Over 500 delegates, including Heads of State, Ministers of Finance, Central Bank Governors, development partners, and civil society organizations gathered in Lomé for the inaugural African Union Debt Conference, held under the theme “Africa’s Public Debt Management Agenda: Restoring and Safeguarding Debt Sustainability.”

The three-day conference was convened by the African Union Commission in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Togo, under the High Patronage of Faure Gnassingbé, President of the council of Ministers of the Republic of Togo, who opened the session by calling for a “collective African ambition that prioritizes sovereignty, solidarity, and regional stability.” He urged participants to rethink global debt rules and emphasized that “debt, when used strategically and responsibly, must serve as a tool for the common good.”

In his opening remarks, Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), warned that “Africa is not merely facing a debt crisis—it is confronting a development crisis.” He outlined five imperatives to restore fiscal sovereignty and turn Africa’s debt into a lever for transformation.

During the Africa CEO Forum Gala Dinner, the 2025 AWARDS honored companies and leaders who are shaping the continent’s economy and embodying the renewal of African leadership. Organized in partnership with Forvis Mazars, the ceremony recognized six winners for their impact, strategic vision, and long-term commitment.

For eleven years, the Africa CEO Forum Awards have celebrated those who best represent the continent’s ambition: building sustainable, inclusive growth led by the private sector. Over 250 companies and investment funds, along with more than fifty of Africa’s most emblematic leaders, have already been nominated.

For the 2025 edition, six outstanding winners were selected by an independent jury following a rigorous selection process among the most promising applications from across the continent.

The first all-oral treatment for Trypanosoma brucei (T.b.) rhodesiense sleeping sickness, an acute form of the disease, is now available free of charge to patients in specialized treatment centres in Ethiopia, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Ministries of Health in several African countries have approved the use of Fexinidazole Winthrop for T.b. rhodesiense sleeping sickness treatment.

‘Until now, the only treatment for the advanced stage of the disease involved a toxic intravenous drug that required hospitalization. Today, with this breakthrough, we have a safe and simple oral treatment that can be taken at home with minimal observation, revolutionizing care for patients. The authorization of Fexinidazole Winthrop in Malawi and several other African countries is a testament to the dedication and hard work of African doctors, clinicians, healthcare staff, and communities who contributed to its development,’ said Dr Westain Nyirenda, principal investigator of the clinical trials for Fexinidazole Winthrop in Malawi.

The clinical trials that led to Fexinidazole Winthrop’s approval were sponsored by the not-for-profit medical research organization Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi).

The risk of famine in Gaza is increasing with the deliberate withholding of humanitarian aid, including food, in the ongoing blockade.

The entire 2.1 million population of Gaza is facing prolonged food shortages, with nearly half a million people in a catastrophic situation of hunger, acute malnutrition, starvation, illness and death. This is one of the world’s worst hunger crises, unfolding in real time.

The latest food security analysis was released today by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) partnership, of which WHO is a member.

“We do not need to wait for a declaration of famine in Gaza to know that people are already starving, sick and dying, while food and medicines are minutes away across the border,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Today’s report shows that without immediate access to food and essential supplies, the situation will continue to deteriorate, causing more deaths and descent into famine.”