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$600M Africa-wide plan launched to fight Mpox outbreak

Africa /

The Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organization have launched a comprehensive response plan to tackle the mpox outbreak across Africa. Announced on Friday, this joint initiative aims to enhance and expedite the continent’s efforts to control the virus, save lives, and protect public health. The plan, set to begin this month and continue through February next year, has an estimated budget of nearly $600 million. It follows the WHO’s declaration of a public health emergency of international concern due to the new strain of mpox three weeks ago. According to Africa CDC Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya, 55% of the funding will be allocated to the 14 countries with confirmed cases and to improve readiness in 15 additional nations. The remaining 45% will be used for operational and technical support through various partners, though specific funding sources were not disclosed. WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, explained that countries are classified based on their risk levels, with targeted support for areas experiencing intense outbreaks, such as eastern DRC, and preparations in lower-risk regions like Guinea. The response plan will focus on enhancing surveillance, laboratory testing, and community engagement, emphasizing that vaccines alone are insufficient to combat the outbreak. Since the beginning of 2024, Africa has reported 5,549 confirmed mpox cases and 643 deaths, marking a significant rise in both infections and fatalities compared to previous years. The Democratic Republic of Congo alone accounts for 91% of these cases, with a high prevalence among children under 15.

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DR Congo: MPOX vaccine shipments arrive amid rising cases

Africa /

The Mpox outbreak continues to ravage eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, with patients at a Kamituga clinic anxiously awaiting vaccines. The country is set to receive its first shipment of Mpox vaccine doses on Thursday, followed by another on Saturday, according to officials. The situation is dire, with harrowing images of patients suffering from painful lesions. Richard Songa, a patient at Alima hospital, described his critical condition upon arrival and his hope for recovery with the new vaccines. “This disease is very dangerous and risks killing people,” he said, emphasizing the importance of vaccination. Dr. Fiston Nepa from Alima clinic noted that most patients are adults due to the more transmissible clade 1b, which spreads primarily through sexual contact. The first batch of vaccines is expected to arrive in Kinshasa, but the eastern Congo hotspot is still waiting. The World Health Organization declared a global emergency on August 14, with over 18,000 suspected cases and 629 deaths reported in Congo. Mpox, related to Smallpox, often presents with milder symptoms but can cause severe sores and blisters. The virus spreads through close skin-to-skin contact. The WHO plans to distribute around 230,000 vaccines soon and is launching educational campaigns to curb the outbreak.

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China Pledges $50 Billion to Africa

Business /

 China’s President Xi Jinping Thursday pledged more than $50 billion in funding to the African continent, and announced elevating ties with all member nations to “strategic level.” The Chinese government “will provide RMB360 billion yuan ($50.7 billion) of financial support through the next three years” to African nations, Xi told the 9th Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing. Beijing is hosting the largest diplomatic gathering with leaders and representatives of nearly 53 African nations attending the three-day summit which began Wednesday. Xi boasted China’s relations with African nations were “now at its best in history.” “With its future growth in mind,” Xi told the summit, “I propose that bilateral relations between China and all African countries having diplomatic ties with China be elevated to the level of strategic relations.” He added: “The overall characterization of China-Africa relations be elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.” Referring to the pledges of new funding, the Chinese leader said more than half of $50 billion will be in credit while nearly $11 billion will be given in various types of grants. It also includes $10 billion investments through Chinese firms, said the 71-year-old Xi, who also leads Chinese Communist Party. In the Action Plan adopted at the Beijing summit, Xi announced 10 areas where China will cooperate and work with African nations in jointly advancing “modernization that is just, equitable, open, win-win, eco-friendly, featuring diversity and inclusiveness and underpinned by peace and security.” Besides, he said China will partner with the African continent in industrial chain cooperation, green development as well as common security. The FOCAC summit has been held every three years since 2000 when it was founded. Xi also met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who also attended the summit. “China seeks no selfish interest in Africa, and the new cooperation initiatives and actions announced at FOCAC (summit) are all aimed at turbocharging African countries’ development and making lives better for the African people,” Xi told Guterres. The Chinese leader told the world body chief that China was “ready” to work more closely with the UN to jointly support Africa’s effort for peace, stability, development and prosperity. In the past 22 years since 2000 when FOCAC was established, China has built some 100,000 kilometers (62,138 miles) of highways and 10,000KM of railways in Africa. Besides, China built over 200 schools, over 130 hospitals, nearly 100 ports as well as 50 stadiums on the continent. According to the Boston University Global Development Policy Center database, Chinese lenders provided 1,306 loans amounting to $182.28 billion to 49 African governments and seven regional borrowers from 2000 until last year. Beijing also founded the China-Africa Development Fund in 2006.​​​​​​​

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IMF expects South Africa’s growth to stabilize at 1.4% in medium term

Business /

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Wednesday that it expects South Africa’s economic growth to stabilize at 1.4% in the medium term. Economic growth slowed to 0.7% in 2023, partly due to widespread power shortages and disruptions at rails and ports, the IMF said in a report after its executive board concluded post financing assessment discussions with South Africa. Growth is forecast to reach 1% in 2024 with improved investor sentiment and electricity generation, according to the IMF. “The new government of national unity that took office in June faces significant challenges, including declining real per capita growth, high unemployment, poverty, and inequality, and a rising level of public debt,” said the report. “The new administration has committed to address these challenges by continuing ongoing structural reforms aimed at addressing supply constraints and bolstering inclusive growth, while maintaining fiscal discipline,” it added. While inflation declined to the South African Reserve Bank’s 3%-6% target range last year, it moderated further to 5.1% this June, said the IMF. The financial agency said it anticipates inflation declining toward the mid-point of the central bank’s target range in the second quarter of 2025.

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57 million tonnes of plastic pollution annually, study finds

Discover /

A new University of Leeds study, published in Nature, reveals that the world generates 57 million tonnes of plastic pollution annually. This pollution reaches every corner of the globe, from the deepest oceans to the highest peaks, with over two-thirds originating from the Global South. Using AI to analyze waste management across over 50,000 municipalities, researchers found that much of the pollution comes from areas where waste is poorly managed. Notably, 15% of the global population lacks adequate waste collection services, contributing significantly to plastic pollution in Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Among the worst offenders, Lagos, Nigeria tops the list, followed by New Delhi, Luanda, Karachi, and Cairo. Nigeria is second in the global rankings, with the Democratic Republic of Congo also making the top 10. Dr. Costas Velis, lead researcher, emphasizes that the issue stems from inadequate resources and infrastructure rather than the actions of any particular region. He argues that effective waste collection should be considered a fundamental aspect of sanitation. With global plastic production expected to triple, the UN warns that “our planet is choking in plastic.”

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Fuel Crisis Worsens in Nigeria

Africa /

Nigerians are grappling with a severe fuel crisis, marked by chronic shortages and soaring petrol prices. Despite being a major oil producer, Nigeria depends on imported petroleum due to inadequate refining capacity. The state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) offers the lowest fuel prices, but when NNPC raises its rates, private stations follow suit. Currently, petrol prices range from $0.56 per liter at NNPC stations to $0.74 or more at independent garages. With many households and vehicles relying on petrol and diesel for power due to unreliable electricity, the ongoing fuel shortages are worsening the cost-of-living crisis. This situation follows government reforms aimed at ending fuel subsidies and floating the currency, which have already led to a significant rise in inflation.

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Burkina Faso issues new passport without ECOWAS logo

Africa /

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Libya: Migrant boat capsizes off 1 dead, 22 missing

Africa /

A boat carrying 32 migrants capsized off the Libyan coast Tuesday, leaving one dead and 22 missing, according to Libyan authorities. The coast guard in Tobruk rescued nine survivors who were taken to a local port and hospital. The boat, which departed from Bab al-Zaitoun near Tobruk, sank after its engine failed, as reported by local aid group Abreen. The migrants were from Egypt and Syria. Libya, a major transit point for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty, has seen repeated maritime tragedies. In December, 61 migrants drowned near Zuwara. The ongoing chaos in Libya, exacerbated by the 2011 NATO-backed uprising, has enabled human traffickers to exploit migrants, leading to numerous deaths and disappearances. The International Organization for Migration reported 434 deaths and 611 missing migrants off Libya in the past eight months, with over 14,100 intercepted and returned. Those returned face harsh conditions in detention centers, including forced labor and abuse.

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African nations losing 5% of GDP to climate change

Business /

African nations are losing up to 5% of their GDP annually due to climate change, with the continent experiencing a significant impact from global warming, according to a new report released Monday. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) noted that African countries are allocating up to 9% of their budgets to climate adaptation. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo highlighted the accelerated warming in Africa, which is outpacing the global average and impacting food security, public health, and stability. Despite contributing less than 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, Africa is highly vulnerable to extreme weather, including droughts, floods, and heatwaves. The report, focusing on 2023—one of Africa’s hottest years—urges investment in early warning systems and meteorological services. Without adequate measures, up to 118 million Africans could face severe weather events by 2030. In sub-Saharan Africa, adaptation costs could reach $30-50 billion per year over the next decade. Recent extreme weather events, including floods affecting 300,000 people in West Africa and a severe drought in Zambia, underscore the urgency. The pattern of extreme weather continues into 2024, with significant flooding in the Sahel and an unprecedented heat wave in West Africa earlier this year.

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Bitcoin ATM scam losses up nearly tenfold since 2020

Business /

New research shows a nearly tenfold increase in losses to Bitcoin ATM scams since 2020, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said Tuesday. “Since 2020, the amount consumers reported losing has increased nearly tenfold to over $110 million in 2023,” it said in a report. The FTC said that fraud losses to Bitcoin ATMs have topped $65 million in the first six months of this year. “During this timeframe, consumers over the age of 60 were more than three times as likely as younger adults to report losing money to Bitcoin ATM scams,” it said. “Across all ages, the median loss reported in the first half of this year was a staggering $10,000.” Bitcoin ATMs, which are machines that look like a traditional ATM, are often found at convenience stores, gasoline stations and other high-traffic areas, said the FTC. Instead of distributing cash, they accept cash in exchange for cryptocurrency. “Their use by scammers, who urge consumers to deposit cash into them to ‘protect’ their savings, is on the rise,” it added. Most scam losses involving Bitcoin ATMs come as a result of government impersonation, business impersonation, and tech support scams, according to the agency. “The lies told by scammers vary, but they all create some urgent justification for consumers to take cash out of their bank accounts and put it into a Bitcoin ATM. As soon as consumers scan a QR code provided by scammers at the machine, their cash is deposited straight into the scammers’ crypto account,” it noted. The FTC advised consumers to never click on links or respond directly to unexpected calls, messages, or computer pop-ups, adding: “If you think it could be legitimate, contact the company or agency, but look up their number or website yourself. Don’t use the phone number the caller or message gave you.” The agency also advised consumers to slow down in their actions, avoid rushing, and never withdraw cash in response to an unexpected call or message. “Don’t believe anyone who says you need to use a Bitcoin ATM, buy gift cards, or move money to protect it or fix a problem. Real businesses and government agencies will never do that – and anyone who asks is a scammer,” it warned.

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