Page 3 - Africa

What to expect from the 9th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit

China approved loans worth $4.61 billion to Africa last year, the first annual increase since 2016

Xi Jinping wants bigger returns, fewer headaches from African debt deals

From Angola to Djibouti, for over a decade, China poured more than $120 billion of government-backed loans through its Belt and Road Initiative to build hydropower plants

Indonesia expects to sign $3.5 bn business deals at 2nd Africa forum

"The partnership between Indonesia and Africa so far has significantly increased trade volumes and trade agreements," President Joko Widodo said during his opening speech for the forum on Monday

China to pitch green tech exports to Africa amid concerns of Western curbs

"That's a big ask for a continent that generally has very poor China literacy."

UN releases $100 million for humanitarian emergencies in 10 countries

The United Nations released USD 100 million on Friday for humanitarian emergencies in 10 countries in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Caribbean. Acting UN humanitarian chief Joyce Msuya said a lack of funding in these countries is preventing aid agencies from providing life-saving assistance, and that is heart-wrenching. More than one-third of the new funding from the Central Emergency Response Fund known as CERF will go to Yemen, where a civil war is now in its 10th year, and Ethiopia, where government forces are fighting several rebel groups in its regions as well as ethnic-related insurgencies. Yemen is getting USD 20 million and Ethiopia USD 15 million. Humanitarian operations in countries engulfed in years of conflict and displacement, exacerbated by climate shocks will also be getting funds: Myanmar (USD 12 million), Mali (USD 11 million), Burkina Faso (USD 10 million), Haiti (USD 9 million), Cameroon (USD 7 million) and Mozambique (USD 7 million). So will two countries

African debt crisis may have severe implications for world economy

The continent's foreign debt reached more than $1.1 trillion at the end of last year. More than two dozen countries have excessive debt or are at high risk of it

Officials expediting efforts to bring next batch of cheetahs by year-end

India has expedited efforts to bring a new batch of 12-14 cheetahs by the end of the year, with a delegation set to visit South Africa soon for ground-to-ground negotiations, officials said on Tuesday. PTI has learned that negotiations are also ongoing with Kenya, and a memorandum of understanding is being finalized. "We are actively engaging with South Africa on the matter. A delegation will visit the country in late September or early October to hold ground-to-ground negotiations. The next batch of cheetahs could come from either of these two countries," the official said. The 'Action Plan for Reintroduction of Cheetah in India' talks about bringing around 12-14 cheetahs each year from South Africa, Namibia, and other African countries for five years to establish a founder stock. "We have communicated to South Africa that we want to expedite efforts to bring another batch of cheetahs by the end of the year as per the recommendation of the Cheetah Project Steering Committee and in

India considered sourcing cheetahs from Somalia, Tanzania, Sudan

India considered sourcing new cheetahs from Somalia, Tanzania, Sudan and other range countries closer to the equator or in the Northern Hemisphere to avoid biorhythm complications observed in big cats brought from Southern Hemisphere countries like South Africa and Namibia, according to official records. Due to the differences in circadian rhythms between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, some cheetahs developed thick winter coats during the Indian summer and monsoon last year, anticipating the African winter (June to September). Three of these cheetahs -- a Namibian female and two South African males -- died after wounds beneath their winter coats, on their backs and necks, became infested with maggots and led to blood infections. PTI has learnt from sources that the cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa have once again developed thick winter coats. Despite these concerns, discussions are ongoing with Southern Hemisphere countries to bring new cheetahs. "Talks are ongoing wi

Mpox risks heighten with mosaic of infection patterns in Central Africa

Diagnostic testing is insufficient in central Africa, investigators say, as is the sophisticated genomic sequencing that helped scientists map and understand the spread of Covid-19 within communities

Africa's natural resources, demographic advantage attract investors: V-P

Africa's natural resources, demographic advantage and growing economic integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area make it an attractive destination for investments, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Wednesday. He also said that India's new-age digital technologies and its space programme offer huge opportunities for Africa to increase cooperation with India. "Africa's natural resources, demographic advantage and growing economic integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area make it an attractive destination for investments," Dhankhar said. He was addressing CII's India-Africa Business Conclave here. He added that India's Duty-Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) scheme offers enormous opportunities for mutual development. The vice president said that resurgent Africa and rising India can give a strong impetus to south-south cooperation specially in areas like clean technology, climate-resilient agriculture, maritime security, and connectivity. "India

Africa's mpox vaccine plan aims to avoid repeat of Covid-19 pandemic errors

It was a similar story during the Covid-19 pandemic. When those shots first became available, Africa found itself at the back of the queue

African swine fever causes Rs 800 cr worth loss to Mizoram pig farmers

The pig farmers of Mizoram suffered a loss of nearly Rs 800 crore following the outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the state since 2021, the assembly was informed on Tuesday. In a written reply to a question, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister C Lalsawivunga said that 57,217 pigs died of ASF and 43,159 others were culled to prevent the spread of the disease between March 2021 and 15 August 2024. Pig farmers of the northeastern state incurred financial loss to the tune of Rs 799.68 crore during that period, he said. The minister said that 9,866 pigs have died and 17,977 others culled causing a loss of Rs 239.45 crore due to ASF between January to 15 August this year. Lalsawivunga said that the state government received financial assistance of varied amounts from the Centre from time to time to tackl the situation. The state government declared ASF as state of disaster or calamity on January 1 this year, he said adding that the administration is making massive efforts to

Mpox outbreak spreads in Africa with Burundi reporting 100 cases: WHO

The cases, 28 per cent of which were in children under five, have been reported since July in multiple districts

Domestic exporters keep fingers crossed amid Mpox outbreak in Africa

Indian exporters are keeping their fingers crossed amid the outbreak of Monkeypox in Africa, as the continent is a crucial region for domestic exports. According to exporters, though the spread of the disease is contained in certain countries, it would be a challenge, if it spreads to more nations. "As of now, the spread is not rampant, but looking into the infection, the exporters are definitely concerned, hoping it will not spread," Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) Director General Ajay Sahai said. Another exporter said that so far, there is no lockdown-like situation in the continent, and therefore, no payment delays are happening. "But, we are keeping our fingers crossed," he said. Think tank GTRI said the direct impact of the MPox outbreak on global trade has been relatively limited so far, though the situation warrants close monitoring. Unlike the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to strict travel bans, the current MPox situation has not necessitated such drastic

Mpox triggers second global alert in 2 years as new variant spreads rapidly

A new mpox variant, clade Ib, detected in Sweden and Pakistan, spreads mainly through household contact and has a higher fatality rate, prompting increased global alert

Mpox emergency response hit by scarce financing amid WHO calls for support

WHO has released $1.45 mn from its contingency fund for emergencies, while African Union has approved $10.4 mn from its existing Covid funds for Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention

Monkeypox outbreak: Causes, symptoms, and cases outside Africa

Mpox now a global health emergency; 'easily transmitting': Causes, symptoms

Monkeypox (or Mpox) is part of the same virus family as smallpox but typically causes milder symptoms, such as fever, chills, and body aches

Extreme heat endangering children in West, Central Africa, says UNICEF

Children in West and Central Africa are increasingly exposed to extreme heat, which further endangers their health, according to a new report by UNICEF. The frequency of heatwaves in the region has more than quadrupled since the 1960s, according to the report published on Wednesday. West Africa experienced an unprecedented heat wave earlier this year that led to a surge in deaths. One hospital in Mali reported 102 deaths in the first four days of April, compared to 130 deaths in the entire month of April last year. It's unknown how many of the fatalities were due to the extreme weather as such data cannot be made public under the regulations imposed by the country's military rulers. The extreme heat is creating health concerns for children and pregnant women as it is linked to higher chances of stillbirths, low birth weight and preterm births, according to the report. Exposure to high levels of heat also leaves children more vulnerable to developing chronic diseases and contracting

Mpox outbreaks in Africa declared global health emergency. What is mpox?

The World Health Organization has declared that the increasing spread of mpox in Africa is a global health emergency, warning the virus might ultimately spill across international borders. The announcement by WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus came after a meeting of the UN health agency's emergency committee. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared mpox a public health emergency on the continent on Tuesday. WHO on Wednesday said there have been more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths in Africa this year, which already exceed last year's figures. So far, more than 96% of all cases and deaths are in a single country -- Congo. Scientists are concerned by the spread of a new version of the disease there that might be more easily transmitted among people. Here's a look at what we know about mpox, and what might be done to contain it: What is mpox? Mpox, also known as monkeypox, was first identified by scientists in 1958 when there were outbreaks of a