Category: English

Source: APO

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Ethiopia has successfully concluded the second round of its nationwide novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) campaign, reaching more than 16.8 million children across ten regions. Led by the Ministry of Health and the Ethiopian Public Health Institute and supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, Rotary International, and other immunization partners, the campaign was conducted from 30 May to 2 June 2025.

With an administrative coverage of 105%, the campaign integrated essential maternal and child health services to maximize its reach and impact. While the primary target group was children under five, the age range was extended to include children up to ten years in Kellem and West Guji zones of Oromia Region, following localized risk assessments.

“Ethiopia’s leadership and coordination have been exemplary,” said Dr Owen L. Kaluwa, WHO Representative in Ethiopia. “In the first round, over 15.3 million children were vaccinated with nOPV2, achieving 103% coverage. These efforts are vital as the country continues to respond to outbreaks, with 69 cases reported across multiple regions between 2024 and March 2025.”

Throughout the campaign, WHO played a pivotal role in ensuring its success. In close collaboration with the Ethiopian Public Health Institute and UNICEF, WHO supported pre-campaign preparations, including resource mobilization, training of health workers, and real-time monitoring using tools like the Open Data Kit (ODK). WHO also deployed independent monitors and quality assurance surveyors in nearly half of the selected regions, enabling immediate corrective actions and contributing to higher coverage rates. Additionally, WHO Field Officers and STOP consultants supported preparedness assessments, microplanning, cold chain inventory, and training of team supervisors.

The integrated campaign strategy is central to reducing mortality and morbidity from vaccine-preventable diseases. During the first round, a total of 104,000 zero-dose (62,000) and under-vaccinated children (42,000) were identified and vaccinated—highlighting the campaign’s success in reaching previously missed populations.

Key Achievements from the Second Round are:

• 48,363 zero-dose children vaccinated, bringing the cumulative total to over 110,000 across both rounds.
• 654 children immunized at official border entry points with Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan.
• 31,253 supervisory visits conducted, resulting in 365 acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) alerts, with 81 confirmed cases and samples collected for laboratory analysis.
• Independent monitoring and Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) surveys confirmed high campaign quality, with 98% of 52,120 children verified as vaccinated and 90% of lots passing the quality threshold.

In addition to nOPV2 vaccination, the campaign facilitated catch-up immunizations for zero-dose and under-vaccinated children and supported the identification and referral of women with obstetric fistula for treatment—demonstrating a holistic approach to public health.

WHO remains committed to supporting Ethiopia’s regions, zones, and woredas in achieving high immunization coverage and maintaining robust disease surveillance systems to protect every child.

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

Source: APO – Report:

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Ethiopia has successfully concluded its 2025 nationwide integrated measles campaign, reaching 18,570,244 children—99% of the targeted population. The ten-day campaign began on 14 May 2025 across 12 regions, with Somali Region and Addis Ababa City Administration launching on 21 May and 26 May, respectively. The national launch event, organized by WHO, was held in Bishoftu, Oromia Region, under the leadership of the Ministry of Health and supported by partners, community members, and political leaders.

Dr. Owen L. Kaluwa, WHO Representative to Ethiopia, commended the Ministry of Health for its leadership, stating: “I would like to congratulate and commend the Ministry of Health for your leadership and effort undertaken to realize the successful implementation of the 2025 National Integrated Measles Supplementary Immunization (SIA) Campaign, and for marking a significant milestone in delivering life-saving services to vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations nationwide.”

Dr. Kaluwa also reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to supporting Ethiopia in strengthening routine immunization and primary health care systems to reduce child mortality.

WHO provided technical and financial support throughout the campaign, including proposal development, microplanning, training, supervision, and support for the national launch event.

The campaign targeted children aged 9 to 59 months, aiming to protect them against measles—a highly contagious and potentially fatal disease. It was designed to close immunity gaps and prevent outbreaks, in line with global health recommendations and in response to ongoing measles cases in parts of the country.

