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The World Bank announced today that it is providing over $4 billion for the purchase and deployment of COVID-19 vaccines for 51 developing countries, half of which are in Africa. More than half of the financing comes from the International Development Association (IDA), the Bank’s fund for the world’s poorest countries, and is on grant or highly concessional terms. This financing is part of the Bank’s commitment to help low- and middle-income countries acquire and distribute vaccines and strengthen their health systems.

The World Bank reiterated its call to governments, pharmaceutical companies, and organizations involved in vaccine procurement and delivery to help increase transparency and build greater public information regarding vaccine contracts, options and agreements; vaccine financing and delivery agreements; and doses delivered and future delivery plans. It asked those countries anticipating excess vaccine supplies in the coming months to release their surplus doses and options as soon as possible, in a transparent manner, to developing countries with adequate distribution plans in place.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Bank Group has approved more than $150 billion to fight the health, economic, and social impacts of the pandemic. Since April 2020, the Bank has scaled up its financing by over 50 percent, helping more than 100 countries meet emergency health needs, strengthen pandemic preparedness, while also supporting countries as they protect the poor and jobs, and jump starting a climate-friendly recovery.
“The World Bank is helping developing countries in every region of the world with vaccine purchase and rollout,” said Axel van Trotsenburg, World Bank Managing Director of Operations. “Significant challenges still remain regarding vaccine deployment and hesitancy. We are taking action on all fronts to tackle these challenges, working in solidarity with international and regional partners to expedite doses to as many people as possible and to enhance disease surveillance, preparedness, and response.”
Full details of World Bank vaccine operations are posted on our vaccine operations portal, with regular updates. The $4 billion is supporting COVID-19 vaccination efforts in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Benin, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Comoros, the Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eswatini, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Kosovo, the Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Lebanon, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Moldova, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Rwanda, São Tomé e Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tajikistan, Togo, Tunisia, Ukraine, Yemen, and Zambia.
The Bank’s vaccine finance package is designed to be flexible. It can be used by countries to acquire doses through COVAX, the Africa Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT) or other sources. It also finances vaccine deployment and health system strengthening, such as vaccine cold-chains, training health workers, data and information systems, and communications and outreach campaigns to key stakeholders which are crucial to ensure vaccination acceptance. The Bank has aligned its eligibility criteria for COVID-19 vaccines with the revised eligibility criteria of COVAX and other multilateral partners.
The World Bank is partnering with the African Union and the World Bank-supported Africa Center for Disease Control to support AVATT initiative with resources to allow countries to purchase and deploy vaccines for up to 400 million people across Africa. The Bank is also convening a task force with the IMF, WHO, WTO, and other partners to track, coordinate, and advance delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to developing countries.
The Bank continues to work with governments and partners (UNICEF, the Global Fund, WHO, and GAVI) to assess the readiness of over 140 developing countries to deploy vaccines. Countries have made good progress since the publication of the effort’s first report. Latest findings show that 95 percent of countries have developed national vaccination plans, 79 percent have safety measures in place, and 82 percent have prioritizations of populations to receive the vaccine. However, only 59 percent have developed plans to train the large number of vaccinators needed and less than half have a plan in place to generate public confidence, trust, and demand for COVID-19 vaccines.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.

World Bank Financing for COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Exceeds $4 Billion for 50 Countries

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The African Development Bank’s (www.AfDB.org) incoming Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development, Dr. Beth Dunford, and Director for Agricultural Finance and Rural Infrastructure Development Atsuko Toda joined development leaders online to launch this year’s African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) Agribusiness Deal Room. The AGRF’s agriculture matchmaking platform initiative links some 4,000 actors in the agriculture sector to investment and networking opportunities.

In her first public engagement since her appointment, Dr. Dunford gave keynote remarks at a virtual session that drew more than 200 participants on Tuesday, 29 June. Dr. Dunford said that across Africa, there is a growing class of “agripreneurs” who are looking for investment, partnerships, technical knowhow and financing to scale up their business.

“The African Development Bank is excited to grow its partnership to this initiative. The Agribusiness Deal Room compliments our efforts to expand finance for agribusiness to enable small and medium enterprises to grow and attract new and innovative sources of sustainable capital,” she told the online audience.

Organized by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, this fourth edition of the Agribusiness Deal Room will be featured at the annual AGRF Summit that convenes stakeholders to facilitate partnerships and investments in African agriculture. The Agribusiness Deal Room specifically supports governments and companies with access to finance and partnership opportunities.

Dr. Dunford told session attendees that the platform aligns with the Bank’s Feed Africa Strategy (https://bit.ly/3hCzaMr), which seeks to ensure that the growth of the agricultural sector includes food security, and encourages inclusive growth by involving more women and youth. She also said Bank support of the Agribusiness Deal Room signals a commitment to a collective vision to accelerate Africa’s food system transformation.

“In my new capacity with the Bank, I’m looking forward to working with the AGRF and so many partners with us online, to see these food systems become more sustainable and more resilient,” Dr. Dunford added.

This year, the AGRF Agribusiness Deal Room will focus on addressing the challenges in agricultural lending to small and medium enterprises, or SMEs.

“The huge potential of the agricultural sector on the continent remains unmet, with agriculture potentially the engine of African economies. We designed the Deal Room to build the capacities of SMEs while at the same time connecting them with sources of financing. We are looking for investments and partnerships that will unlock the sector’s potential,” said Dr. Fadel Ndiame, Deputy President, AGRA.

The Bank is one of 24 Agribusiness Deal Room partners that bring complementary capabilities, resources, and networks to the platform.

Toda served on one of two discussion panels at Tuesday’s launch, the first focused &#8220;Investments for resilience, public and private sector strategies,&#8221; the latter, themed &#8220;Building SME capacity to mitigate risks for a sustainable African food system.&#8221;

Speaking to the theme of building SME capacity, Toda said that these often under-the-radar businesses play a key role in delivering food to African tables and in generating employment.

“SMEs are the engine of growth for food supply chains. If you look at any food supply chain, between 65 – 90% of the food supply is actually through small and medium enterprises,” Toda said.

“For people to have jobs in Africa – it is very difficult to get into the formal sector. So the informal sector &#8211; the small, medium enterprises &#8211; are so important for creating jobs on the African continent,” she added.

Dr. Dunford will be responsible for the Bank’s strategy, lending and other activities in agriculture, as well as in water and sanitation, education, health, and Bank-wide work on employment and gender equity.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Media Contacts: African Development Bank Alphonso Van Marsh Principal Digital Content and Events Officer Email: a.vanmarsh@afdb.org
AGRF Kingsley Ochieng Portland Communications Email: kingsley.ochieng@portland-communications.com Mobile: +254 715 548715
About the African Development Bank Group: The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 37 African countries with an external office in Japan, the AfDB contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org.

African Development Bank participates in launch of African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) platform linking Africa’s SMEs to investment opportunity

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In the margins of the G20 Ministerial event on 30 June in Brindisi, an EU Humanitarian Air Bridge flight, co-organised also with Italy and Portugal, will depart to Mozambique, carrying 15 tonnes of life-saving cargo addressing pressing humanitarian needs.

Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, who is attending the G20 event and the ceremony at the departure of the flight, said: “The humanitarian situation in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique continues to deteriorate at an alarming rate. We are sending a new EU funded Humanitarian Air Bridge flight to get vital aid to this hard to reach part of the country. I thank Italy and Portugal for providing the medical equipment and humanitarian cargo of the flight. It is essential that full humanitarian access is granted in critical parts of Mozambique to save lives.”
The flight is expected to arrive in Pemba, Mozambique, on 3 July 2021. Two more flights carrying additional humanitarian aid are expected to depart from Brindisi in the coming days.
Since the beginning of 2021, the EU has mobilised over €17 million in humanitarian funding for Mozambique, mainly to address the consequences of the ongoing internal conflict. EU aid helps to ease the suffering of the affected population including those internally displaced and host communities, provide education for children, while also better preparing communities to deal with natural disasters.
Background
The humanitarian situation in Mozambique, and especially in its provinces of Cabo Delgado, Niassa and Nampula is rapidly deteriorating. Nearly 2 million people in Mozambique are currently facing severe food insecurity due to the security situation, the drought, and the socio-economic impact of COVID-19. The fragile humanitarian situation in Mozambique&#39;s Northern Province, Cabo Delgado continues to worsen. An escalation of violence has internally displaced more than 700,000 people. At least 1.3 million people are estimated to require immediate humanitarian assistance and protection in Cabo Delgado and in neighbouring province of Niassa and Nampula.
The EU continues to advocate for greater humanitarian access and the removal of obstacles delaying the provision of the humanitarian assistance. The EU urges again all parties to the conflict to comply with international human rights norms and respect international humanitarian law.
In 2020, when many countries restricted traffic or closed their borders due to the coronavirus pandemic, the EU Humanitarian Air Bridge facilitated 67 flights to 20 countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas. More than 1,150 tons of vital medical and humanitarian equipment and nearly 1,700 medical and humanitarian staff and other passengers were transported.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of European Commission.

