The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) and the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) on Thursday officially launched a three-year support project to combat money laundering and terrorism financing in their member countries.

 The project, titled “Capacity Development for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism in GIABA Member States in Transition,’’ will be backed by a $5 million grant from the African Development Bank Group.

The launch ceremony, held in Dakar, Senegal, was attended by staff from the two institutions, representatives of beneficiary countries which are GIABA member countries, and Senegal’s Financial Intelligence Unit. Mohamed Cherif, African Development Bank Country Manager for Senegal and Edwin Harris, Jr., GIABA Director General, represented their institutions.

The project will be financed through a grant from the Transition Support Facility of the African Development Bank to the tune of 3.5 million UA (about $5 million). The project will contribute to resilience in the West African region, by improving anti-money laundering/terrorism financing regimes, and by developing the capacity of GIABA member states, with a particular focus on countries in transition.

The grant complements the Bank Group’s strategic and operational engagements at country and regional levels. It also aligns with its policy and action plan on the Prevention of Illicit Financial Flows, as well as with the Bank’s group Strategy for Economic Governance in Africa.

Cherif commended the long-standing collaboration between GIABA and AfDB which includes training sessions for its member countries and technical assistance.

The GIABA director in turn expressed his satisfaction about the financing, which he said, “comes at a pertinent time, to support the implementation of GIABA’s ongoing Strategic plan for 2023 – 2027 and to contribute to effective interventions on anti-money laundering and terrorism financing regimes in its member countries.”

The African Development Bank is an observer member of GIABA, and also regularly consults this organization as a key stakeholder in the development of  Bank policies, strategies and action plans related to illicit financial flows, anti money-laundering and economic governance.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Contact:
Amba Mpoke-Bigg
Communication and External Relations Department
email: media@afdb.org

Technical contact:
Sandrine Ebakisse
Principal Governance Officer
African Development Bank
email: s.ebakisse@afdb.org  

About GIABA:
The Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), is a specialised institution of the Economic Community of West African States responsible for facilitating the adoption and implementation of Anti-money Laundering (AML) and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) in West Africa. It works with states in the region to ensure compliance with international AML/CFT standards. GIABA was established in 2000 and has its headquarters in Dakar, Senegal.  

Website: www.GIABA.org

The recent deadly heatwave in the Sahel and West Africa with temperatures above 45°C would not have been possible without human-caused climate change, according to rapid analysis by an international team of leading climate scientists from the World Weather Attribution group.

In late March and early this April, extreme heat impacted countries in the Sahel and West Africa. The hottest temperature occurred on April 3, when Mali recorded 48.5°C. In Bamako, the Gabriel-Toure Hospital announced a surge in excess deaths, with 102 deaths over the first four days of April. 

Around half were over the age of 60 and the hospital reports that heat likely played a role in many of the deaths. A lack of data in the countries affected makes it impossible to know how many people were killed, however it’s likely there were hundreds or possibly thousands of other heat-related deaths. 

“Year-round heat is part of life in the Sahel and regions of West Africa,” said Kiswendsida Guigma, Climate Scientist at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre in Burkina Faso. “However, the extreme temperatures were unprecedented in many places and the surge in excess deaths reported by the Gabriel-Toure Hospital in Mali highlighted just how dangerous the heat was.

“For some, a heatwave being 1.4 or 1.5°C hotter because of climate change might not sound like a big increase. But this additional heat would have been the difference between life and death for many people.”

Climate change, caused by burning fossil fuels like oil, coal and gas, and other human activities, is making heatwaves more frequent, longer and hotter around the world. To quantify the effect of human-caused warming on the extreme temperatures in the Sahel and West Africa, scientists analysed weather data and climate models to compare how these types of events have changed between today’s climate, with approximately 1.2°C of global warming, and the cooler pre-industrial climate using peer-reviewed methods. 

The analysis looked at the five-day average of maximum daily temperatures in two areas: one that includes southern regions of Mali and Burkina Faso, where the heat was most extreme, and a larger area including regions of Niger, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea, where temperatures were widely above 40°C. 

To investigate hot night time temperatures, which can be dangerous when the human body cannot rest and recover, the researchers also analysed the five-day average of minimum temperatures for the Mali and Burkina Faso region. 

The scientists found that both the daytime and nighttime heatwaves, across both regions, would have been impossible if humans had not warmed the planet by burning fossil fuels like oil, coal and gas, and with other activities like deforestation. Climate change made the maximum temperatures 1.5°C hotter and the nighttime temperatures 2°C hotter for the Burkina Faso and Mali region, and the five-day daytime temperatures for the wider region 1.4°C hotter. 

A heatwave like the recent one is still relatively rare, even in today’s climate with 1.2°C of warming, the researchers found. Across the wider West Africa region, similarly high daytime temperatures can be expected about once every 30 years. However, daytime temperatures like those experienced in Mali and Burkina Faso, where heat-related fatalities were reported, are expected around once in every 200 years. 

More common, more dangerous

But events like these will become much more common, and even more dangerous, unless the world moves away from fossil fuels and countries rapidly reduce emissions to net zero. If global warming reaches 2°C, as is expected to occur in the 2040s or 2050s unless emissions are rapidly halted, similar events will occur 10 times more frequently. 

The researchers also quantified the possible influence of El Niño on the heat, but found that its effect was not significant when compared with the influence of human-caused climate change. 

The study highlights factors that worsened the impacts of the heat across the region. The heat occurred at the end of Ramadan when many Muslim people fast during the day. The Sahel region has a large Muslim population and while high temperatures are common in April, the researchers say the relentless day and nighttime heat would have been overwhelming for many people who were abstaining from food and water. 

They also note that conflict, poverty, limited access to safe drinking water, rapid urbanisation and strained health systems likely worsened the impacts. 

Heat action plans that set out emergency responses to dangerous heat are extremely effective at reducing heat-related deaths during heatwaves. However, neither Burkina Faso or Mali have one in place. Given the increasing risk of dangerous heat in the Sahel and West Africa, the researchers say developing heat action plans will help to save lives and lessen the burden of extreme heat on health systems. 

Finally, the researchers say the Gabriel-Toure Hospital’s rapid reporting of heat-related deaths was a valuable illustration of the dangers of extreme heat that would have likely acted as an effective warning for people in the region. 

The study was conducted by 19 researchers as part of the World Weather Attribution group, including scientists from universities, organisations and meteorological agencies in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Switzerland, Sweden, South Africa, The Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Through support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), UNICEF will continue to strengthen the ongoing cholera response efforts by supporting the Ministry of Health in the Southern Province. Cholera cases have been found in all ten provinces of the country, but specifically in high-density locations like Lusaka or hotspots like the fishing camps in the Southern Province. While Zambia has seen a sharp decrease in cases since the outbreak’s peak in January, Lusaka, Copperbelt Central and Southern provinces continue to report cases. In addition, there are concerns that the ongoing drought in Zambia will exacerbate the cholera situation as people may be more likely to resort to unsafe sources of water.

Through this support from USAID, UNICEF will focus on strengthening coordination among government bodies at the local and national level, improving the public health response with a focus on early identification, treatment, and referral of cases and expanding support of Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) for improved uptake of lifesaving interventions. 

“USAID has a long history of partnering with the Government of the Republic of Zambia to face tough challenges together. Whether it is preventing and responding to infectious disease outbreaks like cholera or partnering with farmers to mitigate the effects of the climate-induced drought, USAID will continue to work with the people of Zambia to develop more resilient systems and communities,” said USAID Mission Director, Peter Wiebler.

This USAID support will allow UNICEF to strengthen and expand successful programmes in coordination with the Government, like training of Community Based Volunteers (CBVs) on early case finding, community case management and the dissemination of cholera prevention materials among households and equipping them with the necessary supplies and medical commodities. With this support, UNICEF will be able to set up 30 Oral Rehydration Corners (ORCs) and train 120 CBVs to operate them in three of the districts in the Southern Province that have been disproportionally impacted by the cholera outbreak. This funding will improve community structures and build capacity among staff and volunteers allowing them to reach a wider population with critical support. 

“Training a community to identify, track and prevent cholera is fundamental to ending cholera nationally. The work of our Community Based Volunteers (CBVs) has been crucial to allowing us to reach more families with support right in their communities and identify cholera cases quickly. It will take everyone from families, communities, districts and government ministries to join forces and build strong structures of support to respond to cases and prevent cholera in the future,” said Dr. Penelope Campbell, Representative, UNICEF Zambia.

This support from the United States comes at a crucial moment as cases have now reached 915 with 21 deaths in the Southern Province. This funding is key to expanding the work UNICEF and partners are already actively doing by improving system coordination, community prevention, health services and WASH programmes. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UNICEF Zambia.

In the districts of Sidama, Central, and South Ethiopia, access to healthcare is often challenging, exacerbated by various health emergencies such as communicable diseases outbreaks, including malaria, measles, and cholera. These regions, particularly in identified hotspot districts, face multifaceted health emergencies like drought, malnutrition, conflicts, displacement, and floods, coupled with poor access to health services and infrastructure.

Despite the efforts of regional health bureaus, public health institutes, WHO, and other partners, outbreaks of malaria, measles, and cholera continue to pose significant threats across the three regions. Protracted outbreaks of malaria and measles have strained the already fragile health systems, further compounded by additional health emergencies or risks like cholera, meningitis, drought, conflicts, and floods.

To address these challenges, a community-led initiative has been making remarkable progress in combating measles, malaria, and malnutrition through collaborative efforts between local health facilities, community health workers, and government agencies. Key successes of the initiative include:

Mobilization of resources and healthcare workers to support case management efforts, such as the designation of treatment areas for measles cases equipped with essential resources at Shone Primary Hospital.
Involvement of community health centers like Eddo and Hanicha in extending healthcare services beyond facility walls through facility-based case management and community outreach activities.
Capacity building and training for healthcare workers through on-site mentorship and orientation sessions, enhancing their skills in case management and strengthening the overall healthcare system.
Successful community-based interventions, including house-to-house visits and targeted outreach programs, leading to the identification and referral of cases, vaccination of children against measles, and linkage of malnutrition and malaria cases to appropriate services.

As part of a community-based intervention program in the Hadiya Zone, 123 health care workers were trained for a 10-day program. Over 22,000 households were visited during this period. The program focused on childhood immunization, identifying over 2,000 children who had not received any measles vaccinations and another 2,700 who dropped out of the program before receiving the second dose. Through the program, nearly 3,000 children under 2 years old were successfully vaccinated.

Active case search efforts also identified nearly 900 cases of measles and over 140 cases of malaria. Outreach care was provided for these cases, and referrals were made to health facilities when needed.

The program also screened over 17,000 children between the ages of 6 and 59 months for malnutrition. Of these, over 350 were identified with severe acute malnutrition and nearly 1,200 with moderate acute malnutrition. Thankfully, all these children were linked to services to receive proper treatment.

Additionally, the initiative received significant financial support from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations bolstering the community-based intervention efforts. Furthermore, during the household visits as part of the community-based intervention, a total of 109,693 individuals were sensitized, highlighting the extensive reach and impact of the program in raising awareness about healthcare practices and disease prevention within local communities.

WHO is grateful for the financial support received from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations. Looking ahead, the initiative aims to build on its success by continuing community-based interventions, strengthening referral systems, and further capacitating healthcare workers. By leveraging collaboration between healthcare facilities, community health workers, and local communities, this initiative represents a beacon of hope in improving healthcare access and outcomes in regions of Ethiopia. It underscores the importance of focused interventions and community engagement in addressing complex health challenges in resource-constrained settings.

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