In addition to measles vaccination, the campaign integrated several health interventions, including:

• Routine Immunization: 191,346 zero-dose and 211,546 under-vaccinated children received vaccines.
• Nutritional Screening: Over 18.9 million children under five were screened; 874,722 were identified as moderately acutely malnourished (MAM), and 122,207 as severely acutely malnourished (SAM).
• Vitamin A Supplementation: More than 15 million children received vitamin A.
• Deworming: 11,095,948 children aged 24 to 59 months received albendazole.
• COVID-19 Vaccination: 206,431 Pfizer doses were administered to high-priority groups.
• Obstetric Fistula Identification: 1,325 suspected cases were identified and referred to health facilities.
• Sick Child Referral: Over 49,312 sick children were identified and linked to appropriate health services.

The campaign’s success was made possible through the full engagement of government ministries, partners, communities, and the media, which played a vital role in raising awareness and increasing demand for the life-saving vaccine. This achievement highlights the power of collaboration and dedicated partnerships in ensuring every child has access to essential health services. 

WHO remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting Ethiopia in strengthening routine immunization, enhancing primary health care systems, and advancing efforts to reduce child mortality—ensuring that no child is left behind.

– on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) – Ethiopia.

Source: APO – Report:

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World Breastfeeding Week is being observed from 1 to 7 August with various activities under the theme “Prioritize Breastfeeding – Create Sustainable Support System.”

At a national-level ceremony organized today in Asmara, Sister Amleset Hagos from the Ministry of Health stated that breastfeeding protects against various diseases, supports physical and mental development, contains all essential nutrients, and ensures the future health of infants.

Sister Amleset also called on all institutions to establish daycare centers to ease the burden on breastfeeding mothers.

Mr. Abdulah Mohammed Yosuf, UNICEF Representative in Eritrea, noted that according to the 2010 Eritrea Public Health Survey, over 90% of children are breastfed within the first hour, and 69% are exclusively breastfed for six months. These achievements have significantly contributed to reducing neonatal and child mortality, placing Eritrea among the global leaders in breastfeeding practices.

At the discussion forum moderated by the Association of Medical Doctors of Eritrea, female doctors shared their experiences with participants, focusing on the general benefits of breastfeeding, maternity leave, the importance of establishing daycare centers at institutions, and support for breastfeeding mothers in the workplace.

Awards were also presented to winners of the general knowledge competitions conducted during the week.

– on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

Source: APO – Report:

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Ambassador Zemede Tekle, Commissioner of Culture and Sports, indicated that preparations for the National Festival 2025 have been finalized. The festival is scheduled to take place from 9 to 17 August at the Expo Grounds in Asmara.

Noting that “displays depicting our cultural diversity and unity have been prepared,” Ambassador Zemede said the festival will feature cultural and musical performances, traditional villages representing the cultures and traditions of the various ethnic groups in the country, exhibitions of products by various institutions and regions, children’s educational and entertainment programs, book displays, paintings and sculptures exhibitions, as well as seminars, among others.

Ambassador Zemede also underlined that the National Festival, beyond being an entertainment event, is a reflection of the unity and cultural diversity of the Eritrean people.

– on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

Source: APO – Report:

Dr Akinwumi Adesina says his passion to mobilize global capital for Africa’s development will continue way beyond his presidency of the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org), which ends on 1^st September 2025.

In a keynote speech titled “Tilting Global Capital for Unlocking Investment Opportunities in Africa”, delivered at the Standard Chartered Africa Summit on July 31, in Lagos, Adesina said, “Together, let us tilt global capital to unlock Africa’s assets. As I step into a new future, you can be sure this will be my focus! For I will always have Africa in my heart and in my sight.”

The Standard Chartered Africa Summit, with the theme, “Africa to the Globe: Innovation, Resilience, and Growth”, brought together corporate leaders, policymakers, investors and other stakeholders. Attendees included Standard Chartered’s Co-Heads of Corporate & Investment Banking, Sunil Kaushal and Roberto Hoornweg; Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria, Dalu Ajene; Nigeria’s Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole; Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote; Hakeem Belo-Osagie, Chairman, FSDH Group and Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School; and award-winning author, Chimamanda Adichie.

Adesina kicked off by alluding to his signature optimism about Africa’s prospects. “When I was approached to consider delivering the keynote speech, I did not hesitate. How can someone known as ‘Africa’s Optimist in Chief’ not accept to speak on Africa!”, he said.

Highlighting the African Development Bank’s focus on bold financial innovation in the last decade, Adesina declared, “The African Development Bank is not just waiting for more capital, we are innovating to do more with the capital we have. Through our balance sheet optimization initiatives, we are stretching every dollar of risk capital further. Our ambition is threefold: free up capital, crowd in investors and amplify development impact.”

He outlined several ambitious and innovative financing solutions pioneered by the African Development Bank, supported by its AAA rating which it has maintained over the last decade:

• Over $102 billion in low-cost financing to Africa since 2015
• Capital raise from $93 billion in 2015 to $318 billion in 2024, the highest in the Bank’s sixty-year history
• Spearheading, in partnership with the Inter-American Development, the rechanneling of the IMF’s Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) to multilateral development banks—a move that will of the rechanneled SDRs as hybrid capital, which can be leveraged by 4-8 times.
• The Africa Investment Forum, launched by the Bank in collaboration with strategic partners, has mobilized over $225 billion in investment interest across infrastructure, energy, agribusiness, manufacturing and other critical sectors, since 2018
• The biggest social bond issuance by multilateral development banks, amounting to $14 billion in the past eight years.
• $10 billion of long-term global benchmark bonds issued in 2025 alone to finance projects across Africa
• The first-ever synthetic securitization of a non-sovereign portfolio by a multilateral development bank, involving the transfer of mezzanine risk of a $1 billion portfolio of private sector loans.
• The first-ever private sector hybrid capital transaction by a multilateral development bank, valued at $750 million—with over 275 investors participating with a book order of $5.1 billion, making it the largest ever book order achieved by the African Development Bank.
• A Room to Run Sovereign offering that created an estimated $2 billion in new sovereign lending headroom
• 16 partial credit and partial risk guarantees valued at close to $3 billion, mobilizing $ 5 billion for the continent
• A $250 million partial credit guarantee that allowed Egypt to raise the first ever Panda Bond by an African country on the Chinese capital market, valued at $500 million.

Adesina praised Standard Chartered Bank’s successful partnership with the African Development Bank’s successful partnership, which notably delivered a partial credit guarantee for Côte d’Ivoire in 2023 — a deal that won ‘Sovereign Syndicated Loan Deal of the Year’ at the 2025 Bonds, Loans & ESG Capital Markets Africa Awards in Cape Town, South Africa, in April.

“The Standard Chartered Bank participated as the sole lender in the 2023 Cote d’Ivoire’s sustainable loan partial credit guarantee transaction. The African Development Bank was able to unlock €533 million from the Standard Chartered Bank in support of the country’s financing needs.”

He also congratulated Standard Chartered on being named Best Transaction Bank at the Asset Triple A Treasurise Awards in Hong Kong. “Your record breaking 127 accolades reflects an exceptionally strong track record of excellence in banking and finance, globally.”

Adesina urged global financial institutions to partner more strategically with the African Development Bank and other multilateral development banks, to scale up capital flows to Africa.

He called for greater use of risk mitigation and credit enhancement instruments, mainstreaming of best practices in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), and increased collaboration to scale up local currency financing solutions.

Adesina’s delegation included the Bank Group’s Vice President for Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialization Solomon Quaynor, and the Director General of the Nigeria Country Department, Dr. Abdul Kamara.

The African Development Bank’s current active portfolio in Nigeria is the largest in the Bank, valued at $5.1 billion and comprising 52 operations, equally distributed between the public and private sectors, with 26 projects each. National operations account for 84% of the portfolio, while multinational operations constitute the balance of 16%.

The Bank Group is set to establish a Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank in Nigeria, as part of a pan-African portfolio designed to create and finance entrepreneurship opportunities for young Africans.

The Bank is also rolling out Phase 1 of its Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones across 8 States, including the Federal Capital Territory. Construction has already begun in four States of Kaduna, Cross River, Oyo and Ogun. Phase 2, which will cover the remaining 28 States, is scheduled to take off from September 2025.

