Thermometer guns has become an iconic image of the coronavirus outbreak in the world and in Ethiopia: a masked official aiming what appears to be a small white pistol at a traveler’s forehead. In our case apart from the officials at airports, security guards at every hospital, office, business center, bus station, mall and hotel will hold the gun to your head to screen people for fevers so as to prevent the spread.
The device is equipped with an infrared sensor that can quickly measure surface temperature without making any contact with a person’s skin. In recent years, it has become an important tool for countries scrambling to contain viral outbreaks. It was widely used to try to slow the spread of SARS and to curb the Ebola outbreak.
Thermometer guns are said to be unreliable outside carefully controlled health care settings, according to medical officials and experts on infrared devices.
According to Tigistu Adamu (MD), an advisor at the Ministry of Health, the devices need series calibration to be reliable. “The devices cannot be precise in certain environments or when someone has taken medication to suppress fever,” Tigistu said.
“Once the thermometers start to show inaccurate information the device need to be calibrated otherwise it will continue providing false information.”
Since the devices are distributed all over the country it is difficult for the ministry to control all, as Tigistu said.
The thermometers determine temperature by measuring the heat emanating from the surface of a person’s body. Often, however, those wielding the tools don’t hold them close enough to the subject’s forehead, generating unusually low temperature readings, or hold them too close and get a high reading.
“My temperature was often below 35 degrees Celsius when these temperature guns screen my temperature wherever I go, be it a hospital or a restaurant. This is a joke,” one person said after Capital approached him while he was arguing with security guards at a bank when they told him that the gun reads his temperature as 33 degree Celsius. Moreover Capital’s reporter tried to see readings around the city and those who use the device.
“We are told that if the gun measures above 37.5 degree Celsius we have to report that person to authorities, but no one told us what the lowest number can be. We will let inside anyone who is below 37.5 degree Celsius. We mostly get a measurement of 33 degree Celsius to 34.5 degree Celsius,” one security guard at a restaurant told Capital.
It is now common to see erroneous information of temperature guns generating unusually low temperature readings as the person is dying of hypothermia or sometimes high temperature. Typically between 36.1 and 37.2 degree Celsius is considered as the normal temperature for a human being.
Hypothermia is a medical emergency that occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce heat, causing a dangerously low body temperature. Normal body temperature is around 37 degree Celsius. Hypothermia occurs as your body temperature falls below 35 degree Celsius.
Thermometer guns in the country gravely incorrect
Over 10,000 health workers in Africa infected with COVID-19
Cases in Africa surpass 788,000
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that more than 10,000 health workers in the 40 countries which have reported on such infections have been infected with COVID-19 so far, a sign of the challenges medical staff on the frontlines of the outbreak face. The total number of coronavirus cases across Africa has also climbed to 787,501 as of Friday July 24 according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
This comes as COVID-19 cases in Africa appear to be gathering pace. There are now more than 750,000 cases of COVID-19, with over 15,000 deaths. Some countries are approaching a critical number of infections that can place stress on health systems. South Africa is now among the worst-hit countries in the world.
“The growth we are seeing in COVID-19 cases in Africa is placing an ever-greater strain on health services across the continent,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “This has very real consequences for the individuals who work in them, and there is no more sobering example of this than the rising number of health worker infections.”
So far, about 10% of all cases globally are among health workers, though there is a wide range between individual countries. In Africa, information on health worker infections is still limited, but preliminary data finds that they make up more than 5% of cases in 14 countries in sub-Saharan Africa alone, and in four of these, health workers make up more than 10% of all infections.
Inadequate access to personal protective equipment or weak infection prevention and control measures raise the risk of health worker infection. Surging global demand for protective equipment as well as global restrictions on travel have triggered supply shortages. Health workers can also be exposed to patients who do not show signs of the disease and are in the health facilities for a range of other services. Risks may also arise when health personnel are repurposed for COVID-19 response without adequate briefing, or because of heavy workloads which result in fatigue, burnout and possibly not fully applying the standard operating procedures.
