As the wider African region experiences an upsurge in mpox cases, South Africa’s multi-pronged efforts to bring the outbreak under control are bearing fruit. On 14 August 2024, World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern and subsequently issued a set of temporary recommendations to scale up the emergency response.

South Africa had previously reported five unlinked mpox cases in 2022. Having confirmed zero cases in 2023, the country has experienced a resurgence of the infectious disease in recent months, reporting 25 laboratory-confirmed cases and three deaths between 8 May and 6 September 2024. These cases have been reported in Gauteng, Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, with local transmission suggested for 24 cases and one imported case. 

However, there has been a significant change in the epidemiological data in recent weeks, with just one new case and no deaths reported since 2 August 2024, compared to 12 cases and three deaths in June, so far, the peak of the current outbreak. 

“With the support of partners including WHO, we have made significant progress in our efforts to contain mpox in the country,” says Foster Mohale, spokesperson for South Africa’s National Department of Health. “But we must not become complacent because viruses mutate from time to time. The recent detection of a new mpox case in Western Cape should be a strong reminder that we must all remain extremely vigilant.”

To coordinate its response to the outbreak, the National Department of Health formed an mpox Incident Management Team comprised of experts from national and provincial levels and partners including WHO. In June, with WHO support, health authorities conducted two remote webinars on clinical management of mpox cases, training over 500 health workers and public health professionals. 
The department has also activated provincial response teams to implement priority interventions in hotspots, deployed rapid response teams to support community surveillance and case management, and intensified targeted public awareness campaigns. 

In addition to providing technical support and guidelines on mpox treatment to help ensure standardized patient care, WHO has donated 35 treatment courses of tecovirimat, an antiviral that is used to treat severe mpox cases in conjunction with symptomatic and supportive care. The Organization is supporting efforts to stockpile an additional 30 treatment courses of the medication for rapid deployment should further cases arise. 

South Africa is one of 14 countries in the African region that will be financially supported by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and WHO from September 2024 until February 2025 to draw up and roll out plans, including vaccination strategies, to continue its fight against mpox. The Mpox Continental Preparedness and Response Plan for Africa will see an estimated US$ 45.5 of a US$ 600-million total budget allocated to South Africa, most of which will be spent on the logistics of rolling out vaccines.  

“WHO remains committed to supporting health authorities in containing the mpox outbreak through coordinated efforts in treatment, surveillance, and public awareness,” says Dr Fabian Ndenzako, acting WHO Representative in South Africa. “I am pleased to see mpox control efforts targeting health workers, community members and key risk populations to prevent further transmission and manage this public health issue effectively.”

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

As part of its mandate to promote free, transparent, and credible elections in the West African region, the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commission (ECONEC) is deploying a hybrid post-election follow-up and needs assessment mission to Cotonou, Benin, from September 15 to 21, 2024.

The Mission is comprised of the President of Senegal’s Autonomous National Electoral Commission (CENA), a representative of Côte d’Ivoire’s Independent Electoral Commission (CEI), the Head of ECOWAS’ Electoral Assistance Division (EAD), who is also ECONEC Permanent Secretary, and three experts from ECONEC Permanent Secretariat, IDEA and EISA.

The mission aims to assess the state of implementation of the recommendations of the last ECOWAS electoral observation mission during the April 2021 Presidential Election and the technical and material needs of stakeholders in the run-up to the 2026 presidential election.

To this end, the mission will hold meetings with the Autonomous National Electoral Commission (CENA), the administration, political parties and civil society organizations to understand their views and commitment to implementing the recommended reforms.

The ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC) is the umbrella organization for electoral management bodies (EMBs) in West Africa. It was created in February 2008 to promote free, fair, and credible elections. The network was inspired by the ECOWAS Declaration of Political Principles, which was adopted by the ECOWAS Conference of Heads of State and Government in 1991.

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

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Ethiopia Country Office (WCO-Ethiopia) convened a strategic working session on August 13-14, 2024, to evaluate and refine the ongoing implementation of the 2024-25 Program Budget (PB).

This session is a crucial part of the broader Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS) 2021-2025 implementation, which is now in its fourth year, aligned closely with Ethiopia’s national health priorities.

