Day: March 30, 2022

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YOFC Announces 2021 Annual Results

Proportion of Overseas Business Exceeds 30% for the First Time

Net Profit Reaches 710 Million Yuan, Up 30% YoY

WUHAN, China, March 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable Joint Stock Limited Company (hereinafter referred to as “YOFC” or “the Company”) has recently announced its consolidated results for 2021 (the “Reporting Period”). During the reporting period, operating revenue reached 9,536 million yuan, an increase of 16.0% from 2020. Net profit attributable to shareholders of the parent company stood at 710 million yuan, up 30.3% YoY.

During the reporting period, YOFC continued to optimize production efficiency and cost structure, expanded the application scenarios of new products, and consolidated its leadership in the global optical Fibre and cable markets. A point of success in terms of technological innovation defined by achieving full autonomy across the whole of the optical Fibre value chain, the Company strengthened the R&D of new optical Fibres, resulting in it being the first worldwide to roll out dispersion-flat Fibre for 5G forward transmission. In another first, the Company’s large-effective-area Fibres with ultra-low attenuation as well as its proprietary multi-core and low-mode Fibre lead globally. Furthermore, the Company’s high-end multi-mode optical Fibre is being widely used in the construction of large-scale data centers at home and abroad.

While ensuring the core advantages of the main business, YOFC has continuously accelerated the pace of diversification and achieved breakthroughs in many fields. The Company has further enhanced its portfolios for optical modules/optical devices, communication network engineering, data center wiring as well as active optical cables for consumer electronics applications, while achieving new growth in optical modules, semiconductor quartz materials and submarine communications cables. The company has further leveraged its advantages in optical modules and optical devices, to avail itself of project opportunities in the data center and communication markets, with this segment demonstrating a new jump in revenue during the reporting period.

In 2021, YOFC rolled out a roadmap focused on further differentiation of products and services to enhance international competitiveness and establish a wider presence across existing and new markets. An examination of product demand and potential profitability in several target markets, most notably in Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America, became the basis of a plan to expand production capacity accordingly, resulting in the rapid growth of overseas business revenue. During the year, the company achieved the first milestone of the new roadmap, when business revenue ex-China reaching 310 million yuan, up 46.8% YoY and accounted for more than 30% of annual revenue for the first time. Two significant projects that contributed to reaching the milestone were communication network facilities in the Philippines and in Peru, where, in both cases, the teams in charge proved themselves capable of overcoming challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and completed their construction targets on schedule. These two successes were recognized by local operators, leading to the garnering of follow-up project orders. In June 2021, the Company completed the acquisition of YOFC Poliron Indústria e Comércio de Cabos Especiais Ltda. (Poliron) in Brazil, establishing its first production facility in the region. In addition, in view of actual demand across Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America, the Company expanded its optical Fibre and cable production capacity in Indonesia as well as its optical Fibre production capacity in Poland.

Looking forward into 2022, a year marked by both opportunities and challenges, YOFC expects to consolidate the worldwide leadership position of its main business by leveraging a need to rebalance supply and demand across the industry and to continue implementing key strategic initiatives. The Company is also planning the next stage of the globalization of operations by further enhancing the overseas production capacity portfolio, as well as reinforce overseas teams through hiring local talents, so that needs of customers can be better met by conversing with them in their native languages.

https://en.yofc.com/

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Adagio Therapeutics Announces ADG20 (adintrevimab) is the First Monoclonal Antibody to Meet Primary Endpoints with Statistical Significance Across Pre- and Post-exposure Prophylaxis and Treatment for COVID-19 and Plans to Seek U.S. Emergency Use Authorization

Risk of symptomatic COVID-19 was reduced by 71% compared to placebo in pre-exposure prophylaxis and 75% compared to placebo in post-exposure prophylaxis

Risk of hospitalization or death in participants with mild to moderate COVID-19 was reduced by 66% compared to placebo in the primary efficacy analysis population and by 77% compared to placebo in participants who received treatment within three days of symptom onset

Full year and fourth quarter 2021 financial results reported; $591 million in cash and investments expected to be sufficient to fund operations into second half of 2024

WALTHAM, Mass., March 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Adagio Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADGI), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of antibody-based solutions for infectious diseases, reported that the primary endpoints were met with statistical significance for all three indications in the company’s ongoing global Phase 2/3 clinical trials evaluating its investigational drug adintrevimab (ADG20) as a pre-and-post-exposure prophylaxis (EVADE) and treatment (STAMP) for COVID-19. EVADE and STAMP were primarily conducted during a time when pre-Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variants were dominant. Following the emergence of the Omicron variant, in a pre-specified exploratory analysis in a subset of the pre-exposure cohort, a clinically meaningful reduction in cases of symptomatic COVID-19 was observed with adintrevimab compared to placebo. Across both trials, a single intramuscular (IM) administration of adintrevimab at the 300mg dose had a similar safety profile to that of placebo. Based on these data, Adagio plans to engage with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and to submit an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) application in the second quarter of 2022 for adintrevimab for both the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.

In addition, Adagio provided an update on its ongoing Phase 1 study evaluating adintrevimab at higher doses and on research activities related to adintrevimab re-engineering and the identification of new antibodies to potentially address COVID-19 and other viruses.

“COVID-19 continues to pose significant challenges globally as waning immunity combined with the emergence of resistant variants has led to ongoing waves of disease. We believe that a suite of options – spanning prophylaxis and treatment – is needed to effectively address this virus as it continues to evolve, and these data give us confidence in the potential role adintrevimab can play in physicians’ arsenals,” said David Hering, MBA, interim chief executive officer and chief operating officer of Adagio. “Based on the data from both EVADE and STAMP, including the impacts observed in preliminary analyses from participants enrolled after the emergence of the Omicron variant, our team is initiating discussions with the FDA and preparing an EUA submission for adintrevimab. With more than one million doses of adintrevimab secured for 2022 and a solid financial position expected to take us into the second half of 2024, we are optimistic about the road ahead and the impact adintrevimab could have for the many people around the globe, particularly those at high risk with co-morbidities, who continue to need options.”

Michael Ison, M.D., M.S., professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases and of Surgery in the Division of Organ Transplantation, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, added, “the compelling data generated on adintrevimab in both of Adagio’s clinical trials represent an important step toward further addressing the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic. I am particularly encouraged by the consistent treatment effect observed across all three clinical settings and patient subpopulations, and the favorable safety profile, with just a single dose and convenient IM delivery for all patients. The risk-reduction in the post-exposure prophylaxis setting regardless of serostatus translates to real-world use when clinicians might not know the vaccination or prior infection status of their patients. In the STAMP trial, adintrevimab showed prevention of hospitalization and death in the face of the ‘highest-risk’ variant (Delta) to-date.”

EVADE Preliminary Data
EVADE is a global, multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2/3 clinical trial evaluating adintrevimab at the 300mg IM dose in two independent cohorts for the prevention of COVID-19. The study includes a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) cohort and a post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) cohort. The study population is comprised of adults and adolescents at risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection due to reported recent exposure or whose circumstances placed them at increased risk of acquiring SARS-CoV-2 infection and developing symptomatic COVID-19.

In the primary efficacy analysis of the PrEP cohort, adintrevimab was associated with a lower incidence of symptomatic COVID-19 compared with placebo through month three or the emergence of Omicron, whichever was earlier (12/730, 1.6% vs. 40/703, 5.7%, respectively). The standardized risk difference was -4.0% (95% CI –6.0, -2.1; p <0.0001), demonstrating a 71% relative risk reduction in favor of adintrevimab through three months. There were five (0.7%) COVID-19 related hospitalizations in the placebo group compared to none in the adintrevimab group. In a pre-specified exploratory analysis of the PrEP cohort, which included 402 participants (196 and 206 in the adintrevimab and placebo groups, respectively) following the emergence of Omicron (BA.1), a clinically meaningful reduction in cases of symptomatic COVID-19 was observed with adintrevimab, as compared to placebo. Adintrevimab was associated with a relative risk reduction of 59% and 47% with a median follow-up duration of 56 and 77 days, respectively (nominal p <0.05).

In the primary efficacy analysis in the PEP cohort, adintrevimab met statistical significance and was associated with a lower incidence of symptomatic COVID-19 through day 28 compared with placebo (3/173, 1.7% vs. 12/175, 6.9%, respectively). The standardized risk difference was -4.9% (95% CI: -8.8, -1.0; p=0.0135), demonstrating a 75% relative risk reduction in favor of adintrevimab through 28 days. There were two (1.1%) COVID-19 related hospitalizations in the placebo group compared to none in the adintrevimab group.

In the EVADE cohorts across 1,239 adintrevimab-treated participants with a median range of follow up of 140 days for the PrEP cohort and 126 days for the PEP cohort as of the March 2, 2022, data cut off, the safety profile was similar to that of placebo. The incidence of adverse events (AEs), including serious adverse events (SAEs), was similar between adintrevimab and placebo groups. No study drug related SAEs, including deaths, were reported. The most frequently reported AEs were injection-site reactions, the majority of which were mild or moderate in severity and occurred with similar frequency in both groups.

STAMP Preliminary Data
STAMP is a global, multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2/3 clinical trial evaluating adintrevimab at the 300mg IM dose in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk for disease progression. Adintrevimab was associated with a statistically significant lower incidence of COVID-19 related hospitalization or all cause death through day 29 compared with placebo (8/169, 4.7% vs. 23/167, 13.8%), with a standardized risk difference of -8.6% (95% CI: -14.65, -2.57; p=0.0052), demonstrating a 66% relative risk reduction in favor of adintrevimab. There was one death (0.6%) in the adintrevimab group, compared with six deaths (3.6%) in the placebo group through day 29. In patients treated within three days of symptom onset (adintrevimab n=91, placebo n=85), adintrevimab reduced the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization or death from any cause by 77% compared to placebo. STAMP enrolled 63 participants (29 in the adintrevimab group and 34 in the placebo group) with COVID-19 infection with the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant. There were two events of COVID-19 related hospitalization and no deaths through day 29 among the patients with the Omicron variant, and both events of hospitalization occurred in the placebo group.

In STAMP, across 192 adintrevimab-treated participants with a median follow up of 73 days in the adintrevimab group as of the February 2, 2022, data cut off, the incidence of AEs, including SAEs, was lower in the adintrevimab group. No study drug related SAEs, including deaths, were reported. The most frequently reported AEs were injection-site reactions, all of which were mild or moderate in severity and occurred with similar frequency in both groups.

“On behalf of the entire Adagio team, I’d like to thank the numerous investigators, clinical teams and, most importantly, the patients, families and caregivers for their participation in our clinical trials. We are encouraged by the data and look forward to submitting an EUA and discussing these results with the FDA and other regulatory authorities. Further, we are continuing our research efforts to improve adintrevimab activity against Omicron and identify antibodies targeting novel domains, which will provide potential additional product candidates to take into clinical development. Collectively, these efforts showcase the ability of our platform and expertise to discover, design and engineer novel antibodies, and execute global clinical trials, to potentially address infectious diseases,” said Ellie Hershberger, Pharm.D., chief development officer of Adagio.

Additional Development and Research Updates
Adagio continues to leverage its platform and expertise by conducting numerous efforts to address COVID-19, other coronaviruses, influenza and other infectious diseases, including:

  • Advancing a Phase 1 trial in healthy volunteers to evaluate pharmacokinetics and safety of additional higher doses of adintrevimab to supplement the data generated to date, which has evaluated doses up to 600mg IM. Preliminary safety data through two weeks post-dosing suggest a favorable safety profile at the 1200mg dose administered with IM injection or intravenously (IV).
  • Ongoing efforts to modify adintrevimab to improve binding to the Omicron subvariants (BA.1 and BA.2) in order to enhance neutralization potency while retaining the broad neutralization observed in vitro against other SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. Re-engineered variants of ADG20 show over 100-fold improvement in binding and up to 40-fold enhanced neutralizing activity against the Omicron BA.1 variant while maintaining activity against all other variants of concern tested to date.
  • Ongoing discovery efforts to assess additional monoclonal antibodies from the company’s proprietary library of previously isolated SARS-CoV-2 antibodies for neutralization breadth and potency, which could be developed as a standalone treatment or combination therapy. Novel antibodies isolated from Omicron breakthrough infection donors have displayed in vitro activity against the 2003 SARS virus and all SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern tested to date, including the BA.1 and BA.2 variants.
  • Continuing discovery efforts to identify novel, broadly neutralizing antibodies that target epitopes both within and outside the receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 and pan betacoronavirus neutralizing antibodies.

Full Year and Fourth Quarter 2021 Financial Results

  • Cash Position and Financial Guidance: Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities were $591.4 million as of December 31, 2021. Based on current operating plans, Adagio expects its existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities will enable the company to fund its operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into the second half of 2024.
  • R&D Expenses: Research and development (R&D) expenses, including in-process research and development expenses, were $68.4 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2021, and $190.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.
  • SG&A Expenses: Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses were $14.7 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2021, and $36.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.
  • Net Loss: Net loss was $83.0 million, or $0.77 basic and diluted net loss per share, for the quarter ended December 31, 2021, and $226.8 million, or $5.32 basic and diluted net loss per share, for the year ended December 31, 2021.

About Adintrevimab
Adintrevimab (ADG20), Adagio’s lead product candidate, is designed to be a potent, broadly neutralizing antibody for both the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, including disease caused by most variants, as either a single or combination agent. Adintrevimab is being assessed in two separate Phase 2/3 clinical trials: the EVADE trial for the prevention of COVID-19 in both the post-exposure and pre-exposure settings, and the STAMP trial for the treatment of COVID-19. Preliminary data from these trials demonstrated that in the pre-Omicron population, adintrevimab met the primary endpoints across all three indications, demonstrating statistically significant and clinically meaningful efficacy. Across each of the trials, intramuscular (IM) administration of adintrevimab at the 300mg dose had a similar safety profile to that of placebo. Adintrevimab is also being evaluated in a Phase 1 study to evaluate safety and pharmacokinetics at higher doses, and as of an interim data cut, no study drug related adverse events, serious adverse events, injection-site reactions or hypersensitivity reactions were reported across all dose levels evaluated. Adintrevimab is an investigational monoclonal antibody that is not approved for use in any country. The safety and efficacy of adintrevimab have not been established.

About Adagio Therapeutics
Adagio (Nasdaq: ADGI) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of differentiated products for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. The company is developing its lead product candidate, adintrevimab, for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. Beyond COVID-19, Adagio is leveraging robust antibody discovery and development capabilities that have enabled expedited advancement of adintrevimab into clinical trials to develop therapeutic or preventative options for other infectious diseases, such as additional coronaviruses and influenza. Adintrevimab is an investigational monoclonal antibody that is not approved for use in any country. The safety and efficacy of adintrevimab have not been established. For more information, please visit www.adagiotx.com.

Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “could”, “expects,” “intends,” “potential”, “projects,” and “future” or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning, among other things, the timing, progress and results of our preclinical studies and clinical trials of adintrevimab, the review and analysis of data from our ongoing trials and the timing thereof, the initiation, modification and completion of studies or trials and related preparatory work, and our research and development programs; our plans related to engaging with regulatory authorities, including the timing of any regulatory submissions or applications; our pursuit of other strategies to broaden our portfolio of SARS-CoV-2 mAbs to address other SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, including the Delta and Omicron variants; our discovery efforts to identify novel broadly neutralizing antibodies that target distinct epitopes both within and outside the receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 and other beta coronaviruses; our expected cash runway; and other statements that are not historical fact. We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and those of our collaborators, our clinical trials and our financial position, unexpected safety or efficacy data observed during preclinical studies or clinical trials, the predictability of clinical success of adintrevimab based on neutralizing activity in pre-clinical studies, variability of results in models used to predict activity against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, clinical trial site activation or enrollment rates that are lower than expected, changes in expected or existing competition, changes in the regulatory environment, and the uncertainties and timing of the regulatory approval process, including the outcome of our discussions with regulatory authorities concerning our Phase 2/3 clinical trials and the result of any emergency use application submission. Other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements in this press release are described under the heading “Risk Factors” in Adagio’s Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2021 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and in our other filings with the SEC, and in Adagio’s future reports to be filed with the SEC. Such risks may be amplified by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of this date, and Adagio undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.

Contacts
Media Contact:
Dan Budwick, 1AB
dan@1abmedia.com

Investor Contact:
Monique Allaire, THRUST Strategic Communications
monique@thrustsc.com

ADAGIO THERAPEUTICS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(UNAUDITED)
(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)

December 31,
2021 2020
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $ 542,224 $ 114,988
Marketable securities 49,194 —
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 25,293 2,394
Total current assets 616,711 117,382
Property and equipment, net 83 —
Other non-current assets 3,297 —
Total assets $ 620,091 $ 117,382
Liabilities, Convertible Preferred Stock and Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit)
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable $ 5,783 $ 8,153
Accrued expenses 56,277 4,919
Total current liabilities 62,060 13,072
Early-exercise liability 6 11
Other non-current liabilities 6 —
Total liabilities 62,072 13,083
Commitments and contingencies
Convertible preferred stock (Series A, B and C), $0.0001 par value; no shares authorized, issued and outstanding at December 31, 2021; 12,647,934 shares authorized, issued and outstanding at December 31, 2020; aggregate liquidation preference of $0 and $169,900 at December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively — 169,548
Stockholders’ equity (deficit):
Preferred stock (undesignated), $0.0001 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized and no shares issued and outstanding at December 31 2021; no shares authorized, issued and outstanding at December 31, 2020 — —
Common stock, $0.0001 par value; 1,000,000,000 shares authorized, 111,251,660 shares issued and 110,782,909 shares outstanding at December 31, 2021; 150,000,000 shares authorized, 28,193,240 shares
issued and 5,593,240 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2020		 11 1
Treasury stock, at cost; 468,751 shares and 22,600,000 shares at December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively — (85 )
Additional paid-in capital 850,125 154
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (8 ) —
Accumulated deficit (292,109 ) (65,319 )
Total stockholders’ equity (deficit) 558,019 (65,249 )
Total liabilities, convertible preferred stock and stockholders’ equity (deficit) $ 620,091 $ 117,382

ADAGIO THERAPEUTICS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
(UNAUDITED)
(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)

Year Ended
December 31, 2021		 Period from
June 3, 2020
(Inception) to
December 31, 2020
Operating expenses:
Research and development(1) $ 182,891 $ 21,992
Acquired in-process research and development(2) 7,500 40,125
Selling, general and administrative 36,517 3,210
Total operating expenses 226,908 65,327
Loss from operations (226,908 ) (65,327 )
Other income (expense):
Other income (expense), net 118 8
Total other income (expense), net 118 8
Net loss (226,790 ) (65,319 )
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Unrealized loss on available-for-sale securities, net of tax (8 ) —
Comprehensive loss $ (226,798 ) $ (65,319 )
Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted $ (5.32 ) $ (18.10 )
Weighted-average common shares outstanding, basic and diluted 42,621,265 3,608,491

(1)  Includes related-party amounts of $4,150 for the year ended December 31, 2021 and $595 for the period from June 3, 2020 (inception) to December 31, 2020.
(2)  Includes related-party amounts of $7,500 for the year ended December 31, 2021 and $39,915 for the period from June 3, 2020 (inception) to December 31, 2020.

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Egg Prices Soar In Murang’a

Residents of Murang’a County have decried biting shortage of eggs, even as their prices continue to rise, amidst low supply of the commodity in the area.
According to the residents, the price of a tray of eggs is now retailing at Sh380 up from Sh300 translating into 25%, which could be attributed to the prolonged drought being experienced in some parts the country.
Poultry farmers interviewed by KNA complained over exorbitant prices of chicken feeds as a result of the prevailing drought as well as high inflation saying it was becoming increasingly difficult to feed their birds.
One of the farmers, Stella Wairimu, explained how she had to reduce the number of chicken she rears in order to manage the current situation.
“I used to keep over 300 birds and collect three to four trays of eggs a day, but after prices of chicken feeds skyrocketed, I had to reduce them to a manageable size,” Wairimu stated.
“Currently I collect only one tray per day but the demand for eggs is still high,” she added.
On his part, Michael Irungu Kamau, a dealer in animal feeds in Murang’a, is worried he might not restock some of the products as farmers are no longer purchasing them at all or buying in small quantities.
“A 70 kg bag of Kienyeji feed that was going for Sh1700 is currently retailing at Sh2100, while a 50 kg starter bag for newly hatched chicks was Sh3800 but is now retailing at Sh.4100,” said Irungu, adding that he fears the prices will keep going higher.
Residents are now being forced to dig deeper into their pockets as the cost of an egg has increased from Sh10 to Sh15, while street vendors are selling boiled eggs at Sh25 instead of the initial Sh20.
Elsewhere, Chantel Wambui, a resident in Mukuyu, wants the government to intervene and avoid a situation where the government is likely to be compelled to allow for importation of eggs to cover the deficit, thus impoverishing poultry farmers even further.
“Our leaders should handle this issue with the urgency it deserves, before it gets out of hand because unlike other commodities you can hardly substitute an egg,” added Wambui.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Mombasa’s Rehabilitation Centre Offering Hope To Drug Addicts

National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) has operationalised the first public rehabilitation centre for drug addicts in the coastal city of Mombasa.
The centre known as ‘Miritini Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre’ was established following a presidential directive that saw the transformation of the former National Youth Service (NYS) station in Miritini area of Mombasa into a drug rehabilitation centre managed by NACADA.
The newly built public centre in the seaside city offers free drug treatment and rehabilitation services for recovering substance users.
Drug rehabilitation is the process of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and street drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, heroin or amphetamines.
According to NACADA Coast Regional Manager George Karissa, the new full rehab centre offering hope for drug addicts provides both outpatient and inpatient programmes.
Karissa says opening of the rehabilitation centre comes at a time when alcohol, drug and substance abuse and trafficking are on the rise in the region leading to deaths and drug-related mental health illnesses.
“The NACADA board has spent Sh20 million in 2019 to set up the Miritini Rehab Centre at a time the coastal region grapples with soaring drug use” said Karissa during an interview with KNA.
He revealed that NACADA is also putting up a Sh87 million multipurpose hall, kitchen and dining hall.
Karissa said the Miritini Rehab Centre operates under international standards of drug-use prevention and that recovering users are released to their families.
He said treatment includes medication for depression or other disorders, counseling by experts and sharing of experience with other addicts.
“Once we release them back to the society we ask their families and friends to follow up on them to ensure they do not start socialising again with drug users and run the risk of relapse” he said.
The NACADA regional official said treating addiction and committing to a de-addiction programme could save your lives.
He said the anti-drug agency is scaling up its activities in the coastal counties of Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi and Lamu to cope with rising rates of addiction.
The coastal counties have been grappling with a growing drug problem for decades and continue to be a challenge for the authorities.
“This new centre will not only provide services to residents in Mombasa but people across the coastal region,” he said adding the aim of the rehabilitation centre is to get the addicted back to normal healthy life and bring happiness to their families as well.
Local stakeholders opine that poverty, ease of access to drugs and high unemployment rate has fueled the increase.
Karissa has expressed concern that the rate of hard drug use such as cannabis, heroin and cocaine among the youth in the region has assumed a worrisome dimension despite persistent campaigns against the vice.
The NACADA regional boss says the outpatient programme currently has 270 clients on methadone (a powerful drug used for pain relief and treatment of drug addiction).
“Out of the 270 outpatients weaning themselves off addiction 248 are male while 22 are female ranging from the ages of 23 to 67 years old” he said.
“For the inpatient programme we have 40 clients on board (34 males and six females) and they are undergoing a comprehensive three months rehabilitation programme and so far 100 inpatients have been treated and successfully discharged,” he said.
Karissa stressed on the need for relevant stakeholders to join hands with NACADA to aggressively tackle drug and substance abuse among the young generation.
“Due to its prevalence, drug abuse among the youth is a time bomb waiting to detonate with devastating consequences if more concerted efforts are not adopted to address this societal vice,” he said.
Karissa said NACADA in the region is collaborating with community leaders on awareness creation programmes and targeted interventions about the drug menace as the ‘main goal is prevention’.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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County Commences Tarmacking Of Deplorable Estate Roads

Residents of Gwa Kairo, Kahawa Wendani and Juja town have a reason to smile after Kiambu County Government commenced the tarmacking of deplorable roads in the estates.
Each estate will receive a kilometer of tarmac on critical roads ending years of suffering and frustrations that residents have been going through in their daily movements.
In Gwa Kairo, the project involves the tarmacking of the road that connects the estate to Thika Super highway which has been in deplorable state for years especially during rainy seasons.
Once complete, it will open the estate that is the bedroom of Ruiru, Thika and Kimbo in terms of workforce and market, as well as ease movements.
Other roads are the Uchumi-JKUAT Gate A road in Juja town and the Kahawa Wendani-Maguna-Kiuu River road in Ruiru Sub County.
The projects are being undertaken under the Kenya Urban Support Programme (KUSP) and will be completed in nine months’ time.
Speaking while commissioning the projects yesterday, Kiambu Governor Dr James Nyoro said the roads will be made to the required standards, taking into consideration putting up good drainage systems and walkways.
He said the current state of the roads limited accessibility, frustrate residents and business people.
“Our intention is to tarmac more roads in our estates through KUSP, but we have been limited by the few municipalities that we have. We have written to the government to have Juja, Kabete and Kikuyu to be made stand-alone Municipalities in order to benefit more from such programmes,” he said.
Residents led by Theta Ward MCA Simon Karema said the tarmacking of the roads especially the Gwa Kairo road was long overdue.
“Connecting from the estate to Ruiru town or other areas has been frustrating especially during the rainy seasons. You will fall in the mud if not careful and therefore the project is a relief to the residents,” said Karema.
In Juja, residents especially JKUAT students expressed their relief saying the tarmacking of that key road would ease movement.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Magoha Assures Parents Of Fair Secondary Placement

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has assured Kenyans of integrity in the form-one placement for 2021 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) students when the process begins in two weeks’ time.
Magoha said most of the pupils will proceed to the schools they picked during their selection and to those who will go to the ones they did not pick, then they would have not listed them as their first choices.
The CS said learners will also be placed in national, extra-county, county and sub county schools based on the performance.
He also announced that the selection criteria will be based on affirmative action taking into account geographical distribution countrywide.
“We have to ensure that there is affirmative action which takes into account the geographical distribution of this country, therefore children from the Northern region must also be represented in all areas of national schools and in order to do that God and the government has given us the powers to be fair,” said Magoha.
Speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing surgical society of Kenya conference, Magoha said the selection criteria will not discriminate against well performing students especially those in the Kenyan slums and in the Arid and semi-arid areas.
“We shall ensure that all Kenyan children are given equal, fair and just treatment including those children in the slums and those in far flung arid and semi-arid areas, where we have always had affirmative action, “said Magoha.
Magoha said all the 1.2 million candidates who sat for this year’s KCPE examination will be placed in secondary schools they chose, and where the chances are limited, merit will prevail.
“We will place you where you belong in terms of your selection of schools and there will be no interference at all,” he added.
And as the country prepares to usher in junior secondary schools in the new system, the CS is now challenging private schools in the country to create stand-alone junior secondary schools so that they can ease the burden from the government.
“Private owners of schools should not always look at the profit margin, and create a stand-alone junior secondary school that will help us to reduce the pressure and I hope that they will take that with the humility that it deserves,” asked Magoha.
At the same time the CS said the return of secondary school games will probably kick off next term owing to the relaxation of Covid-19 protocols.
“I will consult the health minister and most likely as we open for the New Year we shall relax that aspect because we feel that we are safe enough to résumé sports,” said Magoha.
Magoha also said those who attempted to breach exam integrity in the ongoing Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), will be subjected to very punitive disciplinary action.
“Those who have attempted to breach the exam integrity, we are catching them and they will be subject to a very severe action by the government,” said Magoha.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Gov’t Keen To Address The Rising Cost Of Fertilizers

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya has said that the government will require Sh 31 billion to revert the rising cost of fertiliser back to where it was in 2021.
While reassuring farmers that the government is addressing the rising cost of farm inputs especially fertiliser, Munya said that the problem was not unique to Kenyan farmers, but countries which relied on imported farm inputs were facing a similar predicament.
“The government is looking at ways and means of addressing the situation. The problem is that the cost of fertiliser is very high. We do not have sufficient phosphate deposits in the country so we have to rely on Russia, Ukraine and Saudi Arabia to get fertilisers. There was the Covid-19 disruption which was followed by a war that has resulted in increased transport logistics which have also increased the cost of shipping,” said Munya while speaking in Nyeri County.
In early March this year, the ministry predicted that the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine would push the cost of a 50 kilogram bag of fertiliser to Sh 7,000. Currently 50 kilogram of Diamonium Phosphate fertiliser is Sh 6000.The cost is a Sh 2000 increase in price from 2021 when DAP was retailing at Sh 4000 per 50 kilogram bag.
The CS noted that the government had been able to sustain the fuel, maize,coffee and potato subsidy programmes due to prior preparation during the budget making process.
Coffee farmers are the latest beneficiaries on the government’s input programme where they only pay 60 per cent for the inputs through the E-subsidy programme which was launched in January this year.
“These are small budgets for us but we are asking ourselves if it is possible to subsidise all these products at once. This is the conversation we require to have between treasury and parliament and not a conversation the Ministry of Agriculture can handle on its own,” said the CS.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Kenya Gets Huawei-Linked Chinese Communications Cable

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA — China has connected a high-speed, multimillion-dollar, 15,000-kilometer undersea cable to Kenya, as Beijing advances what’s been dubbed its “digital silk road,” and Africa seeks the infrastructure it badly needs for better internet connectivity.
Chinese giant Huawei is a shareholder in the $425-million PEACE cable, which stands for “Pakistan and East Africa Connecting Europe.” It stretches from Asia to Africa and then into France, where it terminates.
It reached the coastal city of Mombasa on Tuesday, with the CEO of local partner company Telekom Kenya, Mugo Kibati, saying the cable would help meet the sharp rise in demand for internet services on a continent where internet adoption has trailed the rest of the world, but which is home to a growing, young and increasingly digital population.
“This ultra-high-capacity cable will assist Kenya and the region in meeting its current and future broadband capacity requirements, bolster redundancy, minimize transit time of our country’s connectivity to Asia and Europe, as well as assist carriers in providing affordable services to Kenyans,” said Kibati.
Business development
For his part, the PEACE Cable’s COO, Sun Xiaohua, said in a statement that the new infrastructure would “bring more business development to this region.” From Kenya, the cable will later be extended further down the continent’s east coast to South Africa.

It’s estimated that 95% of international data flows via submarine cables, and in terms of Africa, China dominates, with the most projects aimed at connecting the continent. Aside from the PEACE cable, China’s proposed 2Africa cable will become one of the biggest undersea projects in the world when it goes live in 2024.

But China’s massive digital infrastructure investments in Africa and elsewhere have not been without controversy, and Washington has expressed deep concerns that Beijing is attempting to monopolize networks and possibly use them for espionage.
Safety concerns
Some analysts are concerned the technology could be misused by authoritarian leaders on the continent, but Cobus van Staden, a senior China-Africa researcher at the South African Institute of International Affairs, said most Africans simply want better internet.
“I think this PEACE Cable generally plays very positively in Africa. Obviously, the United States has raised … concerns around this, particularly in relation to security, but I think for lot of African countries, the security issue is actually balanced by the wider issue of a lack of connectivity,” van Staden told VOA.
Huawei was sanctioned by the U.S. under former president Donald Trump, but the company has built about 70% of Africa’s 4G networks, and van Staden said it seems China is winning the race for digital soft power on the continent.
“I think there’s a space there for competition, but Western actors will have to step up,” he said.

Source: Voice of America

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Banana Processing Plant Commissioned In Kisii County

The acting Devolution Cabinet Secretary, Eugene Wamalwa Tuesday commissioned a banana processing plant on the outskirts of Kisii town.
Speaking during the function which was held at the plant site, Wamalwa said the banana plant is well-placed in a county that is one of the leading producers of bananas in the whole world.
“The processing plant will in effect not lack raw materials to process. It is our hope that this will contribute to the steady income of producers and other value-chain actors. It is also worth mentioning that the plant comes at an opportune time as it will provide an alternative market for producers,” said the CS.
Wamalwa pointed out that the factory will be expected to minimise the role of middlemen and improve the sale margins for producers thereby enhancing the county’s revenue base through levies on producers from the factory.
He said the processor had been funded at a cost of Sh158 million, with the county government catering for over Sh40 million and the European Union (EU) contributing Sh110 million.
State Department for Devolution Principal Secretary (PS), Julius Korir said the Ministry is excited about the project as it will greatly impact farmers, banana value-chain actors, the county and country as a whole.
“At the same time, it will achieve its inter-governmental role of fostering a good working collaboration and consultation with the counties. This is a mandate that we as the Ministry look forward to deepening,” Korir added.
The PS noted that the Ministry was looking forward to spreading the local economic development initiative to the rest of the counties since 15 counties were part of the pilot programme and the impact has been greatly felt.
EU Representative, Stephen Wahome said they were proud of the collaboration between national and county governments and projects such as the banana plant is proof that the system of devolution that Kenyans chose for themselves is working.
He said the project will not only put a smile on the faces of banana farmers but also translate to increased income for households, create employment opportunities and push forward the Big Four Agenda.
“We have no doubt that this project will become a catalyst for further private sector investments in this great county of Kisii,” said Wahome.
He added that the EU was convinced the flour from the facility will be on the shelves of major supermarkets and outlets not only in Kenya but in the region as well.
Wahome said they are aware of the public engagements that went into identifying the banana plant project and they believe that public decisions are only important if the people they intend to benefit are engaged.
“Public participation is a core pillar of a democratic and responsive system and should be at the center of every public administration,” he said.
Kisii Governor, James Ongwae noted the factory will be able to process about 80 metric tonnes of raw banana per day which will be sourced from local farmers.
He noted that the equipment in the plant was purchased from local manufacturers as a way of promoting the motto of ‘buy Kenya, build Kenya.’
“This project is aligned to the County Integrated Development Plan (CIPD) and broad manifesto of ensuring that Kisii where we have bananas is given a priority,” Ongwae said.
The County Boss said the facility will be contracted to a private investor who will operate the plant and they will agree on how much they will pay the county government and banana farmers.
He noted the county was intending to promote the adoption of tissue culture bananas due to their quality and productivity as well as disease tolerance.
“This banana that we have here in Kisii is the best in the country, especially for lactating mothers. We are also the leading producer of the cooking banana variety in Kenya and we are dominant and account for 7 per cent of the eaten banana variety,” said Ongwae.
However, the Governor cited challenges in the banana sector such as low crop productivity, poor markets, post-harvest losses, high pest and disease incidences and middlemen who benefit more from the produce.
This project is part of the Instrument for Devolution Advice and Support (IDEAS) programme which was brought about by a partnership between the national government and the EU and supports devolution at the grassroots.
IDEAS is a capacity building programme aimed at supporting 15 selected counties through identifying and prioritizing projects that are going to spur economic development at the grassroots and also give income to the people.
The programme promotes the acceleration of local economic development through enhanced local value-chains of specific county projects dealing with food processing, meat, milk and fish products in the 15 implementing counties.
The counties include Baringo, Kisumu, Kwale, Laikipia, Makueni, Marsabit, Migori, Nyandarua, Samburu, Taita Taveta, Tana River, Uasin Gishu, Wajir, West Pokot and Kisii.
The programme aims to create more employment opportunities and wealth and contribute to the realization of Kenya’s Big Four Agenda on food security and manufacturing, thereby improving the lives of the people.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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1st National Maternal, Infant And Child Nutrition Symposium Launched

The Ministry of Health in collaboration with other stakeholders has launched the first National Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) Symposium.
The three-day event aims at sharing evidence on addressing MIYCN from a multi sectoral perspective with a focus on complementary feeding.
The symposium will also provide a platform for identification of gaps, priorities, and opportunities for the framework of action on complementary feeding and expanded family diets and further generate learnings that will inform policy and programming on MIYCN.
Speaking on Tuesday during the launch, Acting Director General for Health Dr Patrick Amoth said that good health and nutrition play an important role in the economic growth, poverty reduction and the realisation of social goals in line with Kenyan Vision 2030.
In Kenya, Amoth said malnutrition is a leading cause of infant and child morbidity, mortality and hospital admission, a situation that urgently requires stakeholders’ interventions.
According to the 2019 Social and Economic Effects of Child Undernutrition Kenya Country Report, in 2014 our economy lost Sh 373.9 billion or 6.9 percent of the gross domestic product due to health, education and productivity related costs associated with child undernutrition.
Further, Amoth said the report projected that reducing the prevalence of stunting from 26 per cent in 2014 to 14.7 per cent the target for Vision 2030, would yield a cost decrease in economic losses due to child undernutrition of up to 40.7 per cent.
“If sustainable achievements in child survival, growth, development and subsequently the social and economic growth are to be attained, there is need for increased attention and commitment towards interventions to improve maternal, infant and young child nutrition,” said Amoth.
He noted that there is sufficient evidence that investing in maternal, infant and young child nutrition contributes to improved health outcomes and social and economic development.
The Ag DG said the Ministry of Health has provided a strong policy and legislative framework for improving Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition including the Health Act, 2017, National Food and Nutrition Security Policy (2012), Kenya Health Policy 2014-2030, Kenya Health Sector Strategic Plan 2018-2023, Kenya Nutrition Action Plan (2018-2022), Kenya Primary Health Care Strategic framework 2019-2024, Kenya Community Health Policy 2020-2030, the Breast Milk Substitutes Act, 2012 and related Regulations among others.
Further, Dr Amoth said the Ministry has disseminated the policies, guidelines and legislations to the counties to ensure standardised quality health services noting that maternal infant and young child nutrition interventions also require sustained social and behaviour change and the Ministry has continued to strengthen the Community Health Strategy.
“In order to enhance social and behaviour change in regard to maternal infant and young child nutrition, the Ministry is promoting Baby Friendly Community Initiative (BFCI) which aims at empowering communities to promote, protect and support breastfeeding, appropriate complementary feeding and maternal nutrition, environmental sanitation and hygiene,” cited Dr Amoth.
In his remarks, Nutrition Manager, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Kenya, Abiud Omwega stated that according to the Lancet Series, 2013 landmark papers on maternal and child undernutrition indicated the critical role of early nutrition in the health of children, making it clear that the golden period of intervention for nutrition is between pregnancy and 24 months.
Globally, Omwega noted that undernutrition is responsible for up to 45 percent of deaths in children under 5 years old and is a significant cause of morbidity in this age group.
“In Kenya, only 22 per cent of children aged 6-23 months are receiving a minimal acceptable diet and just 41 per cent consume the recommended number of food groups,” said Omwega.
He noted that according to a comprehensive nutrient gap analysis conducted by the government with support from UNICEF, showed that young children in Kenya lack the essential nutrients Iron and Zinc.

Source: Kenya News Agency