Telecom
Zipline Delivers over 50,000 Doses of Routine Vaccines across Health Facilities in Cross River State
To accelerate access to vaccine inoculation, Zipline, the renowned drone delivery company, has supported the Cross River State Government in delivering over 50,000 doses of regular immunisation vaccines across multiple healthcare institutions in the State, marking a significant milestone for healthcare delivery. This was just within one month of the start of operations within the state.
This accomplishment represents a big step in the state’s effort at ensuring universal access to important healthcare services in the Cross River State’s outlying locations.
Ms. Catherine Odiase, Country Manager, Zipline Nigeria, said the company is dedicated to ensuring everyone has access to healthcare anywhere in the world.
“In the world today, it is important to expand healthcare access to reach people, no matter where they live. Locations should no longer be a barrier to receiving medical care”, said Catherine Odiase. “Our partnership with the Cross River State enables us to use our innovative drones to deliver medical commodities and vaccines to health facilities within 30 minutes of placing an order”.
Vaccine shortages have become a significant challenge at a number of healthcare institutions around the Cross River State due to limited storage facilities. This is changing, thanks to the bold decision of the Cross River State to partner with Zipline for the use of unmanned drones to access previously inaccessible communities with critical medical products, vaccines, and supplies within a reasonable time frame.
Vaccines including tetanus, polio, hepatitis B, yellow fever, measles, and even Covid-19 immunisations have been sent to health institutions in Cross River State. So far, at least 150 health facilities in 9 local government districts have benefitted from this game-changing technology, reaching over 50,000 infants, children, and mothers.
Esther Aju, a Routine Immunisation Focal Person from Ogoja Maternal Child Hospital, said in an interview, that prior to Zipline’s involvement in the delivery of these essential medicines and vaccines in the area, health officials struggled to receive vaccinations owing to the vast travel distance. She further said that parents had to be, on several occasions, rescheduled for other immunisation days due to shortages in vaccines. The reality was that many babies were missing their critical immunizations, leaving them vulnerable to deadly diseases.
“The thought of innocent children growing up and contracting childhood illnesses due to lack of access to vaccines terrified us as healthcare providers because we frequently struggle to access critical vaccines, causing infant babies to miss their immunisation dates.” This is one of the underlying elements that motivated the Cross River State to take urgent steps to avert the incident,” she said. “Immunisation has been more convenient and accessible since Zipline began serving our facility; we now get our immunisations within 5-10 minutes after placing our orders”; Esther Aju said.
Zipline’s influence extends beyond vaccination delivery. Following a severe cholera epidemic in the Ikom and Etung LGAs, Zipline stepped up once again, collaborating with the government to combat this deadly illness. The report from the State Ministry of Health reported 638 suspected cases and 17 deaths in only a few months, leaving communities reeling and seeking assistance. Thanks to their cooperation, almost 6000 residents were reached with important preventative measures.
Under the Water and Sanitation Hygiene (WASH) project, Zipline supported the delivery of Water and Sanitation Hygiene products to affected communities, including Orimekpang in Boki LGA, Effraya, Bendeghe-Ekiem, Abia, Ajasso in Etung LGA, Akparabong, and Okuni in Ikom LGA. These products ranged from sanitizers, hand washes, water purifiers, disinfectants, oral rehydration salts, drugs like Darrow’s full and half strength, Ciprofloxacin, Metronidazole. Additionally, 304 packages containing medications for treatment and management of cholera have been delivered to 14 facilities in Etung and Ikom.
Zipline is dedicated to extending its activities in Nigeria and other nations to revolutionize global healthcare delivery. Over the years, it has focused its operations on bridging the gap between medical services and marginalized areas by employing innovative technology and establishing partnerships to improve public health outcomes
The Office of the African Union Chairperson’s Youth Envoy and Google today announced the launch of the #DiscoverMyAfrica Shorts Challenge, a month-long initiative to celebrate the rich diversity, heritage, and vibrant spirit of the African continent. Throughout May, YouTube creators across Africa are invited to share short videos capturing their unique perspectives, using the hashtag #DiscoverMyAfrica.
“#DiscoverMyAfrica empowers African youth to share their stories and rich cultural heritage globally,” said Chido Mpemba, African Union Chairperson’s Youth Envoy. “Partnering with Google fosters creative expression and dialogue on content responsibility, digital preservation, and AI’s impact on Africa’s creative industries. This aligns with our vision for a digitally-enabled Africa harnessing cultural wealth for economic growth and social progress.”
