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West African Countries Agree on Climate Strategy

The leaders of the Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have agreed to a regional strategy to deal with global warming over the next decade. Members of the regional organization, in concurrence with the European Union, plan to spend $294 billion over the next 10 years to meet the challenges of climate change. "Between 2020 and 2030, we estimate (the necessary expenditure) to be about $294 billion," Sekou Sangare, the ECOWAS commissioner for agriculture, environment and water resources said April 29 during a press confer-

ence in Accra.

He said the strategy also aims to raise awareness about adopting new lifestyles to help combat global warming and calls for the cooperation of regional institutions, the 15 member states of ECOWAS, their partners and civil society actors. It also aims for a regional policy that is compatible with the Paris climate agreement. The workshop represents the final stage of the ECOWAS Commission's 1st Regional Climate Strategy formulation process.

Coastal degradation and erosion are major challenges, particularly in West Africa, according to the annual State of the Climate Report 2019. About 56% of the coasts of Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal and Togo are affected by erosion, a phenomenon that’s predicted to increase.

Some tea growers in Kenya are shifting to produce other crops as climate change threatens tea plantation in the country. Once a hub to perfect tea-growing conditions, the world’s largest black tea exporter is now seeing the effects of climate change.

A May 2021 report by Charity Christian Aid said by 2050, the changing climate will slash Kenya's optimal tea production conditions by over a quarter, hurting farmers and workers alike. WI

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*$100 ADT Visa Reward Card: Requires 36-month monitoring contract starting at $28.99/mo. (24-month monitoring contract in California, total fees from $695.76), and enrollment in ADT EasyPay. Requires minimum purchase price of $449. One (1) Visa Reward Card valued at $100 is redeemable seven (7) days after system is installed, wherein an email is sent to the customer’s email address associated with their account with a promo code. The customer must validate the promo code on the website provided in the email and a physical card will be sent in the mail. Installation must occur within 60 days of offer expiration date to receive card. Applicable to new and resale sale types only. Card is issued by MetaBank®, N.A., Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. No cash access or recurring payments. Can be used everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted. Card valid for up to 6 months; unused funds will forfeit after the valid thru date. Card terms and conditions apply. Reply by 10/15/2021. General: Additional charges may apply in areas that require guard response service for municipal alarm verification. System remains property of ADT. Local permit fees may be required. Prices and offers subject to change and may vary by market. Additional taxes and fees may apply. Satisfactory credit required. A security deposit may be required. Simulated screen images and photos are for illustrative purposes only. ©2021 ADT LLC dba ADT Security Services. All rights reserved. ADT, the ADT logo, 800.ADT.ASAP and the product/service names listed in this document are marks and/or registered marks. Unauthorized use is strictly prohibited. Third-party marks are the property of their respective owners. License information available at www.ADT.com/legal or by calling 800.ADT.ASAP. CA ACO7155, 974443, PPO120288; FL EF0001121; LA F1639, F1640, F1643, F1654, F1655; MA 172C; NC Licensed by the Alarm Systems Licensing Board of the State of North Carolina, 7535P2, 7561P2, 7562P10, 7563P7, 7565P1, 7566P9, 7564P4; NY 12000305615; PA 09079, MS 15019511. DF-CD-NP-Q321

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UWI Appoints First Female Principal at St. Augustine Campus

The University of the West Indies (UWI) recently appointed Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine as the new principal of the university’s St. Augustine campus. The decision was made during The UWI’s University Council meeting on April 29. The appointment takes effect on August 1. Antoine will replace outgoing principal Professor Brian Copeland to become the first woman to hold the post. Antoine, a Cambridge and Oxford scholar, holds a doctorate from Oxford University in offshore financial law. She started her journey with The UWI as a temporary law lecturer at the Cave Hill campus in 1989 and became a lecturer in 1991. Since then, she has served in several high-ranking positions at UWI including law faculty dean and pro vice-chancellor of the Board for Graduate Studies and Research.

During her time as law faculty dean, she was instrumental in creating the Makandal Daaga Scholarship, which is an equal-opportunity scholarship aiming to support law students who are outstanding in and out of the classroom.

Outside of her work with The UWI, Antoine has served as president of the Organization of American States Inter-American Commission on Human Rights where she has also been the Rapporteur for Persons of African Descent and Rapporteur for Indigenous Peoples. As chairman of Caricom’s marijuana commission, Antoine has been an advocate for the decriminalization of marijuana and the creation of a sustainable cannabis industry. She also currently serves as president of the Family Planning Association. WI

Submitted by AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia

When making decisions about our health, it’s important to get the facts. But it can be hard to know what’s true in the sea of information available today.

We know that diseases such as COVID-19, measles and mumps, and even influenza (the flu) can be dangerous. We know that vaccines (shots) are designed to prevent such diseases. But how do vaccines work?

BOOSTING IMMUNITY

Vaccines work with the body’s own defenses to fight sickness. Our immune system is one way our bodies work to defend us against germs. Usually, this system does the job pretty well. When we are born, though, our immune system hasn’t finished developing. This means that, as babies, we have more risk of getting sick. Vaccines reduce this risk by helping us safely build our immunity to disease. As kids, we receive vaccine shots to help protect us from measles, mumps, and other diseases.1

As adults, our immune systems can protect us better. But we still need the help of vaccines against some infections, like the flu.1

TEACHING THE BODY TO FIGHT GERMS

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), conventional vaccines use parts of germs, called antigens, to teach our bodies to fight diseases. Antigens trigger our immune systems to protect us. Conventional vaccines contain far fewer antigens than it would take for our bodies to become sick with the illness. A vaccine helps our bodies fight the illness without putting us at risk of becoming sick.1

We may have side effects from a vaccine. These are usually mild, like a sore arm. Without a vaccine, we may instead become sick from a virus and suffer all its effects. Some illnesses, like measles and the flu, can cause death.1

By getting vaccines to help protect ourselves against the flu and other illnesses, we help protect those we love. We help protect everyone in our community. Contact your health care provider to see if you are due for any vaccines.

The information in this article is to help you learn more about this topic. It is not to take the place of your health care provider. If you have questions, talk with your health care provider. If you think you need to see your health care provider because of something you have read in this information, please contact your health care provider. Never stop or wait to get medical attention because of something you have read in this material.

Sources: 1.“Making the Vaccine Decision: Addressing Common Concerns,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/ why-vaccinate/vaccine-decision.html. 2.“COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), https://www.cdc.gov/ coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html.

“Effectiveness of a third dose of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine for preventing severe outcomes in Israel: an observational study,” The Lancet, https:// www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/ article/PIIS0140-6736(21)022492/fulltext

Should you get the COVID-19 booster?

The COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective against COVID-19, but the protection they provide becomes less effective over time.2 Fortunately, getting a COVID-19 booster shot increases your protection against COVID-19 six months after receiving the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine series and two months after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.2 The COVID-19 boosters are also highly effective at preventing severe illness and hospitalization if you do get COVID-19.3 If you have questions about the booster or any of the COVID-19 vaccines, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Are you ready to get your booster shot? Visit https://coronavirus. dc.gov/page/get-vaccinated for a list of COVID-19 vaccination sites.

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