At the conclusion of IDA (International Development Association) for Africa Heads of State Summit, hosted by President William Ruto in Kenya, Nairobi, The ONE Campaign responds to a meeting that offered a bold ambition, Heads of State and non- state actors and delivered a critical and aspirational call for the biggest replenishment of all time.

Serah Makka, ONE’s Executive Director for Africa said “President Ruto and other African Heads of State deserve the recognition and acknowledgement for setting the agenda and demand that finally reflects the scale of the Africa’s fiscal challenges and succeeded in highlighting the partnership needed to build an inclusive society and see the realization of Africa’s developmental goals.”

“A strong demand signal from Africa the required leadership for an ambitious IDA to provide concessional funding for low- and middle-income countries. The scale of the funding required for Africa to reach the SDGs is significant and in the trillions of dollars. But we need to start from somewhere. IDA is a great place to start.

USAID Deputy Mission Director Eleanor TanPiengco and Minister of Health Dr. Mekdes Daba inaugurated the USAID Lowlands Health Activity, a five-year, $35 million initiative aimed at improving health and nutrition outcomes for mothers and children in the pastoral regions of Ethiopia. This project, to be implemented by EngenderHealth Inc., along with a consortium of international and local partners, will span 35 districts across the Somali, Afar, Southern Ethiopia, and Oromia regions.

Since 2017, USAID has supported maternal and child health in pastoralist regions through the Transform Health in Developing Regions project, which has advanced key health indicators, such as skilled birth attendance and immunization coverage. The Lowlands Health Activity will offer services to marginalized populations such as primary healthcare, access to quality services, the adoption of healthy behaviors, and health facilities that provide essential reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, adolescent, and nutrition services. The project directly supports the achievements of USAID’s and Ethiopia’s Health Sector Transformation goal, aimed to prevent maternal and child morbidity and mortality.

Every April, Africa observes African Vaccination Week, a crucial occasion for raising awareness about the significance of vaccination and highlighting its indispensable role in safeguarding public health. The theme for this year, 2024, “Humanly Possible,” serves as a reminder to leaders and communities alike of the imperative to maintain the progress achieved and to bolster funding towards vaccination efforts, thereby averting the resurgence of preventable diseases.

Over the past 50 years, vaccines have saved nearly 154 million lives, equating to over 3 million lives per year or six lives every minute for five decades. During the same period, vaccination has reduced infant mortality by 40%, according to WHO figures.

“Vaccination is one of the most effective, safest, and accessible public health interventions globally,” stated Dr. Rachel Tanou during the launch ceremony of the Here Zaka CSO activities series, on the sidelines of the 2024 African Vaccination Week. “It has saved millions of lives and eradicated devastating diseases such as smallpox. Vaccines not only protect individuals but also entire communities by fostering herd immunity, which prevents diseases from spreading.”

Ten years after the signing of ground-breaking licensing agreements between ViiV Healthcare and the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), as well as ViiV’s direct agreements with Aurobindo Pharma, more than 1 billion packs of generic dolutegravir (DTG) based medicines have reached 24 million people living with HIV in 128 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), transforming the HIV landscape in those areas of the world. This means that as of 2023, over 90% of people on antiretroviral treatment in these countries are estimated to be on DTG-based regimens.

Thanks to this decade-long partnership, WHO-recommended treatment can be developed, produced, and when approved, supplied by 15 generic manufacturers to all low-income, least developed, lower-middle-income and sub-Saharan African countries, as well as some upper middle-income countries, addressing the needs of regions with the highest HIV burdens.

Charles Gore, Executive Director, Medicines Patent Pool said, “As we reflect on a decade of collaboration with ViiV Healthcare, we are proud to see that public health-oriented voluntary licensing has had tangible impact in the lives of the people we serve, enabling access to affordable versions of innovative HIV treatments in LMICs.”