South Africa: Organizations Finally Receive Global Fund Grants [PlusNews] Cape Town - More than seven months overdue, the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria grant will finally be released to key South African AIDS organizations that have been struggling to survive. Some were on the verge of shutting down. Uganda: MPs Issue Ultimatum for Nodding Funds [Monitor] Ministry of Finance has directed the Health ministry to cut its budget by Shs2 billion to find money needed to manage the nodding disease in northern Uganda. Africa: Youth in Agriculture Statement at 2012 Farmers' Forum [IFAD] Rome - The following is a synthesis of the deliberations conducted at the 'Youth in Agriculture' session of the 2012 Farmers' Forum Global Meeting, IFAD, Rome. South Africa: HIV Testing Programme for Universities Launched [West Cape News] A nationwide HIV/Aids and TB testing campaign aimed at Higher Education students and staff was launched at the University of the Western Cape yesterday. South Africa: Doctor Awarded for Fight Against Tobacco [Health-e] South Africa's foremost anti-tobacco activist Dr Yussuf Saloojee has been recognised for his work with the prestigious Luther L Terry Award. Nigeria: Lassa Fever Kills 40, As FG Releases Emergency Numbers [Vanguard] Abuja - No fewer than 40 persons have died from Lassa fever in the last six weeks, the Federal Government said yesterday. Congo-Kinshasa: IFAD Support to Agricultural Value Chains Will Reduce Food Imports in Nation [IFAD] Rome - The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will provide a US$9.8 million loan to the Republic of the Congo to help improve food security and incomes of smallholder producers with a particular focus on young people and women. Morocco: Bigger Incomes for 33,000 Smallholder Farmers in Mountain Zones [IFAD] Rome - A new US$9.13 million project, supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the government of the Kingdom of Morocco will increase the incomes of 33,000 smallholder farmers, livestock producers, poor rural women and young people involved in the production of olives, apples and lamb meat in the mountain zones of Al-Haouz Province. Botswana: IFAD Renews Relationship With Nation [IFAD] Rome - The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will provide a US$4.04 million loan and a $1.61 million grant to the Republic of Botswana to help improve food security and incomes of smallholder producers, particularly for young people and women. Gambia: Trust Bank Hands Over D1.3 Million Facility to RVTH [Daily Observer] Trust Bank (Gambia Ltd) Tuesday handed over its sponsored laboratory and waiting room facility at the RVTH Sanatorium valued at D1.3 million to the management of the hospital at a ceremony held at Bond Road in Banjul. Nigeria: Lassa Fever Kills Six Health Workers, 34 Others [Daily Trust] Two doctors and four nurses were among the over 40 people killed by Lassa fever in 12 states in the last six weeks, the Minister of state for Health Professor Muhammed Ali Pate has said. Nigeria: Maternal, Child Health Statistics World's Worst - Expert [Vanguard] The Director of Nursing Services in the Lagos State Health Service Commission, Mrs Jokotade Agunbiade, says the maternal and child health statistics in Nigeria are among the most challenging globally. Tanzania: Food Prices Soar Despite Drop in Inflation [Daily News] PRICES of essential commodities have soared dramatically compared to just a few months ago, with traders citing increased fuel prices as the main reason. Namibia: Sin Taxes to Hit Pocket [Namibian] LIFE is set to become less sweet for many Namibians, with the price of cigarettes and liquor jumping by between five and 20 per cent today, and the sugar price increasing by between seven and nine per cent on Monday. Tanzania: Let's Talk About Reproductive Health in Schools [Daily News] SCHOLARS have it that there is substantial evidence to show that education has a profound effect on the reproductive health of young people. South Sudan: Army Calls for Concerted Fight Against Aids [Sudan Tribune] Juba - South Sudan's army on Wednesday appealed for concerted efforts to fight against HIV/AIDs, stressing that the war against the sexually transmitted disease cannot be fought by one institution or group of some officials tasked by the government. Nigeria: Unprescribed Lenses Dangerous, Says Optometrist [The Moment] DR Francisca Ekwuribe, an optometrist with Tadam Medical Centre in Jos, Plateau State, has said that using unprescribed lenses can be 'very dangeours' to the eyes. Rwanda: Conceptualizing Global Health Delivery [New Times] The traditional definition of public health has often been relatively narrow and focused on siloed programmes, or the management of health for quick "cost-effective" impact. South Africa: Let's Retain Doctors, Says HPCSA [BuaNews] Cape Town - The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) has urged government to come up with a plan to retain doctors because the state has spent billions of rands subsidising their training. South Africa: SAMA Welcomes Gauteng Premier Health, Social Dept Split [BuaNews] Pretoria - The South African Medical Association (SAMA) has welcomed the decision by Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane to split the provincial Health Department from the Social Development Department. Rwanda: Counterfeit Drugs a Major Burden [New Times] Even if there is no database showing the current situation, counterfeit drugs remain a threat in the country. Rwanda: CWB to Tour Next Month [New Times] FOR the sixth year running, Cricket without Boundaries, a volunteer organization that uses the game of cricket to spread messages about HIV and Aids, will jet in March 4 for a two-week training clinic in and around Kigali. Uganda: Surviving With One 'Dead' Kidney [Monitor] It is her 130th day on the dialysis machine and for 17 months now, this girl has a slim idea of what water tastes like. Her health problem has robbed her of normal meals, an average teenage lifestyle and an opportunity to further her studies. Uganda: Are You On Life Support? You Are Doomed If There's an Outage [Monitor] One night, I had a baby on oxygen and power went off. All of a sudden the child turned blue. I knew she was dying. I rushed for resuscitation bags. They are supposed to be used for just a few minutes but I manually pumped oxygen for over six hours. Africa: IFC, UK Initiative to Bolster Health Public-Private Partnerships in Low-Income Countries [IFC] IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) signed a memorandum of understanding to support advisory services for healthcare public-private partnerships in low-income and fragile states. Uganda: Equality - the Best Medicine [Independent] Life is difficult everywhere for children with special needs and physical handicaps. They face daily struggles to accomplish tasks that many take for granted such as walking to school or eating a meal. South Africa: R1 Billion Pumped Towards National Health Insurance [BuaNews] Cape Town - Government has moved one step further towards the establishment of the massive National Health Insurance scheme for South Africa, with Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan today announcing an allocation of R1 billion to the scheme's pilot projects. South Africa: Premier Foods Expands Into Swaziland [SA Info] Major South African staple foods manufacturer Premier Foods has acquired a controlling stake in two Swaziland-based bread and confectionary businesses, Mr Bread and Swaziland United Bakeries, for R85-million. Nigeria: NAFDAC Begins Campaign Against Fake Drugs in Rivers LGAs [Leadership] The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, (NAFDAC) has launched its campaign against fake and Counterfeit Drugs in some local government areas in Rivers. Africa: Anglican Health Network Establishes Medical Equipment Supply System [ACNS] The Anglican Health Network (AHN) medical supply system is now open for business. With access to a wide range of surplus equipment in the United States, AHN is now looking for partners and recipients to facilitate deliveries.