The European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority, HERA, will procure and donate 175 420 doses of the MVA-BN® vaccine, the only FDA and EMA-approved mpox vaccine, as an immediate response to the mpox outbreak in Africa. In addition, the pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic will donate 40 000 doses to HERA. The Africa CDC will distribute the vaccines according to regional needs.

Through the Africa CDC, these vaccines will be distributed to affected countries. Furthermore, HERA is in collaboration with the Africa CDC with the aim to expand access to mpox diagnostics and sequencing in the region, with a €3.5 million grant foreseen for early autumn.

Africa CDC declared on 13 August a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security, to respond to the escalating public health concern across the region. Africa CDC has called upon the international community to support its efforts in mobilising 2 million vaccines, a call to which HERA has responded immediately.

Background

MVA-BN or Modified Vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic is a non-replicating smallpox vaccine and the only mpox vaccine approved in the EU/EEA and United Kingdom (marketed as IMVANEX®). U.S. and Switzerland (marketed as JYNNEOS®), and in Canada (marketed as IMVAMUNE®).  MVA-BN has been indicated for use in the general adult population (18 years and older) in individuals considered at risk for smallpox or mpox.

Currently, only two African countries have granted Emergency Use Authorization for the MVA-BN vaccine, but the WHO last week requested Bavarian Nordic to submit an Expression of Interest for Emergency Use Listing (EUL) of the vaccine, which could accelerate its accessibility to African countries where national regulatory approvals are not yet in place.

HERA has worked with Bavarian Nordic since the 2022 mpox outbreak, initially through direct procurement agreements, followed by the signing of a joint procurement agreement which has enabled EU Member States and additional countries in the European Economic Area (EEA) as well as Western Balkan countries to procure the mpox vaccine for national use.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

The increase in digital content consumption, the rapid expansion of cloud computing services and the ever-rising demand for high speed, low latency connectivity are just some of the factors that have led to the record levels of traffic being registered across the Angola Cables network (www.AngolaCables.co.ao).

“This milestone underscores Angola Cables’ growing responsibility and responsiveness to customer needs in West African markets, with an emphasis on improved Service Level Agreements (SLA). Our status as a reliable operator, fostering strong relationships with both local and international customers, is a testament to our resilience, commitment to good connectivity, security, and product diversity. In the long term, this reinforces the TelCables Nigeria brand, strengthening its position as a trusted name in the market,” said Fernando Fernandes, Chief Executive Officer for TelCables Nigeria (the local operation for Nigeria and West Africa countries of Angola Cables).

Rui Faria, Executive Board member and Chief Commercial Officer for Angola Cables, a global provider of network services and digital solutions said that many of the hyperscalers, content providers and other carriers have been using the South Atlantic configuration of the SACS, Monet and WACS cables as a convenient redundancy option to connect to destinations in the USA and the UK and Europe using EllaLink. “The recent cable faults experienced in parts of Africa and the Red Sea has resulted in large volumes of traffic being diverted to other cables. But apart from this, we have seen a steady and significant growth in overall traffic over our backbone network.”

“At present the Angola Cables fibre network point is accounting for more than 70% of the internet and data traffic flows to and from Africa,” notes Faria, “hyperscalers, streaming and gaming networks are using SACS as well as the Angola Cables’ backbone and its partner networks to connect to Europe and Asia at lower latencies.”

Angola Cables has also registered a substantial uptick in traffic volumes over the Monet Cable connecting the USA to South America, now accounting for over 20% of the data traffic between North and South America. “With the option to connect to the main centres in Europe via the EllaLink subsea cable and reduced latencies of around 30%, many companies are seeing this as an attractive option for their peering and IP Transit requirements.  

According to the Center for Applied Internet Data Analysis (CAIDA), Angola Cables AS 37468 is now ranked 24th in their official global rankings and the only African network operator in the top 50. The CAIDA rankings are determined by the ‘cone size’ or number of connections linked to its registered Autonomous System Number (ASN) and highlights the number of direct and indirect customers or links which is inferred from observed BGP paths. Today, Angola Cables’ has capacity across more than 80 000 km subsea cable network with multiple links to a growing number of data centres and global IXPs.

Faria maintains that the increase in traffic is strengthening Angola Cables’ position in the global and African market as a consistently reliable network service provider, allowing us to expand our services and invest in new technologies and strategic partnerships to better serve our customers.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Angola Cables.

NOTE TO EDITORS:
About Angola Cables:
Angola Cables is an internationally established ICT and digital solutions and network services provider and has been ranked as the most interconnected operator* on the African continent. Through our integrated IP networks and data centres, we provide extensive, low-latency, direct access connectivity to the largest IXPs, Tier 1 operators and global content providers.

Through our owned, high-capacity SACS, Monet, WACS and third-party submarine cable networks, the company directly connects to more than 30 Points of Presence and Internet Exchange Points in the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Asia.

Angola Cables also operates two data centres, AngoNAP Fortaleza Tier III (Brazil) and the data centre, AngoNAP Luanda (Angola), and manages PIX in Brazil and Angonix Angola – one of the largest Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) in Africa.  Through our partners and resellers in selected markets we offer advanced and secure connectivity solutions and services to a range of customers across multiple industries.

*The Center for Applied Internet Data Analysis (CAIDA) 2023

For more information, visit the website: www.AngolaCables.co.ao

About TelCables West Africa:
TelCables West Africa is a Nigerian provider of network services and digital solutions and is the local operation for Nigeria and West Africa countries of Angola Cables, an internationally established ICT multinational ranked* as the number 24 operator in the world.

The company also provides a wide range offer of Cloud and integration services, IP networks and integrated access to worldwide to data centres, which provide direct, comprehensive, and low-latency access connectivity to the largest IXPs, Tier 1 operators and global content providers.   

The company specializes in connectivity and IT solutions and services as well as the commercialisation of international data circuit capacity and IP Transit via submarine cables.

Our shared values and mission are to provide secure and low-latency connectivity to companies from West Africa to worldwide users. Our proven track record and dedicated team of IT and network professionals are here to partner you in expanding and advancing the capabilities of your network and business.

As the most connected network operator in Africa, we provide direct routings from West Africa to the USA and South America and from West Africa to London at the lowest latency. With our presence across several Nigerian IP hubs from Lekki, WACS CLS, Medallion DC, Rack Centre and others, and connections across Africa via the Djoliba network, we can connect your business to the world.

When Ibrahim Abdulrahman’s name was announced on national radio as the top performing student in the country’s high school examinations in 2020, his achievement was celebrated by everyone in his small mountainous village of Al-Dambaire in Sudan’s North Kordofan State.

“My friends could not believe the news,” Ibrahim recounted. “I ran to my parents and told them that I obtained the highest score in Sudan.”

He described the exuberant atmosphere in the village when local leaders including government officials visited his school the next day to congratulate him.

“It was a very happy moment for me,” he said.

Dreams on hold
Upon hearing the news, Ibrahim knew exactly what he wanted to do next. The following year, he enrolled at the University of Khartoum to study agriculture and pursue his long-term dream of becoming the country’s agriculture minister.

This dream was abruptly put on hold barely two years later when fierce fighting erupted in the capital, Khartoum.

“We hoped the situation would get better so we could continue with our work and education,” said Ibrahim. “But day by day the fighting got worse. After one month, I took the decision to head back home to North Kordofan, to my family.”

Now in its second year, the war in Sudan has disrupted education for millions of young people. More than 90 per cent of Sudan’s 19 million school-age children have no access to formal education according to the UN.

“By robbing children and young people of their education, the conflict is stealing their future,” said Kristine Hambrouck, the UN Refugee Agency’s Representative in Sudan. “The education of Sudan’s potential leaders like Ibrahim is at risk. Their dreams are being shattered by violence and displacement.”

Largest displacement crisis
Since 15 April 2023, when the war broke out, more than 10 million people have fled their homes in Sudan. This number includes over 2 million who have crossed into neighbouring countries in search of safety. It is now the largest displacement crisis in the world.

In Ibrahim’s village, in North Kordofan, armed groups were looting harvests and forcing people to abandon their farms. He and his family joined hundreds of others from surrounding villages and fled for their lives.

After 15 days of traveling – sometimes having to hide in the bushes – they reached Kosti city in White Nile State.

“I was happy to be safe,” said Ibrahim. “We are very grateful to those who provided food and shelter to my family and others when we came here.”

In White Nile State alone, 1.3 million Sudanese are living in displacement camps or are hosted by local communities.

The unprecedented influx has put pressure on the already limited community resources and public services like health care and water supply.

UNHCR is coordinating with the Government and other humanitarian agencies to provide displaced people like Ibrahim and his family life-saving assistance like food, water, health care, household items, and cash assistance. But the needs are multiplying every day.

“UNHCR and other humanitarian organizations in Sudan do not have enough resources to reach even the most vulnerable people. We urgently need more support to scale up our response,” said Hambrouck.

Lost future
Schools across the country have been turned from places of learning into shelters for the displaced. Ibrahim’s family is now staying in a primary school where up to 80 people are crammed into a single classroom with no privacy and not enough space to sleep. One wall is covered with black soot from the open fire families use to cook their meals together.

Every day that he wakes up in the classroom is a stark reminder of the education he is missing out on, but he has not given up on his dreams entirely.

“I still hope that one day the situation will be good in Sudan and war will stop,” he said. “We will go back to our normal life, and we will go back to our universities.”

“I still have hope of being the Minister of Agriculture or an economic expert.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, Ms Joy Maimela, has noted with shock the death of several learners in Gauteng yesterday.

She said: “This is indeed incredibly sad such young lives, dying so tragically. They will now never reach their full potential. The youth is the future, but South Africa will now never benefit from these young people.”

Ms Maimela was reacting to media reports that three Sebokeng’s Evaton Primary School learners, two of them were siblings got sick at school and were taken to a nearby health facility. They were declared dead on arrival at hospital and food poison is alleged as the cause of their death.

In a separate incident a Grade 8 learner from Tsakane Secondary School in Ekurhuleni died yesterday after she allegedly consumed rat poison. “We want to appeal to all learners to seek help if they feel overwhelmed. Schools normally have support systems in place and learners should make use of this,” said Ms Maimela.

Ms Maimela appealed to parents and care givers to be vigilant, especially during examinations periods with the nearing Grade 12 preliminary and final examinations. She called for a favourable atmosphere of study for learners at this time.

Ms Maimela also noted that the body of a Grade 10 learner was found in the storeroom late last week at the Overberg High School in Caledon, Western Cape. “This learner was sent to school in what is supposed to be a safe environment. Now her parents and loved ones will never see her thrive in life.”

She appealed to the authorities for greater safety in schools. “Furthermore, we appeal to the police for swift investigations and to ensure that they leave no stone unturned.”

The committee also noted several road accidents in recent weeks where learners lost their lives. Ms Maimela appealed to the providers of scholar transport, public transport owners to screen drivers before hiring them to ensure they are trustworthy for transporting learners. “Sadly, we are losing too many learners on our roads,” said Ms Maimela.

She added: “We want to convey our sincerest condolences to all the families, friends and school communities at large that have been affected by these tragedies.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa.