Guinea

African operations contribute 50% to UBA’s earnings – CEO

admin — Sun, 04 Jun 2023 12:00:01 +0000

African operations contribute 50% to UBA’s earnings – CEO

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admin Sun, 06/04/2023 - 12:00

Friday, May 26, 2023

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Business Archives | Premium Times Nigeria

Original Article

African operations contribute 50% to UBA’s earnings – CEO

The United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc on Thursday announced that all its African subsidiaries are now on firm footing as they have been contributing maximally to the group’s profit margin.

The bank said its African operations, specifically, have contributed close to 50 per cent of the group’s earnings, leveraging on digital offerings and products across the board to gain large market shares across the different regions of operations in Africa.

The Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of UBA Africa, Abiola Bawuah, disclosed this while addressing journalists from across Africa during a hybrid media parley on Thursday.

She also highlighted the impact of devaluation and double digit inflation in Nigeria and a number of other African countries where the bank operates, adding that the subsidiaries have been performing well, contributing significantly to the growth and development of trade, infrastructure and finance on the continent.

“As of last month, none of our African subsidiaries is making a loss. They have all been turning in profits, this is a testament to the fact that they have navigated successfully and have all found their footing.

“And this extends to each and every one of them, even the ones in war-torn countries. Of course, we are aware that there is always room for improvement, but for now, we are glad that our 19 subsidiaries are out of the red zone,” Mrs Bawuah said.

Infrastructure Financing

In the area of infrastructure financing, she noted that the bank has been bullish in financing projects across Africa, which according to her is based on the conviction that the continent needs to bridge the infrastructural gap necessary for economic growth.

“UBA has proven expertise and capacity in key sectors of economies across Africa, especially in oil and gas, infrastructure finance, agriculture and commodity/export, and these have positioned it as a preferred partner for structured solutions to key governments and corporates operating in/into Africa,” she said.

She noted that in the last few years, the bank has invested heavily and supported key governments of various African countries with over $1 billion in infrastructural development, especially in roads, hospitals, health, power and other critical sectors.

READ ALSO: Reps summon NNPC subsidiaries over auditor general report

According to her, the bank has contributed massively in promoting trade in Africa and has partnered with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

“At UBA, we believe that our customers should be able to trade conveniently among themselves, and so we have been partnering with them in this area.

“We have made it easy for our customers across countries to trade easily within themselves, without having to bother about all the hassles that have to do with forex,” she said.

Earlier in the year, Mrs Bawuah, a Ghanaian national, was appointed as the first female CEO of UBA Africa.

Her appointment, according to the bank, further demonstrates UBA’s commitment to diversity. The UBA Group Board now includes eight female Directors.

Before her appointment, Mrs Bawuah was Regional CEO, West Africa, supervising the Group’s operations in nine subsidiaries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.

Africa

Business

Liberia’s Informal Businesses Make Strides Despite Covid-19 Interruption

admin — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 15:20:01 +0000

Liberia’s Informal Businesses Make Strides Despite Covid-19 Interruption

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admin Mon, 06/20/2022 - 15:20

Friday, June 17, 2022

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Business – FrontPageAfrica

Original Article

Liberia’s Informal Businesses Make Strides Despite Covid-19 Interruption

Monrovia – Liberians have once again shown how resilient they are, having weathered the civil war and Ebola. Though battered and bruised by COVID-19, they have stood strong, demonstrating a tremendous ability to withstand harsh times.

Ramatu Shariff, 55, a mother of eight boys, lives in Monrovia’s Clay Street making a living selling spaghetti, acheke (a cassava delicacy prepared with fish, sausage, and pepper sauce), and plantain chips off the front porch of her house, mainly to school children.

We found her home with three of her sons: the eldest, 37, who was quietly practicing his trade – repairing shoes; Abraham, 22, who served as our interpreter; and the last born, barely two years old.

She said the COVID-19 lockdowns halved her income.

Abraham was forced to drop out of school due to a decline in their household incomes. He used to travel to neighboring Guinea to buy sneakers to sell in Monrovia. He said COVID-19 wiped out his business.

“When COVID came, people were first scared of touching the shoes in case they contracted the disease. I eventually sold all my stock then and had to live off all my earnings and savings. I have nothing to use to rebuild my business,” he said with great pain in his eyes.

These are some of the stories we gathered from small informal business owners in Liberia about how COVID-19 impacted their lives, and their determination to pick up the pieces and forge ahead despite pandemic setbacks because this is how they feed and care for their families. Alternative livelihood opportunities are scarce, and recovery is slow.

In response to the COVID-19 lockdowns, UNDP Liberia undertook a rapid survey of 20,000 vulnerable street vendors and home-based informal businesses across 10 counties, randomly selecting 6,000 businesses which benefited from a one-off cash transfer to tide them over the loss of business. The cash transfers were funded by the governments of Canada and Norway.

UNDP further supported the government of Liberia to undertake a detailed digital Socio-Economic Impact Assessment (SEIA) on informal businesses earlier this year. Conducted in collaboration with Crisis Bureau’s SURGE Data Hub, the survey covered more than 8,000 households in 11 of the country’s 15 counties where Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) thrive. Interim findings confirmed the importance of the informal business sector, affirming that 80 percent of the country’s population aged over 15 years are engaged in informal businesses.

More than 33,400 people in the counties of Bong, Gbarpolu, Grand Bassa, Grand Gedeh, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, Rivergee and Sinoe were interviewed between January and March 2022 about how COVID-19 had impacted their lives and businesses. The interviews were conducted by Liberia’s Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS), with coordination oversight by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.

“These early findings confirm the critical role of the informal sector in Liberia’s economy, particularly its potential for creating employment for the youthful population, and for the overall prosperity of the country,” said Stephen Rodriques, UNDP’s Resident Representative in Liberia. “Without the creativity, innovation and resilience of informal businesses, which provided a critical cushioning effect against COVID-19, life would have been absolutely devastating for most Liberians”.

In the coming weeks, LISGIS, working with UNDP’s SURGE Data Hub, a UNDP Crisis Bureau initiative, will further analyze the findings of the study to better understand the contributions of the informal sector to the Liberian economy, and develop a multi-vulnerability index based on the sector workers’ experiences during COVID-19. The analysis will be used to inform the government’s policies for green, inclusive post-pandemic recovery.

“The lack of solid data on the levels of informality in the economy has long been a cause of concern not only to the government, but also for our development partners,” said Hon. Samuel D. Tweah, Minister of Finance and Development Planning. “Without this data, it is extremely difficult to make good policy decisions and design appropriate programmes for the sector,” the Minister concluded.

“Often, we need information on sectoral contributions to national income, but the information has not been easy to come by. The use of digital tools for data collection and analysis for the first time ever has enabled us to more reliably gauge the full extent and contribution of the informal sector, and the impacts of the pandemic on what is truly the largest sector of the economy numerically,” said Francis F Wreh, Director General, LISGIS.

Liberia has achieved a historic milestone by successfully completing the country’s first-ever comprehensive socio-economic impact assessment, using digital tools to collect and analyze highly detailed data about informal businesses.

The precise data collected about each respondent can be used in many ways including developing a registry of informal sector workers in the country; specifically targeting social protection payments down to a household and a specific person in the home, as well as developing initiatives that are driven by what people said they need as opposed to top-down prescriptive interventions. The data will also enable the government to compute the informal sector’s contribution to the GDP using primary data from respondents, as opposed to using guesstimates.

Africa

Business

CAF reinstates Sao Tome in AFCON qualifiers

admin — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 15:00:01 +0000

CAF reinstates Sao Tome in AFCON qualifiers admin Sun, 06/19/2022 - 15:00

Thursday, June 2, 2022

Original Publisher

Local – Sierra Leone Concord Times

Original Article

CAF reinstates Sao Tome in AFCON qualifiers

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reinstated Sao Tome and Principe in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers following an appeal against Mauritius.

This was announced in a statement on the federation’s website on Wednesday.

The Falcons and True Parrots Team will now join Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Guinea-Bissau in Group A of the Cote d’Ivoire 2023 AFCON qualifiers.

Sao Tome had won the preliminary tie 4-3 on aggregate over Mauritius, but the losing side took the case before CAF.

