Category: English

Source: APO

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A WHO-supported house-to-house Mpox nationwide campaign in Sierra Leone, valued at a cost of USD 300,000, has significantly reduced the number of Mpox cases countrywide by 50% in one month. This successful campaign, named “Enhanced Integrated Mpox Response (EIMR),” conducted over four weeks from July 9 to August 3, 2025, was led by the Ministry of Health, the National Public Health Agency, and District Health Management Teams.  WHO provided direct financial and technical assistance, including the deployment of nine technical officers and 35 national African Volunteers Health Corps – Strengthening and Utilizing Response Group for Emergencies (AVoHC-SURGE) responders to sixteen districts, marking a turning point in the fight against the outbreak. 

The house to house campaign was aimed at strengthening district-level response systems by equipping Incident Management Teams with a multidisciplinary capacity to proactively detect cases, isolate them rapidly, and interrupt community transmission. The WHO teams collaborated with national and district teams to identify, investigate, and report unrecognized mpox cases; engaged with private and public health practitioners in surveillance and reporting; enhanced community awareness campaigns that promoted prevention and early detection; and identified and safely transferred suspected and confirmed cases to isolation and treatment centers. Other support that the teams provided includes timely sample collection, transportation, and feedback on laboratory results; as well as comprehensive contact tracing, vaccination, and follow-up for twenty-one days.

“This campaign demonstrated how strong coordination, community engagement, and partner collaboration can turn the tide of an outbreak. From frontline health workers going door to door, to district leaders mobilizing resources, and partners aligning efforts behind national priorities, the media playing their social cooperative responsibility, the response was a testament to resilience and solidarity,” said Dr George Ameh, WHO Representative, Sierra Leone. 

“WHO is immensely grateful to our partners, FCDO, GAVI, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Denmark, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Netherlands, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Germany, who ensured that our teams had funds to reach the communities in the most remote places in Sierra Leone,” added Dr Ameh. 

Before the launch of the campaign, Sierra Leone was reporting an average of seventeen new cases per day. But by the end of the campaign, the figure had dropped to seven, representing a 58% reduction. The WHO teams visited more than 250,000 households, reaching and educating over 600,000 people on mpox prevention and reporting. Seven hundred and four suspected cases were investigated for mpox, of these 395 (56%) tested positive and were transferred to treatment centers to reduce community transmission. More than 6,500 contacts were listed and vaccinated to prevent them from contracting the infection. Additionally, the teams reached more than 12,000 high-risk individuals with targeted education on how to prevent and manage diseases. 

To achieve the highest outcomes from this campaign, WHO collaborated with several partners, including the World Food Program (WFP) for logistical support, Africa CDC for technical expertise, HEADA for community engagement and logistical support, US CDC for disease surveillance, UNICEF for vaccination support and community engagement, GOAL for community mobilization, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) for treatment, and Population Services International (PSI) for health education and logistical support. These partners, along with the local communities, contributed resources, expertise, and personnel, demonstrating the power of collaboration in public health emergencies. 

While the results are encouraging, Sierra Leone wants to achieve zero cases of mpox. To consolidate progress, the Ministry of Health and its partners launched phase two of the Enhanced Integrated Mpox Response on August 11, 2025. This phase, which will also run for four weeks, will replicate the successful strategies of the initial response, ensuring sustained technical and financial support across all 16 districts with a focus on strengthening surveillance, improving case management, and enhancing community engagement to prevent future outbreaks.

As Sierra Leone enters the next phase of its mpox response, WHO will continue to provide technical expertise, logistical backing, and community engagement support. The experience serves as a reminder of the power of collective action in protecting public health. By building on the lessons learned from the initial phase, which include the importance of early detection, rapid response, and, most importantly, community involvement, Sierra Leone aims to end the Mpox transmission and safeguard communities nationwide. 