In many African countries infection prevention and control measures aimed at preventing infections in health facilities are still not fully implemented. When WHO assessed clinics and hospitals across the continent for these measures, only 16% of the nearly 30 000 facilities surveyed had assessment scores above 75%. Many health centres were found to lack the infrastructure necessary to implement key infection prevention measures, or to prevent overcrowding. Only 7.8% (2213) had isolation capacities and just a third had the capacity to triage patients.
In related development the total number of coronavirus cases across Africa has climbed to 787,501, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said.
The death toll from the virus in the continent reached 16,697, the latest figures indicate, while a total of 446,082 patients have recovered so far.
The Southern Africa region has recorded 424,200 cases, North Africa 143,300, West Africa 114,000, East Africa 61,800 and Central Africa 42,200.
At least 6,400 people have died in Southern Africa, 6,100 in North Africa, 1,800 in West Africa, 1,500 in East Africa and 871 in Central Africa.
More than 241,600 patients have recovered in Southern Africa, 72,800 in West Africa, 69,600 in North Africa, 34,200 in East Africa and 27,800 in Central Africa.
“One infection among health workers is one too many,” said Dr Moeti. “Doctors, nurses and other health professionals are our mothers, brothers and sisters. They are helping to save lives endangered by COVID-19. We must make sure that they have the equipment, skills and information they need to keep themselves, their patients and colleagues safe.”
WHO has been working closely with health ministries to reduce health worker infections since the outbreak began. The Organization has trained more than 50,000 health workers in Africa in infection prevention and control, with plans to train over 200,000 more, as well as providing guidance documents and guidelines on best care practices and the most up-to-date treatment regimes.
WHO is also helping to fill gaps in the supply of personal protective equipment. Currently, 41 million items of personal protective equipment are ready to ship from China to cover the needs of 47 African countries. Shipments for an initial set of 23 African countries are planned to start during this weekend.
As a result of concerted efforts by WHO and partners some African countries have managed to reduce health worker infections considerably. For example, two months ago over 16% of COVID-19 infections in Sierra Leone were among health workers. The figure has now dropped to 9%. Cote d’Ivoire has reduced the proportion of infections among health workers from 6.1% to 1.4%. Scaling up infection prevention and control measures can further reduce infections among health workers.
SMLH-Ethiopia handovers traditional helmets to War Veterans
The Ethiopian Section of the Legion d’Honneur and Ordre National of Merit (SMLH-ONM) presented traditional helmets to the Association of the Ethiopian Korean War Veterans at a handover ceremony held on July 23 at the veterans’ association premises.
Ethiopian veterans of the Korean War, the legendary Kagnew Battalion, the President of the Association of the Ethiopian Korean War Veterans, Colonel Melese Tessema; President of the Ethiopian Patriots Association, Daniel Mesfin; Defense Attaché of the French Embassy, Colonel Stephane Richou; President of the SMLH-ONM, Teguest Yilma and members of the Section, friends and invited guests attended the handing over ceremony. 
The ceremony was organized in collaboration with the Association of the Korean War Veterans to honor and celebrate the illustrious Kagnew Shaleka battalion, sent in 1951 by Emperor Hailé Sellassié and the French battalion who fought side by side and mixed their blood in the mud of the Korean Peninsula and thus sealed an unwavering brotherhood.
In this 70th year of the Armistice of the Korean War, SMLH -Ethiopia paid tribute to them to the memory of the legendary Kagnew battalion and to their French brothers who gave their lives to restore peace in Korea through the humble gesture of presenting them with traditional helmets made upon their request.
Kagnew Shaleka Battalion was among the first in the multinational force that was deployed with a United Nations Security Council mandate to provide assistance to the Republic of Korea to repel the armed attack and restore international peace and security to the area. A symbol of an Africa engaged in peacekeeping operations from the very beginning. 
The association of SMLH – ONM Ethiopia was formed in 2013 by the recipients of the French government’s award of the Legion of Honor in recognition of eminent services rendered to their country and the strengthening of franco-ethiopian bilateral relations.
ECX opens local window for soybean
The Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX), an electronic commodity trading floor, opened a special trading window for local processers, who use soybean as an input, and will add two more commodities under its exclusive trading scheme.
The special window is targeting to ban local producers to access the product from primary market.
Since January 2019 soybean, which is considered an industrial product, is trading at ECX exclusively. However, local processors, who use the product as raw material for their industrial production, have been allowed to access the bean from primary market or directly.
Misganu Arega (Amb), State Minister of Trade and Industry (MoTI), said that processor can now only buy the product at the special window at ECX. He said that the new initiative introduced as part of the way to harmonize the soybean trading and cut challenges in the sector.
“To improve the supply, and harmonize the bean local price to the international market that help to get more revenue from export the market mismatch should be corrected,” Misganu said.
Netsanet Tesfaye, Public Relations Head at ECX, told Capital that the commodity exchange is working to introduce the special trading. “ECX is finalizing preconditions in collaboration with MoTI to commence the trading and we hope it will commence soon,” he added.
He said that on the break that allowed local processors to access the product from primary market some of them abused the opportunity. “Some processors sold the bean for exporters illegally,” he added. “It has created a gap for contraband.”
“The new initiative that creates regulated price will solve such kind of mischiefs,” the State Minister said.
The ministry has also given grace period for soybean hoarders to come up with the product in a given period.
The State Minister called those, who illegally stored the bean to supply the product at the ECX warehouse via suppliers until September 5, before legal action is taken by the government.
In related development MoTI has announced that exporters of sesame seeds, white pea bean, mung bean and red kidney bean should come at the ministry between August 10 to 28 for stock balance.
New products
The exchange has also stated that that it will add red speckled beans/pinto beans and white pigeon pea, which are mostly export oriented products.
Netsanet told Capital that the new products trading will be introduced as of the coming Ethiopian New Year, which is September 11. The coming of the two products will increase the commodity exclusively traded at ECX to seven.
According to Netsanet under red speckled bean also known as pinto bean, there are six varieties, red white, white red, white gray, creamy red, un-speckled creamy and un-speckled yellow.
A survey conducted by ECX indicated that the production of the beans is over 435,600 quintal per annum out of which 30 percent is consumed locally.
“Based on the 2017/18 year data the products were mainly exported to India, Kenya, Pakistan, Tanzania, German, Russia and Czech Republic,” Netsanet said. He added that the beans expert has sharply spiked in the past year. He referred the performance of the 2017/18 and 2018/19 that was 2,984 metric ton two years ago that boosted to 7,801 metric tons in 2018/19 budget year that generated USD 468,066.
The local market average price is 1,336 birr per quintal and average fob price is 1,950 birr.
Red speckled beans/pinto beans is mainly produced in Sidama region and Gurage, Gedio, Burji areas in SNNP region.
Netsanet said that the product will be expanding in different regions since there is a potential in suitable areas for the harvest that preferred low land areas.
White pigeon pea is the other pulse that will be exclusively traded at the electronic trading floor as of September.
The public relation head at ECX indicated that the pulse is widely harvested in the country in more than four regions. The country agro ecology is very suitable for the production, while the local consumption is very small that is estimated about ten percent from total production and the balance for export, according the Netsanet.
“White pigeon pea major production area are South and North Gonder and South Wello at the north the product is produced in, at Welayta, Gamo, Gofa, Segen, Dawro, and South Omo in the south, in Qelem Welega, West Welega, East Welega, Horo Guduro, Iluababora and Jima in the west; in Bulen, Pawe, Dibate, Dangua, Manduara, Guba, Werkmeda, Wenbera, Jawi and Fendiqa areas in north west, and East Shoa, Arisi, Harar, West Arsi, and North Shoa at the central part of Ethiopia,” the Public Relation Head said.
India, Kenya, Italy, Portugal, and Belgium are major export destinations.
Netsanet indicated that the annual production of white pigeon pea is 396,000 quintal that has 20 percent annual growth in the past few years.
“Since the trading commence at ECX the production is expected to hike because farmers and suppliers will get the market information,” he said.
“In 2016 the country has earned USD 1.2 million from export of 15,656 quintal, which has high value, due to that the production is expected to increase,” he added.
Minister of Trade and Industry stated that the two products have a potential to earn significant amount of hard currency. It is stated that it has given three months grace period for suppliers and exporters to conclude their contracts and stocks until October 11.
The ECX has finalized to receive the products in its branches located throughout the country.
