gatewaysave.com.

Christina Zander
Heart Aerospace
+46 728889610
press@heartaerospace.com
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Japan Reengaging With Africa in Face of Rising China

Japan is the latest country to try to increase engagement with Africa in the face of China’s massive influence on the continent and amid perceived threats to the international order.

There has been a flurry of visits to the continent by top officials this year, including Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and European diplomats. The visits from Western leaders have been seen by many analysts as an attempt to counter Beijing’s clout, and to some extent, Russian influence.

Last month, Japan also sought to provide African countries with an alternative to Chinese lending and investment, pledging to spend $30 billion on the continent and stressing a focus on training African professionals, food production and green growth.

The pledge was made during the eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) held in Tunisia.

In his remarks at the event, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida criticized Moscow and took an apparent swipe at China.

“It is true that a series of contradictions of the global economy, such as inequality and environmental problems, are concentrated in Africa at this moment. In addition, we need to urgently deal with issues such as the food crisis caused by Russian aggression against Ukraine and unfair and opaque development finance,” he said.

Paul Nantulya, a research associate at the Washington-based Africa Center for Strategic Affairs who has participated in two TICAD conferences, said the reference to “opaque” development finance was “definitely a rebuke to China,” which has been accused of practicing “debt trap diplomacy” — lending heavily to countries that can’t repay in order to gain political leverage.

During TICAD, Japan also announced that some $1 billion would go toward support for African countries’ debt restructuring and promised that Japan “aspires to be a ‘partner growing together with Africa.’”

While there’s increasing consensus among economists that the debt-trap accusations don’t stand up, it’s still a common criticism leveled by the West and its partners and enrages Beijing. Numerous articles in Chinese state media have slammed Kishida’s remarks as a smear campaign and said Japan’s investment pledge had “selfish intentions.”

State publication Global Times said while China does not have a problem with other countries offering aid to African nations, “what China opposes is the vicious attempt by Western countries, including the U.S. and Japan, to discredit China, asking African countries to be “wary” of China at every turn.”

“African countries have their own judgment and do not need the West to teach them what to do,” the Global Times quoted Yang Xiyu, researcher at the China Institute of International Studies, as saying.

The amount Japan pledged at TICAD this year was less than China’s pledge of $40 billion at last year’s Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Senegal.

Japan-Africa trade, worth some $24 billion a year, according to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, is also dwarfed by China’s, which amounted to a record $254 billion last year.

“I think lately, Japan definitely has been trying to strengthen its engagements in Africa and obviously … China is a strategic competitor to Japan,” said Nantulya. “There is an element of competition as far as Japan’s latest push in Africa is concerned.”

Akitoshi Miyashita, an international relations professor at Tokyo International University, echoed this idea.

“The recent TICAD conference was regarded by Tokyo as an important instrument to regain Japan’s presence in Africa in light of China’s growing influence in the region. In that sense, Japan’s ODA (official development assistance) in Africa has clear political purposes,” he told VOA.

However, he said, Japan is “losing an aid competition with China” because with large national debt and a shrinking economy, Japan cannot afford to provide Africa with the amount of money that China can. Japan also cannot provide aid to countries accused of serious corruption and human rights violations, whereas China’s loans are no-strings-attached — and preferred by some African countries.

Philip Olayoku, a Nigerian academic and member of the African Association of Japanese Studies, said he did not think Tokyo was trying to compete with China in Africa because it simply can’t and “does not have the kind of clout that it used to have.”

Instead, he said, Japan is trying to “consolidate its relationship, keep part of what it has, so that China doesn’t displace it.”

While FOCAC and TICAD are similar, analysts told VOA there are several key differences, namely that the Chinese model involves the Chinese state cooperating with African ruling parties directly, while the Japanese one is more multilateral, involving civil society, NGOs and international organizations like the United Nations Development Program and the African Development Bank.

“China’s aid in Africa tends to concentrate on the fields such as infrastructure and agriculture, but Japan’s ODA covers a broader range of development fields, including human development issues,” noted Shinichi Takeuchi, director of the African Studies Center at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.

Additionally, Japan tries to transfer knowledge and contribute to African self-sufficiency and has a post-war agenda of helping push for peace and democracy, analysts said. However, they noted that Japan also has an economic agenda, including trying to secure markets for its high-end products.

“It wants to promote activities of Japanese businesses in Africa. As Japan is facing a number of socio-economic challenges, including economic stagnation and [an] aging population, the government wants to benefit from economic opportunities in Africa,” Takeuchi said.

Tokyo also has political agendas in Africa, analysts said. Japan is pursuing a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council, and China is its strong rival, Takeuchi pointed out. Additionally, African countries are the biggest voting bloc at the U.N., said Nantulya.

Tokyo is also concerned that African countries could side with China — as many already did on Ukraine — and against its interests in areas such as the Western Pacific where the two are in a dispute over the ownership of the Senkaku Islands.

“The Japanese are definitely worried that African countries will be mobilized to support Chinese moves, to support Chinese strategic positions on issues … and it’s one of the reasons why this current TICAD … is really focused on really reengaging African countries diplomatically,” said Nantulya.

Asked whether Japan’s $30 billion commitment to Africa could be seen as an attempt to compete with China, Marie Hidaka, counselor at the Japanese embassy in South Africa, responded, “Nowadays, there are various fora through which many countries engage themselves with Africa, but TICAD, launched by Japan, was the forerunner of such fora for African development.”

“The $30 billion as the sum of public and private financial contributions, which Japan announced during the TICAD 8 held in last month in Tunis, focuses on investment in people and quality of growth and aims for a resilient and sustainable Africa while solving various problems faced by the African people,” she said.

Source: Voice of America

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North Korea Hints at Vaccine Campaign, But No One Knows the Details

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — North Korea has suggested it could soon begin COVID-19 vaccinations, but it remains unclear what vaccines it will use, where it will get them, or how many doses it will administer.

In a passing reference during a speech last week to the Supreme People’s Assembly, the country’s parliament, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un seemed to indicate a COVID-19 vaccination campaign would start in November.

“While administering vaccination in a responsible way, we should recommend that all residents wear masks for the protection of their own health from November,” Kim said, warning of a possible resurgence of COVID-19 and influenza this winter.

Kim’s warning came less than a month after he declared victory over the virus and relaxed some of North Korea’s most stringent anti-epidemic measures.

North Korea has repeatedly ignored vaccine offers from COVAX, the United Nations-backed vaccine distribution effort. Even after Kim’s latest comments, there is no evidence North Korea has made any vaccine requests from Gavi, the vaccine alliance that helps run COVAX.

“If DPRK requests our assistance for its COVID-19 vaccine introduction, we’ll happily share vaccine doses with them, as we have done with 146 other countries – over 1.7 billion doses so far,” a Gavi spokesperson told VOA, without specifying whether a request had been made. DPRK is the abbreviation for North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

One of last to start vaccinations

North Korea and Eritrea are the only countries yet to begin mass COVID-19 vaccinations. Experts have long warned North Korea could be hit particularly hard by the coronavirus pandemic because of its lack of medical resources, especially in rural areas, where poverty is also more common.

So far, there is no evidence of mass COVID-related deaths in North Korea. That could be because North Korea acted quickly to close its borders after the coronavirus emerged in neighboring China in early 2020. North Korea’s authoritarian government also has a much higher degree of social control than almost any other country.

But even if North Korea has experienced mass COVID-19 outbreaks, the world would not necessarily know. During the pandemic, North Korea’s secretive government has cut off nearly every point of contact with the outside world. It also does not have adequate COVID-19 testing supplies, experts say.

For more than two years into the pandemic, North Korea denied experiencing any COVID-19 cases. The North finally acknowledged an outbreak in May, but in subsequent weeks reported a steady decline in cases. At the time, a World Health Organization official expressed skepticism about the North’s claim the situation was improving.

If North Korea does begin a mass vaccination campaign, it would most likely use vaccines from China, according to many analysts.

In early June, Gavi said it “understands” North Korea accepted a vaccine offer from China and had started to administer doses. However, it did not provide any details.

Around that time, North Korea started small-scale vaccinations for targeted groups, according to several unconfirmed reports in Radio Free Asia, which relied on unnamed sources inside North Korea. There has been no evidence, however, of a widespread vaccination campaign.

Russia and China, North Korea’s two closest international partners, are the most likely to provide North Korea mass quantities of vaccines, according to Nagi Shafik, a former WHO official who has worked in North Korea.

“But I think China in this context is more qualified because of the mass production they have, not only [of] the vaccines, but also [because] they can give support for the cold chain, as well,” Shafik told VOA.

Refrigerated vaccines could be challenging

The most effective COVID-19 vaccines, which use advanced mRNA technology, require a network of ultra-cold refrigerators and specialized delivery trucks. That may be a challenge in many parts of North Korea, though Shafik has argued that North Korea’s cold chain system is more advanced than commonly thought.

Even though China has not produced an mRNA vaccine, Beijing’s potential offer may still be preferable to those of COVAX and others who are likely to require international observers to be present during the vaccine delivery and distribution.

“They don’t want foreigners to come right now maybe, I’m not quite sure,” said Shafik, stressing that Pyongyang may be open to Western vaccine offers at a later stage.

 

Source: Voice of America

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President Isaias receives Indian Minister of External Affairs

President Isaias Afwerki in the afternoon hours of today, 15 September met and held talks at State House with Mr. Velamveli Muraledharan, Minister of State for External Affairs of the Republic of India.

President Isaias underlined in the meeting that India is indeed a genuine partner Eritrea.

The two sides expressed that education, health, energy, and agriculture are among the priority sectors of cooperation between the two countries.

The two sides also agreed to strengthen cooperation in diplomatic sectors and in global forums.

The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Mr. Osman Saleh and Presidential Adviser Mr. Yemane Gebreab on Eritrean side and Mr. Subhash Chand, Ambassador of India to Eritrea.

Mr. Velamveli Muraledharan also met and held talks with Mr. Osman Saleh, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Mr. Velamveli Muraledharan arrived in Asmara for an official visit yesterday, 14 September.

 

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea