Buoyed by last year’s successful Africa Investment Forum’s Market Days that generated $29.2 billion of investment interest, its nine founding partners are bracing for an even bigger and better event later this year.

The 2024 Africa Investment Forum Market Days attracted more than 2,300 investors and participants from 83 countries around the world, more than 40 boardrooms, and 15 sponsors, including investment banks, insurers, and export credit agencies. Many more sponsors are lining up for the 2025 edition.

Meeting on Monday evening in Washington, DC, on the sidelines of the World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings, the partners reflected on the Forum’s remarkable seven-year journey, which has mobilized more than $225 billion in investment interest and established itself as a global investment movement for Africa.

The partners include the African Development Bank, Afreximbank, Africa50, Africa Finance Corporation, Development Bank of Southern Africa, Islamic Development, European Investment Bank, Trade and Development Bank, and newcomer, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA).

World Immunization Week 2025, observed from 24–30 April, brings together the global health community to highlight the lifesaving power of vaccines and call for renewed commitment to immunization for all.

Under the banner Immunization for All is Humanly Possible, this year’s campaign stresses how, with collective efforts and investment, everyone can be protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Vaccines are one of the humanity’s greatest achievements. Over the last 50 years essential vaccines have saved 154 million lives. That’s 6 lives a minute, every day, for 5 decades. Vaccines account for 40% of the improvement in infant survival over the last half century, enabling more children than ever before to celebrate their first birthday.

Despite these significant gains, progress has stalled. In 2023, 14.5 million children worldwide, including nearly 3 million in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, didn’t receive any routine vaccine dose. Inequities, conflict, misinformation and funding gaps continue to undermine immunization efforts, leaving millions vulnerable.

Africa still bears the brunt of the global malaria burden—with 94% of cases occurring on the continent. According to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) 2024 World Malaria Report, approximately two thirds of global malaria cases and deaths are concentrated in 11 African countries: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. While the world must mobilise around Africa to put an end to malaria, the disease remains a deeply local public health issue and a challenge for the new generation of African scientists. Eliminating malaria demands African leadership, innovation, and investment.

The WHO Report indicates that there were 11 million more cases of the disease in 2023 than there were in 2022. Another 600,000 people died in 2023 with no significant improvement compared to 2022. While some progress has been made in combating malaria, it is not enough, or fast enough. Existing prevention methods like drugs, bed nets, and vaccines have saved millions of lives, however, they will unlikely be able to take us to eliminating the disease completely. 

Boeing has strengthened its presence in Africa with the opening of a new office in Addis Ababa to serve as the company’s administrative hub in the region.

Kuljit Ghata-Aura, president of Boeing Middle East, Türkiye, Africa, and Central Asia, said: “Boeing’s expanded footprint in Africa is a testament to our commitment to the region’s aerospace industry. This office will allow us to work more closely with our more than 60 airline customers on the continent, forge strategic partnerships, enhance safety standards and contribute to the ongoing efforts to expand Africa’s aviation industry, which is a key driver of the region’s economy.”

Boeing also has an office in Johannesburg, South Africa, and has field service representatives stationed with airlines in Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania and Togo.  

Heading the office will be Henok Teferra Shawl, managing director of Boeing Africa. Henok said: “Africa is among the most promising markets in terms of economic and business growth. Being closer to our customers, government stakeholders, and suppliers will enable us to develop solutions that best address the needs of Africa’s aviation sector.”