Since January 10, 2025, when Sierra Leone confirmed its first case of mpox, and the disease declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization in 2022, the outbreak spread rapidly across the country, affecting all 16 districts. By epidemiological week 19 (5-11 May 2025), more than 600 confirmed cases were reported in that single week, with Western Area Urban and Western Area Rural among the hardest-hit districts.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization – Sierra Leone.

Source: APO

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The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety has raised concerns over the current approach to roadblocks conducted across the province by Metro Police Departments and the Gauteng Traffic Police.

During a meeting held yesterday, where Premier Panyaza Lesufi and Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Tommy Mthombeni appeared before the Committee, Members questioned the widespread practice of roadblocks that appear to focus primarily on checking and printing outstanding traffic fines and forcing motorists to pay fines, particularly those with enforcement orders.

The Committee expressed concern that these operations are increasingly being used as a revenue collection exercise and a substitute for the Post Office in distributing traffic fines, especially following its closure in many areas.

Instead of targeting criminals, illegal firearms, drugs, and unroadworthy vehicles, some of these roadblocks merely hand motorists notices of unpaid fines, often creating severe traffic congestion and frustration without meaningfully contributing to the fight against crime.

The Committee is of the view that Gauteng residents want to see roadblocks that make them safer, not roadblocks that feel like mobile Post Offices. Every roadblock should be a crime-fighting tool—arresting wanted suspects and illegal foreign nationals, recovering dangerous weapons, and ensuring general compliance with the law.

The Committee reaffirmed its support for roadblocks as a vital tool in crime prevention, but insists that they must be impactful, intelligence-driven, and crime focused.

Members further called on motorists to play their part by respecting the rules of the road and settling outstanding fines timeously, thereby freeing law enforcement officers to direct their energy towards fighting core criminality.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of South African Government.

Source: APO

With just one month to go until African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies – Africa’s largest energy event -, investors, policymakers and project developers are gearing up to discuss strategies for Positioning Africa as the Global Energy Champion. Taking place in Cape Town from September 29 to October 3, the event serves as a vital platform to sign deals and drive energy projects forward. Returning bigger and better than before, here is what delegates can look forward to at AEW: Invest in African Energies 2025:

Multi-Track Program Agenda

This year’s event features an expanded program taking place across multiple stages and covering the entire energy sector and its value chain. An Upstream E&P Track will tackle the most pressing challenges and opportunities across Africa’s upstream oil and gas space, delving into topics such as deepwater development, onshore exploration, the role of independent firms and balancing African priorities with global supply dynamics. A dedicated Energy Finance Track will explore emerging trends across Africa’s investment environment, with topics covering strategic investment avenues, innovative financing models, reducing risk perception and more. A Powering Africa Track will address emerging opportunities across the continent’s power and infrastructure sectors, while an Energy Transition Track will offer insight into the continent’s energy transition strategy, from natural gas to carbon capture to storage, green hydrogen and renewable energy rollout.

High-Profile Speakers

Driving discussions across the event’s agenda will be a series of high-profile speakers. From government to private sector to public institutions, finance, technology and policy, speakers will lead key conversations around the state of play of Africa’s energy sector. Featured speakers include Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of Nigeria; Abdelmadjid Tebboune, President of Algeria; Faustin-Archange Touadéra, President of Central Africa Republic; and Emmerson Mnangagwa, President of Zimbabwe. Petroleum and energy ministers from South Africa, Mauritania, Nigeria, Egypt, Senegal, Somalia, Namibia, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, the Republic of Congo, The Gambia, and many more have also joined, alongside c-suite executives from leading global energy companies.

Country Spotlights

As the premier platform for the continent’s energy sector, AEW: Invest in African Energies 2025 takes place under a mandate to drive investment across the continent – and as such, covers almost every African country and their investment prospects. Country Spotlight sessions will offer first-hand insight into regulatory reforms, emerging investment avenues, key trends and challenges across a variety of markets. These include South Africa, Senegal, Gabon, Uganda, Nigeria, Angola, Namibia, Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Equatorial Guinea, Egypt, Libya and Zimbabwe. Investors have the chance to gain access to some of the continent’s most promising investment opportunities.

