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Vaccinologist Sarah Gilbert: ‘We need to be better prepared for a new pandemic’
June 26, 2022The Guardian(Gilbert with her Barbie doll. Photograph: Andy Paradise/REX/Shutterstock)The woman who co-developed the AstraZeneca vaccine on reassuring doubters, her new book and having a baby penguin named after her. Dame Sarah Gilbert, 60, is a professor of vaccinology at Oxford’s Jenner Institute and author, with Catherine Green, head of Oxford University’s clinical biomanufacturing facility, of Vaxxers – a gripping narrative about developing the AstraZeneca vaccine that is wonderfully accessible and illuminating without dumbing down the science. She lives in Oxford with her husband and grownup triplets. Another wave of Covid-19 is reported to be on its way. To what extent are you able to anticipate what the virus will do next and prepare? Anticipating what the virus will do next is the job of those who do surveillance in epidemiology. But if a new sequence is thought to be becoming dominant, our problem is that making a new version of the vaccine takes time and has to be tested and approved. What’s been happening, as we go through one wave after another, is that the virus has been too quick. Regulators cannot approve a vaccine unless they can see the clinical data, then you have to scale up manufacturing to produce the vaccine in quantity. Developers are still using the original vaccines, which are supplying good protection against the disease. In your book, you answer the fear, felt by some people, that the vaccine was produced too quickly. We moved from vaccine production to licensure as quickly as possible. But every single thing we normally do when developing a vaccine was done, it was just that we worked very hard to cut out all delays in that process. This was only possible because there was one project in the world that everyone cared about and regulators were able to remove bottlenecks in their process. The vaccine was presented in the media as a competition between manufacturers. When we started, nobody had any certainty over what would work; it was important to have as many options in development as possible. We had multiple successful vaccines, which was wonderful. Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca were licensed for emergency use early and yet there were still shortages in vaccine production. Your book powerfully reassures vaccine doubters. I wonder if you agree that the psychology behind the vaccine-averse might partly be in reaction to months of being told how to live, or not live – and be a wish to reclaim control? There might be something in that. In some countries, people do not want to be vaccinated because their government recommends it and they don’t trust their government. I don’t think that was a feature in the UK because, whatever people’s view on government, they recognise the input of the NHS. But a lot of the hesitancy among younger people was because they were receiving misinformation, sometimes through friends whose opinions they trusted. Is there any risk that Covid-19, instead of becoming more transmissible and less deadly, might return as a more severe variant? The truth is we don’t know where Covid-19 is going next. It could continue to become milder or it could become a more severe disease again. Are we over-reliant on the vaccine’s efficacy in the UK and becoming slipshod in no longer wearing face masks? Do you still wear a mask? I’ve more or less stopped. I had about a year of always following the guidance. But recently, there hasn’t been any guidance. I’ve travelled on the tube without a mask. I got Covid, for the first time, about 10 days ago. It was like having an unpleasant cold and didn’t worry me. It only lasted a few days and I was fine again. To what extent was having triplets good preparation for the stamina you’ve needed professionally? If you’ve been through having triplets, you realise that when the chips are down and you have to do something, you can. People often do more than they expect of themselves – when there’s a need to find the strength and energy to get a job done. What was your most stressful moment? Ironically, it was when we got the efficacy result in November 2020. It was complicated because there were different levels of efficacy in different parts of the trial. Everybody had been working flat out for months and was very tired. Those leading the project had to go into pretty gruelling media interviews. I was doing two hours of back-to-back 15-minute interviews without a break. It was wonderful to have the result but having to explain it was challenging. And yet somehow you found time to write a book. I’d do it whenever I had a spare moment. A small part of it, I dictated as I was walking. I sometimes walk to work when the weather is nice as it gives my brain a rest and nobody can interrupt me. It must have been hard for your family having you consumed by work. It’s difficult to take any time away from the job I do. I find it really hard to switch off. I need to get better at that. It was difficult for all of us – they did whatever they could to support me. Oxford has made you a professor of vaccinology – it must be a delight to have that recognition. I’ve had the title from 2010 but now have an endowed chair. It’s very gratifying but none of the people who work for me have secure jobs, so I’m still raising funds to keep them in post. I’m recruiting staff for my research group (on vaccines that are not for Covid and on vaccine technology) and am very, very busy. We’ve lost a lot of staff who are exhausted and no longer willing to put up with short-term, not particularly well-paid jobs. The funding really needs to change though I don’t see any short-term prospect of it getting better. You’ve had a Barbie doll named after you – what does she look like? And a baby penguin at London Zoo? I can show you [she produces a bespectacled Barbie with straight red hair, face mask dangling from her hand]. Can you see? She’s not a bad likeness and – look – I really like her little mask. I’ve visited the baby penguin and fed it some fish – that was quite fun. You have a mug saying “Keep calm and develop vaccines”. Who gave it to you? It was a Secret Santa present at work. The mug is now with the Science Museum in London. But I want to show you something else: my daughter embroidered this [a little sampler with the same message stitched in place]. I’ve read that you keep calm and garden when you can – how is your garden doing? Really, really bad. It’s been overtaken by weeds. It’s a small garden and because of being busy all my life, I designed it to be low-maintenance, but it does require some intervention and recently hasn’t had any. Your book sees a new pandemic as a future certainty. What should we do differently next time around? We need to be better prepared in many different areas. In vaccine development, there are viruses we already know can cause disease outbreaks, yet we don’t yet have a vaccine against them. We should be developing vaccines now against all those and having them ready so that if there is an outbreak, we’ve got the vaccine to cope with it.
