Latest news with #SAIS
Daily Mirror
25-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
A slump in children getting vaccines could thwart bid to wipe out disease
More parents have been saying no to vaccines for their children which could derail plan to "eradicate" cervical cancer by 2040 A slump in the number of children being vaccinated in schools is threatening a plan to 'eradicate' cervical cancer in England. Schools are seeing a reluctance by some parents to get their children protected against the human papillomavirus, or HPV, since the end of the pandemic. There has been a 17 percent fall in the numbers getting the jab for HPV which causes 99 per cent of all cervical cancers, killing thousands of women every year. The main reason for the drop off has been blamed on 'vaccine fatigue' which has also hit children's injections for measles, meningitis and diphtheria. Other factors have been increased pupil absences from school since Covid - which has almost doubled. In 2023 to 2024, 1.49 million children were persistently absent from school, 20 per cent of all pupils. Before Covid it was 11 per cent. One reason given by School Age Immunisation Services (SAIS) providers for the gradual decline in HPV coverage is the number of non-returned and declined consent forms from parents. There has also been a 'vaccine hesitancy and fatigue' following the pandemic. Staffing issues making it more 'challenging' to chase up parents for their forms have also been blamed. Over the years the double whammy of vaccination and smear-test screening has meant death rates have fallen by 75 per cent since the 1970s. By 2019 the figure in England had dropped from 853 to 685 deaths a year. But there are concerns the battle against cervical cancer could be derailed with the 90 per cent of girls aged 12 to 13 having vaccinations before the pandemic, dropping to 73 per cent last year. For boys, it went from 82 per cent to just 68 per cent. NHS England is now launching a catch-up campaign for children, according to the Sunday Times, in a bid to eliminate the disease by 2040. To keep on track it has to get vaccination rates back up to 90 per cent by 2030. The campaign will ask parents to talk about why they have declined the jabs. All youngsters aged 12 and 13 are eligible for HPV vaccinations and adults can also request one from their GP up to the age of 25. Caroline Temmink, NHS England's director of vaccination, said she was still very confident that cervical cancer could be eliminated and the vaccine rates could be restored. "But we need parents to work with us," The Sunday Times reported. "It's really exciting to have the opportunity to say to this whole generation that cervical cancer and some other cancers shouldn't be a risk for you." London has the worst rate of this vaccine coverage, down as low as 61 per cent, while in the wider southeast of England it is up to almost 80 per cent. Baroness Longfield, executive chairwoman of the Centre for Young Lives, said: "Progress is being made in boosting school attendance, but the numbers are still unacceptably high. All the evidence shows that missing school impacts on attainment and life chances, Children who are severely or persistently absent are inevitably at greater risk of missing out on important health interventions, including HPV jabs. The drop in uptake since Covid is extremely concerning, and a setback in the battle to eradicate cervical cancer by 2040." The HPV vaccine was introduced in 2008 and is initially offered to 12 and 13 year-olds but school vaccination providers will also offer jabs to pupils aged up to 15 and 16.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Fewest avalanches recorded in almost 40 years
Scotland's latest avalanche season has been wound up after recording the lowest number of snow slides in its almost 40-year history. Six mountain areas - Lochaber, Glen Coe, Creag Meagaidh, Torridon and Northern and Southern Cairngorms - are monitored for avalanche risk from between mid-December to mid-April. The Scottish Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) has posted a provisional figure of 42 for the season, with its team describing snow conditions this winter as "lean". SAIS recorded 172 avalanches last season. Its highest recorded number, 350, was reported in 2013-14. Co-ordinator Mark Diggins told BBC Scotland News in February that for the first time in nearly 20 years there had been periods during the latest season when SAIS had issued no daily avalanche hazard reports because snow was so scarce. In pictures: Scotland's avalanche season Avalanche in Scottish mountains caught on camera SAIS' Creag Meagaidh forecaster said anecdotally it had been the "leanest" season for snow for the 1,130m (3,707ft) mountain and surrounding area in more than 30 years. Only 13 recorded avalanches were recorded compared to 50 in 2023-24. There were still occasions over this winter when people were caught out. In February, volunteer mountain rescuers went to the aid of climbers carried off by avalanches in Coire an t-Sneachda - Coire of the Snow - in the Northern Cairngorms. Two mountaineers were injured after an overhanging ledge of snow - called a cornice - collapsed, resulting in an avalanche. Three climbers were later caught up in an avalanche triggered by human activity. SAIS said across Scotland's highest mountains there remained isolated areas of snow above 1,000m (3,281ft), on mostly north to east facing slopes, where climbers could slip and fall if not careful. SAIS was set up in 1988 and has grown from covering a couple of locations to six. It covers the UK's highest mountains, including Ben Nevis in Lochaber and Ben Macdui in the Cairngorms. SAIS forecasts are used by hillwalkers, climbers and snow sports enthusiasts to plan their visits to the hills. Mountain rescue teams also consult the forecasts when on callouts. SAIS
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Fewest avalanches recorded in almost 40 years
Scotland's latest avalanche season has been wound up after recording the lowest number of snow slides in its almost 40-year history. Six mountain areas - Lochaber, Glen Coe, Creag Meagaidh, Torridon and Northern and Southern Cairngorms - are monitored for avalanche risk from between mid-December to mid-April. The Scottish Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) has posted a provisional figure of 42 for the season, with its team describing snow conditions this winter as "lean". SAIS recorded 172 avalanches last season. Its highest recorded number, 350, was reported in 2013-14. Co-ordinator Mark Diggins told BBC Scotland News in February that for the first time in nearly 20 years there had been periods during the latest season when SAIS had issued no daily avalanche hazard reports because snow was so scarce. In pictures: Scotland's avalanche season Avalanche in Scottish mountains caught on camera SAIS' Creag Meagaidh forecaster said anecdotally it had been the "leanest" season for snow for the 1,130m (3,707ft) mountain and surrounding area in more than 30 years. Only 13 recorded avalanches were recorded compared to 50 in 2023-24. There were still occasions over this winter when people were caught out. In February, volunteer mountain rescuers went to the aid of climbers carried off by avalanches in Coire an t-Sneachda - Coire of the Snow - in the Northern Cairngorms. Two mountaineers were injured after an overhanging ledge of snow - called a cornice - collapsed, resulting in an avalanche. Three climbers were later caught up in an avalanche triggered by human activity. SAIS said across Scotland's highest mountains there remained isolated areas of snow above 1,000m (3,281ft), on mostly north to east facing slopes, where climbers could slip and fall if not careful. SAIS was set up in 1988 and has grown from covering a couple of locations to six. It covers the UK's highest mountains, including Ben Nevis in Lochaber and Ben Macdui in the Cairngorms. SAIS forecasts are used by hillwalkers, climbers and snow sports enthusiasts to plan their visits to the hills. Mountain rescue teams also consult the forecasts when on callouts. SAIS
BBC News
08-04-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Fewest avalanches recorded in Scotland in almost 40 years
Scotland's latest avalanche season has been wound up after recording the lowest number of snow slides in its almost 40-year mountain areas - Lochaber, Glen Coe, Creag Meagaidh, Torridon and Northern and Southern Cairngorms - are monitored for avalanche risk from between mid-December to Scottish Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) has posted a provisional figure of 42 for the season, with its team describing snow conditions this winter as "lean".SAIS recorded 172 avalanches last season. Its highest recorded number, 350, was reported in 2013-14. Co-ordinator Mark Diggins told BBC Scotland News in February that for the first time in nearly 20 years there had been periods during the latest season when SAIS had issued no daily avalanche hazard reports because snow was so scarce. SAIS' Creag Meagaidh forecaster said anecdotally it had been the "leanest" season for snow for the 1,130m (3,707ft) mountain and surrounding area in more than 30 13 recorded avalanches were recorded compared to 50 in were still occasions over this winter when people were caught February, volunteer mountain rescuers went to the aid of climbers carried off by avalanches in Coire an t-Sneachda - Coire of the Snow - in the Northern mountaineers were injured after an overhanging ledge of snow - called a cornice - collapsed, resulting in an climbers were later caught up in an avalanche triggered by human activity. SAIS said across Scotland's highest mountains there remained isolated areas of snow above 1,000m (3,281ft), on mostly north to east facing slopes, where climbers could slip and fall if not was set up in 1988 and has grown from covering a couple of locations to covers the UK's highest mountains, including Ben Nevis in Lochaber and Ben Macdui in the forecasts are used by hillwalkers, climbers and snow sports enthusiasts to plan their visits to the rescue teams also consult the forecasts when on callouts.
Zawya
25-02-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Abia State Steals Spotlight at Inaugural Sports African Investment Summit (SAIS): Signs Agreement with Sport Nigeria Ltd to Manage Sports Special Economic Zone
The inaugural edition of the #SportsAfricaInvestmentSummit (#SAIS2025) delivered two power-packed days of dialogue, deal-making, and action-oriented discussions, setting the stage for accelerated investment in African sports. Sport Nigeria's Vice Chairman, Yahaya Maikori ( delivered the welcome address, setting the tone for a summit that brought together key stakeholders across sports, business, and governance. The CEO of Sport Nigeria LTD/GTE ( Nkechi Obi ( set the agenda for the summit. The Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko, delivered the keynote address, " Sports as a Catalyst for Africa Towards 2063'. The Summit had three plenary sessions, one fire-side chat and 18 breakout sessions with various engaging topics all focused on how Africa can create a market for sports goods and services, how the ideal products suitable for the market can be developed and how the market creation and product development activities can be funded. Two major highlights at the Summit were the signing of a technical and collaborative agreement between the Government of Abia State ( and Sport Nigeria LTD/GTE ( for the development of the Abia State Sports Special Economic Zone (#SSEZ), and the presentation of Spaces For Sport (#S4S), Sport Nigeria's flagship community-based infrastructure project. Goodwill messages were delivered by the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, XAVIER MURON ( Country Manager of Agence Française de Développement ( and Christophe Bazivamo, the High Commissioner of Rwanda to Nigeria. The Summit was closed by Lanre Buluro ( Managing Director, Investment Banking of Chapel Hill Denham ( who represented the CEO, Lanre Balogun ( The next edition will be held in Q1 2026. Please send your email addresses to sais@ to be added to our mailing list. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Sport Nigeria Ltd. Addtional images: Media Contact: Sport Nigeria Communications Email: sais@ Phone: 0706 203 8705 About Sports Africa Investment Summit (SAIS): SAIS is a premier annual event, championed by Sport Nigeria, designed to establish a platform for transformative partnerships and investments in Africa's sports infrastructure. By fostering collaboration across sectors, SAIS aims to unlock the vast potential of sports as an engine for economic and social development. About Sport Nigeria LTD: Founded in 2021, Sport Nigeria is a private-sector-led agency dedicated to fostering the development of Nigeria's sports industry. The organization partners with stakeholders to unlock investments, catalyze industrialization, and create opportunities for economic and community growth through sports. Sport Nigeria also complements government initiatives by driving sustainable industry development across the value chain.
