Day: January 26, 2023

An essential and timely contribution of €65.5 million from the European Union, received through its Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO), has been immediately put to work by WFP to address the unprecedented needs caused by the global effects of the war in Ukraine, climate shocks, conflict, and economic pressures.

The special funding was welcomed by WFP for its operations in DRC, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

“The number of severely hungry people in countries across Eastern and Southern Africa hit new peaks in 2022, and we continue to face an unprecedented global food crisis today,” said WFP Executive Director David Beasley. “As we begin a very uncertain 2023, the European Union has stepped up at a critical time for some of the most vulnerable communities on the planet, who live with the daily threat of starvation. We are truly thankful for their partnership.”

Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic said “The global food insecurity is our utmost concern, including in Eastern and Southern Africa . ?Just now, famine is already knocking on the door in Somalia. The newly-allocated funds will help those in a dire situation meet their emergency food needs. We remain committed to supporting our humanitarian partners, like the WFP, in providing assistance to those who need it the most.”

Much of the funding will go towards meeting the basic food and nutrition needs of millions of people across eastern and southern Africa. This includes, among other emergencies, the millions of people in need of assistance in Sudan, those affected by conflict in northern Mozambique, and Burundian and Congolese refugees in Tanzania.

Targeting eleven countries, the contribution allows WFP to provide life-saving assistance at a time when humanitarian needs continue to soar.

Source: World Food Programme

Brazzaville, Africa is emerging from the New Year travel season without a significant upsurge in COVID-19 for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

A total of 20 552 new cases were recorded in the first three weeks of January 2023, a 97% slump compared with the same period last year despite an uptick in cases in South Africa, Tunisia and Zambia over the past two weeks. The drop in reported new cases may be partially due to low COVID-19 testing rates, but of critical importance is that hospitalization for severe illness, as well as deaths have reduced significantly. As of 22 January 2023, there were 88 COVID-19-associated deaths reported in the region compared with 9096 in the same period 2022.

“For the first time since COVID-19 shook our lives, January is not synonymous with a surge. Africa is embarking on the fourth year of the pandemic with the hope of moving past the emergency response mode,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa. “However, with variants continuing to circulate, it’s important that countries stay alert and have measures in place to effectively detect and tackle any upsurge in infection.”

In 2022, Africa witnessed no major pandemic peaks, with upsurges lasting an average of three weeks before petering out. In contrast, the continent experienced two pandemic waves driven by more transmissible and lethal variants in 2021.

With the gradual slowdown in cases over the past year, a low-level transmission of the virus is expected to continue in the coming months with possible occasional upticks. It is crucial that countries maintain capacities to detect and respond effectively to any unusual surges in cases.

Over the past year, while African countries stepped up efforts to broaden vaccination, only 29% of the continent’s population has completed the primary series of vaccination as of 22 January 2023, up from 7% in January 2022. However, vaccination among adults aged 18 years and above rose from 13% in January last year to 47% currently.

Nonetheless, just four countries in the African region have vaccinated more than 70% of their population, 27 have vaccinated between 10% and 39%, while 11 have reached between 40% and 70% of the population. Vaccination among high-risk populations has seen some progress, with 41% of health workers fully vaccinated in 28 reporting countries, and 38% of older adults in 23 countries.

To further increase coverage, in addition to vaccination campaigns, it is important to integrate COVID-19 vaccination into routine health care services that take the needs of the most vulnerable into account. So far, 12 African countries have started integrating COVID-19 vaccination as part of regular health services.

“As the pandemic’s trajectory evolves, so should our approach. We are supporting countries to set up effective ways to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines are available, accessible and provided for the long run,” said Dr Moeti. “We know from experience that huge immunization gaps can provide a perfect springboard for the resurgence of vaccine-preventable infections. Even though COVID-19 cases are falling the pandemic can take an unexpected turn. But we can count on vaccines to ward off a catastrophic outcome.”

COVID-19 vaccination remains critical in protecting against severe illness and death, as the virus remains in circulation and continues to mutate.

In Africa, Botswana and South Africa are the only countries to have detected the XBB.1.5 Omicron sub-variant, one of the sub-lineages with public health implications. Genomic sequencing has slowed down as COVID-19 testing rates have declined. Over the past week, just three countries met the WHO benchmark of five tests per 10 000 population per week compared with 25 in the same period in 2022.

So far this year, 1896 sequences have been submitted. In the same period last year 7625 sequences were carried out. Sequencing is crucial to keeping track of variants as well as helping to mount timely and effective response.

Dr Moeti spoke today during a press conference. She was joined by Hon Wilhelmina Jallah, Minister of Health, Liberia; and Professor Tulio de Oliveira, Centre for Epidemic Response & Innovation (CERI), Stellenbosch University, South Africa.

Also on hand from WHO Regional Office for Africa to answer questions were Dr Thierno Balde, Regional COVID-19 Incident Manager; Dr Phionah Atuhebwe, Vaccines Introduction Medical Officer; and Dr Patrick Otim, Health Emergency Officer, Acute Events Management Unit.

Source: World Health Organization

African heads of state and development partners will discuss ways to increase Africa’s agricultural production at a summit in progress in Senegal. Climate change, soaring inflation, and the effects of Russia’s war on Ukraine have combined to make food security precarious throughout much of Africa.

The consensus throughout the three-day event has been that it’s time for Africa to end its dependence on food imports.

The continent has enough arable land to feed 9 billion people, yet it spends $75 billion each year to import more than 100 million metric tons of food, according to the African Development Bank, which organized the summit.

“Only a secure continent can develop with pride,” said Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank. “For there is no pride in begging for food. The timing is right. And the moment is now. My heart and my determination is that Africa feeds itself.”

Around 282 million Africans suffer from hunger, according to U.N. figures, and persistent drought has pushed some areas such as the Horn of Africa and Madagascar to the brink of famine.

Recent disruptions in the global food supply chain have also aggravated the issue.

Africa typically imports 30 million metric tons of food from the now warring nations of Russia and Ukraine, and energy, fertilizer and food prices have increased by 40 to 300 percent, according to the African Development Bank.

In order to become self-sufficient, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said, African nations must increase funding toward agricultural initiatives and rural infrastructure.

“To succeed, there is no doubt that we need to subsidize farmers,” he said. “We must reduce the rate of rural to urban migration through the development of rural areas. We must invest heavily in irrigation to help address the increasing frequency of droughts.”

Due to high lending risks, less than 3 percent of total financing from African commercial banks goes towards funding agriculture, Buhari said, and central banks must pick up the slack.

At a CEO roundtable Thursday, Ahmed Abdellatif, president of Sudanese business conglomerate CTC Group, said risks can be minimized with agri-insurance.

“If you're one of the unlucky half a percent where the rain does not come, it wipes you out totally, and you're in very big trouble," he said. "So agri-insurance would be a big enabler.”

Various speakers pointed to success stories on the continent. Ethiopia increased production of a heat resistant wheat variety from 5,000 to 800,000 hectares over a four-year period and is now on its way to becoming a wheat exporter.

The adoption of a drought-resistant maize variety in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda has more than doubled outputs.

In response to the conflict in Ukraine, Zimbabwe began producing its own fertilizer and wheat. Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the country expects to produce enough wheat to begin exports next year.

“A country must be ruled by the people of that country. A country must be developed by the people of that country," he said. "And a country must eat what it sows – that is village wisdom.”

The conference will continue through Friday.

Source: Voice of America