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Improperly disposed needles, harmful chemicals, and contaminated equipment can lead to the spread of dangerous diseases like HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C, making medical waste management a critical global issue.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 16 billion injections are administered worldwide each year.

The real danger lies in the improper disposal of used needles, which can expose healthcare workers and the public to infectious diseases.

WHO reports that in developing countries, 64% of healthcare waste is not properly segregated, significantly increasing health risks for waste handlers and the broader population.

The consequences of poor medical waste management are staggering. WHO statistics reveal that each year, unsafe injections cause 21 million new cases of Hepatitis B, 2 million cases of Hepatitis C, and 260,000 new HIV infections.

In 2010 alone, improperly discarded needles were responsible for 33,800 new HIV cases, 1.7 million Hepatitis B infections, and 315,000 cases of Hepatitis C.

Additionally, 2 million healthcare workers globally suffer injuries from sharp objects, largely due to inadequate waste management practices.

In Rwanda, healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) remain a concern. A 2020 study in major hospitals found that 32% of women’s infections were attributed to poor medical waste handling, highlighting the need for urgent intervention within the healthcare system.

In response to this pressing issue, the Rwanda Nurses and Midwives Union (RNMU) has launched a comprehensive initiative aimed at raising awareness among healthcare professionals about the importance of environmental protection.

Environment specialist Kanangire Ruti Rubis shared strategies with nursing and midwifery students on the critical role they play in managing medical waste responsibly.

“Healthcare professionals must prioritize the proper sorting of waste, separating hazardous materials from regular waste to prevent environmental degradation,” Kanangire emphasized.

“In Rwanda, progress has been made with environmental protection laws, but there is still a gap in public awareness. We need to intensify education efforts, especially among healthcare workers.”

Gentille Ishimwe, a third-year nursing student at Ruli Higher Institute of Health, shared how the training organized by RNMU had changed her perspective on medical waste management.

“Negligently handled needles can spread infections. Imagine someone contracting an incurable disease because of carelessness. It’s essential that we are more cautious,” she stated.

RNMU President André Gitembagara outlined the union’s commitment to tackling climate change and environmental degradation through sustainable healthcare practices.

“The effects of climate change directly affect us, especially in healthcare. Contagious diseases, like the Marburg virus, start with us healthcare workers. It’s imperative that we contribute to protecting the environment,” he said.

RNMU’s five-year plan includes a series of impactful initiatives such as nationwide awareness campaigns, the planting of over 5,000 food-producing trees at healthcare centers by November, and the establishment of nurse-led environmental protection groups.

These initiatives aim to foster a culture of environmental stewardship within Rwanda’s healthcare system, ensuring a safer and greener future for all.

RNMU President André Gitembagara outlined the union’s commitment to tackling climate change and environmental degradation through sustainable healthcare practices.

Kanangire Ruti Rubis is an environmental specialist

Participants of the training session following a presentation.

Participants of the training in a group photo

Environment specialist Kanangire Ruti Rubis shared strategies with nursing and midwifery students on the critical role they play in managing medical waste responsibly.

IGIHE

Click this link to watch the video

Xinhua

In the city’s old town, shops, food stands and art studios were still bustling with activity. Electric mini-buses carried tourists through a maze of crisscrossing alleys, lined with traditional mud-brick houses.

Deep in a back alley, traditional Uygur dance music blared out. A group of foreigners got off their mini-bus and joined the crowd in an open-air pub.

Omani media executive Fadi Kattar took to the dance floor, where three young Uygur children wowed the audience with their spontaneous dance moves. There was cheering, clapping and laughter.

“It was wonderful,” said Kattar, who is with Muscat Media Group, adding that he liked the nightlife in Kashgar, where traditional music resembled that back home in the Middle East.

With Kattar were over two dozen journalists and media leaders from countries as diverse as France, Qatar, Indonesia, Mongolia, El Salvador and Equatorial Guinea. As participants in the 6th World Media Summit, held in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region this week, they were invited to travel to places around the vast region.

Kattar and his group were particularly enticed by the rich culture of the 2,000-year-old Kashgar, once a trading hub on the ancient Silk Road.

The old town, home to 40,000 people and a top tourist spot since 2015, is a must-see for its traditional Uygur architecture and culture. The government spent several years and a combined sum of 7 billion yuan (about 1 billion U.S. dollars) reinforcing the houses and giving the whole area a facelift.

Wensel Mavara, chairperson of the board of the Namibia Daily News, highlighted the preservation of local culture, which “gives this place a uniqueness that attracts tourists.”

More importantly, the project has provided residents with tap water, heating systems, and commercial spaces, while also reinforcing the buildings to withstand strong earthquakes, he added.

Drawing on his experience in Nepal, Kishor Shrestha, chief editor of Jana Aastha National Weekly, emphasized that renovation of this sort is vital for people living in earthquake-prone areas.

“The renovation helped preserve our culture, and enabled locals like me to venture into new business,” said Salamatgul Kari, a 34-year-old Uygur woman who was the first in the old town to turn her family houses into a hostel and a parlor providing dance performances for tourists.

Kashgar has experienced a tourism boom in recent years, with more Chinese and international visitors venturing into this part of the country to explore its diverse geography and rich cultural heritage.

According to government statistics, in the first eight months of this year, about 88,800 foreigners visited the city and nearby counties that constitute the prefecture of Kashgar.

REVIVE ANCIENT TRADING HUB

Taking the overseas media group around shops selling silk, pottery, spices, fur and carpets, tour guide Nurnigar Dolkun said these goods constituted the bulk of the caravan trade along the ancient Silk Road.

As the ancient Silk Road declined after the 15th century, following the Age of Discovery, the old trading hubs were left for centuries to wither in the dust of history.

In 2013, China put forward the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Part of its goal was to revive the ancient Silk Road. This has given Kashgar a chance to thrive once more, bearing in mind its proximity to Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The same year, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was launched as a flagship project of the BRI, connecting Kashgar with Pakistan’s Gwadar Port on the coast of the Indian Ocean.

In terms of trade, Kashgar is part of the China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone, giving it preferential policies on par with two dozen free-trade zones that represent China’s top trading regions, including Shanghai, Fujian, and Guangdong.

Kashgar’s free-trade zone was the very first stop for the overseas media group on its visit to the city on Tuesday. There, they learned about the planning and industrial layouts of the zone.

Waref Kumayha, president of the Silk Road Institute for Studies and Research in Lebanon, was keen to learn about issues like tax reductions for foreign investments and investment criteria for foreign businesses.

He nodded in delight after hearing that income tax for companies in the zone would be exempted or halved and there is no minimum investment requirement for foreign businesses. “Government policy support is crucial for a place’s economic development,” he said.

“We welcome friends from all over the world to invest in Kashgar,” said Liu Guo, a local official in charge of investment promotion.

This year, a Kyrgyz logistics company began to operate in the zone. Officials said efforts are being made to further accelerate the logistics of China-Kyrgysztan cross-border trade.

According to Liu, Kashgar is trying to build a commodity processing and distribution hub linking China to the markets in Central Asia and South Asia.

Calling the free-trade zone in Kashgar a major and significant project, Salah Eddin Elzein, advisor to the director general of Al Jazeera Media Network, said that it not only enhances economic development in the region, but also benefits the entire country of China and the neighboring nations linked through various ports.

The rapid development of Kashgar relies not only on favorable free-trade policies, but also on substantial infrastructure development, the media leaders observed.

Kashgar is re-positioning itself as a transportation hub in China’s far west, they were told. Flights from Pakistan can bring frozen seafood from the Indian Ocean directly to the tables of people in Xinjiang. Chinese electric vehicles are being exported to BRI partner countries through Kashgar.

Kashgar was designated as the starting point of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway. Construction is expected to finish in a couple of years’ time.

“A more open and vibrant economy of Kashgar not only promotes China’s development but also offers broader cooperation opportunities for foreign enterprises,” said Khaled Moussa, managing editor of the Muscat Media Group.

The essence of China’s BRI, Moussa said, is that “it benefits all.”

Xinhua

Themed “Artificial Intelligence and Media Transformation,” the summit gathered over 500 participants from 106 countries and regions, including representatives of 208 mainstream media outlets, government agencies, and international organizations.

During the participants’ stay in Xinjiang, what moments captured with their phones impressed them? Follow Xinhua correspondent Wang Yijie to find out the answer.

Click this link to watch the video

Xinhua

Xinhua

The recovered items include those that were stolen in Tuesday, October 15, from the home of a Japanese national, Mio Yamada, in Mutara Village, Kimihurura Cell in Kimihurura Sector, Gasabo District.

Three people have also been arrested in connection with the theft at the Yamada’s resident.

They include two thieves and a dealer in used electronics, who bought the stolen items.

At least three laptops, two iPads, three digital cameras and a GoPro camera, two lenses and two smartphones, among many others; stolen from the home of the Japanese resident, were recovered on Wednesday, October 16, at the shop of the dealer in used electronics in Nyarugenge, where he was also arrested.

The three suspects are also connected to other series of house break-ins reported in Kigali, according to investigations.

While receiving her recovered electronics on Thursday, October 17, Yamada thanked Rwanda National Police for the swift response.

“We lost almost everything in one night and there was no hope we would recover them.
Now we have everything that was stolen, and I want to thank Rwanda Police for this reassuring gesture. We are safe and secure, and we will stay in Rwanda longer and probably forever,” Yamada said.

The RNP spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Boniface Rutikanga warned of continued operations targeting mainly those who buy stolen items, especially dealers in used electronics, who buy stolen electronic equipment.

“Dealers in used electronics are advised to follow the regulations governing used electronics and electronic equipment instead of providing market for stolen items and influencing the criminal acts, which will not be entertained,” ACP Rutikanga said.

He added that law enforcement agencies and other relevant institutions are currently implementing the regulation and to bring to justice all those that influence theft of electronics, especially dealers.

The regulation provides that before buying second-hand electronics, the business operator must first verify that the seller is the rightful owner of the equipment and record detailed particulars.

IGIHE

This follows a petition filed by Gachagua’s legal team on Friday morning, challenging the entire process that led to his impeachment by the Senate late Thursday night.

In a ruling delivered on Friday afternoon, Justice Chacha Mwita stated that Gachagua’s petition raises monumental constitutional issues concerning the rule of law and human rights.

The judge issued a conservatory order staying the implementation of the impeachment charges, including the appointment of Gachagua’s replacement, until October 24, 2024, when the matter will be mentioned in court.

“Given the significance of the issues raised in the petition and application, I certify this matter as raising substantial questions of law and public interest, and therefore fit to be heard by a bench of an uneven number of judges, to be appointed by the Hon. Chief Justice. The file shall be placed before the Hon. Chief Justice immediately for consideration,” reads part of Justice Mwita’s ruling.

In his petition, Gachagua dismissed the charges and evidence presented before the Senate for his removal as baseless, asking the court to quash the impeachment.

“Unfounded and false allegations have been made against me in the impeachment motion before both houses. It is in the interest of justice that such false information be corrected in line with the provisions of Article 35 of the Constitution,” said Gachagua.

Gachagua argued that the Senate was required by law to act as an impartial arbitrator when determining whether the charges recently approved by the National Assembly had been substantiated.

The court’s decision comes just hours after President William Ruto nominated Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki to replace the impeached deputy. The National Assembly has since approved the nominee for appointment and subsequent swearing-in.

With this ruling, it is expected that President Ruto will halt the official appointment and swearing-in of Kindiki pending the court’s determination.

Gachagua, who is widely reported to have fallen out with President Ruto in recent months, was impeached after Senators upheld five of the 11 charges brought against him.

Fifty-four senators voted to impeach Gachagua on the first count of gross violation of the Constitution, while 13 voted against his removal. The charges under this ground included accusations of dividing Kenyans along ethnic lines. The National Assembly cited several instances where Gachagua compared the government to a company, suggesting that certain regions held more “shares” than others.

In addition to engaging in divisive politics, Gachagua faced other accusations, including economic crimes, money laundering, insubordination, undermining the government and devolution, as well as bullying and intimidating state officers. However, the charges of economic crimes, money laundering, and bullying failed to gain sufficient support.

The Senate proceeded with the impeachment trial despite Gachagua’s lawyers arguing that the Deputy President could not appear in the House as he had been hospitalized.

Rigathi Gachagua, who is widely reported to have fallen out with President Ruto in recent months, was impeached after Senators upheld five of the 11 charges brought against him.

Wycliffe Nyamasege

The Senate upheld Gachagua’s impeachment by the National Assembly in a historic vote taken late Thursday night.

Senate Speaker Amason Kingi immediately declared the Deputy President’s office vacant in a gazette notice circulated on the same night.

To fill the vacancy, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula announced on Friday morning that President Ruto had submitted the name of Prof. Kindiki for approval to replace Gachagua.

The House is expected to hold a special sitting on Friday morning to consider Prof. Kindiki’s nomination.

Kindiki is likely to be approved by MPs as Ruto enjoys a majority in the House.

If Kindiki’s nomination is approved, he will be formally appointed and sworn in as Kenya’s Deputy President.

The 52-year-old is a seasoned lawyer and former senator who represented Tharaka Nithi County between 2013 and 2022. He was also part of a team of lawyers who represented Ruto at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, in the crimes against humanity case related to the 2007-2008 post-election violence. The charges against Ruto were later vacated due to insufficient evidence.

Kindiki was among the top candidates considered as President Ruto’s running mate for his presidential campaign. Ruto, however, settled on Gachagua despite a majority of MPs in Ruto’s party overwhelmingly supporting Kindiki. Instead, Kindiki was appointed to serve as the Interior Minister.

Gachagua Ousted

Gachagua, who is widely reported to have fallen out with President Ruto in recent months, was impeached after Senators upheld five of the 11 grounds tabled for his removal.

Fifty-four senators voted to impeach Gachagua on the first count of gross violation of the Constitution, while 13 voted against his ouster. The charges under this ground included accusations of dividing Kenyans along ethnic lines. The National Assembly cited several instances where he compared the government to a company, suggesting that certain regions held more shares than others.

Besides engaging in divisive politics, Gachagua faced a host of other accusations, including economic crimes, money laundering, insubordination, undermining the government and devolution, as well as bullying and intimidating state officers. However, the charges of economic crimes, money laundering, and bullying failed to gain sufficient support.

The Kenyan Senate required a two-thirds majority, which equates to at least 45 out of the 67 senators, to successfully impeach the Deputy President on any single charge.

Gachagua is the first Deputy President in Kenya’s history to be removed from office through an impeachment process. The impeachment bars him from ever holding public office.

The Senate proceeded with the impeachment trial despite Deputy President Gachagua falling ill and being hospitalized. He is expected to move to court to challenge the impeachment.

Prof. Kithure Kindiki was among the top candidates considered as President Ruto’s running mate for his presidential campaign in 2022.

Wycliffe Nyamasege

He was speaking on Thursday at a press conference in South Sudan where he highlighted the critical contributions of Rwandan troops.

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, UNMISS, stands as the largest in the world, with over 13,000 troops deployed across various regions of the country.

South Sudan, a young nation that gained independence in 2011, has been plagued by ethnic conflicts among its 63 tribes, resulting in continued instability.

The size and complexity of the mission are compounded by the fact that South Sudan is over 24 times larger than Rwanda, making peacekeeping efforts both extensive and challenging.

Rwanda, known for its exemplary participation in global peacekeeping efforts, has one of the largest contingents in South Sudan.

The country has more than 2,990 personnel in South Sudan, including three infantry battalions, an aviation unit, police units, and senior officers deployed in key roles.

Lt Gen Subramanian underscored the importance of Rwanda’s involvement in the mission, stating that the Rwandan contingent is “the backbone of UNMISS.”

He further elaborated on the strategic significance of Rwanda’s presence, describing the roles of the three battalions stationed in volatile regions like Upper Nile State, Juba, and Eastern Equatoria state.

These battalions not only protect civilians but also serve as a stabilizing force in areas prone to ethnic clashes and armed conflict.

One of the battalions stationed in Upper Nile State is responsible for guarding the only Protection of Civilians (POC) camp managed by UNMISS, which houses over 40,000 displaced individuals.

In addition to securing the camp, Rwandan peacekeepers work alongside the Indian battalion to provide essential services, ensuring the safety and well-being of those affected by conflict.

In Juba, the capital of South Sudan, another Rwandan battalion plays a crucial role in city security and surrounding areas. Initially brought in as part of the Rapid Protection Force in response to the 2016 civil war, this battalion now serves as a vital element in the ongoing efforts to maintain stability.

