World Health Day 2024 was marked with purpose by member States, WHO Country Offices and their partners the world over, bringing to a close the WHO’s 75th anniversary year celebrations. This year’s activities were guided by the theme, My health, my right, and its message in favour of available, accessible and acceptable health care.

After a morning celebration with a health promotion campaign in Quatre Bornes honored by the presence of Minister of Health and Wellness, the Minister of Environment, the Mayor of Quatre Bornes and of parliamentarians, WHO also closed the celebration of WHO’s 75th anniversary by the launching of a stamp in order to immortalize this special year and to thank all those who participated in the many celebrations marking the event in Mauritius. 

In the true spirit of this year’s World Health Day theme — My health, my right — the WHO Mauritius team decided to celebrate with children and young adults with special education needs – respecting therefore the UN disability inclusion strategy – and, afterwards, with oldest-old ladies.   

Time with these amazing children and these enthusiastic ladies was awe inspiring. It first demonstrated how, in Mauritius, real efforts are being made toward bringing access to quality health care to all. It also showcased the unstinting dedication of health professionals serving the most vulnerable.

Founded in 1987 by Josiane Ah Siong, the Association des Parents pour la Rehabilitation des Infirmes Moteurs (APRIM) works with 35 children and young adults living with physical and intellectual disabilities. For Mrs Ah Siong, who undertook the challenge of creating this pioneering NGO with other parents following the birth of her physically disabled daughter Axelle, the centre is a labour of love.

Indeed, the association, provides education and specialized developmental activities such as occupational therapy to hundreds of Mauritian youths whilst also training their parents to better support their children.

The APRIM team described the many progresses made since the opening of the center in the 1980s with new equipment better adapted to the needs of the children and health professionals better trained in specialized therapy, with the support of the Ministry of Education of the Ministry of social affairs. However, APRIM also expressed their worries from the change of remuneration structure for specialists as well as the discontinued education in occupational and  speech therapists which would hamper centers like APRIM to identify and retain the needed qualified personnel. Parents, who have adopted APRIM as a second home, have also pointed out the absence of public transport accessible to people with disabilities.

At WHO, we set great store by the recently passed Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, which is the domestication of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We hope the new disability bill effectively addresses the concerns of health professionals and of families caring for the 84,000 Mauritians living with disabilities, offering them better protection and ensuring they enjoy equal opportunities similar to any men, women or children in Mauritius.

Mère-Augustine Home for Women is managed by a similarly committed group of people, like Sister Willina and Sonia. The Home is run by the Congrégation des Sœurs de Charité de Notre-Dame-Du-Bon-Et-Perpétuel-Secours. Its 11 staff care for 56 patients, the oldest of whom is 97. Most of the patients are sent by the Ministry of Social Affairs.   One of the Mere Augustine Home’s main challenge is keeping up with the rising demand for admission associated with Mauritius ageing population.  

Indeed, between 2000 and 2021, the percentage of the population aged 60 and above more than doubled, from 9% to 18.7%. And this trend is set to accelerate with an estimated one Mauritian in three aged 60 or above by 2061, while the share of “oldest, old people” (80 and over) is set to increase twofold.

WHO Mauritius works with the Government of Mauritius to address the emerging needs of this ageing population. Indeed the Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) strategy launched in March 2023 has already trained 32 health professionals from multidisciplinary backgrounds which have themselves  train 500 fellow professionals for systematic screening, early detection and referral of visual impairment, hearing loss, cognitive decline, malnutrition, mobility loss, and depressive symptoms.

At WHO, we strive to work with Mauritius toward achieving Universal Health Coverage, respecting the Right to Health for All and Leaving No One Behind. It was important for us to ensure our celebration of this year world health day clearly marked the tone of our aspirations. We thank AFRIM and Mere Augustine Home for Women for sharing with us their experience and engagement.   

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

When someone goes missing due to conflict, the children they leave behind can feel that loss more than most. In response, we ran a program for children in Maiduguri to make sure their needs would not be overlooked.

When family members go missing due to armed conflict, they leave behind relatives who live in a shadow of uncertainty.  Their loved ones have gone missing, leaving a void that seems impossible to fill.

For more than a decade of armed conflict in northeast Nigeria, many people have fled their homes searching for safety. Bama, for instance, a town in Borno State, midway on the road between Maiduguri and the Cameroonian border, was no different. Fifteen-year-old Hadiza Muhammad’s family was one of those affected. Her father went missing 10 years ago. They haven’t seen him since.

The ICRC’s mental health and psychosocial support teams in Nigeria run a program designed to guide and support the children of those who have disappeared, through counselling. One of the counsellors, Muhammad Adam Muhammad, has also lost a loved one due to the conflict, and was trained by the ICRC to run these sessions himself. Muhammad knows what it feels like to lose a loved one.

Throughout the program, every week Muhammad gathered 51 young hearts, each burdened by the heavy weight of their family’s unknown fate and counselled them.

“As counsellors we teach children that it is important not to stay idle, good to go to school,” Muhammad tells us. “I counsel them once every week… I will rate their progress at ninety per cent, which is very encouraging”. 

A special book adapted by the ICRC from a version designed by the Swedish Red Cross – The Book About Me – was used, containing activities that encouraged reflection, self-esteem and future aspirations.

Each of the seven community counsellors running the sessions received training and continuous mentoring by the ICRC’s Mental Health and Psycho-Social Support team. The sessions became a lifeline, a sanctuary where participants could share their pain, fears, and dreams.

From the counselling sessions, Hadiza tells us “I learnt about my day, how I will write and plan my day.”

“I wish to enroll into secondary school because I want to study law and become a barrister to help people and my family,” she says. “We used to think a lot about our missing parents and not socialize but now we mix well, gradually.”

In one session, counsellors witnessed the transformative power of education from a young participant, Fatima Muhammad Aji, who, against all odds, had never set foot in a classroom but was inspired by her elder sister, from whom she learned to read and speak English.

While reading from a letter she’d written during the session, Fatima says, “I want to be a medical doctor to help sick people from danger… We learnt a lot from the lessons we received. I wrote my name, my town, who loves me and who helps me, time for work and play,” she tells us.

Her dreams for the future shone brightly, prompting her counsellor Muhammad to encourage her parents to enroll her in school, an essential step towards realizing her aspirations.

Another participant, Khadija Muhammad says “I remember learning about the ‘tree of life’. We drew pictures of those who help us in our lives, who for me includes my elder brother, grandfather, and aunts. “We also wrote letters to our future self – that school is good and we should study well. I want to build a house and a hospital when I grow up to help others and my family and become a doctor.”

Some participants were already in school, and already looking forward towards next steps in their education. 14-year-old Abubakar Muhammad has done his exams and is awaiting admission into secondary school.

Through the session activities, they were encouraged to talk with remaining family members to learn more about their own lives. During the sessions, he says, “I learnt where I came from and the current town we live in. I drew my mother because she is the only one I know that cares for me after my father went missing. I hope one day he returns. I want to become a doctor to help people, buy a car and with schooling I know I will achieve it.”

Many of these young souls have experienced trauma first-hand, grappling with the loss of a parent or guardian. Their struggles manifest in stress, anxiety, disruption to their normal lives, school attendance and playtime. Sometimes witnessing other children revel in the warmth of parental love would only intensify the pain they felt. But through the sessions, invisible wounds began to heal – and laughter seemed to echo in their hearts again.

The program in Maiduguri became not only a sanctuary for families of the missing but also a beacon of hope, lighting the path toward a brighter future for each child that participated.

By the end of the last round of community counselling sessions, in December 2023, more than 330 children had taken part.

The ICRC continues this work, in Maiduguri as around the world – partnering with communities as they go.

We do this work because children are our future. And their needs, especially in times of conflict, cannot be overlooked.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) presents prizes to the best young comedian and the best young slam poet in West Africa at the closing ceremony of the 13th Edition of the Marché des Arts du Spectacle d’Abidjan (MASA) 2024 (the Abidjan Performing Arts Market in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire on April 20, 2024.

The ECOWAS Prizes of USD 3000 and USD 2000 respectively is to support and encourage the artistic creativity of the youths and promote integration, social cohesion, peace, and socio-economic and cultural development in the Region.

H.E. Fanta Cisse, the Resident Representative of ECOWAS to Côte d’Ivoire while presenting the

Prizes at the closing and award ceremony emphasised the commitment of ECOWAS to develop cultural and creative industries, as well as the market for cultural goods and services, support the professionalization of cultural creators and actors.

This is the 4th edition of MASA that ECOWAS has been giving prizes in these two categories for the benefit of young Artists. The first Prize is for best young comedian in West Africa; three thousand (3000) US Dollars, while the Second Prize of two thousand (2000) US Dollars is  for the best young slam poet. The winners are selected by a jury nominated by ECOWAS from Member States through a transparent process.

The winners for the 13th Edition of MASA for the ECOWAS Prize are: Nin’wlou, from Côte d’Ivoire, Prize for the best young slam poet in West Africa for his show, “The Fire Walk” and Bappa Oumar from the Republic of Guinea, the Prize for the best young comedian in West Africa for his show “the stranger”.

ECOWAS provides financial support and plays a crucial role in the overall organisation of the Abidjan Performing Arts Market (MASA). This shows the Community’s commitment to use arts and culture in the promotion of peace and regional integration.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

African Hidden Champions (AHC) will host an exclusive Soirée on April 24, 2024, in Johannesburg to convene and celebrate entrepreneurial spirit with top African founders taking on the global stage. The event will also feature a private concert with award-winning South African artist, Ami Faku. 

African Hidden Champions, a co-partnership of Africa Foresight Group, Germany’s development finance institution DEG – Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft and the African Development Bank, was founded in 2020 and now has more than 25 dynamic African firms in its network. It works to support companies to move to global expansion through visibility, technical assistance, innovation, talent, and investment support. This event, dubbed “Proudly Local, Boldly Global,” is also supported by British International Investment (BII), the UK’s development finance institution (DFI) and impact investor.  

The evening will feature opening addresses by Kuseni Dlamini, Chairman of Aspen Pharmacare and AHC Ambassador; Anne Keppler, Regional Director for Southern Africa at DEG; and Chris Chijiutomi, Managing Director and Head of Africa at BII. It will include  a fireside chat with AHC Company founder, Dare Okoudjou, founder and CEO of Onafriq. 

“Investing in Africa’s businesses goes beyond just capital; it’s about believing in our potential to lead on the global stage. This Soirée is our testament to the world: Africa is not just rising; it is ready to lead,” said Yasmin Kumi, AHC Co-Founder and CEO of Africa Foresight Group, emphasizing the importance of collaborative efforts in achieving long-term goals on the continent.  

In addition to engaging in discussions and networking opportunities,  attendees will be treated to a private concert by Faku, showcasing the continent’s vibrant spirit and cultural richness.  

“Intentional investments and empowerment of African companies create value far surpassing what individuals can achieve alone. This Soirée is a celebration of what we can accomplish together and a look forward to the boundless possibilities ahead to be proudly local and boldly global,” said Thomas Viot, Chief Investment Officer at the African Development Bank Group.

Chris Chijiutomi, Managing Director and Head of Africa at BII, said: “As Africa’s first DFI, we have been supporting private sector growth and innovation across the continent for over 75 years. This celebration reflects our commitment to empower local businesses that are critical to drive forward a prosperous and sustainable economic future for Africa. This includes increasing our focus on black-owned and led businesses and funds across our portfolio.”

AHC embodies the entrepreneurial mindset of African homegrown businesses believing in their global potential, which is underlined throughout the initiative’s work, spanning visibility, support services and events. Once a year, new member companies sign the AHC declaration to commit to the same spirit. Together, the 25+ member companies generate revenues surpassing $8.3 billion, provide employment to a 78,000-strong workforce, and extend their reach across 14 African nations.  

To learn more about the event, visit the AHC website (www.AfricanHiddenChampions.co/).

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

Media Contacts:
African Hidden Champions:
Bernard Adjei
Community Manager  
bernard.adjei@africaforesight.com

African Development Bank:
Amba Mpoke-Bigg
Communication and External Relations Department  
a.mpoke-bigg@afdb.org

Africa Foresight Group:
DEG:
Katja Fingerhut
Marketing&Communications 
Katja.Fingerhut@deginvest.de

BII:
Paschorina Mortty
Communications Department
press@bii.co.uk

About AFG:
AFG is a talent technology company in Africa that focuses on developing innovative products and services to accelerate private sector development on the continent.  AFG aims to build African people and companies into global champions through technology and networks. The company is known for three brands: African Hidden Champions, which is the top scaling platform for African mid-sized businesses to grow into global companies; Peralta, a managed marketplace for placing top talent with businesses across the continent; and AHEAD, a training community of top empowered young African professionals, including the diaspora.

For more information: www.AfricaForesight.com

About DEG:
For more than 60 years, DEG has been financing and advising private enterprises operating in developing and emerging-market countries. With a portfolio of around EUR 10.3 billion we’re one of the largest private-sector development financiers. As an impact and climate investor we accompany companies that are addressing transformation and aiming to seize their opportunities. Our customers not only receive financing and advisory solutions tailored to their needs: they can build on our market knowledge, our impact and climate expertise and our international network. In this way, DEG, a subsidiary of KfW, contributes to creating more skilled jobs and local income and to improving value creation on the ground in line with the SDGs.

For more information: www.DEGInvest.de 

About British International Investment:
British International Investment (BII) is the UK’s development finance institution and a trusted investment partner to businesses in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. It invests to support the UK Government’s Clean Green Initiative and to create productive, sustainable, and inclusive economies in eligible markets. Between 2022 and 2026, at least 30 percent of BII’s total new commitments by value will be in climate finance. The company has investments in over 1,470 businesses in emerging economies across 65 countries and total assets of £8.1 billion. For further information about BII and its impactful initiatives, please visit: www.BII.co.uk | watch here (https://apo-opa.co/4aPc6nR) .

About the African Development Bank Group:
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 44 African countries with an external office in Japan, the AfDB contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states.

For more information: www.AfDB.org