Roundtables & Investor Forums

One of the highlights of AEW: Invest in African Energies 2025 is the event’s series of industry-focused roundtables and investor forums. Taking place on the pre-conference day (September 2) and the three main conference days (September 3-4), these sessions will unpack Africa’s emerging status as a global energy stronghold. Highlights include the Global Energy Leaders Roundtable, the OPEC-Africa Roundtable, the US-Africa Critical Minerals Roundtable, the Just Energy Transition Roundtable, the Local Content Roundtable, the Russia-Africa Roundtable, the COP 30 Roundtable and more. Targeted forums pave the way for dealmaking and partnerships, with sessions including the Deal Room, the African Farmout Forum, the NOC & IOC Forum, the US-Africa Investment Summit, the General Counsel Forum, among others.

Exclusive Networking Opportunities

AEW: Invest in African Energies 2025 places strong emphasis on building meaningful business relationships, and as such, offers a variety of strategic networking functions and side events. These functions aim to foster collaboration across the energy sector by bringing together governments, global partners and African companies under one roof. Key functions include the AEW Gala Dinner & Awards, the JET Concert, the AWBEN Women in Energy Power Lunch, as well as a calendar of cocktail events, business breakfasts and tourist and technical excursions. By creating a culture of collaboration, AEW: Invest in African Energies 2025 strives to promote partnerships while driving commercial deals forward.

“At a time when global energy dynamics are rapidly evolving, AEW: Invest in African Energies has emerged as strategic platform to advance Africa’s priorities in the global energy arena. Uniting global investors, African governments, public institutions and finance and technology providers in Cape Town, the event is set to redefine the continent’s energy landscape by driving deals, partnerships and projects,” stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

AEW: Invest in African Energies
AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.

Source: APO

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Africa-focused exploration and production company LEKOIL will participate as a Silver Partner at African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies 2025, underscoring its commitment to scaling oil production, advancing ESG principles and aligning with Nigeria’s energy transition and reform agenda. 

LEKOIL is pursuing a medium-term goal of reaching 250,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd), driven by a portfolio of marginal and offshore assets. Growth will be achieved through rapid project execution, technical innovation and strategic partnerships designed to maximize efficiency and production. 

Earlier this year, the company entered a strategic partnership with the Kwa Ibom State government to catalyze investment across the oil and gas value chain, while also promoting agricultural, infrastructure and community-based initiatives. This collaboration reflects LEKOIL’s long-term vision to integrate energy production with socioeconomic empowerment, creating jobs and driving development in host communities. 

ESG remains central to LEKOIL’s strategy. The company actively promotes environmental stewardship, social investment and governance best practices across Africa’s energy sector. By minimizing environmental footprints, empowering local communities, and ensuring operational transparency, LEKOIL is strengthening investor confidence and supporting sustainable growth. 

Operationally, the company has established a track record of efficiency. The Otakikpo field in Rivers State – acquired in 2014 – was brought into production within 18 months, setting a benchmark for indigenous operators. Today, it remains a cornerstone of LEKOIL’s production base. Meanwhile, OPL 310 offshore Lagos – one of Nigeria’s largest recent offshore discoveries, with estimated recoverable resources exceeding 700 million barrels of oil equivalent – offers significant long-term growth potential. 

These activities align with Nigeria’s broader energy sector reforms, including new executive orders and fiscal measures aimed at boosting competitiveness, attracting investment and enhancing transparency. LEKOIL’s production ambitions and governance commitments position it as a key partner in achieving national energy targets and advancing regional economic growth. 

“LEKOIL’s operational record, ESG focus and alignment with Nigeria’s reform agenda showcase how indigenous oil companies can deliver both commercial growth and socioeconomic impact. By combining technical expertise with strong local partnerships, the company is creating a blueprint for sustainable upstream development in Africa,” stated Tomás Gerbasio, VP of Commercial and Strategic Engagement, African Energy Chamber. 

LEKOIL executives Edward During, Chief Financial Officer, and Sam Olotu, Chief Technical Officer, will speak at AEW 2025: Invest in African Energies, offering insights into the company’s ongoing projects, growth trajectory and ESG-driven approach. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

About African Energy Week (AEW):
AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event. 

Source: APO

China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co., Ltd (CCXI) has affirmed African Export-Import Bank’s (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) AAA issuer credit rating with a stable outlook.

Download report: https://apo-opa.co/47lLSKY

The high rating reflects CCXI’s assessment of Afreximbank’s strengths including high strategic positioning, sound risk management system, flexibility in business development, very strong profitability, prudent liquidity management and very high coverage ratio of current assets on short-term debts.

The rating agency further said that it believed that Afreximbank’s ratings would remain stable over the next 12 to18 months, even after consideration of downside credit risks to the macroeconomic and operating environments affecting the Bank.

Reacting to the rating announcement, Mr. Denys Denya, Afreximbank’s Senior Executive Vice President, noted that the rating affirms the Bank’s systemic relevance to Africa and its prudent risk management. He noted it will enhance funding diversification opportunities, particularly in China’s Panda bond market, supporting Afreximbank’s development mandate and trade facilitation between Africa and China.

He reiterated Afreximbank’s commitment to supporting trade finance in Africa and the Caribbean, even during challenging times. He noted the Bank’s commitment to its member states and all clients was unwavering and this resilient track record had significantly contributed to its formidable rating. He said the Chinese rating affirmed the Bank’s preferred creditor status among its 53 member states in Africa and 13 in the Caribbean.

Mr. Denya said: “CCXI’s rating is a remarkable achievement amid a challenging operating environment, and it is a demonstration of Afreximbank’s systemic relevance to Africa and the Caribbean, our key focus regions.” Mr. Denya added that the rating exemplified the Bank’s resilience and would enable it to leverage the breadth and depth of the Panda market as it diversifies its funding sources globally.

The CCXI rating is expected to galvanise greater support for Afreximbank’s funding plans in the Chinese market and enhance the Bank’s market presence and credit position.

In April this year, Afreximbank successfully issued its landmark inaugural Panda bond in the China Interbank Bond Market, raising RMB 2.2 billion (US $ 303 million). The issuance was a significant success, being oversubscribed and attracting high-quality investors, which underscored strong market confidence in the Bank’s credit profile. This pioneering transaction not only provides Afreximbank with a new source of diversified funding in Chinese Renminbi but also establishes a crucial benchmark for other African borrowers and marks a key step in deepening financial cooperation between Africa and China.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

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

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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 stalwart 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 2024, Afreximbank’s total assets and contingencies stood at over US$40.1 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$7.2 billion. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A), Moody’s (Baa2), China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co., Ltd (CCXI) (AAA), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-) and Fitch (BBB-). Afreximbank has evolved into a group entity comprising the Bank, its equity impact fund subsidiary called the Fund for Export Development Africa (FEDA), and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure (together, “the Group”). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.

For more information, visit: www.Afreximbank.com

Source: APO

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Surrounded by the wide Kwanza River, the municipality of Calumbo is known for the resilience and hard-working spirit of its people. Between August 15 and 17, the municipality joined the rest of the country in the First Round of the National Polio Vaccination Campaign, a large-scale operation that mobilized 1,000 health workers to administer 1.5 million doses of vaccine to 100,000 children. 

Between August 15 and 17, the municipality joined the rest of the country in the First Round of the National Polio Vaccination Campaign, a large-scale operation that mobilized more than 50,000 health professionals and volunteers to protect around 7 million children under the age of five in all 326 municipalities of Angola. 

In Calumbo, dozens of teams visited homes, markets, churches, and taxi stands to ensure that no child was left without receiving the two drops of the oral polio vaccine. Among the faces of this mobilization is Francisco Manuel, 26, a physical education and sports student who started as a community mobilizer and is now a vaccination team supervisor. 

“What motivates me to be a supervisor is being able to teach my colleagues how to work and also talk to the population to protect the lives of our children,” he says. 

For Francisco, each training session is a weapon against misinformation. “Thanks to the training we have received, we have been able to change mindsets. Today, the community understands that vaccines save lives and that no child should go without being vaccinated.” 

Francisco has become a role model for young people and families in the municipality. In addition to the fight against polio, he is involved in volunteer work at the Municipal Hospital of Icolo and Bengo. 

At his side is Rosa Joaquim, the municipality’s Child Health Supervisor and coordinator of the Calumbo Vila area, where the goal was to vaccinate 9,002 children. A nurse with over 20 years of experience in pediatrics, Rosa is intimately familiar with the challenges and achievements of this mission. 

“The areas that previously rejected the vaccine now accept it. We changed our strategy: we recruited local people, respected leaders in the neighborhoods, who helped mobilize families. We also carried out a pre-campaign to raise awareness, which greatly facilitated acceptance,” she explains. 

Rosa’s experience and Francisco’s passion show how the fight against polio is carried out by ordinary people, motivated by love for their community, working for a polio-free future. But this mobilization is not just local: it is part of a national and global effort to eradicate polio once and for all. 

From house to house, neighborhood to neighborhood, vaccinators across the country are giving hope to millions of families. Only with everyone’s collaboration will it be possible to ensure that no child in Angola is left behind.

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

Source: APO

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The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a six-month 1.0 continental preparedness and response plan against cholera under the leadership of H.E. President Hakainde Hichilema, the African Union Cholera Champion, in Lusaka, Zambia, on 26 August.

President Hichilema has led the rallying call for African political leaders as key actors and champions of change. In June 2025, he rallied African Heads of State to commit to accelerating investment, cross-border coordination, and vaccine access to eliminate cholera by 2030. That commitment has now led to the new plan.

The plan is built around seven priorities: strengthened coordination, enhanced surveillance, expanded laboratory capacity, effective case management, WASH interventions, vaccination, and community engagement. It will be driven by the Continental Cholera IMST, integrated with the Mpox IMST, and co-led by Africa CDC and WHO to deliver rapid, coordinated responses while leveraging technical expertise and logistics support.

In parallel, Africa CDC and WHO will support the AU Cholera Champion in establishing the African Continental Task Force on Cholera Control. This body will bring together Member States and key partners to align with the 2030 Global Cholera Elimination targets, create National Presidential Task Forces, and mobilize resources, including vaccines, to accelerate elimination across Africa.

Africa CDC notes that cholera is a major public health challenge on the continent, accounting for 82% of global cases and nearly 94% of cholera-related deaths. Between September 2025 and February 2026, Africa is projected to face more than 200,000 cholera cases and 6,020 deaths — a 42% surge in cases and a 98% rise in deaths compared to 2024, if current interventions remain unchanged.

The new plan requires $231.7 million for supplies and response, plus $100 million to scale African Oral Cholera Vaccine production.

“Today’s launch of the Continental Cholera Outbreak Response Plan marks a major milestone, a turning point in how political leaders engage alongside technical experts to address Africa’s public health challenges,” said H.E. Dr Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC, at the launch.

“Their leadership, matched with Africa CDC’s technical guidance and the solidarity of our partners, will move us closer to a continent free of epidemics, free of cholera, and resilient against future threats,” he added.

In a joint foreword to the plan, Dr Kaseya and Professor Mohamed Yakub Janabi, Regional Director, WHO-Afro, emphasized: “We have learned that only through solidarity, shared responsibility, and regional collaboration can we effectively respond to complex health emergencies like cholera.”

“To efficiently respond to this outbreak, leveraging the successful model of the Continental Incident Management Support Team (IMST) is critical. The IMST has proven effective in coordinating multi-country responses to mpox with its ‘4-One’ principle — one team, one plan, one budget, and one monitoring framework — which ensures strategic coherence, operational efficiency, and accountability across Member States and partners,” they noted.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).