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Millions of children in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) remain unprotected against preventable diseases due to a steady decline in vaccination coverage, according to the latest WHO and UNICEF estimates of national immunization coverage (WUENIC) published today.

In 2023, the number of ‘zero-dose’ children in the MENA region – those who did not receive even the first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine (DTP1) – was 1.64 million, up from 1.2 million in 2022, representing the highest ever reported number. This new figure is even more staggering when compared to 2019, when we had 872,000 zero-dose children.

“The increase in the number of zero-dose and under-vaccinated children is alarming. The drop in immunization rates poses a real threat to children from vaccine-preventable diseases,” said Adele Khodr, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Region.

The latest data ranks MENA sixth out of seven UNICEF regions, with DTP1 coverage at 85 per cent in 2023—a drop of seven percentage points since 2019.

“While the underlying causes are varied, conflicts and humanitarian crises are among the main drivers of this decline. Conflict-affected countries are home to the majority of zero-dose children, making humanitarian access and response in such contexts an even higher priority,” added Khodr.

As conflicts continue to impact children around the region, Sudan, Yemen, and Syria are home to nearly 87 per cent of the total zero-dose children in the region, with Sudan alone contributing 42 per cent of these zero-dose children. In the State of Palestine, traditionally a high-coverage country, the impact of the conflict has already started to show while the ongoing violence in the Gaza Strip is expected to further deteriorate immunization coverage in 2024 unless urgent lifesaving services are re-established and the violence ends.

The situation is similar for the Measles vaccine. A drop of 4 percentage points has been observed in 2023 compared to 2019, with a total of almost 2 million children in MENA missed their first dose.

Vaccine coverage varies between countries and within countries for different vaccines. While the backslide in vaccine coverage draws a grim picture, there is still good news. Some countries in the MENA region have maintained their progress, while others have advanced. Thirteen out of 20 countries in the region had coverage of at least 90 per cent, and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic has been evident in at least five middle-income countries, putting them on the right trajectory to achieve the targets of the Immunization Agenda 2030.

“To achieve progress and protect children and communities from preventable diseases, we call on governments to continue investing in health systems, sparing no effort to reach every child with all necessary vaccines. Critical and lifesaving services provided by front-line workers, particularly in conflict and crises-affected contexts, should be supported and protected, and safe humanitarian access guaranteed and facilitated,” said Khodr.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UNICEF, Middle East and North Africa.

Gambia: Continued ban on female genital mutilation (FGM) is good news but authorities must urgently address its root causes

AfricaNews

July 15, 2024

Reacting to the rejection of a bill to repeal the 2015 Women’s (Amendment) Act which bans female genital mutilation (FGM), by Gambia’s parliament on 15 July, Samira Daoud, Amnesty International Regional Director for West and Central Africa, said:

“We welcome with great relief the rejection of the bill aimed at reversing the ban on FGM in Gambia. In 2015, the adoption of the Women’s (Amendment) Act, which criminalizes and sets out punishments for performing, aiding and abetting the practice of FGM, represented a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to safeguard girls’ and women’s rights. It was essential that this progress was protected.

“However, since being outlawed in 2015, only two cases have been prosecuted and the first conviction for performing FGM was only made in August last year. Moreover, this attempt to repeal the law is a warning sign demonstrating that steps must be taken to make the population more aware of women’s rights and the need to eradicate such harmful practices. Due diligence requires effective prevention, protection and reparation, not just criminalization.

“In addition to banning FGM, the Gambian authorities must do more to enforce the law. We also urge the adoption of a holistic approach that addresses the root causes of the issue to change attitudes and norms in order to empower women and girls.”

Background

Around 76% of girls and women between 15 and 49 years of age have undergone FGM in Gambia, according to UNICEF, and 3 out of 4 girls experience it before age 6.

Gambia is a signatory to international conventions that uphold and protect the rights of women and girls, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child specifically states that Governments must take all appropriate measures to eliminate harmful social and cultural practices, including FGM.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Amnesty International.

Partnership for progress in advancing health and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Niger Delta

AfricaNews

July 15, 2024

In a significant move to advance sustainable development and improve public health services for the vulnerable population in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Country Representative, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, recently visited the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Rivers State, Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.

The visit aimed to discuss strategic partnerships focused on achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a particular emphasis on health as a critical enabler for alleviating poverty among the region’s inhabitants.

The courtesy visits also allowed Dr Mulombo to present the 4th Country Cooperation Strategy 2023-2027 which will shape WHO’s intervention strategies in Nigeria and the nine NDDC-focused states, including Rivers.

Collaborative efforts and Health Interventions
During a courtesy visit to the to the Rivers State Governor, Dr Mulombo highlighted the importance of collaborative efforts between international organizations, local governments, and development agencies to address the pressing health challenges facing Rivers State.Acknowledging Governor Fubara’s various healthcare interventions to achieve the target for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ensure that the people enjoy good health and well-being by 2030, Dr Mulombo said “Nigeria, like most countries of the world, is lagging in terms of reaching the target for SDGs by 2030, thus reason for a global call to do things differently and accelerate the rescue of the people”

He added “We note your commitment towards improving primary healthcare services and the revitalization and drive to improve the health status of the good people of Rivers State”.
The Rivers State Governor reiterated the state’s dedication to achieving the SDGs and acknowledged the critical role of health in this endeavour.

The Governor pledges that his administration will commit huge budgetary allocations to healthcare in the 2025 budget to drive the activities in the sector.

Mr Fubara said “We believe that when we roll out that budget, a greater part of the health issues will be accommodated and I believe that by the time you visit us, maybe in another year, the commendation will be there. When we came on board, we also knew that one very important area that we need to touch is healthcare. Development cannot be complete if the health sector is abandoned”.

In a separate visit to the Managing Director, of NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, the WHO Country Representative emphasized the importance of partnering to address prevalent health challenges in the region, particularly, the issue of climate change and air pollution.The discussions centred on leveraging health initiatives to drive progress across various SDGs, including those related to poverty, education, and economic growth.

Strategic Health Inititiatives
Dr Mulombo, in his remark, disclosed that “The NDDC has finalized a partnership agreement with the WHO to accelerate healthcare coverage and financial risk protection for the poor and vulnerable population towards universal health coverage (UHC) in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria”

“This project would be implemented in 3 phases; (i) identify, register, authenticate, and provide credible data of poor and vulnerable people resident in the rural communities of the 9 Niger Delta States, (ii) enrol 1 million Niger Delta Citizens into health insurance, and (iii) strengthen capacity for health security in the NDDC States while carrying out various operations research and impact evaluation studies to ensure tracking of progress and advancement of learning”.

He also reiterated WHO’s commitment to providing continual technical support as guided and powered by the Sector Wide Approach (SWAp), which seeks to reduce the hyper fragmentation within the health sector and align development assistance towards impact.

Addressing health challenges
While the NDDC and Rivers State Government were praised for their ongoing efforts to improve the health conditions of the vulnerable population in the Niger Delta, the WHO representative stressed the need for a more integrated approach that places health at the forefront of development strategies.

The Niger Delta faces unique health challenges, including high rates of infectious diseases, poor maternal and child health indicators, and limited access to healthcare facilities. Dr Mulombo emphasized the need for targeted interventions to address these issues, including the strengthening of healthcare infrastructure, training of healthcare workers, and increasing public awareness about preventive health measures.

Ongoing Commitments
During the visits, both the NDDC and the Rivers State Government expressed their commitment to partnering with the WHO to enhance health outcomes in the region. The NDDC highlighted its ongoing projects aimed at improving healthcare delivery, such as the construction of health centres and the provision of medical supplies.

Dr Ogbuku in his remark outlined the health interventions of the NDDC including the NDDC Free Medical Outreach in the Nine States of the region.Reiterating the importance of partnership with the WHO, the NDDC Boss reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to take proactive measures to proffer health solutions, on issues such as Cholera in the region. He also stated that the commission will provide solar-powered borehole water for communities. “We are also working on cholera vaccines and commissioning ambulances which we will donate to the nine states of the region.”

The visit ended with a call to action for all stakeholders to intensify efforts towards achieving the SDGs, with a particular focus on health. The highlight of the meeting with the NDDC was the commissioning ceremony of 13 ambulances acquired by the NDDC for distribution to hospitals in its nine mandate states by Dr Mulombo alongside other dignities including Dr Ogbuku and and Chiedu Ebie, the newly appointed Chairman of the NDDC.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) – Nigeria.

