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One afternoon in May 2025, 48-year-old Lebohang Pitso* from Lesotho’s capital, Maseru, felt her life slipping away. Weakened from a bout of severe bleeding caused by cervical cancer, she sought emergency care at the city’s renowned Senkatana Oncology Clinic. A few hours after being admitted and receiving a blood transfusion, she felt a powerful transformation take place in her body.

“It was like a heavy cover was removed from my face,” she says. “The blood gave me life.”

Moved by the experience, Pitso asked her family to give back. “Four of my family members went to the blood bank and donated blood,” she says. “Blood donors are doing a great job. If it were not for my condition, I would be a regular donor. I encourage those who can, to give life to others.”

Lesotho Blood Transfusion Services is ramping up efforts to recruit and retain blood donors. It has implemented several strategic approaches, such as promoting blood donor clubs in schools and conducting mobile outreach blood donation drives, which have led to improved blood collection. In 2024, the institution carried out 165 mobile blood donation drives. Overall, there has been an almost 70% increase in the number of units collected between 2017 and 2024, from 5583 to 9411.

“But demand is higher than supply,” says Manaledi Makhetha, a phlebotomist at Lesotho Blood Transfusion Services. “For example, the 180 units we collected during a week-long campaign this year were all used in just two days,” she says. The total number of units collected per year, although improved, still falls short of the annual target of 10 000 units.

Makhetha screens donors, collects blood and ensures its safe delivery to various hospitals. “The primary need for blood transfusions is maternal- and cancer-related cases and road traffic crash survivors, among others,” she says.

On average, Senkatana Oncology Clinic uses 2‒3 pints of blood a day. Many cancer patients require frequent transfusions, as both the illness and treatment compromise blood production. Rethabile Makhetha, an oncology nurse at the clinic, recalls one morning when four patients needed blood, but the clinic only had sufficient units for three. “Cancer is a long journey,” she says. “The patients become family. When we can’t help them due to blood shortages, it’s devastating.”

The Ministry of Health is increasing public awareness, advocating for regular donations and expanded infrastructure to meet increasing demand. “With World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners supporting the Ministry of Health with guidelines, policies and campaign events, Lesotho is making strides,” says Stephen Monkoe, Director of Laboratory Services at the Ministry of Health. “We are grateful to partners and donors alike. Blood donors are our heroes.”

Every year on 14 June countries mark World Blood Donor Day, as a tribute to unpaid blood donors who save lives, strengthen communities and show solidarity with others. The day is also an opportunity to highlight the ongoing need for safe, regular blood donations. 

“It is imperative that everyone, from citizens to community leaders, private and public partners, and government, redouble our efforts to strengthen the national blood service,” says Thato Mxakaza, Health Promotion Officer in WHO’s country office in Lesotho. “By investing in vigorous collection, safe processing, and equitable distribution, we ensure that the profound gift of blood translates into sustained life and renewed hope for every recipient.”

In Maseru, 32-year-old Nthomeng Leuta encourages others to become regular blood donors. Curious to know her blood type, she began donating blood at high school. She discovered she was type O negative, the only blood type that can be transfused to any recipient and is therefore critical during emergencies when a recipient’s blood type is unknown. Motivated by her special status as a “universal blood donor” she jokingly refers to the blood bank her “second home.” 

Leuta’s most precious memory is when she responded to a social media post from a man whose wife urgently needed a blood transfusion for an emergency caesarean section. Leuta responded, and the result of her donation was a healthy mother and baby boy. “The husband called me to inform me how I had saved two lives that are so dear to him,” she says. “I felt humbled and so happy.”

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

Ghana is fast-tracking the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to unlock new opportunities for Ghanaian businesses across Africa by moving beyond commodity-based trade towards value addition for its traditional exports such as gold, oil and cocoa. 

Speaking during the Ghana Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) 2025 Business Roadshow, Ghana’s Minister for Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry, Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare highlighted the government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive under AfCFTA by improving trade infrastructure, financing and market access. 

“Under our Market Expansion Programme, the National AfCFTA Coordination Office is providing firm-level support to over 2,000 MSMEs in Ghana. This includes sensitization, market readiness training programmes, training on AfCFTA’s Rules of Origin, trade finance and market access initiatives. Ghana has also conducted targeted trade expeditions to East Africa, taking Ghanaian businesses to Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda to explore real-time opportunities and negotiate supply contracts,” the Minister said in a speech read on her behalf by the Acting National Coordinator, National AfCFTA Coordination Office, Benjamin Kwaku Asiam. 

The Ghana IATF2025 Business Roadshow brought together government officials, the trade community, including businesses and investors, and executives from the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank). The event focused on promoting intra-African trade under the theme: Harnessing Regional and Continental Value Chains: Accelerating Africa’s Industrialisation and Global Competitiveness through AfCFTA. 

The Business Roadshow is one of five planned in Accra, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Lagos, and Algiers ahead of the fourth edition of the biennial Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 (IATF2025), scheduled to take place in Algiers, Algeria, from 4 – 10 September 2025. IATF is Africa’s premier trade and investment event, held by Afreximbank, in collaboration with the African Union Commission and the AfCFTA Secretariat, and provides a platform for businesses to showcase their goods and exchange trade and investment information within the continent’s single market. 

In his keynote address, the Secretary General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, H.E. Wamkele Mene noted that the IATF offers an unparalleled platform for the exchange of trade and investment information; and is a marketplace of ideas, opportunities, and partnerships.  

“As we work to scale up intra-African trade, build regional value chains, and accelerate industrialisation, IATF serves as a key platform for connecting African businesses, investors, governments, and innovators. It is a catalyst for turning the promise of AfCFTA into concrete outcomes: trade deals signed, investments mobilised, and jobs created. By establishing a large, integrated market, AfCFTA encourages countries to specialize and add value to products, attracting investment and creating jobs,” H.E. Mene said, adding that this supports economic diversification, poverty reduction, and Africa’s vision for sustainable and inclusive development. 

Afreximbank’s Group Chief Economist & Managing Director, Research, Dr. Yemi Kale described IATF as AfCFTA’s commercial marketplace, which brings to life Africa’s efforts to trade more with itself not only in raw materials, but also in value-added goods, services, and innovations. 

“One of the persistent barriers to intra-African trade is not tariffs or logistics alone—but also access to accurate, timely, and actionable market intelligence. Trade cannot flourish in the absence of information,” Dr Kale said, adding that IATF2025 provides a platform for addressing this. He invited Ghanaian businesses and government agencies to participate in IATF2025, where over 2,000 exhibitors from Africa and beyond will showcase their products to more than 35,000 visitors and buyers from over 140 countries, with trade and investment deals projected to exceed US$44 billion. 

Cumulatively, IATF has attracted over 4,500 exhibitors, more than 70,000 visitors, and facilitated over US$100 billion in deals. The last edition held in Cairo attracted nearly 2,000 exhibitors from 65 countries generated US$43.7 billion in trade and investment deals. 

The upcoming IATF2025 will be hosted by the Government of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria. Speaking at the Business Roadshow, Algeria’s Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Mourad Louhaidia welcomed visitors and exhibitors to Algiers, pledging his government’s commitment to facilitate a successful IATF2025 by mobilising transport and hospitality infrastructure and facilitating smooth entry for all participants into the country. 

“The Algerian embassy will fast track processing of visas for all participants from Ghana. We have set up a dedicated team at the embassy to handle all information requests and visa applications to participate in IATF2025,” H.E. Louhaidia added.  

IATF2025 will feature a trade exhibition, the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) programme spotlighting cultural industries, a four-day Trade and Investment Forum, and the Africa Automotive Show. Special Days will highlight countries, public and private sector entities, tourism, cultural attractions, and Global Africa Day celebrating ties with the African diaspora. 

Additional activities include business-to-business and business-to-government matchmaking, the AU Youth Start-Up programme, the Africa Research and Innovation Hub, and the African Sub-Sovereign Governments Network (AfSNET) to promote local trade and cultural exchanges. The IATF Virtual platform is also live, connecting exhibitors and visitors all year-round. 

Ghanaian IATF Ambassador and Chairman, Oakwood Green Africa, Gabriel Edgal said: “Long before borders were drawn, Africa thrived as a connected economy. Trade was a way of life. Value was created locally. Progress moved through relationships and exchange. Across the world, we see increasing protectionism. Traditional aid partners are looking increasingly inward. The global economic tide is shifting, and everybody is focusing on themselves instead. I believe this is a wake-up call — that we need to now be more deliberate about trading among ourselves, to create interconnected prosperity, to trade among ourselves, build with ourselves, and grow for ourselves. It is time for action”. 

Ghana has been recognized as a leading example in AfCFTA implementation, with the government actively facilitating private sector participation through the National Coordination Office and initiatives like the Guided Trade Initiative, which has seen Ghanaian companies successfully trade with neighbouring African countries 

To participate in IATF2025 please visit www.IntrAfricanTradeFair.com.  

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

Media contact: 
media@intrafricatradefair.com
 press@afreximbank.com

About the Intra-African Trade Fair:
Organised by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) is intended to provide a unique platform for facilitating trade and investment information exchange in support of increased intra-African trade and investment, especially in the context of implementing the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). IATF brings together continental and global players to showcase and exhibit their goods and services and to explore business and investment opportunities in the continent. It also provides a platform to share trade, investment and market information with stakeholders and allows participants to discuss and identify solutions to the challenges confronting intra-African trade and investment. In addition to African participants, the Trade Fair is also open to businesses and investors from non-African countries interested in doing business in Africa and in supporting the continent’s transformation through industrialisation and export development. 

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The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan has sounded the alarm that the 2018 Revitalized (Peace) Agreement is at serious risk of collapse and called for urgent, coordinated regional intervention to salvage the faltering peace process.

The Commission stressed that escalating military offensives, political crackdowns, and foreign military presence are not only accelerating the breakdown of the Agreement but also fueling deep fear, instability and widespread trauma among the people of South Sudan.

“South Sudan’s peace agreement is in crisis,” said Yasmin Sooka, Chair of the Commission. “The renewed violence is pushing the Revitalized Peace Agreement to the brink of irrelevance, threatening a total collapse. Such a breakdown risks fragmenting the country even further.”

“Regional partners – especially the African Union and IGAD – must urgently increase their leverage and pressure on South Sudan’s leaders to de-escalate tensions, return to meaningful dialogue, and fully implement the peace agreement,” Sooka said. “It remains the only credible pathway to stability, peace, and democratic transition.”

Earlier this week, the Commission held consultative dialogues with a range of stakeholders, including civil society representatives, to assess the deepening crisis and explore measures to avert a return to civil war. Participants expressed widespread fear and anxiety among communities, who are increasingly traumatized by persistent violence, arbitrary arrests, and the erosion of civic space.

Since March 2025, the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) have launched sustained military operations, including airstrikes on civilian-populated areas, causing significant casualties and mass displacement. A state of emergency has been declared in several regions where operations continue.

Reports of Ugandan forces supporting the SSPDF, alongside the government’s move to recruit thousands of additional soldiers – seemingly outside the security sector reform commitments in the Revitalized Agreement and pointing towards protracted conflict – have further heightened public fear and concern over looming widespread violations.

“South Sudanese are living with extreme trauma. They are enduring targeted military attacks that have upended lives and instilled widespread fear. The ongoing recruitment drive by the SSPDF directly contradicts the Revitalized Agreement, which calls for the training and deployment of the Necessary Unified Forces. The country’s leaders – signatories of the Agreement – must abandon partisan agendas and act in the interest of the people,” said Commissioner Carlos Castresana Fernández. “The world cannot remain as bystander while civilians are bombed, and opposition voices are silenced. The time for passive diplomacy is over – these senseless attacks must stop.”

Political tensions in South Sudan have sharply escalated with the arbitrary detention of key opposition figures, including the First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar, alongside expanded military operations by the SSPDF, including in populated civilian areas, and against armed opposition forces and groups.

Escalating armed violence has deepened South Sudan’s humanitarian and human rights crises. Civilians in Upper Nile State have been particularly affected, as the region – already grappling with emergency-level food insecurity – has become a key transit corridor for refugees fleeing the conflict in Sudan. Fears are growing that if this conflict trajectory is not averted, South Sudan’s conflict will entwine with the crisis of Sudan, with even more dire consequences.

“Salvaging South Sudan’s peace agreement should be of utmost priority in an already turbulent region, as the agreement enables political adversaries to partner towards a transformative transition in this country,” said Commissioner Barney Afako. “Torpedoing the transition is an act of profound folly and recklessness, that is already reigniting violence, deepening insecurity, and imposing further grave violations on long suffering citizens, and undermining regional peace architectures.”

“Regional partners and peace guarantors must not indulge these damaging machinations; rather, they should resolve to urgently restore a credible transition that will deliver citizens’ aspirations for durable peace and justice,” Afako said.

The Commission reiterated its call for regional and international actors to intensify diplomatic pressure on South Sudan’s leaders to ensure immediate de-escalation and full implementation of the Revitalized Agreement.

Commissioner Yasmin Sooka also noted that “any unilateral attempts to derail the transition and undermine regional peace architectures have grave implications for peace and security in the Horn of Africa, and that failure to act could plunge the country into another devastating cycle of conflict.”

The Commission continues to monitor developments closely and is documenting human rights violations and abuses committed by all parties to the conflict, including those potentially amounting to war crimes.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).