Legislators have renewed the call to combat the rising cases of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) which are claiming lives as Parliament paid glowing tribute to the late State Minister of Defence, Sarah Mateke Nyirabashitsi.

The late Hon. Nyirabashitsi, who was also the Kisoro District Woman Representative in Parliament, died of a heart attack, on Saturday, 07 September 2024.

The Prime Minister and Leader of Government Business, Robinah Nabbanja, who moved the motion to pay tribute to the late Nyirabashitsi, said that government was alive to the devastating effects of NCDs such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension which although preventable are among the serious killers.

“As we pay tribute to our fallen colleague, allow me to state that Non-Communicable Diseases is another threat to our society, robing us of game changers in the development of our country like Hon. Sarah Mateke,” said Nabbanja during the House chaired by Speaker, Anita Among on Tuesday, 10 September 2024.

She highlighted policies and programmess such as the 2015 National non-Communicable Diseases Policy and the National Non-Communicable Diseases Control Programme put in place to strengthen the fight.

“Government has introduced non-communicable disease services into primary healthcare services, established non-communicable disease clinics and specialised treatment centres to train healthcare workers on non-communicable diseases management,” she said.

Nabbanja also talked of a new initiative dubbed ‘Healthy Heart Africa’ to promote cardiovascular health in partnership with civil society organisations to promote non-communicable diseases awareness.

In a glowing tribute, legislators described the late Nyirabashitsi as a woman of integrity whose service as a Member of Parliament, Minister and former Senior Assistant Town Clerk for Kisoro Town Council was without scandals.

“In the six months she has been at the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs there is no single scandal that was attached to her name, either defrauding fuel, which according to the Ministry of Defence would have dire consequences,” said Hon. Jacob Oboth, the Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs.

He described Nyirabashitsi as a team player who worked with diligence and competence such that he often delegated assignments of great importance to her.

“She has been involved in many international military and defence related events, which you can only delegate to somebody able and capable of executing assignment at international level,” Oboth said.

The Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, attested to the integrity with which Nyirabashitsi executed her ministerial duties and commended her efforts to uplift the positon of youth and children.

“Of late the vice of corruption has continued to eat up our country, I did not hear Hon. Mateke’s name embroiled in any corruption scandal during her service, if there was one, then I missed it,” said Ssenyonyi adding that, “when you would disagree with her it was difficeult to feud with her because of her calmness. She was the kind of a person who could disarm you with her gentility.”

Legislators who had a close relation with Nyirabashitsi praised her distinct passion for the people she represented in Parliament, saying she spent most of her time in the constituency and was hardly late or absent for cabinet meetings.

Her passion for youth and children ranked high among Nyirabashitsi’s tributes, who is commended for advocating for teenage pregnant girls to remain in school following the COVID-19 pandemic.

“She struggled with the issues related to teenage pregnancy and as a result, a policy was made that all teenage pregnant students should be allowed to sit exams and all of them excelled,” said Hon. Betty Amongi, the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development.

Legislators prayed that Nyirabashitsi’s advocacy to rehabilitate street children should be taken up to its fruition. According to Amongi, only Shs20 million was available for rehabilitation of street children which she said was insufficient to cause a significant change.

The Vice-President, H.E Jessica Alupo, called on legislators to emulate Nyirabashitsi’s character as a unifier, a testimony she said is sung in Kisoro and in political circles.

“When I was in Kisoro for the installation of the Bishop of Muhabura Diocese, a few leaders who spoke talked well of Mateke and her family especially in uniting the politicians of Kisoro. The Bishop himself made a comment about her in line with uniting people,” Alupo said.

The late Nyirabashitsi, who is survived by a son, will be buried in Nyakabingo in Kisoro on Thursday, 12 September 2024.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.

A cholera outbreak in central and eastern Sudan is bringing yet more risk, death, and misery to people already bruised by the country’s devastating war. Emergency teams from Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) are treating patients as well as providing water and sanitation services to people affected by the war. 

