The Ethiopian government has proposed a record budget of about one trillion birr for the 2024/25 fiscal year, a 25% increase over the previous year’s budget.
In a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, it was announced that the Council of Ministers approved the approximately one trillion birr budget at their latest session. This would mark the first time Ethiopia’s national budget has reached the one trillion birr threshold.
The government previously allocated 801 billion birr for the 2023/24 fiscal year, which was roughly on par with the prior year’s budget.
The proposed increase in spending for the upcoming 2024/25 fiscal year represents a significant boost in the government’s resources and is intended to support continued economic development and social programs across the country.
However, some economists and financial analysts have expressed skepticism about the government’s ability to effectively utilize and account for such a large influx of funds. Questions remain about how the additional resources will be prioritized and what impact the expanded budget will have on Ethiopia’s fiscal sustainability in the long run.
The budget proposal will now be submitted to the parliament for review and approval before the start of the new fiscal year on July 1, 2024.
Government proposes record 1 trillion billion budget for 2024/25
Merck Foundation Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) conducted their Alumni Summit in Côte d’Ivoire to launch their Educating Linda program in partnership with Ministry of Education
The Summit was attended by the Presidents of Medical Societies of Côte d’Ivoire and Presidents of Fertility Societies of 14 Francophone African Countries; Merck Foundation (https://Merck-Foundation.com/) also conducted their first Health Media Training in Côte d’Ivoire for the journalists in partnership with National union of Journalists of Côte d’Ivoire, UNJCI; Merck Foundation announced2024 Call for Applications for 2 categories that includes 8 Awards for Media, Musicians, Fashion Designers, Filmmakers, Students, and new potential talents in these fields.
Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany conducted the Merck Foundation Côte D’Ivoire Summit 2024 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, chaired by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees and Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation. The Summit was conducted in partnership with Medical Societies and GIERAF.
It was attended by the Presidents of Medical Societies of Côte d’Ivoire and Presidents of Fertility Societies of 14 Francophone African Countries.
Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation expressed, “The Summit was a part of our efforts to underscore our long-term commitment to support to contribute to transforming patient care landscape in Africa, with a special focus on Francophone African countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, together with our new partners, the Côte d’Ivoire Medical Societies and Academia and our existing partners like the Fertility Societies of French speaking African countries such as Cameroon, DRC, Togo, Benin, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Mali.
I am proud to share that we have till today provided more than 1810 scholarships for young doctors from 52 countries in 42 critical and underserved medical specialties. Out of which more than 350 scholarships were provided for young doctors from 14 Francophone African nations. This is a huge number and a great achievement.
We are committed for the past 12 years, since 2012, towards healthcare capacity advancement, patient care transformation and reshaping the landscape of the public healthcare sector in Africa and beyond.”
Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation BOT emphasized, “We strongly believe that empowering people will lead to a better future, we also believe good healthcare can transform the lives of individuals and families across developing countries. It can significantly contribute to economic and social development because healthcare is a major driver of economic growth and, consequently, of social progress.”
Merck Foundation CEO also shared that they have provided more than 100 scholarships in Fertility and Embryology clinical training, in partnership with GIERAF and African Fertility Societies to doctors from 14 Francophone countries. Out of which 7 scholarships have bene provided to young doctors of Côte D’Ivoire, as a part of their “Merck Foundation More Than a Mother” Campaign.
“Merck Foundation More Than a Mother” campaign, which is a strong movement that aims to empower women living with infertility stigma through access to information, education, change of mindset, and economic empowerment.
“Merck Foundation More Than a Mother” defines interventions to build quality and equitable Reproductive and Fertility Care Capacity, Break Infertility Stigma and Raise Awareness about Infertility Prevention and Male Infertility.
“Over the past seven years, we have worked closely with First Ladies of more than 24 African countries as Ambassadors of “Merck Foundation More Than a Mother” and we also work very closely with Ministries of Health, Education, Information, Communication, Gender, Academia, Media and Art societies in 52 countries.” added Dr. Kelej.
According to WHO data, more than 180 million couples in developing countries – that is 1 in every 4 couple, suffer from infertility. In many cultures in Africa, infertility is a huge stigma. Women are solely blamed for failing to conceive and the social stigma of childlessness, especially for women leads to isolation and stigmatization and results in discrimination and ostracism. This mostly also leads to divorce or physical or psychological violence. As a part of “More Than a Mother” Campaign, Merck Foundation has launched many initiatives to break this stigma and create a culture shift.
Merck Foundation has also been empowering childless and infertile women through their “Empowering Berna” initiative under their “More Than a Mother” movement. This initiative helps women who cannot be treated for infertility anymore by helping them get trained to establish small businesses so that they can be independent and rebuild their lives. Through ‘Empowering Berna’, the lives of many infertile women have been transformed in many African countries like Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Niger, Malawi, and many more.
“It’s all about giving every woman the respect and the help she deserves to lead a fulfilling life, with or without a child,” added Dr. Kelej.
