Two Qatar Armed Forces aircraft arrived at Port Sudan Airport in the Republic of the Sudan, carrying specialty pharmaceuticals provided by the Qatar Fund For Development, as part of the State of Qatar’s air bridge established to provide relief to the brotherly Sudanese people as a result of the humanitarian crisis and the difficult conditions they are experiencing due to the continued fighting.

The assistance was received by HE Federal Minister of Health in the Republic of the Sudan Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim, HE Governor of the Red Sea State of the Republic of the Sudan Mustafa Mohammed Nour, and HE Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Sudan Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al Sada.

HE the Ambassador stressed the State of Qatar’s continuous support for Sudan and standing by its people, emphasizing Qatar’s firm stance on the need to maintain Sudan’s security, stability, and its territorial integrity.

In turn, HE the Federal Minister of Health in the Republic of the Sudan expressed his country’s praise of the State of Qatar for its constant relief efforts, which have become significant, especially following the displacement caused by recent events.

HE the Governor of the Red Sea State of the Republic of the Sudan thanked the State of Qatar for its successive assistance, pointing out its great role in alleviating the suffering of those affected.

His Excellency also noted the State of Qatar’s air bridge conducted to provide urgent food and medical aid, adding that the government and people of Sudan have received it with great appreciation, expressing gratitude for the State of Qatar for standing by their side during all of their hardships.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The State of Qatar.

In order to strengthen ukhuwah, the spirit of unity and strengthen ties between staff and the Indonesian people, the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to Sudan on Friday (22/3) held a joint fast breaking and tarawih prayer at the Indonesian Embassy yard in Port Sudan.

The activity was attended by Indonesian Ambassador Sunarko, Indonesian Embassy staff and Indonesian professional workers working in Port Sudan and was carried out on a limited basis considering the current situation in Sudan which has not yet recovered due to the armed conflict in Khartoum and a number of areas.

The activity began with socializing online self-reporting as well as collecting updated data for all Indonesian citizens in Sudan. Then proceed with breaking the fast and eating Indonesian dishes such as cendol ice and chicken soup.

The activity ended with Isha and tarawih prayers in congregation and friendly gatherings. The atmosphere of the activity was filled with a sense of kinship and familiarity despite all the limitations that exist in Sudan today.​

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Khartoum, Sudan.

About 70% of tuberculosis (TB) cases in the African region are now being diagnosed and treated, marking the highest case-detection rate in the region ever, thanks to concerted efforts by countries to address the threat of the disease.

Although the case detection rate has been on the rise since 2018, the region saw a significant increase between 2020 and 2022, rising from 60% to 70% of cases being detected, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Report 2023. There has also been a notable reduction in the region in the number of people with TB who miss diagnosis. An estimated 700 000 people missed diagnosis in 2022, a 10% reduction compared with 2021. To further rally efforts to end the disease through concerted global efforts to advance detection, diagnosis and treatment, World TB Day is being marked this year under the theme “Yes! We can end TB”. 

In the African region a range of factors have helped boost TB diagnosis rates. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries-maintained TB notification services, ensuring that cases were detected and treated. In Nigeria, which has a huge TB burden, case notification nearly tripled over the past five years to 285 000 cases in 2022 from 106 000 cases in 2018. Improvement in the management of HIV infection, a significant driver of TB, has also bolstered TB detection rates in the region.

“More efforts are still needed to reduce the devastating impacts of this disease on families and communities. As WHO we continue working closely with governments to address the barriers to effective response and speed up the momentum to make TB history,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.

The region, which accounts of 23% of TB cases and 33% of deaths globally, is making steady progress towards ending the disease.  For example, Cabo Verde, Eswatini and South Africa have achieved at least a 50% reduction in TB cases. The WHO End TB Strategy calls for countries to reduce TB deaths by 75% and cases by 50% by 2025 compared with the 2015 levels.

Across the region TB deaths fell by 38% and new cases declined by 23% in 2022 compared with 2015. High-burden TB countries have surpassed the 2025 milestone to lower TB deaths.

Despite the progress, further efforts are needed to meet the 2030 global End TB Strategy targets to cut TB deaths by 90% and cases by 80%. These include increased investments in TB control programmes. In 2022, in the African Region, the Global Plan to End TB 2018-2022 estimated that US$ 3.9 billion were required annually to achieve the targets, but only around US$ 890 million were mobilized for TB prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Domestic funding represented about 46% of total funding for TB (54% from international funding) in 2022. 

Limited access to health services, inadequate health infrastructure, insufficient quality of care, inadequate human resources for health and inadequate social protection are also impeding progress to ending TB. 

Globally TB continues to claim millions of lives annually. In the African region Africa, TB was the second leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, with nearly 2.5 million people falling ill and 424 000 lives lost in 2022.

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

President Isaias Afwerki has sent a message of condolences to President Vladimir Putin following the horrific and tragic terrorist shooting at a concert hall in Moscow, orchestrated by terrorist groups.

In his letter, President Isaias, on behalf of the people and Government of Eritrea as well as on his behalf, extended his sincere condolences to President Vladimir Putin, the families of the victims, and the people of the Russian Federation. He also expressed his wishes for a quick recovery for those injured in the attack.

Furthermore, President Isaias stated that the Government of Eritrea strongly condemns this act of terror.

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