General News
Meropi Kyriacou Honored as TNH Educator of the Year
NEW YORK – Meropi Kyriacou, the new Principal of The Cathedral School in Manhattan, was honored as The National Herald’s Educator of the Year.
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Health workers in Ivory Coast began giving children the latest malaria vaccine on Monday, the beginning of a regional campaign that experts hope might curb the impact of one of Africa’s top killers.
The West African country became the first to start rolling out the newest shot targeting malaria in an effort that aims to cover about 250,000 children under two. The three-dose vaccine known as R21/Matrix-M was developed by Britain’s Oxford University and was authorized by the World Health Organization last October.
Research suggests it is more than 75% effective at preventing severe disease and death in the first year and that protection is extended for at least another year with a booster.
Alice Kanga was one of many who brought their children to get vaccinated Monday. “It’s really important for the children, for their health,” she said.
In 2021, WHO endorsed the first malaria vaccine, known as Mosquirix, made by GSK. But that vaccine requires four doses and protection fades within months. GSK also previously said it would only be able to make about 15 million doses.
But India’s Serum Institute has already made 25 million doses of the Oxford vaccine and says it plans to make at least 100 million every year, at a cost of about $4 per dose.
More than 94% of the world’s roughly 249 million malaria cases and 608,000 deaths every year are in Africa. The parasitic disease is spread by mosquitoes and most often strikes children under five and pregnant women.
Pierre Demba, Ivory Coast’s health minister, said the malaria vaccination launch was an indication of the government’s commitment to invest in the country’s children.
“They are the future of our country,” he said.
Adrian Hill of Oxford University said in a statement that the Ivory Coast roll-out “marks the start of a new era in malaria control,” adding that he hoped the shot would soon be available to all countries in Africa who wanted to use it.
Still, because malaria vaccines don’t stop the spread of the disease, experts have long warned that other measures like insecticide spraying, improved treatments and the use of bed nets will still be critical.
The Gavi vaccine alliance, which helps poor countries buy vaccines, said other countries including the Central African Republic, Chad and South Sudan have also received supplies of the Oxford-developed shot.
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By HILAIRE ZON Associated Press
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
NEW YORK – Meropi Kyriacou, the new Principal of The Cathedral School in Manhattan, was honored as The National Herald’s Educator of the Year.
DENVER (AP) — One person was killed and 12 people were rescued after being trapped for about six hours at the bottom of a former Colorado gold mine when an elevator malfunctioned at the tourist site, authorities said.
In the old days..
PIRAEUS – With its central motto the words Intervene - Communicate - Provoke - Propose, the presentation of the new artistic program of the 2024-2025 season was held at the Municipal Theatre of Piraeus with Piraeus Mayor Yiannis Moralis, Deputy Regional Governor of Piraeus Stavroula Antonakou, Mandated Municipal Councilor for Culture of the Municipality of Piraeus Yiannis Chatzialexis, and Artistic Director of the Municipal Theater of Piraeus Nikos Diamantis.
NEW YORK – Artist Residency Center Athens (ARCAthens) shared an update on its latest developments including that the Spring 2025 Athens Residency applications are now open.
Back in 2016, a scientific research organization incorporated in Delaware and based in Mountain View, California, applied to be recognized as a tax-exempt charitable organization by the Internal Revenue Services.