The United States Government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), commissioned two solar-powered water systems in Ghana’s Northern Region this week. The water systems are located in the Gushegu Municipality and Nanton District, and will serve over 20,000 residents in nine communities.

“Imagine a world where every household has access to clean drinking water, farmers can irrigate their fields without worrying about water shortages, and small businesses can operate with sufficient water supply. The U.S. will continue to partner with the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, Municipal and District Assemblies, and other key stakeholders to make this a reality,” said USAID/Ghana Mission Director Kimberly Rosen during the commissioning event.

USAID funded the water systems at a total cost of GH₵10 Million (US$877,546) and partnered with Global Communities to facilitate the construction. The project began in February 2023, and ended in March 2024. Each water system consists of two boreholes and a 100 cubic-meter reinforced concrete tank installed at 12-meters high. The boreholes are equipped with submersible pumps, which are solar-powered.

These new water systems are part of the U.S. Government’s Global Water Strategy (2022-2027), and USAID/Ghana’s High Priority Country Plan (2022-2027) which aim to provide 500,000 Ghanaians with new and improved access to safe and climate-resilient water supply by 2027.

USAID has also partnered with the Afram Plains Development Organization to engage communities and promote beneficial hygiene and sanitation behaviors. Through this community outreach, hundreds of households are building and using improved toilet facilities and discontinuing the practice of open defecation.

The United States is Ghana’s largest bilateral development partner. In 2023, USAID’s bilateral development assistance totaling over $140 million was dedicated to supporting water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health, economic growth, agriculture, education, governance, and more.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of U.S. Embassy in Ghana.

To ramp up testing for cholera in Zimbabwe, the World Health Organization (WHO) supported the Ministry of Health and Child Care with training of 986 nurses in antigen Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) testing. This shift in responsibility, known as task-shifting, addressed the critical staff shortage at rural health centers. Additionally, 44 laboratory personnel at provincial and district levels were trained in cholera culture, further strengthening the diagnostic capacity.

“The support we received from WHO has gone a long way in improving access and coverage to cholera testing in Zimbabwe. Successful outbreak response begins with timeous testing and case identification and the trainings were instrumental to ensure this happens. Health worker capacitation is also critical even as we prepare for future outbreaks and pandemics,” said Agnes Juru-Chibango, Zimbabwe National Microbiology and Reference Laboratory Coordinator.

Prior to the training programme, testing capabilities were limited. Between the outbreak’s onset in February 2023 and 18 January 2024, only 2,090 antigen RDTs and 2,250 culture tests were conducted across 10 health centers. Following the training, the number of antigen RDT tests skyrocketed to 9,853, a staggering 371% increase. Culture tests also saw a significant rise, reaching 6,386, reflecting a 184% increase. This exponential growth signifies a four-fold increase in testing accessibility at rural health centers. In addition to the increase in numbers, early detection through RDTs allowed for quicker diagnosis and treatment, improving patient outcomes and reducing disease spread. Task-shifting to nurses freed up laboratory personnel to focus on more complex testing, improving efficiency.

Zimbabwe continues to respond to a cholera outbreak albeit on a downward trend of late. During the last week of March, 624 cases were recorded, a decrease from the 634 cases reported during the previous week ending 7 April 2024. As of 14 April 2024, a cumulative total of 31 912 suspected cholera cases, 87 laboratory confirmed deaths, 597 suspected cholera deaths and 3,931 laboratory confirmed cases were reported.

The success of the programme is attributed to the collaborative efforts of various stakeholders who include UNICEF, Higher Life Foundation, JHPIEGO, and World Vision International and WHO with MoHCC leading the efforts. Funding for the training activities came from the Health Resilience Fund (HRF), the UN Central Emergency Response Fund and the United States Department of the State (USDOS). HRF is a pool of funding from the European Union, Government of Ireland and United Kingdom as well as GAVI, The Vaccine Alliance.

A nurse from Chiredzi District Hospital lauded the training’s timeliness and comprehensiveness, highlighting the importance of proper test administration and interpretation. Similarly, Marakia Manjengwa, a medical laboratory scientist, added, “The discussions and practicals equipped us with knowledge on laboratory identification of cholera, and I learnt more on the presumptive tests and timely reporting for national interventions.”

As part of the cholera response, WHO continues to play a critical role in strengthening Zimbabwe’s laboratory response to the cholera pandemic. Apart from supporting trainings for laboratory personnel and nurses, financial contributions have covered transportation costs for crucial samples from local districts and provinces to the National Reference Laboratory. Furthermore, WHO supports on-site support and data harmonization efforts, leading to more accurate data collection at the ward level. These comprehensive contributions have significantly bolstered Zimbabwe’s laboratory capacity to effectively diagnose and combat cholera.

“I am confident that the acquired knowledge and skills would significantly enhance diagnostic services, leading to earlier case detection, improved case management, and strengthened surveillance activities,” said Dr. Muchaneta Mugabe, WHO Laboratory Officer.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organzation (WHO) – Zimbabwe.

Nationals residing in the Western United States held a congress of national organizations on 13 April in Oakland, California.

At the congress, Mr. Berhane Gebrehiwet, Chargé d’Affaires at the Eritrean Embassy, provided an extensive briefing on the current situation in the homeland and regional developments. Mr. Berhane urged the nationals to strengthen their organizational capacity and participation in national affairs and called on them to pass on noble societal values to the younger generation.

The congress reviewed the activities conducted by the national organization in 2023 and discussed the programs planned for 2024.

The participants expressed their readiness to enhance organizational capacity and engage more actively in national affairs. They committed to investing in human resources development and to transferring noble societal values to the young generation. Additionally, they advocated for the continuation of the seminars.

According to reports, similar congresses have been organized in various cities across the US.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

Uganda has been endorsed to the Khartoum Process Steering Committee, an announcement made during the Senior Officials’ Meeting taking place in Cairo, Egypt 17 th -18 th April 2024 The Khartoum Process was established in November 2014 to serve as a platform for political cooperation amongst the countries along the EU-Horn of Africa Migration Route. It is an inter-regional cooperation which facilitates collaboration and information exchange with a focus on migration.

The Uganda delegation to the meeting was composed of senior officials from the Ministries of Internal Affairs and Foreign Affairs. Membership of the KP includes Germany (outgoing Chair), Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Egypt (incoming chair), Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Latvia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, Spain, Sudan, South Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Uganda.

The Steering Committee of the Khartoum process membership includes comprises five (5) EU Member States (Italy, France, Germany, Sweden and The Netherlands) and Five (5) African Member States (Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Somalia). Partners on the steering committee include: European Union Commission, European External Action Service (EEAS) and African Union Commission. During the 2023 Steering Committee meeting in 2023, a decision was arrived at to expand membership from 10 to 12 with 6 from each block, leading to Uganda’s endorsement.

The Objectives of the Khartoum Process (KP) include creating a common understanding of human trafficking and smuggling of migrants, opportunities forbalanced partnership and maintenance of a spirit of shared responsibility and enhanced cooperation. “Uganda brings forth its vast experience in migration management to add impetus to the Khartoum Process initiatives,” said Ms. Agnes Birungi, Consular Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a member of the delegation.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Republic of Uganda – Ministry of Foreign Affairs.