The third battalion oversees operations in Eastern Equatoria, a region critical to South Sudan’s security landscape.

Besides, the Rwandan aviation unit, the only military aviation unit in UNMISS, provides indispensable support in operations that require rapid deployments, long-distance patrols, and crisis response.

Beyond their military role, Rwandan peacekeepers have also engaged in civil-military cooperation activities (CIMIC), helping to rebuild the war-torn communities in which they serve.

These activities include setting up medical camps, training civilians in essential skills, and providing infrastructure support such as road repairs.

Such efforts are funded by the Rwandan government and designed to strengthen the bond between peacekeepers and local communities.

Rwanda has participated in United Nations peacekeeping missions for 20 years. Additionally, it has been 30 years since the country emerged from the tragic history of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Drawing from their own history, having endured and recovered from the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Rwandan troops embody resilience and serve as role models as highlighted by UNMISS commander.

'Each contingent brings with itself its own uniqueness. Now, the Rwandan contingent being our biggest contingent, its uniqueness almost defines us. Now, what is unique about the Rwandan contingent is that in a very short time of organization from 1994, the Rwandan army has very solid doctrines and very well made standard operating procedures,' he noted.

'Officers and troops are very well trained. They are robust, ready to take on any activity. And they understand UN missions very well, being such a major contributor in many missions. So they are a very robust component of the force,' Lt Gen Subramanian added.

He also emphasized that Rwanda’s constitutional mandate for international peacekeeping adds to the country’s sense of purpose in these missions.

The Commander noted that this gives Rwandan peacekeepers a unique edge, as they approach their work not just as an international duty but as part of a national commitment to global stability.

“What Rwanda has suffered in 1994 needs no emphasis, and that gives a certain sense of purpose to their peacekeepers,” he added.

The Rwandan contingent also contributes heavily to operational leadership within UNMISS.

The sector commander in the highly sensitive and flood-prone Unity State is from Rwanda, as well as key officers in the mission’s command structure.

Rwanda’s Deputy Chief of Operations in UNMISS is responsible for the planning and execution of all major missions, further underscoring the leadership role that Rwanda plays in this global peacekeeping effort.

Lieutenant General Mohan Subramanian, the Force Commander of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), praised the intervention of the Rwandan contingent, describing it as the backbone of the mission.

Théophile Niyitegeka

“IDF soldiers from the Southern Command eliminated Yahya Sinwar… in an operation in the southern Gaza Strip,” the Israeli army said in a statement.

The IDF said that its soldiers killed three militants in the operation, and later, it turned out that one of them was Sinwar, who “was responsible for the murder and abduction of many Israelis.”

According to the statement, Sinwar was killed after hiding over the past year behind the civilian population of Gaza, both above and below ground, in Hamas tunnels in the Gaza Strip.

“The dozens of operations carried out by the IDF and the ISA over the last year, and in recent weeks in the area where he was eliminated, restricted Sinwar’s operational movement as he was pursued by the forces and led to his elimination,” the statement added.

Shortly before the IDF statement, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz confirmed Sinwar’s death in a message to foreign ministers of other countries, saying that “this is a great military and moral achievement for Israel.”

According to the foreign minister, “the elimination of Sinwar creates a possibility for the immediate release of the Israeli abductees and to bring about a change that will lead to a new reality in Gaza, without Hamas nor Iranian control.”

Considered the chief architect of the Hamas attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, Sinwar was appointed as Hamas leader in August following the assassination of former leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

Sinwar was born in October 1962 in the Khan Younis refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip. He had been jailed in Israeli prison multiple times before his final release in 2011.

After his release, Sinwar was elected to Hamas’s political bureau during the movement’s internal elections in 2012, where he took charge of security matters. In 2013, he assumed leadership of Hamas’s military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, coordinating efforts between the political bureau and the brigades’ leadership.

He was elected in 2017 as the head of the movement’s political bureau in Gaza, and in 2021, he was re-elected for a second four-year term during the movement’s internal elections.

Israel’s military chief Herzi Halevi (C) makes an inspection near the site where Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed in the Gaza Strip, October 17, 2024.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) jointly confirmed Thursday that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed in the Gaza Strip by Israeli soldiers on Wednesday.

Xinhua