EU Humanitarian Air Bridge to deliver aid to Mozambique

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Tadej Pogacar (UAE-Emirates) won the stage 5 Tour de France individual time trial with a commanding performance while Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) managed to just hang onto the race leaders yellow jersey.

The 5th stage of the 2021 Tour de France was a 27km individual time trial finishing at Laval Espace Mayenne. Max Walscheid, who in the week prior to the Tour de France took the bronze medal at the German ITT Championships, was focused on delivering a strong performance for Team Qhubeka NextHash today.
After Simon Clarke and Nicholas Dlamini got around the course without issue, Walscheid was next to come home for Team Qhubeka NextHash and stopped the clock with what was the 4th fastest time at that point.
The majority of the field was still to finish though, including our riders Carlos Barbero, Sean Bennett, Michael Gogl and Sergio Henao. Walscheid&#39;s effort held strong in the top 10 for quite some time but once the GC riders started to come in, his time would slide down the rankings to eventually finish 28th on the stage.
Despite the yellow jersey staying on the shoulders of Van der Poel, there was quite a shift among the rest of the GC contenders.
Henao&#39;s respectable ITT effort saw him gain one spot on GC to sit in 24th place and +3&#39;55&#8243; down, with all the big mountain stages still to come.
Max Walscheid I emptied myself, and went full flat-out. I think I paced it well and tried to not overdo it in the first two climbs and then bring it as fast as possible to the line.
I’m happy with my race, did good values for myself and I’m confident about my legs.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Team Qhubeka NextHash.
NOTE TO EDITORS: Rights-free video, audio and image content is available via the following link here (https://bit.ly/3y5YzEL).
Media Contact: Jean Smyth (Head of Communications) Email: jean@ryder.co.za Mobile: +27 63 470 1710 or +31 625 739 033
About Team Qhubeka NextHash: Team Qhubeka NextHash is a purpose-led, high-performance team, fighting to win on the world&#39;s biggest stage, to inspire hope and create opportunity. Founded in 2007, Team Qhubeka NextHash (formerly NTT Pro Cycling) became the first-ever African cycling team to gain a UCI WorldTour license, in 2016.
We achieved our first major win in 2013 when Gerald Ciolek won Milan-San Remo, one of the five Monuments of cycling. We have competed in six Tour de France’s and notched up 7 stage wins, with Mark Cavendish wearing the coveted Yellow Jersey at the 2016 Tour de France.
We are a multicultural, diverse team with bases in South Africa, the Netherlands and Italy. There are 19 nationalities represented across our World Tour and continental feeder team rosters. Our focus on developing African cycling has resulted in more than 55 riders from the African continent be given the opportunity to race on the world stage, since the team&#39;s inception.
We race to help people to move forward with bicycles through our relationship with Qhubeka Charity. Through our work with Qhubeka, we have contributed to the distribution of over 30 000 bicycles in communities in South Africa.
About Qhubeka: Qhubeka is a charity that moves people forward with bicycles. People earn bicycles through our programmes, improving their access to schools, clinics and jobs.
A bicycle is a tool that helps people to travel faster and further, and to carry more. In the face of extreme and persistent poverty, bicycles can change lives by helping to address socioeconomic challenges at the most basic level – helping people to get where they need to go. 
All images attached to the press release can be used with the respective image credit in combination to this release.

GC riders take center stage on stage 5 of Tour de France

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Africa&#39;s agri-food systems must be transformed to make healthy diets more affordable for Africans. That is the central message of a new report launched today by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the African Union Commission (AUC).

According to the latest Africa Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition, Africans face some of the highest food costs when compared to other regions of a similar level of development. Nutritious foods, such as fruits, vegetables and animal proteins, are relatively expensive when compared to staples such as cereals and starchy roots, and, the report argues, some of the reasons for this are systemic.
Evidence presented in the report shows that nearly three-quarters of the African population cannot afford a healthy diet of fruits, vegetable and animal proteins, and more than half cannot afford a nutrient-adequate diet, which provides a mix of carbohydrates, protein, fats, and essential vitamins and minerals to maintain basic health. Even an energy-sufficient diet, which supplies a bare minimum of energy and little else, is out of reach for over 10 percent of the continent&#39;s population.
&#8220;The picture that emerges is that the agri-food systems in Africa do not provide food at a cost that makes healthy diets affordable to the majority of the population, and this is reflected in the high disease burden associated with maternal and child malnutrition, high body-mass, micronutrient deficiencies and dietary risk factors,&#8221; FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa Abebe Haile-Gabriel said with William Lugemwa UNECA&#39;s Director of the Private Sector Development and Finance Division, and Josefa Sacko, African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment in the report&#39;s joint foreword.
&#8220;A common vision, strong political leadership and effective cross-sectoral collaboration, including the private sector, are essential to agree on trade-offs and identify and implement sustainable solutions to transform agri-food systems for healthy, affordable diets,&#8221; they said.
‘Unacceptably slow&#39; progress on ending malnutrition
Overall progress in meeting global nutrition targets remains unacceptably slow in Africa, according to the report. Sub-Saharan Africa is the only region in the world where the number of stunted children continues to rise. Although the prevalence of stunting is declining, it is falling only very slowly and despite progress, nearly a third of the children in sub-Saharan Africa are stunted.
Only three countries, Eswatini, Kenya and Sao Tome and Principe, are on course to meet four of the five World Health Assembly nutrition targets. Three other countries, Ghana, Lesotho and Rwanda, are on track to meet three of the targets.
The report also states that current food consumption patterns in Africa impose high health and environmental costs which are not reflected in food prices. Including these costs would add US$0.35 to each dollar spent on food in sub-Saharan Africa.  
Rebalancing diets to include more plant-based foods would reduce the cost of diets and lower health and environmental costs. Compared to current average diets, diets that are more plant-based would reduce the full cost of diets, including health and environmental costs, by 11-21 percent in low-income countries.
Transforming agri-food systems for affordable, healthy diets
The findings highlight the importance of prioritizing the transformation of agri-food systems to ensure access to affordable and healthy diets for all, produced in a sustainable manner. Smart policies and interventions throughout agri-food systems are needed to raise yields, lower costs, promote nutritious foods, and reduce health and environmental costs.
Within the African context, essential interventions include increased investment in research and extension to improve yields, especially of nutritious foods, and greater efforts to adopt modern farming technologies. Production must be intensified in a sustainable manner, the report argues, along with interventions to improve land governance, empower women farmers, reduce post-harvest losses and improve market access.
Other efforts required include micronutrient fortification of staple foods, better food safety, improved maternal and child nutrition and care, nutrition education, and government policies that promote access to nutritious food through social protection, poverty reduction and income inequality.
Key facts and figures
• Nearly three-quarters of Africans cannot afford a healthy diet
• Over half of all Africans (51%) cannot afford a nutrient-adequate diet
• An energy-sufficient diet is beyond the means of one in every 10 (11.3%) Africans
• Of the 185.5 million people globally who cannot afford an energy-sufficient diet, the vast majority (80%) live in Africa
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

New report finds fruit, vegetables, protein remain out of reach for most Africans

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The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) (www.ITFC-idb.org), a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group, continues its ongoing commitment to strengthen private sector development in Burkina Faso through its latest Murabaha financing agreement with Coris Bank International (CBI). The Euro 20 million agreement is part of the West Africa SMEs Program, a flagship program of ITFC aimed at improving access to finance for SMEs in the region by providing them, as well as partner banks, with credit and capacity building facilities.

It is estimated that SMEs represent 90% of businesses and provide 80% of private sector jobs in West Africa. However, they often struggle to convince financial institutions of the creditworthiness of their businesses and financing requests. ITFC’s West Africa SMEs Program enables entrepreneurs in the region to strengthen business viability by accessing capacity development training in the crucial areas of accounting and finance, business plan development, and management best practices amongst others. In tandem, it deploys assistance to banks to strengthen SME lending practices and modernize assessment tools and lending processes. The program is focused on the West African Economic&#038;Monetary Union (WAEMU) zone, which in addition to Burkina Faso includes Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo.
ITFC&#39;s CEO, Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol, reiterated the importance of the private sector in the Corporation’s overall trade finance and development focus for the region, commenting: &#8220;The private sector is the key to socio-economic transformation, and is at the heart of ITFC&#39;s strategy for the development of member countries. In Burkina Faso, where the initial pilot initiative was rolled out in 2018, the West Africa SMEs Program has already proven to be beneficial in reducing the trade finance gap for local businesses by enhancing entrepreneurial capacity and increasing their business viability. This latest financing will further boost the nation’s efforts to diversify its economy and strengthen private sector growth.”
Commenting of the latest financing agreement, Mr. Diakarya Ouattara, Managing Director of Coris Bank International said: “CBI has been a key partner in the implementation of the West Africa SME Program since it was piloted in Burkina Faso. The program has benefitted local SMEs to build capacity and at the same time enabled CBI to strengthen our SME lending practices. The result is the development of a stronger SME sector, which is fundamental to the economic future of the country.”
This latest agreement marks the fifth of its kind between ITFC and CBI for a total of more than US$62 million, which in addition to driving private sector development also serves to promote Islamic finance in the West African region.
In 2018, ITFC and the Government of Burkina Faso signed a five-year US$1.5 billion framework agreement to drive trade development in the country. Since 2008, ITFC has approved a total of US$2 billion in trade financing towards the country.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC).
Media Contact: Tel: +966 12 646 8337 Fax: +966 12 637 1064 E-mail: ITFC@itfc-idb.org Twitter: @ITFCCORP Facebook: @ITFCCORP LinkedIn: International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC)
About the International Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC): The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) is a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group. It was established with the primary objective of advancing trade among OIC member countries, which would ultimately contribute to the overarching goal of improving socioeconomic conditions of the people across the world. Commencing operations in January 2008, ITFC has provided US$55 billion of financing to OIC member countries, making it the leading provider of trade solutions for these member countries’ needs. With a mission to become a catalyst for trade development for OIC member countries and beyond, the Corporation helps entities in member countries gain better access to trade finance and provides them with the necessary trade-related capacity building tools, which would enable them to successfully compete in the global market.

International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) Extends EUR20 Million to Burkina Faso’s Coris Bank International as Part of ITFC’s Flagship West Africa SME Development Program

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Over 500 families living near Jowhar town, Middle Shabelle region, who were affected by recent severe flooding in the area have received emergency food and humanitarian relief in an effort coordinated by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and HirShabelle State authorities.

Last month, riverine flooding following persistent torrential rains in HirShabelle State left hundreds of families displaced, washed away crops, and destroyed schools, roads and bridges.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, floods in the Middle Shabelle region displaced a total of 66,000 people across 27 villages, destroyed over 40,000 hectares of cultivated land and damaged sanitation and hygiene facilities. 
Somalia is increasingly vulnerable to climate change, with climate-related events – mainly drought and flooding – having increased in frequency and intensity throughout the country, exacerbating humanitarian needs and undermining community resilience.
Consequently, through the HirShabelle State’s Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management provided emergency support to help the hundreds of families to cope with the devastating aftermath of the flooding.
During the food distribution exercise at the AMISOM base camp near Jowhar airfield, the HirShabelle State’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Abdi Mahad Qoorgaab, said the food aid would give temporary respite to the displaced families.
“We have started distributing food to families displaced by the recent flooding of River Shabelle, which destroyed their livelihoods. At least 500 households have benefited from today’s distribution, although the number of displaced in this area alone stands at 12,000. The need exceeds the available quantities of food, but we decided to distribute what we have to the most affected,” the minister said.
The AMISOM deputy chief of civil-military cooperation, Major Dedith Katihabwa, noted that in the face of food security and livelihood losses suffered by the people, more needed to be done to avert a crisis in the region.
“The available quantities cannot cover all the vulnerable families. The need for food and non-food items is immense. We all need to push for more lifesaving help for the thousands of families that are in a desperate situation,” said Maj. Katihabwa.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union Mission in Somalia.

African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) supports the delivery of lifesaving assistance to Jowhar families

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GE Healthcare (www.GEHealthcare.com) announces a partnership with the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of Congo to deliver mobile X-ray units and ECG machines to help efforts to fight COVID-19. The essential medical equipment will play an important role in supporting the diagnosis and the management of COVID-19, in a country where access to medical technology is extremely limited.

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, X-ray has emerged as a critical tool to help identify the different pulmonary abnormalities indicative of the disease, particularly in areas around the world with limited access to reliable real-time RT-PCR COVID testing. ECG devices provide clinical tools for physician to identify patient at risk for cardiac disease and track important changes in the ECG that may occur over time.
GE Healthcare will equip 82 sites around the country with innovative mobile X-ray&#038;ECG technology and will work collaboratively with users to ensure they are fully trained on how to get the best out of the equipment and provide the highest quality of care for their patients.
“We are extremely pleased to collaborate on this project. These technologies will be a key asset in our fight against Covid-19 and to improve access and quality of care for patients across the country” says Dr Baabo Kubuya, Coordinator of the Management Unit of the Healthcare System Development Project (UG-PDSS).
“We are delighted to be partnering with the Ministry of Health on this excellent example of care innovation aimed at improving health outcomes for the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo. We look forward to working closely with local healthcare professionals to help them fully realize the benefits for their patients of this potentially life-saving medical equipment&#8221; says Martial Kouadio, Regional Projects Sales Manager for GE Healthcare.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of GE.
About GE Healthcare: GE Healthcare is the $18 billion healthcare business of GE (NYSE: GE). As a leading global medical technology and digital solutions innovator, GE Healthcare enables clinicians to make faster, more informed decisions through intelligent devices, data analytics, applications and services, supported by its Edison intelligence platform. With over 100 years of healthcare industry experience and around 50,000 employees globally, the company operates at the center of an ecosystem working toward precision health, digitizing healthcare, helping to drive productivity and improve outcomes for patients, providers, health systems and researchers around the world. Follow us on Facebook (https://bit.ly/3h41JmM), LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/3h6sNBH), Twitter (https://bit.ly/3dq0NH2) and Insights (https://bit.ly/3hl6zLd), or visit our website www.GEHealthcare.com for more information.

GE Healthcare partners with the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of Congo to help efforts to fight COVID-19

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The acquisition of BidAir Services, South Africa’s largest ground handling company from the BidVest Group was closed on XX June 2021. National Aviation Services (NAS) (www.NAS.aero), Colossal Africa and a consortium of current executive management from BidAir Services announced the closing after the fulfillment of all final requirements from the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) and other regulatory approvals.

Following the acquisition, BidAir Services becomes NAS Colossal Aviation Services and is part of NAS, the largest airport services network in Africa. The company will continue to provide comprehensive ground handling services to nine South African airports and serve 28 airline customers in the country. This includes the three main international airports &#8211; O.R. Tambo International in Johannesburg, Cape Town International and King Shaka International in Durban as well as international carriers including Emirates, British Airways, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Air France, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways and RwandAir.

NAS and Colossal are committed to the overall development of NAS Colossal Aviation Services while reinforcing its capabilities and service to customers. Training, technology and sustainability initiatives also feature prominently on the priority list for further investments.

All the partners are currently driving efforts to ensure a smooth transition without any disruption of customer operations, services or employees.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Aviation Services (NAS).
For additional information or media queries, please contact: Nita Bhatkar Sr. Manager &#8211; PR&#038;CSR National Aviation Services (NAS) C: +965 97223703 E: NBhatkar@nas.aero
About National Aviation Services (NAS): National Aviation Services (NAS) is the fastest growing aviation services provider in the emerging markets.
Established in 2003, NAS quickly transformed from a Kuwait based ground-handling company into an emerging markets leader in the industry. NAS is present in over 50 airports across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, handling seven of the world’s top 10 airlines and managing more than 50 airport lounges.
With an employee base of over 8,000 capable and experienced employees at the core of its worldwide network, NAS is committed to providing aviation services that benchmark to the best in the world.
The NAS portfolio of services includes ramp and passenger services, cargo management, engineering and line maintenance, airport technologies, fixed base operations, terminal management, aviation training, travel solutions, lounge management and meet-and-assist packages.
Affiliated with leading industry organizations, NAS follows international aviation standards with certifications from ISO, EMS, RA3 and OHSAS practices. NAS is one of the first ground handlers in the world to obtain the IATA’s Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) certification illustrating the company’s commitment to providing high quality services, with a focus on safety and security.
For more information about NAS visit: www.NAS.aero.
About Colossal Africa: Colossal Africa is the coming together of two phenomenal women from South Africa: Gwen Mahuma and Cingashe Motale. This formation came from a common vision and desire for a better Africa as well as a more ethical and collaborative approach to deal-structuring on the continent.
This 100% Black and Women-Owned (BWO) Investment Holdings company has a significant footprint and network in various countries in Africa. This Level-1 B-BBEE rated company has an extensive track record of having worked with some of the biggest and most exciting brands on the continent in various capacities. Colossal Africa has experience in the Steel industry, manufacturing, and construction sectors. In the countries where it has identified projects, the company has strategic partners that have been specifically identified to satisfy local empowerment laws, local knowledge as well as local content requirements. Its areas of focus include: Aviation; Infrastructure Development; Rolling Stock; Construction and Logistics.
Colossal Africa’s investment opportunities are driven by the company’s need to contribute towards real transformation and empowerment; this is achieved through strategic acquisitions and collaborations with technical partners in chosen sectors both locally and internationally. The company continues to focus on identifying and investing in economically viable business opportunities in various and very strategic sectors.
What remains crucial for Colossal Africa is its focus on the development of local capabilities, while building a globally competitive company. For Colossal Africa, these kinds of acquisitions provide the company with just that – an opportunity to share best practice ideas and expertise of its international associates with the ultimate objective of ensuring optimum skills transfer and growth of local business. This acquisition in particular allows Colossal Africa to contribute towards the sustainability of the air transport system on the African continent.

National Aviation Services (NAS) and Colossal Africa Close on Acquisition of BidAir Services

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Launched on 1 January the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement will create the largest free trade area in the world measured by the number of countries participating. The pact connects 1.3 billion people across 55 countries with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) valued at $3.4 trillion. It has the potential to lift 30 million people out of extreme poverty but achieving its full potential will depend on putting in place significant policy reforms and trade facilitation measures.

The agreement aims to reduce all trade costs and enable Africa to integrate further into global supply chains – it will eliminate 90 per cent of tariffs, focus on outstanding non-tariff barriers, and create a single market with free movement of goods and services. Cutting red tape and simplifying customs procedures will bring significant income gains. Beyond trade, the pact also addresses the movement of persons and labour, competition, investment, and intellectual property.

The scope of AfCFTA is sizable. The agreement will reduce tariffs among member countries and cover policy areas such as trade facilitation and services, as well as regulatory measures such as sanitary standards and technical barriers to trade. It will complement existing subregional economic communities and trade agreements in Africa by offering a continent-wide regulatory framework and by regulating policy areas, such as investment and intellectual property rights protection, that so far have not been covered in most subregional agreements in Africa.

According to the World Bank AfCFTA can provide a spark for the region. By 2035, it estimates that implementing the agreement would contribute to lifting an additional 30 million people from extreme poverty and 68 million people from moderate poverty. Real income gains from full implementation of the agreement could increase by 7 percent, or nearly US$450 billion. As African economies struggle to manage the consequences of COVID-19, AfCFTA can provide an anchor for long-term reform and integration.

&#8220;The AfCFTA is a critical response to Africa’s developmental challenges,&#8221; His Excellency Wamkele Keabetswe Mene, Secretary General, who is speaking at Africa Oil Week to be held in Dubai between 8th and 11th of November says. &#8220;It has the potential to enable Africa to significantly boost intraAfrica trade and to improve economies of scale through an integrated market. It has the potential to be a catalyst for industrial development, placing Africa on a path to exporting value-added products and improving Africa’s competitiveness both in its own markets and globally. It also sends a strong signal to the international investor community that Africa is open for business, based on a single rulebook for trade and investment.

&#8220;The global economy is on the brink of a new industrial revolution, driven by new-generation information technologies such as the Internet of Things, cloud computing, big data and data analytics, robotics and additive manufacturing. All of this presents challenges and opportunities for the AfCFTA.&#8221;

Building on a rich resource base
One of the industries that can benefit from AfCFTA is the energy sector, both the traditional oil and gas operators as well as the growing number of renewable enterprises. Like the rest of the world Africa is embarking on an energy transition but with oil and gas and mineral resources accounting for more than 75 per cent of the continent&#39;s exports and with the potential for growth in oil and gas high, it will still have a role to play in the short and mid-term. Estimations vary but recent figures put Africa&#39;s proven gas reserves at 487.7 tcf with proven oil reserves in the region of 125 billion bbl. However, trade barriers such as high import tariffs have left many African countries vulnerable to the international market, which resells its resources at higher prices.

The AfCFTA will potentially end this practice as oil and gas producing countries will benefit from global markets as well as the domestic market. Focusing more on growing intracontinental oil and gas trade will give countries autonomy to govern their international trade agreements, which have often left African countries on the losing end. Analysis indicates that the AfCFTA will make room for the generation of GDPs that can positively impact African economies’, create employment, and impact infrastructural development. While this is a necessary benefit that will positively impact Africa, it is already a continent plagued by corruption, which has resulted in the delayed development of essential infrastructure required to facilitate the ease of trade through the AfCFTA.

Driving the energy transformation
For African countries, the green energy transition presents both opportunities and challenges. On the one hand, the huge energy deficits in production and access, combined with abundant renewable energy resources, can underpin a relatively rapid and encompassing shift to green energy. On the other hand, challenges related to access to finance, investment risk and the absence of needed technical and human capacities may impede this transition.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), over 600 million people in Africa have no access to electricity and a further 900 million people cannot access clean cooking energy. These figures do not however tell the entire story as there is significant variation across countries. For example, in South Sudan the percentage of the population with access to electricity is as low as one per cent while countries such as Egypt, Algeria, Libya and Tunisia can boast 100 per cent access. The South African Institute of Economic Affairs claims that this disparity is shaped by several factors including state capacity, quality and effectiveness of existing policy and institutional frameworks, and the ability of countries to tap into global knowledge and resources.

In its policy brief &#39;Accelerating Green Energy Transition in Africa Through Regional Integration&#39; the SAIIA states that individually, most African countries lack financial, technical, and human capacities needed to fully implement a green energy transition. This indicates an important role for some collaboration, both between African countries and with external partners, to enable Africa to address its energy deficit. While many modalities for financing African green energy transition have been highlighted in the policy discourse, two recent trends seem promising in fast tracking the transition process. First is the AfCFTA, which promises to build regional market for goods and services, with free movement of persons and investment. By consolidating small, poor, and fragmented African countries into one strong market, the agreement can change the dynamics in terms of access to funding, human capital, and technology for the green energy sector. The second important trend is the evolving Europe-Africa relationship.

A regional approach to addressing the African energy deficit is not new, as regional power pools already exist, through which African countries manage power generation and distribution. The AfCFTA directly and indirectly addresses these challenges, which will both improve the prospect of regional power pools succeeding, as well as greater acceleration towards green energy. First, the AfCFTA intends to scale investment in regional infrastructural projects and given that renewable energy is a significant component of regional power pools, this can accelerate the transition to green energy. The second phase of negotiations is centred on protocols for cooperation on investment, intellectual property rights and competition policy. This protocol provides for national and continental investment as well as support for existing investment promotion agencies like the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA).
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Oil Week.
For more information please contact: On behalf of Africa Oil Week Shelby O’Brien Email: shelby.obrien@hyve.group

About Africa Oil Week: Africa Oil Week (https://Africa-OilWeek.com) is the meeting place of choice for the continent’s upstream oil and gas sector. Now entering its 27th year, the event brings together governments, national and international oil companies, independents, investors, the G&#038;G community and service providers.

