MIL Africa Engine

Source: APO

The vibrant sounds of traditional songs, colourful cultural performances, and the energy of hundreds of community members filled Kamhlushwa Stadium in the Ehlanzeni District, Mpumalanga, as South Africa commemorated African Traditional Medicine Day 2026. The event brought together traditional health practitioners, government leaders, health professionals, researchers and community members to celebrate the enduring contribution of African traditional medicine to health and wellbeing.

African Traditional Medicine Day is observed annually on 31 August and marks the anniversary of a landmark decision by African Ministers of Health in 2000 at the WHO Regional Committee for Africa in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The day recognises the vital role traditional medicine continues to play in healthcare systems across the continent, where an estimated 80% of the population relies on it for some of their primary healthcare needs.

This year’s commemoration was held under the theme “Reflection on Research and Development Efforts of Traditional Medicine Towards Achieving Universal Health Coverage in the African Region.” The theme resonated strongly throughout the day’s discussions, highlighting the growing importance of research, innovation and collaboration in strengthening traditional medicine’s contribution to accessible, people-centred healthcare.

Leading the commemoration, Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, emphasised the government’s ongoing engagement with traditional health practitioner associations and other stakeholders on the future of traditional medicine in South Africa. He highlighted discussions to strengthen the profession by developing recognised practice areas, including traditional midwifery, traditional surgery and general traditional health practice.

Representing the Mpumalanga Health Department, Deputy Director-General for Clinical Health Services, Ms Duduzile Mdluli, highlighted the province’s efforts to strengthen collaboration between traditional health practitioners and public healthcare facilities. In Mpumalanga, traditional practitioners have received training in basic health screening skills, including blood pressure measurement, blood glucose screening and the identification of tuberculosis symptoms, thereby strengthening community-based health promotion and referral systems.

The World Health Organization (WHO) joined the commemoration and reaffirmed its support for integrating evidence-informed traditional medicine into broader health systems. In a message delivered by Dr Kevin Makadzange on behalf of WHO South Africa Representative Ms Shenaaz El-Halabi, participants were reminded that traditional medicine remains deeply rooted in African culture and continues to be a trusted source of care for many communities. The message underscored the need to strengthen research, regulation, safety, quality assurance and innovation to unlock the full potential of traditional medicine and support progress towards Universal Health Coverage.

The day began with a symbolic 5-kilometre community walk, followed by an aerobics session promoting healthy lifestyles and physical activity. Participants also visited health screening stations and mobile clinics, where they received screening and testing services and health information from healthcare workers.

A highlight of the event was the exhibition area, where traditional health practitioners from all nine provinces showcased medicinal plants, traditional remedies and indigenous knowledge systems passed down through generations. The displays underscored the richness of Africa’s traditional healing heritage and its continued relevance in addressing today’s health challenges.

The event concluded with a clear message from speakers and participants alike: traditional medicine is an important part of Africa’s health landscape and a valuable cultural asset deserving recognition, protection and scientific exploration. Investments in research, innovation, regulation and partnerships can help transform traditional knowledge into evidence-based solutions that contribute to healthier communities and more resilient health systems.

As South Africa joined the continent in marking African Traditional Medicine Day, the commemoration served as a powerful reminder that achieving Universal Health Coverage will require drawing on all available strengths, including the rich heritage, knowledge and practices that have sustained African communities for generations.

Together, the message was clear: Africa’s traditional knowledge can help shape a healthier future for Africa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of WHO Regional Office for Africa.

Source: APO

Although the UN and its partners have scaled up their response, a $1.1 billion funding gap remains as the DRC grapples with the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record.

During the first 100 days of the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola epidemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed 635 cases and 399 deaths across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

In the first 100 days since the DRC Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak was declared on 15 May, there were 5,515 cases and 2,642 deaths.

By Monday, local authorities had reported 6,100 confirmed cases and 2,950 deaths, with more than 5,000 cases recorded in Ituri Province alone.

“The response is growing and has been scaled up, but the virus is moving faster,” relief chief Tom Fletcher said. “And unless we scale up urgently, more lives will be lost and the threat will grow.”

Cautious success in Uganda

Mr. Fletcher commended the DRC Government and UN partners for their efforts to contain the epidemic.

He pointed to Uganda, where the WHO last week declared an end to the country’s latest Ebola outbreak.

Uganda succeeded in containing the virus through rapid case detection and confirmation, contact tracing, isolation and clinical care, infection prevention and control, community engagement and strengthened surveillance, according to WHO Africa.

The UN’s migration agency, IOM, has also conducted nearly 23 million health screenings in the DRC and neighbouring countries, helping monitor population movements, identify potential cases and reduce the risk of transmission across borders, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Tuesday.

Mr. Fletcher has allocated more than $57 million from the UN’s donor-supported Central Emergency Response Fund to Ebola response and preparedness efforts in the DRC and neighbouring countries.

But the response is unfolding against the backdrop of an already severe humanitarian crisis, particularly in eastern DRC, where conflict between Government forces and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels has displaced communities and complicated efforts to reach people in need.

“It is not simply a health emergency,” Mr. Fletcher said. “It is also a humanitarian emergency layered onto many existing humanitarian emergencies.”

The UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC, MONUSCO, recently responded to clashes between the Congolese Armed Forces, Uganda soldiers and suspected members of the so-called Allied Democratic Forces, an Islamic State-affiliated insurgent group based in the east – the epicentre of the record outbreak.

MONUSCO is also expanding programmes that have helped more than 60,000 people safely access farmland and schools in Djugu territory, supporting protection efforts and helping create conditions for displaced families to return home, Mr. Dujarric said.

World must prioritise Ebola response

Mr. Fletcher urged governments to ensure humanitarian workers can reach people in need and to keep the battle against the runaway outbreak high on the international agenda, which he said is essential to preventing the virus from spreading.

Closing the funding gap and bringing the outbreak under control will require sustained political commitment and a coordinated international response, he said.

“We have the experience, the tools and extraordinary people risking their lives to stop this epidemic. What we need now is political will, access and resources,” Mr. Fletcher said. “We have beaten Ebola before, and we can do it again.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations (UN).

Source: APO

President John Dramani Mahama urged the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to go beyond passive diplomacy and push for a fairer international system. He said it is no longer acceptable for Africa to be excluded from permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council.

Speaking at the 65th Anniversary Commemorative High-Level Meeting of the NAM in Belgrade, Serbia, President Mahama said the Movement, representing the majority of the world’s population, must preserve its strategic autonomy and turn its collective numerical strength into tangible geopolitical power.

Quoting Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, who said, “we neither face East nor West; we face forward,” President Mahama warned that non-alignment today should not be seen as being passive or neutral when facing injustice.

“In a world that is becoming more divided, the Non-Aligned Movement must keep its independence and avoid taking sides. We should not just watch global events or be used by others with competing interests,” President Mahama told other world leaders.

“Our statements should lead to real diplomatic action, and the Movement’s credibility should be judged not just by what we say, but by what we achieve,” he added.

Central to President Mahama’s expectations for a new world order is the urgent restructuring of global governance institutions, specifically the UN Security Council. He said an international architecture that excludes Africa from permanent representation lacks legitimacy and fails to reflect modern global realities.

He confirmed that Ghana continues to support the African Common Position in the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration, which calls for permanent African seats with full veto rights and more non-permanent seats.

Mr Mahama highlighted the adoption of UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/80/250, which recognised chattel enslavement as a serious crime against humanity. He said this shows that when the Global South works together, it can achieve justice. He urged NAM countries to use this unity to help change old global political systems.

“Today’s world needs a multilateral system that is stronger, more representative, and more responsive,” Mahama said. “For the Council to earn the trust and legitimacy of the international community, it must better reflect the world it serves.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency, Republic of Ghana.

Source: APO

President John Dramani Mahama has challenged developing nations to reject the oppressive global economic model that treats the Global South as a raw-material storehouse for wealthy countries, and called for radical economic self-reliance through resource sovereignty.

Addressing heads of state and government at the 65th Anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Belgrade, President Mahama said true political independence is meaningless without economic transformation, affordable development finance, and local value creation.

Outlining his expectations for a new global economic order, Mahama introduced the ‘Accra Reset’, a strategic blueprint to reshape international development cooperation. The policy focuses on adding value to domestic mineral and agricultural resources, building local industrial capacity, and securing fair trade terms instead of accepting raw commodity exploitation.

“Resource sovereignty must be at the heart of our development agenda,” President Mahama stated. “We cannot accept a global economic order in which countries of the Global South remain exporters of raw materials and importers of finished products, while our people bear the environmental and social costs of extraction.”

Mahama criticised the current global financial architecture, noting that high borrowing costs, unsustainable debt burdens, and limited access to predictable development capital continue to paralyse fiscal planning in developing nations.

He called on NAM to use South-South cooperation to build alternative financial and technological networks, ensuring member states enter global supply chains as industrial equals rather than vulnerable suppliers.

“This is not a call for isolation, but for stronger, more equitable, and mutually beneficial partnerships with the international community,” the President stressed. “Our resources must finance our transformation, our industries must create dignified jobs, and our nations must participate in global value chains as equal partners.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency, Republic of Ghana.

Source: APO

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Farid Ghezali, Secretary General of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO), will speak at the Libya Energy & Economic Summit (LEES) 2027, taking place January 23–25 in Tripoli, adding a senior continental voice to discussions on the country’s next phase of energy development.

The announcement comes as Libya seeks to raise oil and gas production and attract new investment across its upstream sector. The National Oil Corporation (NOC) reported crude output of 1.44 million barrels per day (bpd) in June 2026, while targeting 1.5 million bpd in the near term and 2 million bpd over the longer term. Meeting these targets will require further investment in exploration, field development, infrastructure and production capacity.

Against this backdrop, Ghezali’s participation at LEES 2027 will bring a pan-African perspective to the event, with the organization representing African oil-producing countries and promoting cooperation on petroleum policy, investment, technology, capacity building and the development of the continent’s hydrocarbon resources.

His participation also comes as APPO’s engagement with Libya deepens. Tripoli hosted the organization’s 2026 Training Officials Forum, reinforcing Libya’s role in continental energy cooperation. At LEES 2027, Ghezali will contribute to discussions examining how Libya can translate its resource base and production ambitions into new investment, partnerships and energy-sector growth.

The fifth edition of LEES will bring together governments, national oil companies, international operators, investors and service companies to explore opportunities across Libya’s oil and gas sector, alongside power and renewable energy. With Libya seeking to expand production while attracting the capital and technical expertise required to unlock new resources, the summit will provide a platform for dialogue between African producers and the international investment community.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.