Effort to control the prevalence of non-communicable diseases including the increasing prevalence diabetes and hypertension is being conducted in Anseba Region.
Mr. Michael Teklay, head of non-communicable diseases control at the Ministry of Health branch in the region, said that with proper follow-up the diseases that cause disabilities and death could be put under control.
Noting that main causes of the diseases are associated with smoking, alcohol and environmental pollution and others, Mr. Michael said that these diseases have grave impact on the economic and social condition of individuals, society and country. He also called for behavioral change and frequenting sports activities and with a view to stay healthy as well as frequenting visit to health facilities to known one’s health condition.
In related news, popular campaign in collaboration with the public and Government employees has been conducted in Adi-Quala sub-zone to control the prevalence of malaria.
The popular campaign included clearing dump areas and wastes that susceptible for breeding malaria mosquitos.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.
Regarding the “JICA Africa Hometown” announced by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) at the TICAD 9, there have been reports and statements both domestically and internationally that contain information contrary to the facts. The facts regarding this matter are as follows:
At the TICAD 9, JICA announced the launch of the “JICA Africa Hometown”, which aims to strengthen exchanges between African countries and Japanese local governments based on the experience gained through its previous projects. Under this program, four cities in Japan are designated as “home towns” for four African countries.
Under this program, JICA plans to promote exchanges between the four Japanese cities and the four African countries through various activities, including the organization of exchange events involving JICA overseas cooperation volunteers.
On the other hand, there are no plans to take measures to promote the acceptance of immigrants or issue special visas for residents of African countries, and the series of reports and announcements concerning such measures are not true.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan will continue to make efforts to ensure that appropriate reporting and statements regarding this matter are carried out.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Caroline Séquin, Associate Professor of Modern European History, Lafayette College
Desiring Whiteness is an award-winning book by historian Caroline Séquin. It explores the intertwined histories of commercial sex work and racial politics in France and the French colonial empire, particularly in Senegal. We asked her five questions about her study.
How was sex work regulated in France?
A new system controlling commercial sex developed during Napoleon’s Consulate in the early 1800s. It was first implemented in Paris, then across France. Known as regulationism, it tolerated, rather than banned, commercial sex. But under specific conditions.
Cornell University Press
It licensed brothels, so long as the women who sold sex (it was assumed men didn’t) were registered with the vice police. They had to undergo a regular gynaecological exam to detect any sexually transmissible infections (STIs) they might inadvertently pass to their clients.
At the time syphilis was a serious public health threat. Doctors didn’t know how to treat it. Women caught with an STI or who broke the regulationist rules were interned in hospitals or prison without proper trials.
Historians have shown how regulationism was an arbitrary and flawed system. It unfairly targeted mostly working-class women for the benefit of male heterosexual desire.
What form did it take in the colonies like Senegal?
After the abolition of slavery in 1848, French colonial authorities adopted the regulationist regime that had been developed in France.
The French empire at the time included Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Reunion, and some coastal regions of Algeria. In addition were French trading posts in Senegal and India, and several protectorates in the Pacific.
So, in Senegal regulationism was adopted in Saint-Louis and Gorée Island. There the French had built trading posts which they converted into colonial territories around the same time.
Regulationism became a way to control the bodies of formerly enslaved women. Colonial authorities saw them as a public health threat to the French men present in the region. They feared that, after abolition, women would resort to commercial sex as a means of survival. This would contribute to the spread of STIs. They extended these policies to all of colonial Senegal a year after abolition.
How did Senegal’s sex workers respond?
Not in the way that colonial authorities would have hoped. Many of the African women who were accused of engaging in commercial sex evaded the mandatory health checks or police registration. For example, they relocated to other areas to avoid detection.
And although the new colonial decree allowed for the creation of brothels, it appears none existed in the colony until the early 1900s. Authorities routinely lamented how the African women who sold sex did so “clandestinely”. Meaning outside licensed brothels and colonial control.
One shouldn’t dismiss the reality that some of these women were likely wrongly accused of being sex workers. Gender and racial bias shaped how medical and colonial authorities viewed Black women.
I haven’t found any evidence of brothels staffed with African women in Dakar or across colonial Senegal. All licensed brothels were staffed with European women and their services were reserved exclusively for European men.
The sexual reputation of white women greatly mattered to colonial authorities as it was supposed to reflect French moral superiority. Nonetheless, they tolerated their sexual activity because brothel keepers denied African male clients access to their businesses. This helped prevent interracial sex.
Sex with a white sex worker was preferrable to sexual or conjugal relationships developing with African women. Given the widespread assumption at the time that men had natural sexual needs, brothels were perceived as a “necessary evil” to maintain the social, moral, and racial order.
So, the regulation of commercial sex became an essential tool for the upholding of colonial rule. This increasingly relied on strict racial hierarchies and the preservation of French whiteness.
How does this play out today?
The regulationist regime was legally abolished in France – and colonial Senegal – in 1946. However, a few years after decolonisation and Senegal’s independence in 1960, a new law was established by Senegalese authorities. It required sex workers to be registered (with medical authorities, rather than police) and regularly checked for STIs. Those who failed to comply risked being jailed.
This is strikingly similar to the regulationist system established during the colonial period and it still stands to this day.
This was a different path than that taken by other African countries formerly under French colonial control, which associated regulationism with colonial oppression. They moved to eliminate it after independence. Some scholars, however, have lauded Senegal’s regulationist style laws as one of the main reasons why the country has the lowest reported HIV rate in the continent.
What do you hope readers will take away from your book?
The regulation of commercial sex was not simply about controlling women’s bodies and sexuality. It was also about policing racial relations.
As colonial discourses about race shifted and interracial sex and intimacy became increasingly frowned upon from the late 1800s, French authorities relied on commercial sex to limit the development of more sustained forms of intimacy across racial and colonial boundaries. In their view these threatened to dilute the myth of French whiteness by creating multiracial offspring.
What this meant for who could sell and buy sex in brothels differed in colonial Senegal and France. But, in the end, the racial logic that undergirded metropolitan and colonial brothels was the same.
So, my book contributes to an ever-growing scholarship that has debunked the myth of France’s colour blindness, by uncovering how the regulation of commercial sex was just one of the many ways in which racial difference and hierarchies were produced and upheld in the century following the abolition of slavery.
In that sense, France was not exceptional but rather similar to other imperial nations like the United States, where the control of sex and conjugality became crucial for the racial project of white supremacy in the aftermath of the abolition of slavery.
– Sex workers in colonial Senegal were policed by France – book explores a racist history – https://theconversation.com/sex-workers-in-colonial-senegal-were-policed-by-france-book-explores-a-racist-history-262999
Ministers of Health, partners, and global health leaders convening on the sidelines of the Seventy Fifth WHO Regional Committee for Africa (RC75) have issued an urgent call to accelerate Africa’s malaria response amid a “perfect storm” of challenges threatening to erode hard-won gains.
Despite major progress, including a 16% reduction in malaria incidence between 2000 and 2023, the WHO African Region carries more than 95% of the global malaria burden and now faces growing risks due to shrinking budgets, resistance to medicines and insecticides, and invasive mosquito species. At the same time, climate shocks and severe weather are shifting transmission patterns, humanitarian crises are heightening vulnerability, and funding cuts from traditional donors are placing additional pressure on already stretched programmes.
“Malaria is at the frontline of Africa’s health security. We must respond with agility to emerging threats and overcome this perfect storm, otherwise, we risk reversing hard-won progress,” said Dr Mohamed Yakub Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “We need renewed political will, increased domestic financing, strong country leadership, and well-coordinated partnerships to continue with the delivery of impactful interventions that safeguard communities and accelerate the path to elimination.”
Echoing this call, Dr Michael Adekunle Charles, CEO of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, emphasised the critical need for financing.
“Current resources cover less than half of what is required globally. To accelerate malaria elimination, we must close the funding gap through bold domestic investment and continued global support. Malaria financing saves lives, strengthens health systems, and enhances Africa’s readiness to confront future pandemics.”
The ministerial side-event further saw the unveiling of the Malaria Ministerial Champions commitments and the Champions’ Accountability Scorecard. The Champions Initiative empowers Ministers of Health to champion malaria elimination by mobilising resources, driving cross-border collaboration, and scaling up innovations, while the Scorecard provides a common tool to track progress, share best practices, and hold leaders accountable.
“Malaria is more than a health issue, it is a development challenge. Through the Ministerial Champions Initiative, we are mobilising action, strengthening accountability, and ensuring malaria remains at the top of Africa’s development agenda,” said Joy Phumaphi, Executive Secretary of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA). “Earlier this year, 10 Ministers of Health were appointed as Champions, and during this Regional Committee meeting, additional leaders are expected to join the growing cohort, which is proof that there is a strong momentum and demand for political leadership in the fight against malaria,” she added.
Honourable Lawrence Ookediste, Assistant Minister of Health of Botswana, emphasized the need for collective action.
“As champions, our role is to open political space, mobilise resources, break silos, and help embed malaria into national and regional development agendas,” he said. “I am pleased that we now have a Ministerial Malaria Champions Accountability Scorecard to help us track the commitments we are making as champions. It gives us a common reference point, with clarity, accountability, and the full weight of political leadership behind this collective effort,” he added.
Honourable Dr Elijah Muchima, Minister of Health of Zambia and Chair of RC75, reaffirmed Zambia’s commitment and leadership in advancing malaria elimination, citing already ongoing efforts.
“Through our End Malaria Council, Zambia has mobilised public and private resources to sustain vector control, procure essential commodities, and support community health workers (CHWs) through initiatives such as the Buy a Bicycle campaign, equipping over 18,600 CHWs with transport to reach rural communities.” “Ending malaria must be a priority that we own and fund beyond the support we receive from global partners,” he added while asserting the need to continue to sustain global mechanisms such as the Global Fund through full replenishment.
Committed to tackling malaria’s “perfect storm”, leaders pledged to act together-rallying political will, accountability, and sustainable financing to protect hard-won gains and reignite Africa’s momentum toward malaria elimination.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of WHO Regional Office for Africa.
African ministers of health gathering in the Zambian capital Lusaka today opened the Seventy-fifth session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa, the highest decision-making body on health on the continent.
The ministers from the 47 countries of the WHO African Region, meeting from 25 to 27 August 2025, will deliberate on measures to address challenges as well as endorse key resolutions to improve and promote people’s health.
Opening the meeting, Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema pointed out that lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic were crucial in “strengthening health diplomacy to address inequalities” and called on regional leaders to position health “as a driver of regional trade and industrialization”, as well as to harmonize public health regulations across countries.
The president also called for “collaboration and a commitment to humanity in making decisions that enhance health and well-being across the region.”
On his part, Zambian Minister of Health Dr Elijah Muchima called for united action and deeper collaboration to address the continent’s health challenges.
“The complexities of today’s health threats demand that we stand united. No single nation can overcome these challenges in isolation,” said Dr Muchima. “We must deepen regional collaboration, share best practices, harness African expertise and innovation, and build long‑term resilience across borders. The outcomes of this Session will guide our collective action towards a more secure, equitable, and sustainable future for all.”
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the Seventy-fifth session of the WHO Africa Regional Committee “comes at a vital time for the continent and WHO as we chart a more sustainable future for the health of all people in Africa.”
“WHO is working in lockstep with African nations to overcome the financial and security challenges many face and to capitalize on the great potential Africa offers in health. Our goal is clear: to support our Member States in Africa in their drive to build robust national health systems, built on self-reliance, efficacy and a commitment to deliver health for all,” said Dr Tedros.
