In the wake of the COVID-19 induced state of emergency in Ethiopia, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is mobilizing its network of local community leaders to help with awareness and prevention activities designed to stop the spread of the disease.
The so-called ‘community conversation facilitators’ – who have reached more than five million people across Ethiopia with other, non-COVID-19 related crisis awareness raising and prevention activities – and grassroots activists are working to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19 for migrants, and other vulnerable communities.
With the support of IOM, local leaders in rural areas where many migrants or those likely to want to migrate reside, are disseminating information on the heightened dangers of contracting the infection. IOM Ethiopia is providing training on effectively communicating the dangers of COVID-19 and working to promote alternative livelihoods at home that might deter migrants from wanting to make journeys that might expose them to the disease.
“Our community programmes focus on raising awareness on natural and man-made problems and challenges,” said Girma Mulugeta, one of the members for the community conversation groups in the Southern Nations and Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR).

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD) have unveiled an initiative to strengthen Africa’s data ecosystems in the face of COVID-19.
“Tackling the pandemic requires data and information to ensure that policies, resources and technology are deployed in the right place and time to make the biggest possible impact,” said Vera Songwe, ECA Executive Secretary. Songwe noted, however, that data systems for health and other areas of policy in Africa are often fragile and frequently inadequate.
“Critical gaps in coverage and timeliness can leave governments uncertain of where the risks of infection are highest and how to deploy resources in the most effective way, as well as where food aid is needed the most in particular for women and children” she added.

Facebook has announced another step the company is taking to combat the spread of harmful hoaxes and misinformation about COVID-19 on its platforms. Through Facebook’s Newsfeed, users who interact with harmful COVID-19 claims will receive messages on COVID-19 myths debunked by the WHO including misinformation that has led to imminent physical harm. This step aims to ensure that all Facebook users who may have interacted with harmful information about the virus get the truth from authoritative sources in case they encounter these claims again on Facebook.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Facebook has connected people to accurate information from health experts to keep harmful misinformation about COVID-19 from spreading on its apps. These efforts have seen the company direct over 2 billion people to resources from the WHO and other health authorities through its COVID-19 Information Center and pop-ups on Facebook and Instagram with over 350 million people clicking through to learn more.
The company has also partnered with over 60 third-party fact-checking organisations worldwide, spanning across 50 languages. The program continues to grow to add more partners and languages.
Once a piece of content is rated false by fact-checkers, Facebook reduces its distribution and shows warning labels with more context.

In recognition of its outstanding contribution to international trade on the African continent, the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB) has been awarded “Best Trade Financier in Africa” by Trade Finance Global (TFG).
As several major international correspondent banks have retreated from African markets, TDB has doubled-down and deepened its expertise in addressing intra and extra-regional trade financing gaps. TDB has provided USD billions in this space in recent years, bridging shortages and assisting with foreign exchange challenges in the region, particularly for strategic and vital commodity imports into Member States. With total assets of $6.7bn, trade finance assets represent more than half of TDB’s total loan portfolio.