In August, Sudanese authorities declared a cholera outbreak, which is currently heavily affecting the states of Kassala, Gedaref, River Nile, Al Jazirah, and Khartoum. According to the Ministry of Health, over 5,000 cases of cholera and 191 deaths have been reported. In the second half of August, weekly cases of the disease increased fourfold. 

Cholera cases are not uncommon in Sudan, but the current outbreak is taking place in a country torn by 17 months of war, making it more difficult to prevent cholera and provide lifesaving care.

Immediate need for unrestricted rapid access for staff and supplies

“People are dying from cholera right now, and we plead with the UN and international organizations to fund and scale up activities, particularly water and sanitation services, which are crucial to stop the lethal spread,” says Frank Ross Katambula, MSF medical coordinator.

After nearly 17 months of challenges and obstructions of the provision of humanitarian assistance in Sudan, MSF also calls on warring parties to allow unhindered access of medical staff and supplies to all areas in need across Sudan in order to enable a quick, coordinated response and prevent avoidable deaths. 

“There is a risk of running out of essential supplies such as cholera kits in a moment when scaling up the response is urgently needed,” says Katambula. “We call on the authorities to fast-track and facilitate the delivery of supplies and drugs, as bureaucratic obstacles remain a major challenge.”

Case management and water and sanitation

Cholera is a waterborne intestinal infection, and is transmitted through contaminated food or water, or through contact with fecal matter or vomit from infected people. Cholera can cause severe diarrhea and vomiting, and can rapidly become fatal within hours if not treated. But cholera is very simple to treat—rehydration is key. 

MSF teams in Khartoum, River Nile, Kassala, and Gedaref have mobilized to support the Ministry of Health’s response by setting up and running cholera treatment centers and units , and providing support to existing overwhelmed treatment facilities in some of the most affected areas and in hard-to-reach places where cases are surging.

MSF response in Sudan

In Tanedba, Gedaref state, MSF runs a 50-bed cholera treatment unit in its Tanedba Hospital and supports three primary health care centers in hard-hit villages, that provide water chlorination and distribution. We also make donations to support their work. 
MSF built a 30-bed cholera treatment unit in Gedaref city close to a camp for displaced people, which provides outpatient treatment for mild cases through oral rehydration points in the community. We have constructed emergency latrines, provide potable water, distribute soap, and handle patient referrals.
MSF is providing support to set up and run a 100-bed cholera treatment center in Atbarah,  the most affected town in River Nile state.
MSF is setting up 4 oral rehydration points in Kassala state, building and desludging 62 latrines. We have distributed non-food items for 500 families, provided drinking water, and created washing points in three displacement camps.
In Kassala, we are supporting the 200-bed cholera treatment center at the Teaching Hospital, helping with case management and oral rehydration points.
In Wad El Hilu, MSF is helping a rural hospital cope with a surge of cases in the southern part of the district.

Between the end of August and September 9, we treated 2,165 patients in facilities we support. 

In Darfur, where no cases have yet been registered, MSF teams are helping to improve preparedness. 

“The menacing mix of heavy flooding and torrential downpours with woeful living conditions and inadequate access to drinking water that millions face today, particularly in crowded camps for displaced people, have created the perfect storm for the spread of this often-deadly disease,” says Esperanza Santos, MSF emergency coordinator for Sudan. 

In Kassala, heavy rains and flooding rivers have destroyed water and sanitation infrastructure and put both internally displaced communities and Eritrean and Ethiopian refugees in even more appalling living conditions. 

Cholera adds yet another challenge to the crisis in Sudan and to its decimated health system, which is already struggling with increasing child malnutrition, high numbers of war-wounded patients and regular cases of preventable diseases. The humanitarian response is regularly obstructed by both warring parties, and remains far short of what is needed. 

“One man was unconscious [upon arrival to the facility],” recalls Angela Giacomazzi, a human resources coordinator in Tanedba, about a patient who fortunately survived. “Dehydration causes the body to go into shock. When the body reaches that point after a few minutes, it’s already too late. Doctors were resuscitating him, squeezing liters of fluids in his veins for about five minutes. His face and his breathing were really showing so much panic.”

MSF teams are setting up oral rehydration points, trucking in drinking water, constructing handwashing points and latrines, distributing hygiene kits, and doing health promotion in the affected communities.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Médecins sans frontières (MSF).

A growing number of African critical mineral projects are adopting renewable energy solutions and signing Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) to meet their production goals. Platinum group metals (PGM) producer Northam (https://apo-opa.co/4ghRLe7), for example, announced in August 2024 that it will utilize a 180 MW solar facility to power its Zondereinde PGM production site in South Africa. The solar farm is set to generate 220 GWh of electricity, meeting 15% of Northam’s energy needs using renewable energy. 

The upcoming Critical Minerals Africa (CMA) Summit will delve into the energy-mining nexus, providing insights into how African critical mineral projects are enhancing energy supply and affordability through PPAs. 

The Critical Minerals Africa 2024 summit on November 6 – 7 serves to position Africa as the primary investment destination for critical minerals. The event is held alongside the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energy 2024 conference on November 4 – 8, offering delegates access to the full scope of energy, mining and finance leaders in Cape Town. Sponsors, exhibitors and delegates can learn more by contacting sales@energycapitalpower.com. 

Northam is just one a string of mining producers utilizing PPAs to support production. Metals producer Jubilee (https://apo-opa.co/3Zmqmli) signed a three-year PPA with independent power producer Lunsemfwa Hydro Power Company in August 2024. Purchased power will support operations at Jubilee’s Roan Front-End Module and Concentrator as well as the Sable Copper Refinery in Zambia. With Jubilee expanding its production and processing facility at Sable to 25,000 tons per annum, the deal allows the firm to purchase an additional 10 MW of electricity to meet growing demand at the mine.  

Earlier in August, South African mining company Tharisa (https://apo-opa.co/3XoDJhU) entered into a PPA with green energy provider Etana to enhance energy security and decarbonize its Tharisa Mine in the North West Province of the country. The agreement will supply 44% of the mine’s energy needs using wind and solar, with the construction of new farms expected by 2026. This moves Tharisa closer to its goal of meeting 76% of its energy requirements with renewable sources by 2030. The deal complements an existing PPA for a 40 MW solar PV system signed with TotalEnergies Renewables South Africa and Chariot.  

Joining the increasing number of African critical mineral projects advancing energy security with PPAs is Australian mining firm Tronox Holdings (https://apo-opa.co/4cXdfdb) with the signing of a deal in June 2024 to power its South African operations. Energy firm NOA Group will supply 497 GWh of electricity, covering approximately 70% of Tronox’s mining operations by 2027, as part of the PPA. The deal complements a previous PPA signed with SOLA Group in 2022 for the offtake of 200 MW of renewable energy capacity to power Tronox’s mining operations in South Africa.  

CMA 2024 will feature critical mineral project operators and energy stakeholders in high-level panel discussions on how African mining projects are advancing energy security and affordability through renewable energy. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.

The meeting, held at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, was chaired by Ahmed Maalim Fiqi, Somalia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

The meeting was attended by the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, Egypt, and Mauritania, alongside Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the Arab League.

Discussions focused on joint Arab efforts to defend Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in response to the memorandum of understanding between Ethiopia and the Somaliland region.

At the conclusion, the group issued a statement affirming full Arab solidarity with Somalia’s right to protect its sovereignty and reject the mentioned memorandum of understanding and its legal, political, commercial, or military consequences.

The statement emphasised that Somaliland is an integral part of Somalia, based on the Arab League Charter, UN principles, and that any arrangements concerning the region must result from political dialogue among the Somali people.

The meeting was attended by Fawzia bint Abdullah Zainal, Bahrain’s Ambassador to Egypt and Permanent Representative to the Arab League, Ahmed Mohammed Al Teraifi, Head of the Arab and African Affairs Sector at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the delegation accompanying the Minister.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain.