Not another lockdown
Mpox is spreading fast but WHO has a $135 million plan to keep things under control
Good morning, Big Brains. My hot take for today is that the world actually needs another lockdown. We all need to stay in our houses and stay out of each other’s business. But don’t indulge me because WHO is already handling things.
- Margaret
Word count: ~1,000
Reading time ~3 mins
Let’s get into today’s edition:
Nigeria and others to benefit from WHO's $135M Mpox control fund
Flooding kills 49 and displaces thousands in Nigeria
Australia to reduce international student enrolments in 2025
The Big Deal
Nigeria and others to benefit from WHO's $135M Mpox control fund
Another pandemic lockdown isn’t on our bingo card this year, neither is it on the World Health Organisation’s. WHO recently declared the spread of a more deadly variant of monkeypox a global public health emergency, and this has ignited conversations about the possibility of another lockdown..
The verdict is in and it's all “nay” for lockdown.
WHO has announced a $135 million fund to manage the spread of Mpox in affected countries, including Nigeria, which currently has 39 confirmed cases. If there was ever a perfect time for a fund like this, it is now. Mpox is currently in 13 African countries and other countries like Sweden, Pakistan and the Philippines.
Why is this a big deal?
UNICEF says the new variant makes it even harder for families who are already struggling due to conflict and displacement to survive. A country like Nigeria cannot afford to be careless with an outbreak like this. Yesterday, we reported that resident doctors are on a 7-day strike, so there aren't enough doctors available to treat patients with this disease.
This fund is going into the prevention of the disease’s spread. A large portion of this fund will also be used for advanced research that will help provide quicker responses to outbreaks like this. But the most important thing the fund hopes to achieve in each country is to provide easy access to vaccines in every city and community.
Flooding kills 49 and displaces thousands in Nigeria
If you’ve been thinking heavily about the continuous rainfall over the past few months, you’re not alone. These downpours have caused terrible flooding in Nigeria's northeast, killing at least 49 people and displacing thousands.
According to the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA), the states of Jigawa, Adamawa, and Taraba have been hit hardest, with 41,344 people forced to leave their homes.
“Once bitten, twice shy” but Nigeria seems to be stuck in a loop of nonexistent management of flooding risk. Last year, the country faced its worst floods in over a decade, which killed more than 600 people, displaced around 1.4 million, and destroyed acres of farmland.
Food prices have also been on the rise since the beginning of the year and NEMA has recognized the floods as one of the leading causes. About 693 hectares of farmland have been lost to flooding.
Farmers in the northeast are struggling not only with the floods but also with repeated attacks by militants, which are forcing them to abandon their farms.
So far, the government hasn’t been able to come up with an effective solution to control the situation but hopefully, we’ll have good news for you soon.
Australia to reduce international student enrolments in 2025
Nobody has taken as many Ls as the japa aspirants in Nigeria in 2024. Australia just added another L to that list.
The country has announced that it will limit new international student enrolments to 270,000 starting in 2025 to bring migration numbers down and improve the quality of higher education.
Each school will have its own enrollment limit, with vocational education and training providers facing the biggest cuts. The decision has been strongly criticized by japa aspirants and the education sector because they worry that it will harm the industry and lead to job losses.
Australia, which currently has over 10,000 Nigerian students, is slowly becoming a fave among Nigerians who have not had much luck with the big three (United Kingdom, United States of America and Canada). With this new policy, we won’t be surprised if Nigerians find a new fave.
This Week’s Big Question
“What’s one invention you wish existed today that could make your life easier or more fun?”
Dele’s response - “I recently did an influencer marketing campaign that flopped real bad because the influencers I engaged were complete assholes. Since then, I’ve not stopped thinking about how a review site like Google My Business but for influencers will make sense. Let’s know the mad people we need to avoid.”
You can also share your response here and if it’s as interesting as Dele’s response, we’ll feature it in the next edition.
The Big Picks
Domestic Air Fare Jumps By 25% In July — NBS: Domestic travelers paid 25% more for flights in July 2024, according to a new report from the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
EFCC Asks NASS To Enact Whistle-Blowing Law: Ola Olukoyede, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has asked the National Assembly to pass a law that strengthens the government's whistle-blower policy.
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