The YouTube Shorts Challenge encourages creators to showcase various facets of African life, from music and art to food, fashion, and local landmarks. To further celebrate Africa’s vibrant music scene, YouTube is turning up the energy with YouTube Music Nights in Nigeria and South Africa, showcasing the infectious rhythms of Afrobeats and Amapiano. Two dedicated playlists, “Africa’s Next Wave” and “Africa Superstars,” will highlight both emerging talent and iconic voices that have made the continent a global music powerhouse.
Nollywood superstar and style icon Osas Ighodaro will immerse viewers in the luxurious side of Lagos with her new show “Spa with Osas.” Enioluwa and The Geng will unravel the drama and secrets of high school elites in their highly anticipated series “All of Us.” And comedy superstar Broda Shaggi is guaranteed to bring the laughs with his hilarious new project, “Shaggi’s Palava.” These exciting new shows will premiere exclusively on YouTube.
Aspiring filmmakers and content creators can also take advantage of specialized workshops designed to hone their skills and expand their reach. A dedicated Nollywood workshop in Nigeria, and broader #DiscoverMyAfrica workshops for content creators will offer valuable insights and resources to creators at all levels.
“We are committed to supporting the diverse voices and talents that make up Africa’s creative landscape,” said Addy Awofisayo, Head of Music for Sub-Saharan Africa at YouTube.
“These initiatives provide valuable resources and platforms for African filmmakers, musicians, and content creators to share their stories and connect with global audiences.”
To learn more about #DiscoverMyAfrica and how to get involved, visit www.blog.google/africa or follow #DiscoverMyAfrica on social media.
In a remarkable acknowledgment of its excellence in public relations and communications, QNET, a leading lifestyle and wellness direct selling company, proudly announces its victory in three distinguished categories at the 11th annual PR Awards. Demonstrating its prowess in crisis management, corporate strategy, and technological innovation, QNET is setting new standards for excellence in Direct Selling.
This year, QNET was honoured with the following recognitions:
Silver Award for Best Corporate Strategy – An endorsement for QNET’s Fingreen financial literacy programme that has been rolled out in three countries over the last 18 months and has helped over 7000 people, including college students, home makers, street vendors, and female small traders, with the tools they need to take charge of their financial future.
Silver Award for Best Use of Technology – An important recognition for QNET’s QBuzz Blog, an innovative platform that leverages technology to foster community engagement and provide insightful company and industry content.
Bronze Award for Best Crisis Management Strategy – Celebrating the success of the “Truth About QNET” campaign, which effectively navigated the company through challenging times with transparency and integrity.
The PR Awards, renowned for highlighting the best in the PR and communications sector across South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania, saw entries from the most prominent brands and organisations in the region. An independent panel of senior industry experts from leading brands selected this year’s winners, underscoring the credibility and prestige of the awards.
Trevor Kuna, Chief Transformation & Reputation Officer at QNET, expressed his enthusiasm: “We are profoundly honored by the recognition at the PR Awards 2024, which reflects our unwavering dedication to excellence, innovative strategies, and our commitment to providing outstanding value to our customers.
“These awards are a testament to the hard work and ingenuity of our team, and they motivate us to continue setting new benchmarks in the industry.”
QNET’s success at the PR Awards is not just a celebration of its achievements but also a promise to its stakeholders of its dedication to excellence and innovation. As the company looks forward to future challenges and opportunities, it remains committed to upholding the highest standards of quality and service in the industry.
For more information about QNET and its achievements, please visit QNET’s website.
Bismarck Rewane, managing director/chief executive officer, Financial Derivatives Company Limited has backed telecommunication companies’ move to increase tariffs.
Recall that telecom companies recently reiterated calls for an increase in prices of calls, data, and other services.
They argue that current prices are insufficient to maintain their business operations.
This request is contained in a communique signed by the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) and the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON).
The telecom providers are advocating for cost-reflective tariffs, claiming that adverse economic headwinds are threatening their financial viability.
The operators stated that its general service pricing framework has not been reviewed upward in the last 11 years because of regulatory constraints.
“For a fully liberalised and deregulated sector, the current price control mechanism, which is not aligned with economic realities, threatens the industry’s sustainability and can erode investors’ confidence,” the telcos said.
The telcos called on the government to facilitate a constructive dialogue with its industry stakeholders to address pricing challenges and establish a framework that balances consumers’ affordability with their financial viability.
This push for higher prices coincides with MTN Nigeria reporting a loss due to foreign exchange losses in 2023 and Airtel experiencing declining profits amid an economic downturn in the country.
While the development has triggered a backlash in some quarters, Rewane said telco pricing needs to reflect current realities.
He was a guest on weekend’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today
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