Mauritius complained that Sao Tome’s Luis Leal had not followed the CAF’s COVID-19 protocol.

They added that the Bolivia-based striker, who scored the only goal in the first leg of the tie, was not eligible to play against them because his PCR test dated more than 72 hours before the match, infringing on CAF protocol that tests must be from 48 hours.

During an initial ruling last month, CAF disciplinary board upheld Mauritius’ appeal, awarding the country a work-over for the first game of the encounter.

However, in the latest decision, the CAF appeal board said, “the result of the match between Mauritius and São Tomé and Príncipe is ratified and validated.”

It added that “the appeal of the São Tomé and Príncipe Football Association is upheld, and the decision of the CAF Disciplinary Board is set aside in its entirety.”

“São Tomé and Príncipe Football Association took the decision of the CAF Disciplinary Board (May 8 2022) to overturn the results of their match against Mauritius in the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations preliminary qualifiers played on March 24 2022, on review with the CAF Appeals Board,” read the statement.

“After hearing both parties’ presentations, the CAF Appeals Board ruled that: The Appeal of São Tomé and Príncipe Football Association is considered admissible in form. The Appeal of the São Tomé and Príncipe Football Association is upheld, and the decision of the CAF Disciplinary Board is set aside in its entirety.

Africa

News

Resident Minister opens Skye Bank Bo Branch

admin — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 13:40:02 +0000

Resident Minister opens Skye Bank Bo Branch admin Sun, 06/19/2022 - 13:40

Monday, May 30, 2022

Original Publisher

Business – Sierra Leone Concord Times

Original Article

Resident Minister opens Skye Bank Bo Branch

The first provincial branch of Skye Bank (SL) Limited has been opened in the southern city of Bo by the Resident Minister Hon. Mohamed E.K. Alie.

The opening ceremony which took place on Wednesday 25th May 2022 at the Bank edifice at 148 Mahie Boima Road, Bo was graced by the Resident Minster, Boja Chiefdom Paramount Chief PC Samba Sindi Hindowa, Brigade Commander, the Police and the bank’s esteemed customers among others.

Skye Bank is ranked among the top 10 banks in Sierra Leone and offers excellent banking services anchored by its team of seasoned and dedicated staff.

The Resident Minister Hon. Mohamed E.K. Alie welcomed the Skye Bank in Bo and also thanked them for choosing Bo as their first provincial destination to open a branch.

He promised that they will work with the Bank and provide the adequate security for them to do their business.

He called on residents of Bo to save with Skye Bank as it is a credible bank and can be accessed anywhere and anytime the need arises.

Skye Bank is an international bank operating in Nigeria, The Gambia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

Skye Bank Board Chairman, Hon. Brima Conteh described the occasion as a beginning of a journey which intends to take the bank across the provinces of Sierra Leone.

He went on to say in Sierra Leone, they can reflect on the decade long stay of Skye Bank’s growth and progress, and they can think ahead to a future of determination and stand to the challenges posed by the industry.

“We submit today the Bank’s programme to serve the entire spectrum of the country’s population by offering a variety of financial products and solutions.”

According to Hon. Brima Conteh, the aim is to ensure economic empowerment ranging from the small and medium enterprises to large scale corporate organizations.

“The Bank’s policies recognize that the strength of any society will ultimately depend on the progress of each of that society’s participants. The Bank’s approach also reflects another principle, the need for multiple development inputs. What this means is that forward steps in one area – such as education or health will work best they are combined and coordinated with other initiatives for example in transportation, or energy supply, or agriculture production. Business investment must go hand in hand with social investments.”

Hon. Brima Conteh emphasized that the Bank is deeply committed to these principles.

“We seek to work with a broad range of partners including government, civil society, international development agencies and others in the wildest possible range of sectors, from micro lending to retail banking from primary schools to universities. As we look to the promise of tomorrow for this bank, for this country, and for this region of the world, we realize that long journeys start with small but solid steps, and that each success we achieve will contribute to future progress.”

Skye Bank Board Chairman pledged the continuing support of the Board of Directors to the future growth of the Bank, including its expansion into every part of the country.

He expressed his gratitude to the Central Bank of Sierra Leone for welcoming Skye Bank initiative to venture into the provinces.

Paramount Chief Bo Kakua Chiefdom, Hon. PC Lappia Boima commended Skye Bank for chosen Bo as their first destination in the provinces. He encouraged his people to bank with Skye Bank as it is a good and credible bank.

Alusine Kamara of Kam Enterprise one of the Bank’s customers said he has been with Skye Bank for over five years because of their efficiency.

He said they have been supporting the Bank in Freetown now when it is in Bo it will be continues process as he was one of the intermediary for the bank to open branch in Bo.

“The bank is a very credible, just like any top bank in the country. I want to assured to Skye Bank to be rest assured of our continuous support.”

In his closing remarks, Skye Bank Managing Director, Akinwale Akinremi thanked dignitaries for witnessing such an historic event and announced free gifts for those that opened accounts that day.

He also used the opportunity to disclose that the Bank launched its Savings Promo in Bo for people to save a minimum of Le 200,000 in their account for three months duration.

After the three months, a raffle draws will be conducted for 30 winners and each winner will receive Le 1,000,000 including several consolation prizes as a way of giving back to society.

Presentation of Skye Bank’s products and the cutting of the tape by the resident minister climaxed the ceremony.

Skye Bank operates as one of the leading financial services companies in Sierra Leone and provides facets of financial products and services powered by a purpose-built technological framework that supports the service delivery process to customers. Skye Bank (SL) Limited operates through Retail Banking, Commercial Banking, and Treasury, Corporate, and Investment Banking segments.

Africa

Business

Sen. Snowe: ECOWAS to name, shame 3rd-term governments

admin — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 09:20:01 +0000

Sen. Snowe: ECOWAS to name, shame 3rd-term governments

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admin Wed, 02/23/2022 - 09:20

Monday, February 7, 2022

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Politics News – The New Dawn Liberia

Original Article

Sen. Snowe: ECOWAS to name, shame 3rd-term governments

By Lewis S. Teh

Bomi County Senator and Chairman on Security, and governance at the ECOWAS Parliament, Edwin Melvin Snowe says the committee on security and governance and the regional parliament, in general, will not relent on naming and shaming any democratically elected government in the region that will go beyond two terms.

“There’s is an upcoming ECOWAS summit which is expected to be hosted here in Liberia, at that summit we will discuss key issues affecting the region, including to name and shame any government that will want to go beyond their two-term limits, informing your citizens that you oppose the two-term limits given you by your constitution”, he says.

Appearing on OK Morning Rush a live talk show on Monday, February 7, 2022, in Monrovia, Sen. Snowe said the regional block is working to have a treaty on good governance to ensure that no government exceeds two terms in office.

He says the last ECOWAS summit held, Togo and Ivory Coast weren’t happy with the treaty regarding the two terms adding that in ECOWAS, most of the decisions are based on consensus, saying because of their rejection, that treaty was withdrawn. “But this summit, we’re putting that treaty back on the table to make sure that no country goes beyond the regular two-term limit.

The Bomi County Senator continues that ECOWAS has also discouraged military takeover in member states, saying “there are actions that will be taken to ensure peace in the region, and luckily for us, Liberia will be making history, because they will be hosting the entire ECOWAS parliament this March where over 200 participants will be in attendance, and the main discussion will center around the military takeover in the region.”

He says that the summit will come up with a strong resolution that will be submitted to President Weah and the President of Ghana, who’s the current chair for the ECOWAS Commission.

” At that summit, we will be condemning all those presidents that will be changing their constitutions, and condemning those countries that will go against two-term limits, corruption, nepotism, human rights abuse because those are things that trigger a military takeover”, Sen. Snowe notes.

He observes that the number of military takeovers in the region is on the increase, and the pending summit to be hosted in Liberia will be a huge debate on such issues, adding that when the military starts to feel that the country’s constitution is being abused, then it gives room for military takeover because the military in any country has the biggest gun far than the police.

“We as politicians must take the necessary action to avoid this thing from happening, let’s do the right thing so we can’t have the wrong action”, he cautions.

West Africa has witnessed three military coups in less than a year, beginning from Mali, followed by Guinea with the latest in Burkina Faso principally due to corruption and bad governance, including constitutional amendments by sitting presidents to seek a third term in office as it occurred in neighboring Guinea and Ivory Coast despite mass opposition. Editing by Jonathan Browne

Africa

Politics

Historic Moment For Gambia As They Advance To Maiden AFCON Quarter Final

admin — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 08:10:01 +0000

Historic Moment For Gambia As They Advance To Maiden AFCON Quarter Final

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admin Wed, 02/23/2022 - 08:10

Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Original Publisher

Foroyaa Newspaper

Original Article

Historic Moment For Gambia As They Advance To Maiden AFCON Quarter Final

Bologna and Gambia star Musa Barrow’s 71-minute goal puts the Scorpions in the quarter finals of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as they beat one of the tournament’s favourites Guinea Conakry by 1-0.

An excellent finish from a smooth pass from Yusupha Bobb was enough for Barrow who has been one of the best players in the tournament yet—contributing a goal in all four matches the country played so far. His splendid performance has earned the Man Of The Match for the second time.

Gambia who are one of two debutants in the continent’s flagship tournament have made history by reaching this stage for the first time trying.

The lowest-ranked team at the Afcon grabbed their famous win and continued their unbeaten run in the Afcon.

Coach Saintfiet made changes to the team that started Thursday’s 1-0 defeat of Tunisia. Sulayman Marreh and Ablie Jallow returned, while Modou Barrow, Saidy Janko, and goalkeeper Baboucarr Gaye kept their positions. Ebrima Darboe made his first start of the competition.

Yusupha Njie was given a red card in his debut match and Guinea’s Kante sent off in the last seconds.

Before the game started, the Scorpions suffered a huge blow with players being pulled out of the match-squad.

“Ibou Touray just pulled out of the game. Together with Noah Sonko and Saidy Janko, all three have food poisoning and cannot play. In comes his place is Dawda Ngum for his first appearance for the tournament. Because it’s a late withdrawal, it means Gambia has just used one of its five substitutes,” the Gambia Football Federation (GFF) announced on its Facebook platform.

Also, ahead of the game, GFF President Lamin Kaba Bajo announced that each member will be given $10,000:00 if they win the match.

Africa

News

Liberia: Poverty, Food Insecurity Were Extreme in 2021 – World Bank Economic Update on Liberia Reveal

admin — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 04:10:01 +0000

Liberia: Poverty, Food Insecurity Were Extreme in 2021 – World Bank Economic Update on Liberia Reveal

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admin Wed, 02/23/2022 - 04:10

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

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Business – FrontPageAfrica

Original Article

Liberia: Poverty, Food Insecurity Were Extreme in 2021 – World Bank Economic Up…

MONROVIA – In his 5th Annual Message to the 54th Annual Legislature, President George Weah painted blossom picture of the country’s 2021 economy. He told the Legislators and the nation in the presence of members of the diplomatic corps that he has managed to keep the economy stable and expanded it by 3.6 percent – a nominal value of US$300 million in 2021.

The 3.6 percent growth of the economy in 2021 was an improvement from the -3 percent in 2020 as that year was heavily struck by the coronavirus pandemic. Inflation was reduced to less than 6 percent in November 2021, from 13.1 percent in December 2020.

The improvements in the economic performance were due to improvements in the coordination between monetary and fiscal policies with the aid of the International Monetary Fund’s support to the Central Bank of Liberia.

“We have remained committed to the independence and autonomy of the Central Bank of Liberia in support of economic reforms for a stable economy. Although the year under review was challenging for the economy, my Government was fully supportive of policy implementations from the CBL that have kept the recovery of our economy on course,” Pres. Weah said.

He also outlined that during the year under review, his administration was successful in increasing the gross international reserves of Liberia to more than US$600 million, representing more than 4 months of import of goods and services in compliance with ECOWAS convergence target.

“Based on the sound management and good performance of our economy, Liberia received $345.3 million US dollars in August 2021 under the general Special Drawing Rights allocation to IMF members,” he said.

However, a study of the second edition of the Economic Update of Liberia released last November by the World Bank, it is clear that most of these positives in the economy are not directly impacting the ordinary citizens. Liberians, according to the Economic update, remain the second poorest people in West Africa. The first being Guinea Bissau.

