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Lesotho: National Science, Technology and Innovation Week 2026

Source: APO


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The Minister of Information, Communications, Science, Technology and Innovation, Honourable Nthati Moorosi, has called for greater efforts to translate scientific research and innovation into practical solutions that improve the lives of Basotho.

The Minister made the call when officially opening the third edition of the National Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Week 2026 in Maseru Today.Held under the theme “Exploring the Role of Science, Technology and Innovation in Improving Lives and Building a Better Future,” the week-long event brings together stakeholders to explore how science, technology and innovation can address Lesotho’s development priorities.

In her keynote address, Hon. Moorosi said the country must build a culture in which science, technology and innovation are central to solving problems, creating jobs and growing the economy.

She noted that these fields are no longer activities reserved for universities and research institutions but have become the backbone of modern, competitive economies.

The Minister stressed that research should not end with reports on shelves but must find practical application in factories, farms, businesses, public services and communities.

She further highlighted Government’s efforts to strengthen the policy and institutional foundations for research and innovation, including advancing the Research and Innovation Policy through the necessary approval processes. The policy is intended to strengthen the translation of scientific knowledge into commercially viable products, technologies and services.

As part of practical initiatives to apply innovation to national priorities, Hon. Moorosi said her Ministry, working with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition, is developing an artificial intelligence-powered chatbot to strengthen agricultural extension services. The initiative aims to improve farmers’ access to timely and practical agricultural information and advice.

She also highlighted ongoing efforts to upgrade the High-Performance Computing infrastructure at the Mohale’s Hoek Data Centre to support scientific modelling, advanced research, data analytics and the development of locally relevant artificial intelligence applications.

Hon. Moorosi called on universities, researchers and young innovators to move beyond demonstrating that ideas are scientifically possible and take the next step towards testing, improving, commercialising and deploying them for the benefit of society.

Meanwhile, the Acting Director of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ms Matšepo Mosoka, reaffirmed the Department’s commitment to promoting science, technology and innovation as drivers of sustainable development.

The week’s programme will focus on the application of science, technology and innovation in agriculture, healthcare, digital transformation, climate resilience and the broader innovation ecosystem.

The event also provides a platform for stakeholders to share knowledge, strengthen partnerships and explore practical ways of addressing national challenges through locally developed solutions.

Through the National Science, Technology and Innovation Week, the Government of Lesotho seeks to strengthen the country’s innovation ecosystem and ensure that scientific knowledge contributes to productivity, economic opportunities and improved livelihoods.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Government of Lesotho.

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Algeria’s Hydrocarbons Minister Joins MSGBC 2026 as Sonatrach Eyes Senegal Partnerships

Source: APO


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Mohamed Arkab, Algeria’s Minister of State and Minister of Hydrocarbons, will join the speaker lineup at MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2026 in Dakar this December, bringing one of the continent’s most senior energy ministers to a forum focused on investment and regional cooperation. His confirmation serves as a bridge between one of Africa’s longest-standing oil and gas producers and one of its newest, paving the way for greater collaboration across upstream exploration, infrastructure and power.

Algerian cooperation with MSGBC nations has already gained momentum. Minister Arkab hosted Senegal’s Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Dr. El Hadji Abdourahmane Diouf, in Algiers on October 4. The two-day visit produced a cooperation agreement between Senegalese utility Senelec and Algeria’s Sonelgaz, while Petrosen and Sonatrach held discussions on a potential partnership spanning upstream exploration and infrastructure.

Senegal’s government has said the visit sets the stage for an intergovernmental agreement to be signed in Dakar during MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2026. The two national oil companies first signed a memorandum of understanding in 2022, and Minister Arkab discussed putting it into effect with Senegal’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Cheikh Niang in July.

The potential partnership comes as MSGBC countries look toward the next phase of upstream development following the start of production at Senegal’s Sangomar oil field and the cross-border Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) LNG project. Regional priorities are now shifting toward advancing the next generation of projects, including Senegal’s Yakaar-Teranga gas development and Mauritania’s BirAllah discovery, while attracting fresh exploration investment across the wider basin. Moving these opportunities toward development will require capital, technical expertise and partnerships with established producers – creating scope for deeper cooperation with countries such as Algeria and companies such as Sonatrach.

Minister Arkab’s participation at the upcoming conference also arrives as Algeria advances its own exploration strategy. The event convenes shortly after bidding closes for the Algeria Bid Round 2026, which the National Agency for the Valorization of Hydrocarbon Resources launched in April with seven exploration blocks on offer. Submissions are due November 26, and Sonatrach expects to finalize contracts with successful bidders by the end of January 2027. Exploration and production will absorb three-quarters of the $60 billion Sonatrach intends to spend between 2026 and 2030, as the company works toward lifting annual gas output to 200 billion cubic meters within five years.

With a bilateral agreement potentially headed for signature on the conference sidelines, Minister Arkab’s participation promises to be one of the defining moments of the 2026 edition and reinforces MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power’s standing as the region’s leading meeting point for governments and investors.

Organized by Energy Capital & Power and held under the High Patronage of Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2026 takes place December 1–3 in Dakar and will convene heads of state, ministers, investors, operators and development partners from Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea-Conakry. Explore opportunities and secure your participation at www.MSGBCOilGasandPower.com.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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Afreximbank and partners advance Africa’s automotive investment agenda at Alamein Africa Forum

Source: APO

African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com), in partnership with the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM), the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, the Ministry of Trade and Investment of Egypt, and the Department of Trade and Industry of South Africa, hosted the Africa Automotive Investment Forum on the sidelines of the Alamein Africa Forum held in El Alamein, Egypt recently.

The two-day Forum brought together high-level African automotive industry policymakers, private sector original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and Africa-based component manufacturers.

The Forum sought to sensitise policymakers on the policy changes and reforms needed to develop the automotive sector, enable investors to engage directly with both policymakers and manufacturers, and facilitate potential joint ventures and supply agreements or engagements leading to future deals.

Afreximbank noted that the Forum prioritised joint ventures and technology transfer agreements between global auto giants and African enterprises with the expectation of creating highly skilled engineering, manufacturing and technical jobs for Africa’s growing youth demographic while significantly boosting local small and medium enterprises within the secondary supply tier.

It described the automotive sector as a strategic priority because it serves as a powerful catalyst for Africa’s industrialisation, intra-African trade and economic resilience, noting that several African countries were already making important strides in the development of a manufacturing sector that had attracted increasing investment into the emerging auto industry, including new energy vehicles.

Highlighting the significance of the Forum for Afreximbank, Mrs. Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade and Export Development, said:

“The automotive sector is a critical pillar for advancing Africa’s industrialisation and achieving the structural transformation championed by Afreximbank. By driving regional value chain integration, the automotive industry directly aligns with our mandate to foster intra-African trade under the AfCFTA framework. Supporting this sector allows Afreximbank to catalyse high-impact investments, stimulate manufacturing capabilities, create skilled employment, and significantly reduce the continent’s heavy reliance on vehicle imports. Investing in the African automotive ecosystem is not merely a financing opportunity, but a strategic imperative that accelerates economic diversification and establishes Africa as a competitive player in the global industrial economy.”

Mrs. Awani said that significant investment opportunities existed in Africa’s automotive manufacturing sector, including component manufacturing, leveraging the continent’s growing skills base and raw materials such as lithium, cobalt, manganese, nickel, copper, iron and steel. She added that Afreximbank was championing the development of a pan-African automotive manufacturing sector comprising an interrelated component and vehicle manufacturing ecosystem, supported by intra-African supply chains and trade.

Mrs. Awani noted that Afreximbank had committed US$1 billion towards financing Africa’s automotive sector as part of its strategy to promote manufacturing, trade and industrial development across Africa.

The Forum witnessed the signing of a joint venture agreement between Malben Engineering from South Africa and Egypt-based industrial conglomerate El Araby Group to establish a joint platform for manufacturing components serving Egyptian, South African and broader African markets. The undertaking combines El Araby Group’s industrial, engineering, and technological capabilities with Malben Engineering’s experience spanning over 50 years in manufacturing and forming metal automotive components.  The joint venture illustrates the type of commercial partnership that will spur development of intra-African automotive supply chains and trade.

Mr. Tarek Mosaad, President of the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM) said: “with the AfCFTA Rules of Origin now agreed, the foundation for a more integrated automotive industry is in place. Our focus must shift to turning ambition into action by creating factories, strengthening supplier ecosystems, generating jobs, and increasing intra-African trade.” He noted that “AAAM remains focused on three key priorities:

  • Growing local content through regional value chains
  • Making it easier to move automotive products across borders
  • Ensuring Africa plays a meaningful role in shaping the future of mobility|

In his call to action, he cautioned that “investors are not looking at 54 separate African markets. They are looking at one integrated opportunity.”

H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, echoed the sentiments expressed by Afreximbank and AAAM and outlined three priorities for advancing the Strategy for the African Automotive Sector under the AfCFTA framework, namely: “developing investment-ready projects and competitive production locations; strengthening regional supplier networks and deepening localisation; and establishing commercially viable regional production.”

In a further step towards advancing these priorities, the AfCFTA Secretariat and the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation in developing Africa’s automotive industry.

The MoU provides a framework for cooperation in implementing the Strategy for the African Automotive Sector under the AfCFTA, covering automotive Rules of Origin, customs procedures and trade facilitation, automotive policy and standards, capacity building, regional supplier and value-chain development, mineral beneficiation, investment mobilisation and emerging automotive technologies.