Driving Africa’s energy future with the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement

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In the context of the ongoing meeting of the LPDF in Switzerland, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Libya, and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Ján Kubiš, held today consultations with representatives of France, Germany, Italy, UK, and US (P3+2 ), following telephone conversations in the previous days with some other international partners including Russia and Morocco and Libyan high-level representatives to discuss progress made so far towards the implementation of the LPDF Roadmap, in line with the Berlin II Conference Conclusions and the UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2570 (2021), including the need to have an agreed constitutional base as soon as possible to enable holding the national elections on 24 December 2021.

The international partners encouraged all relevant Libyan actors, in particular, the LPDF members gathered in Switzerland to make progress on their pledges to facilitate holding the national elections on 24 December by developing a consensual proposal on the constitutional basis for the election, upholding by this their commitment to the people of Libya to facilitate holding of the elections.
The international partners reiterated their support for holding the elections as stipulated in the LPDF Roadmap and for the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement including the opening of the coastal road, as well as the withdrawal of mercenaries, foreign fighters, and foreign forces without any delay in accordance with UNSCRs 2570 (2021) and 2571 (2021). 
The Special Envoy and international community members renew their call on all relevant actors and institutions in Libya to comply with UN Security Council Resolutions  2570 and 2571,  the LPDF Roadmap, and Berlin II conclusions, to live up to their national responsibilities and facilitate the constitutional basis and enact the legal framework to enable the holding of national elections on 24 December.
The Special Envoy welcomes the EU Council decision on 21 June to “clarify that the criteria for the imposition of restrictive measures (in view of the situation in Libya) also include persons and entities obstructing or undermining the elections planned for in the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum Roadmap. This is in line with the United Nations Security Council resolution 2571 (2021).”
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).

Special Envoy for Libya and international partners urge Libyan actors including Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) members to expeditiously establish the constitutional basis for elections

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The Executive Boards of the World Bank&#39;s International Development Association (IDA) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have determined that Sudan has taken the necessary steps to begin receiving debt relief under the enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. Sudan is the 38th country to reach this milestone, known as the HIPC Decision Point.

Debt relief will support Sudan in implementing essential reforms to improve the lives of its people by allowing the freeing up of resources to tackle poverty and improve social conditions. Sudan’s external public debt will be irrevocably reduced – through HIPC debt relief and other debt relief initiatives anchored to the HIPC initiative &#8211; by more than US$50 billion in net present value terms, representing over 90 percent of Sudan’s total external debt &#8212; if it reaches the HIPC Completion Point in about three years’ time.
In addition, as Sudan continues on its path towards peace, stability and development after more than 30 years of isolation from the international financial system, the normalization of its relations with the international community will enable access to critical additional financial resources to strengthen the economy and improve social conditions.
“Today marks an important milestone that will enable Sudan to significantly reduce its debt burden. This is a potentially transformative outcome for a nation of 44 million people that has suffered conflict, instability, and economic isolation for decades,&#8221; said World Bank Group President David Malpass following the World Bank Executive Board discussion on June 28, 2021. “The World Bank has been providing pre-arrears clearance grants to Sudan and supporting the Sudan Family Support Program, and I am looking forward to further scaling up our engagement to improve the living conditions of the Sudanese people.&#8221;
“I would like to congratulate the Sudanese government and people for their steadfast efforts over the past year leading to this historic milestone under challenging conditions exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Kristalina Georgieva, IMF Managing Director. “Successful reform efforts have laid the groundwork for fostering inclusive economic growth and addressing the needs of the most vulnerable people. Sudan needs to sustain and expand the implementation of these reforms — and in doing so it can count on the IMF’s continuous support to secure a more prosperous future.”
“This decision is an important milestone which will support Sudan’s reform and development agenda and our efforts to move away from the past and foster better lives for our people,” said Abdallah Hamdok, Prime Minister, Republic of Sudan. “The journey leading to this decision required hard work, dedication and strong partnership with the international community. This is a big day for Sudan and reaffirms that all the efforts and sacrifices of Sudanese people are recognized and rewarded. The Government of Sudan expresses its appreciation to the IMF, the World Bank Group, and other partners for their unwavering support and to the Sudanese people for their resilience, patience, and dedication in these trying times.”
Sudan is committed to strengthening macroeconomic stability; implementing policies to reduce poverty; and putting in place a set of reforms focused on fiscal sustainability, exchange rate flexibility, expanding the social safety net, strengthening the financial sector and improving governance and transparency, in order to reach the HIPC Completion Point. The World Bank and the IMF will continue working together to provide the technical assistance and policy guidance needed by the authorities to achieve these goals, including in the context of the new, 39-month IMF financial arrangement.
In addition, following the arrears clearance, the World Bank has unlocked substantial project financing through IDA, which will provide nearly US$2 billion in grants for poverty reduction and sustainable economic recovery – with a focus on enhancing competitiveness, transparency and accountability; increasing investment in irrigation and agriculture to support sustainable livelihoods; supporting access to energy, water, health, and education; creating jobs; and creating entrepreneurship opportunities for women and youth.
The leaderships of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund express gratitude to their member countries of all regions and income levels, in particular Canada, France, Italy, Malta, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, together with the European Commission, whose interventions and additional grants helped catalyze international support and raise the necessary financial resources to help Sudan reach the Decision Point. They would also like to thank other countries which went through their budgetary processes to contribute: Austria, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and Turkey.
Details of the Debt Relief Operation
At the start of the HIPC process, Sudan&#39;s total public- and publicly guaranteed external debt was estimated at US$56.2 billion in NPV terms. Application of traditional debt relief mechanisms reduces this debt to US$30.9 billion.
 	Additional debt relief under the enhanced HIPC Initiative is estimated at US$23.3 billion in NPV terms. Of this amount, US$4.6 billion, US$17.0 billion, and US$1.7 billion are projected to be provided by official multilateral, bilateral, and commercial creditors, respectively. 	Paris Club creditors have provided financing assurances for interim debt relief to Sudan. The largest Paris Club creditors for Sudan are France, Austria, the United States, Belgium, and Italy. The IMF Executive Board has approved interim debt relief assistance on debt service falling due to the IMF in the period between the HIPC Decision and Completion Points. At the HIPC Completion Point, Sudan’s current debt due to the IMF will be paid with the proceeds of voluntary financial contributions that have been received from over 100 IMF members, including many low-income countries. 	Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI). MDRI debt relief from IDA and the African Development Bank would cancel all remaining claims at the Completion Point. 	Altogether, Sudan’s external debt burden is expected to fall from about US$56 billion (163 percent of GDP) in NPV terms as of end-2020 to US$6 billion (14 percent of GDP) once the Completion Point is reached and with the participation of all creditors. 

IMF and World Bank Arrears Clearance Operations
 	Arrears to IDA were cleared on March 26, 2021 through bridge financing provided by the United States, reimbursed with the proceeds of a Development Policy Grant primarily funded from IDA’s Arrears Clearance Set Aside in IDA19. 	Arrears to the African Development Bank Group were cleared on May 12, 2021 through bridge financing provided by the government of the United Kingdom and contributions from Sweden and Ireland. The bridge loan from the UK was reimbursed via the proceeds of a Policy Based Operation Grant. 	Arrears to the IMF were cleared on June 29, 2021 with the assistance of bridge financing from the government of France, which the authorities reimbursed using front-loaded access under the new IMF financial arrangement. 

The HIPC Initiative
In 1996, the World Bank and IMF launched the HIPC Initiative to create a framework in which all creditors, including multilateral creditors, can provide debt relief to the world&#39;s poorest and most heavily indebted countries to ensure debt sustainability, and thereby reduce the constraints on economic growth and poverty reduction imposed by the unsustainable debt service burdens in these countries. To date, 38 HIPC-eligible countries, including Sudan, have reached Decision Point, of which 36 have reached Completion Point.
Created in 2005, the aim of the MDRI is to further reduce the debt of eligible low-income countries and provide additional resources to help them reach their development objectives. Under the MDRI, three multilateral institutions—the World Bank’s IDA, the IMF and the African Development Fund—provide 100 percent debt relief on eligible debts to qualifying countries, at the time they reach the HIPC Initiative Completion Point. Sudan will receive additional debt relief under the MDRI from the World Bank Group and the AfDB Group, but it is not eligible for MDRI debt relief from the IMF because Sudan does not have any outstanding MDRI-eligible loans from the IMF. Sudan, however, is expected to be considered by the IMF for “beyond HIPC” debt relief, as was done in the case of Liberia and Somalia, which would amount to 100 percent debt relief on eligible debt from the IMF.
The IDA and IMF Executive Boards met on June 28, 2021; the IMF Executive Board’s decisions became effective on June 29, 2021.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.

