Kenya and Zimbabwean governments signed seven bilateral agreements aimed at strengthening relations between the two countries…reports Asian Lite News
The deals, all memoranda of understanding (MOU) on political and diplomatic consultations, tourism and wildlife conservation, and civil aircraft accidents and serious incidents investigations were inked in the Kenyan capital Nairobi at the start of a three-day visit by Zimbabwean Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Other agreements were on women empowerment and community development, youth affairs, cooperatives, and sports and recreation activities.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said in a statement issued after holding a bilateral meeting that the agreements will enable Kenya and Zimbabwe to cooperate in addressing challenges facing them, particularly youth unemployment.
Kenya, Zimbabwe Sign MoU
Kenyatta said his Zimbabwean counterpart’s visit had not only renewed the two nations’ friendship and brotherly ties but also re-invigorated the strong historical relations that exist between the African states.
On his part, President Mnangagwa said his visit to Kenya was aimed at deepening the strong and historical bilateral relations between Nairobi and Harare.
He said the unity of purpose would help Kenya and Zimbabwe to effectively deal with emerging challenges such as terrorism and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We affirmed the need for cooperation with bilateral commitment at global levels to deal with pandemics of this nature now and in the future. Both Zimbabwe and Kenya are committed to enhancing cooperation towards mitigating the adverse effects of climate change and other environmental issues,” the Zimbabwean leader said.
Zimbabwe donated to Kenya 100 metric tonnes of medical oxygen to boost the fight against COVID-19 during the bilateral meeting.
President of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo: Ghana is not only the best place for doing business in West Africa, but the fastest growing economy in the world according to the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Report 2019
President of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo expressed his country’s keenness to develop its economic and trade cooperation with the UAE in light of the growing bilateral ties between the two friendly nations, lauding the constructive cooperation approach adopted by the UAE, and its remarkable development and prosperity seen across various fields and sectors.
The African leader made the remarks as he attended ‘The Ghana: Limitless Opportunities Business’ Forum which kicked off today with high-profile dignitaries attending, including Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade.
Held at Jafza One Convention Center, Jebel Ali Free zone, Dubai, the one-day business forum has provided a platform for investors and businessmen from Ghana and Dubai to meet and explore viable, profitable business and investment opportunities.
It has also provided an opportunity for both countries to strengthen trade and investment ties, as well as explore new bilateral treaties that will benefit various sectors of their economies.
GHANA CEMENTS TIES WITH UAE (WAM)
“Ghana is interested to deepen its economic cooperation and bilateral relations with the UAE, President Akufo-Addo said while outlining Ghana’s promising investment opportunities available in various agricultural, industrial and mining sectors, in addition to its competitive advantages provided to investors within a stimulating business environment,’.
He stressed that Ghana has developed to become one of the best African countries for doing business thanks to its strategic location, prolific natural resources, and economic recovery programmes, launched recently to tackle Covid-19 repercussions and catapult the country’s economy to new heights of growth and development.
“Ghana is not only the best place for doing business in West Africa, but the fastest growing economy in the world according to the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Report 2019, he added.
The Ghanaian President stressed the importance of the private sector engagement in supporting the economic growth of countries, adding that the “Ghana: Limitless Opportunities Business Forum,” represented an important opportunity to introduce the business community in the UAE to the business climate and investment opportunities available in Ghana.
He affirmed that Ghana is willing to build long-term strategic partnership relations with the UAE, calling on investors, companies and the business community in the UAE to visit the African country and take advantage of its distinguished facilities.
According to data from the World Bank, Ghana with a GDP of US$68.5 billion is the second-largest economy in West Africa. Ghana is also rich in resources and was rated as Africa’s number one producer of Gold, number two producer of Cocoa and also produces significant amounts of Oil, bauxite, manganese and other minerals.
Welcoming the Ghanaian President and the accompanying delegation to the UAE, Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, stressed that the UAE and Ghana share strong economic relations with Ghana based on the principles of friendship, constructive cooperation and respect for common interests, lauding the two countries’ keenness to take their distinguished relations to new levels.
Addressing the event audience, Al Zeyoudi said: “The UAE has always enjoyed warm and friendly relations with this West African partner and welcomes events such as these that contribute to boosting economic ties between our two countries. The UAE ranks 7th globally and first in the Arab world among Ghana’s trading partners. The UAE accounts for more than 4 per cent of Ghana’s foreign trade with the world – and more than 75 per cent of its total trade with the Arab world.”
“The value of non-oil foreign trade between the UAE and Ghana amounted to US$2.7 billion in 2021, reflecting a 25% growth compared to 2020 – and 56% compared to 2019. Moreover, Ghana is among the most important African markets for the UAE’s non-oil trade,” the minister said.
“In terms of investments, the value of Ghanaian direct investments in the UAE exceeded US$5.3 million by the end of 2019. The value of the UAE’s direct investment in Ghana, meanwhile, totalled nearly US$300 million, placing the UAE as the 9th most important FDI source globally and first in the Arab world,” Al Zeyoudi noted.
GHANA CEMENTS TIES WITH UAE (WAM)
The event was attended by Alan Kyerematen, Minister of Trade and Industry of Ghana, Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, Ambassador of Ghana to the UAE and Abdullah Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Walid Hareb Al Falahy, CEO of UAE Trade Center and the Dubai Consultancy.
This is in addition to Yofi Grant, CEO, Ghana Investment Promotion Center, Omar Abdulaziz Khan, Director of International Offices at Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Ahmad Al Haddad, Chief Operating Officer of DP World, Essa Al Ghurair, Chairman of the Essa Al Ghurair Investment and member of Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Jamal Saif Al Jarwan, Secretary-General of the UAE International Investors Council.
The event also welcomed several CEOs, managers of a number of local governmental and private economic activities and representatives of the Ghanaian business community.
During the one-day forum, the UAE and Ghana signed five memoranda of understanding (MoUs). The first was signed between Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) and Dubai Consultancy (DC) to establish a presence in the UAE and set up a GIPC office in the country in cooperation with DC to promote and attract investment to Ghana. This is in addition to another MoU between the UAE’s Ministry of Economy and Ghana’s Ministry of Economy to enhance economic and technical cooperation. The UAE International Investors Council and Ghana Investment Promotion Centre signed the third MoU to facilitate attracting investments from the UAE to Ghana. The fourth MoU was signed between the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Ghana National Chamber of Commerce to establish the UAE-Ghana Business Council, in addition to another MoU on technology equipment and information exchange with investment opportunities between the two countries.
The forum kicked off with a session discussing opportunities in Ghana’s manufacturing and tourism sector in addition to another panel discussion about the opportunities available in Ghana’s energy, sanitation and housing sectors. The two sessions highlighted the promising investment opportunities in Ghana’s vital sectors as well as its most important incentives and competitive advantages offered to investors, its flexible legislative environment and strategic location that makes it a gateway to Africa.
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, met with President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo at Expo 2020 Dubai…reports Asian Lite News
Sheikh Mohammed said the participation of African countries in Expo 2020 Dubai has given an opportunity for visitors from across the globe to learn more about the continent’s heritage, culture and investment opportunities.
The two leaders discussed ways of boosting bilateral cooperation and advancing the strategic partnership between the two countries especially in the fields of agriculture and technology. They also highlighted the importance of boosting trade and tourism between the two nations and unlocking new investment opportunities that will serve mutual economic interests.
During their tour of the pavilion of Ghana located in the Opportunity District, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and President Nana Akufo-Addo were briefed on the commercial opportunities the country is highlighting at Expo 2020 Dubai to attract more foreign investments.
Ghana is one of the world’s largest Exporters of cocoa and offers significant investment opportunities in its mining sector. The Ghanaian pavilion is also highlighting opportunities in the country’s financial, healthcare and food manufacturing sectors. The UAE Vice President learned about Ghana’s efforts to promote environmental sustainability and conserve its natural resources.
The theme for this year’s commemoration is “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow”…reports Asian Lite News
Zambia joined the rest of the world in commemorating this year’s International Women’s Day with President Hakainde Hichilema expressing concern that climate change was worsening the lives of women, especially in rural parts of the country.
The Zambian president said the negative effect of climate change has forced women in rural areas to walk long distances in search of firewood, water and food.
“The government recognizes climate change as a serious issue that needs to be addressed to ameliorate the suffering of women,” he said during the commemoration in Lusaka, the country’s capital.
The theme for this year’s commemoration is “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow”.
The Zambian president said the theme was appropriate as it comes at a time when the world was being ravaged by the negative effects of climate change, a situation that was threatening the achievement of sustainable economic development.
According to him, the effects of climate change especially on women should be viewed as a human rights issue, adding that the government was determined to find solutions to the challenges that women are facing.
He further underscored the importance of gender equity and equality in ensuring sustainable national development.
Coumba Mar Gadio, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Zambia, commended the Zambian government for the advancement of women’s empowerment through the appointment of women to key positions.
She said the UN will continue working with the government in ensuring more women’s inclusion in decision-making positions.
Kenya, UN partner to launch peace platform to curb electoral violence. Walid Badawi, resident representative at the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) Kenya said that the world body will provide financial and technical support for the conflict prevention and response initiative
Kenya and the United Nations on Tuesday launched a platform for peace to curb electoral violence during the upcoming general elections polls slated for Aug. 9.
Walid Badawi, resident representative at the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) Kenya said in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, that the world body will provide financial and technical support for the conflict prevention and response initiative, Xinhua reported.
“The platform will provide an early warning and response mechanism for potential conflict that may erupt in the coming electioneering period,” Badawi said.
According to the UN official, Kenya remains susceptible to electoral violence as political campaigns have emerged as confrontational spaces.
Badawi observed that the initiative will identify potential hotspots across the country in order to eliminate risk of electoral violence.
Samuel Kobia, chairperson of the state-owned National Cohesion and Integration Commission said that platform for peace is seized by the fact that the 2022 presidential election will likely present peace and security challenges.
“This is not just a Kenyan problem; experience globally has shown that elections are divisive and polarizing,” Kobia said.
Global Health Fund
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has urged governments and other stakeholders, including the private sector to raise their financial contributions to the Global Fund, a global financing organisation dedicated to prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
Kenyatta said the seventh replenishment cycle of the Fund comes at a time when countries are battling Covid-19, hence the need for global solidarity in the fight against the world’s health challenges.
“In the sixth replenishment cycle, my administration contributed $6 million and we plan to enhance our commitment for the seventh replenishment cycle in support of the Global Fund,” he said from Nyeri County in central Kenya during the virtual launch of the Global Fund’s seventh replenishment cycle which will be hosted by the US government later in 2022.
In a statement released by the presidency, the President said increasing contributions to the Global Fund and broadening the entity’s partnerships will assist in raising adequate resources needed to boost the global fight against HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria, Xinhua news agency reported.
He commended the Global Fund for supporting Kenya’s efforts to combat HIV, TB and malaria, saying that since 2002, the Global Fund had disbursed more than $1.4 billion in grants to Kenya’s health sector and Kenya had managed to lower her annual AIDS-related deaths by 67 per cent between 2013 and 2021 with the help of the Global Fund.
“This encouraging performance reflects an increase of 83 per cent in the number of people living with HIV that are on life-saving antiretroviral treatment from 0.66 million people in 2013 to 1.2 million people in 2021,” Kenyatta said.
Kenya had achieved a TB treatment success rate of 85 per cent and a significant decline in the annual TB prevalence, he said, adding that the Global Fund’s assistance had helped the country to lower her malaria burden from a prevalence of 8.2 per cent in 2015 to 5.6 per cent in 2020.
African countries call for mutually reinforcing policies for sustainable development
The Kigali Declaration called on African countries to leverage new tools, innovative solutions, and technology, including through enhanced partnerships with the private sector, academia, non-governmental, civil society, and other stakeholders to build strong, agile, sustainable, and resilient national statistical systems.
Eight Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD-8) ended with the adoption of the Kigali Declaration on good practices and solutions to enhance implementation of the sustainable development goals in Africa
African countries have reiterated the need to link mutually reinforcing policies for sustainable development and COVID-19 recovery to ensure inclusive emergence from the pandemic.
This came after the Eight Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD-8) ended with the adoption of the Kigali Declaration on good practices and solutions to enhance implementation of the sustainable development goals in Africa, the ARFSD organizers announced Monday.
The Kigali Declaration called on African countries to leverage new tools, innovative solutions, and technology, including through enhanced partnerships with the private sector, academia, non-governmental, civil society, and other stakeholders to build strong, agile, sustainable, and resilient national statistical systems.
The ARFSD-8, organised by the United Nations Economic Commission of Africa (UNECA) and the government of Rwanda in collaboration with the African Union (AU) Commission, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and other entities of the UN system, envisaged reviewing and catalyze actions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 and goals of the Africa’s 50-year continental development Agenda 2063.
“The Kigali Declaration urges African countries to link mutually reinforcing policies for sustainable development and COVID-19 recovery to ensure inclusive emergence from the pandemic,” the UNECA said in a statement.
The document highlighted the need for countries to leverage the potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) to support the development of regional value chains, citing the case of minerals used in the production of batteries and electric vehicles as an example.
This year’s edition of ARFSD was held in a hybrid format in Kigali, Rwanda and virtually from March 3 to 5 under the theme “Building forward better: A Green, Inclusive and Resilient Africa Poised to Achieve the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063.”
Hanan Morsy, Deputy Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), explained that the main purpose of the meeting was to review Africa’s progress and catalyze actions to achieve the 2030 sustainable development goals. The meeting was also meant to achieve consensus on urgent priorities for action, which are captured in the Kigali Declaration to be presented at the high-level political forum in New York.
Addressing the opening session, Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame expressed his hope that Africa will use the COVID-19 pandemic as a springboard to speed up progress and innovate smarter ways to invest in human capital development.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has slowed development gains, and in some cases reversed the progress that have been made,” Kagame told the high-level meeting, as he emphasized that as part of the continental COVID-19 response efforts “we can build an Africa that is greener and more resilient with a sustainable development goals and Agenda 2063 as our blueprint.”
Kagame’s sentiments were also shared by Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General, as she applauded the progress made on the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT).
The African continent must build “stronger and more resilient health systems by investing in healthcare,” a UNECA statement quoted Mohammed as saying during the opening session of the ARFSD-8.
UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of UNECA, Vera Songwe, explained that progress achieved by Africa in the areas of climate change, the continental free trade pact, the management of COVID-19, and education must be applauded.
Songwe said despite the tendency for the AfCFTA to be perceived as far-fetched, the fact that African countries have traded more among themselves during the pandemic than the five years before that period is a testament to the potential of the partnership.
The ARFSD is an annual multi-stakeholder platform organized by the ECA and the host government. This year, Rwanda, in collaboration with the AU Commission, the AfDB and other entities of the United Nations systems, is hosting the high-level gathering.
According to the UNECA, the three-day ARFSD-8 brought together African ministers, senior officials, high-level policymakers and experts from ministries and agencies and practitioners from UN member states, private sector, civil society, academia and UN organizations.
The regional forum is one of the three mechanisms mandated by theUN General Assembly to follow-up, review and catalyze actions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by UN member states in September 2015.
Vatika Voices empowers 1000 Arab women to launch successful businesses this Women’s Day. It will help Arab women to find their voices and live their natural best through skill enablement courses
Vatika Voices, a unique campaign designed by the leading hair care brand Vatika along with Entreprenelle, a social development & business impact organization, in December 2021 to empower women across GCC and MENA region, announced their results recently coinciding with International Women’s Day which is right around the corner.
As part of the campaign, Vatika Voices had requested women across the GCC and MENA region to submit entries explaining why they should be a part of the program and how it would help them pursue their future goals and dreams. Vatika received over 4000 entries, out of which they shortlisted 1000 women with the most inspiring and impactful stories.
The shortlisted women took a 4-day boot camp in their fields of choice covering different disciplines. These included business modeling, idea validation, business marketing, sales techniques and planning, business development strategies, financial planning, and pitching. The online courses ran for over 25 hours through Entreprenelle covering numerous business areas, and providing women with the required tools under each business. The courses provided in-depth knowledge across Fashion, F&B, Marketing, Tech, Sports, Makeup and ten others, further enabling female entrepreneurs to hone and develop their skills.
The massive response and positive feedback received from the shortlisted candidates further demonstrates the experience this campaign has created for women across the region to feel confident and ready to live their dreams.
Nada Yasser, Brand Manager at Dabur International Ltd. said, “There was a great amount of teamwork involved behind the scenes between us and Entreprenelle, but it was definitely all worth it. Vatika stands for encouraging you to ‘live your natural best’. This does not only apply to external beauty in terms of our products, but we also genuinely believe that it is important to provide a platform to women whose voices need to be heard. All the women who shared their entries with us had some powerful stories to share. It’s an absolute honor for me to be involved in a campaign of this nature wherein we are able to provide a platform to thousand resilient, independent women, to use these tools and turn their dreams into reality.”
As we march closer to International Women’s Day where the conversation around gender equality is gaining momentum, this is a very positive and promising campaign that continues to encourage women to pursue their dreams. The campaign’s success has motivated Vatika to continue such initiatives as a long-term offering for women across MENA and GCC regions.
“Giving women the support they require in order to establish their careers is long overdue. Unfortunately, even today, not enough people recognize how gender gaps impact a business. At Dabur however, we have first-hand witnessed the success that comes from a gender-diverse work environment, and we intend to keep it that way. Nonetheless, slowly but surely things are changing, and I’m extremely grateful to have been a part of this event in collaboration with Entreprenelle,” Nishant MSN, Marketing Head at Dabur International Ltd concluded.
Regional conventions play critical role in marine protection: UNEP report … A special report by VISHAL GULATI
A series of regional conventions and policies are playing an essential role in monitoring climate change and preparing for extreme weather events, preventing oil spills, reducing plastic and other waste, saving coral reefs, and providing overall ocean protection and restoration of marine ecosystems.
These are the key findings of a UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report, whose authors call for expanding the scope of collaboration on regional seas in the coming decade.
The report — Contributions of Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans to a Healthy Ocean — draws on a series of case studies which examine the cumulative impact of these conventions and policies over the past 45 years.
Through a robust body of evidence, the UN-led Regional Seas Programme — which produced the report — convenes and coordinates countries and institutions, and undertakes ecosystem-based planning and management to progress towards a healthy ocean and healthy people.
The Regional Seas Programme aims to bring all relevant stakeholders together to address the accelerating degradation of the world’s oceans and coastal areas through a “shared seas” approach. Since its establishment in 1974, 146 countries have joined 18 Regional Seas.
Through cultivating joint scientific research, policy development and implementation, this network of regional policies has become one of the cornerstones of protection, conservation, and restoration of marine and coastal environments, it said.
Susan Gardner, Director of UNEP’s Ecosystems Division, said: “Marine pollution, invasive species and natural habitat loss, excessive extraction, and ocean acidification all share one common trait: they do not respect national borders.
“Regional Seas demonstrate what can be achieved by working together for common goals at a regional scale. To secure the livelihoods of over three billion people, Regional Seas must not only be recognised, but their mandate ought to be expanded.”
Activities across regions are organised through Regional Action Plans for data collection and sharing best practices, addressing capacity needs (including of women, youth and indigenous peoples), mobilising financial and technical resources to support research and implementation, as well as monitoring and evaluation of ocean conditions and policy responses.
Some of the impacts of Regional Seas are in marine pollution, biodiversity protection, and scientific knowledge-sharing.
As many as 21 legally binding agreements relating to marine pollution have been adopted. These have, for example, increased preparedness to combat oil pollution incidents and spills in the Caspian Sea and the South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP) has successfully mitigated the impacts of an oil tanker collision outside of Kamarajar Port in India in 2017.
The 2013 Barcelona Convention for the Mediterranean has dramatically improved marine litter management across 10 Mediterranean countries, contributing to a 39 per cent reduction in beach marine litter and seafloor macro-litter from 2016 to 2019.
In the Pacific, the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) Elsewhere, Regional Seas have been integral to the development of early warning systems, nutrient reduction, and the adoption of the Polluter Pays principle.
Regional Seas play a pivotal role in the creation of Marine Protected Areas across the world, and the Green Fins Initiative in the East Asian Seas, the Caribbean, Red Sea and Pacific regions brings together over 600 marine tourism companies in 11 countries.