– on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Photos: (https://apo-opa.co/4opyFqj)

Media Contact:
Tolu Ogunlesi
Communication and External Relations
African Development Bank
Email: media@afdb.org

Source: APO – Report:

The President of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has reaffirmed the Bank’s strong commitment to supporting African entrepreneurs and industrial innovation. He was speaking during a visit to Saglev, a Nigerian electric vehicle assembly and distribution company in Lagos. 

“Our role as a bank, and my role as President, is to be a champion of African entrepreneurs.” Dr. Adesina said.  

Located in Ikorodu, in the north of Lagos, Saglev Electromobility Nigeria Limited produces electric vehicles from semi-knocked-down components under a technical partnership with a Chinese automobile group. Targeting Nigeria and other emerging markets, the plant has an annual capacity of 2,500 vehicles on a single shift, expandable to 10,000 with multiple shifts 

Welcoming Dr. Adesina to the facility, Saglev Chairman and CEO, Dr. Sam Faleye, described the visit as a fulfilment of a promise made during the 2024 Africa Investment Forum in Rabat, Morocco. “You told me you’re going to come here,” he said.  

Adesina was accompanied by his wife, Mrs Grace Yemisi Adesina, and a Bank delegation that included the Vice President for Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialization, Solomon Quaynor, and the Director General of the Nigeria Country Department, Dr. Abdul Kamara.  

Faleye shared his journey from Nigeria to the United States and back to Nigeria. “I went to the US, I practiced 28 years as an Internist, and also in Clinical Informatics, and I ended up here. If I did this project anywhere else in the world, it would not satisfy me as much as this satisfies me.” 

During the tour, Adesina engaged in discussions on the key challenges facing Nigeria’s automotive sector, including fiscal policy, logistics, access to finance, and the lack of local manufacturing capacity for critical components. He also explored issues related to battery technology, charging infrastructure, capacity building, and the Bank’s commitment to clean energy investments.  

“For us as the African Development Bank, a big part of our work is infrastructure. That is what I see here—you need to be able to have power at a lower cost, so that your unit cost of production will be low,” Adesina said. “Electric vehicles run on electricity — and that is why at the African Development Bank, in the last 10 years, we have connected more than 28 million people to electricity, investing heavily in energy.” 

He added, “If you look at the amount of solar radiation we have in Africa, it’s about 11 terawatts, hydro is about 350 gigawatts, wind is about 150 gigawatts, and geothermal is about 15 gigawatts, so Africa is actually the largest place in terms of renewable energy sources. When you have that amount of renewable energy resources, clearly, how we power our homes, offices, industries, and cars, is very important. Globally, the electric vehicle market is valued at about 7 trillion dollars today, by 2050 it will be 59 trillion dollars, so you’re in what is a very major sector for the energy transition.” 

He commended Faleye for investing his own capital significantly into the company, given the high borrowing costs in Africa. “The cost of capital in Africa is three to five times higher than in any other part of the world. And so, the African Development Bank can help in many ways to de-risk lending to companies like this. We have a lot of facilities that can do that. We also have lines of credit we provide for commercial banks, many of them in Nigeria, that are able to support us as well.” 

Adesina commended the high caliber of the company’s young engineers and technicians, citing their skills and evidence of the quality of Nigerian technical education. He also praised the company’s effort toward gender inclusion, particularly among its technical workforce.  

He also underscored the importance of African diaspora to the continent’s development, praising Faleye for returning to Nigeria to invest in the country’s automobile industry. 

“You’re a medical doctor by training, you didn’t have to be doing this, you were already doing very well in the United States, but I think the passion, the drive, and the commitment that you have to Africa is how we want it to be. Africa’s diaspora is valuable not just in terms of money—we get about $91 billion of remittances that come to Africa every year, and those remittances are very important—but I think the big power of diaspora is the knowledge, the skills and the commitment to the continent of your birth.” 

– on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Media Contact: 
Tolu Ogunlesi
Communication and External Relations
African Development Bank
Email: media@afdb.org