Faced with a challenging global financial landscape, WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi, underscored the importance of collaboration among countries to lead the transformation of the health architecture to be “accountable, transparent and responsive to African realities”, and called for robust health systems to serve the needs of the people.
“We must reframe health not as a cost, but as a cornerstone of prosperity,” said Dr Janabi. “We must build systems that are efficient, inclusive and sovereign and we must place people – especially the most vulnerable – at the centre of every policy, programme and partnership.”
Over the next three days, the ministers will deliberate on priority issues. They will adopt a resolution to fast-track progress on oral health, long neglected despite affecting millions, to ensure improved services across the region by 2030. Delegates will also debate how to end chronic blood shortages that endanger mothers, children and patients with sickle cell disease, with a new plan to modernize supply systems and expand voluntary donations.
The meeting will consider strategies to expand access to rehabilitation services, which remain unavailable to two-thirds of Africans in need, and to transform care for women, children and adolescents—an area where the region still accounts for 70% of global maternal deaths. Ministers are expected to review proposals to accelerate progress against malaria, which continues to claim thousands of lives in Africa, and to close the continent’s critical health workforce gap, currently less than half the global standard.
Health security will also be under the spotlight, with new plans to strengthen early detection and crisis preparedness in a region that recorded more than 250 public health events in 2024 alone.
Decisions taken in Lusaka this week are expected to set Africa’s health agenda for the future, laying the foundations for stronger systems, healthier communities, and a more resilient continent.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of WHO Regional Office for Africa.
The eThekwini Municipality has seen a resurgence in tourism, with both international and domestic visitor numbers showing exceptional growth and economic impact from January to May 2025.
This performance signals a strong recovery for the sector and reaffirms Durban’s position as one of South Africa’s most attractive and dynamic travel destinations.
According to the latest data, international tourism has rebounded impressively, with over 186 000 additional arrivals, compared to the same period last year.
This influx generated a combined spend of more than R750 million, driven by robust card transactions and cash withdrawals.
The data was presented by the Research and Data Unit of South African Tourism during a two-day Strategic Planning Workshop of the eThekwini Presidential Working Group (Workstream 4), held last week.
The data showed that during the Easter period in April alone, the tourism sector contributed R115.9 million, reflecting a 48% year-on-year increase.
Leading international source markets include Mozambique, the United Kingdom, and the United States, highlighting Durban’s global appeal.
Domestically, Durban welcomed 2.8 million trips, resulting in a remarkable R4.8 billion in combined spend.
The Easter holiday period saw a 52% increase in domestic spend, while May outperformed April, reaching R844 million, a 50% growth, compared to the previous month.
A notable highlight is the surge in visitors from Cape Town, alongside Johannesburg and Tshwane, reinforcing Durban’s status as a preferred leisure destination for South Africa’s major metros.
Spending trends reveal that retail and dining are the top-performing categories, driven by leisure travel.
While traditional hotel stays remain relevant, the date showed that many domestic travellers are increasingly choosing shared or self-catering accommodation options, reflecting evolving travel preferences.
EThekwini City Manager, Musa Mbhele, said this performance underlines the importance of continued investment in tourism marketing, seasonal campaigns, and infrastructure that supports both leisure and business travel.
“These results are not just encouraging – they are a clear signal that our strategic investments in tourism are paying off. Durban is not only bouncing back; we are setting the pace for tourism recovery in South Africa.
“We remain fully committed to enhancing visitor experiences, expanding our offerings, and ensuring that Durban continues to thrive as a world-class destination for both leisure and business travel,” Mbhele said. – SAnews.gov.za
The National School of Government’s (NSG) Acting Principal Phindile Mkwanazi says South Africa’s G20 Presidency is not only a moment of continental pride but also a moment of shared hope.
“It reflects South Africa’s long-standing commitment to solidarity with the global South, to equality among nations in an inclusive system of global governance and to sustainability as the foundation for common prosperity, the enjoyment of human rights and peaceful coexistence,” Mkhwanazi said.
The acting Principal made the remark at the National School of Government T20 Symposium on State Capacity and Institutional Transformation in Times of Complexity: Exploring State Capacity for Agile Public Institutions held at the University of South Africa (UNISA) in Pretoria on Monday.
WATCH | T20 symposium
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Mkhwanazi said that as part of South Africa’s G20 Presidency, the country has placed emphasis on strengthening governance and institutions as essential enablers of development.
“We are convinced that in an increasingly complex and uncertain world, agile, transparent, and effective public institutions are indispensable. Developmental states that are responsive to citizens, and committed to shared prosperity, can help achieve sustainable development and lasting peace.”
She believes that successful nations are those that make strong investments in State capacity and embrace innovation.
“If the G20 is to succeed, it must place State capacity at the heart of sustainable development. The G20’s strength lies in fostering meaningful cooperation and driving a global skills revolution, which is essential for a fairer and more sustainable future. “The questions before us are complex, but through honest engagement and the collective wisdom gathered here, we can advance practical ideas that strengthen not only our States, but also the multilateral system that binds us together,” she explained.
The gathering brought together leading scholars, public servants, policymakers, and governance experts to reflect on the future of public institutions, particularly their ability to respond to complexity and remain legitimate, agile, and citizen focused.
Led by Professor Zhang Weiwei, Professor and Director of the China Institute at Fudan University, the symposium explored the challenges and opportunities of governance in complex environments, critical reforms needed to strengthen state capacity, and lessons and partnerships from the G20 to build future-ready institutions.
The G20 is an international forum of both developing and developed countries which seek to find solutions to global economic and financial issues.
South Africa assumed the Presidency of the G20 on 01 December 2024, marking a historic milestone as the first African country to lead this influential group of the world’s largest economies.
It comprises 19 countries including: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, United Kingdom, and United States and two regional bodies, namely the European Union and the African Union.
The G20 is expected to have significant economic benefits for South Africa, notably for the tourism, transport, restaurant, entertainment and hospitality industries, with global visibility in all nine provinces. – SAnews.gov.za
The Ministry in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) has raised alarm over recent reports of alleged job offers circulating on social media, targeting young South African women aged 18 to 22 for employment opportunities in Russia.
“Although we recognise that South Africa faces unacceptably high youth unemployment, especially among young women, this harsh reality must never be exploited through false job offers,” the Ministry said in a statement on Monday.
The Department confirmed that the advertised work opportunities advertised on social media for positions in Russia, are not facilitated or endorsed by government, noting that all legitimate international employment opportunities are organised through official diplomatic channels and formal bilateral agreements.
It urged young people to exercise extreme caution when engaging with unsolicited offers for international employment, particularly those distributed via social media and other online platforms.
Before pursuing international work or study opportunities, young people are urged to verify the authenticity of the job adverts through the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and its missions abroad, relevant foreign embassies or missions within South Africa of the intended country of travel for the opportunity, the Department of Employment and Labour, the South African Police Service, or the Department of Higher Education and Training.
“The safety, dignity, and future of young South African women are of paramount importance, and we cannot allow desperation borne of high unemployment to be weaponised against our youth. As a government, we continue to work tirelessly to address youth unemployment through national initiatives such as the Presidential Employment Stimulus, the National Youth Service, and various skills development programmes,” the department said.
However, the department warned that government alone cannot win the fight against unemployment, calling for all stakeholders, including the private sector, civil society, labour, academia, and communities, to join hands with the government in creating sustainable pathways for decent work for young people, especially young women.
To fully understand the nature of the employment opportunities in Russia and provide clarity to the public, the Ministry said it will engage stakeholders, including DIRCO, the Russian Embassy in South Africa, and the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance (WBA).
“Let us remain united in protecting the dreams and dignity of South Africa’s young women, while redoubling our efforts to build an inclusive economy that provides meaningful opportunities at home,” the Ministry said. – SAnews.gov.za
Africa – and South Africa – must harness its rich endowment of critical minerals to create an industrial powerhouse which can lead the green energy revolution.
This according to Gauteng Growth and Development Agency executive, Sthembiso Dlamini, who addressed the African Critical Minerals Summit in Johannesburg on Monday.
The continent boasts vast deposits of minerals such as platinum, manganese and lithium which are critical for renewable energy technology.
Dlamini noted that these minerals stand at the “centre of the global energy transition, technological advancement, and industrial development”.
“From cobalt and lithium to rare earth and platinum group metals, Africa holds most of the most strategic mineral deposits in the world. Yet the question before us is how do we move beyond simply being exporters of raw resources to becoming global leaders in beneficiation, industrialisation, and sustainable growth.
“Africa holds nearly a third of the world’s critical mineral reserves, making it central to the global energy transition. The continent is home to over 70% of platinum and chromium, nearly half of cobalt and manganese, and the world’s largest phosphate…reserves.
“With the African Continental Free Trade Area as a unifying framework, these resources can power regional value chains from beneficiation and processing to advance manufacturing instead of exporting [raw ores],” she said.
Dlamini highlighted that with its rich endowment in critical minerals, the continent can build “industries that supply batteries, electric vehicles, and renewable technologies”.
Furthermore, this can turn the mineral wealth into a “driver of industrialisation, sustainable growth and continental integration” with beneficiation at the centre.
“Advancing beneficiation in Africa is not just an economic imperative. It is a developmental necessity. By processing and adding value to our minerals locally, we create jobs, we stimulate new industries and build stronger linkages across manufacturing energy, and technology centres.
“This is how we unlock greater returns for our people and ensure that the wealth of our natural resources translate into long term prosperity. Equally, industrialisation anchored on the critical mineral sector offers Africa a once in a generation opportunity. If managed well, if it can serve as a backbone of new supply chain in green technologies, batteries, electric vehicles, and renewable energy.
“By leveraging regional integration, infrastructure development and public-private partnership, Africa can really shift from being at the margins of global venue chains, to being at the heart of them,” she said.
Sustainable growth
Dlamini put forward that the approach to growth must be sustainable for communities and the environment.
“Our approach to critical minerals must balance economic opportunity, with environmental stewardship and social responsibility.
“Communities must benefit directly. Ecosystems must be protected, and governance structures must guarantee transparency and accountability. Only then, can Africa’s critical mineral become a catalyst for inclusive and resilient growth,” Dlamini said. – SAnews.gov.za
Fast-tracking the delivery of infrastructure projects that are essential to KwaZulu-Natal’s socio-economic growth was at the core of Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli’s strategic meeting of the Provincial Infrastructure Council.
Held at the Archie Gumede Conference Centre in eThekwini recently, the meeting brought together senior government officials, municipal representatives, and state-owned entities in a united drive to accelerate infrastructure delivery across the province.
According to the provincial government, the council is set to play a central role in ensuring the systematic selection, planning, and monitoring of infrastructure projects implementation.
This includes oversight of the Provincial Infrastructure Master Plan, with a strong focus on practical outcomes, improved intergovernmental collaboration, and enhanced accountability.
“The Council will also ensure that infrastructure initiatives align with the District Development Model (DDM), which aims to bring development closer to communities by fostering integrated planning at district and local level.
“By strengthening partnerships and communication between government departments, municipalities, and state-owned enterprises, the Council seeks to create a more agile and responsive infrastructure delivery ecosystem,” the provincial government said in a statement.
At the meeting, Ntuli emphasised the need to remove existing bottlenecks, improve coordination, and ensure that projects are fully aligned with both national and provincial priorities.
The meeting also addressed the implementation of the Infrastructure Delivery Management System (IDMS) and explored ways to boost technical capacity within the public sector.
This includes training and support for officials involved in infrastructure planning, procurement, and project management. – SAnews.gov.za