Sudan to Receive Debt Relief Under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative

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Women, Peace and Security (WPS) stakeholders from across West Africa, will meet both physically and virtually, at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) (www.KAIPTC.org) on July 7th. The conference aims to facilitate fruitful exchanges on the past implementation of the WPS Agenda, its meaningful grounding presently in West Africa, and what’s next for the WPS agenda’s future.

While the African continent is still making strides to advance women’s empowerment, several challenges continue and underscore the need for women to actively participate in the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. KAIPTC has partnered with the Executive Secretariat of the G5 Sahel (SEG5S) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), via the Partnerships for Peace Project (P4P), to convene a regional conference that will provide a platform for stakeholders to exchange evidence-based knowledge and research to support the implementation of the WPS Agenda. The conference will also offer an opportunity for participants to share practical steps on moving forward with the agenda within their respective space based on their key take-aways gleaned from the conference.    
Under the theme ‘Our Stories, Lessons and Marching Forward’, the one-day semi-virtual regional conference will feature governments and civil society actors, from West Africa, and will allow them to present their state of advancement on gender, peace and security policies and interventions in their countries; and to highlight initiatives, key interventions, and activities in response to the WPS agenda.
Participants will include subject-matter experts from government agencies in charge of the implementation and integration of gender-related policies, and experts in civil society organizations, academia, practitioners, development partners and others. The conference will provide the needed space for dialogue that meaningfully contribute to pushing back on the contextual bottlenecks and challenges that hamper or could potentially hamper the advancement of the WPS Agenda moving forward.
The UN Resolution 1325: UNSCR 1325 was adopted in October 2000 by the United Nations Security Council to specifically address gender-based issues. It reaffirmed the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts. With women and children accounting for the majority of those adversely affected by armed conflicts, the resolution was considered landmark for many reasons. It recognized the experiences of women in conflict and post conflict situations, and acknowledged the contributions, or otherwise, absence of women in conflict resolution, prevention, and peacebuilding process. It further called on all stakeholders and actors to ensure the inclusion and mainstreaming of gender perspectives in all UN peace and security efforts as well as efforts towards the prevention of conflict, and peacebuilding processes.
After 20 years in existence, Peace and Security experts and Gender advocates around the world are celebrating the progress, lessons, and threats to re-strategize. The book of progress has recorded somewhat impressive documents on Africa as far as the implementation of the resolution is concerned. The African Union (AU) through the establishment of normative instruments, such as the Maputo Protocol (2003) enjoins member states to address the concerns of women especially in conflict situations and engage women in peace processes. Furthermore, the establishment of the AU Directorate of Women, Gender and Development in 2000, the appointment of the AU Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security in 2014 and the creation of the Network of African Women in Conflict Prevention and Mediation (FemWise) in 2017, point to progressive efforts at achieving gender inclusiveness on the continent.
According to experts, the improved efforts at the continental, regional and national levels notwithstanding, there continues to be inequalities against women. These have been in the form of sexual violence, forced marriages, sexual slavery, and other forms of Gender Based Violence (GBV) to control women and or their communities and as a tactic of terror. Much as women may be victims of these terror acts, they have also actively participated in recruiting, fighting, performing suicide bombings, and producing the next generation of jihadists in cases of violent extremism. It is these ills that will engage the mind of the participants as they seek solutions to what is considered the UN’s greatest pact on women. 
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Training Centre (KAIPTC).
For more information about the event, kindly contact: Ms. Amma Addo-Fening Senior Stakeholder Engagement Officer at KAIPTC Amma.Addo-Fening@kaiptc.org
For media enquires, kindly contact: Mrs. Rosemond Aryeetey, Head of Corporate Affairs, KAIPTC; Rosemond.Aryeetey@kaiptc.org
Abigail Bondzie USAID P4P Communications Specialist comms@crea-p4p.com
About KAIPTC: The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) was established to build upon and share Ghana’s internationally acclaimed experience and competence in peace operations with other states in the ECOWAS region and the rest of Africa. The Centre delivers training courses in three thematic areas; Peace Support Operations, Conflict Management and Peace and Security Studies and also offers Master’s and PhD programmes in the same. The KAIPTC has a world-class research department that undertakes research in the thematic areas in Peace and Security. The Centre has established a Women, Peace and Security Institute (WPSI) that works to build African capacity to fully implement the Maputo Protocol, and support the implementation of the UNSCR 1325 and its resolutions on women, peace and security in the context of Africa. Please visit www.KAIPTC.org for more information about KAIPTC; follow us on Facebook and twitter @Kaiptcgh, or Instagram @Kaiptc.
About USAID Partnerships for Peace (P4P) Program: The Partnerships for Peace (P4P) program is a USAID project that contributes to the U.S. government&#39;s goal of reducing vulnerability to violent extremism in West Africa. The five-year program (September 2016-August 2021) is working with regional and national stakeholders in West Africa to develop a common understanding of violent extremism in the Sahel region. P4P also aims to improve the institutional capacity of organizations and governments to implement more effective and coordinated approaches to preventing violent extremism. At the regional level, the project supports the efforts of the G5 Sahel to assist their member states in developing effective and sustainable policies to counter violent extremism. At the national level, P4P assists governments in developing national level CVE strategies and action plans to mitigate the threat of violent extremism in their communities. Finally, the program seeks to support networks of civil society groups to improve coordination between stakeholders and enable a more streamlined approach to CVE. At this stage, the project covers Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, Mauritania, and the G5 Sahel Executive Secretariat.

Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), USAID to hold Regional Conference on the Future Outlook of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in West Africa

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Kenya’s gross domestic product (GDP) is projected to grow by 4.5 percent in 2021, signaling a partial recovery from the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic which caused growth to stall last year. Economic activity is estimated to accelerate to above 5 percent in 2022 and 2023, according to the latest World Bank analysis.

The prospects for Kenya’s continuing recovery, which is uneven across sectors with some still heavily affected by the pandemic, hinge on the progress of the vaccination effort. The base case is for adequate agricultural harvests and a pick-up in industrial activity aided by rising demand from the recovering global economy. However, many services activities face a longer path to recovery. According to the 23rd edition of the Kenya Economic Update, Rising Above the Waves, private consumption is expected to strengthen, supported by a recovery in wages and household incomes, and strong remittances. The report notes that consumer confidence and business activity should be supported by ongoing vaccination efforts and, over time, the return of mobility to pre-pandemic levels. Monetary policy accommodation is likely to continue in the near term, in the absence of inflationary shocks. The fiscal deficit is projected to shrink from 8.7 percent of GDP in FY2020/21 to 4.2 percent in FY2023/24 due to fiscal consolidation efforts.
“The outlook remains unusually uncertain and contingent on the course of the pandemic. We expect that Kenya’s economy will continue its recovery, albeit unevenly and for some sectors only gradually, supported by the government’s plan to vaccinate the entire adult population by mid-2022,” said Keith Hansen, World Bank Country Director for Kenya.
A slower deployment of vaccines due to supply challenges, logistical impediments to domestic distribution, and vaccine hesitancy, could weaken the recovery. Furthermore, external factors such as setbacks to the global economy due to a resurgence in infection rates could adversely impact the projected recovery in Kenya’s goods exports, tourism, and capital inflows. A slower than anticipated vaccination rollout, fiscal slippages, adverse weather conditions, and a weaker global economic backdrop could all challenge the projected recovery. In an adverse scenario, near term average growth would be lower, at 3.7 percent. On the upside, the pandemic’s economic impacts could fade faster than anticipated, including due to accelerated vaccination, leading to a faster recovery in economic activity.
Against this backdrop, policymakers face the challenge of controlling the pandemic, supporting economic recovery, and laying the foundation for green, resilient, and inclusive development, while reducing macro-financial vulnerabilities.
“Policymakers can support Kenya’s economic recovery by remaining responsive to the still very fluid pandemic situation, whilst prioritizing vaccination in the short term and fiscal consolidation over the medium term,” said Alex Sienaert, Senior Economist for Kenya. “The proposed FY2021/22 Budget reflects these priorities and its implementation would contribute to beginning to rebuild fiscal space.
The special focus section of this economic update provides an update on the labor market in Kenya as the country moves into a crucial period of its demographic transition. Over the next decade, Kenya’s labor force population will increase by an average one million per year, as the largest youth cohorts move into working age. To reap a potential demographic dividend, it will be imperative to build on Kenya’s development progress to date, reinvigorate economic transformation, and shift the labor force progressively into more productive activities. The COVID-19 pandemic has added to this already considerable challenge by disrupting economic activity and causing job losses. On the labor supply side, investments and reforms to strengthen human capital and social protection are at the center of enabling Kenya’s fast-growing workforce to participate in and drive jobs and economic transformation.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.

Kenya’s Economy is Staging a Partial Recovery but Uncertainty Remains High and Prospects Hinge on the COVID-19 Vaccination Drive

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SBL (http://bit.ly/2N8Smlk) initiative is part of a new Tshs 230 billion ($100 million) global Diageo programme to help outlets, and bars recover from COVID-19 and support jobs and communities around the world; The fund will roll out over the next two years benefitting over 2,000 outlets; It will include practical equipment for outlets to implement new social distancing measures, digital skills training and contactless technology.

Serengeti Breweries Limited (SBL) today announced a programme worth over 2.3 billion TSH to support bars and eateries in Dar es Salaam and other major towns to protect their staff and customers against the Covid-19 pandemic.  
SBL’s support comes to light as the world struggles to return to the business from the torment inflicted by the global pandemic (Covid-19). While everyone wants to transcend the journey from failure to triumph, which as a notion, provides food for thought, SBL has identified conditions critical against all communicable diseases in the country, which include COVID-19.
Dubbed “Raise the Bar” or “Tunyanyuke Pamoja”, it will be a two-year programme starting in July 2021, offering outlets with free access to digital training and support via www.diageobaracademy.com.
According to the company’s Managing Director Mark Ocitti, this initiative by SB also complements the government’s efforts to call on people and businesses to practice good hygiene to prevent themselves from communicable diseases, COVID-19 included.
“In our initiative, we will support resilience, resolve and re-imagination to on-trade in Tanzania. The ultimate goal is to rise again, hence the name of our new project, Raise the Bar or Tunyanyuke Pamoja. The project will cover 2,000 outlets in the cities of Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Mwanza,” he said
The project will support on-trade through ‘Tunyanyuke Pamoja’ in several ways, from training the outlet owners and staff against communicable diseases to providing technical equipment to transforming their outlets, according to Ocitti.
This program by SBL is part of a global campaign by Diageo to enable bars to respond to the impact of COVID-19. Other significant cities worldwide benefit from the program: Nairobi, Kampala, New York, London, Edinburgh, Dublin, Belfast, Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Sydney, and beyond.  
The “Raise the Bar” program was designed following a survey of bar owners to identify key priorities to support the reopening of their business. Their top priorities included hygiene measures, digital support and valuable equipment to transform how their outlets will work when they reopen. 
The “Raise the Bar” programme will provide targeted support to help pay for the physical equipment needed for outlets to reopen. For example, it can provide initial funding for: ‘hygiene kits’ with high-quality permanent sanitizer dispenser units, medical-grade hand sanitizers and a range of personal protection equipment (such as masks and gloves); help pubs and bars to establish partnerships with online reservations and cashless systems; mobile bars and outdoor equipment,” the MD elaborated.
From June 30th, bar owners will be able to register their interest in the “Raise the Bar” programme via www.diageobaracademy.com globally. Bar owners will receive regular updates on best practice training and resources and participate in global surveys to share insights as they build back their businesses.
The managing director added: ‘Our bars and eateries constitute a critical part of our hospitality and service industry. Their universe employs thousands of people and benefits many more indirectly. We have launched “Raising the Bar” because so many outlets have recorded business slowdown as a result of this health crisis and therefore, badly need to recover.”
SBL is a key stakeholder against COVID-19 in Tanzania since the first case of the pandemic was reported in the country. In March 2020, the company partnered with the ministry of health to create COVID-19 awareness to the public by distributing flyers and posters throughout the country. A month later, SBL donated sanitizers to the Ministry of Health, again supporting the country’s effort to combat the further spread of Covid-19. 
The impact of Covid-19 on the hospitality sector has been widespread, with the closure of venues. However, by providing access to free digital support, technology, training and equipment, Diageo aims to help any bar, anywhere, open its doors again.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Serengeti Breweries Limited (SBL).
Notes to editors:
• To be eligible to participate in the $100 million of targeted support from the “Raising the Bar” programme, outlets: • Must be registered as a legal entity (for tax purposes) or equivalent in each jurisdiction • Must have been operating for a minimum period of 12 months before introduction of any national or local lockdown restrictions due to Covid-19, affecting its ability to operate in a business in the usual manner • Must have a beer and/or spirits license or equivalent • Must demonstrate at least one way in which they are or plan to “Raise the Bar” in their community, including: promoting inclusion and diversity and job-creation in disadvantaged communities; promoting positive drinking and tackling harm or anti-social behavior; focusing on sustainability or community support; and providing skills training, especially those from disadvantaged groups.
For further information contact: John Wanyancha SBL Corporate Relations Director Tel: 0692148857 Email: john.wanyancha@diageo.com
About SBL: Incorporated in 1988 as Associated Breweries, SBL is the second largest beer company in Tanzania, with its beer brands accounting for over 25% of the market by volume. SBL has three operating plants in Dar es Salaam, Mwanza and Moshi.
Since the creation of SBL in 2002, the business has grown its portfolio of brands year on year. The majority stake acquisition by EABL/Diageo in 2010 has seen increased investment in international quality standards leading to greater job opportunities for the people of Tanzania.
SBL Brands have been receiving multiple international awards and include Serengeti Premium Lager, Serengeti Lite, Pilsner Lager, Pilsner King, Tusker Lager, Tusker Lite, Kibo Gold, Guinness stout and Senator. The company is also home to world&#39;s renowned spirits such as Johnnie Walker Whisky, Smirnoff Vodka, Gordon&#39;s Gin, Captain Morgan Rum and Baileys Irish Cream.

Serengeti Breweries Limited (SBL) unveils over 2bn/- a fund to help bars fight against communicable diseases in Tanzania, including COVID-19

Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers and does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group.
<iframe loading="lazy" height="360" width="640" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p9ecMobm4vY"></iframe>
Clickatell (www.Clickatell.com), the leader in mobile communications and chat commerce, today announced the launch of its Chat Desk and Chat Flow solutions delivering a superior customer experience through chat.

