Ebola Outbreak!!!

PRESS RELEASE |The public is notified that Democratic Republic of Congo #DRC has declared a new #EBOLAVirus Disease Outbreak following confirmation of 17 Ebola related deaths and 21 suspected cases on 8th May 2018. #EbolaOutbreak

Symptoms of Ebola virus disease include: Fever of acute onset (>37.50C) with unexplained bleeding tendencies from nose (Epitasis), gums, vagina, skin or eyes, bloody stools, vomiting and coughing blood, diarrhea, deterioration of vision or decreased consciousness.
https://twitter.com/BWGovernment/status/994810625065934848

Scotland has introduced a minimum unit price on alcohol

I note that Scotland has introduced a minimum unit price on alcohol with the intention to reduce alcohol related deaths and hospital admissions.

I commend Scotland for being the first country to embark upon this initiative.

It has always been a great concern for me when people lose their lives due to circumstances that could be avoided. Life is so precious, and the loss thereof is always traumatic for loved ones.

I tried to appeal for moderation for those engaging in alcohol consumption, and introduced the Alcohol Levy to try to combat the high volume of alcohol consumed in this country, to curb deaths, destruction, carnage on our roads, family feuds and suffering, it is a long list. The levy helped a lot in this regard by funding alcohol abuse awareness campaigns and education and did indeed cause a slight reduction in consumption as against the ever increasing amount being consumed previously. The levy was never designed to stop people having fun and enjoying themselves, but there is no fun and enjoyment in death either.

Read more https://www.facebook.com/Seretse-Khama-Ian-Khama-667630409972128/?hc_ref=ARSJsZOIiH8lQbeUi2UBgOZSgtZNgupuDy6MZN-DgKKBvar_FrFgBsSqhE_7F2IqdA4&fref=nf

Transboundary Data Sharing for Natural Resources Management in Africa and Elsewhere

Session Organisers: Monica Morrison

Session Description:

Sound management of water, land and biodiversity resources in Africa increasingly depends on regional cooperation. A mix of public and private sector institutions has been formed across the continent to facilitate negotiations around natural resources that cross borders. These special units of regional economic communities, river basin and lake organisations, protected area institutions, and regional research consortia must collect and process data to develop shared understanding of the natural environment and the ways it is being put to use in affected countries. This is especially important in the context of climate change that affects entire regions.

Already engaged in heroic efforts to transcend local political conditions and issues of sovereignty, many of these institutions face pressure to develop and maintain decision support systems that allow preservation and re-use of data from multiple – and diverse - sources. Disaster management, control of illegal wildlife use, agreeing about access to surface and ground water, and preventing the spread of alien invasive species, for example, require synthesis of research data from different countries and regions. This, in turn, requires harmonisation of standards and formats, and agreement about the use of terminology, as well as a high level of political sensitivity and understanding of regional, national and local legal and economic conditions. Determining ownership and responsibility for geographically related data is an important part of the process. In many cases, it is not possible to consolidate useable data in a single system that allows access to all potential users across political and administrative boundaries.

Time-limited development aid programmes and projects that include a cross-border research mandate often finish their work by handing over the data they have collected,and associated data management systems, to local institutions that often have not been thoroughly engaged in the work, may not have the capacity to maintain these resources, and that are missing the collaborative connections and history of productive interactions created by the transboundary programme. In some cases, data resources may be preserved outside their contextual environment,not easily accessible for contributing to new knowledge and insights.

Engagement processes developed to facilitate the substantive work of African transboundary institutions and programmes may have the potential to incorporate the requirements of such knowledge infrastructures. Under the theme of  A Global and Inclusive Data Revolution, this session proposes to examine the needs, challenges and enabling practices of data sharing for transboundary natural resources management through presentations of case studies from Africa.

Papers are invited from researchers, practitioners and beneficiaries with experience in negotiating joint development and application of knowledge resources to natural resources management challenges that transcend the continent’s national and regional boundaries.

COOLER WINTER EXPECTED 2018

The Department of Meteorological Services (DMS) informs the public that during the period May to July 2018 normal temperatures with a tendency to below-normal are likely to be experienced throughout the country.
Normal maximum and minimum temperatures for: • The northern parts of the country (Ngamiland, Chobe and northern parts of the Central Districts) are 27.4°C and 9°C respectively.
https://twitter.com/BWGovernment/status/989152525550080001

World Immunization Week

A billion people will be vaccinated against Yellow fever in Africa by 2026 - almost half of them children under 15 years of age. -World Immunization Week
http://www.who.int/campaigns/immunization-week/2018/en/

MINISTRY CAUTIONS PUBLIC ON MALARIA OUTBREAK

The Ministry of Health and Wellness informs the public about the ongoing malaria outbreak in the central and southern parts of Botswana. A news release from the ministry states that the outbreak started in October 2017 and is expected to continue until the beginning of winter season (end of May 2018).

Read more https://twitter.com/BWGovernment/status/986962397683384322

Mini symposium

SASSCAL mini symposium in Maun outputs include processing of regional historical long term climate data, research about adaptive crops and forests, biodiversity inventories: Dr Jane Olwoch