MIL Africa Engine

Source: APO

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On a hot and humid Thursday afternoon, the courtyard of The Gambia’s Central Medical Store swarms with people. Despite the oppressive heat, dozens of people gather under a large tent.

From time to time, clouds appear before dissipating, while the small puddles left by a light rainfall the day before remind everyone of the onset of the rainy season, a period known to bring a surge in malaria cases.

Against this backdrop, the Gambian Red Cross Society (GRCS) officially handed over a vital consignment of anti-malarial medications to the Ministry of Health in support of the upcoming Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) campaign.

This life-saving donation is part of the “Accelerating Malaria Elimination in The Gambia” project, funded by the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). 

“This delivery comes at the right time,” said Lamine Dampha, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Health during the handover ceremony. “The rainy season, commonly referred to as ‘malaria season’, has just begun. These medications will allow us to protect tens of thousands of people, especially children under five, who continue to bear the highest burden of malaria, across the country”.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, Charles Businge, the IFRC’s regional director for Africa emphasized that these medications come at a crucial time when global funding for malaria is declining.

In this context, Ibou Fye Njie, secretary general of the GRCS, says these medicines take on even greater significance. 

“Delivery of these medicines marks a significant milestone in our collective efforts to achieve a malaria-free Gambia, while emphasizing that the project will finance the operational costs for the implementation of four SMC cycles during the 2025 malaria season in Kombo North District,” he said.

Supporting a nationwide mosquito nets distribution campaign

Valued at over USD 108,000 (excluding transport costs estimated at USD 35,000), the medications handover follows a large-scale mosquito net distribution campaign, conducted in partnership with the Senegalese authorities as part of a coordinated cross-border malaria control effort. 

More than 1.5 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets were distributed free of charge to households across The Gambia.

Supporting this nationwide effort, 280 Red Cross volunteers were mobilized across all regions to raise awareness about malaria prevention. They went door-to-door educating families about the proper use of mosquito nets, provided information on where to collect them, and assisted Ministry of Health staff with registering beneficiaries.

“I’m very grateful to have received a mosquito net,” said a mother of three from the Central River Region. “This year, I know my children and I will be protected from malaria.”

Malaria: a major public health threat

Malaria is one of the top ten causes of death in The Gambia, with the entire population of the country at risk of the disease. It also remains a leading cause of childhood mortality and morbidity in The Gambia, where under-five mortality rate remains high at 56 per 1,000 live births. 

Despite significant progress in recent years, global malaria funding is insufficient to sustain essential services for a growing population and addressing biological and non-biological threats. 

Speaking on behalf of His Excellency Liu Jin, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to The Gambia, Mr. Zhan Tong, Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy, reaffirmed China’s commitment:

“We are confident that, with the strong support of the Chinese government and the international community, we will see tangible progress very soon,” he said.

The “Accelerating Malaria Elimination in The Gambia” project, launched in September 2024, will run through September 2026, with a total budget of USD 1,978,879.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Source: APO

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In the village of Dalafilani, Guinea, discover how the Guinean Red Cross supported the community to come together, building a network of canals to reduce the risks of flooding and infectious diseases.

For as long as they can remember, the people of Dalafilani—a small, rural village of 2,000 people in central Guinea—have faced a recurring and significant problem: flooding. 

Every time heavy rains came, water coursed through the village, damaging homes and leaving large pools of polluted, stagnant water—the perfect breeding ground for waterborne and mosquito-borne diseases. 

Not only did the floods jeopardise people’s homes and health, they also caused economic pressures. Villagers used to have to frequently buy medicine to treat relatives who fell sick from flood-related diseases, diverting precious income from other daily needs. 

So when local Guinean Red Cross volunteers rallied the community together to discuss potential solutions, the community decided it would do whatever it takes to keep the floods—and diseases—at bay.  

A community diagnosis at the heart of change

Through the Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3), trained Guinean Red Cross volunteers led the community through a participatory risk assessment to understand the problem, discuss the community’s needs and resources, and come up with a workable solution. 

“As members of this community, we worked together to identify the priority problems. During a community diagnosis, the residents recognized that flooding and wastewater were a major source of disease, and that their environment had a direct impact on their health, safety and livelihoods,” explains Guinean Red Cross volunteer, Sekou Oularé. 

“Together, we came up with the idea of constructing a system of canals through the village to evacuate flood and wastewater. The Red Cross facilitated this process, providing tools and logistical support,” he adds. 

Taking collective action

With a plan of action agreed, villagers in Dalafilani quickly got to work turning their idea into reality. 

“We decided to mobilize the whole community. Men and women worked hand in hand to build the canals. We made bricks, dug trenches and transported materials. This work has enabled us to create a functional drainage system that carries rainwater and domestic wastewater away from our village,” explains Fanta Bö Kourouma, president of the Dalafilani youth group.

Guinean Red Cross volunteers were on hand throughout the process—helping to build the canals, map out where they should run to most effectively carry water away from the village, and procure the necessary materials. 

A healthier, safer community in the long-term

Following the construction of the canals, it didn’t take long for the community to see a positive change. The village is cleaner, there are no more pools of stagnant water following the rains, and families are relieved to see their children in better health. 

“Before, we had problems with illness, especially among children. They used to play in the dirty water and it made them sick. It was a heavy burden on our finances because of the cost of medicines. Today, thanks to the drainage system, there are fewer mosquitoes and fewer children are getting sick,” says Gbè Traoré, a resident of Dalafilani.  

Local health authorities have also reported a decrease in diseases, with head of the Dalafilani health post, Bernard Camara, recording significantly fewer medical consultations relating to malaria and water-borne diseases.

Guinea Red Cross volunteers continue to support people in Dalafilani, conducting regular community meetings to raise awareness of epidemic risks and reinforce cleanliness efforts. 

Dalafilani village chief, Fodé Oularé, is relieved to see improvements to his community’s health, and understands they need to keep working together to keep disease risks at bay in the long-term. 

“Before, rainwater was running off in all directions, creating puddles of stagnant water. Now, with the system we’ve built, the water is drained away and we have a cleaner environment. The Red Cross has been working with us to raise awareness and maintain this progress, but it’s up to us, the residents, to keep things clean to prevent disease,” he explains. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Source: APO

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Central African Republic authorities arrested activists holding a memorial event for students who died in a high school explosion, Human Rights Watch said today.

On June 27, 2025, civil society activists organized a vigil in memory of the students who died in the explosion on June 25 at Barthelemy Boganda High School in Bangui, the capital, where they were taking year-end exams. The death toll was reported in the media to be 29, with at least 250 others injured. The authorities arrested seven people at the memorial event, including three of the organizers, although all have since been released.

“Students should not fear death or injury when they are attending school and have a right to full public accountability,” said Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “The government should follow through on its obligation to conduct transparent and effective investigations and not target those calling for accountability.”

The government issued a statement on July 1 saying that 20 students died and 65 others were hospitalized. The government has promised an investigation into the cause of the explosion.

The explosion at the school, which occurred when power was being restored to an electrical transformer on the premises, caused a stampede of 5,000 students who were taking exams, according to witnesses and media reports. One student told Human Rights Watch that it took a long time for ambulances to arrive, and that bystanders had to transport the injured to hospitals by motorcycle taxis.

“My daughter had jumped out of a second story window,” the father of a 21-year-old victim, who was not at the scene, told Human Rights Watch. “Her friends and classmates waited for over an hour for an ambulance and decided to take her on a motorcycle, but she died on the way to the hospital. This was her baccalaureate exam, and she was excited for her future. We buried her yesterday and we are still in shock.”

Journalists who covered the incident told Human Rights Watch that the number of dead is 29 and that the number of injured, including those seriously injured, is also higher than the official number. The government should carry out an effective, transparent, and public investigation into both the cause and the extent of the damage immediately, Human Rights Watch said.

The president announced three days of national mourning, which took place from June 27 to 29. Civil society activists from an umbrella group, the Civil Society Working Group (Groupe de Travail de la Société Civile, GTSC), organized a vigil on June 27 to commemorate the victims, call for safer schools, and demand an investigation.

One of the activists told Human Rights Watch the organizers tried to hold the memorial ceremony at the school but were denied access by the Education Ministry because investigations were underway. Understanding this reason, they selected a different location, but the security minister said the vigil was not authorized, citing a 2022 ban on protests in public spaces.

The organizers along with the students and their families started to hold the vigil anyway, but police broke it up and arrested seven people including the three organizers, Gervais Lakosso, Fernand Mandéndjapou, and Paul Crescent Beninga, the activists said.

Photos showing police beating vigil participants, seen by Human Rights Watch, circulated on social media. Human Rights Watch was also sent photos from one of the vigil organizers showing wounds from when he was thrown in a police truck.

“We were trying to light candles and put down flowers in memory of those we lost,” Beninga said. “Where is the security risk in that? We were trying to mourn our young people that were studying for their future and the police came, beat, and arrested us and took us away.”

