Category: English

Source: APO

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Africa must prioritize pharmaceutical self-reliance by boosting local medicine production rooted in global quality standards, said Dr Owen Laws Kaluwa, WHO Representative to Ethiopia, in a keynote address delivered at a regional training workshop on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) held in Addis Ababa.

The two-day hands-on workshop, held from 22–23 July 2025, brought together 26 participants from National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) and pharmaceutical manufacturers across seven East African Community (EAC) member states. It was jointly organized by the Local Production and Assistance Unit in WHO Headquarters, the WHO Regional Office for Africa (AFRO), and the WHO Country Office in Ethiopia, with financial support from The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Designed to strengthen technical capacities in GMP implementation, the training offered a mix of instructional content and case-based learning. Core topics included Quality Management Systems, Quality Risk Management, Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA), data integrity, validation practices, and management of critical utility systems such as water and HVAC. The approach strengthened practical skills in complying with current WHO GMP standards and fostered active collaboration between regulatory bodies and industry professionals, enhancing mutual understanding and shared responsibility for quality-assured pharmaceutical production. 

Dr Jicui Dong, Unit Head of the WHO Local Production and Assistance Unit, remarked “Compliance with current GMP standards needs both theoretical knowledge and practical skills. It is encouraging to see the commitment of pharmaceutical manufacturers within this region to invest in workforce development and ensure local production of quality pharmaceuticals.”  

Opening the workshop, Mr Dejene Daba, Head of the Medicine Manufacturers Inspection and Enforcement Desk at the Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority (EFDA), reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to supporting manufacturers and attaining WHO Maturity Level 3 regulatory status—a benchmark for robust regulatory systems.

Dr Kaluwa underscored that reliance on imported medicines continues to pose significant health security risks for African countries, particularly in times of global supply chain disruptions. “Enhancing local pharmaceutical production is not only a strategic health priority but also an economic and political imperative,” he said.

The workshop represents a concrete step toward building regional capabilities to meet international manufacturing standards, aligning with broader continental goals such as the African Union and Africa CDC.

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

Source: APO

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Adam Ibrahim was working with the UN humanitarian agency, OCHA, in his home country, Sudan, when conflict between rival armed forces erupted in early 2023 and he became a refugee alongside thousands of others who continue to flee the ongoing violence.

Sudan is one of the world’s largest and most complex humanitarian crises, with more than 30.4 million people – over half the population – urgently needing humanitarian assistance, yet the 2025 Sudan humanitarian needs and response plan is severely underfunded, with only 13.3 per cent of the required resources received so far.

Forced to flee the country with his family after the war intensified, Mr. Ibrahim returned to help people affected by the war in Darfur. Ahead of World Humanitarian Day, marked annually on 19 August, he described his journey, from aid worker to refugee and back again to Sudan.

“I was at home helping my daughter revise for her grade six exams, scheduled for the next day. Then, out of nowhere, the sound of heavy gunfire shattered the silence in my hometown, Zalingei, the capital of Central Darfur state, which remains gripped by insecurity and critical shortages of basic services.

At first, I thought the gunfire would pass quickly. I rushed to stock up on food supplies and water, enough for six days. But, the streets became battlegrounds. All I could do was try to keep my family safe.

Despite the chaos, I continued to work. Electricity and Internet access were sporadic, but I kept my phone charged to send daily updates to the OCHA Head of Office. It gave me purpose amid the uncertainty.

Eventually, it became too dangerous to stay.

The journey of displacement

On the 39th day, we fled. Our family of 10 began a harrowing journey with no clear destination, only the desperate need to escape. We left behind more than just walls and belongings; we left behind a life built with love and hope.

Our journey took us first to Nyala in South Darfur, then to Kosti in White Nile State. From there, we crossed the border into neighbouring South Sudan and eventually reached Uganda, a country I had heard offered stability and a good education system for children. The journey by car took 23 days. My children had no passports, and there were no refugee camps for Sudanese nationals at the time.

To my relief, migration authorities in both countries were kind and supportive. In Kampala, we rented a house and received asylum status within three days. The moment I held our refugee cards, I exhaled deeply and thought ‘we’ve made it.’

I enrolled my children in school and began working online, finally finding a sense of stability.

Here I was, an aid worker now a refugee, needing the same support I once provided to others.

Returning to Zalingei

Months later, I faced a difficult decision. Do I stay with my family or return to Darfur and continue the work I had done for years? I chose to return.

Leaving my family behind was incredibly hard, but their safety was paramount.

I returned to Zalingei with a renewed sense of duty to serve those still trapped in the hardship I had endured. I was also the sole breadwinner for my family and needed to ensure they could survive in Uganda.

My hometown changed

When I arrived in Zalingei, I barely recognised it. Buildings were scarred with bullet holes.

I found another family sheltering inside our house, a doctor and his family whose own home had been destroyed. I let them stay, setting aside a small section for myself and a colleague. The house had been looted. Windows were gone and our belongings had vanished. I had hoped to find my children’s school certificates, photos, any documents left behind. But, they were gone.

Everyone was armed, even children as young as 15. People were tense, traumatised and always bracing for the next wave of violence.

Machine guns and wreckage in West Darfur

I didn’t stay long in Zalingei. Soon I was called to El Geneina in West Darfur, a town devastated by violence, and whose people desperately needed humanitarian support.

El Geneina’s streets were strewn with the wreckage of burned-out military vehicles. Armed men patrolled in pickup trucks mounted with machine guns.

The humanitarian needs were immense. People lacked food, shelter, household essentials, healthcare, clean water and protection, but we never had enough resources for them.

Family, sacrifice and hope for Sudan

It’s heartbreaking to witness the suffering caused by the recent donor funding cuts. Many organizations have been forced to scale back their operations, leaving countless people without help.

Still, we did all we could.

Between 2023 and 2025, we reached more than 800,000 displaced people with critical assistance, in West and Central Darfur.

I also went on to work with OCHA colleagues in Chad to coordinate cross-border humanitarian convoys into Darfur.

These convoys were lifelines, delivering food, medicine and supplies to communities cut off by conflict.

Today, I remain in Sudan. 

My family is still in Uganda. I visit them once a year, but the separation is painful.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.

Source: APO

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uganda hosted a delegation of External Relations Officers from the Parliament of the Republic of Zimbabwe for a High-level benchmarking exercise at the Ministry Headquarters in Kampala. The visit aimed to strengthen bilateral cooperation, deepen mutual understanding in the fields of diplomacy, etiquette and protocol, and sharing best practices between the two countries.

The Permanent Secretary was represented by Ms. Sarah Nakamya, Ag. Deputy Chief of Protocol. The Zimbabwean delegation was led by Mr. Evans Gorogodo, the Principal External Relations Officer, Parliament of Zimbabwe

In her remarks, Ms. Nakamya commended the visit as a reflection of the shared Pan-African spirit, noting that the four thematic areas identified for discussion highlighted common challenges and aspirations that could be addressed collaboratively.

Mr. Evans Gorogodo expressed gratitude for Uganda’s exceptional hospitality, which he rated highly. He emphasized the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in advancing foreign policy interests, identifying Uganda as a big brother whose experience offers valuable lessons. He commended President Yoweri Museveni’s steadfast leadership in championing Pan-Africanism. The session featured in-depth presentations on the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the ratification and domestication of international protocols, best practices on grooming, etiquette and deportment.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Republic of Uganda – Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Source: APO

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His Majesty King Mohammed VI has sent a message of congratulations to the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, on his country’s national day.

In this message, the Sovereign expresses His warmest congratulations, along with His best wishes to the Indonesian people for further progress and prosperity.

“I should like to take this opportunity to say how much I value our common resolve to coordinate our stances in all sectors, and to promote and expand our relations, thereby fulfilling our peoples’ aspirations,” HM the King writes.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kingdom of Morocco – Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates.

Source: APO

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His Majesty King Mohammed VI has sent a congratulatory message to the President of the Republic of Gabon, Head of State and Head of Government, His Excellency Mr. Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, on his country’s national day.

In this message, His Majesty the King expresses to Oligui Nguema His best wishes of happiness, well-being and prosperity for the Gabonese people.

“The Kingdom of Morocco grants particular care to promoting its brotherly ties of friendship with the Republic of Gabon. I assure you, for that purpose, of My firm and continuous determination to work with Your Excellency to strengthen the tight cooperation between our two countries,” the Sovereign says.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kingdom of Morocco – Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates.

Source: APO

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When children in Mberra refugee camp began arriving at health posts with sore throats, low-grade fevers and swollen necks early this year, health workers feared the worst. Within days, breathing difficulties and the tell-tale thick grey coating in some throats confirmed an outbreak of diphtheria.

In a densely populated refugee setting with limited health infrastructure, even a handful of cases could quickly spiral into crisis. Mauritania’s Ministry of Health, supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and humanitarian partners, moved fast. Within 72 hours of laboratory confirmation, a full outbreak response was under way.

Between July and September 2024, at least ten cases of diphtheria, including two deaths, were recorded in the Mberra camp. Of these cases, eight were in children, six of whom were under five years of age, all of whom were unvaccinated. In response, more than a thousand people were vaccinated, including nearly 70 health professionals.