During the Summit, Merck Foundation also screened “Sugar Free Jude” and “Mark’s Pressure” Animation Films, with the aim to raise awareness about early detection and prevention of Diabetes and Hypertension (which are corelated) and to Promote Healthy Lifestyle, amongst children and youth in Africa and beyond, were also screened during the Summit, in French Language. All three animation films are adapted from Merck Foundation’s children storybooks.
Link to the films here:
Sugar Free Jude: https://apo-opa.co/4aTY0B1
Mark’s Pressure: https://apo-opa.co/3XcRuSH
Merck Foundation also conducted the First Edition of Health Media Training for the Media Representatives of Côte d’Ivoire, in partnership with National Union of Journalists of Côted’Ivoire (UNJCI). The training was conducted to emphasize on the important role that media plays to influence our society to create a cultural shift with the aim to address wide range of social and health issues such as: Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Ending Child Marriage, Ending FGM, and/ or Stopping GBV at all levels; to underscore the importance of Empowering Girls and Women in Education and to understand the Influence of infertility stigma and other social issues like GBV, Child Marriage, FGM etc. on women and couples – Social and Psychological Impact. Apart from this, it also included a session on the importance of increasing the awareness of early detection and prevention of Diabetes and Hypertension. The training session was addressed by top Medical and Media Experts and was attended by over 50 journalists from Abidjan.
During the Training Session, ‘More Than Mother’, The First Animation FILM to emphasize strong family values of love and respect from a young age which will reflect on eliminating the stigma of infertility and the resulted domestic violence in the future, was also screened.
Link to “More Than a Mother” Animation Film: https://apo-opa.co/3wXnwHF
During the training session, Merck Foundation also announced the Call for Application for their 8 Awards.
“I invite the Media, Musicians, Fashion Designers, Filmmakers, students, and new potential talents in these fields from Côte d’Ivoire to apply for our awards”, added Senator Kelej.
Details of the Awards:
1. Merck Foundation Africa Media Recognition Awards “More Than a Mother” 2024: Media representatives and media students are invited to showcase their work to raise awareness about one or more of the following social issues such as: Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Ending Child Marriage, Ending FGM, and/ or Stopping GBV at all levels.
Submission deadline: 30th September 2024.
2. Merck Foundation Film Awards “More Than a Mother” 2024: All African Filmmakers, Students of Film Making Training Institutions, or Young Talents of Africa are invited to create and share a long or short FILMS, either drama, documentary, or docudrama to deliver strong and influential messages to address one or more of the following social issues such as: Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Ending Child Marriage, Ending FGM, and/ or Stopping GBV at all levels.
Submission deadline: 30th September 2024.
3. Merck Foundation Fashion Awards “More Than a Mother” 2024: All African Fashion Students and Designers are invited to create and share designs to deliver strong and influential messages to raise awareness about one or more of the following social issues such as: Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Ending Child Marriage, Ending FGM, and/ or Stopping GBV at all levels.
Submission deadline: 30th September 2024.
4. Merck Foundation Song Awards “More Than a Mother” 2024: All African Singers and Musical Artists are invited to create and share a SONG with the aim to address one or more of the following social issues such as: Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Ending Child Marriage, Ending FGM, and/ or Stopping GBV at all levels.
Submission deadline: 30th September 2024.
5. Merck Foundation Media Recognition Awards 2024 “Diabetes&Hypertension”: Media representatives are invited to showcase their work through strong and influential messages to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension.
Submission deadline: 30th October 2024.
6. Merck Foundation Film Awards 2024 “Diabetes&Hypertension”: All African Filmmakers, Students of Film Making Training Institutions, or Young Talents of Africa are invited to create and share a long or short FILMS, either drama, documentary, or docudrama to deliver strong and influential messages to promote a healthy lifestyle raise awareness about prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension.
Submission deadline: 30th October 2024.
7. Merck Foundation Fashion Awards 2024 “Diabetes&Hypertension”: All African Fashion Students and Designers are invited to create and share designs to deliver strong and influential messages to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension.
Submission deadline: 30th October 2024.
8. Merck Foundation Song Awards 2024 “Diabetes&Hypertension”: All African Singers and Musical Artists are invited to create and share a SONG with the aim to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension.
Submission deadline: 30th October 2024.
Entries for all the awards are to be submitted via email to:
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Merck Foundation.
Download images: https://apo-opa.co/4aV1L90
Contact details:
Mehak Handa
Community Awareness Program Manager
+91 9310087613/ +91 9319606669
mehak.handa@external.merckgroup.com
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About Merck Foundation:
The Merck Foundation, established in 2017, is the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through science and technology. Our efforts are primarily focused on improving access to quality&equitable healthcare solutions in underserved communities, building healthcare and scientific research capacity and empowering people in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with a special focus on women and youth. All Merck Foundation press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Foundation Website. Please visit https://Merck-Foundation.com/ to read more. Follow the social media of Merck Foundation: Facebook (https://apo-opa.co/4c5bv1q), Twitter (https://apo-opa.co/4c5btXm), Instagram (https://apo-opa.co/4c5bsmg), YouTube (https://apo-opa.co/45gYLCH) and Flickr (https://apo-opa.co/3yZfheu).
Runnme Redefines Delivery Cost-Sharing, Makes Waves at GITEX AFRICA
Runnme, the innovative social network revolutionizing delivery cost-sharing through shared car trips, has made a significant impact at GITEX AFRICA (https://GITEXAfrica.com), the continent’s leading technology event.
Led by CEO Adrián Márquez Valía, Runnme’s presence at the prestigious event underscored its commitment to driving software services that empower both transport providers and consumers. The company’s unique platform, which facilitates fair compensation for drivers and reduces errand wait times, generated significant interest among attendees.
Runnme’s innovative approach addresses a key challenge in the rapidly evolving digital landscape: how to balance the needs of local businesses with the demand for flexible earning opportunities. By creating a platform where individuals can share car trips for deliveries, Runnme fosters a collaborative ecosystem that benefits all stakeholders.
“We are thrilled to have had the opportunity to showcase Runnme’s vision and services at GITEX AFRICA,” said CEO Adrián Márquez Valía. “Our success at the event reinforces our commitment to driving positive change in the digital evolution of delivery services.”
Runnme’s participation at GITEX AFRICA has already yielded promising results, including the establishment of strategic partnerships and the introduction of its technology to diverse African communities. The company’s efforts to improve the quality of life for local residents and create new business opportunities demonstrate the power of innovation and collaboration in addressing global challenges.
Runnme’s story is a testament to the impact that small businesses can have when driven by passion and determination. Through its groundbreaking platform, Runnme is redefining the future of delivery services and empowering communities across Africa.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of GITEX Africa.
Media Contact:
info@runnme.com
About Runnme:
Runnme is a pioneering social network that connects drivers and individuals needing deliveries. The platform enables cost-sharing for car trips, ensuring fair compensation for drivers and reducing wait times for errands. Runnme is committed to fostering a collaborative ecosystem that benefits local businesses and individuals alike.
For more information, visit https://www.Runnme.com/ or contact info@runnme.com.
BankBuddy.ai Unveils Ground-breaking BankBuddy.ai 5.0, Gen Artificial intelligence (AI) powered Digital Banking Platform at GITEX AFRICA 2024
BankBuddy.ai, a leading innovator in AI-powered digital banking solutions, is excited to announce the launch of its latest platform, BankBuddy.ai 5.0, at GITEX AFRICA 2024 (https://apo-opa.co/3wQwBSm) in Morocco. This revolutionary digital banking platform is set to redefine the landscape of financial services by addressing the pressing needs of enterprises burdened by legacy systems and the rapidly evolving demands of the AI era.
Key Features of BankBuddy.ai 5.0:
1. Composite AI : BankBuddy.ai 5.0 integrates cutting-edge AI technologies, including Generative AI, Computer Vision, Predictive AI, and recommendation engines. This composite AI layer enables 50% faster deployment of AI-driven solutions, ensuring enterprises stay ahead in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.
2. True Omni-Channel WORE Layer: The platform empowers enterprises to leverage a single codebase to support over 20 channels, from mobile apps and web interfaces to conversational AI platforms. This approach reduces maintenance costs by 40% and ensures seamless integration with APIs, business logic, and third-party systems.
3. Unified Application Ecosystem: By providing a single application interface for customers, employees, merchants, agents, and other ecosystem participants, BankBuddy fosters collaboration and streamlines operations. This unified ecosystem supports innovation and enables the exploration of new business models.
4. Prebuilt AI-Powered Journeys: BankBuddy.ai 5.0 offers over 220 prebuilt AI-powered journeys, including wallet services, lending, QR payments, insurance, SME support, and card management. These preconfigured solutions reduce deployment costs by 80% and accelerate time-to-market for new initiatives.
5. Embedded Finance Capabilities: The platform allows enterprises to offer white-labeled banking services, facilitating market expansion across various industries. By seamlessly integrating financial services into existing offerings, enterprises can unlock new revenue streams and enhance customer engagement.
6. Proactive AI-Powered Engagement: BankBuddy leverages proactive AI-powered engagement tools to deliver superior customer experiences. By anticipating customer needs and providing personalized recommendations, enterprises can achieve a 30% reduction in service costs and a 20% decrease in customer churn rates.
Aditya Bhagat, CEO of BankBuddy.ai, stated, “BankBuddy.ai 5.0 is not just a solution; it’s a catalyst for digital transformation. By empowering enterprises with advanced AI capabilities, seamless omni-channel experiences, and embedded finance functionality, BankBuddy enables organizations to thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape. With BankBuddy, the journey to the next level of digital business begins today.”
BankBuddy.ai is proud to be part of GITEX AFRICA 2024, showcasing its ground-breaking solutions and connecting with industry leaders and innovators. Drop us a line at hello@affinsys.com to experience first-hand how BankBuddy.ai 5.0 can transform your digital banking operations.
For more information, visit https://BankBuddy.ai/
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of GITEX Africa.
About BankBuddy.ai:
BankBuddy.ai is a leading provider of AI-powered digital banking solutions, proven across the largest banks and insurance companies across 10 countries in Africa. With a suite of advanced technologies and a commitment to innovation, BankBuddy.ai empowers organizations to enhance customer experiences, streamline operations, and explore new business opportunities.
