HE Prime Minister of the Republic of Chad Allamaye Halina met with HE Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Chad Talib bin Mohammed Al Mankhas.
The meeting dealt with discussing bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The State of Qatar.
Since COVID-19 was first detected in Somalia in March 2020, the country has made remarkable progress in limiting its spread and rolling out COVID-19 vaccination. Thanks to support from partners including WHO Somalia, almost 50% of Somalia’s population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, as at 30 March 2024.
But more must be done to protect Somalia from COVID-19 and to leverage the existing gains to strengthen immunization and the health system more broadly.
One such initiative is the Somalia COVID-19 Emergency Vaccination Project, which has been central to the COVID-19 vaccination efforts to date and is set to continue until September 2025. The Federal Government of Somalia implements the project through the Ministry of Health and WHO Somalia, with financial support from the World Bank.
Since July 2023, the project has supported Ministry of Health efforts to expand the coverage of COVID-19 vaccines and strengthen essential immunization services across Somalia. A crucial part of this work is strengthening the organizational capacity of the National Medicine Regulatory Authority (NMRA), as well as Somalia’s surveillance system for immunization.
To date, the project has supported the following efforts.
The administration of over 12 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines. As a result, 49.7% of Somalia’s population are fully vaccinated. This includes 60% of all internally displaced people in the country and 8% of the nomadic populations.
Surveillance of adverse events following immunization (AEFI) has been integrated into the existing health information management system.
Training of trainers on AEFI surveillance has been delivered to 267 health workers (60% female).
Building of NMRA’s organizational capacity, which has included development of a training plan; a study tour of Kenya and Uganda, to learn from their respective national regulatory authorities for medicines; and regular supportive meetings between NMRA and WHO.
The Somalia COVID-19 Emergency Vaccination Project is expected to help the country achieve its target of fully vaccinating 70% of the population against COVID-19 by end 2024.
Over the next 14 months, to September 2025, the project will integrate COVID-19 vaccination within the Big Catch-up. This global WHO initiative aims to reinstate and enhance access to childhood immunization, which was disrupted worldwide during the COVID-19 emergency.
Dr Renee Van de Weerdt, WHO Representative to Somalia, said: “WHO has a long history of working with the Government of Somalia to improve access to routine immunizations that save lives. Since the start of the pandemic, we have stepped up our collaboration to improve surveillance and response capacities and then to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccination.”
“It is heartening to see the strong results of this collaboration,” she continued. “Not only is the target of fully vaccinating 70% of the Somali population within reach, but systems have been built to ensure that Somalia is better prepared to face the next health emergency. We express our gratitude to the funders who have made this work possible, particularly the World Bank, as well as to the Government of Somalia for leading this initiative.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization – Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean.
Zambia’s mining industry has surged to third place in global investment attractiveness in 2024, up from 12th in 2023, due to a solid mining policy environment, according to a new report released by global think tank Fraser Institute. The country has attracted $10 billion in fresh investments over the past three years, as a result, with a positive outlook for continued growth.
As part of its commitment to driving investment and sustainable growth in the mining sector, the Zambia Chamber of Mines has joined the Critical Minerals Africa (CMA) 2024 summit as a partner. At CMA, representatives from the Zambia Chamber of Mines, including Chief Executive Officer Sokwani William Chilembo, will promote the country’s critical mineral sector to potential investors.
The Critical Minerals Africa 2024 summit on November 6 – 7 serves to position Africa as the primary investment destination for critical minerals. The event is held alongside the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energy 2024 conference (https://AECWeek.com/) on November 4 – 8, offering delegates access to the full scope of energy, mining and finance leaders in Cape Town. Sponsors, exhibitors and delegates can learn more by contacting sales@energycapitalpower.com
Zambia is the world’s seventh-largest and Africa’s second-largest producer of copper, a key mineral for the manufacturer of wind turbines, solar panels, battery storage, and electric vehicles. The country aims to boost copper production to three million tons per year by 2031, leveraging partnerships with global mining firms to meet this target. In July 2024, Canadian mining firm Ivanhoe Mines resumed production at the Mopani Mine, following 30 years of project maintenance. The project will add up to 140,000 tons of copper and zinc concentrate to Zambia’s total annual output, driving the country closer to its production increase target. In April 2024, the country secured $1.1 billion in investment from UAE mining firm International Resources Holding to bolster production at Mopani Mine, in exchange for a 51% stake in the project. The investment will enable production at the mine to be increased to 200,000 tons in the next three years. At CMA, the Zambia Chamber of Mines will provide an update on the state of play of the country’s copper value chain.
As the demand for critical minerals increase globally and Zambia’s mining sector expands, the country is establishing various state boards, mining institutions, and statutory bodies to ensure sustainable management of the industry. In mid-June, Zambia announced plans to establish a state-owned mineral trading company to optimize resource monetization for GDP growth. In May 2024, Zambia announced a $6 million investment to establish a Mining Technology Hub to foster partnerships with global players and advance mining technologies. As the association for mining and allied companies driving Zambia’s critical minerals industry expansion, the Chamber of Mines of Zambia will discuss and forge partnerships on knowledge sharing and capacity building with global stakeholders during CMA 2024.
“Zambia’s critical mineral sector has seen remarkable growth, driven by an enabling policy environment that attracts significant investments. As a key player in the global energy transition, Zambia is poised to increase its contribution to sustainable energy solutions, reinforcing its importance on the world stage,” stated Rachelle Kasongo, Project Director at CMA organize, Energy Capital&Power.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
In the face of a brutal conflict, Sudanese women are refusing to be silenced. Coming together in Kampala, Uganda for Sudan Women’s Peace dialogue, the they issued a powerful call to action. Their demands are clear: women’s increased inclusion in peace processes, with a firm demand for 50% representation in all negotiations. The women emphasized that this representation must be meaningful, ensuring women’s voices are not only heard but actively shape the decisions that affect their lives.
The two-day dialogue, organized by UN Women and the African Union, brought together a diverse group of Sudanese women. Their mission: to forge a vision for a peaceful Sudan and a roadmap for achieving lasting peace with gender equality at its core.
Dr. Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka, formerly UN Women Executive Director and a member of the African Union Panel of the Wise, highlighted the critical need for global attention to Sudan’s humanitarian crisis. She underscored the severe impact on Sudanese women and children, urging intensified media coverage and international action to address their plight. “We need to galvanize our messages so that everyone understands the severity of the conflict and the specific vulnerabilities faced by women and children,” remarked Dr. Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka.
Current statistics on Sudan paint a grim reality: more than 15,000 lives lost, tens of thousands injured, and half of Sudan’s population—25 million people—in dire need of life-saving aid. The displacement crisis has left 10 million people homeless, with women and girls constituting over half of the refugees. Famine looms large over parts of the country, threatening up to 2.5 million lives if urgent humanitarian assistance is not provided.
Hodan Addou, the UN Women Deputy Regional Director a.i for East and Southern Africa commended Sudanese women for showing extraordinary resilience at the community level, providing critical humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable, including survivors of gender-based violence, despite significant risks to their own safety.
The Ugandan Prime Minister Rt. Hon Robinah Nabbanja echoed these sentiments, urging the women to use their collective power to bring lasting peace. She emphasized the importance of valuing women’s voices and investing in security for them to thrive and contribute to a sustainable future.
“When we empower women, we guarantee the future of our children and our nations. When we empower women, we empower our societies in a most sustainable way. We therefore must invest in security of our nations for women to thrive in their communities,” said Rt. Hon Robinah Nabbanja.
In January 2024, the African Union established a High-Level Panel on Sudan to facilitate an all-inclusive political dialogue to end the fighting and put in place a process towards a lasting peace. Speaking to the Sudanese women at the dialogue, Dr. Speciosa Wandira Kazibwe, Member of the African Union High Level Panel on Sudan and former Vice President of Uganda urged them to use the space to discuss the future of Sudan, noting that “the future of millions of Sudanese who are living in the harsh conditions is dependent on what will come out of the meeting”. She assured the Sudanese women of the African Union support.
As Sudan grapples with escalating conflict and humanitarian crisis, the collective voices of Sudanese women resonate with urgency and determination for peace and protection. Their demands for inclusion and representation underscore a crucial step towards sustainable peacebuilding efforts in the region. The outcomes of the Kampala dialogue will be used in upcoming discussions on peacebuilding in Sudan, scheduled for later this month in Ethiopia.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN Women – Africa.
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