Category: Africa

Source: APO

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The World Health Organization (WHO) actively participated in the 2nd Summit on Health Care Integration in the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP), held from 13 to 15 May 2026, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a meeting that brought together policymakers, experts and partners to promote the integration of healthcare in CPLP countries. 

The focus of this Summit was the sharing of experiences, evidence and best practices to address the current challenges facing health systems, with an emphasis on the integration of care, a person-centred approach and coordination between sectors. 

WHO Cape Verde participated at various stages, presenting topics in technical panel discussions, taking part in parallel sessions, and undertaking field visits, amongst other activities.

During her address, the WHO Representative in Cape Verde, Ann Lindstrand, who was part of the panel discussion on ‘The Impact of Health Determinants’, highlighted the impact of social, economic and environmental determinants on the demand for healthcare. During her speech, she also emphasized that health inequalities require multisectoral responses and stressed the need to build increasingly integrated, equitable and person-centred health systems. She also noted that the ‘health in all policies’ approach creates synergies and aims to improve the health of the population and health equity.  

Edith Pereira, the expert responsible for health promotion and social determinants of health, took part in the panel on ICOPE (Integrated Care for Older People) and Healthy Ageing, where she highlighted Primary Health Care (PHC) as the foundation for achieving Universal Health Coverage and improving the population’s health outcomes, in conjunction with the approach to integrated care in the context of healthy ageing. His presentation was based on the ICOPE (Integrated Care for Older People) strategy, which aims primarily to reorient health systems towards continuous, older-person-centred care, to promote functional capacity and autonomy throughout life, and to integrate health and social care, with a strong community-based foundation. 

It is also worth noting that there were high-level contributions from the WHO Regional Director for Europe during the opening session, as well as presentations by experts from this region on topics related to quality healthcare and health management, and the integration of care.  

The WHO office in Cape Verde also participated in the CineCuidado session with the screening of the video ‘Implementation of Integrated Health Care for Older People in the City of Assomada’, which was shown and recognized as a pioneering initiative using audiovisual media to disseminate good practices and share experiences in the field of integrated care. 

This Summit reinforced the importance of promoting cooperation among Portuguese-speaking countries to address common challenges, of developing evidence-based policies to reduce health inequalities, and of investing in more integrated, resilient and sustainable health systems.

The Summit also served as a platform for the development of a collaborative network for integrated care within the CPLP, where countries reaffirmed the principles and commitments set out in the 2025 Lisbon Charter and renewed their commitment to accelerating the transformation of health and social protection systems in the Portuguese-speaking world, with the signing of the 2026 Rio de Janeiro Letter of Commitment. The Cape Verdean delegation also included experts from the National Health Directorate and the National Institute of Public Health.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) – Cabo Verde.

Source: APO

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Experts at a high-level African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) panel on Wednesday, 27 May, said stronger, more integrated financial systems will be critical to helping Africa mobilise development finance at scale in a fragmented global environment.

Moderated by Hassatou N’Sele, Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer of the African Development Bank Group, the session brought together heads of financial institutions, supervisory and regulatory authorities, central bankers, and legal and development finance experts from Africa and beyond.

The session was one of four knowledge events organised as part of the African Development Bank’s 2026 Annual Meetings, taking place in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.

Under the theme, “Strengthening and Consolidating Africa’s Financial Systems and Agency in the Changing World,” panelists examined how to unlock more domestic and development finance for the continent.

N’Sele invited Nobumitsu Hayashi, Governor of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, to open the discussion with lessons from Asia’s experience. “Japan is a consistent and long-term partner for development in Africa,” she said.

Hayashi said Japan’s post-Second World War financial recovery and Asia’s recovery from the 1990s financial crisis underscored the importance of regional financial integration, strong domestic markets, and local-currency bond markets, supported by credit guarantee mechanisms.

“We are doing a lot of financial integration, because (it is) the real driver of sustained economic growth within the Asian countries,” Hayashi said.

The discussion focused on how development partners can help build integrated domestic financial systems, how insurance and guarantee instruments can unlock long-term capital, and how legal and regulatory reforms can strengthen Africa’s financial architecture.

Panelists also pointed to the African Development Bank’s New African Financial Architecture for Development (NAFAD) as a timely initiative to help address Africa’s annual development financing gap, estimated at $400 billion.

The panel: Dieudonné Fikiri Alimasi, First Deputy-Governor of the Central Bank of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Michel Dzombala, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Central African States (BEAC); Ngueto Tiraïna Yambaye, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the African Guarantee and Economic Cooperation Fund (FAGACE); Manuel Moses, Chief Executive Officer, African Trade & Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI), Kalidou Gadio, Co-Chair of US-Africa Practice, DLA Piper, USA; Cedrick Motetcho, Chief of Business Development, Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA); and Carlos Lopes, Honorary Professor, Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, University of Cape Town.

Key takeaways:

On stabilising the macroeconomic framework:

Dieudonné Fikiri Alimasi said restoring trust in local currencies depends on macroeconomic stability, including exchange-rate stability, alongside faster adoption of technology to improve banking penetration and accelerate financial inclusion.

