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Progress on TB can be achieved in Africa

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Progress on TB can be achieved in Africa

By Morounfolu (Folu) Olugbosi

The news in many parts of the world is that tuberculosis (TB) is reclaiming the title of the world’s most deadly infection, even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to kill an estimated 1,450 people daily around the world. But this is not news to African countries, which are home to one third of the people globally who die from TB, even though they have less than one fifth of the world’s population.
And on our continent, the real burden might be worse: only 60% of the estimated cases have been diagnosed. All the other infections are hidden by poverty and so the disease continues to spread.
Consider Zanyiwe’s story, who is recovering from TB a fifth time. Her son-in-law died from the disease, and her 18-month old granddaughter has it currently. TB has hammered her family and her community in Cape Town, South Africa—but this story could be set in Nigeria, Kenya, or just about anywhere, as TB has never been contained in Africa.
Four years ago, there was hope that TB might be receiving the attention it deserves. The United Nations held a High-Level Meeting with heads of state in September 2018 where more than half of the world’s nations convened to rally support to tackle TB. Many pledges were made; fulfillment of these pledges got off to a slow start and then the COVID-19 pandemic derailed things completely.
The first commitment was to find and treat 40 million people with TB between 2018 and 2022, including 3.5 million children and 1.5 million people with drug-resistant TB. We’re 19% behind that overall goal, but 32% behind with children and 46% behind with drug-resistant TB. We now have new and shorter treatment regimens for TB and drug-resistant TB; using these new technologies could make next year, when another UN high level meeting on TB will convene, a different story.
The second commitment was to provide preventive treatment for 30 million people at risk for TB infections. We’re 48% behind here; while we already exceeded the sub-target of reaching 6 million people with HIV with preventive treatment, from 2018-2021 we’ve only provided preventive treatment to 2.2 million household contacts of people with TB, 11.5% of the goal. Once again, we now have new, more effective and shorter preventive regimens to deploy—but we need the outreach capacity and willingness of countries to get the treatment into the hands of the people who need it.
The third and fourth commitments are about funding. Leaders pledged to spend a total of US$13 billion annually on prevention, diagnosis and treatment by 2022; in 2021 only 42% of that yearly goal was spent. For TB research, US$2 billion annually was pledged by 2022 but in 2021 research spending reached less than half that amount (46%). Rolling out the new treatments and developing even better ones will require a stronger embrace of these commitments; the status quo simply will not get us there.
While we have yet to finish 2022, it is obvious that we will not meet these goals. With that being said, there have been signs of progress worth drawing attention to.
First, Gabon, Kenya, Liberia, Namibia, Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, and Uganda all made progress in finding more cases of TB last year. And Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Zambia have all made progress throughout the pandemic—showing the political will needed to keep their people healthier. Overall, Africa found 4% more TB in 2021 than in 2020. It’s a start—and we can do better.
New TB medicines are being supported by the World Health Organization (WHO). Six-month therapy for drug-resistant TB has been approved in more than 20 countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. And Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe are working to roll out a new TB prevention treatment.
In Africa, we will not mistake these initial signs of progress for anything more significant. Yet, at the same time, it is still progress to be respected and built upon. Next year, the world will consider their long-ignored pledges. We need to show the world that it is time to move forward; all that’s been missing is the same thing that’s been missing for far too many years: political will.

Morounfolu (Folu) Olugbosi, M.D. is the Senior Director, Clinical Development, TB Alliance. He works with the clinical development of products in the TB Alliance portfolio and helps to oversee clinical trials in TB endemic countries and heads the South Africa office.

Haaland names Senegal to succeed at FIFA World Cup

Michael Samson
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Manchester City star striker Erling Haaland has named the African team he believes has a high chance of succeeding at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The continent will be represented by five nations Senegal, Cameroon, Ghana, Tunisia and Morocco at the global tournament, which starts in Qatar on November 20.
The giant Norwegian striker who tops the leading scorer’s chart with 17 goals from 11 matches picked Senegal as his favorite to succeed at the World Cup.
“I think Senegal will do really better than Ghana, Cameroon, Tunisia and Morocco,” Haaland said.
“They are a strong team and have many strong players.
“So I think Senegal will do the best out of [the African teams].”
The Lions of Teranga have had a fruitful 2022, winning their maiden Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) after beating Egypt earlier in the year. Once again Senegal beat the same opponent Egypt 3-1 to book their place in World Cup finals in Qatar.
They are also the highest-ranked African team going to the World Cup.
Senegal will open their World Cup campaign on November 21 against the Netherlands before playing hosts Qatar on November 25 and Ecuador on November 29 for a spot in the knockout stages.

