Category: Africa

Source: APO – Report:

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Ministers and senior officials from G20 member states and invited countries gathered in Tshwane, South Africa, on 23 September 2025, for the G20 Research and Innovation Ministerial Meeting.

The meeting, held under the theme “Science, Technology and Innovation for Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability”, reaffirmed the critical role of international cooperation in science, technology and innovation (STI) to address urgent global challenges. Delegates emphasised that no country could thrive in isolation, and committed to building inclusive, ethical and sustainable STI ecosystems.

The meeting endorsed a suite of initiatives referred to as the Tshwane Package, which includes –

• G20 recommendations on science engagement to foster public trust, participation and literacy in science;
• a G20 open innovation platform of platforms to facilitate voluntary knowledge sharing across borders;
• an open innovation demonstrator project focused on disaster risk reduction and water security;
• support for global biodiversity data cooperation, including the development of a catalogue of life;
• the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in STI; and
• a compendium of good practices and a thematic portal to advance diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in STI.

The Ministers also recognised the importance of public participation in STI and endorsed the G20 Recommendations on Science Engagement, which aim to –

• promote open science through multilingual access, transparency and inclusive infrastructures;
• invest in education and skills to build a scientifically literate society from early childhood onwards;
• build trust and mutual understanding through community-based initiatives, indigenous knowledge-led projects and multilingual     publishing; and
• enhance global leadership by fostering international cooperation, celebrating science in society, and supporting vulnerable communities’ participation in research.

These efforts are designed to empower citizens to shape, contribute to and benefit from scientific progress.

Under South Africa’s G20 Presidency a series of high-level STI engagements were convened, including Science20 engagements on climate, food, water, energy and land systems; the G20 Chief Science Advisers’ Roundtable on evidence-based policymaking; workshops on the bioeconomy, artificial intelligence for sustainable development, and Africa’s human genetic diversity. A visit to the Square Kilometre Array Observatory site in the Northern Cape was also arranged to showcase this international research infrastructure.

The meeting expressed appreciation for the contributions of knowledge partners, including the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Delegates commended South Africa’s leadership and expressed anticipation of continued progress under the United States G20 Presidency in 2026.

– on behalf of Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, Republic of South Africa.

Source: APO – Report:

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As South Africa prepares to celebrate Heritage Day on 24 September, the Western Cape Government is calling on residents to rediscover the rich cultural and natural heritage of our province through local travel and tourism.

Under the theme #SpringIntoAction and #ForTheLoveOfTourism, Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism Dr Ivan Meyer invites residents and visitors to explore the province’s diverse destinations, support community-based tourism businesses, and celebrate the stories that shape our shared identity.

“Every trip within the Western Cape creates an opportunity for growth, for our communities, small businesses, and for the families who depend on tourism for their livelihoods. By travelling locally, residents can help protect what makes our province bloom, ensuring our children and grandchildren will one day find peace and joy in nature and culture,” said Minister Meyer.

Tourism is more than leisure; it is a powerful economic driver. In 2023, tourism contributed R28.6 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the Western Cape economy and supported over 257,000 jobs across numerous sectors, including hospitality, guiding, agriculture, transport, culture, and the creative industries.

Heritage tourism plays a vital role in this ecosystem, offering immersive experiences that connect visitors to the province’s history, traditions, and landscapes.

This Heritage Day, residents are encouraged to:

• Celebrate Spring by attending cultural festivals, visiting “dorpies”, townships and villages, and supporting local tourism entrepreneurs.
• Explore Nature by visiting CapeNature reserves and SANParks facilities, travelling responsibly, and respecting biodiversity.
• Spring Into Heritage by visiting iconic sites such as Robben Island, the Cape Floral Kingdom, the District Six Museum, the Iziko Slave Lodge, and experiencing living history in the Bo-Kaap, Stellenbosch, Tulbagh, Matjiesfontein, and Cederberg rock art sites.

For under R50, Cape Town offers a range of accessible heritage experiences:

• Explore the V&A Waterfront’s free historical walking route, which highlights the area’s maritime and cultural legacy.
• Visit the Green Point Urban Park, a biodiversity showcase and family-friendly space.
• Enjoy a scenic walk along the Sea Point Promenade, a beloved public space with views of the Atlantic Ocean.
• Join free guided walking tours to learn about the city’s layered history, architecture, and communities.

Events such as the !Khwa ttu Heritage Festival and other cultural showcases offer opportunities to celebrate the province’s diverse traditions, languages, and architecture.

Every local journey makes a difference:

• Every visit supports local entrepreneurs, guides and artists.
• Every ticket purchased helps grow our economy.
• Every responsible action protects our fragile biodiversity and cultural legacy.

“Tourism is a shared journey. When residents travel with impact, the entire province prospers,” concluded Minister Meyer.

– on behalf of South African Government.

Source: APO – Report:

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23 September 2025, Technical experts from 14 African countries, multilateral development banks, development partners, and global health initiatives are convening in Johannesburg for a three-day Regional Technical Meeting on Innovative Financing for Health in Africa, co-organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa and the Global Fund. 

“We are truly delighted to host this regional technical meeting as we collectively reflect on the challenges and opportunities before us in building sustainable and resilient health financing systems for our continent. Africa is at a turning point, and innovative thinking will be essential to ensure our resolutions translate into meaningful action. By applying innovative thinking, we can ensure that health financing reforms become meaningful action that strengthens our health systems and secures equity for our people,” said Dr Percy Mahlathi, Deputy Director General, Institutional Capacity, South Africa National Department of Health. 

The meeting offers a collaborative platform for countries and partners to examine practical strategies to mobilize sustainable resources, improve alignment of financing flows, and scale up innovative mechanisms to accelerate progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC). 

“This technical meeting is an opportunity for countries and partners to share practical experiences, co-create solutions, and strengthen alignment around national health financing priorities. The focus is on concrete, evidence- based approaches that countries can adapt and scale,” said Nertila Tavanxhi, Senior Manager- Health Financing Country Support- The Global Fund).

Health financing remains a major challenge across Africa. Out-of-pocket spending accounts for about 36% of total health expenditure, and nearly half of sub-Saharan African countries depend on external resources for more than one- third of their health spending — leaving them vulnerable to reductions in external funding. 

The meeting aims to: 

• Mobilize and sustain domestic financing for health by exploring fiscal policies and innovative instruments that can expand health budgets and reduce donor dependency.
• Enhance efficiency, alignment, and impact through improved partner coordination and integration of health financing within national frameworks.
• Promote innovative approaches such as blended finance, social impact bonds, pooled procurement, and climate-health financing. 

“Strengthening health financing is not just about finding more money, it is about using resources more strategically, aligning them with country priorities, and building resilient systems that deliver for everyone”, said Dr. Adelheid Werimo Onyango, Director of Health Systems & Services, WHO Regional Office for Africa. “This meeting allows us to bring technical expertise together to generate solutions that will sustain health gains and accelerate progress toward Universal Health Coverage.” 

“Fiscal pressures and shifting external financing realities are testing our ability to sustain the health gains of the past two decades. Yet, this challenge also presents us with an opportunity: to rethink our approaches and mobilize sustainable, country-led, and innovative financing solutions that will strengthen resilience, equity, and progress toward Universal Health Coverage” said Ms Shenaaz El-Halabi, Country Representative, WHO South Africa. “Innovative financing is not only about new instruments, but also about new partnerships, new ways of sharing risk, and stronger commitments to align resources with national priorities.” 

Over three days, participants will engage in keynote presentations, country case studies, peer learning, and ideation sessions. The agenda highlights country-led innovations including: 

• Ghana’s Medical Trust Fund and removal of caps on VAT revenue for health insurance.
• South Africa’s pioneering TB Social Impact Bond, linking financing to measurable health outcomes. •
• Tanzania and Nigeria’s advances in pooled procurement and local pharmaceutical production. 

The meeting will culminate in the development of country ideation maps, outlining pipelines for innovative financing opportunities and a commitment to establish a regional community of practice to sustain momentum and foster ongoing collaboration.

– on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) – South Africa.

Source: APO – Report:

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The World Bank Group has approved the Digital Zambia Acceleration Project (DZAP) to support the Zambian government  to increase access to, and inclusive use of, the internet and digitally enabled services. With a strong emphasis on fostering digital inclusion, the project aims to empower women and girls, persons with disabilities (PwDs), and other vulnerable communities through the use of digital public services.

Supported by a $100 million International Development Association (IDA)* grant to Zambia, DZAP is part of the second phase of of the regional Inclusive Digitalization in Eastern and Southern Africa (IDEA ) program.  Zambia joins Angola, Malawi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) in this regional effort to foster inclusive digital economies across the region.

“I am confident that DZAP will enhance digital access,  including access to e-government services for faster, more transparent public service delivery,” said Achim Fock, World Bank Country Manager for Zambia.

The DZAP will also promote high-impact digital services in sectors such as agriculture–through access to market data and smart farming tools, in the education sector through support for e-learning platforms and digital content, and in the the health sector through improved digital health records.

“The youth of Zambia are poised to benefit from this project thanks to it’s support for developing employment-ready digital skills among youth and underserved populations,” said Mehnaz Safavian, World Bank Practice Manager for Digital Development for Eastern and Southern Africa. “The project will also strengthen digital public infrastructure to improve service delivery and governance.”

The DZAP is structured around four strategic pillars :

• Affordable Broadband–Extending backbone and last-mile connectivity and enhancing the enabling environment.
• Interoperable and Secure Platforms–Facilitating digital government services and regional trade.
• High-Impact Digital Services–Supporting sectoral digitalization and digital skills development.
• Program Management and Capacity Building–Ensuring effective implementation and stakeholder engagement.

The DZAP project is fully aligned with the World Bank’s Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for Zambia FY25–29 key pillars focusing on creating more and better jobs, improving human capital, and enhancing climate resilience. It is aligned with Zambia’s vision 2030 aimed at transforming the country into a prosperous, middle-income country by 2030 through creating jobs for its population.

*The World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), established in 1960, helps the world’s poorest countries by providing grants and low to zero-interest loans for projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor people’s lives. IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 78 poorest countries, 40 of which are in Africa. Resources from IDA bring positive change to the 1.3 billion people who live in IDA countries. Since 1960, IDA has provided $563 billion to 116 countries. Annual commitments have increased steadily and averaged about $34.5 billion over the last three years (FY22-FY24), with about 70 percent going to Africa. Learn more online: IDA.worldbank.org. #IDAworks

– on behalf of The World Bank Group.

Source: APO – Report:

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The World Health Organization (WHO)’s Deputy Representative to the country Hala Khudari reported on Tuesday that the outbreak, which started in July 2024 in Kassala, has spread to all 18 states of the country.

More than 113,600 cases have been registered so far and over 3,000 deaths – a “concerning case fatality rate” of 2.7 per cent.

Speaking from Port Sudan, she said that the past year saw surges in White Nile and Khartoum among other states, resulting from the impact of the conflict and increased population movement. This critical situation has been compounded by severely limited basic services such as water, food and health, caused by ongoing heavy fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Cholera is an acute intestinal infection that spreads through bacteria-contaminated food and water. According to WHO, it can kill within hours when not treated, and case fatality rates above one per cent indicate “serious gaps in case management and delayed access to care”.

Conditions ripe for disease

The resurgence of cholera in Sudan has been fuelled by heavy rains and flooding, overcrowding and lack of access to clean water in displacement sites and within communities.

In the Darfur region, where cholera has been spreading since May, the number of cases continues to increase amid “severe access constraints” which are impeding the response, including inaccessible roads due to the rainy season, Ms. Khudari said. As of two days ago 12,739 cases and 358 deaths were reported in more than half of all the localities of the five Darfur states.

In certain localities in West Darfur, the case fatality rate has been as high as 11.8 per cent, she said.

Ms. Khudari explained that WHO and partners have been working to control the outbreak with a vaccination campaign in the worst-hit communities. It began last Sunday “after weeks of preparations to overcome access, transport and logistical challenges”.

The campaign aims to protect 1.86 million people in six priority localities of the Darfurs.

The WHO representative said that the “biggest challenge” in launching the campaign was to “actually get the vaccines there”. She described the difficulties in delivering the life-saving immunizations and supporting supplies via “long routes” to Nyala in South Darfur state earlier this month, amid ongoing security concerns.

El Fasher survivors

Preparations are ongoing to launch the campaign by the end of September in Tawila in North Darfur State, which hosts more than 575,000 internally displaced people, most of whom have fled from the besieged city of El Fasher.

The vaccines are being deployed in Sudan with the support of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), whose spokesperson Ricardo Pires raised the alarm over the severe risks of cholera for children.

Children under five have been “disproportionately affected”, he told reporters, and so far at least 380 have died.

Access to life-saving treatment for cholera in Sudan is limited as the almost two-and-a-half-year-old violent conflict has devastated the health system.

The outbreak comes at a time when “more than 70 per cent of hospitals in conflict-affected areas are non-operational, with health centres being damaged or destroyed during the conflict, lacking supplies and even staff, as well as facilities being often used as shelter,” Mr. Pires stressed.

The UNICEF spokesperson also underscored the impact of “relentless” attacks on the country’s power and water infrastructure which have off cut millions of people including many children from safe and clean water, forcing families to collect water from unsafe and contaminated sources.

– on behalf of UN News.

Source: APO – Report:

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The Congolese economy posted modest real GDP growth of 2.6% in 2024, marking a moderate increase in per capita income for the first time since 2016. This finding, according to the World Bank’s new Economic Update for the Republic of Congo, underscores that the progress registered has not yet translated into a significant reduction in poverty.

Entitled “Strengthen the management of produced, human and natural capital to raise living standards in the Republic of Congo “, the twelfth edition of the report calls on the State to strategically manage its debt and cash flow in order to strengthen the country’s fiscal sustainability and unleash its growth potential. It calls for protecting and expanding assets to improve people’s living standards.

The Republic of Congo has stepped up non-oil revenue mobilization and has made promising progress in public debt and treasury management reforms. However, while debt is declining, liquidity pressures remain elevated, calling for prudent cash management and additional efforts to rationalize public spending to improve fiscal sustainability.

Supported by local content policies, agricultural value chains have been strengthened, while regional demand has boosted manufacturing exports. At the same time, the contraction in oil production has highlighted the vulnerability of an economy still dependent on hydrocarbons, reminding us of the urgency of accelerating its diversification. Diversification is progressing but with limited labor absorption.

In the medium term, growth is projected at 2.8% in 2025, followed by a gradual recovery in 2026 and 2027. Lower oil prices and tighter financial conditions will test the country’s fiscal and external resilience.

The report highlights that the country has considerable assets, driven by its human and natural capital. Its forests, which cover more than 69% of the territory, store nearly 16 billion tonnes of carbon and provide essential ecosystem services. This wealth holds enormous potential: better management of natural capital, combined with greater investments in human capital, can sustainably raise wealth per capita.

“For a forest-intensive country like the Republic of Congo, an effective global financing mechanism is essential to turn carbon sequestration services into tangible benefits,” said Cheick Fantamady Kanté, World Bank Country Director for Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. “Estimating the value of these services is a critical first step, enabling policymakers, civil society, and the public at large to quantify and target the necessary compensation.”

The report recommends strengthening education and health, strengthening forest governance, and promoting local transformation of natural resources to create jobs, mobilize climate finance, and foster sustainable development.

It concludes with a call for concerted and scaled-up support from the international community to build more resilient, inclusive, and environmentally friendly growth for the well-being of all its people.

– on behalf of The World Bank Group.

Source: APO – Report:

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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), through its Commission’s Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS), will convene a Regional Consultation in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, from 24 to 26 September 2025, under the theme “The Future of Political Stability, Peace and Security in West Africa”.

The Bissau meeting forms part of a series of three regional consultations being organised ahead of the Special Summit on the Future of Regional Integration, scheduled for later in 2025, as directed by the Authority of Heads of State and Government at its 65th Ordinary Session held on 7 July 2024 in Abuja, Nigeria. The consultations are being held in the context of the 50th anniversary of ECOWAS, marking five decades of regional cooperation and integration.

The two sessions will take place simultaneously in Accra, Ghana, and Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, from 24 to 26 September 2025. While the Accra consultation will focus on “The Future of Democracy, Constitutional Order and Good Governance”, the Bissau meeting will address the region’s priorities on “Peace, Stability and Security”. A third consultation is planned for Freetown, Sierra Leone, from 14 to 16 October 2025, focusing on “The Future of ECOWAS Partnerships and International Relations”.

The consultations will bring together representatives of ECOWAS Member States, civil society organisations, youth and women’s groups, the private sector, technical and financial partners, as well as academics and experts. They are designed to provide an inclusive platform for dialogue on the region’s most pressing challenges, to generate concrete recommendations that will contribute to a common outcome document entitled “A Pact for the Future of Regional Integration in the ECOWAS Community”. This document will be submitted to the Authority of Heads of State and Government for consideration at the Special Summit.

This process is firmly anchored in ECOWAS Vision 2050: ‘A Community of Peoples – Peace and Prosperity for All’. It reflects the commitment of the ECOWAS leadership to place citizens at the centre of regional integration, ensuring that peace, stability and prosperity remain the guiding priorities of the Community.

– on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).