Category: MIL-OSI

Source: APO – Report:

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As Uganda continues to grapple with recurrent public health emergencies driven by epidemic-prone diseases and climate-related disasters, a new wave of strengthened district-level preparedness is emerging, thanks to sustained technical support from the World Health Organization (WHO).

In the first quarter of 2025 alone, Uganda recorded 10 public health emergencies, eight of which were infectious disease outbreaks. From Ebola and Mpox to Measles, Anthrax, and Yellow Fever, nearly every WHO hub sub-region faced significant health threats. In addition,   climate-related shocks, floods, and landslides further strained the already overburdened health system.

At the centre of Uganda’s frontline readiness is WHO’s District Health Management field teams, embedded across the country to support surveillance, coordination, and emergency response. These teams work through the District Health Offices and Regional Emergency Operations Centers (REOCs), serving as the first line of technical and operational support for districts.

A Turning Point Triggered by Ebola

The need for enhanced district preparedness became especially clear following the recent Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) events in Mbale District, Mbale City, Fort Portal, Jinja, and the Kampala Metropolitan Area. The outbreak exposed gaps in early detection, risk assessment, and multi-sectoral coordination, gaps that WHO moved quickly to address.

“ WHO has always been with us during the hard times when responding to Public Health Emergencies,” says Dr Jonathan Wanjisi, District Health Officer for Mbale district, adding that “the field teams have always stayed back to integrate emergency response actions into district health systems during recovery”. 

His words echo the experience of many district leaders who now rely on the WHO’s long-term, on-ground support as more emergencies strike with increasing frequency.

Technical Support That Stays Beyond the Crisis

WHO’s sub-national assistance goes far beyond outbreak response. District WHO teams remain in the districts long after emergencies subside, ensuring that critical functions, surveillance, Infection Prevention and Control, reporting, and coordination are embedded in routine health systems rather than treated as temporary interventions. This approach is helping districts shift from reactive response to proactive preparedness.

STAR Assessments: Mapping Risks Before They Strike

To further strengthen readiness, WHO collaborated with the Ministry of Health to roll out the Strategic Assessment of Risk (STAR) process in Ebola-affected districts. STAR provided an in-depth, evidence-driven picture of hazards such as Ebola, Mpox, Measles, Anthrax, Cremean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, Malaria, Yellow Fever, Floods,  and landslides

These assessments informed the development of improved contingency plans. According to WHO documentation, 69% of completed STAR assessments translated directly into district-level contingency planning, marking a significant step toward national multi-hazard preparedness.

Putting Preparedness to the Test

Following the risk assessments, WHO supported multi-hazard simulation exercises to validate district readiness. These drills tested real-world capacities in:

• Early detection of priority diseases

• Reporting and communication pathways

• Emergency coordination and rapid response

• Sample transport and laboratory readiness

The exercises uncovered critical bottlenecks, such as delays in sample transport and gaps in partner coordination, which are now being addressed. The combined impact of WHO’s embedded technical support, STAR assessments, and simulation exercises has been transformative to the Health sector.

Key accomplishments 

The combination of WHO’s embedded technical support, STAR assessments, and simulation exercises has delivered a transformative effect on district readiness. This is evident through:

• Stronger multi-hazard preparedness across Ebola, Mpox, Measles, Anthrax, and climate-related disasters

• Evidence-based contingency planning, aligned with hazard profiles

• Improved emergency response capacity within districts

• Full integration of emergency functions into routine health systems, leading to sustainable surveillance and coordination structures

• Enhanced district autonomy, reducing reliance on external surge teams

In districts like Mbale and across the Kampala Metropolitan Area, these improvements are already strengthening resilience against recurrent outbreaks and climatic shocks.

Sustaining and Expanding Gains

Despite these achievements, Uganda’s sub-national health system still faces resource and capacity gaps. WHO recommends several priority actions to consolidate progress:

1. Expand STAR assessments to all high-risk districts.

2. Institutionalize annual multi-hazard simulation exercises, focusing on Ebola, Mpox, measles, and floods.

3. Strengthen emergency logistics and supply chains, particularly IPC materials, PPE, and sample transport.

4. Restore WHO’s full DHM field presence from the current three hubs back to nine for nationwide coverage.

5. Deepen district-level training in surveillance, coordination, and rapid response.

6. Boost community preparedness for recurring hazards, including floods, landslides, Mpox, and measles.

A Model for Resilient Health Systems

Uganda’s experience demonstrates that a strong sub-national presence, supported by continuous technical guidance and embedded field teams, can dramatically improve preparedness in high-risk settings. As climate change and emerging infections continue to fuel public health threats, the country’s strengthened district systems are becoming a model of resilience in the region and beyond. 

– on behalf of World Health Organization – Uganda.

Source: APO

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The President of the Republic of Seychelles, Dr Patrick Herminie, has learnt with sadness of the passing of Mr. Lee Weeling, a respected figure in the Mont Fleuri community and a longstanding member of Seychelles’ business fraternity.

Mr. Weeling was widely recognised for a lifetime of enterprise and service, associated with a business that became a familiar landmark for generations in Mont Fleuri. He represented the quiet resilience and work ethic that helped shape Seychelles’ commercial life and community identity, reflecting the enduring contribution of Seychellois of Chinese heritage to our national story.

Beyond community life, Mr. Weeling also contributed at national level through leadership roles in the private sector.

On behalf of the Government and the people of Seychelles, President Herminie extends heartfelt condolences to Mr. Weeling’s family, relatives, friends, and all those whose lives he touched. The President prays that they may find strength and comfort in the memories of a life lived with purpose, discipline, and dedication to community.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of State House Seychelles.

Source: APO

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The Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) and UN Women Liberia have officially launched a new Elsie Initiative Fund (EIF) project aimed at strengthening the institution’s gender-responsive peacekeeping capabilities.

This two-year project will deliver targeted interventions to remove barriers faced by women in the AFL and expand the pool of Liberian women eligible for United Nations peacekeeping deployments. Key components include:

• Recruitment and awareness-raising activities to encourage more Liberian women to pursue careers in the security sector.
• Capacity-strengthening initiatives for women currently serving in the AFL.
•  Improved access to reproductive and mental health services to support the well-being of uniformed women.
• Enhanced reporting mechanisms to address sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and sexual harassment.

Liberia was one of the first five countries—alongside Mexico, Niger, Senegal and Sierra Leone—to conduct the Measuring Opportunities for Women in Peace Operations (MOWIP) assessment with EIF support in 2021. The assessment identified key obstacles to women’s meaningful participation in peacekeeping, including social exclusion, deployment criteria, and gaps in peace operation infrastructure. By addressing recruitment, retention, well-being, and accountability within the Armed Forces, the initiative will contribute to Liberia’s ongoing security sector reform, which aims to build more professional, inclusive, and people-centered security institutions.

Women currently represent 7.5% of personnel within the AFL, a rate lower than other national security institutions such as the Liberia National Police (19%) and the Drug Enforcement Agency (15%). The project will support the Ministry of National Defense’s goal of reaching 15% women in the AFL over the next two years, primarily through a strengthened national recruitment campaign.

In addition to recruitment efforts, the project will support women already serving in the AFL by strengthening the AFL Gender and Social Inclusion Department. This includes work to address sexual harassment and exploitation, and to update key policies related to recruitment, retention, and whistleblowing. Speaking at the launch event in Monrovia, UN Women Liberia Country Representative Comfort Lamptey welcomed the initiative, stating:

“By addressing structural barriers and improving conditions for women in uniform, the Elsie Initiative Fund is helping to create a more inclusive, capable and representative security sector. UN Women is proud to partner with the AFL and the Ministry of National Defense to ensure that Liberian women have the opportunity—and the institutional support—needed to serve, lead, and contribute fully to global peace and security.”

The project aligns with Liberia’s commitments under international agreements on women’s rights and peace and security, including United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). It also supports progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 5, on gender equality, and Goal 16, on peace, justice, and strong institutions.

Since 2019, the EIF has supported 25 national security institutions across 20 countries to accelerate the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in peacekeeping contexts.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN Women – Africa.

Source: APO

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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), through its Directorate of Trade and the Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs, has partnered with the Benue State Government to implement a pilot project on economic empowerment and digital peacebuilding for Women, Peace and Security (WPS) community-based organizations in Benue State, North-Central Nigeria.

The initiative was launched alongside a five-day capacity-building programme scheduled for 9–13 February, which features a Training of Trainers (ToT) for 12 participants drawn from community-based organizations (CBOs), civil society organizations (CSOs), and internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. This will be followed by step-down trainings reaching 60 women and girls from selected IDP camps and host communities.

The pilot responds to protracted humanitarian and displacement challenges in Benue State and aligns with the Benue State Durable Solutions Action Plan, which promotes sustainable reintegration of IDPs through improved livelihoods, peacebuilding, and community resilience.

WPS community-based organizations play a critical role in mobilizing women and girls, advancing peacebuilding, and strengthening social cohesion in conflict-affected communities. The initiative seeks to enhance their institutional and technical capacity while equipping conflict-affected women and girls with practical economic and digital skills.

Anchored in the ECOWAS Vision 2050 and the Trade and Gender Action Plan, as well as the ECOWAS E-Commerce Strategy (2023), the project integrates economic empowerment, digital literacy, and digital peacebuilding through a cascade ToT approach. Trained WPS organizations will deliver step-down sessions within IDP camps and host communities.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, ECOWAS Director Dr. Sintiki Tarfa-Ugbe described the pilot as a strategic platform for empowering women-led organizations to implement and advocate for durable solutions, while leveraging digital technologies for inclusion, resilience, and peace.

In her remarks, the Secretary to the Benue State Government, Barrister Aber Serumum Deborah, commended ECOWAS for the initiative, noting that it will strengthen grassroots peacebuilding, enhance women’s participation in implementing the State’s Durable Solutions Action Plan, and support livelihood recovery for conflict-affected women and girls.

The pilot will be implemented over two months, beginning with preparation and module adaptation, followed by training delivery, monitoring, and documentation. It is expected to generate a scalable model for replication across ECOWAS Member States.

This initiative reinforces ECOWAS’ commitment to placing women and girls at the center of durable solutions and sustainable peace in West Africa. By strengthening grassroots women’s organizations and leveraging digital innovation, the pilot addresses immediate recovery needs in Benue State while laying the foundation for a broader, regionally scalable approach to economic empowerment and peacebuilding.

The launch ceremony brought together representatives of the Benue State Government, humanitarian and displacement-response agencies, civil society organizations, NGOs, IDPs, and officials from ECOWAS and IOM.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Source: APO

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The Gambian Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mines in collaboration with the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC), has begun the series of inauguration of electricity infrastructures completed in five locations of the country as part of the implementation of ECOWAS Regional Electricity Access Project (ECOWAS-REAP).

The inaugurations which began on February 7, 2026, at Njongon, will be held from February 7 – 15, 2026 at different locations within The Gambia, during which other electricity access projects will also be inaugurated.

Declaring the inauguration ceremony officially open, Gambian President Adama BARROW, described the electricity access project as an “unprecedented achievement in The Gambia”, noting that through sustained efforts and partnerships of donors, the project will bring relief to the people and directly transform the daily lives of rural families in the country.

President BARROW further disclosed that through ECOWAS-REAP, The Gambia’s electrification access rate “has increased from 73% to 90%, marking a transformative moment in the nation’s development journey” enabling 52,000 new households connect to power.

The ECOWAS Regional Electricity Access Project (ECOWAS-REAP), which covers the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Mali, is financed by the World Bank and coordinated at regional level by the ECOWAS Directorate of Energy and Mines through a Regional Coordination Unit (RCU) in close coordination with National Project Implementation Unit (PIU) in each country. It forms part of ECOWAS’s broader strategy to expand electricity access, deepen regional energy integration and support sustainable and inclusive development across West Africa. In the Gambia, the project covers 292 communities and will enable 52,000 new households to connect to the national grid.

In his address, the President of ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, described the inauguration as a pivotal milestone in the regional initiative to ensure universal access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity for all communities in ECOWAS region. “It marks the beginning of a new era, full of possibilities for the community and a foundation for development, stability, human dignity, and shared prosperity”.

The President, who was represented by the Resident Representative of ECOWAS to the Gambia, Her Excellency, Miatta French, said the success of the projects being inaugurated demonstrates the collective capacity and strong partnership between ECOWAS, the World Bank, the Government of the Gambia, Ministry of Energy, NAWEC, and all other key stakeholders, to turn financial resources into tangible results.

He also acknowledged the World Bank’s “invaluable support and dedication to the regional energy agenda”, noting that “in addition to accelerating energy access, the Bank is supporting the integration of our electricity network into a unified regional electricity market, which will help us to overcome a major electricity-related challenge in the region.”

With a total investment amount of US$225 million by the World Bank – of which $66 million is dedicated to the Gambia’s electricity access projects, the World Bank’s representative, Matarr Touray, in his remark, stated that ECOWAS-REAP represents “an opportunity to extend modern energy services to rural communities that have historically been left behind, including the construction of 1,500KM of medium and low voltage distribution lines. Beyond the physical infrastructure, the project represents far more – it brings hope, restores dignity, and creates new opportunities for jobs and livelihoods in the communities it serves.”

Speaking on the benefit of the electricity access project to the Gambian population, the Governor of the North Bank region, Chief Imam, and the Alkalo, echoed that the project will empower the communities in the region, enable students study after dark, boost economic activities in the community whilst also promoting innovation among the community members.

ECOWAS, together with the technical and financial partners remain committed to support The Gambia and all Member States toward achieving universal energy access by 2030.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).