“WAKE UP AND LIVE…ALL TOGETHER NOW”

Dr. Desta Meghoo
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“WAKE UP AND LIVE…ALL TOGETHER NOW”

Amidst gunshots, riots and streets filled with soldiers,  armed with art whilst guarding my four youngest children – Ghenett 13, ShemaMiriam 10, and 8-year old twins, Mikel and Gebre – I curated my first exhibition in Ethiopia. It was November 2005 at the historic Taitu Hotel entitled “Majestic Equality” marking the November 2nd 1930, 75th Anniversary of the coronation of His and Her Majesties Emperor Haile Selassie I and Etege Menen Asfaw. Patrons Crown Prince H.I.H. Zere Yacob Asfaw Wossen Haile Selassie and his late wife Wz/ro Avril Powell supported the exhibition expressing the uncertain times, co-curated by Artist Prince Merid Tafesse. The works of over 20 emerging Ethiopian artists, including some now internationally known such as Addisu Gezaghen, Zerihun Seyoum and Mary Kokeb – were displayed. Taitu Hotel was filled to capacity. As shots rang outside, Nyahbingi drums resonated inside, providing a warm rhythmic heartbeat with chants of peace love and unity for Ethiopia.  It was the only good news reported the following day in media, amidst the mayhem of the night before, during a time when Ethiopia was seeking serious change.

Seventeen years later Ethiopia, though no stranger to conflict, is still highly regarded as a beacon of hope for Africans far and wide, having resisted colonial powers.  The Emperor addressed the UN General Assembly October 1963 with caustic cautionary words, still relevant, echoing today.

“The United Nations judgments have been and continue to be subject to frustration, as individual member-states have ignored its pronouncements and disregarded its recommendations. The Organization’s sinews have been weakened, as member-states have shirked their obligations to it. The authority of the Organization has been mocked, as individual member-states have proceeded, in violation of its commands, to pursue their own aims and ends. The troubles which continue to plague us virtually all arise among member states of the Organization, but the Organization remains impotent to enforce acceptable solutions. As the maker and enforcer of the international law, what the United Nations has achieved still falls regrettably short of our goal of an international community of nations. This does not mean that the United Nations has failed. There is no single magic formula, no one simple step, no words, whether written into the Organization’s Charter or into a treaty between states, which can automatically guarantee to us what we seek. Peace is a day-to-day problem, the product of a multitude of events and judgments. Peace is not an “is”, it is a “becoming.”

Fast forward to November 2 2022. Following the signing of Peace Agreement in Pretoria South Africa, AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa, H.E. Olusegun Obosanjo said,  “Today is the beginning of a new dawn for Ethiopia, for the Horn of Africa and indeed for Africa as a whole. Let me hasten to thank God for this new dawn. We are seeing in practice and actualisation what we have tried to achieve for ourselves over the years – African solutions for African problems.” The path to peace for Ethiopia was charted in South Africa with the African Union at the helm; external pressure noted. An African centered agreement, with implementation squarely on the shoulders of Ethiopia, was achieved with space to address critical myriad matters, if we give the process a chance to succeed.  The agreement reaffirmed Ethiopia’s strength and leadership in the Horn, the Continent and the Diaspora though pushed to the limit. Ethiopia retained her status as a sovereign nation, in this Land of Origins and ancient root of King Solomon and Queen Saba.

Symbolical and/or substantial, it matters. Africans worldwide have lived under the yoke of racialized oppression for centuries, struggling to dig out of colonial capitalism caused by the tentacles syphoning rare artifacts, resources and sometimes our very souls, amidst Euro-centric systems which aggravate peace. The very optics of Africans coming together to work out our problems on our terms is worthy of recognition and pride. And while the journey ahead will be an arduous one, Ethiopia is not alone as Africans at home and abroad stand in solidarity and admiration for a process that has spared additional lives and livelihoods.

So, what is next? Rastafari from Jamaica, living peacefully in Ethiopia for over 70 years, brought an old saying, “Nuh wait till drum beat before you grind your axe.” Translated: BE PREPARED. Reggae icon Bob Marley (Berhane Selassie) visited Ethiopia in 1978, a year before releasing the “Survival” album in which the song “Wake Up and Live” commands action for a the sake of the future of Africa.

“Wake up and live now!

Wake up and live!

Life is one big road with lots of signs
So when you riding through the ruts, don’t you complicate your mind

Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy!
Don’t bury your thoughts put your vision to reality, yeah!

All together now
Wake up and live

Rise ye mighty people, ye-ah!
There’s work to be done
So let’s do it a little by little
Rise from your sleepless slumber!
We’re more than sand on the seashore
We’re more than numbers
All together now
Wake up and live!