According to the report, despite the recovery and lower inflation, extreme poverty in Liberia increased in 2021 but at a lower pace than in 2019 and 2020.

The Economic Update cited the High Frequency Phone Monitoring Survey report launched in August 2020, which indicates that two out of three households in Liberia are food insecure, three out of four households reported job losses, and two out of three households reported income losses because of COVID-19.

According to World Bank Group projections, the prevalence of extreme poverty has increased since the Ebola epidemic in 2014 and is estimated at 51.0 percent in 2020 (up from 38.6 percent in 2014). On average, 81.9 percent of the households interviewed in round 6 of the COVID-19 High Frequency Phone Monitoring Survey indicated that they were worried about not having enough food to eat, while 27.2 percent effectively ran out of food.

The report, among other things, indicated that most Liberians lack access to good jobs that provide sustainable earnings. Three out of four of those in the labor force are self-employed in agriculture (36 percent of all employment) or nonagricultural activities (almost 40 percent). Only 20 percent of workers are in wage employment, which tends to provide higher and more stable earnings.

The Economic Update also revealed that the Liberian government spends more than the average in Sub-Saharan Africa and countries with similar GNI per capita

It explained that Capital expenditure is higher in Liberia than in comparator countries at similar levels of development. Capital expenditure amounted to 10.2 percent of GDP over 2017–2020, a share much higher than in Guinea Bissau (0.5 percent), Madagascar (3.7 percent), Mozambique (4.4 percent), Malawi (5.3 percent), Burkina Faso (7.0 percent), or Mali (8.0 percent). The countries with similar levels of capital expenditure (to GDP) are Rwanda (10.3 percent) and Togo (11.9 percent). Capital expenditure is also higher in Liberia than in neighboring countries. Over the period 2017–2020, capital spending amounted to 6.8 percent of GDP in Sierra Leone, 4.9 percent of GDP in Côte d’Ivoire, 4.7 percent of GDP in Guinea, and only 2.0 percent of GDP in Ghana.

Similarly, while capital expenditure represented 31.8 percent of total expenditure in Liberia in the last four years (2017–2020), that share was 30.9 percent in Sierra Leone, 28.9 percent in Guinea, 26.4 percent in Côte d’Ivoire, and 9.3 percent in Ghana.

Liberia’s investment spending is less efficient and its capital stock lower than in comparator countries. Although Liberia spends more on public investment as a share of GDP than countries in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Sub-Sahara Africa in general, its overall capital stock is estimated to be lower than that of ECOWAS comparators, according to the IMF’s Public Investment Management Assessment (PIMA) report.

The Government of Liberia makes no saving and contributes little to the financing of its own public investment, the report revealed.

Africa

Business

New report on COVID-19 in Africa shows widespread willingness to get vaccinated, underscoring need for consistent supply and additional logistical support

admin — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 17:00:01 +0000

New report on COVID-19 in Africa shows widespread willingness to get vaccinated, underscoring need for consistent supply and additional logistical support

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admin Tue, 02/22/2022 - 17:00

Friday, December 17, 2021

Original Publisher

Health – The New Dawn Liberia

Original Article

New report on COVID-19 in Africa shows widespread willingness to get vaccinated…

Individual COVID-19 preventive measures, such as handwashing and wearing masks, mark the path forward in protecting people while vaccine efforts scale up

NEW YORK, 17th December 2021 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/- As the Omicron variant dominates the COVID-19 news cycle, new research from the Partnership for Evidence-Based Response to COVID-19 (PERC) indicates that people in African Union Member States are overwhelmingly willing to get vaccinated. Across 19 countries, 78% of people surveyed by PERC indicated that they had been or were willing to get vaccinated.

However, as of November 2021, less than 7% of the African continent has been vaccinated. This gap between acceptance and coverage demonstrates a substantial unmet need and underscores the importance of consistent and predictable vaccine supply as well as increased support for vaccination programs in Africa. The latest PERC report considers why global vaccination efforts have been plagued by inequity, as well as the logistical challenges to vaccinating the African continent. The report further outlines the continued importance of preventive measures—particularly individual measures such as masking and social distancing—that minimize the social or economic harm that can occur when mobility, economic and social gathering restrictions are imposed.

“We must work urgently toward equitable access to safe and effective vaccines on the African continent,” said Dr. John Nkengasong, Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. “The PERC data show that demand for vaccines is substantially higher than supply.”

At 78%, vaccine acceptance was higher than in the previous PERC survey fielded earlier this year (67%), which may indicate the success of risk communication campaigns. In five surveyed countries—Guinea, Morocco, Mozambique, Tunisia and Zimbabwe—acceptance was 90% or higher. Vaccine acceptance was high among both those who trusted their government’s pandemic response and those who felt COVID-19 posed a personal risk to them or to their country. Such high acceptance contradicts media reports suggesting that low vaccination rates across Africa are due to hesitancy.

Among the 20% of respondents who expressed vaccine hesitancy, the top reasons were: low risk perception (24%), not having enough information about vaccines (22%) and lack of trust in government (17%). The reasons for low risk perception are complex, but officials can take concrete action to address them. Offering more and better information to people about COVID-19 and vaccines through trusted sources, particularly health care providers, coupled with consistent and reliable vaccine supply, can further increase acceptance. Respondents’ top information sources included local health centers, television and radio.

A number of bottlenecks have contributed to the failure to achieve higher vaccination coverage. Unpredictable supply—in terms of volume, timing and shelf life—threatens countries’ ability to meet demand. When offered, vaccination is frequently inconvenient, requiring people to travel far distances or visit vaccination sites at inopportune times.

“I am heartened by the efforts of the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT) and the COVAX facility to expand vaccine access,” said Amanda McClelland, Senior Vice President of Prevent Epidemics at Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative of Vital Strategies. “But there is still work to do. Vaccine donations sent too close to expiry dates, for example, leave countries unable to launch effective vaccination campaigns.”

COVID-19 preventive measures remain crucial to mitigate the health impact of the virus. PERC researchers analyzed what influences support for and adherence to such measures and found that individual actions—handwashing, mask-wearing and social distancing—all garnered support from at least 90% of survey respondents. Such high support suggests that these key measures can continue to be effective strategies for reducing COVID-19 transmission.

Preventive measures restricting gathering or movement received less support. Unemployment and food insecurity were widespread among survey respondents and made adherence to restrictive community measures a challenge. PERC researchers concluded that such measures should be targeted to specific, high-risk populations as needed to minimize harm.

Income loss also may have had an adverse impact on access to essential health services. Cost and affordability were cited as the primary obstacles to receiving care. Declines in the number of health visits have likely contributed to declines across key health indicators. PERC researchers advocate for urgent investment to stabilize health systems and regain progress lost during the pandemic.

“The PERC data enable policymakers to both save lives and minimize impacts on livelihoods,” said Dr. Tom Frieden, President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative of Vital Strategies. “The global community has an opportunity to invest in health care workers and public health infrastructure to support vaccine delivery and COVID-19 care and prevention in the near term, and also repair and restore health service delivery disrupted by COVID-19 for the long term.”

Based on their findings, PERC authors recommend:

· The global community should support AU Member States in supplying vaccines at a better coordinated and more systematic pace to allow broader, more effective and equitable distribution. Resources and expertise to support vaccine delivery must be part of the supply machinery to ensure coverage.

Africa

Living Standard

Freetown Terminal celebrates former manager

admin — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 17:50:01 +0000

Freetown Terminal celebrates former manager

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admin Mon, 02/21/2022 - 17:50

Monday, February 7, 2022

Original Publisher

Local – Sierra Leone Concord Times

Original Article

Freetown Terminal celebrates former manager

By Abu Bakarr Kargbo

Management and Staff of Freetown Terminal Limited, a subsidiary of Bollore Transports and Logistics Group, were joined by government officials, customers, friends, and well-wishers to host a cocktail dinner for their departing friend, mentor, and hero, Captain Fabjanko Kokan who has served as Country Manager for Bollore for the past seven. Held at the Hub Restaurant on Friday 4th February 2022, Captain Kokan’s departure was celebrated for a major landmark he created in transforming the Company and helping to boost the country’s economy.

Speaker after speaker, including Documentation Manager – Darell Coker, SALS Manager – Jonathan Lewis, Country Chief Finance Officer – Maimouna Drame, expressed nice sentiments about the departing hero, who has left an indelible footprint at the Freetown Terminal Limited.

Other staff like the Country Human Resource Manager – Claudia Morgan and Finance Manager all have positive stories to tell about the quality leadership provided by Captain Kokan. “He is a man of his words. He is caring, disciplined, a great mentor, and a mixer who does not discriminate against people,” they said and added that he will be sadly missed by the workforce.

The newly appointed Country Manager of Bollore Transport and Logistics, Bertrand Kerguelen was full of praises for his predecessor, adding that he enjoyed working with him and had learned a lot from Captain Kokan. He assured his team that he is willing to continue with the development left by Captain Kokan and admonished his workers to do their best for the good of the company and country.

Addressing his audience, Captain Kokan said although he is going to work next-door, Guinea, his eyes and heart will always be in Sierra Leone, a country he has enjoyed serving for seven years, and furthered that he enjoyed working with a committed and dedicated team throughout these years. He added that he worked under challenging moments like, during the Ebola Outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic, the company has never ceased operations during these trying moments.

Captain Kokan assured that the company is always willing to serve Sierra Leone even after he must have left. He thanked his management and staff for giving him the support over the years and admonished them to continue serving his successor.

It could be recalled on 24th September 2021 at Menthaba Village in the Sanda Tendaren Chiefdom, where the Bollore Country Manager was officially accord with the title Pa Kapr Komrabai Kawaleh (meaning Ambassador of Light), by Ceremonial Chiefs.

The presentation of gifts by individuals and companies climaxed the event.

Africa

News

President Kenyatta Urges African Leaders to Maximize Efforts to Eliminate Malaria

admin — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 14:30:01 +0000

President Kenyatta Urges African Leaders to Maximize Efforts to Eliminate Malaria

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admin Mon, 02/21/2022 - 14:30

Sunday, February 6, 2022

Original Publisher

Social – Ethiopian News Agency

Original Article

President Kenyatta Urges African Leaders to Maximize Efforts to Eliminate Malar…

Addis Ababa February 6/2022/ENA/ The President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta urged African leaders to maximize their efforts to eliminate Malaria by 2030 in the continent.

President Kenyatta, who is also chair of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), made the remark today during the launch of the 2021 Malaria Progress Report on Africa in Addis Ababa on the margins of the ongoing 35th African Union Summit.

According the report malaria remains a significant threat to the health and socio-economic development of Africa.

The report stated that the burden of malaria in the continent is more significant than previously showing a 19 percent increase of deaths.

Some 2.1 million additional malaria deaths have been registered in Africa since 2000, it indicated.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also been compounding the challenges of malaria in the continent, the report added noting that the pandemic alone contributed to 49, 000 additional malaria deaths in 2020 across the continent.

The report further stated that the continent is not on the right track to achieve its ambitious goal of eliminating malaria by 2030.

According to the report, only 15 member states of the African Union including Ethiopia achieved significant progress towards the 2030 targets.

Among AU Members Ethiopia, Mauritania, Cape Verde, Gambia and Ghana were able to reduce malaria incidence by at least 40 percent. While Estwatini, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, Senegal and Togo reduced the incidence by 25 to 40 percent.

Two countries, Ethiopia and South Africa reduced malaria mortality by 40 percent; Niger, Sierra Leone and Togo also reduced the mortality by 25 to 40 percent.

While, Cape Verde and Sao Tome & Principe have been registered zero death of Malaria since 2018, the report revealed.

During the occasion President Kenyatta called African leaders to be the forefront globally and nationally to achieve goal of eliminating malaria by 2030, noting that ending malaria is attainable if the African Heads of State and Government take decisive actions.

Kenyatta further pointed out the need to advocate for the replenishment of the Global Fund in 2022 and mobilize new coalition of malaria champions at home and abroad.

Founded in 2009, the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) is a ground-breaking coalition of African Heads of State and Government working across country and regional borders to achieve a malaria-free Africa by2030. All African Union countries are members of ALMA.

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