In addition, over two tonnes of emergency supplies were delivered to the camp, including antitoxins, antibiotics, personal protective equipment and disinfectants. WHO deployed technical experts to support case investigation, contact tracing and coordination with national and local teams. Community health workers were rapidly trained to identify symptoms, isolate cases and provide prevention education to families.

“Before the training, many of us had never seen a case of diphtheria,” says Fatou, a community health volunteer. “Now we know what to look for, and how to respond.”

A targeted risk communication and community engagement campaign used megaphones, posters and local radio in multiple languages to build trust, educate communities and ensure early reporting of symptoms. 

Thanks to this rapid, coordinated approach, the outbreak was contained within weeks. No deaths were reported, and all cases remained confined to the initial cluster.

“This was a textbook example of what rapid mobilization and partnership can achieve,” says Dr Charlotte Faty Ndiaye, WHO Representative in Mauritania. “In a fragile setting like Mberra, early action saved lives.”

The experience underlined the importance of preparedness, coordination and community engagement in humanitarian contexts. WHO and partners, working hand-in-hand with Mauritania’s Ministry of Health, turned a looming health emergency into an example of public health equity in action.

Awareness-raising campaigns were carried out in communities and among humanitarian personnel to encourage vaccination, with a particular focus on diphtheria prevention. Between July 2024 to May 2025, more than 2300 newly arrived individuals at Mberra camp were vaccinated.

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

Source: APO

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Hundreds of thousands of Somalis have been cut off from safe water supplies in recent months due to severe humanitarian funding shortfalls, putting entire communities at heightened risk of deadly disease outbreaks, warns the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). With just a trickle of the humanitarian appeal set at the start of this year for Somalia funded, the collapse of water, sanitation, and hygiene services is accelerating the spread of preventable diseases including cholera and acute watery diarrhoea.

More than 300,000 people – mostly displaced families living in overcrowded settlements and rural communities across Somalia – have lost access to clean and safe water due to the scaling back or shutdown of water trucking  and sanitation systems. Water and sanitation funding stands at less than 12 per cent of what is needed, forcing aid agencies to make agonising choices amid rapidly rising needs.

At the start of 2025, the UN appealed for 1.42 billion US Dollars to assist 4.6 million people in Somalia, yet only 17 per cent of that funding target has been met as of today. Brutal funding cuts have forced aid agencies to slash their target by 72 per cent, aiming to reach just 1.3 million people at a cost of 367 million US Dollars.

“The scale down of the humanitarian response in Somalia does not mean fewer people need aid; it means more than three million Somalis will be left to fend for themselves,” said Mohamed Abdi, NRC’s Country Director in Somalia. “These cuts are costing lives. We are already seeing a deadly rise in waterborne diseases, especially among children under five. Families are walking for hours to find water, often dirty and unsafe, because the water points they once depended on have gone dry.”

From January to July this year, Somalia reported over 6,550 cholera and acute watery diarrhoea cases, including nine deaths, with more than 1,000 new cases recorded in the last month alone. Nearly two-thirds of the latest cases were considered severe, and half involved children under five.

These surging outbreaks come amid drastic cuts to lifesaving services. More than 150 health facilities have shut down due to the collapse of linked water and sanitation systems. In Southwest State, mobile health teams have dwindled from 74 to just 25, leaving large swathes of the population without access to healthcare.

Displaced mother Hawa Ali, who lives with her eight children in a camp in Baidoa, shared the toll the crisis has taken: “Before, we could fetch water from a nearby water point. Now, we walk for hours looking for water, and sometimes there is no water at all. We do not have water to drink or cook with. Our children fall sick, and there is nothing we can do about it.”

The water crisis is hitting the most vulnerable: internally displaced people living in overcrowded camps, and rural host communities already struggling with years of drought, conflict, and poverty. The hardest-hit regions include Bay, Bakool, Gedo, Galgaduud, Hiraan, Mudug, and Lower Shabelle, where many communities relied on humanitarian-run water systems that are now non-functional due to lack of funding.

In several parts of Somalia, drought has also completely dried up water wells and compromised borehole yields. Water prices in drought-hit areas have nearly doubled, from 70 to 130 US Dollars for 10,000 litres, making it unaffordable for many families. In Puntland, authorities are seeking assistance for 800,000 people whose water sources have been depleted, while in Somaliland, a drought emergency has put some 650,000 people in urgent need of assistance.

“Somalia is being pushed to the brink by the combined impact of relentless conflict, climate extremes, and a sharp drop in international support,” said Abdi. “We are seeing the human cost of inaction every day, in the suffering of children too weak to walk, in the empty jerrycans, and in the avoidable deaths from waterborne diseases. This is a man-made disaster that can still be prevented.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).