The Economic History of the Atlantic Civilization

Business & Economy

admin

July 15, 2024

The Economic History of the Atlantic Civilization

When the term “Atlantic civilization” was coined in the 18th century, the underlying idea was meant to combine the values of the French and the American Revolutions. They were seen as the two indispensable pillars of a single, yet divided approach to social modernization. The values of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as well as those of liberty, equality and fraternity may sound hollow today, yet they have not lost any of their resounding power when looking at their impact.

The Atlantic civilization remains based on the primacy of individual dignity, property and rule of law, a strict separation between state and society the freedom of religion as well as the freedom to travel. People’s ability to engage in self-criticism remains the essential quality of the Atlantic civilization. While hoping for the universalization of people’s understanding of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness remains an inherent driving force of human culture, it is important to re-evaluate the world as it stands.

It is imperative for the future of the Atlantic civilization to realize the root causes of the conflicts which have taken us like a hurricane. The time has come to count the dead due to a series of acts of political violence committed over the past decade. We must take account of undeclared wars such as in the Ukraine, gruesome and barbarous acts of terrorism as in Iraq and Syria, incapable states which cannot really “fail” because they never worked in the first place such as Somalia, as well as states which can no longer prevent the outbreak of mass epidemics with global consequences such as Liberia or Guinea.

The West may be keen to promote the rule of law and democratic participation, but people are confronted with upheavals in their borderlands that follow a different, if not altogether confrontational logic. Russia is projecting its imperial glory, if only out of weakness. The Arab and Muslim world is undergoing a transformation with cultural, political and economic tensions of the highest order. While often clad in religious language, these tensions reflect age-old geopolitical controversies and rifts.

While Westerners are ambivalent about the use of military power, knowing too well its limits and the curse of Pandora’s Box that comes with the use of military power, they can no longer escape a global tide that changes their way of thinking. Aren’t they very scared of “foreign” fighters returning from Iraq or Syria, whether with a U.S. or EU passport? And what is their answer to self-declared “Sharia police” gangs patrolling the streets of London or Bonn, trying to prevent Muslim youth to enter “sinful” places such as discotheques and casinos?

The Atlantic civilization is united these days, or so it seems. In reality, Western nations are divided in their perception of, and proximity to, current hotspots. Whether they are engaged in sanctions against Russia or in organizing a military coalition against the barbaric terror of the self-declared “Islamic State caliphate,” the truth of the matter is this: Nobody has a good answer, and no strategy seems to work the way we thought these things happen.

What’s happening in Russia is about re-establishing spheres of influence, territorial and ethnic. The shift from Arab spring to a Caliphate winter represents almost the opposite: the individualized, decentralized and excessively violent, cruel and unpredictable use of force.

According to political analysts, understood properly, Eurasian imperialism and Arab radicalism are two sides of the same coin. They both reek of obvious helplessness and long-term self-defeat. They represent deep inferiority complexes to which the West has not developed any serious response beyond the usual policies of carrots and sticks.

The Atlantic civilization has to learn that political ideologies and violent conflicts which are no longer relevant in the West have found willing repetition outside their sphere. The Arab world may well have entered its genuine Thirty-Year War, while nobody knows how long Russian imperialism may last.

But as Russia’s and the Arab world’s inner tribulations have begun to penetrate the cohesion and stability of the West, they pose a threat to the Atlantic civilization that goes beyond the reaction of concerned neighbors. That is why, according to political analysts, it is time to reinforce the foundation of this unique experiment in the history of man’s search for freedom without coercion.

The Atlantic civilization needs to redefine its foundation: the search for truth cannot justify the destruction of freedom, one’s own and that of others; the rule of law and democratic participation include the protection of minorities; the outbreak of violence is the end of politics and not its continuation.

In the end, this is what liberal democracy is all about. It is against this backdrop that the success or failure of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) takes on a new dimension. These negotiations are about far more than a trans-Atlantic trade and investment partnership.

Political analysts noted that it is an investment into a common future of liberal democracy and it is about a partnership that cannot be traded on the altar of petty populism and myopic trends on either side of the Atlantic Ocean.