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Malawi has registered 16 new COVID-19 cases, 28 new recoveries and no new deaths. Of the new cases, 13 are locally transmitted: six from Blantyre, five from Lilongwe, and one each from Chikwawa and Dowa Districts while three cases are imported: two in Salima (travelled from India) and one in Lilongwe (travelled from Brazil). No new deaths were registered.

Malawi has recorded 34,078 cases including 1,148 deaths (Case Fatality Rate is at 3.37%). Of these cases, 2,160 are imported infections and 31,918 are locally transmitted. Cumulatively, 32,051 cases have now recovered (recovery rate of 94.1%) and 134 were lost to follow-up. This brings the total number of active cases to 745. There were two new admissions in the treatment units while three cases were discharged.

A total of 12 active cases are hospitalised: six in Blantyre, four in Lilongwe, and one in Mzimba North Districts. On testing, 502 COVID-19 tests were conducted. Of these, 75 tests were through SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Diagnostic test while the rest were through RT-PCR. The positive cases out of the total translates to a positivity rate of 3.2% while a weekly positivity rate (seven days moving average) is at 2.8%. Cumulatively, 232,358 tests have been conducted in the country so far. On COVID-19 vaccination, cumulatively 296,127 doses have been administered in the country with 5,783 being administered in 24 hours.

Most of the confirmed COVID-19 cases that are reported on daily basis are locally transmitted indicating that we still have community transmission of COVID-19 in our country hence the need for strict adherence to the COVID-19 preventive and containment measures. Let me remind the public that some of the COVID-19 preventive measures have multiple benefits. Apart from preventing the spread of COVID-19, they also help reduce the spread of other diseases. For instance, handwashing with soap also helps prevent other diseases such as dysentery and Cholera. We should make frequent hand washing with soap as our daily habit with or without COVID-19. Face masks, apart from reducing the spread of COVID-19, also play an important role in the prevention and control of other infectious respiratory diseasessuch as influenza.

In order to reduce further the spread of coronavirus in our midst, the most important preventive measures we should adhere to are observing physical distancing, hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette including wearing facemask and ensuring adequate ventilation when having activities indoor. These measures are essential for reducing the spread of COVID-19.Everyone must continue taking steps to protect themselves and others from COVID-19 transmission. Further, it is important to avoid the ‘3 C’ settings where COVID-19 spreads most easily: crowds, close-contact settings and confined spaces. On COVID-19 Vaccination, I would like to inform the general public that the vaccination exercise is continuing in all Government and CHAM facilities and we have adequate stocks of the vaccine. We have trained more health workers to ensure that we have adequate staff in the vaccination sites. I would like to request everyone aged 18 years and above to utilize this opportunity to get vaccinated so that they are protected from severe disease, risk of hospitalization or death due to COVID-19. My special appeal goes to those who by nature of their occupation interact with a lot of people on daily basis such as those working in banks, shops, vendors and those in the transport sector to come and get the vaccine.

Let me remind everyone to avoid unnecessary travel at this time and if you have to please adhere to all the measures.

No one is safe until everyone else is safe. Get Vaccinated. Protect yourself. Protect your loved ones. Protect everyone. Call toll free 929.

Hon. Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, MP MINISTER OF HEALTH CO-CHAIRPERSON – PRESIDENTIAL TASKFORCE
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health and Population, Republic of Malawi.
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Coronavirus – Malawi: COVID-19 update (30 April 2021)

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Daily: Laboratory test: 6,156 Cases: 1,024 Severe cases: 962 New deaths: 30 Recovery: 946

Total: Laboratory test: 2,580,700 Active cases: 54,890 Total cases: 257,442 Total deaths: 3,688 Total recovery: 198,862 Total vaccinated: 1,114,500
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Ethiopia.
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Coronavirus – Ethiopia: COVID-19 update (30 April 2021)

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Total daily tests: 985 New confirmed cases: 0 Cumulative confirmed cases: 18,458 Active cases: 44 Recoveries: 17,743 (0 new) Currently admitted: 8 New deaths: 0 Total deaths: 671 Total vaccinated to date: 35,227
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini.
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Coronavirus – Eswatini: COVID-19 update (30 April 2021)

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As at 30 April 2021, Zimbabwe had 38 257 confirmed cases, including 35 612 recoveries and 1 567 deaths. To date, a total of 414 735 people have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health and Child Care, Zimbabwe.

Coronavirus – Zimbabwe: COVID-19 update (30 April 2021)

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497 people have tested positive from a sample size of 5,117

441 patients have recovered

17 deaths have been reported. 13 occurred within the last one month &#038; 4 deaths are late death reports from facility record audits.

VACCINATION UPDATE: A total of 876,708 persons have been vaccinated against coronavirus disease countrywide; 271,079 are aged 87+, 157,211 are health workers, 135,957 are teachers, 73,544 are security officers and 238,917 are in the Others category.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Kenya.