During their interrogation, three civil society activists were informally accused by the police of “association with criminals” and of having ties to the Republican Bloc for the Defense of the Constitution (Bloc Républicain pour la Défense de la Constitution, BRDC), a coalition of opposition parties. People close to the government often disparage the coalition and accuse it of supporting armed groups.

“We were treated like criminals and traitors,” Mandéndjapou said.

The Internal Security Ministry posted its rejection of the activists’ request to hold the memorial event on its Facebook page, along with photos of the three activists in handcuffs. The post says that the “detained,” while free, will “be subject to close police surveillance.”

Authorities took Lakosso and Mandéndjapou to a cell at the National Security Unit and Beninga to a cell at the Central Office for the Repression of Banditry (Office Central de Répression du Banditisme, OCRB), a police unit in Bangui notorious for abuses, where they spent the night. Sending an activist detained for organizing a memorial for dead students to a facility run by a unit known for torture, executions, and shooting suspects on sight can only be designed to intimidate and send a threatening message to activists.

The three activists, as well as the four others arrested with them, were released after President Faustin-Archange Touadéra intervened, according to the activists and the ministry’s Facebook page.

Since 2022, Central African authorities have cracked down on civil society, media, and opposition political parties. The police have prevented opposition political protests and government officials have made unfounded accusations that civil society activists are collaborating with armed groups.

Repression increased ahead of local and national elections in 2023, and a referendum in 2023 led to a new constitution that removed term limits and allows Touadéra to run for a third term, which had not been permitted under the 2016 constitution.

“When tragedies like this occur, civil society should be able to commemorate, call for accountability, and support people in their grief,” Mudge said. “The government’s crackdown on this memorial event shows how much it relies on repression and assumes the worst from civil society.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Source: APO

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The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration, Mr Jan de Villiers, on Thursday submitted a formal request to the Minister of Police calling for an independent and immediate audit into ghost employees within the South African Police Service (SAPS) Crime Intelligence Division.

This request follows the recent arrest of seven senior officials for serious corruption-related offences. They appeared before the Pretoria Regional Court on charges of fraud and corruption relating to the appointment of an unqualified civilian in a senior post. The arrests, which took place between June and July 2025, involved high-ranking officials responsible for financial oversight, personnel management and internal controls. The list includes:

• Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo (Divisional Commissioner)
• Maj-Gen Philani Lushaba (Chief Financial Officer)
• Maj-Gen Josias Lekalakala (Gauteng Crime Intelligence Head)
• Maj-Gen Nosipho Madondo (Head of Analysis Centre)
• Maj-Gen Zwelithini Gabela (Technology Services)
• Brig Dineo Mokwele (Technical Systems)
• Brig Phindile Ncube (Head of Vetting)

Mr de Villiers said these arrests raise grave concerns about systemic corruption within Crime Intelligence, particularly in relation to payroll fraud and the possible existence of “ghost workers” – non-existent individuals who draw salaries and benefits from the SAPS payroll.

In his letter, the Chairperson also refers to the Secret Services Account, a classified budget line intended for covert operations and informant payments, which has historically been flagged as highly vulnerable to abuse. With many of the arrested officials directly responsible for managing this fund, there is serious concern that public resources may have been misappropriated to fund fabricated operatives or fake intelligence activity. “It is reasonable to expect similar malpractice in payroll management… the possibility of irregular appointments, inflated headcounts and unvetted recruits of ‘ghost’ employees is high,” said the Chairperson.

The formal request also calls for the National Treasury and the Public Service Commission to coordinate an audit of the Crime Intelligence division within 90 days. This audit must focus on verifying headcounts against the number of personnel physically deployed. All Secret Service Account payments, including informant lists and payment records, must also be audited.

This request is aligned with the Minister of Finance and the Department of Public Service and Administration’s ongoing efforts to identify and remove ghost employees across the public service.

The Chairperson also reminded the Minister of Police, Mr Senzo Mchunu, and the rest of SAPS leadership that ghost-worker fraud in government is not isolated. “It takes sophisticated collusion to create and maintain these ghost-worker employees, who operate like organised criminal syndicates embedded in our government systems,” he said.

“We trust that under Minister Mchunu’s leadership, SAPS will use this opportunity to lead by example – rooting out embedded corruption and reclaiming public funds for real intelligence and public safety services.”

This urgent audit is not just a matter of financial accountability but also one of restoring public trust in Crime Intelligence and ensuring that South Africa’s intelligence-led policing is backed by a credible, ethical and fully functional institution.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.

