World Tuberculosis Day was observed today, 24 March, on a national level, with a ceremony organized at Orotta Referral Hospital Hall under the theme “Yes! We Can End Tuberculosis.”

Sister Hiwet Negusse, head of TB and Leprosy Control at the Ministry of Health, emphasized that World TB Day serves as an opportunity to renew commitments, inspire action, and work towards ending TB. She called for integrated efforts to implement the Ministry of Health’s initiative aimed at controlling the prevalence of the disease.

Sister Hiwet also noted a significant increase in the cure rate of the disease, reaching 94% at the national level, and expressed appreciation for the Ministry of Health’s efforts in introducing modern diagnostic instruments.

Dr. Nonso Ejofor, Representative of WHO in Eritrea, highlighted that in 2022, approximately 2.5 million people worldwide were infected with Tuberculosis, resulting in 424 thousand deaths. He stressed the urgent need for integrated efforts to eradicate the disease permanently.

The event featured a general knowledge competition among women from the 13 sub-zones of the Central Region, as well as a debating and narration contest involving 22 high school students from the region.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

The Flagbearer of the NPP, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has said that if elected into office as President, he will be more accountable to Ghanaians than his main contender, former President John Mahama, whom he said, will not be accountable to the people because he will not seek re-election.

Speaking at the NPP International Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday, March 23, 2024, Dr. Bawumia explained that having never been president before, he will be more accountable to Ghanaians as President because he will have another opportunity to come before the people and seek re-election, unlike Mahama who will not return because he will be serving just one term in office.

“Apart from my proven track record as Vice President, hard work, credibility and vision for the future of Ghana, another reason I should be voted for is that I will be more accountable to the people of Ghana than John Mahama.” Dr. Bawumia said.

“As President, I will be more accountable because I will have another opportunity to seek the mandate of the people after 2024. Mahama has just one term and he will not come back to Ghanaians to seek re-elections so he will not be accountable,” Dr. Bawumia added.

On the 2024 elections, Dr. Bawumia said, Ghana needs a leader with credibility and a proven track record to solve generational problems and corruption, declaring that he has proven to be a problem solver and anti-corruption advocate through policies he has spearheaded as Vice President.

“Ghana needs problem solvers, generational thinkers and people with innovative ideas,” Dr. Bawumia said.

“I am a problem solver and a generational thinker with innovative ideas. I have a solid track record as Vice-President to prove it,” he added.

Dr. Bawumia referred to several policy initiatives he has spearheaded, which he said, are addressing generational problems of the country.

The digital national identity system, which he said has addressed the age-long problem of lack of national identity and exclusion; the national property address system, to address the problem of lack of property identity, mobile money interoperability to resolve the issue of financial exclusion and promote a cashless society, digitalisation of public services to promote efficiency and reduce corruption, delivery of essential drugs to remote areas through drones, as well as other policies, including One Ambulance One Constituency, Agenda 111 hospitals.

Dr. Bawumia added that he has demonstrated a stronger commitment to the fight against corruption, as Vice President, than former President Mahama.

He referenced how the digitalisation of many public services is contributing effectively against corruption, which he said, is the way to go, and not just paying lip service to fighting corruption.

“What policies did former President Mahama initiate to fight corruption as President or Vice President? If you ask him, he cannot state one because he was not committed to fighting corruption as Vice President and President.”

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

The Flagbearer of the NPP, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has urged members of the NPP external branches to come together and rally behind the NPP for victory in both the 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections, regardless of who they supported in the Presidential and Parliamentary primaries.

Speaking at the NPP International Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday, March 23, 2024, Dr. Bawumia said the Diaspora branches are crucial to the NPP, and they have crucial roles to play this year to help the party to victory.

“The diaspora branches of the NPP have been very key to the fortunes of the NPP. And for the 2024 elections, you have major roles to play,” Dr. Bawumia said.

He added that in recognition of their key roles, his campaign set up has a special structure for Diaspora affairs.

“Dear Patriots, many of you in the diaspora have asked about your role in the campaign. The National Campaign Team comprises the diaspora coordination team made up Dr. Akwasi Acheampong, Amponsah Stonash, Obaa Yaa Frimpong, Richard Gyamfi, Emmanuel Attafuah and Kingsley Agyemang,” added the NPP Flagbearer. 

“The purpose of this team is to bring to bear the exceptional talents in the diaspora, coordinate plans and ideas from the diaspora, among other resources, to infuse them into the broader national campaign strategy and execution. I do not doubt that the team we have assembled will work extremely hard to make all diaspora feel a part of the campaign.”

Dr. Bawumia assured them of his openness to embrace all party members and stressed the need for all to come together to ensure the party breaks the 8 and also wins the majority in Parliament in December.

“Unity is not something we must take for granted. We must work vigorously at it. As your flagbearer, I stand before you, as an inclusive and unifying person, with a deep-seated conviction to embrace all of you to my team and campaign. I pledge not to alienate any of you. I stand with you, whether you campaigned for me or not.”

The NPP International Conference was attended by representatives of the party’s external branches across the world.

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

Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with the Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres. The meeting was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry, Director of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service, Major General Abbas Kamel, Commissioner General of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini and UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt Elena Panova.

The Spokesman for the Presidency, Counselor Ahmed Fahmy, said the meeting addressed many international and regional issues, with emphasis on developments in the Gaza Strip.

President El-Sisi reviewed the intensified efforts to reach an immediate ceasefire, exchange captives, and implement sufficient humanitarian aid to relieve those afflicted in the Gaza Strip, whether by land, in coordination with the relevant UN agencies, or through air drops, particularly over northern areas of the Gaza Strip.

President El-Sisi appreciated the positions of the UN Secretary-General on the ongoing crisis, his keenness to adhere to the principles of international law and international humanitarian law, and his continued activity to urge the international community to act to end the war and protect civilians. The President stressed that it was important for the Security Council to assume its responsibilities in that regard and emphasized the danger of the suspension of funding by some countries to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which is considered collective punishment of innocent Palestinians.

The UN Secretary-General expressed his great appreciation for Egypt’s regional role as a pillar for stability, praising its efforts to advance a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as well as its commitment to keeping the Rafah border crossing open continuously over the past months since the start of the current crisis. He referred to his visit to the Rafah crossing yesterday and praised the huge Egyptian effort for leading and operating the process of delivering aid to the people of Gaza, despite the severe obstacles and difficulties. He reiterated the importance of a ceasefire for humanitarian purposes to enable the delivery and effective distribution of aid to the people of the Gaza Strip.

Views were aligned on the gravity of the situation and the need to avoid fueling factors that could widen the scope of the conflict. This is in addition to the complete and categorical rejection of the displacement of Palestinians from their lands, as well as rejecting and warning against any military operation in the Palestinian city of Rafah, given its catastrophic consequences on the already dire situation. President El-Sisi and the UN Secretary-General emphasized the inevitability of the two-state solution as the only path to achieve justice, security, and stability in the region, and the need to create conditions conducive for its implementation.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt.