Government of India is extending humanitarian assistance to the Government of Kenya in the wake of devastation caused by the floods that have hit the country. 38 out of 47 counties, have been affected. An estimated 267 people have died, 188 injured and over 2,80,000 displaced.

A relief consignment is being airlifted today on an Indian Air Force plane that comprises of 22 tons humanitarian assistance and disaster relief items (HADR) including tents, sleeping bags/mats, blankets, power generation sets, ready to eat meals, basic sanitary utilities and hygiene kits to provide immediate succor to the people of Kenya. The consignment also contains about 18 tons of medical aid, comprising essential life-saving drugs and surgical equipment required for critical care and wound management. It also includes items required for baby food, water purification, menstrual hygiene, repelling mosquitoes, along with malaria and dengue diagnostic kits, anti-venom treatment and several types of testing kits that can be readily deployed on the ground.

Indian Naval ship INS Sumedha had earlier reached Mombasa on 10th May to extend immediate relief comprising one HADR pallet and two medical pallets.

The assistance to Kenya is a reiteration of our strong and friendly relations with the country, in the spirit of South-South cooperation and our commitment to keep Africa on top of our priorities, as spelt out by PM Narendra Modi.

India also extends deep sympathies to the government and people of the Republic of Kenya for the damage and destruction caused by the floods.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of External Affairs – Government of India.

Director-General Okonjo-Iweala said: “I warmly welcome the formal acceptance by Mauritius of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. This is a concrete demonstration of Mauritius’s commitment to the WTO system and to global efforts to improve the sustainability of the world’s marine fisheries. The fisheries sector has historically been an important source of employment and exports for Mauritius and continues to figure prominently in its plans to develop its blue economy. A healthy ocean, built on strong and cooperative fisheries management, will be a reliable source of long-lasting economic and environmental benefits, paying dividends for future generations of Mauritians.”

Ambassador Dwarka-Canabady said: “Mauritius is pleased to be the 75th WTO member to deposit its instrument of acceptance of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies and looks forward to the entry into force of the Agreement this year. As a Small Island Developing State with large maritime zones, Mauritius remains committed to the combatting of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and to sustainable fisheries globally as an essential component of climate security, for preserving healthy ecosystems and achieving food security.”

Mauritius’s instrument of acceptance brings to 75 the total number of WTO members that have formally accepted the Agreement. Thirteen members from Africa have formally accepted the Agreement. Thirty-five more formal acceptances are needed for the Agreement to come into effect. The Agreement will enter into force upon acceptance by two-thirds of the membership.

Adopted by consensus at the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12), held in Geneva on 12-17 June 2022, the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies sets new, binding, multilateral rules to curb harmful subsidies, which are a key factor in the widespread depletion of the world’s fish stocks. In addition, the Agreement recognizes the needs of developing and least-developed countries and establishes a fund to provide technical assistance and capacity building to help them implement the obligations.

The Agreement prohibits support for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, bans support for fishing overfished stocks and ends subsidies for fishing on the unregulated high seas.

Members also agreed at MC12 to continue negotiations on outstanding issues, with a view to adopting additional provisions that would further enhance the disciplines of the Agreement.

The full text of the Agreement can be accessed here. The list of members that have deposited their instruments of acceptance is available here. Information for members on how to accept the Protocol of Amendment is available here.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Trade Organization (WTO).

Following thorough assessments in Malawi and Mozambique, an independent Polio Outbreak Response Assessment Team (OBRA) today recommended the closure of the wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) outbreak in Malawi and Mozambique, marking a significant milestone in the fight against polio in the African region.

The last WPV1 case in the African Region, linked to a strain circulating in Pakistan, was reported in Mozambique´s Tete Province in August 2022. A total of nine cases were detected in Mozambique and neighbouring Malawi, where the outbreak was declared in February 2022. In a coordinated response, more than 50 million children have been vaccinated to date against the virus in 5 countries in southern Africa.

The meticulous evaluation carried out by the OBRA team included two in-depth field reviews and supplementary data review, concluding that there is no evidence of ongoing wild polio transmission. The assessment considered the quality of the outbreak response, including the overall population immunity, supplementary immunization campaigns, routine immunization coverage, surveillance systems, vaccine management practices, and the level of community engagement.

The successful stopping of this outbreak reflects the unwavering commitment and collaborative efforts of African governments, health workers, communities and Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) partners, including the invaluable support of Rotarians on the ground. Through robust surveillance, quality vaccination campaigns and enhanced community engagement, both countries have effectively controlled the spread of the virus, safeguarding the health and well-being of their children.

“This achievement is a testament to what can be accomplished when we work together with dedication and determination,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “I commend the governments of Malawi and Mozambique, as well as all those involved in the response, for their tireless efforts to contain the outbreak. It is now imperative that we continue to strengthen our immunization systems, enhance surveillance, and reach every child with life-saving vaccines.”

Health authorities, with high-quality technical support from GPEI, have put in place national prevention strategies in Malawi and Mozambique, as well as in all districts bordering other countries involved in the response. These include Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Zambia.

To date, more than 100 million vaccine doses have been administered in the most at-risk areas. The strategy to get ahead of this outbreak and stop it before it got out of hand relied on detailed micro-planning, including mapping of cross-border communities, migratory routes, cross-border entry/exit points, and transit routes for each of the cross-border facilities. Synchronization and coordination of vaccination plans across five countries, as well as the monitoring of vaccination activities, proved key to identifying and reaching all eligible children in the cross-border areas, to avoid the risk of paralysis due to the virus.

“The official closure of the outbreak is truly a success due to unfaltering determination and strong collaboration between the governments of Mozambique, Malawi and neighbouring countries, as well as between all partners and health workers. I want to particularly recognise the strong efforts of the vaccination teams working on the frontline to reach every last child,” said Etleva Kadilli, UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa.  “Going forward, routine immunisation must remain high up the priority list; no child is safe from polio until all children are vaccinated.” 

To enhance polio surveillance, over the past two years, 15 new wastewater surveillance sites were established in the affected countries. These sites have a critical role to play in detecting silent circulating poliovirus in wastewater, ensuring that quality samples are sent to laboratories for timely confirmation and response to poliovirus presence.

Additionally, countries have scaled up efforts to protect children in high-risk areas by strengthening surveillance, and data and information management. World Health Organization (WHO) in the African Region’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Centre has analysed spatial and geographic data on visual maps, providing geographic real-time coverage information, including locating missing settlements, to improve vaccination coverage.

“Closing polio outbreaks is possible when national governments, local health workers, community mobilizers, and global partners come together to prioritize a rapid and timely response to protect children from this devastating disease,” said Dr. Chris Elias, president of Global Development at the Bill&Melinda Gates Foundation. “Malawi, Mozambique, and the entire Southern-African region are setting the example for what it takes to urgently improve vaccination campaigns and disease surveillance systems. Commitments like these will help us achieve a world free of all forms of poliovirus.”

Health experts, the OBRA team and GPEI coordinators on the ground underscored the pivotal role of enhanced polio surveillance, high quality community engagement in vaccination campaigns and timely outbreak response, including rapid deployment of experts and other field responders, to curb the virus.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of WHO Regional Office for Africa.

The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has highlighted the presence and inclusion of women at all levels of the judicial system as not only enhancing the perspective in the judiciary, but also key to strengthening public confidence in the justice delivery system.

He believes that women judges can represent the spirit of justice, and the enduring promise of equality within our judiciary and bring unique insights and life experiences to the bench, thereby, enriching the interpretation and application of the law.

“I know this because I have had the honour of appointing, since becoming President in 2017, many women to all the various levels of our judicial ladder, including two to the highest office of Chief Justice, of which the most recent is the current Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.”

Speaking at the 18th Africa Regional Conference of the International Association of Women Judges 2024, he said, the event highlights pressing issues, and shines a light on the path forward through judicial engagement and innovation.

He told the gathering that women judges across Africa and the globe bring unique viewpoints and strengths to the judiciary as their experiences, often mirror the societal challenges we seek to overcome, and equip them uniquely to advocate for justice and fairness.

Therefore, “in dealing with issues like gender-based violence, child marriage, widowhood rites and female genital mutilation practices steeped in deep-rooted cultural norms, your voices and rulings can resonate deeply, driving societal transformation.”

Put together under the theme, Combating Negative Cultural Practices in Contemporary Times: The role of Women Judges, he said, this theme “calls on each of us, especially our women judges, to leverage our collective legal acumen to dismantle barriers to justice because Negative cultural practices are not just an affront to the victims, but are a blemish on our collective human conscience.

Acknowledging the efforts against this as all-encompassing and not just confined to the courtrooms, the President said, education, awareness and collaborative governance are critical, hence the need to engage traditional leaders, educators and communities to recalibrate mindsets and attitudes.

“It is in our schools, homes, and community gatherings where the foundational beliefs of our next generation are formed. Here lies the strategic importance of holistic approaches that include legal repercussions, as well as preventative measures through education and community engagement.”

Since assuming office in 2017, the Akufo-Addo has provided unprecedented court infrastructure including court buildings and residences, across the country.

Targeting and overall number of 100 in 2020, he said, as at February 2024, 79 courthouses had been successfully inaugurated, and are in use at various sites around the country. The remaining 21 projects are at various stages of completion and are expected to be completed and inaugurated soon.

“In addition, 121 residential units have been constructed for judges throughout the country. Further, 20 fully furnished 4-bedroom units, together with social amenities, have been constructed for Justices of the Court of Appeal in Kumasi. The Project is not yet complete, but I can say we have done enough to try to address the perennial problem of insufficient court infrastructure in Ghana”, he added.

He described the conference as not just a congregation of legal minds, but a forge for future progress and called for the renewal of commitment to justice, to gender equality, and to the eradication of all forms of negative cultural practices.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency, Republic of Ghana.