The partnership will also support ongoing efforts by the AfCFTA Secretariat and Afreximbank to advance the AfCFTA Automotive Investment Plan, with a focus on mobilising investment and strengthening competitive regional automotive production networks.

The Forum also witnessed the establishment of a joint Egypt-South Africa Business Council designed to develop bilateral trade and investment projects across various priority sectors that include automotive, mining and mineral resources, renewable energy, agriculture and food production, pharmaceuticals, transport and logistics infrastructure – leveraging the Suez Canal and national ports in both countries to facilitate increased trade between northern and southern Africa.

For a more practical experience, delegates moved from policy discussion to industry exposure through curated site visits to OEMs Nissan Motor Corporation, General Motors Egypt, Al Mansour Automotive and components manufacturer Mobica in 6th of October City. The visits offered a first-hand view of Egypt’s automotive industrial base, showcasing the progression from vehicle assembly and localisation to supplier development, manufacturing capabilities and regional market reach, while illustrating the tangible opportunities for investment, technology transfer and cross-border value-chain integration that can help position Africa as a competitive automotive manufacturing hub.

With African vehicle demand expected to reach 5 million by 2035 as well as rising interest in new energy vehicles globally, industry stakeholders and policymakers are seeing opportunities to drive domestic industrialisation through the automotive sector and renewables, leveraging African raw materials. Forum participants emphasised that the policy incentives must be right and that the provision of affordable financing will help drive demand and capital investments.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

Media Contact:
Vincent Musumba
Communications and Events Manager (Media Relations)
Email: press@afreximbank.com

Alexandre Siewe
Senior Advisor
Communications
AfCFTA Secretariat
Email: Alexandre.Siewe@au-afcfta.org   

AAAM
Email: coms@aaamafrica.com 

Follow Afreximbank on:
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About Afreximbank: 
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance and promote intra- and extra-African trade. For over 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative structures to deliver financing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa’s trade, accelerating industrialisation and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa. A strong supporter of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank has launched a Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the AfCFTA. Working with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU, the Bank has set up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries effectively participating in the AfCFTA. At the end of December 2025, Afreximbank’s total assets and contingencies stood at over US$48.5 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$8.4 billion. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co., Ltd (CCXI) (AAA), GCR (A), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-), Moody’s (Baa2) and S&P Global Ratings (BBB+). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.

For more information, visit: www.Afreximbank.com

About AfCFTA: 
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is one of the flagship projects of Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, the African Union’s long-term development strategy. The Agreement establishing the AfCFTA entered into force on 30 May 2019 and brings together the 55 Member States of the African Union in a single market of about 1.4 billion people with a combined GDP of approximately US$3.4 trillion. The AfCFTA is the largest free trade area in the world by number of participating countries. The AfCFTA Secretariat, based in Accra, Ghana, and led by Secretary-General H.E. Wamkele Mene, coordinates implementation of the Agreement in cooperation with State Parties, the Regional Economic Communities and continental institutions.

For more information, visit: AU-AfCFTA.org  

About AAAM: 
The African Association of Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM) is a nonprofit organisation dedicated to advancing the automotive industrialization and growth of Africa, while connecting global stakeholders with interests in the continent. AAAM focuses on developing robust automotive frameworks, ecosystems, and strategies that drive economic development and support the automotive industrial agenda across Africa. The association provides strategic advice on national and inter-regional trade policies to support regional industrialisation and foster economic integration. 

AAAM’s mission is to create sustainable and affordable mobility solutions, facilitate strategic linkages and partnerships, and develop regional automotive value chains that promote production and trade within and beyond the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). AAAM is also committed to championing access to affordable financing for both the automotive industry and consumers. 

Today, AAAM proudly represents a network of more than 70 members spanning the continent, working together to shape Africa’s automotive future. 

For more information visit https://AAAMAfrica.com/

Media files

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Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment on zero sardine mortalities following pilchard herpesvirus (PHV) testing

Source: APO


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The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has received no further reports of dead or dying sardines since 10 September 2026. The acute mortality phase has ended, but surveillance continues and any new occurrences should be reported promptly.

Laboratory testing for pilchard herpesvirus (PHV) has resumed following the earlier delay in the supply of essential reagents. The DFFE laboratory has received 107 case records comprising approximately 976 samples. Analysis has been completed for 37 cases comprising 326 samples, with testing of the remaining material continuing.

Initial analysis shows that a substantially greater proportion of dead sardines tested positive for PHV than apparently healthy sardines. Fish in which PHV DNA was detected also had a lower mean condition factor than fish in which it was not detected. These findings strengthen the association between PHV and the mortality event.

The results are nevertheless observational and do not yet establish causation. They cannot determine whether PHV contributed to poorer condition and mortality, whether fish in poorer condition were more susceptible to infection, or whether other factors contributed to both. Further analysis will consider the laboratory results together with pathology, sample condition, collection information and environmental evidence.

Limited fishing took place during the past week as weather conditions improved between periods of poor weather. Directed sardine catches were landed at Gansbaai, in Algoa Bay and from the Cape Point area, while sardine were also taken as bycatch with anchovy and redeye in several areas. Samples collected from these catches will help determine whether PHV remains present in sardines following the mortality event.

The temporary precautionary catch limitation remains in force until 30 October 2026. The Small Pelagic Scientific Working Group will review the latest mortality, laboratory, fishery and predator information on 27 October 2026 before making a further recommendation.

No reports or systematic observations indicating mortality-event-related impacts on African penguins or other sardine-dependent predators have been received. Relevant monitoring information will continue to be considered as it becomes available.

Preparations for the end-of-year hydroacoustic survey remain on track. The survey is planned to begin in November and cover the coast from Hondeklip Bay to Port St Johns, providing the first fisheries-independent estimate of sardine biomass, distribution and size structure following the mortality event.

PHV is a fish virus and is not known to infect people. Commercially produced sardine products released through regulated channels remain safe. Members of the public should nevertheless not collect or consume dead or dying sardines found on beaches or floating out at sea, feed them to animals, or use them as bait.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of South African Government.

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Fridge-free vaccines could reach more people, but there are still practical challenges in African settings

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Charles Shey Wiysonge, Extraordinary Professor, Global Health, Stellenbosch University; South African Medical Research Council

Keeping vaccines and medicines at the right temperature is critical for their efficacy and safety. But this is an often overlooked part of getting them to the people who need them. In April 2025, the UK biotechnology company Stablepharma began the first human trial of a tetanus-diphtheria vaccine designed to remain stable without refrigeration. The development has renewed interest in technologies that could do the job, particularly in places where electricity, transport, and storage infrastructure are limited. We spoke to immunisation experts Charles Shey Wiysonge and Chinwe Juliana Iwu-Jaja about this.

Why is vaccine storage such a big issue?

Vaccines take a long journey before reaching the person they are meant to protect. Some vaccines can be in transit and storage for several months: from the manufacturer to refrigerated vehicles, national cold rooms, district cold rooms, health facility fridges, and outreach sessions. Vaccines generally must remain between 2°C and 8°C. Some require much lower temperatures.

This uninterrupted system of refrigeration is the cold chain. It protects vaccines from losing potency through excessive heat or accidental freezing. The cold chain depends on reliable electricity, refrigerators and freezers, and temperature monitoring devices. Cold boxes, vehicles, fuel, maintenance technicians, and trained health workers are also essential.

Failure at any point can leave jabs unusable or their quality uncertain. These demands are especially difficult in remote communities, areas affected by conflict, and facilities with unreliable electricity. For example, after fighting erupted in Sudan in April 2023, Unicef reported that unstable electricity and shortages of fuel for generators had compromised the central cold chain holding millions of vaccine doses.

Healthcare workers conducting outreach sessions in communities must carry vaccines in cold boxes with conditioned ice packs and monitor them carefully. The weight, limited storage space, and need to return to the facility within a defined period can restrict how far immunisation teams travel and how long they remain in communities.

Immunisation programmes have adopted measures that provide some flexibility. For example, the vaccine vial monitor is a small, heat-sensitive label attached to a vaccine vial (the small glass or plastic container that holds one or more doses of a vaccine). The vaccine vial monitor changes colour in response to cumulative heat exposure. This helps healthcare workers determine whether the vial can still be used or should be discarded. It does not directly measure potency or detect freezing, which must be monitored separately.

Another approach is the controlled temperature chain. This allows specifically approved vaccines to be kept outside the standard 2°C-8°C range for a limited monitored period immediately before administration.

News that a new vaccine technology is being developed that could reduce the dependence on refrigeration is, therefore, very welcome.

What’s in the pipeline?

Researchers have tested a “fridge-free” version of an existing tetanus-diphtheria vaccine known as SPVX02. The technology uses trehalose, a naturally occurring sugar that protects some plants and organisms during drying. The vaccine is freeze-dried with trehalose into a powder. It is stored without refrigeration and mixed with water before injection.

The first human trial was published in eClinicalMedicine in September 2026. Sixty healthy adults in the UK were randomly assigned to receive either the “fridge-free” or one of two licensed tetanus-diphtheria vaccines. The experimental formulation was well tolerated. And it generated excellent immune responses (the body’s ability to recognise and fight infections).

Laboratory stability data before this trial showed that the fridge-free vaccine can remain stable for at least 24 months at temperatures of up to 30°C.

This is an important proof of concept. But the product is not ready for African immunisation programmes yet. Further studies are needed. These must include larger and more diverse populations, including the intended users of the vaccine.

What could it mean for African countries?

If subsequent evidence and regulatory reviews are favourable, fridge-free vaccines could make delivery more flexible.

For example:

  • In the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, mobile teams could reach pastoralist and nomadic communities without depending on ice-pack production.

  • In island, mountainous and sparsely populated settings, vaccines could tolerate longer journeys.

  • In conflict and humanitarian emergencies, they could be positioned closer to displaced populations even where electricity and secure transport are intermittent.

  • They could ease pressure on crowded refrigerators in fast-growing urban areas and during mass campaigns.

  • Lower requirements for refrigeration, fuel, equipment and specialised transport could reduce costs and the environmental footprint of vaccine delivery.

The same solution might eventually be applicable to other vaccines and temperature-sensitive medicines. But each product would need its own evidence and approval.

What’s already in place?

Africa is not starting from zero. MenAfriVac, the meningitis A vaccine, was developed for Africa. It was authorised for use at temperatures up to 40°C for four days immediately before administration under a controlled temperature chain. Its use in Benin showed that vaccinators could reach remote populations with a lighter logistical burden.

Other vaccines have also been prequalified by the World Health Organization for use in a controlled temperature chain. These include the human papillomavirus, typhoid, and cholera vaccines. The new fridge-free approach goes further. It seeks to completely remove refrigeration throughout prolonged storage and distribution.

But this isn’t a silver bullet. Why?

Fridge-free does not mean logistics-free. Nor would one fridge-free vaccine make an entire national programme fridge-free.

  • Healthcare workers usually deliver several vaccines together. Most of them would still require refrigeration.

  • Ambient temperatures in many African settings frequently exceed 30°C. There are claims of stability at higher and fluctuating temperatures, and after repeated heat exposure. But these need independent verification under realistic transport and storage conditions.

  • A powdered vaccine must be mixed with the correct amount of the specified sterile liquid before injection. Reconstitution can introduce dosing errors or contamination. And unused reconstituted vaccine may have to be discarded quickly.

Countries may therefore operate mixed systems, with different handling rules, for many years before all vaccines go fridge-free. The earliest gains may come from more flexible last-mile outreach rather than the removal of cold rooms.

  • Affordability will be decisive.

  • Countries will still need reliable forecasting, procurement, stock management, safety surveillance and regulation.

  • The technology won’t overcome shortages of healthcare workers, inaccessible services, missed opportunities for vaccination, or public mistrust.

Lastly, the big question is whether the flexibility being offered by this breakthrough would change who gets vaccinated.

Further clinical development should focus on which products and settings offer the greatest benefit and evaluate safety, feasibility, acceptability, costs, wastage, and effects on coverage and equity. The true breakthrough will be a technology that enables health systems to protect more people – especially those whom current services repeatedly fail to reach.

– Fridge-free vaccines could reach more people, but there are still practical challenges in African settings
– https://theconversation.com/fridge-free-vaccines-could-reach-more-people-but-there-are-still-practical-challenges-in-african-settings-293280

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Millions of children aren’t getting vaccinated: how mapping tools can help find them

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Ann Muthoni Njogu, Doctoral researcher, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp

Worldwide about 13.5 million children have never received a vaccine at all. These are known as zero-dose children. Reaching them is central to the Immunization Agenda 2030, a global drive to ensure that everyone has access to the vaccines they need. Gavi, the vaccine alliance, has built its strategy around finding and reaching them.

Reaching zero-dose children starts with knowing where they are: putting them on a map.

Geographers offer a starting point – the first law of geography is that objects closer to another are more alike than those further apart. This principle underpins geospatial health, the study of how where people live shapes their health. If we know something about one place, we can often infer the same thing about its neighbours. This includes how many unvaccinated children live in areas surveys haven’t reached.

We are part of the REACH-OUT team, a project which aims to develop cost-effective strategies to deliver vaccines to zero-dose children. Our expertise includes spatial epidemiology, health economics and implementation science.

In a recent study, we assessed how geospatial data and methods are being used to find zero-dose children, and where the gaps are. We reviewed 102 studies across 68 low- and lower-middle-income countries where, according to WHO and UNICEF estimates of immunisation coverage, more than 80% of the world’s zero-dose children are.

Our findings show that geospatial approaches are being applied in child vaccination coverage modelling. But few focus specifically on zero-dose children. Reaching them needs more complete and connected data, and tools in the hands of those closest to the children.

Hidden in the averages

A country can post high overall immunisation coverage and still mask small pockets of zero-dose children.

For instance, according to Kenya’s Demographic and Health Surveys (2022), nationally, only 2.1% of children aged 12-23 months were zero-dose. But at county level it’s different. Two counties, Mandera and Garissa, recorded zero-dose prevalence above 36%.

High-resolution mapping is one way to find zero-dose children who remain exposed to preventable diseases. But it requires first pinning down who counts as zero dose.

There are two definitions.

First, Gavi defines a zero-dose child as one who has not received even a single vaccine shot. This definition is very strict and often hard to implement due to lack of appropriate data. Surveys are conducted every three to five years, while routine health facility data does not link records to individual children, making it hard to track the children in need.

Second, zero-dose children are measured as those missing the first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine (DTP1) by their first birthday. DTP1 is recommended at six weeks, marking the first point of a child’s contact with the routine immunisation system. It is also widely administered and routinely reported through national immunisation systems, allowing comparison of zero-dose burden across countries.

The difference in the populations captured by the two definitions is large: globally, the first measure identifies nearly twice as many children as the second. So a country’s zero-dose burden (and its strategy) will differ depending on which measure is used.

Zero-dose children are often the hardest to reach. They cluster in marginalised settings – remote rural areas, conflict zones, informal urban settlements, and mobile and migrant families – mostly in low- and lower-middle-income countries. Finding them takes more than knowing which districts have low coverage; it means locating the settlements and households where they live.

A growing field, but an uneven picture

Geospatial modelling for childhood vaccination coverage is progressing fast. Most studies that we reviewed were published after 2022. But the evidence base is still thin. Only one in five studies looked specifically at zero-dose children; most examined routine immunisation coverage more broadly. The evidence is also geographically skewed as most studies were from just three countries: Nigeria, Ethiopia and India. Some countries, including those with a heavy zero-dose burden such as Sudan and Yemen, were barely represented. This reflects broader disparities in global health research capacity and priority-setting.

The model is only as good as the data

One of our clearest findings was the huge reliance on household survey data. Routine immunisation data from health facilities, collected continuously through systems like DHIS2 – a widely used digital platform for collecting, managing and analysing routine health facility data – were rarely used.

Surveys are valuable but limited. They run every three to five years, a snapshot in time. They are designed for national or regional estimates rather than for pinpointing pockets of unvaccinated children.

Routine data collected continuously at the facility level offer greater local detail, but can be undermined by incomplete reporting and unreliable estimates of how many children are eligible for vaccination.

Read more: HIV in Malawi: digital filing system saved lives and boosted care – research

The studies we reviewed often failed to represent the very children most likely to miss out. A few covered conflict-affected communities, nomadic groups, refugees, cross-border migrants or urban-slum dwellers. These populations are more likely to live far from health facilities, move frequently, or depend on easily disrupted services. A model lacking remoteness or conflict data cannot estimate the children affected by them. Thus, the children we most need to find become the ones data are least able to see.

Methods matter as much as data. More than half the studies leaned on simpler methods like clustering and hotspot analysis. These methods show where zero-dose children have been counted, not how many live where no survey reached. Only a handful used geostatistical methods which integrate types of information to predict where vaccination gaps are likely.

What next?

Three steps would make the biggest difference.

First, combine the strengths of survey and routine data. Each captures only part of the picture. Together they can show where children are missed. But both need strengthening. Surveys are financially fragile, currently sustained by an emergency grant after funding collapsed as part of the wider upheaval in global health financing. Routine data must be redesigned to follow individual children rather than monthly totals, and paired with better estimates of how many children each facility should be reaching.

Second, feed the models what they’re missing. Reaching children in conflict zones, informal settlements or on the move means giving models information on conflict, displacement and remoteness. Some of this information exists, in conflict event databases, displacement tracking, and satellite maps of settlements.

Third, build capacity to generate and use these maps where the burden is high. The maps that matter most will come from people in the hardest-hit countries: researchers, health workers and the community leaders.

– Millions of children aren’t getting vaccinated: how mapping tools can help find them
– https://theconversation.com/millions-of-children-arent-getting-vaccinated-how-mapping-tools-can-help-find-them-290370

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Majodina to assess progress on R19.7bn Limpopo water project

Source: Government of South Africa

Majodina to assess progress on R19.7bn Limpopo water project

Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina and Deputy Minister David Mahlobo will on Tuesday conduct an oversight visit to key construction sites of the second phase of the Mokolo and Crocodile Water Augmentation Project (MCWAP-2A) in Limpopo.

The R19.7 billion project aims to strengthen bulk raw water supply to Lephalale and surrounding areas through an approximately 140km pipeline transporting water from the Crocodile River to Lephalale.

The project includes an abstraction weir, water transfer pipeline, pump stations, and associated ancillary infrastructure, a river management system and an operational control centre.

Once completed, MCWAP-2A will provide an additional bulk raw water source for major economic users, including Eskom’s Medupi and Matimba power stations and Exxaro’s Grootegeluk mine, as well as commercial and industrial users.

