Kanungu, Uganda | XINHUA | As the world grapples with COVID-19, conservationists in Africa are striving to contain rising wildlife poaching, which has been worsened by the pandemic. When the pandemic hit the continent about seven months ago, many countries closed their borders and limited domestic movement. This brought the …
Read More »Germany targets Africa for trade, investment
Germany-Africa Business Forum (GABF) offers opportunities for cross-border collaboration Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Investment and business climate, available workforce and access to markets, and transport, energy and technological infrastructure are the key success factors to drive Africa’s development. Günter Nooke, the Africa Envoy to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, …
Read More »WHO hails Africa’s declining COVID-19 cases, urges caution to prevent 2nd wave
Nairobi, Kenya | XINHUA | The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday hailed declining COVID-19 positive cases in Africa but stressed the need to strengthen containment measures amid risk of a second wave in the continent. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional director for Africa, said the continent has escaped an implosion …
Read More »UNICEF urges safe reopening of schools in Africa to avert losses
Nairobi, Kenya | XINHUA | The UN children’s fund UNICEF on Tuesday called on governments across Eastern and Southern Africa to urgently and safely reopen schools, as the costs of continued school closures escalate across the region. According to UNICEF, only 13 out of 21 countries in Eastern and Southern Africa …
Read More »Africa’s Covid-19 corruption
‘Theft doesn’t even stop during a pandemic’ | THE INDEPENDENT | Doctors have gone on strike over a lack of protective equipment, and protesters have taken to the streets in anger at the abuse of medical funds, many wearing T-shirts emblazoned with #arrestCovidthieves. Public uproar in Kenya in recent weeks …
Read More »Proposed Horn of Africa bloc
Why an Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia bloc could destabilise the larger region | INGO HENNEBERG AND SÖREN STAPEL | Relations in the Horn of Africa are complex and complicated. They are characterised by deeply ingrained rivalries between Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia in a conflict-ridden region. For decades, it has been …
Read More »Africa’s gathering debt storm
The continent’s debt-service payments in 2020 amount to $44 billion which is a lot of money COMMENT | COBUS VAN STADEN | The COVID-19 crisis is pushing Africa to the financial brink. African governments are under pressure to continue servicing their external loans, leaving them with few resources to confront …
Read More »WHO roots for equitable access to COVID-19 vaccine in Africa
Nairobi, Kenya | XINHUA | The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday that donors and industry should allocate sufficient resources to ensure that African countries have access to a safe and efficacious COVID-19 vaccine. Richard Mihigo, Program Area Manager of Immunization and Vaccine Development of WHO, said the needs …
Read More »UVRI accredited among COVID-19 reference laboratories in Africa
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) has been accredited by the World Health Organization-WHO as one of the COVID-19 reference laboratories in Africa. The laboratory which is spearheading COVID-19 testing in the country is one of eight laboratories that were accredited as reference laboratories …
Read More »How Polio was eradicated from Africa
‘Elimination of polio virus is testimony that vaccines work’ Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | Dr. Alfred Driwale, the programme manager of the Uganda National Expanded Programme on Immunization in the Ministry of Health was probably one of the happiest people on Aug. 25 when the World Health Organization (WHO) …
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