For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Halima Frost.

Making headlines: Ramaphosa calls on S Africans to use Mandela Day to fight poverty, inequality; US CDC says US citizen in Congo tests positive for Ebola virus; And, Oxford begins first human trial of Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine

Ramaphosa calls on S Africans to use Mandela Day to fight poverty, inequality

President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged South Africans to use upcoming Nelson Mandela International Day to refocus national efforts on tackling deep-seated poverty and inequality.

Writing in his weekly newsletter to the nation, Ramaphosa emphasised that meaningful change requires a combination of structural policy reform and grassroots community service.

He stated that the government must ensure laws and policies protect workers while maintaining a regulatory environment that encourages investment.

He added that government is also continuing to improve the social protection system and helping people build livelihoods, gain skills and find work through the country’s public and social employment programmes.

This coming Saturday, South Africa will join the global community in celebrating Nelson Mandela International Day. The day was officially declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 2009.

Ramaphosa noted that July 18 is not just a local occasion that the world happens to notice. Instead, it is a global day of action designed to harness Madiba’s legacy to confront universal challenges: the fight against poverty, inequality, and injustice.

US CDC says US citizen in Congo tests positive for Ebola virus

A US citizen working for a humanitarian organisation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has tested positive for the Bundibugyo Ebola virus, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

The CDC is working with the patient's employing organisation, other federal agencies and partners in the DRC to help prevent further transmission and identify high-risk contacts, it said.

A US State Department spokesperson on Saturday said the agency was aware of the case and was working to support the affected American. The spokesperson declined to provide additional details.

And, Oxford begins first human trial of Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine

The University of Oxford has launched the first human trial of a vaccine against Bundibugyo ebolavirus, seeking to accelerate efforts to combat an outbreak spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

The early-stage trial, known as BD-Ebov, will evaluate the safety and immune response of the ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine in 50 healthy adults aged 18 to 55 in Oxford, the university said today.

Recruitment has begun, with vaccinations expected to start in the coming weeks pending regulatory approval.

The vaccine was developed by scientists at Oxford's Vaccine Group and Pandemic Sciences Institute using the same viral vector platform as the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 shot.

Serum Institute of India, which is partnering on the programme, said it had manufactured and stockpiled about 620 000 doses of the vaccine candidate within two weeks and supplied 4 000 investigational doses for the early-stage study.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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