On the role of Central Banks:

Michel Dzombala said central banks in the CEMAC region can play a catalytic role in helping mobilise finance for regional financial institutions.

On changing risk perception:

Ngueto Tiraïna Yambaye said African institutions must work more closely together to change investor perceptions of risk, noting that existing African guarantee funds still cover only a small share of financing needs.

On The New African Financial Architecture for Development (NAFAD):

Manuel Moses said Africa has significant resources that can be better mobilised, and that NAFAD offers a framework for organising those efforts more effectively from within the continent.

On removing barriers:

Kalidou Gadio called for reforms to remove legal and regulatory constraints that limit the use of capital, including sovereign wealth funds, and said deeper, more unified markets will be essential to scaling investment.

On partnerships:

Cedrick Motetcho said partnerships must be treated as a practical way of working rather than an aspiration, enabling institutions to move more quickly and deploy available financing tools more effectively.

On policy reform to support resource mobilisation:

Carlos Lopes said macroeconomic and financial policies must do more to support structural transformation and make better use of long-term domestic capital, including pension funds.

In closing, N’Sele asked panelists to identify the most important actions to advance before the next Annual Meetings. They agreed that Africa’s challenge is not a lack of resources, but the urgency of mobilising them more effectively.

“Africa has what it takes, all the assets needed to transform its economies,” Alimasi said.

To recap or catch part of the session you missed, click here (https://apo-opa.co/430tdAX).

For more information on the 2026 Annual Meetings and to follow the sessions click here (https://AM.AfDB.org).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Contact:
media@afdb.org

Source: APO

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An Eritrean delegation led by Mr. Negasi Kassa, Eritrea’s Ambassador to the European Union and Benelux countries, participated in the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States Parliamentary Group and the Africa-European Union Parliamentary Assembly meetings that were convened in Ezulwini Valley, Eswatini.

The main priority of the meetings, which were conducted separately and in groups, was to ratify and strengthen the Samoa Agreement, which replaced the Cotonou Agreement. Experts also provided briefings regarding the new agreement.

After hearing the report of the Secretary General, the participants discussed the upcoming Ministerial Council of the Parliamentary Group, the African Region, and the European Union, and adopted recommendations on the draft resolution.

At the meeting with the European Union, the Eritrean delegation underlined the importance of giving due attention to the values of African countries.

The participants also discussed the role of regional organizations and parliaments in ensuring peace and security in Africa.

The meeting also ratified the recommendations presented by the African and European Union Ministerial Council.

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

Source: APO

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The African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) has released its 2025 Annual Report, showcasing another year of strong development results and reaffirming its commitment to advancing a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and integrated Africa.

Despite a challenging global environment marked by slower growth, tighter financial conditions, and increasing climate and debt pressures, Africa continued to demonstrate remarkable resilience in 2025, with growth reaching 4.2 percent and many African economies ranking among the fastest growing in the world.

Beyond the numbers, the report tells a deeper story: the story of Africa’s people – especially its young people – creating, building, and redefining the future across the continent.

In 2025, the Bank delivered at scale, approving more than $11 billion in financing and reaching a record  $7.1 billion in disbursements, supporting 200 projects across 50 countries.

These investments translated into tangible results for millions of Africans:

• 1.5 million people gained access to electricity, powering homes, schools, farms, and businesses.
• 6.9 million farmers adopted climate-resilient technologies, strengthening food security and livelihoods.
• 8.1 million people gained improved access to transport, connecting them to jobs, markets, and opportunity.
• Thousands of entrepreneurs – including many women and young people – gained access to finance to grow their businesses and unlock economic opportunity.

New Strategic Four Cardinal Points Compass to foster faster, more responsive operations

The year also marked a significant leadership transition for the institution with the election of Dr Sidi Ould Tah as ninth president of the Bank Group, ushering in a renewed focus on delivery, impact, and results.

The report also outlines how the Bank is transforming the way it works – becoming faster, more effective, and more responsive to the priorities and ambitions of its regional member countries.

Dr Ould Tah has outlines a new strategic framework – the Four Cardinal Points – designed to accelerate implementation of the Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy with sharper focus and greater ambition. The framework prioritizes unlocking Africa’s capital, strengthening financial systems, creating opportunities for young people, and investing in resilient infrastructure and competitive value chains.

In the report’s foreword,  Dr Ould Tah emphasized the Bank’s long-term vision for the continent:

“This report documents what the Bank achieved in 2025. What it does not yet capture is what we will build together from here. A continent where capital flows to where it is needed most. Where African financial institutions anchor their own economies. Where a young person can access the financing, training, and markets to turn ambition into prosperity. Where infrastructure connects people, goods, and ideas across borders. That is the Africa we are working to build. The African Development Bank Group will not waver in that mission.”

Download the Annual Report Highlights and full report here (https://apo-opa.co/3PtujSI) to discover how the African Development Bank Group is helping shape Africa’s future – driven by its people and powered by its youth.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Media Contact:
Amba Mpoke-Bigg
Communication and External Relations Department
Email: media@afdb.org

Nancy Beke:
Principal Policy and Strategy Officer