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<p>The use of cashless transactions has seen an uptake across Africa in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, could this be one of the positives to pick from the pandemic or are far from adopting it fully? Lucy Mbabazi, AVP Push Payments and Acquiring, Ecobank International joined CNBC Africa for more.</p>


COVID-19: Why going cashless could help contain the spread of the virus

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<p>Rwanda recently eased the lock-down and public buses are required to carry fewer passengers to avoid the spread of Covid-19. CNBC Africa spoke to Patrick Nyirishema, Director General of Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority on measures to ensure public transport is safe and profitable.</p>


The impact of Covid-19 on Rwanda’s transport system

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<p>Rwanda is catching up with the global trends with services like e-government, online financial transactions and e-commerce considered as an important developmental and trade facilitation tool needed, especially during these times. On this episode of Doing Business in Rwanda we dig deeper into the increase of demand and rise of e-commerce in Rwanda&#8230;.</p>


Understanding the rise of Rwanda’s e-commerce industry

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<p>Economies of east African member countries have been heavily hit by the Covid-19 pandemic but as they start to open up, how long will it take them to recover? Paul Mugambwa from PricewaterhouseCoopers joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


The long road to recovery for COVID-19 hit East African economies

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<p>Last week it was announced that Rwanda would be relaxing its Covid-19 prevention measures starting today. The Government has reduced the country’s total lock down protocol to a national curfew to be observed from 8pm &#8211; 5am. Citizens are still expected to observe cleanliness and social distancing, and companies are expected to maintain employees working from home where possible; but how will these new measures be imposed to ensure that the number of confirmed cases of the virus doesn’t spike in the days to come? CNBC Africa spoke to Jean Bosco Kabera, Spokesperson of the Rwanda National Police for more.</p>


Rwanda begins easing COVID-19 lock-down restrictions

Rwanda begins easing COVID-19 lock-down restrictions, here’s how new measures will be monitored

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<p>With unprecedented effects of the coronavirus disease on different sectors and especially on the public health, Yves Iradukunda, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of ICT and Innovation, joins CNBC Africa for more on the Corona Action Rwanda, a project that gathers initiatives and connects them with grants and support.</p>


Rwanda’s ICT ministry unveils COVID-19 relief initiative

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<p>More than 30 companies have been approved by the Rwanda Food and Drug Authority to turn their facilities into production of personal protective equipment after thorough assessment. CNBC Africa&#8217;s Fiona Muthoni had a conversation with Alex Gisagara, Head of Food and Drugs Inspection and Safety Monitoring Department at the Food and Drug Authority on standards and pricing policy.</p>


Rwandan companies turn to production of PPEs amid COVID-19 crisis

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<p>Small and medium enterprises’ workers in the informal sector are some of those that have been affected the most by COVID-19 but to what extent has this impact been felt, Minister of Trade and Industry, Soraya Hakuziyaremye spoke to CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Minister Hakuziyaremye on COVID-19 impact on trade & industry in Rwanda

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<p>After several episodes of low uptake, local online businesses are drawing up strategies that will help them sustain the momentum, as they make record sales in the midst of the lock-down. Andrew Gatera, Managing Director, Umujyi.com joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


E-commerce platforms in Rwanda reshaping their strategy amid COVID-19

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<p>Statistics indicate that African venture investments registered a record $1.340 billion in investments through more than 400 deals in equity and debt financing in 2019. Experts had predicted a robust venture capital market this year but the COVID-19 pandemic is shattering hopes. CNBC Africa is joined by EFI Hub CEO, Anu Shah.</p>


The impact of COVID-19 on African venture investments

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<p>Tens of thousands of perishable products in Sub-Saharan Africa are lost mainly due the lack of reliable and adequate cold storage facilities and now with the disruption of supply chains and trade caused by COVID-19; the losses are expected to be even bigger. CNBC Africa spoke to Professor Nuhu Hatibu, Regional Head for East Africa at AGRA for more.</p>


Lack of reliable cold chain infrastructure

Lack of reliable cold chain infrastructure, COVID-19 worsen post-harvest losses in SSA

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<p>Now more than ever, the public and private sectors need to work hand in hand to not only curb the spread of COVID-19 but to also ensure a bounce back of economies globally after the pandemic, but how practical is this? Joining CNBC Africa for this discussion are Siddharth Chatterje, UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya, Paul Polman, Chairman of the International Chambers of Commerce and former CEO of Unilever and Myriam Assa Sidibe, Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School &#038; Co-Founder of Global Handwashing Day&#8230;.</p>


Flattening the COVID-19 Curve: How multilateralism & PPPs can tackle pandemics

Flattening the COVID-19 Curve: How multilateralism & PPPs can tackle pandemics, lift economies

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<p>Prices and demand for oil have been seeing a dramatic decline globally, so what does this mean for a country whose economy depends on the commodity? And how does that factor into South Sudan’s budget allocations pertaining to the nation’s fight against COVID-19. Africa Political and Economic Affairs Analyst, Akol Dok joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


How South Sudan is responding to the economic shock of COVID-19

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<p>South Africa&#8217;s President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his capacity as AU chair, recently chaired a virtual summit of the continental block in light of developments around COVID-19.</p>


How the AU plans to cushion Africa from COVID-19 crisis

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<p>What happens when a global pandemic causes an entire nation to go under total lock down in the midst of a school year? As some nations are trying to repatriate their students abroad during these uncertain times, what&#8217;s the reality like for the hundreds of thousands of students on the continent trying to achieve their higher learning ambitions; and, for the institutions responsible for them? CBC Africa spoke to the Dean of the African Leadership University, Gaidi Faraj for more.</p>


How tertiary institutions in Africa are coping with COVID-19

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<p>As a result of the measures put in place by the government to control the spread of coronavirus, start-up companies are part of the groups that have been most affected. CNBC Africa spoke to the Senior Program Officer at Segal Family Foundation, Liana Nzabampema to find out more about how start-ups are being affected by the coronavirus outbreak and how Segal Family Foundation is supporting start-ups.</p>


How start-up companies are navigating the COVID-19 environment


<p><em>By Siddharth Chatterjee</em></p>



<p>Sexual and reproductive health and pandemics might seem to be unrelated topics, but large and dense populations are drivers of the high velocity transmission of COVID-19, and there are lessons to be learned for the future.</p>



<p>Gains made in women’s sexual reproductive health and rights just took several steps backward in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Access to contraceptives has been interrupted, resulting in an increase in unintended pregnancies. With schools closed, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and child marriages are rising. Globally gender-based violence has risen exponentially, as people are advised or required to stay home, and women and girls may not be able to leave an unsafe or violent situation.</p>



<p>The United Nations Population Fund(UNFPA) Executive Director, <a href="https://www.unfpa.org/press/women-girls-health-workers-must-not-be-overlooked-global-covid-19-response">Natalia Kanem</a> has said, “the world needs to do much more to ensure that the most intimate, yet essential, needs of the world’s women and girls are met while we battle COVID-19.”</p>



<p>Among the chief immediate concerns is severely reduced access to sexual and reproductive healthcare while the pandemic rages on. But diminished women’s rights and services have even greater long-term implications for the outbreak and spread of future epidemics.</p>



<p>Africa has yet to see the devastation from COVID-19 that most developed countries are facing in terms of infections and deaths, but the virus is already wreaking havoc on the livelihoods of millions on the continent. With travel bans, curfews and lockdowns, for countless who depend on daily wages and small informal businesses, are facing hunger and destitution. Unlike richer nations, most African countries have little wriggle room in their budgets to afford meaningful stimulus packages and have social safety nets.</p>



<p>Some forecasts suggest that in the absence of a considerable fiscal stimulus, COVID-19 could see Africa’s GDP decline by <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/africa-in-focus/2020/04/16/figures-of-the-week-the-macroeconomic-impact-of-covid-19-in-africa/">over 5% in 2020</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>So how can the world–and the African continent in particular–better prepare itself for the next pandemic?</strong></h2>



<p>A good place to start is with the root of recent pandemics. Zoonosis is the transmission of a disease from animals to human. COVID-19, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) are all coronaviruses, and all originated in bats, which are a natural reservoir for viruses.</p>



<p>Such jumps from animals to humans are on the rise for reasons that include unhygienic and close proximity to animals, bush meat consumption, wet markets and–crucially–human encroachment into wilderness and wildlife habitats.</p>



<p>One of the main drivers of such encroachment is the exponential population growth.</p>



<p>We are exploiting forests at a calamitous rate, eating away into the traditional buffer zones that once separated humans from animals, and from the pathogens that they carry. Forest destruction also drives climate change and soil erosion. In turn, growing urbanization means higher population densities, providing a ready route for the rapid and extensive spread of disease.</p>



<p>Long-term preparation must begin with the acknowledgment that runaway population growth is a driver of modern pandemics.</p>



<p>UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres observed on the <a href="https://www.unfpa.org/press/secretary-generals-message-world-population-day">2019 World Population Day</a>, “for many of the least developed countries, the challenges to sustainable development are compounded by rapid population growth as well as vulnerability to climate change.”</p>



<p>Most African health systems operate in a constant state of struggle and crisis. There is <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/middle-east-and-africa/tackling-covid-19-in-africa">only one doctor for every 1,000 people in Africa</a>, and each must serve overwhelmingly young, poor and unemployed patient populations.</p>



<p>Family planning and sexual health services are only patchily available, and cultural pressures mean girls and women may find it difficult to access them even where they exist. Too often the result is large families living in poverty and ill-health, and a worrying predominance of early pregnancy.</p>



<p>Africa is the most rapidly urbanizing region in the world, with 50-70% of urban dwellers living in slums. Uncontrolled population growth, crowded and unhygienic conditions, and destruction of natural ecosystems combine to create a perfect storm for the next pandemic, whose speed, scale and virulence may well surpass COVID 19.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Urgent action needed now</strong></h2>



<p>In such circumstances there is a central need for bold global leadership. That is why policymakers, led by the US, must reconsider the Mexico City policy, often known as the <a href="https://www.kff.org/global-health-policy/fact-sheet/mexico-city-policy-explainer/">global gag rule</a>. The recently expanded global gag rule now applies not only to comprehensive sexual and reproductive healthcare and safe abortion, but also to programmes that include HIV, water, sanitation and hygiene.</p>



<p>In Kenya we are already seeing the domino effect of the global gag rule <a href="https://news.trust.org/item/20190306133032-t3xz2">with increased teenage pregnancies and a spike in unsafe abortions</a>. Almost <a href="https://www.un.org/youthenvoy/2017/03/teen-mothers-kenya-become-powerful-advocates-change/">one in five girls aged 15-19</a> is either pregnant or already has a baby. Adolescent girls in the worst affected parts of Kenya have lost their ability to make informed choices. &nbsp;It is a crisis of health, education and opportunity, made far worse by COVID 19.</p>



<p>It should concern all leaders that reduced resources for such programmes have led to more poor women suffering the effects of unplanned pregnancies, contributed to higher rates of maternal mortality and to an increase in unsafe abortions. Goals for programmes such as the <a href="http://www.familyplanning2020.org/about-us">Family Planning 2020</a>(FP 2020) launched by Melinda Gates, which includes giving 120 million more women and girls access to contraceptives by 2020, will remain unfulfilled as the deadline approaches. FP2020 is based on the principle that&nbsp;all women, no matter where they live, should have&nbsp;access to lifesaving contraceptives.</p>



<p>Today, Africa has the world’s highest fertility rates. On average, women in <a href="https://www.newsecuritybeat.org/2016/04/changing-narrative-fertility-decline-africa/">sub-Saharan Africa have about five childrenover their reproductive lifetime</a>, compared to a global average of <strong>2.5 children</strong>. Africa’s population is expected to grow from the current 1.1 billion to 2.3 billion people by 2050 while the global population is expected to reach 10 billion at that time.</p>



<p>If Africa accelerates structural reforms, some believe the continent can emulate China’s rapid rise of the last 50 years. <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/02/africa-global-growth-economics-worldwide-gdp/">McKinsey predicts $5.6 trillion in African business opportunities by 2025.</a> If Africa succeeds, it could be a poster child for Sustainable Development Goal 1-ending poverty by 2030, as well as become a stable and prosperous economic partner for the rest of the world.</p>



<p>At the top of the reforms must be safeguarding the primacy of reproductive health and rights. With a median age of 19 years, for Africa to benefit from the <a href="https://demographicdividend.org/">demographic dividend</a> its youthful population could offer, family sizes must fall drastically. Smaller households link directly to improved health, education and living standards, which in turn translate into investment, employment, and economic growth. This can only happen if programmes that increase access to family planning are widely available.</p>



<p>We must look at strategies to stabilize the global population with renewed urgency. Political and religious, globally must show courage, responsibility and vision through a robust commitment to ensuring that every person, everywhere, has access to affordable contraception and is able to exercise their sexual and reproductive rights.</p>



<p>To help stave off the havoc of the next pandemic, the world must unite behind UNFPA’s mission “to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.”</p>



<p><strong><em>Siddharth Chatterjee is the United Nations Resident Coordinator to Kenya. </em></strong><strong><em>He has served in various parts of the world with UNFPA, UNICEF, UNDP, UNOPS, UN Peacekeeping and the Red Cross Movement. A decorated Special Forces veteran, he is an alumnus of Princeton University. Follow him on twitter-</em></strong><a href="https://twitter.com/sidchat1?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor"><strong><em>@sidchat1</em></strong></a><strong></strong></p>


A pregnant woman in Kenya’s North Eastern Province with one of her children. Overpopulation in the area contributes to poor maternal health. Credit: Isaiah Esipisu/IPS

East Africa

COVID-19: Why going cashless could help contain the spread of the virus

The impact of Covid-19 on Rwanda’s transport system

Understanding the rise of Rwanda’s e-commerce industry

The long road to recovery for COVID-19 hit East African economies

Rwanda begins easing COVID-19 lock-down restrictions, here’s how new measures will be monitored

Rwanda’s ICT ministry unveils COVID-19 relief initiative

Rwandan companies turn to production of PPEs amid COVID-19 crisis

Minister Hakuziyaremye on COVID-19 impact on trade & industry in Rwanda

E-commerce platforms in Rwanda reshaping their strategy amid COVID-19

The impact of COVID-19 on African venture investments

Lack of reliable cold chain infrastructure, COVID-19 worsen post-harvest losses in SSA

Flattening the COVID-19 Curve: How multilateralism & PPPs can tackle pandemics, lift economies

How South Sudan is responding to the economic shock of COVID-19

How the AU plans to cushion Africa from COVID-19 crisis

How tertiary institutions in Africa are coping with COVID-19

How start-up companies are navigating the COVID-19 environment

Why reproductive rights must be a critical part of our arsenal to fight pandemics

News Tips

Advertise With Us

East Africa

COVID-19: Why going cashless could help contain the spread of the virus

The impact of Covid-19 on Rwanda’s transport system

Understanding the rise of Rwanda’s e-commerce industry

The long road to recovery for COVID-19 hit East African economies

Rwanda begins easing COVID-19 lock-down restrictions, here’s how new measures will be monitored

Rwanda’s ICT ministry unveils COVID-19 relief initiative

Rwandan companies turn to production of PPEs amid COVID-19 crisis

Minister Hakuziyaremye on COVID-19 impact on trade & industry in Rwanda

E-commerce platforms in Rwanda reshaping their strategy amid COVID-19

The impact of COVID-19 on African venture investments

Lack of reliable cold chain infrastructure, COVID-19 worsen post-harvest losses in SSA

Flattening the COVID-19 Curve: How multilateralism & PPPs can tackle pandemics, lift economies

How South Sudan is responding to the economic shock of COVID-19

How the AU plans to cushion Africa from COVID-19 crisis

How tertiary institutions in Africa are coping with COVID-19

How start-up companies are navigating the COVID-19 environment

Why reproductive rights must be a critical part of our arsenal to fight pandemics

News Tips

Advertise With Us

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