Amidst Ethiopia’s complex health landscape, the WCO is actively engaged in responding to five WHO graded emergencies—including disease outbreaks and humanitarian crises—and several non-graded emergencies such as measles, malaria, and landslides. However, challenges of financial resources availability are impending implementation of key health programs and complicating the overall health response efforts in the country.

To address these challenges, the country office has initiated several strategies that were discussed at the working session.

The timing of the session coincides with the recent approval of the Fourteenth General Program of Work (GPW14) 2025-2028 at the Seventy-seventh World Health Assembly in May 2024. GPW14 will shape WHO’s global health initiatives over the next four years and is integral to the WCO’s future planning in Ethiopia.

The session objectives included: assessing the progress of the 2024-25 biennium workplan, identifying ongoing challenges, and formulating actionable recommendations. It also focused on finding opportunities for synergy across various health programs, with an emphasis on identifying short, medium, and long-term actions.

In his opening remarks, WHO Ethiopia Country Representative Dr. Owen Laws Kaluwa emphasized the importance of the session, stating, “this session marks a pivotal step in strengthening the WCO’s capacity to support Ethiopia in overcoming its public health challenges and achieving its health objectives in the coming years.”

Participants of the session proposed a fit-for-purpose organizational structure that aligns with the WHO Africa Regional Office (WHO-AFRO) clusters and strategic priorities, including the GPW14. They also reviewed and endorsed strategies for resource mobilization and communication, which are critical for sustaining the WCO’s finances and visibility.

The workshop concluded with a detailed understanding of the GPW14, the identification of key challenges and bottlenecks, and the development of mitigation strategies.

Additionally, participants identified areas for synergy across different health clusters and programs and outlined a roadmap to guide the formal review of the current CCS and the development of the next generation strategy.

This session underscores the WCO’s commitment to adapting and evolving in response to both global and local health challenges, ensuring that it remains an effective partner in Ethiopia’s journey toward improved public health outcomes, Dr. Kaluwa stated in his closing remarks.

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

Leading and facilitating dialogue at Africa’s premier energy event, Rwandan-Belgium entrepreneur and television presenter Tania Habimana has joined African Energy Week: Invest in African Energy 2024 as the Master of Ceremonies of the opening ceremony.

Through insightful reporting, extensive financial acumen and a dynamic stage presence, Habimana is widely-recognized as a leading voice in financial journalism on the continent. Habimana has served as an anchor for CNBC Africa’s primetime financial markets and business show Closing Bell since 2021. In April of this year, she began presenting Startup Caps – CNBC Africa’s latest show that uncovers Africa’s thriving startup ecosystem across multiple sectors, featuring voices from venture funds to angel investors to startup founders. To date, Habimana has interviewed and chaired panel discussions with over 400 leaders across 35 countries to an audience of over 200,000 in both French and English. She has also founded several organizations, including integrated marketing company NONZēRO Africa; business fashion program Threads Stitched by Standard Bank; and FASHIONTech Africa hackathon&conference, a 24-hour fashion technology platform.

AEW: Invest in African Energy is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.

Kicking off the five-day, multi-track conference, the opening ceremony at AEW: Invest in African Energy 2024 will begin with opening remarks from NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber, and Dr. Omar Farouk, Secretary General of the African Petroleum Producers Organization, followed by keynote addresses and exclusive conversations with Africa’s leading energy ministers and international energy companies. A deal-signing ceremony will follow – celebrating the latest groundbreaking deals in Africa’s energy sector – as well as an opening panel discussion addressing Africa’s vital role in global energy security and supply chains.

Habimana’s experience covering global economic trends and financial markets will add a valuable dimension to AEW: Invest in African Energy 2024. Attracting capital to Africa’s energy sector is critical to addressing the continent’s growing energy needs and supporting its economic development. With untapped oil and gas reserves and abundant, co-located renewable resources, Africa has the potential to leapfrog traditional energy models and develop its own blueprint for a sustainable and industrialized future. AEW 2024 is committed to driving critical discussions around transparent and stable regulatory environments, enabling public-private partnerships and fostering international collaboration on financing mechanisms and technical support that can install investor confidence and unlock funding for large-scale energy infrastructure projects.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.