Source: APO

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Amidst the ongoing cholera outbreak in South Sudan, the World Health Organization (WHO) expressed gratitude for the critical support provided by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and WHO’s Standby Partners (SBPs). Their timely and coordinated assistance has significantly enhanced WHO’s capacity to support the government of South Sudan’s efforts to contain the outbreak.

South Sudan declared a cholera outbreak in October 2024, since then, the Ministry of Health with support from World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners, has mounted a comprehensive response, designating the outbreak as a highest-priority emergency. This designation has enabled deployment of rapid response teams, prepositioning medical supplies and coordination efforts across all levels to protect communities and safe lives. This is the longest cholera outbreak in the country’s history since independence in September 2011.

With funding from the UK FCDO, five technical experts were deployed between January and February 2025 through WHO’s Standby Partners, – CANADEM, RedR Australia and UK-Med for six months. This multidisciplinary surge team brought together expertise across key response pillars: case management, epidemiology, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health logistics, and coordination. This coordinated deployment formed a dedicated surge team, enabling WHO to support the government of South Sudan respond swiftly and comprehensively across all key pillars of the cholera response.

The deployment of these five technical experts played a pivotal role in strengthening the response. Each position was strategically selected to enhance the speed, reach, and effectiveness of WHO’s operations. This integrated, multi-disciplinary deployment model serves as a best-practice example of how surge capacity can be optimized to deliver high-impact results during public health emergencies.

Together, this team bolstered WHO’s operational capacity, accelerated outbreak containment, and supported broader emergency health systems in South Sudan. Their unified presence and complementary expertise underscore the strategic value of well-coordinated international surge deployments in complex public health emergencies. All efforts were carried out in close coordination with national counterparts and in direct support of the Government of South Sudan’s leadership in managing the outbreak.

“This team, supported by FCDO, came at a very critical time and has provided a significant boost to our response efforts to contain the cholera outbreak,” said Dr Humphrey Karamagi, WHO Representative for South Sudan, “WHO South Sudan expresses its sincere gratitude to the UK FCDO and our Standby Partners for making this level of response possible. Their extraordinary commitment has directly contributed to saving lives and strengthening resilience in some of the country’s most vulnerable communities.”

• Mr. Mukasa Kabiri, Cholera Response Coordination Officer, led the successful rollout of oral cholera vaccination (OCV) campaigns, ensuring timely and targeted vaccination coverage where in high- risk areas.

• Dr. Brendan Patrick Dineen, Epidemiologist, supported the strengthening of real-time surveillance and outbreak mapping, enabling evidence-based decision making in the Upper Nile State and other hard-to-reach areas.

• Dr. Fuad Said Abdulrahman, Case Management Specialist, provided clinical guidance and training for frontline health workers, improving treatment outcomes and response readiness in affected facilities.

• Mr. Tai Ring Teh, WASH Officer, supported water quality assessments and hygiene practices at cholera treatment centers in affected communities.

• Mr. Navjuvon Mazabshoev, Health Logistics Officer, supported logistics operations including the establishing a new treatment center in Tharqueng and improved supply chain management at Juba Teaching Hospital

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

Source: APO

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In preparation for the rollout of the new Business Management System (BMS), WHO Office in South Sudan conducted a five-day BMS Human Capital Management (HCM) Lab to familiarize staff with WHO’s new BMS, which will replace the current GSM-based system to enhance efficiency and streamline operations.

The interactive session conducted from 30 June to 4 July 2025, successfully engaged over 189 staff members, giving them practical hands-on experience with the HR BMS module through simulation exercise, enabling participants to test BMS features, fostering clear understanding of the system. As a result, staff members are now better equipped to use this module designed to streamline and simplify HR-related processes.

Facilitated by the Country Support Unit (CSU), the sessions provided insights on how the BMS system is configured and will be running after roll-out.

Ms. Sheila Baya, a Public Health Officer, and one of the participants shared her experience. “Initially, I thought the BMS HR module was quite complex, especially, since we, as an affiliate, currently manage leave requests manually. However, after spending some time exploring the platform, I’ve come to appreciate its user-friendly design. I now understand how it will streamline our internal request processes, making them more systematic and efficient. This transition will not only save time but also reduce the potential for errors, ultimately improving our overall workflow”. Said Baya

Dr Mukeshkumar Prajapati, Health Cluster Coordinator and another participant, added “The BMS User Experience Lab was more than just a demo—it was an empowering, hands-on opportunity that showed me how workday can simplify our day-to-day HR tasks” said Dr Prajapati, “Exploring real-life scenarios gave me confidence in its potential to streamline processes like leave requests, personal data management, and profile updates.”

Furthermore, Ms. Ida Mkenda, encouraged colleagues to take up the opportunity, saying “The immersive modelling tasks and scenarios enabled me to intuitively navigate and accomplish requests in the BMS. Integration of the various functionalities in the organization has also simplified processes that will greatly impact efficiency and effectiveness” said Mkenda

Finally, Mr. Kuol Maper Alier, another participant, thanked WHO for initiating the BMS system “this system is easy to use, and it is timesaving. I enjoyed the simulation exercise and looking forward for the rollout of BMS” Alier said.

As the BMS continues to roll out across the region, Dr Humphrey Karamagi, WHO Representative for South Sudan encourages all staff to participate in ongoing and future labs to acquire hand on experience and contribute to shaping a future where digital tools drive better performance, accountability, and impact. “All of us are encouraged to take the opportunity to explore the BMS system, identify possible defects, and recommend appropriate improvements to ensure the system is user-friendly”

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

Source: APO

Amid growing setbacks on gender equality and increasing financial constraints, African policymakers, gender experts, and development specialists are calling for renewed collaboration and sustained investment in national gender data systems across the continent.

This is the message of the ongoing Seventh Africa Gender Statistics Forum taking place in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

The Forum was co-organized by Côte d’Ivoire’s National Statistics Agency,  the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank Group, the Economic Commission for Africa, UN Women, and Open Data Watch, with funding support from the Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation Trust Fund.

The Forum is exploring Africa’s gender data systems, ways to build statistical capacity, and policies to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment across the continent.

Representatives from host country Côte d’Ivoire said the country has made notable progress in recent years in collecting, analyzing and using gender data to guide public policy.

“These statistics are essential to understand the lived realities of girls and women and to design effective programs and policies that eliminate inequality,” Thiekoro Doumbia, Director General of Côte d’Ivoire’s National Statistics Agency, told attendees.

Held under the theme “Sound Statistics for ALL Women and Girls: Rights, Equality and Empowerment,” the Forum has attracted more than 150 participants from 40 African countries, covering a diversity of sectors – including government representatives, statisticians, civil society, and development organizations.

At the forum, participants have reflected on Africa’s journey in gender statistics since the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action – a landmark international agreement aimed at advancing women’s rights and gender equality.

“Statistics provide a solid foundation for good decision-making, and gender statistics are crucial for identifying vulnerabilities among women, girls, men, and boys and responding appropriately,” said William Muhwava, Chief for Demographic and Social Statistics Section of the UN Economic Commission for Africa.

The high-level panels, technical and networking sessions have focused on priority issues ranging from gender-based violence statistics and inclusive data systems to social protection, migration, and sets of standards, principles, and rules that guide behavior and decision-making.

During the forum, the African Development Bank and the Economic Commission for Africa’s Africa Gender Index 2023 Analytical Report, was showcased – a flagship publication that measures the state of gender equality across the continent.

According to the Index, African women and girls continue to be left behind in economic, social and political spheres, despite progress in some sectors.

“This Forum is a unique opportunity to turn numbers into narratives, analysis into action, and data into social justice for all African women and girls,” said Nathalie Gahunga, Manager of the Gender and Women Empowerment Division at the African Development Bank.

“Data is the key to change. Yet, in 15 African countries, only 52 percent of gender-related indicators clearly differentiate between women and men. This gap undermines progress in maternal health, political participation, and violence prevention,“ she added.

According to UN Women and the Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century PARIS21, African countries have achieved just over 50 percent of their potential gender data capacity. While some countries are performing above the global average, the continent lags behind.

“An Africa that is people-driven needs sound data that accurately reflects the realities of women and girls,” said Aberash Tariku Abaye Africa, Coordination Statistics Expert at the African Union Institute for Statistics.

“Including women in Africa’s development is therefore critical for sustainable economic growth and social development,” said Adjaratou Ndiaye, Country Representative, UN Women, Cote Ivoire.  “We can’t achieve that without strong gender data and this calls for countries and sectors to work closely together to identify and address gaps for stronger data systems across the region.”

The Forum is expected to conclude with recommendations aimed at supporting institutions, processes, and resources to produce, disseminate, and utilize gender-related data. This will ensure coordination between gender data producers and users,  grounding policies across Africa in solid evidence and real-life data.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Media Contact:
African Development Bank Group:
Raissa Girondin,
Communications Specialist,
email: media@afdb.org