Under shelling and gunfire, Esraa cradled her newborn son. As the war in Sudan broke out in April 2023, she was trying to reach a health clinic for treatment for her baby, who had been struggling with infections and breathing difficulties. But with the roads blocked by fighting, the young mother never made it to the clinic; her son died in her arms.

When she became pregnant again in August last year, she was haunted by the fear of losing another child. “There’s only one functioning maternal hospital left in Khartoum,” said Esraa. “It’s incredibly dangerous to move around the city – one of our neighbours died on her way to the hospital.”

Throughout the war, Esraa and her family have been forced to move repeatedly as areas that were safe one day became lethal the next. They eventually found refuge in a crowded shelter with other displaced people from Khartoum.

‘It was like moving from one grave to another’

Once the largest city in Sudan, Khartoum now has vast areas that resemble ghost towns. In shelters set up for people forced from their homes, conditions are dire: Overcrowding is rampant and basic hygiene essentials mostly missing. Food is also increasingly scarce, leaving many battling severe hunger as Sudan faces the worst levels of acute food insecurity ever recorded in the country.

As the crisis deepens and diseases like polio and cholera spread, accessing health care has become one of the most critical challenges for the people of Khartoum. Most medical facilities have been forced out of service due to destruction and a severe lack of supplies.

“I was five months pregnant when I arrived at the shelter,” said Esraa. “For me, it was like moving from one grave to another. We were constantly expecting something bad to happen. Hope had no place in our hearts.”

Roving responders

Amid these dire conditions, a mobile health team supported by UNFPA arrived at the shelter to provide reproductive health and protection services to the women and girls living there. “The mobile health teams play a crucial role in preventing maternal deaths, offering a comprehensive range of medical services in war-affected areas of Sudan,” explained Mohamed Hasan Nahat, coordinator of the team.

Esraa received antenatal care and micronutrients from the team, who made regular visits to care for her and the other women and girls in the shelter. “They not only helped me with medical care but also gave me a sense of safety and hope that I hadn’t felt in months,” she said.

Four months later, Esraa gave birth to a healthy baby boy, assisted by the mobile team. “I gave birth in the shelter. They took care of me and the baby – I even named him Mohamed after the doctor who helped me.”

UNFPA has deployed 56 mobile health teams across 11 states in Sudan, which provide sexual and reproductive health services and gender-based violence protection and response. Since the war began, the teams – including doctors, pharmacists, lab technicians, psychologists and midwives – have conducted over 150,000 medical consultations.

Although they are saving lives and providing the only medical assistance many have received, humanitarians like social worker Nisreen Kamal Abdulla felt there was still more they wanted to do for these communities.

“The time available at the clinic was not enough to treat everyone – we should visit every community more frequently to reach more people and provide consistent care,” she told UNFPA. “Most of the women we met who have psychological issues have stopped their treatment because they can’t afford the medicine.”

Reaching remote communities 

The mobility of the teams is crucial for increasing access to vital services in remote areas, preventing maternal deaths due to unsafe childbirth and high-risk pregnancies. Too often a lack of transportation means many simply cannot get to a health centre in time – or at all.

On average, a team will cover three different locations per week, spending one to two days in each, based on the community’s size and needs.

“Even though I did not leave Khartoum during the war and continued working in its hospitals, this experience was different,” explained Dr. Nahat.

“I reached far-away areas and connected with people I had not been able to reach before. It was a great morale boost for them to know there are organizations that care about them and are not leaving them behind.” 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.

President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., has appointed Dr. Joseph Isaac as President of Margibi University, formerly, Harbel College in Margibi County.

In this role, Dr. Isaac is expected to work to enhance the capacity and quality of the students and faculty through training, mentoring, and professional development opportunities.

He will also spearhead initiatives to boost student enrollment, retention, and academic performance, thereby ensuring a supportive and inclusive learning environment.

President Boakai expressed expectation that Dr. Isaac will work collaboratively with the Board of Trustees and all stakeholders to foster partnerships and leverage resources to achieve the goals of excellence, innovation, and community engagement.

His appointment takes immediate effect.

President Boakai calls on Dr. Isaac and all those appointed to continue to demonstrate diligence, commitment, integrity, professionalism, and loyalty in service to country.  

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of Liberia: Executive Mansion.

Leading the dialogue on Africa’s energy sector opportunities, Amena Bakr, Senior Research Analyst at Energy Intelligence, will serve as the Master of Ceremonies at the upcoming African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energy 2024 conference – the official meeting place for Africa’s energy sector. As a global information provider, Energy Intelligence provides research, data and analysis covering the energy transition, oil, gas and LNG markets, and above-ground and geopolitical risks shaping the sector.

With over 15 years of experience in the energy sector, Bakr leads analysis and client engagement on oil markets, OPEC policy, political trends and risk assessments in the Middle East and Gulf region, as well as examines corporate and investment strategies. Prior to her role within the Research&Advisory Group at Energy Intelligence, Bakr was the company’s Chief OPEC Correspondent and Dubai Deputy Bureau Chief, where she received several international journalism awards for her work covering energy news and analysis, as well as served as an Energy Correspondent for Reuters. With OPEC+ recently extending production cuts into 2025 – set to impact six African countries who are members of the alliance, as well as global oil supplies – framing Africa’s oil and gas prospects within a geopolitical lens will be crucial to industry-led discussions.

AEW: Invest in African Energy is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.

As countries like Mozambique, Senegal and Mauritania launch new upstream projects, Africa’s role on the global oil and gas stage is expanding, coupled with gas monetization campaigns from mature producers like Nigeria, Angola and the Republic of Congo. As global demand for fossil fuels evolves, African countries must strike a balance between benefiting from their vast hydrocarbon resources and transitioning toward sustainable energy development. Moderated by Bakr, AEW: Invest in African Energy 2024 will address this balance and the investments needed to attain long-term energy security and industrialized growth across the continent.  

Meanwhile, corporate strategies in Africa’s oil and gas sector are increasingly shaped by the global energy transition and the shift toward cleaner, more sustainable energy sources. While oil and gas remain crucial to African economies, IOCs are rebalancing their long-term strategies and directing investments either to large-scale, deepwater discoveries like Namibia’s Orange Basin or viable gas plays like in the MSGBC Basin. Additionally, companies are diversifying their portfolios, incorporating renewable energy projects alongside oil and gas operations. This shift, driven by the global drive towards net-zero, will be explored at AEW 2024 through a multi-track program of panel discussions, presentations, technical forums and networking sessions.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio has successfully harvested 7 tonnes of fish and various agricultural produce from his farm in Mafintha. This harvesting exercise aims to demonstrate the President’s commitment to leadership by example as he works diligently towards achieving the country’s Food Security Agenda.

While actively participating in the harvesting of fish, President Bio emphasized the importance of fish farming for all Sierra Leoneans, encouraging even small-scale investments in the sector. He highlighted that locally produced agricultural products are often more nutritious than imported alternatives.

The President urged citizens to actively support and patronize made-in-Sierra Leone products, emphasizing that this would not only encourage local farmers but also enhance the economy by putting money into the pockets of those who work tirelessly to cultivate our land. He stressed the importance of viewing agriculture as a viable business opportunity, noting that one does not need to be a professional agriculturist to engage in farming.

“I am involved in farming to inspire more Sierra Leoneans to consider agriculture seriously,” President Bio said. “The Feed Salone Initiative is a national program that we should all embrace, regardless of our political or regional affiliations.”

At the Poultry Section, the Poultry Consultant Petemaa Sheriff shared that the President’s farm produces an impressive 7,600 eggs daily. Sherif indicated plans to expand operations to further increase production. He noted that the farm utilizes locally produced feeds that are 100% organic, ensuring the quality of the eggs for every household.

Mr. Sheriff also highlighted that the farm offers technical services to citizens interested in fish, vegetable, and poultry farming. This includes producing local feeds, processing and packaging chicken, growing vegetables, raising small and large ruminants, and providing training for youth on poultry management.

A display of fresh farm products, including catfish, tilapia, pepper, eggs, potatoes, and a variety of vegetables climaxed the event.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of State House Sierra Leone.