The project is also expected to strengthen bulk water infrastructure in the Waterberg District Municipality, supporting communities that depend on reliable and sustainable water supplies.

“The purpose of the oversight visit is to assess progress on this strategic water infrastructure project, which is critical to strengthening long-term water security and supporting economic and industrial activity in the district,” the Department of Water and Sanitation said.

During the visit, Majodina and Mahlobo will inspect construction progress, engage project teams and stakeholders on implementation challenges, and identify interventions needed to keep the project implementation on track.

The programme will start with a walkabout at the pipeline-laying works, including Section 6, before the delegation proceeds to Thabazimbi to inspect the Left Bank Abstraction Works, including jet grouting works and the Tocolite site.

The project is being implemented by the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA), the department’s entity responsible for financing and implementing bulk raw water infrastructure.

The oversight visit will provide the delegation an opportunity to assess work underway and gain insight into how the project will contribute to the district’s future water security. – SAnews.gov.za

 

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Private sector called to invest in early childhood development

Source: Government of South Africa

Private sector called to invest in early childhood development

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on the private sector to increase investment in early childhood development (ECD), saying quality early learning can help address inequality, support working families and strengthen South Africa’s future workforce.

In his weekly newsletter to the nation on Monday, the President said businesses could help expand access to early learning by subsidising fees, upgrading facilities and funding training for practitioners who care for and educate young children.

“Corporate support, whether in the form of subsidising fees, upgrading facilities or funding practitioner training, will help us to achieve our early learning goals,” President Ramaphosa said.

He noted that while many companies include education in their Environmental, Social and Governance strategies, much of this investment is directed at basic education rather than early learning.

The President said strengthening ECD is not only an investment in children’s education, but also in the broader economy and the livelihoods of families and practitioners.

“Early learning is a vital part of our care economy. These programmes do more than sustain the livelihoods of the people, mostly women, who run them. They also free parents and caregivers in communities where employment opportunities are often scarce to work, study or simply to provide for their families,” he said.

Addressing inequality

President Ramaphosa said access to early learning remains unequal, with more than 1.3 million children aged between three and five not enrolled in any early learning programme.

He said children from poorer communities were particularly affected, as their families often struggled to afford fees at early childhood development centres.

In contrast, children from better-resourced communities were more likely to enter the foundation phase with the literacy and numeracy skills needed to progress at school.

“Expanding access to early learning is therefore a development priority and a way of addressing historical inequalities. Every child, regardless of the circumstances of their birth, deserves the chance to learn and grow.”

The President said quality early learning helped children develop essential skills, including recognising letters and numbers, building vocabulary, counting and solving simple problems.

These foundations prepare children to read, write and work with numbers from their first year of formal schooling.

Expanding access

Government has increased investment in early learning over the past two years, including raising subsidies for children attending ECD programmes and committing additional resources to expand access.

“Through these efforts, we aim to reach an additional 300,000 children by 2027 and a further 900,000 by 2030,” President Ramaphosa said.

The Bana Pele Mass Registration Drive has also helped thousands of previously unregistered early learning programmes begin the process of formal registration, enabling government to build a clearer picture of the sector and identify where support is needed.

President Ramaphosa acknowledged the role of ECD practitioners, many of whom are women who have established small enterprises to provide care and learning opportunities for children in their communities.

He recalled visiting an early learning centre in Bizana in the Eastern Cape, where staff continued caring for children despite not being paid.

The practitioners told him they would not turn away a child because their family could not afford the already low fees.

The President said their dedication highlighted the need to support and recognise those working in the sector.

Investment in the country’s future

President Ramaphosa said early childhood development had benefits extending beyond education, touching on healthcare, social protection, employment and economic growth.

He said supporting early learning could help parents and caregivers participate in the economy while laying the groundwork for stronger schools and a more capable workforce.

“I have often said that we are starting late in building a formalised early childhood development system. Yet starting late should not mean starting slowly. The reforms we have embarked upon in early learning are part of a broader effort to renew South Africa’s socio-economic architecture,” he said.

The President emphasised that investment must be accompanied by effective delivery to ensure resources reach the communities and programmes that need them most.

“But investment alone is not enough. Public resources must reach the programmes and communities where they are needed most,” he said.

Earlier on Monday, the President delivered the keynote address at the 2026 Bana Pele Leadership Summit in Sandton, where he called for accelerated reforms in ECD, urging government, businesses and communities to work together to ensure every child in South Africa has access to quality early learning by 2030. 

