Category: General

Infrastructure, healthcare and employment for youth top the priorities advanced by candidates in Oued Maaden in Nefza (governorate of Béja). Hedi El Moussi (35.32% of votes in the first round) told TAP he was pushed by the desire to find a solution to the issue of youth employment when he stood for local elections. Infrastructure and the creation of a local basic healthcare centre were his main pledges along with enouraging agriculture and providing social assistance to low-income households . Lotfi Abdelli (44.95% of first round votes) undertook to build bridges and rehabilitate roads and rural tracks to break the isolation of the region. Drinking water supply and creating mountain lakes for irrigation are additional pledges. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

WINDHOEK: The Lufthansa Group, through its subsidiary Discover Airlines, has rewarded Paragon Aviation Services with numerous distinctions in appreciation for Paragon Aviation Services' (PAS) service at Hosea Kutako International Airport (HKIA). The accolade is in lieu of Discover Airlines' exemplary services. The airline was represented by Thomas Stein, the Regional Manager of Ground Operations for Africa and Paul Havenga, Windhoek Station Manager at the award ceremony which was held on Sunday in Windhoek, Namibia. Paragon Aviation Services is the licensed provider of ground handling services at Hosea Kutako International Airport. These services include passenger services, ramp and baggage handling, cargo services, meet and greet and private aircraft charter services. Desmond Amunyela, Executive Director of Paragon Aviation Services, in a press release on Wednesday expressed the company's dedication to delivering exceptional service in a safe, secure and on-time performance environment to all its custome r airlines calling on HKIA. ''This award serves as a vote of confidence from one of our largest clients and it further cements PAS' capacity and credibility as a competitive aviation ground handler in the region and beyond. A special thanks should go to our dedicated colleagues in various departments. The commitment of our all-Namibian workforce, highlights the company's ability to push boundaries and offer new end-to-end logistics solutions to its clients and customers,' Amunyela added. He said Paragon Aviation Services began providing ground handling services at Hosea Kutako International Airport on 19 August 2023. Paragon was further praised for its steadfast efforts in bringing about a stable ground handling environment at Hosea Kutako International Airport immediately after its much-publicised precarious takeover at the airport last year, he added. Paragon Aviation Services handles approximately 87 scheduled flights turnaround weekly as well as various private aircraft with more than 1 400 passengers per day, Amunyela said. The Lufthansa Group also awarded the Paragon Premium Business Lounge at HKIA with an award for providing exceptional services to its business class and loyalty club members. Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Mrs Cecilia Ankomah, a Principal Nursing Officer in charge of the Ashaiman Polyclinic's Wellness Clinic, has reiterated the call on women to regularly take cervical cancer tests for early diagnosis. Mrs Ankomah, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said early diagnosis makes a lot of difference in treatment, as the initiation of treatment could start before the cancer advances and becomes complicated. She said that depending on the stage of cervical cancer, treatment could include the removal of the uterus, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. She noted that regular Pap smears and HPV tests could help detect cervical cancer early, explaining that Cervical cancer, she noted, was a malignant tumour of the cervix, which was the lowermost part of the uterus. She said cervical cancer did not usually show symptoms at the very early stages, adding that the first signs of cervical cancer might take years to develop. The principal nursing officer added that cervical cancer was caused by the human papillo ma virus (HPV), which was transmitted sexually. She said women at risk of contracting cervical cancer were those who started sexual activities at a younger age, especially before the age of 18. Another risk factor, she said, was having multiple sexual partners and those infected by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, as they had a suppressed immune system. Mrs Ankomah further said that having a family history of cancer and engaging in smoking could also serve as risk factors for getting cervical cancer. She said when the cancer is advanced, patients could experience painful sexual intercourse, vaginal bleeding after intercourse or after menopause, foul-smelling watery or bloody vaginal discharge, and heavier menstrual periods that might last longer than usual. She stated that to avoid going through the pain and financial burden of having cervical cancer, all sexually active women must have a pap smear every two to three years for early detection. She said the Ashaiman Polyclinic, as part of measures to pr omote testing, provided free testing for all women at its family planning unit during the one-month-long cervical cancer awareness month. Source: Ghana News Agency

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has urged event organizers and E-commerce businesses to only permit and admit FDA-licensed food vendors to advertise and sell their meals on their platforms. A statement signed by Dr Delese Darko, FDA's Chief Executive Officer, and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said Food Service Establishments (FSEs) operating without valid Food Hygiene Permits (FHP) from the Authority violate Section 130 (1) of the Public Health Act 2012 (Act 851). The Act states that, 'A person shall not manufacture for sale, sell, supply or store products regulated under this Part except in premises registered for that purpose under this Part.' A Food Service Establishment is an operation that stores, prepares, packages, serves, vends, or otherwise provides food for human consumption such as a restaurant, bakery, canteen, online food business, event caterer, fast-food service, and chop bars. 'In view of the above, both e-commerce businesses and event organizers are advised to only permit FDA licen sed food vendors to advertise and sell their food on their platforms and to only admit FDA licensed food vendors to participate in their events, respectively. 'As part of requirements, e-commerce businesses and event organizers are to ensure that all food vendors who apply to use their platforms for the sale of their food, or apply for slots or stands at exhibitions, food fairs, weekend markets and music concerts provide valid Food Hygiene Permits before admission,' the statement said. According to the statement, applicants without Food Hygiene Permits must be directed to take immediate steps to regularize their activities, including applying for the permit at the FDA and making their facilities available for food safety inspections. This would ensure that only safe food was sold to the public to prevent the risk of food borne illnesses. The statement said the FDA cannot guarantee the quality of operations or the safety of food prepared by FSEs without appropriate Food Hygiene Permits. It reminded the pu blic that a list of licensed FSEs was available on the FDA website and could always be obtained from their offices for confirmation. Source: Ghana News Agency

Two candidates in Somar 1 (the Somar delegation) are vying for the second round of local elections in the governorate of Tataouine (February 4, 2024). In the first round,Mohamed Boukraa and Saleh Bouhoudi obtained 133 and 115 votes respectively. Candidate Mohamed Boukraa promised to provide assistance for small farmers, promote youth entrepreneurship, connection the area to the drinking water network, upgrade the road linking Somar to Neffatya via Oued Fessi and the one linking Chemilia to Somar via Oued El Hicha. Candidate Saleh Bouhoudi pledged to improve services in the region. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse