Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: APO

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On this One Health Day of 2025, we the Regional Representatives/Directors in Africa representing the Quadripartite Regional Coordination Group comprising of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), hereby reaffirm our commitment to advancing the One Health approach as a cornerstone to  sustainably balance and optimise the health of people, animals and ecosystems, globally and regionally.

Indeed, the world continues to face complex and interconnected health challenges at the human–animal–environment interface. Many countries in Africa bear high burdens of zoonotic disease outbreaks – such as the on-going outbreak of Rift Valley Fever in Western Africa, outbreaks of Avian influenza, Mpox, Marburg and Ebola across the continent, and persistence of neglected zoonoses including rabies, brucellosis, zoonotic tuberculosis, and also milliards of food-borne diseases.

Furthermore, the irrational uses of antibiotics in health care and agriculture leading to the problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is of critical concern to human, animal, plant and ecosystem health across the continent. The resulting effect not only impact on health of our people, animals and ecosystems, but also restrict local and international trade, driving food insecurity and negative effects on livelihoods. Environmental factors such as ecosystem degradation, biodiversity loss, pollution and climate change, are further exacerbating the above situation, because unhealthy and degraded environments cannot provide the ecosystem services needed to sustain the health of animals, humans and plants.  

Tackling these complex health threats demands the involvement of whole-of-government, whole-of-society approaches, including the effective engagement of the private sector. Our collective efforts are needed to enhance One Health capacities in our Member Countries, to advocate for the One Health approach at global, regional, national and local levels, to bring about sustainable solutions for health of communities. The Quadripartite has developed the One Health Joint Plan of Action (OH JPA)  and its associated Implementation Guide  which offer a transformative framework and practical steps, respectively, to address these challenges through multisectoral collaboration, community engagement, and evidence-based action – leaving no one behind. Furthermore, the Quadripartite and other partners have taken initiatives to support countries and regional entities in implementing the OHJPA, including to establish their OH platforms to strengthen their multisectoral collaboration, including joint resource mobilisation.

Mobilizing financing for One Health implementation is an important consideration which requires collective action involving various partners. The Quadripartite Joint Offer, for instance, “is a strategic call for targeted One Health investment aimed at supporting member states in implementing the One Health Joint Plan of Action. It provides a coordinated platform that brings together resources and expertise across sectors to more effectively prevent, prepare for and mitigate health risks at the human-animal-environment interface. Preventive investments through a One Health approach have consistently demonstrated strong returns, significantly reducing the expected costs associated with health emergencies.  It advocates for investments that emphasize prevention over reaction or response as well as investment in preparedness, will be more impactful on the long-term.

To accelerate the implementation of One Health approach in Africa, the Regional Quadripartite Coordination Group makes a united call for increased investment towards implementing the foundational aspects of the One Health approach; including through policy and legislative support to strengthen national and regional One Health governance coordination mechanisms, building institutional and workforce capacity across sectors, and enhancing data systems and knowledge exchange platforms. An example is the Pandemic Fund projects  in Africa where 14 projects have supported 26 countries.  Such investments will secure great gains in anchoring upstream preventive measures  in One Health initiatives.

Recognising the limitations for funding and resources for Health, we call on all stakeholders to capitalise on the collective pooling of resources. We advocate for domestic investments through government budget allocations in respective countries, coupled with funding from development partners, and private sector partners to support One Health initiatives. Further, countries should explore mechanisms for innovative financing and expansion of partnerships for One Health initiatives beyond traditional donor aid and government budgets by tapping into public-private partnerships, blended financing, and others.

The Regional Quadripartite Coordination Group   stands ready to support African countries in implementing  One health initiatives through technical assistance, policy guidance, and strategic advocacy. We commend the collaborative spirit and commitment of African institutions, including the Africa Union agencies and Regional Economic Communities, Non-governmental organisations, development partners and national governments. We will continue to work with partners to ensure that the One Health approach is embedded in National development plans, , health security strategies, biodiversity strategic action plans, and climate resilience frameworks .

Together, we can build a healthier, more resilient Africa where the health of people, animals, plants, and ecosystems is sustainably protected and promoted.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): Regional Office for Africa.

Source: APO

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The African Union Commission deployed a Humanitarian Assessment Team composed of humanitarian experts voluntarily nominated by Member States, and led by H.E. Amb. Amma A. Twum-Amoah, Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs, and Social Development, and H.E. Amb. Nasir Aminu, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, permanent representative to the African Union, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), and representative of the PRC Sub-Committee on Refugees, Returnees, and IDPs, in the Republic of the Sudan, from 22－31 October 2025.

During the visit, the delegation held high-level consultations with senior government officials, including the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Minister of Health, the Governor of the Red Sea State, the Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, the Advisor to the President on Humanitarian Affairs, the Undersecretary of the Ministry for Human Resource and Social Development, the Director General of National Intelligence, and other senior officials.

The delegation also met with representatives of key humanitarian and development partners, including the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The delegation also visited the Darser IDP camp in Port Sudan, where 107 displaced families are sheltered, and interacted with community representatives, humanitarian workers, and local authorities to better understand the conditions, needs, and coping mechanisms of displaced populations, and provided humanitarian assistance. The team also delivered food items (FIs) and non-food items (NFIs), procured from local vendors, to the Humanitarian Aid Commission of the Republic of the Sudan.

The discussions focused on ways to:

l Strengthen coordination between the African Union, the Government of Sudan, and humanitarian actors in responding to the ongoing humanitarian crisis;
l Support the protection and assistance of refugees, returnees, and IDPs in line with the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention);
l Reinforce national and local capacities for humanitarian action, resilience building, and recovery; and
l Explore avenues for closer collaboration in the operationalisation of the African Humanitarian Agency (AfHA).

The Commission wishes to extend its deepest gratitude to the Government of Sudan and its partners for their fruitful engagement with the delegation, and for their continued commitment to supporting affected populations under very challenging conditions. The Commission also reaffirms the African Union’s solidarity with the people of Sudan and its commitment to work with national, regional, and international stakeholders towards durable solutions to the humanitarian crises in the country.

The findings and recommendations from this mission will inform the AU’s forthcoming policy discussions and advocacy efforts within the PRC, the Executive Council, the Assembly, and the Peace and Security Council (PSC) on the humanitarian situation in Sudan.

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For further information, please contact:
Ms. Rita Amukhobu | Head of Humanitarian Affairs Division | Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development | African Union Commission | E-mail AmukhobuR@africanunion.org

For media inquiries, please contact:
Mr. King David Cartey | Strategic Communication Expert I Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development | African Union Commission | E-mail CarteyD@africanunion.org

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union (AU).

Source: APO

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Chairperson of the African Union, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, is pleased to announce the appointment of Ambassador Mohamed Idris Farah, currently Senior Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations of the Republic of Djibouti, as Special Envoy to the Republic of Madagascar.

Ambassador Farah brings to this new role, a wealth of cognitive expertise, experience and top performing Pan- African Diplomat with full knowledge of African Union approaches in promoting conflict prevention and resolution, preventive diplomacy, transformative mediation and dialogue. He served meritoriously as the Permanent Representative of Djibouti to the African Union for over a decade and the Overall Dean of African Ambassadors. He was also Advisor to the AU High Level Panel on the Ethiopian peace process for Tigray region from 2022-2023.

This appointment forms part of the roadmap setup by the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) based on the decisions adopted, at its 1305th and 1306th meetings, held on 14 and 15 October 2025, respectively, on the ongoing political situation in the Republic of Madagascar.

The Special Envoy’s mandate encompasses the intensification of engagements with governmental authorities, youth leaders, civil society, regional actors and organizations, as well as all relevant stakeholders, with a view to fostering inclusive dialogue, building consensus, and promoting mutual understanding towards a peaceful resolution of the crisis and the swift restoration of constitutional order in the Republic of Madagascar.

With his extensive professional experience, profound understanding of the regional dynamics and deep knowledge of the inner functioning of the AU system, the Chairperson reposes full confidence in the capability of Ambassador Farah to contribute to the effective delivery and coordination of the AU efforts towards addressing the current political situation in the Republic of Madagascar.

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission expresses full support to Ambassador Farah in the execution of his mission and calls upon all Malagasy stakeholders, regional actors and partners to collaborate with the Special Envoy.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union (AU).

Source: APO

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As part of efforts to enhance youth workers awareness, the National Confederation of Eritrean Workers (NCEW) branch in the Northern Red Sea Region organized an awareness-raising training program for young workers from various government institutions in the port city of Massawa and Ghinda. The training took place at the Massawa Workers Training Center.

The program covered topics such as the role of youth workers in the current stage, positive thinking, self-assertiveness, the importance of having vision, objectives and planning, safety at workplace, challenges faced by women in the workplace, and labor law in Eritrea.

Noting that capacity-building programs for workers have been regularly organized, Mr. Habtemariam Tesfamicael, Head of the National Confederation of Eritrean Workers branch in the Northern Red Sea Region, called on the trainees to apply the knowledge they gained in their respective workplaces.

Similarly, the National Confederation of Eritrean Workers branch provided training for unit heads of the confederation, focusing on the basic concepts of administration and leadership, the background and significance of the workers’ confederation, and joint discussion and collective agreements.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

Source: APO

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The Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare reported that Eritrean nationals residing in various countries have extended monetary contributions towards augmenting the National Martyrs Trust Fund and in support of families of martyrs.

Accordingly, nationals in the Swedish city of Norrköping contributed 91,676 Nakfa; the Eritrean communities in Söderhamn and Bollnäs contributed 40,935 Nakfa; and individual Eritreans in Västerås contributed 2,235 Euros. The Eritrean community in Tromsø, Norway, contributed 31,800 Nakfa, while the Eritrean community in Calgary, Canada, contributed 17,400 Dollars towards the National Martyrs Trust Fund.

Similarly, Eritrean nationals residing in Germany under the group “Eritrea Red Sea Paltalk” contributed 4,300 Euros; the cooperative association of Eritreans in Tübingen and its environs, Sweden, contributed 2,160 Euros; nationals in Nybro and its environs, Sweden, contributed 1,440 Euros; the Eritrean community in Olaskjeret, Norway, contributed 20,000 Kroner; Ms. Shewainesh Negash contributed 20,000 Nakfa; and nationals in Zestrossen, Sweden, contributed 14,303 Nakfa in support of the families of martyrs.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.