As South Sudan struggles to overcome a yellow fever outbreak, a measles crisis is mounting in Western Equatoria state; We urge health authorities and WHO to launch an immediate vaccination campaign to prevent further spread of the disease; We call for increased efforts to raise community awareness about the diseases and to adopt best practices to stop them from spreading.

A measles crisis is mounting in South Sudan’s Western Equatoria state, just as health authorities struggle to overcome a yellow fever outbreak. Since February, seven deaths among children under five and 460 cases have been recorded as of 24 March in three health facilities in Yambio and Nzara counties; 90 per cent of these children had never been vaccinated against the disease.

With measles cases on the rise and vaccination coverage alarmingly low, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) urges health authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO) to launch an immediate vaccination campaign to prevent the disease from spreading further.

“When my child fell sick, he was having high fever, diarrhoea and cough. While at home, I gave him paracetamol but there was no improvement,’’ says Victoria John, mother of one-and-half-year-old Mark Emmanuel, who has measles. “We then brought him to the MSF facility where he received treatment for three days. If I didn’t come to the facility, I know my child was going to die.’’ 

Measles has become a persistent emergency in South Sudan, with recurring outbreaks challenging healthcare systems and endangering communities. More than 12,000 cases have been recorded this year; more than 400 cases were recorded last week alone.

To respond to this emergency, MSF teams are treating measles in Gangura and Sakure health centres, as well as at Yambio State hospital, all located in Nzara and Yambio counties. We will increase the number of beds for measles patients from 32 to 40 due to the rapidly increasing number of cases. MSF teams are also screening children within the communities for potential measles symptoms and to refer them to health facilities if needed.

Twenty per cent of children treated for measles at MSF-supported facilities are over the age of five. This highlights the need for a reactive vaccination campaign to reach this group of older children who did not receive measles vaccinations as part of the existing expanded immunisation programme.

The measles outbreak is a double blow for a region still struggling to deal with yellow fever after the most recent outbreak – the fourth in just six years – was declared by health authorities in December 2023. As of mid-March, 81 cases of yellow fever and six deaths have been recorded.

The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with WHO, launched a yellow fever vaccination campaign, immunising around 357,000 people across three counties of Western Equatoria state. The campaign resulted in a reduction in the numbers of suspected and confirmed cases – a testament to the efficacy of mass vaccination campaigns.

“Large-scale vaccination campaigns are vital, both in Western Equatoria state and Northern Bahr el Ghazal state where the current measles outbreaks are ongoing, to halt further spread of the disease and prevent any more outbreaks,” says Zakaria Mwatia, MSF head of mission. “South Sudan’s fragile health system cannot bear the burden of recurrent outbreaks.” 

Low vaccination coverage in South Sudan has a significant impact on communities, particularly children, who are highly vulnerable to diseases such as measles, which can lead to serious health complications and deaths. 

Given the gravity of the health threats posed by both measles and yellow fever, MSF calls for increased efforts to raise community awareness about the diseases and to adopt best practices to stop them from spreading. 

“It is imperative that the Ministry of Health and other health organisations, including WHO, intensify their efforts to expand vaccination coverage across the country and especially those areas most prone to disease outbreaks,” says Mwatia.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Médecins sans frontières (MSF).

Responding to recent findings by the Lesotho Ombudsman which exposed a disturbing pattern of human rights violations, including torture, excessive use of force and denial of medical care to detainees at Maseru Correctional Centre Institution (MCCI), Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Vongai Chikwanda, said:

“The Ombudsman’s report, released on March 19, confirms the extent of unacceptable abuse suffered by inmates at MCCI, where correctional officers, including recruits, were found to have colluded to justify their actions, while senior officers turned a blind eye to the misconduct, indicative of a deeply ingrained culture of impunity within the institution.

“Lesotho authorities must initiate a prompt, independent, impartial, transparent and effective investigation into the alleged acts of torture and abuse inflicted upon detainees. Authorities must bring suspected perpetrators to justice in fair trials and provide access to justice and effective remedies to victims.”

“The Minister of Law and Justice, as well the Commissioner of Correctional Services must ensure accountability by holding those suspected to be responsible for the abuses to account and taking concrete steps to reform the country’s correctional system to ensure that it upholds international human rights standards including by revising laws and regulations governing detention, improving conditions of confinement, and promoting a culture of respect for human rights among correctional staff.

“Authorities must also ensure the eight named detainees and others held at Maseru Centre Correctional Institution are protected from torture by taking immediate steps to implement the recommendations put forth by the Office of the Ombudsman.”

Background

On December 22, 2023, detainees at MCCI were subjected to brutal beatings by officers from the Lesotho Correctional Services (LCS), resulting in visible injuries. The Ombudsman’s report established that recruits from the LCS training facility abused their power while some of the officers were unresponsive and derelict in their duty, as inmates were beaten during a routine search operation.

Detainees’ relatives sought justice through Maseru Court, highlighting the unlawful imposition of corporal punishment and the denial of visitation rights.

The Ombudsman report follows investigations carried out in January 2024.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Amnesty International.

The President of the Republic, H.E. Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., has issued an Executive Order suspending $0.20 surcharge on petroleum pricing structure with immediate effect.

The Order, numbered 128, was issued on March 21, 2024, and is part of the Government’s efforts to reduce the cost of living for its citizens. 

The President believes that lowering the cost of petroleum will have a positive impact on the lives of Liberians, as it will reduce the cost of goods and services, spur productivity and business profitability, as well as increase revenue for the Government. 

The Liberian Constitution allows the President to issue Executive Orders in the public interest to address urgent issues paramount to the Country’s development.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of Liberia: Executive Mansion.

The businesses were chosen from 173 applications following a rigorous selection process. The chosen projects come from the energy, transportation, agriculture, forestry and other land uses, circular economy and water sectors.

The businesses concerned will receive tailored one-to-one and group support from financial, technical and gender equality and social inclusion experts to help increase their chances of securing finance from South African and international investors. For the first time, two separate cohorts have been created to trial providing capacity building to promising early-stage projects.

So far, almost a third of projects from the first two phases of CFA South Africa have found investment since participating in the programme.

British High Commissioner to South Africa, Antony Phillipson said:

“South Africa has a huge number of companies and organisations with innovative ideas on how to tackle climate change. Support provided to these projects will help them secure investment, deliver green growth and jobs and contribute to South Africa meeting its climate commitments.”

The 10 core cohort projects will undertake intensive capacity building before pitching to investors at an event in July, which early-stage projects will also be invited to attend.

The 5 projects selected in the early-stage pilot will have the opportunity to attend elements of the core capacity building training and will be encouraged to share their experiences with members of the core cohort, who may act as mentors.

CEO of the National Business Initiative (NBI), Shameela Soobramoney said:

“NBI believes that identifying and supporting innovative, low carbon companies across key green economy sectors is not just a strategic initiative, but a moral imperative. These companies represent the vanguard of progress, offering solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing our country and the globe.”

“Initiatives like CFA illustrate how targeted support, collaboration, innovation, and unwavering dedication can pave the way for a brighter, greener future for generations to come. If we don’t create the future we want, the one we get will be worth infinitely less.”

CEO of GreenCape (GC), Michael Mulachy said:

“Food systems, rare earth metal beneficiation, storage, e-mobility, waste and sanitation are all featured in this year’s CFA finalists. This incredible cohort have solutions to some of the most pressing green economy challenges globally.”

“Each finalist has found its niche in South Africa and has the potential to scale up rapidly – creating much needed jobs and investment in South Africa’s green economy. The CFA programme has been an incredibly effective launch pad for these innovative green companies and GreenCape is eager to see the impact of this cohort.”

The 10 core cohort projects are:

Charge – catalysing the decarbonisation of the transport sector by installing 120 off-grid, green-powered, ultra-fast charging stations for passenger and light delivery vehicles. Located approximately 150 km apart, this first phase of installations covers South Africa’s major highways and regional routes (18,200 km).
Creslow Energy Solutions – renewable battery manufacturer based in Mpumalanga. The energy storage solution is aimed at leisure, commercial and industrial markets (battery packs are suitable for small to medium factories and shopping malls), as well with specialised solutions provided for the mining sector.
Cultura Fresh – expanding the existing successful hydroponic vegetable business to meet persistent excess demand. Cultura Fresh is currently the largest supplier of leafy greens in Western Cape. This expansion will create jobs and boost food security.
EWaste Africa – expanding EWaste Africa’s existing offer of  storing, collecting, transporting and end-of-life management of e-waste by diversifying into reuse, refurbishment and repair of e-waste (electrical, electronic, solar and lighting equipment waste) and increasing recycling facilities for hazardous e-waste.
Loowatt – providing high-quality ‘Kalula’ home toilets to customers in urban neighbourhoods that lack adequate sanitation access.
Manganese Metal Company – constructing a 5,000 ton per annum manganese sulphate monohydrate (MSM) plant, to be located in Mbombela. MSM is a key ingredient in electric vehicles batteries.
MycoSure – addressing sustainable food production by developing mycelium-based submerged biomass fermentation technology to produce alternative protein and nutraceutical ingredients at scale.
Nambu – turning food ‘waste’ into high value insect protein for livestock and pet feed – including dog kibble, liquid based feed additive and a basic ruminant feed – as well as pelletised frass (fertiliser),
SOCO CAPITAL – a spin off from an Engineering Procurement and Construction company, now an Independent Power Producer delivering comprehensive solutions, including fully funded solar PV (Power Purchase Agreement) and battery offerings available for rental.
Valternative Energy – bringing next-generation clean energy solutions to the e-mobility sector in South Africa with electric bikes, smart batteries and swap stations.

The 5 early-stage cohort projects are:

Aquagel – Regenr8 is addressing climate change through food security. Regenr8 does this by offering organic bio-stimulant that disrupts the chemical fertiliser industry and stores CO2 in the soil for hundreds of years.
Breev – Breev has a vision of an EV charger in every town in Africa and currently aims to expand EV charging along 980,000 km of roads in South Africa and Kenya, doubling mobility options and reducing environmental impact.
React – enhancing access to recycling services and ethical standards by setting up decentralised micro material recovery facilities in low-income areas, integrating informal waste reclaimers as operators, and providing them with access to recyclables and eco-friendly transportation.
Smartfill – connected smart dispensers enabling consumers to accurately fill any container with the quantity of dry food they need, eliminating plastic packaging.
Solarfi – is set to connect 5 million individuals by distributing more than 500,000 innovative lantern-routers, delivering both internet and lighting to off-grid communities and driving progress through sustainable technology.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of British High Commission Pretoria.