Coronavirus – Kenya: COVID-19 update (30 April 2021)

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As of 30th April 2021, we report 53 new cases out of 5,335 tests (1% positivity), 81 recoveries, 5454 new vaccinations; and 1 new death (MHSRIP).
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI).
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Coronavirus – Zambia: COVID-19 update (30 April 2021)

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55 new cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria;

Lagos-21 Yobe-19 Ogun-6 Akwa Ibom-3 Kaduna-2 Plateau-2 FCT-1 Rivers-1

165,110 confirmed 155,101 discharged 2,063 deaths
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
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Coronavirus – Nigeria: COVID-19 update (30 April 2021)

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A coalition of multilateral development banks and development partners has pledged over $17 billion in financing to address rising hunger on the African continent, and to improve food security.

These funds were pledged on the final day of a two-day high-level dialogue called Feeding Africa: leadership to scale up successful innovations. The African Development Bank and the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) hosted the event in partnership with the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and the CGIAR System Organization on 29 and 30 April.

Seventeen African heads of state signed on to the commitment to boost agricultural production by doubling current productivity levels through the scaling up of agro-technologies. This will include investing in access to markets, and promoting agricultural research and development.

The various parties adopted a communiqué outlining these commitments at the end of the event.

Of the overall amount pledged, more than $10 billion came from The African Development Bank, which said it would invest $1.57 billion on scaling up 10 selected priority commodities over the next five years. This will help countries achieve self-sufficiency. Another $8.83 billion will go towards building strong value chains for these commodities over the next five years. This will include programs to create opportunities for young people – particularly women.

African Development Bank President Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina said: “Let us now create today, a stronger partnership: a partnership for greater scale; a partnership to take technologies and innovations to hundreds of millions of farmers.”

The International Fund for Agricultural Development said it aimed to provide an additional $1.5 billion to support national efforts to transform food and agricultural systems in Africa over the next three years. IFAD will also invest more in creating the pre-conditions for increased agricultural productivity. The organization is helping to develop a growing pipeline of investments to restore land, create jobs and build resilience to climate change in the Sahel region. This will contribute to the Green Great Wall objectives, and will create 10 million jobs in the region by 2030.

IFAD President Gilbert F. Houngbo said: “We praise the African leaders’ commitment to increase agricultural productivity and improve food security for millions of Africans. By modernizing African agriculture, small-holder farmers will be in a better position to bring more affordable food to consumers and create decent livelihoods for millions of young Africans involved in the processing, storage and marketing of food.”

The Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), committed up to $1.5 billion over the period 2020-2024 in agriculture. The Islamic Development Bank Group said it would earmark $3.5 billion to develop the agriculture sector in Africa in the next three years. It said these investments will develop commodity value chains for both staple food and cash crops.

In an additional show of solidarity, The Bill &#038; Melinda Gates Foundation, joining a coalition of development partners, declared that it will invest $652 million in the next three years. This will support agricultural research and development initiatives in Africa. This funding is expected to empower 300 million farmers with a host of new innovations.

President Macky Sall of Senegal summed up interventions by African heads of state on Thursday with the following seven-point action list:

 	Accelerate agricultural production by taking technologies to scale 	Increase investment in research and development 	Optimize technology 	Improve business language in agriculture to open up to the world 	Support access to markets and the installation of basic infrastructure and equipment 	Invest in new businesses to transform agricultural produce to support small producers. 	Create a financing facility for food security and nutrition in Africa 
The forum communiqué reflected these action points, emphasizing the call for a financing facility for food security in Africa. It was felt that this would be an appropriate channel for scaling up climate resilience and successful agricultural technologies. It will include digital innovations to farmers across Africa, and will allow countries to better address malnutrition and stunting.

Sub-Saharan Africa has a quarter of the world’s arable land but only produces 10% of its agricultural output. The low productivity of staple crops makes African agriculture uncompetitive. As a result, the continent imports one-third of the calories that it consumes. This makes food systems more vulnerable and dependent on external food supply chains.

The outcomes from this week’s Leaders’ Dialogue will be communicated to the UN Secretary General as Africa’s commitments towards the UN Food Systems Summit in September this year. They will lay the foundation for Africa to present a unified voice to step up efforts and partnerships towards reaching the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Media Contact: African Development Bank Amba Mpoke-Bigg Email: a.mpoke-bigg@afdb.org
IFAD Antonia Paradela Email: a.paradelatorices@ifad.org
FARA Benjamin Abugri babugri@faraafrica.org
CGIAR Valerie Poire Email: v.poire@cgiar.org

African countries commit to double agricultural productivity as development banks and partners pledge over $17 billion to increase food security

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.

A coalition of multilateral development banks and development partners has pledged over US$17 billion in financing on Friday during a high-level forum, in a bold bid to address rising hunger on the African continent and to improve food security.

These funds were pledged on the final day of a two-day high-level dialogue &#8211; Feeding Africa: leadership to scale up successful innovations. The event was hosted by the Africa Development Bank and the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), in partnership with the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and the CGIAR System Organization, on 29 and 30 April.

In addition, 17 African heads of state signed on to the commitment to boost agricultural production by doubling current productivity levels through the scaling up of agro-technologies, investing in access to markets, and promoting agricultural research and development.
The various parties adopted a communiqué outlining these commitments at the end of the event.

Of the overall amount pledged, more than US$10 billion came from the African Development Bank, which said it would invest US$1.57 billion on scaling up 10 selected priority commodities over the next five years. This will help countries achieve self-sufficiency. Another US$8.83 billion go towards building strong value chains for these commodities over the next five years. This will include programmes to create opportunities for young people – particularly women.

African Development Bank President Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina said: “Let us now create today, a stronger partnership: a partnership for greater scale; a partnership to take technologies and innovations to hundreds of millions of farmers.”

IFAD said it aimed to provide an additional US$1.5 billion to Africa to support national efforts to transform food and agricultural systems over the next three years. IFAD will also invest more in creating the pre-conditions for increased agricultural productivity. The organization is helping to develop a growing pipeline of investments to restore land, create jobs and build resilience to climate change in the Sahel region. This will contribute to the Green Great Wall objectives, and will create 10 million jobs in the region by 2030.

“We praise the African leaders’ commitment to increase agricultural productivity and improve food security for millions of Africans,” said IFAD President Gilbert F. Houngbo. “By modernizing African agriculture, small-scale farmers will be in a better position to bring more affordable food to consumers and create decent livelihoods for millions of young Africans involved in the processing, storage and marketing of food.”

The Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) committed up to US$1.5 billion over the period 2020-2024 in agriculture. The Islamic Development Bank Group said it would earmark US$3.5 billion in developing the agriculture sector in Africa in the next three years. It said these investments will develop commodity value chains for both staple food and cash crops.

In an additional show of solidarity, the Bill &#038; Melinda Gates Foundation, joining a coalition of development partners, declared that it will invest US$652 million in the next three years. This will support agriculture research and development initiatives in Africa. This funding is expected to empower 300 million farmers with a host of new innovations.

President Macky Sall of Senegal summed up interventions by African heads of state on Thursday with the following seven-point action list:

 	Accelerate agricultural production by taking technologies to scale. 	Increase investment in research and development. 	Optimize technology. 	Improve business language in agriculture to open up to the world. 	Support access to markets and the installation of basic infrastructure and equipment. 	Invest in new businesses to transform agricultural produce to support small producers. 	Create a facility for agricultural transformation. 
The forum communiqué reflected these action points, emphasizing the call for a financing facility for food security in Africa. It was agreed that this would be an appropriate channel for scaling up climate resilience and successful agricultural technologies. It would include digital innovations to farmers across Africa and would allow countries to better address malnutrition and child stunting.

Sub-Saharan Africa has a quarter of the world’s arable land but only produces 10 per cent of its agricultural output. The low productivity of staple crops makes African agriculture uncompetitive. As a result, the continent imports one-third of the calories consumed. This makes food systems more vulnerable and dependent on external food supply chains.

The outcomes from this week’s Leaders’ Dialogue will be communicated to the UN Secretary General as Africa’s commitments towards the UN Food Systems Summit in September this year. They will lay the foundation for Africa to present a unified voice to step up efforts and partnerships towards reaching the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
Media Contact: African Development Bank Amba Mpoke-Bigg Email: a.mpoke-bigg@afdb.org
IFAD Antonia Paradela Email: a.paradelatorices@ifad.org
FARA Benjamin Abugri babugri@faraafrica.org
CGIAR Valerie Poire Email: v.poire@cgiar.org
About IFAD: IFAD invests in rural people, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience. Since 1978, we have provided US$23.2 billion in grants and low-interest loans to projects that have reached an estimated 518 million people. IFAD is an international financial institution and a United Nations specialized agency based in Rome – the United Nations food and agriculture hub.
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African countries commit to double agricultural productivity as development banks, institutions pledge US$17 billion to increase food security

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The organisers of NollywoodWeek film festival (http://NWFF.eventive.org), have shared that this year’s online edition will showcase films that hint at the emergence of a new style within the Nigerian film industry. “Arthouse and experimental films are finding a place in a landscape that has been dominated by a mainly commercial agenda in the past” says festival Director Nadira Shakur.

This year’s edition which will be held from May 6th to 9th features a range of films by a young, dynamic group of Nigerians who are breaking with the old codes and setting new trends in the types of stories they tell and the cinematographic style they use.
For Shakur, “This new approach to making movies is showing an incredible amount of maturity, drawing inspiration from styles across the globe, yet staying true to a strong Nigerian identity. Film-makers are tackling more diverse themes such as mental health which we see in the film For Maria (https://bit.ly/3eHFyjJ) or in About a Boy (https://bit.ly/3t6M6h8) which will be one of the world-premieres at the festival this year. The opening film All Na Vibes (https://bit.ly/3gYzaY2) which tackles the issue of alienated youth in Nigeria’s urban centres is another example of this new wave of filmmakers who are featuring new voices and innovative story-telling.”
NollywoodWeek film festival aims to bring the best of Nigerian talent to the global scene and this year has expanded to accept films from other African countries and the Diaspora. Festival Co-founder Serge Noukoué shared that, “Nollywood is now an inspiration for so many other countries not just in Africa but around the globe and as such it is only natural that the festival expands in order to create this dialogue between the Nigerian film industry and the many other budding industries around the world that are emulating Nollywood’s success.”
Despite being online, this year’s edition of the festival will still include Q&#038;A sessions after each film. There will also be panel discussions on screenwriting, on funding the African animation sector and distribution of African content. The festival this year will showcase over 30 entries, including feature films, animations, and short films.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of NollywoodWeek Paris Film Festival.
Media Contact: Chakera McIntosh- Press enquiries abengcommunication@gmail.com +221771571168
Nadira Shakur – Festival Director press@nollywoodweek.com +33652218704
www.NollywoodWeek.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/nollywoodweek
About Nollywood Week film festival: Nollywood Week is a film festival organized by the French-based association Okada Media, headed by Serge Noukoué and Nadira Shakur. The two co-founders have been promoting African cinema globally for a decade and launched the first edition of Nollywoodweek in Paris in 2013.  Nollywood Week film festival takes place in the spring each year and aims to bring the best of Nigerian cinematic talent to the French public. It is also a forum for discussion and networking around the key challenges and opportunities in the African cinema landscape with masterclasses, Q&#038;As and opportunities to connect to experts in production and distribution. In 2021, the first online edition was launched to connect exceptional Nigerian, African and African Diaspora movies and animation to a global audience.
NollywoodWeek Paris 2021 takes place online from Thursday May 6th to Sunday May 9th. 
Visit the website for more information: www.NollywoodWeek.com.
Click here (https://bit.ly/2SfGowK) to view our teaser.
Click here (http://bit.ly/3sPbdF6) to view the festival program for the week.

Discover the “New wave of Nigerian cinema”: a new stylistic approach and aesthetic are emerging in Nigerian cinema

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The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the lives of thousands of migrants, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host communities throughout the East and Horn of Africa, leaving many individuals, communities and economies vulnerable and in need of additional support and protection.

COVID-19 induced movement restrictions and measures are directly impacting the daily lives of IDPs, refugees and host communities, especially in countries where many people rely on remittances.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is seeking approximately USD 87 million to support vital response and recovery activities in the East and Horn of Africa.
The funds requested in the COVID-19 Strategic Response and Recovery Plan (SRP) 2021 for East and Horn of Africa will ensure the continuation and scale up of essential health and other services. Funds will allow IOM to mitigate the long-term effects of the pandemic and inform response and recovery efforts by tracking the impact of COVID-19 on human mobility, and strengthening evidence-based decision-making.
IOM will also continue to advocate for equitable access to COVID-19 vaccination for vulnerable populations, including migrants, IDPs, and affected communities.
“Even as countries start to roll out vaccination programmes to curtail the pandemic, migrants and other vulnerable groups risk being left out,” said Mohammed Abdiker, IOM Regional Director for East and Horn of Africa.
“Migrants remain among the most vulnerable to the loss of economic opportunities, eviction and homelessness, as well as stigmatization and exclusion from essential services.”
Throughout the region, livelihoods have been interrupted and access to healthcare remains limited. Many communities hosting IDPs lack adequate investment into health, water and sanitation. They often live in overcrowded areas with limited access to adequate shelter, resources and reliable information.
The region also hosts countries experiencing complex humanitarian crises and protracted conflict which have further been compounded by the pandemic.
IOM will work with governments and partners to support the inclusion of migrants in recovery and development planning, and medium and long-term socioeconomic recovery measures.
The COVID-19 SRP is aligned to the IOM Global Strategic Response and Recovery plan.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Organization for Migration (IOM).

USD 87 Million Needed to Support Equitable Vaccine Access, Mitigate Effects of COVID-19 in East and Horn of Africa

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“This week, 125 children including 114 unaccompanied were rescued at sea, off the coast of Libya.

“The Central Mediterranean continues to be one of the deadliest and most dangerous migration routes in the world. At least 350 people, including children and women, have drowned or gone missing in the Central Mediterranean while trying to reach Europe since the beginning of the year, including 130 just last week.
“The majority of those rescued are sent to overcrowded detention centres in Libya under extremely difficult conditions and with no or limited access to water and health services. Nearly 1,100 children are in these centres.
“Libya has 51,828 migrant children and an estimated 14,572 refugee children; most are unable to access services and are vulnerable to exploitation and abuse within the country.  Those in detention are cut off from clean water, electricity, education, health care and adequate sanitation facilities. Violence and exploitation are rampant.
“Despite these dangers, compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, refugee and migrant children continue to risk their lives in search of safety and better life. Attempts to cross this sea route are likely to increase in the summer months ahead.
“We call on the Libyan Authorities to release all children and end immigration detention. The detention of children in migration contexts is never in the best interest of children. We call on authorities in Europe on the Central Mediterranean to support and receive migrants and refugees coming to their shores and to strengthen search and rescue mechanisms.   
“With partners, UNICEF is committed to support all governments across the Central Mediterranean to find safer alternatives to sea crossing, develop and implement child sensitive arrival procedure, reception and care facilities and long-term solutions for children attempting to cross the sea”. 
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UNICEF, Middle East and North Africa.
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114 unaccompanied children rescued at sea off the coast of Libya – More than 350 people perish or go missing in the Mediterranean since year began

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Team Qhubeka ASSOS (www.TeamQhubeka.com), Africa&#39;s UCI WorldTour outfit, is delighted to announce our line-up for the 2021 Giro d’Italia.

The 104th edition of the iconic event (8-30 May) will see the Italian duo of Giacomo Nizzolo and Domenico Pozzovivo spearhead our efforts in our 6th appearance at the race.
Nizzolo, the current European and Italian champion, returns to his home race having last ridden in 2019, and will be looking to add another chapter to his own history with the event.
Twice the winner of the points jersey &#8211; in 2015 and 2016 &#8211; the 31-year-old will be aiming for a first-ever stage victory in his ninth appearance.
2021 has seen the man from Milan in strong, fighting form with ten top-10 finishes, punctuated by victory at Clasica de Almeria along with a strong Classics campaign. The highlight of that being placed second at Gent-Wevelgem in Flanders Fields.
Pozzovivo takes to the start line of the Giro for the 15th time, his 21st Grand Tour, and will be looking to build on the incredibly strong performance he displayed in 2020. After initially fighting it out in the opening two weeks of the race inside the top-10, he faltered slightly in the final week finishing 11th overall on the general classification.
A former stage-winner here nearly 10 years ago, and having finished five times inside the top-10 overall, the 38-year-old will be looking to proudly fly the Qhubeka colours in his favourite race.
By contrast, there will be two Giro d’Italia debutants in our selection in Germany’s Max Walscheid and exciting young Swiss rider Mauro Schmid. The German makes his bow following on from his first start of the Tour de France in 2020, and will be a crucial support to Nizzolo in the sprint opportunities on offer.
Schmid, who has impressed during the course of 2021, will be tasked with using his rapidly improving racing nous in delivering on team’s daily objectives, a role he will be relishing.
Schmid&#39;s joined by compatriot Kilian Frankiny who rode his first Giro d’Italia in 2018 and then followed that up with an excellent ride in 2020. His top result last year was finishing 4th on stage nine, and then placing 5th on stage 17, the day in which former rider Ben O’Connor was victorious.
In the support of Nizzolo and Walscheid, in particular, there will be crucial roles played by the experienced duo of Bert-Jan Lindeman, who has twice previously ridden the race, as well as Poland&#39;s Lukasz Wisniowski who lines up for the second time.
Our selection is completed by Belgium’s Victor Campenaerts. The time trial specialist will be focused on the opening stage 8.6km route in Torino as well as the traditional closing stage in Milan. In 2020, he was second on the final day, as well as placing second on stage 19.
2020 has seen Campenaerts show his versatility following a strong performance during a debut Classics campaign, and he&#39;ll be a man to pay close attention to over the course of the race.
Throughout 2021 Team Qhubeka ASSOS has had fans announcing our team line-ups via a video submission in whatever way they chose fit. This has been hugely well received and the unique nature of this engagement has brought them, both old and new, right into the heart of our team.
For the 104th Giro d’Italia we called upon an extra special set of supporters to make the announcement: step forward Team Qhubeka ASSOS staff members!
These are some of the most important members of our organisation, the people working behind the scenes to enable our team to compete on the world’s biggest stage; who embody the purpose of our team in changing lives through bicycles, in the true spirit of Ubuntu – I am because we are.
You can see that video announcement, here (https://bit.ly/32ZGg6A).
104th Giro d&#39;Italia line-up [squad numbers]
 	Giacomo Nizzolo [33] 	Max Walscheid [13] 	Mauro Schmid [14] 	Bert-Jan Lindeman [02] 	Victor Campenaerts [55] 	Lukasz Wisniowski [99] 	Domenico Pozzovivo [03] 	Kilian Frankiny [19] 
QUOTES
 Gabriele Missaglia – Sports Director I can&#39;t wait for our team to tackle the 104th Giro d&#39;Italia. Going through our final preparations sees me really motivated and we will have some exciting plans in the works for the race.
We&#39;ve selected a very interesting team, and quite rightly there will be focus and attention on the selection of the European and Italian champion. Speaking with Giacomo, I know he is very motivated and can&#39;t wait to get racing.
The racing experience we have through the likes of Lukasz and Bert-Jan will be invaluable, while Kilian showed himself really well last year and this year he will ride in support of Domenico Pozzovivo.
For Pozzo, well he&#39;s certainly not getting any younger but we know that he is an incredible fighter, and will show himself and the team to the best of his ability. While in Max and Victor we have guys who not only time trial well but also can play multiple roles across the stages, so I&#39;m excited and optimistic as to what they will offer us.
One thing is for certain, our team will be ready to fight. We know the incredible role we play in changing lives and will proudly live up to that in this fantastic event.
Douglas Ryder – Team Principal Despite the challenges that the world continues to face I know that we&#39;ve prepared well for the Giro and that we’ll travel with hopes and dreams looking towards stage wins and a fairly high placing on the general classification.
This is an incredibly special event, one that has deep meaning to our team. I was exceptionally proud of our performance here last year in which we won a stage and had Domenico showing true grit in fighting the way he did all the way to Milan.
Giacomo Nizzolo The Giro is one of the most important races of the year for me and especially this year because of the jerseys that I wear; racing on the Italian roads is really special. I&#39;ve been watching this race since I was a kid so it&#39;s always a privilege to be a part of the show.
Twice winning the points jersey has been very special and on reflection makes me really happy and proud. This year the goal is to win a stage and then see how I feel over the course of the race.
I feel good ahead of the race, ready, and I&#39;ve been training well. I had a good first part of the season where I&#39;ve felt good and had some solid performances so I&#39;m confident that I can perform well. First of all I want to fight and do my best and then we will see what the road will bring.
We race for Qhubeka &#8211; every single day &#8211; and even when not racing this is top of mind. We know how important this is for people that we continue to live the message that bicycles change lives. I&#39;m super proud to wear the European jersey and being the Italian champion with this message on my shoulders.
I really hope that the Italian people will appreciate our efforts on the road, these are hugely important reasons for us to be proud ahead of the start of the Giro.
Domenico Pozzovivo Starting a Giro for the 15th time is something I never imagined I could achieve when I started racing. My goal for the race remains a place in the top 10 of the general classification, even if after my most recent surgery I&#39;m still looking to find my best shape. That said, I&#39;ve seen some encouraging good signs from my last races.
The Giro is the race I dreamed to race when I was child, and the race where I have achieved my best performances. It&#39;s always a race that gives me incredible motivation.
Racing at home for a team with a special purpose means to convey a very important message to people that know and appreciate you, and therefore are very receptive to it.
Max Walscheid I am very happy to complete my selection of Grand Tours after doing the Vuelta and the Tour.
I’ll be a key part in the lead-out for Giacomo and am very motivated to also take results myself if the opportunity pops up, starting with the time trial on the first day but also during the following weeks of racing, when possible.
Kilian Frankiny I&#39;m really looking forward to the Giro d&#39;Italia this year in what will be my third appearance and I have very good memories of the race. I really love it because in Italy cycling is not just a sport, it’s so much more and the Italians just love it.
The fans really come to the roads to cheer, and love it. It&#39;s just a beautiful country with amazing food, stunning scenery, with the ocean and mountains. I really love it. Last year I had two top-five finishes in Roccaraso and then on the Madonna di Campiglio, so I&#39;m really excited to race there again.
In Giacomo in the sprints and with Pozzo we have a guy who can feature strongly in the GC ,so I&#39;m looking forward to support them when they need me and I hope that I can fulfill this job.
Of course I also hope that perhaps one day I can go in a breakaway (why not?) getting to the finish and hope to be on the top step, not just outside of a podium place. That would really be a dream come true, to win a nice mountain stage at the Giro d&#39;Italia.
It&#39;s very special to have the chance to ride this Giro in a purpose-driven, high-performance team. I think it&#39;s really nice that we have in Qhubeka a purpose behind the team, to assist people to develop, and gives us added motivation enabling us to achieve great things together.
Mauro Schmid I am incredibly excited as the Giro is one of the races I watched along the side of the road when I was a kid, and now I will actually be racing in it.
This was always a dream of mine and now it is coming true and so I look forward to my first grand tour.
Victor Campenaerts The Giro is coming soon after the Classics which is great. With Pozzo in the GC and Giacomo for the sprints we have great objectives within the team!
I had two podium finishes last year and will have an important job for the team this year but perhaps I will have the opportunity to show a bit of myself too depending on how the race goes &#8211; who knows!
Lukasz Wisniowski I’m incredibly happy to be back at the Giro, this was the first Grand Tour of my career so I’m excited and cannot wait to race on Italian roads.
Unfortunately it will be without fans along the roads but we know how important it is to respect the current situation the world finds itself in and we know that the fans are supporting not only ourselves but all of the teams, and we can&#39;t wait to see them all again in the future.
I’m heading to the Giro after a small camp in Tenerife and looking forward to help Giacomo and Domenico achieved good results.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Team Qhubeka ASSOS.
Media Contact: Jean Smyth (Head of Communications) Email: jean@ryder.co.za Mobile: +27 63 4701 1710 or +31 625 739 033
About Team Qhubeka ASSOS: Team Qhubeka ASSOS 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 ASSOS (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.
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Nizzolo and Pozzovivo head Team Qhubeka ASSOS line-up for 104th Giro d’Italia

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Ending a two-day visit to Burundi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi praised progress made towards helping refugees find long-term solutions in the heart of Africa’s Great Lakes Region. 

Grandi noted that in a region marked by violent and complex conflicts resulting in forced displacement, he was encouraged to see an increased focus on finding solutions for refugees, especially for Burundians. 
Since 2017, at least 145,000 Burundian refugees have been helped to return home, with more than 25,000 coming from Rwanda in recent months. On average, 2,000 people are being assisted to voluntarily return each week from Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Tanzania.
The High Commissioner accompanied the most recent convoy from Rwanda transporting 159 Burundian refugees returning home after years of living in exile. He spoke to families who were aware of the challenges awaiting them but expressed happiness to finally be going home.
Grandi reiterated UNHCR’s commitment to continue facilitating the return of Burundian refugees who have made an informed and voluntary choice to go back.  
“The return of refugees places great responsibility on the shoulders of the government, especially in ensuring security in areas of return,” said Grandi. “Returnee reintegration must include access to property and services and the ability to provide for themselves and their families, otherwise those returning may end up being displaced again.”
During his visit the High Commissioner was received by President Évariste Ndayishimiye. They discussed the importance of continuing to build conditions for refugees to return in safety and dignity. 
Additionally, they agreed that more support must also be given to the often-impoverished communities to which refugees are returning, for reintegration to be successful.
In February, UNHCR together the government of Burundi and 19 partners launched the Joint Refugee Return and  Reintegration Plan, which appeals for US$104.3 million from the international community to assist returnees and the communities where they are returning.
Less than 10 per cent of the funding needed to support re-integration in Burundi has been committed, despite the increase in refugees returning from around the region.
The High Commissioner also commended Burundi for continuing to extend hospitality to some 80,000 Congolese refugees despite the serious social and economic challenges the country faces. He called for additional international support to improve the conditions in the refugee camps hosting them.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
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UN High Commissioner for Refugees urges more support for Burundians returning home

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62 new cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria;

Lagos-38 Kaduna-6 Ondo-6 Ogun-3 Akwa Ibom-2 FCT-2 Rivers-2 Edo-1 Kano-1 Oyo-1
165,055 confirmed 155,041 discharged 2,063 deaths
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
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Coronavirus – Nigeria: COVID-19 update (29 April 2021)

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New cases: 10 Cumulative confirmed cases: 34,062 Active cases: 757 Total recovered: 32,023 (51 new) Currently admitted in treatment units: 12 (6 new) New discharges from treatment units: 1 Total tests conducted: 231,856 (383 new) Total deaths: 1,148 (1 new) Total vaccinated to date: 290,344 (4,520 new)
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health and Population, Republic of Malawi.
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Coronavirus – Malawi: COVID-19 update (29 April 2021)

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Merck Foundation (www.Merck-Foundation.com) annual conference was inaugurated by the President of the Republic of Zambia, H.E. Dr. EDGAR CHAGWA LUNGU and Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp Chairman of both of Executive Board of E.Merck KG and Merck Foundation Board of Trustees; The 8th Edition of “Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary” was co-chaired by H.E. ESTHER LUNGU, The First Lady of the Republic of Zambia and Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation; African First Ladies of Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Guinea Conakry, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, and Namibia were the Guests of Honour for the Luminary; More than 75,000 participants, healthcare providers, policymakers, and academia from 70 countries attended the Luminary.

Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KgaA kickstarted the 8th Edition of “Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary” on 27th April 2021, through an online videoconference. It was co-chaired by H.E. Mrs ESTHER LUNGU, The First Lady of the Republic of Zambia and Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation.
During his keynote speech, while inaugurating the conference, The President of Zambia, H.E Dr. EDGAR CHAGWA LUNGU emphasized “I am very glad to be hosting this important conference together with Merck Foundation, our long term strategic partner. It is a great honor to inaugurate the conference alongside the First Ladies of Africa. I am certain that this conference will help us to further explore partnership opportunities and introduce new frameworks for cooperation in the area of health care capacity building and to define interventions to break infertility stigma and support girl education”.
Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp Chairman of both of Executive Board of E.Merck KG and Merck Foundation Board of Trustees expressed “I would like to welcome and also thank our partners, African First Ladies, African Ministers and health experts from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the rest of the world to join hands with us in order to realize Merck Foundation’s vision: ‘Everyone in the world should lead a happy and fulfilling life’, we have achieved together, a huge success and we are going to continue and extend our support to achieve more”.
During her Keynote address and welcome speech, H.E. Mrs. ESTHER LUNGU, The First Lady of Zambia and Co-chairperson of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2021 emphasized  “I am very happy to co-chair and host this important conference of Merck Foundation and also to celebrate together the 4th anniversary of Merck Foundation, our long term partner in building healthcare capacity and improving access to health, information and breaking the infertility stigma. Also, I am delighted to have my dear sisters, The First Ladies of Africa at this conference”.
Merck Foundation CEO, Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej emphasized, “We welcomed The First Ladies of 13 African Countries, who are also the Ambassadors of  Merck Foundation More than a Mother, to this important conference. Together, we have worked closely throughout the years on a strong strategy to build healthcare capacity by providing specialized training in various specialties; and define interventions to break infertility stigma and support girls’ education.
I am very proud that we have so far provided for more than 1100 Doctors from 42 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America with one &#038; two-, three-year specialty training in multiple fields such as Oncology, Diabetes, Preventative Cardiovascular Medicine, Endocrinology, Sexual and Reproductive Medicine, Acute Medicine, Respiratory Medicine, Human Assisted Reproduction and Embryology &#038; Fertility specialty, to be the first in their countries. Moreover, we have now widened our horizons by introducing more scholarships for young doctors in many new underserved specialties across Africa and Asia.”
The 8th Edition of the Luminary marked another important milestone: the 4th Anniversary of Merck Foundation.
As part of the Luminary, Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative Committee (MFFLI) High-Level Panel was conducted, which was attended by the 13 African First Ladies, who are the Ambassadors of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother.
The keynote address was delivered by H.E. Mrs. ESTHER LUNGU, The First Lady of the Republic of Zambia as the host and co-chairperson  of  the conference  along with
 	H.E. Mrs. ANA DIAS LOURENÇO, The First Lady of the Republic of Angola 	H.E. Mrs. NEO JANE MASISI, The First Lady of the Republic of Botswana 	H.E. Madam SIKA KABORE, The First Lady of Burkina Faso 	H.E. Madam ANGELINE NDAYISHIMIYE, The First Lady of the Republic of Burundi 	H.E. Madam BRIGITTE TOUADERA, The First Lady of Central African Republic 	H.E. Madam DENISE NYAKERU TSHISEKEDI, The First Lady of the Democratic Republic of The Congo 	H.E. Mrs. REBECCA AKUFO-ADDO, The First Lady of the Republic of Ghana 	H.E. Madam DJÈNÈ CONDÉ, The First Lady of the Republic of Guinea Conakry 	H.E. Mrs. CLAR MARIE WEAH, The First Lady of the Republic of Liberia 	H.E. Mrs. MONICA CHAKWERA, The First Lady of the Republic of Malawi 	H.E. Mrs. ISAURA FERRÃO NYUSI, The First Lady of the Republic of Mozambique 	H.E. Mrs. MONICA GEINGOS, The First Lady of the Republic of Namibia 
The Day 1 of the 8th edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary was attended by more than 75,000 participants, Healthcare providers, policymakers, academia, researchers, and media from more than 70 Countries in three languages English french and Portuguese.
On Day 2 of the conference, MARS- Merck Foundation Africa Research Summit was held where a High-Level Panel Discussion with Ministers of Health, Science and Technology, Education, Information And Gender and MARS Researchers washeld with the objective to empower African young researchers &#038; women researchers, advancing their research capacity and empower them in STEM.
On the third day, Merck Foundation Health Media Training was organized for the African and Latin American Media fraternity to emphasize the important role that media plays to break the stigma around infertility, in raising awareness about infertility prevention, and empowering girls and women through education.
Other important scientific sessions in different medical fields were also held in parallel on Day 2 and Day 3 of the Luminary.
Countries participating include Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Central Africa Republic, Cambodia, Chad, Côte d&#39;Ivoire, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Guinea – Bissau, Guinea – Conakry, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, The Gambia, Togo, Tunisia, U.A.E, UK, Uganda, US, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe and more.
The 8th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary was streamed live @Merck Foundation Facebook page (https://bit.ly/2RadQUX) and Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej Facebook page (https://bit.ly/332BWUc).
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Merck Foundation.
Join the conversation on our social media platforms below and let your voice be heard: Facebook: bit.ly/2LdbD8F Twitter: bit.ly/2LesKH8 YouTube: bit.ly/3sdHMxm Instagram: bit.ly/2LC26rm Flickr: bit.ly/2XqzQdU Website: Merck-Foundation.com Download Merck Foundation App: bit.ly/2MmNvAU
About Merck Foundation: The Merck Foundation, established in 2017, is the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through science and technology. Our efforts are primarily focused on improving access to quality &#038; equitable healthcare solutions in underserved communities, building healthcare and scientific research capacity and empowering people in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with a special focus on women and youth. All Merck Foundation press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Foundation Website. Please visit Merck-Foundation.com to read more. To know more, reach out to our social media: Merck Foundation (Merck-Foundation.com); Facebook (bit.ly/2MU6Fht), Twitter (bit.ly/3scVf8t), Instagram (bit.ly/3boJ0jr), YouTube (bit.ly/3sf4aWX) and Flicker (bit.ly/3snPHZ8).
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