Studies show that consequently dive operators have significantly lower reef contact (and hence reef damage), the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) has introduced legal requirements for port inspection to prevent illegally landed fish from entering trade, mapping of capture and trade hotspots and a threats assessment have been jointly undertaken in west Africa, thanks to the Abidjan Convention, and in the Southern Ocean, Illegal Unregulated Unreported activities have decreased from around 33,000 to under 1,000 tons in less than a decade.
The UNEP report called on decision makers, policymakers, researchers, and other stakeholders to enhance collaboration across all Regional Seas, including establishing formal coordination with other types of organisation such as Regional Fisheries Management Organisations, UNESCO and the International Maritime Organisation, increased awareness raising campaigns on the value of a healthy natural environment to sustainable economic development and human wellbeing.
It concludes with a call to donors, the private sector, and NGOs to recognise and prioritise Regional Seas as a solution to some of the key risks facing the oceans.
African Development Bank Group approves historic health infrastructure strategy. Africa, needs around $26 billion in annual capital investments. As part of its health agenda, the African Development Bank has committed to investing $3 billion in Africa’s pharmaceutical industry over 10 years
The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group has approved its Strategy for Quality Health Infrastructure in Africa 2022-2030, a historic first for the Bank. The strategy was developed in response to a call by the Bank’s Governors for the institution to define its role in addressing Africa’s health infrastructure deficits, highlighted by the ongoing pandemic.
The strategy focuses on three categories of health infrastructure that match the African Development Bank’s comparative advantage, providing the flexibility to respond to the diverse needs of the Bank’s African member countries. It will be anchored in national health systems and sets out three cross-cutting themes: improved internet and communications technology connectivity, to strengthen health information systems and support innovation; promoting regional collaboration and harmonizing health policies and regulation; and policy dialogue and technical assistance.
“We must give hope to the poor and the vulnerable, by ensuring that every African, regardless of their income level, gets access to quality health care, as well as health insurance and social protection,” Bank President Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina commented.
The strategy is in line with one of the African Development Bank’s High 5 strategic priorities, namely improving the quality of life for the people of Africa. It also echoes the objectives of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 regarding good health and well-being, as well as the African Union’s Agenda 2063 plan to transform Africa into a global powerhouse. In addition, it forms part of broader efforts by the African Development Bank to expand access to healthcare on the continent.
The Covid-19 pandemic has further exposed shortcomings in national health systems in Africa, overwhelming testing and treatment capacity. In future, Africa’s growing population will place further strain on infrastructure. Health facilities are unevenly distributed, with major gaps in rural areas. Only half of primary healthcare facilities in sub-Saharan Africa have access to clean water and adequate sanitation and only a third have access to reliable electricity.
Against this backdrop, a grossly underfunded healthcare system in Africa, needs around $26 billion in annual capital investments. As part of its health agenda, the African Development Bank has committed to investing $3 billion in Africa’s pharmaceutical industry over 10 years. The Bank also launched a multibillion dollar Covid-19 Response Facility to support its regional members through the pandemic.
“The three pillars and crossing cutting themes give the Bank the flexibility to respond to the diverse needs of different regional member countries in a more impactful and sustainable manner,” said Dr. Beth Dunford, the Bank’s Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development, welcomed the Board’s approval of the Strategy. “The Quality Health Infrastructure for Africa Strategy sets out how the Bank will build up and consolidate its comparative advantage in health infrastructure and contribute to improving the quality of life for the people of Africa,” she added.
The Strategy was overwhelmingly endorsed via a series of consultations, including with health ministers of the Bank’s 54 regional member countries, development partners and civil society.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa has reached 11,220,954 as of Saturday evening, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said…reports Asian Lite News
The Africa CDC, the specialized healthcare agency of the African Union, said the death toll from the pandemic across the continent stands at 249,536, Xinhua news agency reported.
Some 10,466,353 patients across the continent have recovered from the disease so far, it noted.
South Africa has recorded the most Covid-19 cases in Africa with 3,681,437 cases, while northern African countries Morocco and Tunisia reported 1,161,506 and 1,003,255 cases respectively, it said.
In terms of the caseload, southern Africa is the most affected region, followed by the northern and eastern parts of the continent, while central Africa is the least affected region in the continent, according to the Africa CDC.