READ | President Ramaphosa calls for accelerated ECD reform

“A child cannot be prepared for the future unless that child is given a strong foundation in the present,” President Ramaphosa said at the Summit. –SAnews.gov.za 

 

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Ntuli pledges stronger law enforcement to protect KZN investment

Source: Government of South Africa

Ntuli pledges stronger law enforcement to protect KZN investment

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli has pledged to strengthen law enforcement and improve security coordination to protect businesses, communities and livelihoods, acknowledging that instability and violence pose risks to investor confidence.

Addressing the 2026 KwaZulu-Natal Investment Conference in Durban on 15 and 16 October, Ntuli acknowledged that instability and violence pose risks to investor confidence, assuring that the provincial government will confront security challenges directly and uphold the rule of law.

Ntuli’s remarks came as the province announced R124.5 billion in investment commitments, exceeding its R95 billion target and expected to create more than 330 000 jobs.

Ntuli acknowledged that investors need confidence that their businesses, employees and assets will be protected, particularly in light of the July 2021 unrest, which caused widespread destruction and disrupted economic activity in KwaZulu-Natal and other parts of the country.

He assured investors that the Provincial Government will not ignore the risks confronting the province, but will confront them directly through visible law enforcement, stronger coordination and an uncompromising commitment to the rule of law.

“We will not pretend the risks do not exist. We will name them, we will manage them, and we will report to you on our progress. Our door will be open. Our security cluster will be visible. Our commitment to the rule of law is not negotiable,” Ntuli said.

Reflecting on the lessons of the July 2021 unrest, the Premier emphasised the importance of preventing a recurrence of the violence and protecting communities, businesses and livelihoods.

“Durban will never burn again. Not under my watch,” he said.

The 2026 Investment Conference surpassed expectations, with investors making commitments totalling R124.5 billion against a target of R95 billion.

The pledges exceeded the provincial target by R29.5 billion and are expected to result in the creation of more than 330,000 jobs.

The commitments marked another significant milestone in KwaZulu-Natal’s investment drive and demonstrated continued investor interest in the province’s economic potential.

Ntuli said the challenge is now to ensure that commitments are translated into projects on the ground, economic activity and sustainable employment. – SAnews.gov.za
 

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Ekurhuleni receives go-ahead to procure 2400 MW from IPPs

Source: Government of South Africa

Ekurhuleni receives go-ahead to procure 2400 MW from IPPs

A Ministerial Determination under Section 34 of the Electricity Regulation Act has paved the way for the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality to procure some 2400MW of new generation capacity from Independent Power Producers (IPPs). 

This was announced by Electricity and Energy Minister, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, who, together with City of Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, led a media briefing in Pretoria on Monday. 

The energy mix will include:

  • 1237MW of Solar Photovoltaic (PV) with1137MW of embedded generation in Ekurhuleni;
  • 780MW of natural gas with 535MW wheeled;
  • 183MW of waste-to-energy; and
  • 200MW to be directed towards innovative energy technologies.

Ramokgopa noted that Ekurhuleni follows a similar path to that of the City of eThekwini and the City of Cape Town.

“This is monumental in a number of ways. First, the City of Ekurhuleni is the first one to make an application for a Ministerial Determination. Of course, it took much longer for us to arrive at this stage because of the magnitude of what the City…had applied for and the composition of the energy mix.

“Second significance is…2400MW of new generation capacity. eThekwini was 400MW, the City of Cape Town was 220MW. This is at a different scale. What this does, potentially, is to free Ekurhuleni from total dependence [on] Eskom. Of course it will continue to be grid-tied,” he said.

The Minister noted that the move by the city is a demonstration of government’s commitment to advancing energy security.

“Especially in the context of geopolitics. It is important that we are able to build sufficient headroom to allow the economy to grow. Electricity generation must lead this growth we are anticipating.

“Secondly, it’s about our ambition to produce electricity that is affordable. As we pivot more and more to renewables, supported by reliable [and] dispatchable generation, we are likely to achieve this ambition of affordable electricity,” he said.

Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza noted that the economic potential is significant.

“The City estimates that the IPP programme will attract approximately R6.2 billion in infrastructure investment. This programme is expected to create much-needed jobs for our people, and we are working towards sod turning in some projects before the end of this week.

“Our responsibility is to ensure that these projects translate into real economic opportunities and measurable benefits for our communities. And the benefits to residents and businesses,” he said.

The City estimates that the IPP could generate some R36 billion in savings over 20 years on bulk electricity.

“It means…communities who are paying R3 per unit now will save up to 31%. That could be about R2 per unit. It means households that consume about 500KW per month would cost R1500 at R3. With this saving, it means you pay up to R100 per month. That’s a R500 saving. Industry alike will also realise savings.

“The projected savings could [also] ease pressure on municipal finances and help protect residents and businesses from some of the effects of the rising electricity costs.

“We now look forward to translating this process into construction, electricity generation, employment and tangible benefits to our communities,” Xhakaza stated. – SAnews.gov.za

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