Category: English

Source: APO – Report:

As part of her virtual Mentorship and Leadership Platform, “Beyond Power; Leadership, Global Influence and Impact,” Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation, has published a new leadership article titled “We Did Not Donate Cancer Care. We Built the People Who Could Deliver It.” Through the article, Dr. Kelej reflects on her leadership journey in strengthening cancer care capacity across Africa and explains why she believes that building specialized human capacity is one of the most sustainable ways to transform healthcare systems.

To read the full article and access the platform, visit:

https://apo-opa.co/472FK8O

Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej (Ret.) shares, “You cannot build a sustainable healthcare system without building its people first.”

“Hospitals are important. Equipment is important. Medicines are essential. Infrastructure matters. But who will diagnose the patient? Who will determine the treatment? Who will operate the equipment? Who will manage chemotherapy and its complications? Who will provide palliative care and pain management when cure is no longer possible? And who will train the next generation?”

Dr. Kelej emphasizes that without skilled and specialized healthcare professionals, even the best infrastructure, medicines and technology cannot create a sustainable cancer-care system. This belief shaped Merck Foundation’s approach to cancer-care capacity building across Africa, with a focus on developing specialists who can provide care within their own countries and contribute to strengthening healthcare systems from within.

According to the  International Agency for Research on Cancer, Africa recorded approximately 1.19 million new cancer cases and 764,000 cancer deaths in 2022, while many cancer patients across the continent continue to face challenges including late diagnosis, limited screening and diagnostic capacity, shortages of specialized healthcare professionals, inadequate referral pathways, geographical inequalities and limited access to treatment, palliative care and pain management.

Dr. Kelej explains that in many African countries where Merck Foundation started its programs, the challenge was not simply a shortage of resources. In some countries, there were no locally trained oncologists at all, or multidisciplinary cancer-care teams were not adequately developed.

Through its specialized medical education programs, Merck Foundation has provided more than 280 one-year, two-year and three-year scholarships in multidisciplinary cancer care for healthcare providers from 35 African countries. These programs have supported the training of the first local oncologists in countries including Liberia, The Gambia, Burundi, Niger and the Central African Republic, while also strengthening oncology capacity in countries such as Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Sierra Leone.

Dr. Kelej shares, “For me, this is what capacity building really means. It is not about arriving with a temporary solution. It is about helping a country develop the expertise to care for its own people.”

She further emphasizes that specialized medical education requires more than short workshops or seminars. Merck Foundation’s approach has focused on substantial postgraduate and clinical specialty education, including long-term clinical oncology training, multi-year master’s programs and structured postgraduate oncology education through academic and clinical institutions in countries including India, Egypt and the United Kingdom.

“We are not simply increasing awareness of oncology. We are helping create oncologists. And once that specialist returns home, the impact does not end with one scholarship. That doctor can diagnose and treat patients for years. They can work within their country’s healthcare system. They can share expertise with colleagues. They can mentor younger doctors. And eventually, they can contribute to developing the next generation of specialists locally,” Dr. Kelej adds.

In the article, Dr. Kelej also highlights the importance of addressing geographical inequalities in access to specialized cancer care. She explains that simply increasing the number of specialists is not enough when oncologists and other specialized healthcare professionals are concentrated in capital cities or major urban centers.

Dr. Kelej shares, “Our capacity-building strategy has increasingly focused not only on how many specialists a country has, but also on where those specialists are needed.” She emphasizes the importance of working with partners to support healthcare providers from different regions and institutions so that specialist knowledge can gradually extend beyond capital cities to secondary cities, regional hospitals and underserved populations.

She further highlights the importance of partnerships and collaborations with local academic institutions, medical societies, governments, Ministries of Health and Education, First Ladies and Presidents in developing sustainable national healthcare capacity.

For Dr. Kelej, the impact of developing the first locally trained specialist in a country goes far beyond the individual healthcare provider.

“When you help a country develop its first locally trained oncologist, its first specialist in a field that previously did not exist, or its first structured cancer-care capacity, something has fundamentally changed. There is a before and an after,” she writes.

The article also reflects on why human capacity building requires a long-term vision. Dr. Kelej explains that while a donated machine can be immediately visible, human capacity building may take one, two, three years or longer before its full value becomes apparent. However, once a specialist returns home, their knowledge can continue to benefit patients, colleagues and future generations of healthcare professionals.

“Infrastructure may age. Technology may become obsolete. A supply of medicine will eventually be consumed or expired. But knowledge can multiply,” says Dr. Kelej.

In the article, Dr. Kelej emphasizes that Merck Foundation’s approach is not about creating dependency, but about supporting countries to develop the expertise needed to strengthen their healthcare systems from within.

“The ultimate success of capacity building is that countries become less dependent on outside expertise because the expertise now exists at home. That is sustainability to me,” she writes.

The article is available through Dr. Rasha Kelej’s Mentorship and Leadership Platform, “Beyond Power; Leadership, Global Influence and Impact,” through Substack, which has been launched to create an accessible resource designed to inspire, guide and support future leaders, particularly women and young future leaders in Africa, Asia and Global South countries. The platform is accessible to all, ensuring that aspiring leaders from diverse backgrounds can access valuable mentorship, leadership insights and practical guidance.

Link to Dr. Rasha Kelej’s Mentorship and Leadership Platform:
https://apo-opa.co/3TaGkOt

The articles can be accessed through Dr. Rasha Kelej’s website:
https://apo-opa.co/4isu1HJ

The links to the articles can also be accessed on the Merck Foundation website:
https://apo-opa.co/472FNBw

The links can also be accessed on the social media channels of Dr. Rasha Kelej and Merck Foundation.

Through her Mentorship and Leadership Platform, Dr. Rasha Kelej is committed to sharing her 32 years of knowledge and experience to support and guide aspiring individuals in unlocking their hidden potential, achieving their professional and personal goals, and becoming the leaders of tomorrow.

To learn more about the Dr. Rasha Kelej’s journey, visit her Social Media Handles:  Instagram (https://apo-opa.co/4yxcwuo), Facebook (https://apo-opa.co/4xN5eCl), X (https://apo-opa.co/3UUJ3ME), and YouTube (https://apo-opa.co/4xqPmVO).

– on behalf of Merck Foundation.

Source: APO – Report:

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The WHO Representative to Ethiopia, the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Professor Francis Chisaka Kasolo, held a bilateral meeting with the Director General of the Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority (EFDA), Ms. Heran Gerba, to discuss strengthening Ethiopia’s regulatory systems for medicines and medical devices.

The discussion focused on advancing EFDA’s efforts towards achieving WHO Maturity Level 3 (ML3) for medical devices regulation, reflecting a stable, well-functioning and integrated regulatory system. WHO reaffirmed its commitment to supporting EFDA through the WHO Global Benchmarking Tool Plus Medical Devices (GBT+MD).

Professor Kasolo commended EFDA for building on its achievement of ML3 for medicines regulation and for its continued efforts to strengthen the regulation of medical devices. He also appreciated the successful completion of a WHO-assisted self-benchmarking exercise, which identified EFDA’s strengths and priority areas for improvement against established regulatory criteria.

Ms. Heran highlighted EFDA’s development and implementation of an Institutional Development Plan (IDP) based on the identified areas for improvement. She emphasized the need for coordinated support in key areas, including human resources, infrastructure, digital systems and technical assistance, to advance implementation of the plan.

The meeting also highlighted the importance of advancing vaccine lot release regulation towards ML3 to help ensure access to safe, effective and quality-assured vaccines, while supporting domestic vaccine manufacturing and broader efforts towards vaccine self-reliance.

The meeting reaffirmed the commitment of WHO and EFDA to sustaining and strengthening their collaboration to advance Ethiopia’s regulatory capacity for medicines, medical devices and vaccines, contributing to the availability of safe, effective and quality-assured health products.

– on behalf of WHO Regional Office for Africa.

Source: APO – Report:

On September 15, the dinner banquet on the 200 years of the establishment of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt was held at the Ambassador’s residence, and from the Japanese side, MOFA officials, State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Mr. YAMADA Kenji as the Director General of the Japan-Egypt Friendship Parliamentary Association and others attended the celebration.

1. In his opening remarks, H.E. Mr. Ragui Eletreby, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Japan, noted that the establishment of　Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt dates back to 1826, and that just 38 years later, in 1864, Egypt welcomed the second Japanese diplomatic mission to Europe and arranged an audience with the king. He also praised the extremely friendly bilateral relations and strategic partnership, noting the active exchanges of high-level officials, steady progress in cultural cooperation – represented by the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) – and economic cooperation, including the introduction of the Japanese education system from pre-school through to university level, and expressed his hope for the further development of bilateral relations.
2. The attendees celebrated the 200th anniversary of the establishment of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt and exchanged views from their respective perspectives on the progress of cooperation across a wide range of fields—including education, health, culture, the economy and security—under the strategic partnership between Egypt and Japan; they also expressed their hopes for the further strengthening and deepening of bilateral relations.
3. At the commemorative banquet dinner, a video showcasing the 200th anniversary of the establishment of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt was screened, and a performance of Egyptian music was presented.

– on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

Source: APO

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The race to contain the Ebola outbreak is far from over. While some indicators, such as declining patients’ admissions and slower transmission, may suggest the outbreak is easing, Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF) teams are observing a worrying trend: cases are emerging and spreading into new, underprepared areas while basic response measures are still not in place in the original hotspots, making containment efforts increasingly challenging.

“Assuming the outbreak is under control because some Ebola Treatment Centres are admitting fewer patients would be a mistake,” says Anthony Kergosien, MSF Emergency Coordinator in the Democratic Republic of Congo. “In Ituri, the original epicentre, the spread is indeed slowing down for now. But nationally, the number of new cases has not fallen. The outbreak is not shrinking, it is moving: South Ubangi has become the seventh affected province, while North Kivu now accounts for nearly half of all newly confirmed cases, with test positivity rising sharply in recent days. While undetected chains of transmission are already taking hold in the main operational hubs, the spread of the outbreak into new areas with even weaker preparedness and response capacities poses a serious risk.”

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is currently facing the largest Ebola disease outbreak ever recorded in the country. Since May, more than 7,200 confirmed cases and 3,500 deaths have been reported, with the true toll likely higher due to gaps in surveillance and case detection. To make sure its response is the most effective, MSF is deploying staff and resources towards rapid-response teams. These teams support early case detection, patient observation and treatment, infection prevention and control measures, contact tracing, surveillance, and community engagement. ​

“This strategy is about detecting and trying to contain new clusters early, before they grow into large outbreaks,” explains Anthony Kergosien. “In health zones, such as Bambu, where we currently have a rapid response team deployed, health systems are already stretched thin by chronic funding gaps, staffing shortages, and weak referral capacities. Ebola pushes these fragile structures past their limits. Our teams provide a frontline response to bridge the most urgent gaps while the wider response scales up.”

However, MSF teams alone cannot address the expanding edges of this outbreak. Sustaining this approach requires a significant increase in operational support from UN agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO). A more responsive and comprehensive engagement that strengthens all pillars of the Ebola response is urgently needed, particularly in areas beyond the main hubs where response capacities are concentrating. Such support would enable MSF teams to focus on rapidly deploying to newly emerging clusters while ensuring affected communities receive the full range of services required to contain the outbreak.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Médecins sans frontières (MSF).

Source: APO

The Minister of Gender, Youth and Social Development Hon. Pitso Lesaoana underscored the importance of partnerships in revitalizing Youth Resource Centres (YRCs) into safe, inclusive and digitally enabled spaces for young people.

Speaking at the opening of a four-day workshop on YRC revitalization, Hon. Lesaoana said that the initiative supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency demonstrates the value of working with partners to improve services available to young people.He expressed hope that the workshop would result in a prototype of an ideal YRC that can respond effectively to the needs of young people, particularlythose in hard-to-reach districts.

Speaking at the same occasion, UNFPA Representative Mr. John Kennedy Mosoti stressed the need to ensure that young people including those in rural areas and young people with disabilities are reached with essential information and skills.“We must reach at least 50,000 young people with life-saving information and at least 10,000 young people with skills always ensuring inclusion of rural boys and girls and young people with disabilities,” he said.

Mr Mosoti also mentioned that the revitalization of YRCs presents an opportunity to strengthen platforms through which young people can access information and services that contribute to their wellbeing and development.

The workshop brought together staff from the Ministry of Gender, Youth and Social Development to explore ways of transforming YRCs into digitally enabled hubs where young people can access Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) information and various youth development opportunities.

The revitalization programme is anchored on four pillars, namely economic empowerment, youth creativity, advocacy, and the provision of safe, youth-friendly and inclusive services.

The four-day workshop is expected to contribute towards the development of a model YRC that is digitally enabled, safe, youth-friendly and inclusive.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Government of Lesotho.

Source: APO

The Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, extends his warmest congratulations to the Government and people of the Republic of Kenya on Nairobi’s selection to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships.

The AUC Chairperson described the decision as a landmark achievement, marking the first time that the premier global athletics championship will be hosted on African soil and constituting a significant milestone for Kenya, Africa’s sporting community and the African continent as a whole.

“The selection of Nairobi reflects the growing recognition of Africa’s capacity to host major international sporting events and underscores the important contribution of sport to advancing Africa’s global engagement, strengthening people-to-people ties, and promoting unity, solidarity and mutual understanding among nations,” said Mr Youssouf.

He commended Kenya for this historic achievement and expressed his confidence that the 2029 Championships will provide an important platform to showcase Africa’s rich sporting heritage, youthful talent and excellence, while inspiring a new generation of athletes across the continent.

“The African Union Commission looks forward to the 2029 Championships as a celebration of Africa’s sporting excellence and a powerful expression of the continent’s unity, talent and potential,” added the AUC Chairperson.

The AUC Chairperson reaffirmed the African Union’s commitment to harnessing the transformative power of sport to advance peace, integration, inclusion and sustainable development across Africa, in line with the aspirations of Agenda 2063.

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

Source: APO

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The Judiciary of South Sudan (JoSS), with support from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and funding from the Royal Norwegian Embassy, today commenced expedited trials at the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Court in Juba.

The two-week initiative, which will conclude on 29 September 2026, aims to advance proceedings in pending criminal cases, including those involving conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

The court is expected to hear 81 pending criminal cases, including 66 cases of rape, currently before the Gender-Based Violence and Juvenile Court in Juba. Three judges will preside over the proceedings, which will be guided by the principles of judicial independence and due process. A survivor-centred approach will seek to safeguard the privacy and well-being of victims and survivors throughout the judicial process.

Prosecutors, defence advocates and legal counsel representing victims will perform their respective roles in accordance with the law and established judicial procedures.

The initiative forms part of the continuing collaboration between UNMISS and the Judiciary of South Sudan in support of the implementation of the Judiciary’s Five-Year Strategic Plan (2025–2029), which identifies clearing case backlog and improving access to justice as key priorities.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).