After one year of hostilities in Sudan, we are appealing for more international engagement to combat sexual violence against women and girls in the country. These barbaric acts, which echo the horrors witnessed in Darfur two decades ago, must spur immediate action.

As members of the Security Council meet this week for the annual open debate on conflict-related sexual violence, we urge them to send an unequivocal message: Under international humanitarian law, civilians in Sudan must be protected and must never be subjected to acts of sexual violence, which constitute war crimes.

Reports of sexual violence reveal the war’s disproportionate impact on women and girls. Allegations of rape, forced marriages, sexual slavery, and trafficking of women and girls — especially in Khartoum, Darfur and Kordofan — continue to be recorded. Millions of civilians are especially at risk as they flee conflict areas in search of shelter, inside Sudan and in neighbouring countries.

However, the true scale of this crisis remains unseen, a result of severe underreporting due to stigma, fear of reprisals, and a lack of confidence in national institutions.

Without increased political and financial support for the vital work of frontline responders — especially organisations led by women — access to life-saving services will only continue to shrink. Fully funding this year’s Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Sudan — currently only 10 per cent funded — will help to support survivors, while bolstering the United Nations’ Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Multi-Partner Trust Fund is essential to strengthen the response.

Building on the solidarity demonstrated at last week’s International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and its Neighbours in Paris, we must continue to shore up our support for the people of Sudan — critically by combating sexual violence in all its forms and ensuring that Sudanese frontline responders stay at the centre of those efforts.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

In a significant step forward for malaria prevention in Africa, three countries—Benin, Liberia and Sierra Leone—today launched a large-scale rollout of the life-saving malaria vaccine targeting millions of children across the three West African nations. The vaccine rollout, announced on World Malaria Day, seeks to further scale up vaccine deployment in the African region.

Today’s launch brings to eight the number of countries on the continent to offer the malaria vaccine as part of the childhood immunization programmes, extending access to more comprehensive malaria prevention. Several of the more than 30 countries in the African region that have expressed interest in the vaccine are scheduled to roll it out in the next year through support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, as efforts continue to widen its deployment in the region in coordination with other prevention measures such as long-lasting insecticidal nets and seasonal malaria chemoprevention. 

Benin, which received 215 900 doses, has added the malaria vaccine to its Expanded Programme on Immunization. The malaria vaccine should be provided in a schedule of 4 doses in children from around 5 months of age.

“The introduction of the malaria vaccine in the Expanded Programme on Immunization for our children is a major step forward in the fight against this scourge. I would like to reassure that the malaria vaccines are safe and effective and contribute to the protection of our children against this serious and fatal diseases,” said Prof Benjamin Hounkpatin, Minister of Health of Benin.

In Liberia, the vaccine was launched in the southern Rivercess County and will be rolled out afterwards in five other counties which have high malaria burden. At least 45 000 children are expected to benefit from the 112 000 doses of the available vaccine. 

“For far too long, malaria has stolen the laughter and dreams of our children. But today, with this vaccine and the unwavering commitment of our communities, healthcare workers and our partners, including GAVI, UNICEF and WHO, we break the chain. We have a powerful tool that will protect them from this devastating illness and related deaths, ensuring their right to health and a brighter future. Let’s end malaria in Liberia and pave the way for a healthier, more just society,” said Dr Louise Kpoto, Liberia’s Minister of Health.  

Two safe and effective vaccines — RTS,S and R21 — recommended by World Health Organization (WHO), are a breakthrough for child health and malaria control. A pilot malaria vaccine programme in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi reached over 2 million children from 2019 to 2023, showing a significant reduction in malaria illness and a 13% drop in overall child mortality and substantial reductions in hospitalizations. 

In Sierra Leone, the first doses were administered to children at a health centre in Western Area Rural where the authorities kicked off the rollout of 550 000 vaccine doses. The vaccine will then be delivered in health facilities nationwide. 

“With the new, safe and efficacious malaria vaccine, we now have an additional tool to fight this disease. In combination with insecticide-treated nets, effective diagnosis and treatment, and indoor spraying, no child should die from malaria infection,” said Dr Austin Demby, Minister of Health of Sierra Leone.

Malaria remains a huge health challenge in the African region, which is home to 11 countries that carry approximately 70% of the global burden of malaria. The region accounted for 94% of global malaria cases and 95% of all malaria deaths in 2022, according to the World Malaria Report 2023.

“The African region is advancing in the rollout of the malaria vaccine – a game-changer in our fight against this deadly disease,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “Working with our member states and partners, we’re supporting the ongoing efforts to save the lives of young children and lower the malaria burden in the region.” 

Aurelia Nguyen, Chief Programme Officer at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, noted: “Today we celebrate more children gaining access to a new lifesaving tool to fight one of Africa’s deadliest diseases. This introduction of malaria vaccines into routine programmes in Benin, Liberia, and Sierra Leone alongside other proven interventions will help save lives and offer relief to families, communities and hard-pressed health systems.”

Progress against malaria has stalled in these high-burden African countries since 2017 due to factors including climate change, humanitarian crises, low access to and insufficient quality of health services, gender-related barriers, biological threats such as insecticide and drug resistance and global economic crises. Fragile health systems and critical gaps in data and surveillance have compounded the challenge. 

To put malaria progress back on track, WHO recommends robust commitment to malaria responses at all levels, particularly in high-burden countries; greater domestic and international funding; science and data-driven malaria responses; urgent action on the health impacts of climate change; harnessing research and innovation; as well as strong partnerships for coordinated responses. WHO is also calling attention to addressing delays in malaria programme implementation. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO), Benin.

Charity Damoah, 36, lost count of the number of times she was admitted to hospital with malaria while growing up in Sunyani, in Ghana’s Bono region. But things are different now for her two-year-old son John.

Unlike the many other Ghanaians who had lived daily with the threat of the disease, he has never had malaria.

“Over the years, malaria has affected everyone in my family, with some even dying as a result. Now, when you are pregnant, you receive malaria medicines and mosquito nets.  And the children also receive medicines or vaccines to protect them from malaria. So I am happy for my son and other children because this is not something we had when we were growing up,” says Damoah.

Gertrude Anno from Assin Fosu in Ghana’s Central region concurs with Damoah as her two children have not suffered from malaria like she did while growing up in a region with one of the highest burden of malaria in the country.

“All the things that health workers have been doing have helped to protect my children from malaria. For my son Kwesi, he is even lucky to have received the malaria vaccination and so he has been very healthy,” added Anno.

In 2018, Ghana was among Africa’s 10 high-burden malaria countries to benefit from the High Burden High Impact (HBHI) approach. With support from World Health Organization (WHO) and the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, Ghana undertook the HBHI approach, which is a targeted mechanism of activities and interventions for effective malaria control, towards elimination of the disease.

The approach has enabled Ghana to adopt tailored measures and optimize the use of existing tools for the reduction of malaria-related deaths.

The country has managed to reduce the rates of malaria parasite prevalence in children younger than five, from 20.6% in 2016, to 8.6% by 2023 according to the Ghana Demographic Health Survey. The combined use of vaccines, distribution of long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets and other strategies also resulted in a reduction of in-patient audited malaria deaths, from 428 in 2018, to 155 in 2022.

The changing face of the malaria burden in Ghana is attributable to the implementation of robust national malaria control efforts, including seasonal malaria chemoprevention, indoor residual spraying, and intermittent preventive treatment.

In addition, as of September 2023, a total of 2.2 million doses of the world’s first malaria vaccine, RTS,S/AS01, had been administered to 708 970 eligible children in seven of Ghana’s 16 regions.

WHO’s support for Ghana’s malaria control efforts has included training and monitoring of malaria preventive measures, including seasonal malaria chemoprevention and malaria vaccines. The Organization also supported the strengthening of malaria surveillance, monitoring and evaluation, including malaria risk stratification.

“The data shows that our strategy against malaria has been effective. We will continue to work with partners to ensure that we build on this momentum to consolidate the gains towards malaria elimination in Ghana,” says Dr Keziah L. Malm, the Ghana National Malaria Elimination Programme Manager.

The most recent boost for Ghana’s malaria efforts was the launch of the National Malaria Strategic Elimination Plan 2024–2028, a blueprint to accelerate progress towards malaria elimination.

Dr Frank Lule, Acting WHO Representative in Ghana, attributes the progress against malaria to the multi-pronged strategy.

“The use of indoor residual spraying, treated mosquito nets and now the malaria vaccine, has strengthened Ghana’s malaria control toolbox and is beginning to show dividends,” he noted.

The multi-strategy response also ensures the advancement of health and gender equity, and human rights, with vulnerable populations being prioritized. All malaria preventive and chemopreventive interventions in Ghana are free for children younger than five and pregnant women. Children of all ages have also benefited from the distribution of long-lasting insecticide-treated bednets (LLINs), offering protection to families from malaria-causing mosquitos.

“Ghana’s approach to the fight against malaria has been anchored on leaving no one behind. We continue to actively provide technical support to the country’s efforts to protect the most vulnerable from the threats of malaria,” noted Dr Felicia Owusu-Antwi, National Professional Officer for Malaria, Vector-Born and Neglected Tropical Diseases.

For mothers like Damoah and Anno, Ghana’s efforts against malaria has also reflected in their improved knowledge of malaria preventive measures, which they believe has been key to protecting their families.

“Now, I regularly sleep under treated mosquito nets with my children and whilst also ensuring that environment does not breed mosquitos,” says Damoah. “I encourage every parent to follow all the advice of the health workers to protect their families”.

The Africa region continues to shoulder the highest burden of malaria globally, accounting for  94% of all malaria cases (233 million) and 95% of all malaria deaths (580 000) in 2022.

With the recent certification of Cabo Verde as malaria-free, and Ghana’s progress towards elimination, there is cause for optimism, says Dr Dorothy Achu, Team Lead for Tropical and Vector-Born Diseases at WHO Africa, noting that these achievements reflect strengthened malaria control efforts regionally.

“Cabo Verde and Ghana have demonstrated that sustained commitment is key to the malaria control agenda. In line with our commitment to Ending disease in Africa, WHO will continue to support the maintenance and scale-up of malaria control interventions across the region,” she says.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO), Ghana.

A N$24 million (over US$1.2million) investment through a partnership between Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) (www.CCBAgroup.com) in Namibia and Plastic Packaging has culminated in the opening of a new polyethylene terephthalate (PET) flaking plant in Okahandja which will double the capacity of the only mechanical recycler of plastic waste in the country.

The plant was officially inaugurated by the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta.

“The Coca-Cola system aims to drive systemic change through a circular economy for packaging. We are leading the industry to help collect and recycle a bottle or can for every one we sell by 2030. We have a responsibility to help solve complex plastic waste challenges facing our planet and society, and we’re leveraging our scale and reach to achieve our sustainability goals and reduce packaging waste,” said CCBA Chief Public Affairs, Communication and Sustainability Officer, Tshidi Ramogase.

“This facility is an example of how we work with partners across business, government and civil society to support or create closed loop systems to ensure our packaging is collected and recycled or reused.

“Supporting the establishment of a circular economy for packaging has both environmental and economic benefits since recycling has the potential to create jobs and to empower the informal waste collection sector in a circular economy.

“Unlike a traditional linear economy in which packaging is made, used and disposed of; a circular economy preserves the economic value of packaging through robust collection and recycling systems,” said Ramogase.

The completion of this cutting-edge recycling facility will enable Namibia Polymer Recyclers (NPR), a subsidiary of Plastic Packaging, to recycle up to 500 tons per month.

The recycling plant transforms discarded beverage bottles made from PET material into PET flakes with an international market value. The flaking process of post-consumer PET bottles involves sorting, shredding it into PET flakes, hot-washing and drying of flakes, which are then sent for further processing into recycled PET pellets and other end-uses.

This reduces the need to use virgin PET, while diverting waste from landfills and the environment.

“We are investing in infrastructure and exploring ways to support additional recycled PET capacity in each of the regions where we operate. These investments not only provide a source of recycled content for our packaging but also create additional demand for empty packages, driving increased collection.

“At CCBA, we are a proud industry leader in developing increasingly sustainable ways to produce, distribute and sell our products. We use our industry leadership to be part of the solution to achieve positive change and to build a more sustainable future for our planet,” said Ramogase.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Coca Cola Beverages Africa.

About CCBA: 
CCBA is the 8th largest Coca-Cola bottling partner in the world by revenue, and the largest on the continent. It accounts for over 40% of all Coca-Cola products sold in Africa by volume. With over 18,000 employees in Africa, CCBA services more than 720,000 customers with a host of international and local brands. The group was formed in July 2016 after the successful combination of the southern and east Africa bottling operations of the non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages businesses of The Coca-Cola Company, SABMiller plc and Gutsche Family Investments. CCBA shareholders are currently: The Coca-Cola Company 66.5% and Gutsche Family Investments 33.5%. CCBA operates in 15 countries, including its six key markets of South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Mozambique and Namibia, as well as Tanzania, Botswana, Ghana, Zambia, the islands of Comoros and Mayotte, Eswatini, Lesotho, and Malawi.
Learn more at https://www.CCBAgroup.com