Clickatell combines the power of Chat Desk, a live-agent digital contact centre solution, with Chat Flow, a chat commerce workflow builder, providing automated chat with drag-and-drop, no-code, functionality. With this holistic solution, consumers will connect with brands through Chat Flow automated chat, also known as unassisted chat, and then if the consumer needs additional support, they seamlessly shift to a live agent or assisted chat, through Chat Desk.
By making customer service accessible with popular chat apps, brands eliminate long hold times for agents in contact centres, and meet consumers’ needs faster and more conveniently in chat apps that they already use daily. The adoption of chat is growing faster than any other digital channel with WhatsApp having over 2 billion global users and Facebook Messenger over 1.3 billion users.
“Clickatell’s Chat Commerce takes the wait, the frustration, and inconvenience out of the customer service experience for our clients,” said Cerika Henning, Business Development Executive at Company Partners (www.CompanyPartners.co.za). “Our customers are reassured quickly and conveniently that their inquiries will be taken care of through chat. Adding the chat channel as a method to engage with our consultants has been extremely effective and a great way to build trust with our customers.”
“Chat Desk and Chat Flow working together or separately make it easy for brands to meet consumers where they are consistently – on chat apps – enhancing customer experience while reducing friction associated with contact centre customer service,” said Jeppe Dorff, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Clickatell. “A number one reason consumers leave brands and abandon payments is due to bad and frustrating customer experience. Adding chat apps as a channel in contact centres makes brands easily reachable and prevents frustration. Added to this, chat increases customer engagement, creating an opportunity to up and cross sell to customers, turning a cost centre into a profit centre.”
In addition to the seamless integration between Chat Desk and Chat Flow, Clickatell has added several new features to Chat Desk including:
 	Pending Chats. This feature enables agents to mark live chats as pending when waiting unusually long for the customer to reply, effectively putting that chat “on hold.” As the agent may be dealing with multiple chats simultaneously, this effectively declutters their chat queue, helping the agent to focus their attention on chats that are currently live. 	Customer Surveys. A survey can be presented to a customer when a chat ends. This can be used to gather valuable feedback about a brand’s products and/or services and about the customer’s interaction with the agent, helping contact centres’ managers better manage their support teams. Either an NPS (Net Promoter Score) or CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score) survey can be configured. 	Auto Responders. Custom messages can be displayed to end-users in certain scenarios, such as when all agents are busy or when a customer has reached a business outside of support hours. 
Chat Flow has also been redesigned for a cleaner, fresher, more user-friendly experience and has the following new features and enhancements:
 	A new ‘Settings and Shortcuts’ menu was added. 	Workflow nodes can be sorted according to type, most used, or alphabetically. 	Users of the Clickatell Portal can approve and deploy their flows themselves instead of relying on Clickatell&#39;s help. 	Bi-directional location sharing is possible for Chat Desk customers via Chat Flow and One API. 
“To join the mobile chat revolution, brands with existing contact centre solutions don’t need to rip and replace, but instead can add or up-level their customer service by adding chat as an additional channel with Chat Desk and Chat Flow to boost productivity and customer experience,” added Dorff. “By doing so, brands put themselves in consumers’ contact lists right next to friends and family, and engage with consumers when they want to engage, which boosts the customer experience.”
Since chat is asynchronous communication, consumers can reach out from anywhere, anytime, get the company’s response, and then chat back at their convenience. With the seamless flow from automated chat to a live agent, consumers no longer have to repeat themselves because the chat content and history is there for the consumer, agent, and supervisor to see.
To learn more about Chat Desk, please click here (https://bit.ly/3x5HESw) or watch it in action here (https://bit.ly/3h5uXBL). To learn more about Chat Flow click here (https://bit.ly/3612FSv) or watch it in action here (https://bit.ly/3Ag7sgH).
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Clickatell.
Media Contacts: Clickatell Nadia Louw nadia.louw@clickatell.com +27(21)9107700 
Andrea Mahoney andrea.mahoney@clickatell.com 415-846-1543
About Clickatell: We create a better world through technology, making commerce in chat accessible for everyone, everywhere. Consumers can now connect with brands to find goods and services, make purchases, track orders, and resolve issues with a simple text or chat. No need for cash, phone calls, in-person interactions, or apps. Founded in 2000 with now over 10,000 customers, Clickatell is powering the digital commerce transformation through Chat Commerce. Clickatell is headquartered in Silicon Valley, CA and has offices in Canada, South Africa, and Nigeria.

Clickatell Launches Combined Chat Desk and Chat Flow Solution to Transform CX in Contact Centres

Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers and does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group.



The Pan-African banking group, the Ecobank Group (www.Ecobank.com), is the African Banker’s 2021 African SME Bank of the Year.



Ecobank beat a host of other banks in the African Banker Awards 2021 to take home the SME Award in a 2020 tumultuous year characterised by the Covid-19 pandemic which continues to ravage many African economies, with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) taking the greatest hit.



Among other criteria, the African SME Bank of the Year award 2021 recognises the bank which has significantly contributed to the development of the SME sector, thus helping them to build the economic backbone of the continent. Part of the entry criteria required that the winning bank has significantly catalysed funding into the private sector in Africa and promoted enterprise development by facilitating credit and access to finance for SMEs.



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Since the onset of Covid-19, the Ecobank Group has considerably ramped up investments in programmes targeting SMEs by expanding SME-focused lines of credit, providing technical assistance to SME development institutions and building SMEs’ capacity via linkage programmes in partnership with its strategic partners. The Group has been at the forefront of promoting gender inclusion and closing the gender finance gap through innovative initiatives such as ‘Ellevate by Ecobank’ that targets women-led and women-focused businesses across the continent.



Ecobank Group Executive, Commercial Banking, Josephine Ankomah, said “2020 was a year of unprecedented challenges on account of the Covid-19 pandemic. It required resilience and innovation. We needed to rethink our business and provide innovative ways to assist our SME customers to help them to survive the difficulties brought about by the pandemic. We are truly honoured to receive this recognition. Our immense gratitude goes to our staff, customers and partners who have made this possible.”



Some of the measures taken by the Bank to support SMEs in 2020 include:



Proactively instituting mitigating actions, including tenor extensions and moratoriums on interest, to assist SMEs to manage their loan repayments; Increasing the utilisation of digital channels, such as Ecobank Omni Lite, to provide customers with capabilities to make payments remotely and conveniently; Upskilling staff to ensure their capacity to help develop the SME sector; Collaborating with existing risk sharing partners, particularly Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), to share a portion of the risk associated with our lending to the SME sector; Partnering with tech giant Google to provide SME customers with the means to develop free online presence through the Google My Business platform; Collaborating with the African Union’s Development Agency &#8211; AUDA-NEPAD &#8211; to focus on strengthening Africa’s support for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and assist their recovery from the impact of the pandemic by empowering MSMEs with access to capabilities, markets and finance, so that they can play a pivotal role in restarting Africa’s economies; Launch of ‘Ellevate by Ecobank’ which is a women-owned and women-focused product offering women an end-to-end partnership, through which they gain access to both financial and non-financial services such as financial education, product information, networking and recognition; and



Growing the number of merchants using Ecobank’s point-of-sale (POS) terminals from 5,571 to 15,878, in addition to attracting significant onboards onto EcobankPay, our flagship QR collections platform, from 180,060 to 248,664.



Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ecobank.



Media Contact: Christiane Bossom Group Corporate Communication Manager Email: groupcorporatecomms@ecobank.com Tel: +228 22 21 03 03



About Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (‘ETI’ or ‘The Group’): Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (‘ETI’) is the parent company of the Ecobank Group, the leading independent pan-African banking group. The Ecobank Group employs over 14,000 people and serves about 29 million customers in the consumer, commercial and corporate banking sectors across 33 African countries. The Group has a banking license in France and representative offices in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Johannesburg, South Africa; Beijing, China; London, the UK and Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. The Group offers a full suite of banking products, services and solutions including bank and deposit accounts, loans, cash management, advisory, trade, securities, wealth and asset management. ETI is listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchanges in Lagos, the Ghana Stock Exchange in Accra, and the Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières in Abidjan. For further information please visit www.Ecobank.com.

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APO

World Bank Financing for COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Exceeds $4 Billion for 50 Countries

African Development Bank participates in launch of African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) platform linking Africa’s SMEs to investment opportunity

EU Humanitarian Air Bridge to deliver aid to Mozambique

GC riders take center stage on stage 5 of Tour de France

New report finds fruit, vegetables, protein remain out of reach for most Africans

International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) Extends EUR20 Million to Burkina Faso’s Coris Bank International as Part of ITFC’s Flagship West Africa SME Development Program

African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) supports the delivery of lifesaving assistance to Jowhar families

GE Healthcare partners with the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of Congo to help efforts to fight COVID-19

National Aviation Services (NAS) and Colossal Africa Close on Acquisition of BidAir Services

Driving Africa’s energy future with the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement

Special Envoy for Libya and international partners urge Libyan actors including Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) members to expeditiously establish the constitutional basis for elections

Sudan to Receive Debt Relief Under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative

Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), USAID to hold Regional Conference on the Future Outlook of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in West Africa

Kenya’s Economy is Staging a Partial Recovery but Uncertainty Remains High and Prospects Hinge on the COVID-19 Vaccination Drive

Serengeti Breweries Limited (SBL) unveils over 2bn/- a fund to help bars fight against communicable diseases in Tanzania, including COVID-19

Clickatell Launches Combined Chat Desk and Chat Flow Solution to Transform CX in Contact Centres

Ecobank Group named 2021 African SME Bank of the Year

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