Ministers of Health from seven small African island states signed an agreement to jointly procure drugs and vaccines in a bid to improve quality and access to medicines and other health products.
The ministers from Cabo Verde, Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Mauritius, Sao Tome & Principe and Seychelles that form the Small Island Developing States signed the Pooled Procurement agreement to take advantage of economies of scale and collective bargaining. High cost of drugs and medical supplies is one of the major challenges the small island states face due to their modest populations.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus, and WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, joined the ministers in the virtual signing ceremony. Dr Tedros congratulated the ministers for this important step forward and pledged continued support from WHO to help the countries in implementing the agreement.

The United States continues to partner with the Ethiopian Ministry of Defense to strengthen the capacity of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF). This month, the U.S. Department of Defense provided $2.9 million worth of training and equipment to the ENDF in support of its efforts to disrupt the threats posed by al-Shabaab in Somalia and other terrorist organizations.
The equipment donated includes land cruisers, troop transports, ambulances, cargo and fuel trucks, water trailers, operations center computers, and night vision devices. This donation is just one way the U.S. government supports Ethiopian partner forces in their fight against terrorism.
The United States and Ethiopia have developed a long-standing partnership that includes military training exercises and a spectrum of activities to support peacekeeping and counterterrorism objectives.

African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), announced $100 million financing to enable its Member States to procure COVID-19 related medical resources through the Africa Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP).
The funding is available to African governments to acquire medical supplies through the AMSP in the form of pre-approved overdraft limits for each African government. This facility quickens access to critical COVID-19 containment and therapeutic supplies by bridging short term funding gaps that African states may be experiencing.
Launched in June, the AMSP was developed by the African Union’s Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Afreximbank and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), under the leadership of the African Union Special Envoy for COVID-19 procurements, Mr. Strive Masiyiwa. The AMSP is operated by the technology firm Janngo. It was established to facilitate pooled and transparent procurement by African countries. Its services have now been made available to countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).