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Kenya recorded 1,041 new covid-19 cases on Friday. The positive cases were derived from 7,753 samples tested in 24 hours. The youngest case is 2 years old and the oldest is 93 years. This brings the cumulative number of positive cases in the country to 150,260.

Cumulative number of tests now stands at 1,592,484.

260 patients are in ICU, 12 in HDU, 47 on ventilatory support, 164 on supplemental oxygen, 49 on observation while 246 others are on supplementary Oxygen. A further 234 patients are in general ward.

The total number of those admitted in health facilities is 1,588.  5,757 patients remain on Home Based Isolation and Care.

The country also recorded 19 fatalities in 24 hours bringing the total number of fatalities resulting from the contagion to 2,443.

In terms of distribution, Nairobi recorded 323 cases, Transzoia 71, Mombasa 62, Nakuru 44, Uasin Gishu 43, Nyamira 43, Siaya 41, Kitui 40, Kisumu 36, Nyeri 32, Busia 31, Kiambu 28, Meru 27, Kakamega 25, Kilifi 22, Turkana 18, Nyandarua 17, Machakos 16, Garissa 16, Tharaka Nithi 15, Bungoma 12, Kajiado 10, Nandi 10, Makueni 9, Homabay 8, Kericho 7,Mandera 6, Laikipia 5, Murangá 5, Taita Taveta 3,Isiolo 2, Kisii 2, Marasabit 2, Migori 2, Narok 2,Vihiga 2, West Pokot 2. Elgeyo Marakwet and Kwale counties recorded 1 case each.

651,650 people have received the AstraZeneca vaccine since the exercise kicked off over a month ago. 28,234 of the doses were administered by close of the day Thursday.

365,178 of those who have received the jab are aged 58+ &#038; above, 136,084 are Healthcare workers, 97,786 are teachers while 52,602 are Security Officers. Men continue to exhibit greater enthusiasm than women in being vaccinated against Covid-19 constituting 56% of those vaccinated

Nairobi County has utilized the highest number of doses with 284,506 distributed doses with 207,926 persons already vaccinated.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Kenya.

Coronavirus – Kenya: COVID-19 update (16 April 2021)

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67 new cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria;

Lagos-26 Kaduna-11 Akwa Ibom-8 Rivers-8 Ogun-5 Kano-3 Osun-3 FCT-2 Plateau-1

164,147 confirmed  154,304 discharged 2,061 deaths
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Media files

Coronavirus – Nigeria: COVID-19 update (16 April 2021)

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Active cases: 360 New cases: 26 New tests: 282 Total confirmed: 5,720 Recovered: 5,190 (+16) Deaths: 170 (+0) Vaccinated: 18,428
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, The Gambia. Media files

Coronavirus – Gambia: COVID-19 update (16 April 2021)

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Active cases: 348 New cases: 12 New tests: 325 Total confirmed: 5,694 Recovered: 5,176 (+11) Deaths: 170 (+0) Vaccinated: 18,428
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, The Gambia. Media files

Coronavirus – Gambia: COVID-19 update (15 April 2021)

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COVID-19 update &#8211; 15th Apr,2021: we report 143 new cases out of 5,696 tests (3% positivity), 42 recoveries; &#038; 1 new death (MHSRIP); 106 vaccines were administered.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI). Media files

Coronavirus – Zambia: COVID-19 update (15 April 2021)

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Seven patients have been diagnosed positive for COVID-19 in tests carried out today at Quarantine Centers in Gash Barka, Southern, Central, and Southern Red Sea Regions.

Out of these, two patients are from Quarantine Centers in Tessenei (1), and Goluj (1), Gash Barka region. Two other patients are from the Quarantine Center in Mendefera, Southern Region.  Similarly, two patients are from a Quarantine Center in Asmara, Central Region. The last patient is from the Quarantine Center in Assab, Southern Red Sea Region.
On the other hand, seven patients who have been receiving medical treatment in hospitals in the Northern Red Sea (6), and Anseba (1), Regions have recovered fully and have been discharged from these facilities.
The total number of recovered patients has accordingly risen to 3280 while the number of deaths stands at ten.
The total number of confirmed cases in the country to date has increased to 3486.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea. Media files

Coronavirus – Eritrea: Announcement from the Ministry of Health (15 April 2021)

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80 new cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria;

Lagos-29 Rivers-19 Zamfara-6 Akwa Ibom-4 Edo-4 Osun-4 Plateau-4 Ogun-3 Kano-3 Nasarawa-2 FCT-1 Oyo-1
164,080 confirmed 154,285 discharged 2,061 deaths
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Media files

Coronavirus – Nigeria: COVID-19 update (15 April 2021)

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Squad of 22 match officials from 12 countries selected for the Olympic Games in Tokyo; Inclusion of five international players who have swapped the playing shirt for the whistle, including New Zealand’s Rugby World Cup winner Selica Winiata; Eight female referees including two making their second appearances at the Olympic Games; Rugby sevens competition takes place from 26-31 July, 2021 at Tokyo Stadium; Saturday, 17 April marks 100 days to go to rugby sevens kick off, as team preparations continue to be supported by US$4 million World Rugby (www.WorldRugby.org) investment.

The squad of 22 match officials that will take charge of the women’s and men’s rugby sevens competitions at the delayed Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 has today been announced by World Rugby to mark the 100 days to go milestone until the action kicks off in Tokyo Stadium on 26 July, 2021.
The match officials&#39; squad contains representatives from 12 countries spread across four continents and includes eight female referees. The group includes a blend of highly experience referees and exciting young talent making their debuts on the Olympic stage.
Both Sara Cox and Amy Perrett were involved in the Olympic Games Rio 2016, with Perrett having refereed the first ever Olympic rugby sevens match and also the women’s bronze medal match. In a clear demonstration of progress, six of the selected match officials gained invaluable experience at the Youth Olympic Games 2018 in Buenos Aires, including Portugal’s Paulo Duarte who took charge of the men’s final.
The individuals were selected by the World Rugby’s Match Official Selection Committee following a comprehensive review of performances and fitness. All selected referees have proven themselves on the annual HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and many also featured at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 in San Francisco and the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
The group also includes five internationals who have swapped the playing shirt for the whistle. Selica Winiata is a current Black Ferns player who has been capped 40 times and is aiming to compete at the Rugby World Cup on home soil next year. She was a Rugby World Cup winner in 2017, scoring two tries in the final at her second Rugby World Cup. She is also a former Black Ferns Sevens player, becoming Rugby World Cup Sevens champion in 2013, and runner-up in 2009. She has since refereed at four events on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and impressed when refereeing at the Oceania Rugby Women&#39;s Sevens Championship in November 2019.
Also making the conversion from player to referee is Julianne Zussman who scored 18 tries in 44 tests for Canada and played in three Rugby World Cups, claiming a runners-up medal in 2014. Madeleine Putz played for Australia, including twice at Rugby World Cup 2014. On the men’s side Richard Haughton played for England at Rugby World Cup Sevens in 2005 and at the Commonwealth Games in 2006, while Damon Murphy represented Australia at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009 and at the Commonwealth Games in 2006.
The full match official squad for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 rugby sevens is:
Men’s tournament: James Doleman (New Zealand) Craig Evans (Wales, Great Britain) Francisco Gonzalez (Uruguay)** and **** Sam Grove-White (Scotland, Great Britain)*** Noriaki Hashimoto (Japan) Richard Haughton (England)*** Damon Murphy (Australia)*** Nehuen Rivero (Argentina)** and **** Matt Rodden (Hong Kong) Damian Schneider (Argentina)** and **** Jordan Way (Australia)***
Women’s Sara Cox (England, Great Britain)* and *** Amy Perrett (Australia)* Hollie Davidson (Scotland, Great Britain)*** Lauren Jenner (New Zealand)** Adam Jones (Wales, Great Britain) Paulo Duarte (Portugal)** and **** Tyler Miller (Australia) Madeleine Putz (Australia)** Tevita Rokovereni (Fiji)*** Selica Winiata (New Zealand) Julianne Zussman (Canada)
*participated at Olympic Games Rio 2016 **participated at Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018  ***participated at Commonwealth Games Gold Coast 2018 ****participated at Pan American Games Lima 2019 
VIEW FULL LIST OF MATCH OFFICIALS HERE >> https://bit.ly/2OX1f6I
Jeremy Rozier of France was due to be selected for the men’s tournament but has withdrawn through injury sustained in training. Japan’s Nori Hashimoto will perform the role of assistant referee in Tokyo.
It has also been confirmed today that Hollie Davidson (Scotland), Sam Grove-White (Scotland), Sara Cox (England), Richard Haughton (England), Adam Jones (Wales), Craig Evans (Wales) and Paulo Duarte (Portugal) will officiate at the World Rugby Sevens Repechage in Monaco on 19-20 June, which is the final Olympic qualification event at which the last two women’s and one men’s teams for Tokyo will be decided.
World Rugby High Performance Sevens Referee Manager Paddy O’Brien said: “We have selected a match officials squad that includes a good mix of experience and youth, with selection based on merit following a thorough evaluation of performances and I thank all those involved in the process.
“Just like the players, coaches and teams, the match officials are preparing and training hard in order to arrive in Tokyo in peak physical and mental condition to perform to the very best of their abilities for what will be a career highlight for all involved.
“We are proud of the leading position that rugby enjoys in the mutual respect and values demonstrated between match officials and players. The Olympic Games present an excellent opportunity to showcase the very best of rugby on the greatest sporting stage on the planet and I am have every confidence that the individuals announced today will represent themselves and the sport with great integrity, skill and pride in Tokyo.”
The milestone for 100 days until the Olympic rugby sevens kick off falls on Saturday, 17 April and comes as the sport’s Olympic preparations stepped up a gear with 14 women’s and men’s teams competing at the successful high-performance preparation event in Dubai over the past two weekends on 2-3 and 8-9 April.
To ensure both the teams and referees are as best prepared as possible for the Olympic Games, and thanks to support received from the International Olympic Committee, World Rugby is investing US$4 million into Olympic qualified unions’ sevens programmes and towards the costs of hosting a number of high-performance preparation events, such as the tournament in Dubai.
Australia and Fiji are reigning women’s and men’s Olympic champions respectively following their victories in Rio, and the competition for medals has never been closer with the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series showcasing in recent years that a wide number of teams are capable of reaching the medal podium, including the hosts Japan whose men’s team finished fourth at the Rio 2016 Games and were champions of the inaugural HSBC World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series in 2020 before the onset of the pandemic. 
The inclusion of rugby sevens for the first time at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 had a profound effect on the sport, attracting an estimated 30 million new fans globally and rugby sevens is expected to be one of the most highly anticipated events of the Tokyo Games, following the outstanding success of Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan, which captured the nation’s imagination with record-breaking broadcast audiences and huge numbers of new rugby fans across Japan and Asia.
The men’s competition will take place from 26-28 July, with the women’s tournament following on the 29-31 July with the gold medal match happening on ‘Super Saturday’. All the action will take place at Tokyo Stadium, which was the venue for the opening match of Rugby World Cup 2019.
VIEW RUGBY SEVENS OLMYPIC NEWS >> https://bit.ly/2QtudLZ
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Rugby.
Media Contact: Rugby@APO-opa.com
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Rugby sevens match officials unveiled for Tokyo Olympics with 100 days to go

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Amstel Gold Race is the first of three Ardennes Classics and the UCI World Tour ranked classic will take place on Sunday in South Limburg, Netherlands.

The 55th edition of the Amstel Gold Race is set to be a unique edition of the race with a revised route, due to Covid-19 restrictions, consisting of a 16,9km lap around Valkenburg that will be completed 12 times before one final circuit of 15,9km brings the race to its conclusion, for a total of 216km.
The climbs of Geulhemmerberg, Bemmelberg and Cauberg will feature on each lap, with only the Cauberg being bypassed on the final lap. The championship style race will ensure Sunday is a race of attrition.
Team Qhubeka ASSOS (www.TeamQhubeka.com) will be looking to Simon Clarke to lead our charge with Michael Gogl also being a protected rider. Sander Armee, Sean Bennett, Sergio Henao, Bert-Jan Lindeman and Robert Power will complete our lineup.
Thank you to the u17 W.V De Jonge Renner boys for announcing our Amstel Gold Race line-up (https://bit.ly/3mQmUdk)!
Bert-Jan Lindeman
&#8220;I have very good memories of the roads that make up the circuit for this year&#39;s Amstel Gold Race. The parcour is quite similar to the UCI World Championships of 2012, which I competed in as a first-year professional. That was a special moment in my career and these memories make me excited to go back and race the same roads.&#8221;
&#8220;As the circuit is similar to that of a world championships route, you can be sure it is a very testing course where only the strongest riders can stand a chance to win. We believe we have such a rider, so we are going all in to position Simon Clarke at the front of the race, to fight for the victory.&#8221;
 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 (Qhubeka.org) 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.
Media files

Team Qhubeka ASSOS fired up for Amstel Gold Race

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Daily: Laboratory test: 8,878 Severe cases: 1,031 New recovered: 1,288 New deaths: 33 New cases: 2,149

Total: Laboratory test: 2,478,471 Active cases: 57,388 Total recovered: 175,879 Total deaths: 3,285 Total cases: 236,554
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Ethiopia. Media files

Coronavirus – Ethiopia: COVID-19 update (15 April 2021)

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1,091 people have tested positive to the disease, from a sample size of 5,958 tested in the last 24 hours. Our positivity rate is at 18.3%. Total confirmed positive cases are now 149,219 and cumulative tests so far conducted are 1,584,731.

County distribution; Nairobi 330, Murang’a 116, Kiambu 87, Kericho 65, Nakuru 63, Embu 51, Uasin Gishu 43, Machakos 35, Kisumu 35, Kirinyaga 34, Mombasa 26, Kajiado 23, Kitui 22, Bomet 20, Nandi 16, Busia 16, Kilifi 16, Trans Nzoia 13, Meru 11, Nyeri 10, Narok 8, Bungoma 8, Kakamega 6, Laikipia 6, Isiolo 4, Kwale 4, Makueni 4, Turkana 4, Nyandarua 3, Baringo 3, Homa Bay 2, Migori 2, Taita Taveta 1, Vihiga 1, Elgeyo Marakwet 1 and Garissa 1.
RECOVERIES: Today 392 patients have recovered from the disease, 257 from Home Based and Isolation Care while 135 are from various health facilities. Total recoveries now stand at 100,637.
ADMISSIONS: A total of 1,603 patients are currently admitted in various health facilities, &#038; 5,757 patients are on Home Based Isolation &#038; Care.  261 patients are in the ICU. 44 of whom are on ventilatory support and 167 on supplemental oxygen. 50 patients are on observation.
Another 264 patients are separately on supplementary oxygen with 250 of them in general wards and 14 in High Dependency Units (HDU).
DEATHS: 4 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours with all of them having occurred on diverse dates within the last one month. This now pushes our cumulative fatalities to 2,424. Our sincere condolences to families and friends of those who have lost their loved ones.
New deaths by age; 0-9 years (0), 10-19 years (0), 20-29 (0), 30-39 years (1), 40-49 years (0), 50-59 years (0), 60 years and above (3).
Cumulative deaths by age; 0-9 years (47), 10-19 years (18), 20-29 (95), 30-39 years (215), 40-49 years (329), 50-59 years (545), 60 years and above (1,175).
VACCINATION: A total of 616,166 people have so far been vaccinated with the Astrazeneca vaccine. From this number 132,537 are Health Workers, 49,859 Security Officers, 92,246 Teachers and 341,524 are other members of the public who include those at 58 years and above. Gender: 346,097 are Males and 269,816 are females.
Total doses distributed to the 9 regional stores are 1,080,000. Balance at the Kitengela Central Vaccines stores is 40,000. So far, the Counties have been able to administer 606,571 doses and are remaining with a balance of 374,482.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Kenya.

Coronavirus – Kenya: COVID-19 update (15 April 2021)

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The governing board of the African Legal Support Facility (ALSF) (www.ALSF.int) has met to review its progress over the past year, noting its strong performance in providing solutions to its clients during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The board approved the Facility’s draft annual report and 2020 financial statements, endorsing the extension of the Facility’s mandate, and noting that its services remained relevant and in high demand.
The board commended ALSF’s strong 2020 performance, particularly its response to clients during the Covid-19 pandemic, including servicing of debt and contract renegotiations. Stephen Karangizi, Director and Chief Executive Officer, said the ALSF would continue to support African countries to respond to the pandemic through its emergency support facilities and online capacity-building resources, among others.
Since its establishment in 2008, the ALSF has supported more than 290 projects in 45 countries.
The ALSF received approved 39 projects in the sovereign debt, extractives, and power sectors. These included providing legal and technical support to Somalia in negotiations leading to the cancellation of about 58% of the country’s debt owed to commercial creditors (https://bit.ly/3xbmZNw).
The Facility also supported green energy projects such as Eswatini’s first competitive procurement process to develop a 40 MW solar PV facility (https://bit.ly/3tnZJcQ), and Gabon’s development of three hydropower plants with a total generation capacity of about 125 MW. The Board commended the ALSF’s timely support in helping African countries to deal with the pandemic’s challenges.
Kenfack Gaston, expressed the governing body’s commitment to supporting the management and staff of the ALSF to ensure that it continues to deliver results and achieve its objectives.
Created by the African Development Bank in 2008, the ALSF provides legal and technical assistance to support African governments in negotiating complex commercial transactions in the oil and gas, mining, and energy sectors, as well as in public-private partnership projects and addressing sovereign debt and creditor litigation issues.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Media contact: Amba Mpoke-Bigg Communication and External Relations Department African Development Bank email: a.mpoke-bigg@afdb.org
Eve Ehoura Communication Officer African Legal Support Facility
About the African Development Bank Group: The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group (www.AfDB.org) is Africa&#39;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 and with an external office in Japan, the AfDB contributes to the economic development and social progress of its 54 regional member states.

African Legal Support Facility: Governing board lauds Covid-19 support to clients

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The Senegal 15-a-side women’s national team has resumed training, which has created a lot of excitement and enthusiasm among the players. 

Rugby Africa spoke to the team captain, Mariama Diallo, to find out what this means to her and her team-mates as they gear up to play matches in the coming months. 
1. How excited are you that the national team is back at training after such a long time away from the game due to the COVID-19 pandemic?
It is a real pleasure for me to resume training for the national team. It is a great pleasure to be back with my team-mates on the field, especially since it is in preparation for the national women’s fifteen-a-side team that is a first in Senegal. We want to be ready to participate in the Rugby Africa Internationals, so we are excited to have this opportunity to improve our conditioning and rugby skills.
2. What type of training have you been doing in the last few months?
I am training to be a match official every week and also I have benefited from a building design training grant thanks to the PROJECT PISCCA (Innovative Projects of Civil Societies and Coalitions of Actors) which I obtained thanks to the Maison Du Rugby and which aims to help young women gain confidence to understand their environment and believe in their potential.
3. When was your last rugby match?
I was quite fortunate to play my last match three weeks ago at a Sevens rugby tournament organised by the Senegalese Rugby Federation. Luckily, we have been back playing sport for quite some time already, which has been very good for the players from a conditioning and playing perspective.
4. How difficult do you think it will be for players to return to international rugby games, especially in terms of the physical aspects of the game?
It will be very difficult for the players to return to their usual level of competition, especially since we have not been able to participate in serious and regular training for a long time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will take a lot of training, willpower, and commitment to get back to our best.
5. Do you have games soon, and if so when and against which team?
We have a few matches lined up, the first of which are national competitions organized by the Senegalese Rugby Federation. This will be followed by the Rugby Africa internationals, so there are exciting times ahead for the team.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Fédération Sénégalaise de Rugby (FSR).
Media Contact: Rugby@APO-opa.com
Media files

Rugby Africa in Discussion with Mariama Diallo, The Senegal 15-a-side Women’s National Team Captain

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Tests conducted: 10,259,664 Positive cases identified: 1,562,931 Total recoveries: 1,488,060 Total deaths: 53,571 New cases: 1,372
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa, Department of Health. Media files

Coronavirus – South Africa: COVID-19 update (15 April 2021)

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The Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union, in collaboration with the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation today hosted a discussion day on energy transition in Africa. The event was held as part of the EU-Africa Green Talks: New investment pathways towards sustainable, inclusive development, which the Portuguese diplomatic representations, the EIB and other partners are organising in Africa and Europe, prior to the main event, the https://bit.ly/3wZW1bt.

The Green Talks will allow participants to share local perspectives on sustainable development and green investment driven by the public and private sectors throughout Africa. The talks will examine recent successful investments to identify innovative approaches and opportunities to mobilise public and private capital in support to the green transition in Africa.
Today’s event in Madrid was opened by Portugal’s ambassador to Spain João Mira-Gomes and EIB Vice-President Ricardo Mourinho Félix. It brought together representatives from government, the private sector and civil society: Francisco André, Portuguese Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Ángeles Moreno Bau, Spanish Secretary of State for International Cooperation, Jean-Pierre Sánchez, Africa Business Development Manager at Siemens Gamesa, and João Neto, Strategy and Innovation – Area Manager for Africa, CESAL.
The participants discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between different key players in order to drive the energy transition, to create green jobs and economies, and to tackle the devastating effects of climate change in Africa.
“Supporting sustainable development in Africa must be a priority for Europe in the coming decades. It is essential that we work together to drive the energy transition on the continent, creating wealth and employment with less pollution and greater sustainability, which will require a combination of public and private efforts. The High-Level EU-Africa Green Investment Forum in Lisbon will be an important milestone in the dialogue between the two continents on green growth,” said João Mira-Gomes, Portuguese Ambassador to Spain. 
“It is essential that we continue working on projects to accelerate the transition following the crisis caused by COVID-19. Sharing technical, financial and environmental know-how between Africa and Europe, as well as identifying best practice relating to our common challenges, will help us to move towards a greener, more sustainable future. In 2020, the EIB Group provided a record €4.7 billion in innovative public and private investments in Africa, of which 70% went to fragile regions and states,” commented EIB Vice-President Ricardo Mourinho Félix.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of European Investment Bank (EIB).

EU-Africa Green Talks in Madrid: A green future for Africa

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Total cases: 23,744 (+72) Recovered: 21,805 (+211) | 91.8% Active cases: 1,618 In critical condition: 8 Tests: 1,243,409 (+6,289) Test positivity rate: 1.1% Vaccinated: 349,427 (+501) Deaths: 321 (+4) | 1.3%
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Republic of Rwanda. Media files

Coronavirus – Rwanda: COVID-19 update (15 April 2021)

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African leaders assembled at a global meeting to discuss the status of local pharmaceutical manufacturing on the continent, underscored the need to increase local production of vaccines and therapeutics to achieve greater public-health security.

“The production of vaccines and access to vaccines is an absolute priority,” Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa, said Monday in opening remarks at the start of the two-day virtual meeting, convened by the African Union.
The meeting was attended by several African heads of state, health, finance and trade ministers from across the continent, as well as officials from global financial institutions, foundations, pharmaceutical manufacturers, business leaders, and the general public. The African Development Bank was represented by Solomon Quaynor, Vice President Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialization.
Although Africa consumes approximately one-quarter of global vaccines by volume, it manufactures less than 1% of its routine vaccines, with almost no outbreak vaccine manufacturing in place. The region lags behind in procuring vaccines amid a global scramble for the medicines among wealthier nations. Thus far, only around 2% of the world’s vaccination against Covid-19 has taken place in Africa.
The need for a new public health order in Africa, which promotes domestic vaccine manufacturing, epidemic preparedness and upgraded healthcare systems to meet the needs of the world’s fastest-growing population, was the conference’s main objective.
The African Union and the Africa CDC said they would continue to work with all stakeholders to identify implementable actions, financing needs and timelines to competitively produce vaccines in Africa.
Quaynor noted that the current undertaking would require immense investment. “Vaccine manufacturing, because of its complexity, is not really an entrepreneurial drive but actually an institutional drive,” he added.
The African Development Bank is working with global and African stakeholders, to articulate a 2030 vision for Africa’s Pharmaceutical Industry in response to several calls received from African Heads of State, who have expressed a strong political will. This vision aligns with its “industrialize Africa” priority strategy.
The vision will build on previous efforts to produce a continental plan of action to boost local African pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity, such as the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa adopted in Abuja in January 2005 and the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa (PMPA), prepared by the African Union Commission and the United Nations in 2012, to assist local manufacturers with pharmaceutical production.
Quaynor said Africa could count on the African Development Bank’s support to secure Africa’s health defense system. “Leveraging on our comparative advantages, we will both provide upstream support to governments on the enabling environment, as well as provide financing to private sector and PPPs both indirectly through some of our private equity investee funds and directly through lending, and credit and risk guarantees. We will also use the Africa Investment Forum to bring in all relevant stakeholders and partner DFIs into bankable opportunities…”
The 2030 vision for Africa’s pharmaceutical industry would also work with pharmaceutical industry associations in Africa to create capacity development links between universities and industry in Africa, and work with African scientists in the diaspora, Quaynor said in remarks made on behalf of African Development Bank President Akinwumi A. Adesina.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Media Contact: Amba Mpoke-Bigg Communication and External Relations Department African Development Bank Email: a.mpoke-bigg@afdb.org
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 44 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: j.mp/AfDB_Media.

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