You see, one one cocoa full a basket

Already used you life big today tomorrow you buried in a casket
Wake up and live!”

Dr. Desta Meghoo is a Jamaican born
Creative Consultant, Curator and
cultural promoter based in Ethiopia
since 2005. She also serves as Liaison to
the AU for the Ghana based, Diaspora
African Forum

 

Opportunities

Ton Haverkort
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Opportunities

Last weekend I paid a visit to some coffee farmers in Sidama and Guji. Fact of the matter is, there is never enough time to visit such areas and meet with the farming communities, considering the distances and conditions of the road that take you there. Such journey begins in Addis Abeba and it takes the good part of an hour to just get out of the city these days. Interesting enough, there is a dual carriage road with three lanes on each side, before getting closer to the entrance of the Express Way. On this particular stretch there are speed limits of 50 and 40 km per hour. This seems a ridiculous speed limit, given the size of the road and number of lanes. It is a milking cow for the traffic police though who measure passing vehicles speeds and stop all cars “over speeding” to give them a ticket. Eventually you will enter the Express Way which now continues until Ziway, while construction continues to take it up all the way to Hawassa. From there the road continues to Moyale. So far so good. From Yirga Chefe to Guji, it is a different story though. While construction is going on, much of the road is a real challenge and things will be much worse during the rains. Going back later that afternoon and evening we had to negotiate the road from Yirga Chefe to Hawassa in the dark, which was a real challenge. During the early evening hours the road is crowded with pedestrians, donkey carts, bajage, cattle, trucks, name it.

One thing that keeps surprising me is the speed at which drivers push their cars, trucks and buses, with no fear or consideration for the danger they pose to themselves and others. In fact, on one occasion, an oncoming Isuzu truck lost control and started to swerve towards us, missing is by a few inches only. That could have ended differently, like it does for so many. During our trip of three days, we saw six serious accidents along the way, all caused by over speeding I am sure, cutting in and overtaking at the wrong places. Why are they all so much in a hurry while the risks area so obvious? Mind you, there are speed humps here and there on the road, meant to slow down drivers, as they approach a residential area or a curve in the road for example. Some of these speed humps are so big, that they form a danger by themselves. Hitting them, even at a moderate speed, will cause the driver to lose control.

In any case, I conclude that most drivers overspeed and seem to be in a great hurry to get to their destination. They just can’t seem to accept that somebody else will be there before them.

I wish people behaved the same when they see opportunities to do business. Oh yes, people will rush to take an opportunity if there is quick money to be made. Not so when it comes to setting up something new, something more durable and sustainable. We even discourage each other to try something else or something new. We are very convincing in our advice that something will not work in Ethiopia instead of encouraging someone to try. Remember, trying and fail is better than failing to try!

But, when somebody has an original idea, wants to try something new, something out of the ordinary, is about to take a risk, there is more often negative feed back than encouragement. And as people here rely much on the advice and council of close ones, the risk is rarely taken. Thus, many opportunities are lost. It seems saver to do what others are doing also, copy what seems to work for others. But without having the original idea, without having a vision for success, this road will only take us to mediocrity or failure. Beware that the ones that are really successful are the ones who dared to take a risk ………

…….. and work hard, very hard, to make it happen. Which brings me to another interesting observation. Many people believe that once you are in business, money will be made just like that. You start a business, and you drive a new car, build a house, travel the world. Not without hard work, you don’t. When a new business begins to pick up, returns will need to be reinvested immediately to be able to manage the growth. More workers need to be hired, more equipment is required, more production is needed to meet the growing demand. No time yet to buy a new car or pay more salary to yourself. It normally takes a few years before you can really pick the fruits of the work.

Those who recognise an opportunity and are willing to take the risk, work hard and reinvest in their business may succeed, while learning on the way, no guarantees though.

Learning is what needs to happen, in an environment that is relatively safe. Like a child that learns to walk, with the watchful and encouraging words of the parents. It is here, where the authorities and development partners have a big responsibility. It is not sufficient for experts to come in and judge that a product is not good enough or too expensive. They need to support the producers in further designing and developing their products. It is not sufficient to make funds available to develop policy; policy needs to support those who are willing to take a risk. It is not sufficient to encourage export; the whole supply chain needs to be considered. There are opportunities indeed, but they can only be taken step by step and with integrated support.

Nobody knew how to run before learning how to walk first. And no parent wants to expose a child to danger, while exploring the world and growing up. Instead, they encourage, support and guide.

 

Ton Haverkort

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