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- 6 July 2022
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Adesina and President Guelleh discuss ways of transforming Djibouti’s economy
June 7, 2022 Devidiscourse(Pictures: Akinwumi Adesina\'s official Twitter account)African Development Bank Group President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina met with President Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti and senior government officials at the weekend to discuss the country\'s economic progress and opportunities.Adesina was on a two-day official visit to the Horn of Africa nation. For more than two hours, he and President Guelleh discussed ways of transforming Djibouti\'s economy as the country strives to achieve its vision of becoming an information, communication and technology (ICT) hub in the region.The Bank Group chief received Djibouti\'s highest honor of Commandeur dans l\'ordre national, presented to him by Prime Minister Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed.Djibouti is largely dry and barren. Its population of nearly one million people relies on imported food. Its Red Sea port remains the main source of income and employment. It is also a gateway for landlocked neighboring Ethiopia.Adesina said: \"Djibouti needs to look beyond the port, diversify its economy and scale up development. Flying over the country, one sees huge tracts of dry land. But it is only when one meets and talks to the people in this country that one realizes, there is no drought in terms of ideas, creativity, passion and determination.\"President Guelleh thanked Adesina for his first visit to Djibouti and commended the African Development Bank for its multifaceted assistance to the country.\"You are supporting us in various areas, including the budget support that the Bank is providing to help our country meet the unexpected effects of the Covid-19 crisis. We welcome your support to Djibouti by focusing on energy, climate change, agriculture and transport infrastructure resilience.\"Djibouti was invited to consider joining the Bank Group\'s Africa Disaster Risk Finance facility (ADRiFi), through which countries receive support to insure themselves against extreme weather events. The facility is already helping nine countries pay for insurance premiums to protect themselves from the effects of climate change.The Horn of Africa country could benefit from the introduction of the Bank\'s Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation program, which uses heat-resistant wheat and water-efficient maize varieties to increase farm productivity.Djibouti country could also consider hydroponics method that uses a water-based solution instead of soil to grow crops. Adesina said this could save Djibouti from relying on food imports.The Bank chief—who on Saturday toured a subsea cable landing station—said Djibouti had the potential to become a regional center of excellence in telecommunication. Djibouti Telecom has two subsea cable landing stations serving more than 50 telecommunication operators with connections to over 90 countries in the world.\"There is no doubt in my mind that Djibouti will further help to connect Africa to the rest of the world, and also become a global center with data centers,\" Adesina said, adding: \"I definitely see a \'Djibouti Beyond Ports,\' a nation that should move itself to becoming an ICT hub globally.\"Bright prospects for renewable energyThe Bank Group chief also toured one of Djibouti\'s interconnection substations for power imported from neighboring Ethiopia. The African Development Bank invested $60 million in the first interconnection with Ethiopia, to transmit a total of 320 megawatts. Djibouti has approached the Bank for a similar investment to distribute an additional 320-megawatt line from Semera in Ethiopia to Nagad in Djibouti, a distance of 192 kilometers.Adesina said Djibouti needed a diversified power generation system and encouraged the government to invest in wind and solar power.The African Development Bank has provided $20 million for geothermal exploration around Lake Assal region. The drilling and testing of the project have been completed.The Bank is discussing with Djibouti, the construction of the first solar plant that will generate 15 megawatts of power. This plant will be part of the Bank-funded $20 billion Desert-to-Power initiative, which will deliver electricity to 250 million people across 11 countries.Adesina said that with more African countries exploring clean and renewable energy, it is time to establish a regional training center for capacity building to serve the continent.The Bank chief met with seven cabinet ministers and other officials, including Minister for Economy and Finance Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh, who is also Djibouti\'s Governor for the African Development Bank Group.On Sunday, Adesina interacted with young entrepreneurs. Fahima Mohamed Ismail spoke proudly about her passion for agriculture: \"We are very well educated with PhDs, we put on makeup and we love agriculture.\"
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- 14 June 2022
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Ukraine war: Hungry Africans are victims of the conflict, Macky Sall tells Vladimir Putin
BBC News 2022. 6. 4(Picture: BBC)African countries are innocent victims of the war in Ukraine and Russia should help ease their suffering, the head of the African Union has told Vladimir Putin at a meeting in Russia.After talks in Sochi, Macky Sall said the Russian leader had promised to ease the export of cereals and fertiliser, but gave no details.Mr Putin denied Moscow was preventing Ukrainian ports from exporting grain.Over 40% of wheat consumed in Africa usually comes from Russia and Ukraine.But Ukraine\'s ports in the Black Sea have been largely blocked for exports since the conflict began. Kyiv and its allies blame Moscow for blockading the ports, which Ukraine has mined to prevent a Russian amphibious assault.\"Failure to open those ports will result in famine,\" the UN\'s crisis coordinator Amin Awad said in Geneva.He said a grain shortage could affect 1.4 billion people and trigger mass migration.The war has exacerbated already existing shortages in Africa caused by bad harvests and insecurity.Food prices have shot up across the continent since Russia invaded Ukraine 100 days ago, pushing huge numbers towards hunger.The head of the World Food Programme, Mike Dunford, said more than 80 million people were acutely food insecure, acutely hungry in Africa - up from about 50 million people this time last year.Chad has declared a national food emergency. A third of the population needs food aid, according to the UN and the government has appealed for international assistance.Mr Sall, who is Senegal\'s president, told Mr Putin he should be \"aware that our countries, even if they are far from the theatre [of action], are victims of this economic crisis\".He said he was also pleading on behalf of other countries in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America.Mr Putin said Russia was ready to guarantee the safe export of Ukrainian grain via ports on the Azov and Black seas it controls. He said the best solution would be to lift sanctions on Belarus, a close Russian ally, so the grain could be shipped that way.Some analysts argue the Kremlin is hoping that a looming food crisis will put political pressure on the West by provoking big new refugee flows towards Europe from food-insecure countries in the Middle East and Africa.Before Friday\'s meeting, Mr Putin said he was always on the side of Africa, but didn\'t explicitly mention the continent\'s food crisis.Like many African countries, Senegal has avoided taking sides in the conflict and the Senegalese leader also said food supplies should be \"outside\" the West\'s sanctions on Russia. He said he had made this point when he spoke to the European Council earlier in the week.Last Friday, US President Joe Biden dismissed the idea that the West bore responsibility for the global price rises.\"This is a Putin price hike. Putin\'s war has raised the price of food because Ukraine and Russia are two of the world\'s major bread baskets for wheat and corn, the basic product for so many foods around the world,\" he said.
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- 7 June 2022
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IRODA, WAVES, and AIL win 2022 Juliette Gimon Courage Awards
Bakersfield.com 2022. 6. 1(Picture: Yahoo Finance)WASHINGTON, DC and LONDON, June 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Fund for Children announces the winners of the 2022 Juliette Gimon Courage Awards today, recognizing the perseverance of three organizations working to challenge systems that exclude children and youth from education.This year’s winners are IRODA in Tajikistan, Women Against Violence and Exploitation in Society ( WAVES ) in Sierra Leone, and Afghan Institute of Learning ( AIL ) in Afghanistan, which are being honored for their work supporting children and youth who have been excluded from formal schooling. The three winners are committed to defending the rights of young people to access quality education and reach their full potential.IRODA was founded by Dr. Lola Nasriddinova and her husband Fazliddin after their five-year-old son was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), at a time when medical professionals in Tajikistan had limited knowledge of ASD and children with ASD were not accepted into school. Lola and Fazliddin gathered a group of parents experiencing the same situation and established an organization to support children with ASD.IRODA has since pioneered ASD services and support across Tajikistan, training professionals and parents who work with children with ASD; helping children with ASD enroll in formal school and young adults with ASD find employment; and setting up both the first social enterprise café and the first early intervention resource center in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.“We have traveled a difficult and thorny path that has led us from being parents who were feeling lost and isolated to becoming activists and professionals working in the field of autism,” said Dr. Nasriddinova, the Executive Director of IRODA. “Thank you to all of those who have traveled this path with us, and above all, thank you to our children who have changed our lives and given us courage.”WAVES was founded by Hannah Yambasu in 2005. After personally experiencing childhood abuse and fighting to remain free of an arranged marriage, Hannah has dedicated herself to advocating for girls’ rights to freedom from violence and access to education. At great personal risk, she has confronted practices such as child marriage and female genital cutting, as well as advocating for policy changes that benefit girls and women.WAVES empowers girls to speak out against sexual and gender-based violence and to advocate for their sexual and reproductive health and rights, while engaging adults in the community to adopt more supportive attitudes and practices. One of the organization’s greatest achievements is successfully advocating to overturn a government ban in Sierra Leone that prohibited pregnant girls from attending mainstream schools and sitting for national exams.“We believe the award is recognition of our hard work and commitment to creating a safe and enabling environment for women and girls,” said Yambasu, the Executive Director of WAVES. “This award inspires confidence and passion in us to continue to address issues relating to women and adolescents, especially girls, and to do more to build the agency of young people to speak out against sexual and gender-based violence, advocate for sexual and reproductive rights, and become agents of change in their communities.”Dr. Sakena Yacoobi founded AIL after witnessing as a child the struggles women and children faced accessing health care and education.Since its inception in 1995, AIL has significantly increased access to education for girls and women by providing them with private schools and learning centers and by fostering literacy. AIL delivers leadership and human rights workshops, including a two-year leadership program for high school students and a women’s empowerment program for 70 female leaders in Herat, Afghanistan. The organization also set up a legal clinic to enable women to understand their rights and access free legal assistance. With growing concerns about girls’ access to schools and education again, AIL is exploring safe ways to bring education to girls and women, including a partnership with TV Meraj for a televised education program that would reach children without access to school.“It means the world to me to receive this award because children are the hope for a peaceful future – we must nurture and put them above all,” said Dr. Yacoobi, AIL’s Executive Director. “I am a voice for millions of Afghan children suffering through such crises who are not being heard. I know how much it meant to Juliette to see children happy, given opportunities, and succeed in all parts of the world.”Global Fund for Children gives the annual Courage Awards through the Juliette Gimon Fund for Courageous Leadership – a more than $1 million endowment made possible by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and other donors – in honor of Juliette Gimon, who passed away in 2018. A former GFC Board Chair, Gimon helped shape GFC through her wisdom, insights, and profound concern for children, changing hundreds of thousands of young lives across the globe.“We’re delighted to recognize IRODA, WAVES, and AIL for their dedication to challenging systems that are excluding young people from education and for helping children to access essential needs and become agents of change in their own communities,” said John Hecklinger, President and CEO of Global Fund for Children. “Like Juliette, the leaders of the winning organizations are brave women who are passionate about supporting children and youth.”This year, the Courage Award Selection Committee has designated a new category of award recognition, honorees, to celebrate more community-based organizations positively impacting children in challenging circumstances. Along with the 2022 award winners, the 2022 honorees have demonstrated incredible courage in service of social change.In Peru, 2022 honoree Yanapanakusun provides housing, access to education, and other support to child and adolescent laborers, migrants, and trafficking survivors, as well as to other young people in vulnerable circumstances. In Honduras, 2022 honoree Warriors Zulu Nation Honduras empowers youth in neighborhoods with a significant gang presence to practice different art forms while exploring social issues that impact their communities.The 2022 Courage Award winners were selected from among 14 finalists that have empowered children and youth to overcome tremendous obstacles, including inequality, exploitation, and a lack of access to quality education.Join Global Fund for Children on June 16 to celebrate 2022 Courage Award winners and to meet their inspirational founders. Register for the online event today.ABOUT GLOBAL FUND FOR CHILDRENGlobal Fund for Children partners to build a world where all children and youth enjoy equal resources and opportunities in society and live free from violence, discrimination, and exploitation. To that end, GFC invests in innovative local organizations, helping them deepen their impact and develop their capacity for social change. Together, GFC and its partners advance the rights of children and youth facing poverty and injustice and equip them with the tools and skills to reach their full potential. Since 1997, Global Fund for Children has invested $51 million in more than 900 organizations, reaching more than 11 million children and youth worldwide. For more information, visit www.globalfundforchildren.org.ABOUT THE JULIETTE GIMON COURAGE AWARDSJuliette Gimon, a former Board Chair of Global Fund for Children, passed away on February 24, 2018. GFC established the Juliette Gimon Fund for Courageous Leadership, a more than $1 million endowment made possible by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and other generous donors. Annual awards from the fund – the Juliette Gimon Courage Awards – recognize innovative grassroots organizations around the world that are positively impacting children in especially challenging circumstances. Some recipients have overcome considerable obstacles to pioneer an innovation that transforms circumstances for children and youth. Others demonstrate the courage of resilience, thriving amid unusual contextual challenges; still others have leaders who have navigated personal hardship and channeled adversity into their organization’s cause. For more information, visit www.globalfundforchildren.org/courage-awards.ABOUT IRODADushanbe, TajikistanIRODA provides access to quality services appropriate for the unique needs of children and youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In a context where there is a lack of knowledge and acceptance of ASD, IRODA trains professionals and parents on working with children with ASD, facilitates a parent support group, and helps children with ASD enroll in formal school. The organization has partnered with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection in Tajikistan to create guidelines for the clinical diagnosis of ASD and initiated the first early intervention resource center at a local preschool in Dushanbe. For more information, visit https://autism.tj/.ABOUT WOMEN AGAINST VIOLENCE AND EXPLOITATION IN SOCIETY (WAVES)Bo, Sierra LeoneWAVES develops the capacity of girls in Bo, Sierra Leone, both in and out of school, to speak out against sexual and gender-based violence, advocate for sexual and reproductive rights, and become agents of change in their communities. The organization also conducts extensive community outreach and advocates for policy changes to benefit girls and women. WAVES stands with girls and women who are experiencing challenging social norms, such as child marriage, and advocates for their rights to education, employment, political participation, and social justice. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/WavesWomenRightsSL/.ABOUT AFGHAN INSTITUTE OF LEARNING (AIL)Kabul, AfghanistanThe Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) increases access to education in Afghanistan by providing women and children with education, health care, and health education. The women-led organization supports youth clubs and offers training on a range of topics including peace, leadership, and human rights to both youth and women. AIL has also set up a legal clinic offering free advice and representation for women. The organization’s founder, Dr. Sakena Yacoobi, has established 352 learning centers and four schools, as well as a hospital, a radio station, and a TV station, in Afghanistan. For more information, visit https://www.sakena.org/afghan-institute-of-learning.php.
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- 7 June 2022
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Ban Ki-moon says rich countries prioritise arming Ukraine over climate obligations
Business DayFrom Daegu, South Korea24th of May, 2022(Photo: Business Day)Ban Ki-moon, a former Secretary-General of the United Nations has accused Western countries of prioritising military assistance to Ukraine over their obligations to finance efforts to reverse climate change, largely caused by them.In a keynote address at the 28th edition of the World Gas Conference in Daegu, Republic of Korea, Ban Ki-moon, delivering an address themed “A Sustainable Energy Transition Towards Carbon Neutrality”, said a lack of political will was largely responsible for the non-commitment of western countries.Developed countries like the United States, the European Union and Japan committed to contributing $100bn every year as a way of encouraging climate adaptation action by developing countries in Copenhagen, Denmark 2009 to contribute.However, from 2009 to 2020, they contributed only $80bn said Ban Ki-moon, “the promise was to provide $100bn annually, the institutions set up to manage it, the Global Climate Fund (GCF) now located in Korea, last year, they were not able to do anything, and with all these crises happening in Ukraine the developed countries have put more priority on the Ukraine situation.”Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24 ordered an invasion of Ukraine in what he called a ‘Special Military Operation” to purportedly rid its neighbour of Nazi sympathizers and prevent a drift towards the West.Read also: Climate change: Seplat Energy to plant five million treesBanki Moon said the attack was “unprovoked” and has seriously impacted the energy market sending oil and gas prices to levels last seen over a decade ago triggering energy supply crises in Europe and a looming food crisis across the world.“The people and country of Ukraine certainly deserve our strong, political and economic, and moral support but that does not mean that all this money earmarked for climate financing should be diverted to this current political issues,” said Ki-moon.At the United Nations COP 26 discussions held in Glasgow last year, member countries dithered on committing to fully funding adaptation activities in vulnerable parts of the world.“I don’t think it is a question of lack of finance, rich countries have the money, they have the financial capacity, but it’s a matter of political will,” said the former UN boss.The goal of adaptation finance is to reduce vulnerability to the harmful effects of climate change caused by highly industrialised nations. Governments, multilateral agencies, and private donors contribute to the funds aimed at financing adaptation around the world.Africa and other developing countries especially in coastal areas are particularly vulnerable to the impact of climate change even though their activities contribute little to climate change.The world’s poorest and most vulnerable communities are already struggling to cope with the impact of human activities on the environment as rising seas result in flooding and fertile lands morph into arid deserts.An Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development OECD report released last year stated that over $20bn, about 25 percent of total climate finance goes to adaptation.“This is a fraction of the expected $300bn needed by 2030,” said Amina Mohammed, deputy secretary-general of the United Nations. “This is why the Secretary-General continues to call on all donors to allocate at least 50 percent of their climate finance on adaptation,” she said at COP 26.Now the modest contribution looks to cease entirely as the focus shifts on arming Ukraine to fend off Russian aggression.Six months after COP 26, the financing has all but paused. Ki-moon who is now a co-chair of the Global Center on Adaption, an institution that works on adaption financing said nothing was contributed at all last year as the crises in Ukraine now serve as a pretext for rich nations to mask their lack of political will.Ban Ki-moon, urged world leaders to take action now as time is running out, citing the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report which says it’s “now or never” if the world is to stave off climate disaster.The chance of temporarily exceeding 1.5°C has risen steadily since 2015 when it was close to zero. For the years between 2017 and 2021, there was a 10 percent chance of exceedance. That probability has increased to nearly 50 percent for the 2022-2026 period.
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- 31 May 2022
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AfDB board approves $1.5 billion facility to avert food crisis in Africa
Premium Times Nigeria2022년 5월 21일(Picture: Official Facebook page of Mr Adesina)The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group’s board of directors announced that it approved a $1.5 billion facility to help African countries avert a looming food crisis in the continent.In a statement issued by the bank on Friday, the bank said with the disruption of food supplies arising from the Russia-Ukraine war, Africa now faces a shortage of at least 30 million metric tons of food, especially wheat, maize, and soybeans mostly imported from both countries.“The African Development Bank’s $1.5 billion African Emergency Food Production Facility is an unprecedented comprehensive initiative to support smallholder farmers in filling the food shortfall,” the bank’s statement read.It said African farmers urgently need high-quality seeds and inputs before the planting season begins in May to immediately boost food supplies.According to the statement, the initiative will provide 20 million African smallholder farmers with certified seeds and that it will increase access to agricultural fertilizers and enable them to rapidly produce 38 million tons of food.“This is a $12 billion increase in food production in just two years,” the bank said.Akinwumi Adesina, AfDB group president was quoted to have said: “Food aid cannot feed Africa. Africa does not need bowls in hand. Africa needs seeds in the ground, and mechanical harvesters to harvest bountiful food produced locally. Africa will feed itself with pride for there is no dignity in begging for food.”He said the African Emergency Food Production Facility has benefited from stakeholder consultations, including those with fertilizer producers and separately with African Union agriculture and finance ministers earlier this month.Mr Adesina explained that the ministers agreed to implement reforms to address the systemic hurdles that prevent modern input markets from performing effectively.He said the price of wheat has soared in Africa by over 45 per cent since the war in Ukraine began.“Fertilizer prices have gone up by 300%, and the continent faces a fertilizer shortage of 2 million metric tons. Many African countries have already seen price hikes in bread and other food items. If this deficit is not made up, food production in Africa will decline by at least 20% and the continent could lose over $11 billion in food production value, ”the AfDB president said.PotentialsThe African Development Bank’s $1.5 billion package will lead to the production of 11 million tons of wheat; 18 million tons of maize; 6 million tons of rice; and 2.5 million tons of soybeans, the statement said.It said the initiative will provide 20 million farmers with certified seeds, fertilizer, and extension services and that it will also support market growth and post-harvest management.“The African Development Bank will provide fertilizer to smallholder farmers across Africa over the next four farming seasons, using its convening influence with major fertilizer manufacturers, loan guarantees, and other financial instruments,” the AfDB board said.The statement highlighted that the facility will also create a platform to advocate for critical policy reforms to solve the structural issues that impede farmers from receiving modern inputs.This, it said, includes strengthening national institutions and overseeing input markets and that the facility has a structure for working with multilateral development partners.“This will ensure rapid alignment and implementation, enhanced reach, and effective impact. It will increase technical preparedness and responsiveness. In addition, it includes short, medium, and long-term measures to address both the urgent food crisis and the long-term sustainability and resilience of Africa’s food systems,” the bank said.In her remarks, Beth Dunford, AfDB vice president for Agriculture, Human and Social Development, said: “The Africa Emergency Food Production Facility builds on lessons learned from the African Development Bank’s Feed Africa Response to Covid-19 program.”The program, she said, has provided a strategic roadmap to support Africa’s agriculture sector and safeguard food security against the pandemic’s impact.Over the past three years, the AfDB said its Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation initiative has delivered heat-tolerant wheat varieties to 1.8 million farmers in seven countries, increasing wheat production by 2.7 million metric tons worth $840 million.Long-term sustainability planThe statement noted that a five-year ramp-up phase will follow the two-year African Emergency Food Production Facility, with the view to build on previous gains and strengthen self-sufficiency in wheat, maize, and other staple crops, as well as expand access to agricultural fertilizers.It said the five-year phase will deliver seeds and inputs to 40 million farmers under the “Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation program”.The statement said in April, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, appointed Mr Adesina to a select Steering Committee of the Global Crisis Response Group.It noted that the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations recently invited Mr Adesina to make a presentation about the African Emergency Food Production Facility.“The Global Alliance for Food Security spearheaded by the Government of Germany provides an excellent forum for the African Emergency Food Program Facility, which is part of a coordinated and collective effort by development partners and countries to accelerate food production in the short term while remaining focused on medium- and longer-term actions to build resilience.” the statement added.
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- 24 May 2022
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COVAX surpasses 1.5 billion COVID-19 vaccine deliveries
Premium Times Nigeria2022년 5월 21일COVAX has surpassed the milestone of 1.5 billion COVID-19 vaccines delivered around the world, following a shipment of 2.26 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to Tanzania.A little over 15 months since its first international delivery to Ghana, COVAX has now shipped COVID-19 vaccines to 145 countries across the world.Nearly 90% of these have been fully funded doses delivered to lower-income countries supported by the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC). COVAX is the major supplier of COVID-19 vaccines in low-income countries and humanitarian settings.As the largest and most complex global vaccination effort in history, COVAX’s work has helped raise the proportion of people in 92 lower-income countries protected by a full course of vaccines to 46% on average.Dr. Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which manages the COVAX Facility and the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC), and leads on procurement and delivery at scale for COVAX, comments on this milestone: “This is a significant milestone for COVAX, set up as an unprecedented global collaboration during the worst public health emergency in a hundred years, but more importantly, we are proud to have contributed to the incredible achievements of lower-income countries, who have administered nearly 4 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines in a truly historic global rollout.“Tanzania is a fitting example of the hurdles that have been overcome and the challenges that remain: the pandemic is not over, and we must remain committed at all levels to pushing coverage rates higher, focusing on ensuring those at high risk are fully protected. With plentiful global supply now available to support this effort, the next 3-4 months are crucial.“We call on countries to set ambitious targets backed by concrete plans for implementation and on all partners to provide countries with the resources needed to accelerate and expand national strategies.“COVAX remains committed to working with partners to ensure lower-income countries can access both vaccines and the support needed to turn these vaccines into vaccinations.”
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- 24 May 2022
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George W. Bush Presidential Center Announces Theme and Speakers for 5th Annual Forum on Leadership
George W. Bush Presidential Center2022년 4월 12일(Picture: Forum on Leadership)Dallas, Texas (April 12, 2022)— The George W. Bush Presidential Center announced the theme, Our Nation’s Calling, for the fifth annual Forum on Leadership. Hosted by President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush, the Forum is a landmark gathering that develops, recognizes, and celebrates leadership by bringing together notable voices for in-depth discussions on today’s pressing issues. The event will be held on April 21 at the Bush Center.The Forum will feature a keynote conversation about our Nation’s great responsibility with General James Mattis, 26th United States Secretary of Defense, plus a conversation on America’s leadership in global health with Bush Institute Senior Fellow Dr. Deborah Birx, and Dr. Stephen Hahn, Harbinger Health CEO and former Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In addition, the Forum will include a conversation on economic opportunity and higher education with Mitch Daniels, President of Purdue University; and a conversation on the state of our economy with Elaine Chao, 24th U.S. Secretary of Labor and 18th U.S. Secretary of Transportation, and Gary Cohn, Vice Chairman of IBM and 11th Director of the National Economic Council.The gathering will be highlighted by the presentation of the George W. Bush Medal for Distinguished Leadership to James A. Baker, III, the 61st United States Secretary of State. The George W. Bush Medal for Distinguished Leadership is awarded annually to an individual who has made an impact on the global community, has inspired others to action, and has demonstrated a sustained commitment to improving the lives of others.“We need to support and celebrate leaders who are providing opportunity for all and protecting freedom and democracy in the United States and abroad,” said Ken Hersh, President and CEO of the George W. Bush Presidential Center. “The Forum on Leadership spotlights strong and principled leaders who are answering the call to serve.”At the 2022 Forum on Leadership, the Bush Institute Citation will be presented to Sakena Yacoobi, Afghan Institute of Learning Executive Director, for her work advocating for the women and girls of Afghanistan. The Citation is awarded annually to recognize a leader or organization who has made an impact in their community and has inspired others to take action to solve today’s most pressing challenges.In addition, the George W. Bush Institute Trailblazer Citation, awarded to an innovator that has effected change in the North Texas region or has otherwise enriched the quality of life in North Texas, will be presented to Daron Babcock, CEO of Bonton Farms, for his leadership and community engagement in North Texas and beyond.
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AstraZeneca scientists honoured at Oxford ceremony
Yahoo Finance2022.03.30(Picture: Yahoo Finance(Lee Atherton))Five brilliant scientists whose development of the AstraZeneca vaccine saved countless lives across the world in the Covid 19 pandemic were collectively honoured in Oxford this week.In an affecting ceremony at the Sheldonian Theatre on Monday the quintet received trophies commemorating their work from the hands of the University Chancellor Lord Patten.They came in the shape of ceramic cups commissioned from artist Edmund de Waal by the FT Weekend Oxford Literary Festival, now in its 25th year and continuing in an ambitious program till Sunday.The awards, the festival’s first for science and innovation, went to the Oxford Vaccine Group leader Prof Sir Andrew Pollard, the SAID professor of vaccinology Dame Sarah Gilbert, professor of vaccinology and immunology Teresa Lambe, Prof Catherine Green of the Nuffield Department of Medicine’s clinical biomanufacturing facility and Sir John Bell, the Regius Professor of Medicine.Lord Patten said the immense value of their work could not be overestimated, nor should it be overlooked that three of the five were women.While Oxford held its place in the annals of scientific endeavour in the development, for instance, of penicillin, the creation of the AstraZeneca vaccine “rated with the greatest things that this university has ever achieved”.Measured against the huge value of their work, he said that the modesty of the scientists was remarkable.The packed audience at the Sheldonian gave a standing ovation to the five, whohad answered questions on their work from the journalist and broadcaster Nick Higham.Paying further tributes to them all was the Swedish Ambassador Mikaela Kumlin Granit.Her presence recognised the Anglo-Swedish nature of drugs giant AstraZeneca, whose ‘no profit’ approach to supplying a billion-plus doses of the vaccine brought worldwide acclaim.
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Kiribati to open one of world’s largest marine protected areas to commercial fishing
Date: 15 November 2021Media: The GuardianThe Kiribati government has announced it will open up one of the world’s largest marine protected areas to commercial fishing, citing economic benefits to its people.The Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) spans 408,250 sq km (157,626 sq miles) – an area about the size of California – and was created in 2006 with the entire area declared a “no-take” zone in 2015, meaning that commercial fishing is forbidden.Kiribati, a collection of islands in the central Pacific and which has an EEZ larger than the size of India, catches 700,000 tonnes a year of tuna. More tuna is caught in Kiribati’s waters than in the waters of any other nation in the world.Fishing illustration for Plundering the PacificWhy the world’s most fertile fishing ground is facing a ‘unique and dire’ threatRead moreIn a press statement issued on Monday, the office of the president of the Kiribati government confirmed it was opening the protected zone citing the huge economic cost to Kiribati, a developing nation, of the ban.“Similar to any Government, our decisions, as we make them, put the livelihoods of our people at the fore and have been carefully considered and agreed to as a Government,” it said.“Our decision as a sovereign country and Government is people-centric and commensurate with holistic options for marine protection and management, economic diversification, sustainable tourism and fisheries, to promote the growth of Kiribati’s blue economy, and uplift the lives of all I-Kiribati.”Dr Richard Jeo, Conservation International’s Asia-Pacific field division senior vice president, said that it was their “understanding that this proposal has not yet been introduced to Kiribati’s parliament.”“It would need to be formally approved by parliament before going into effect, which would likely not be until next year at the earliest. There is significant geopolitics at play in the Pacific region, and as a sovereign nation, Kiribati has the authority to decide on the future of PIPA.”Jeo said they remained hopeful that Kiribati would maintain PIPA’s marine protected area designation and would choose “to continue as a global conservation leader, standing lockstep with a global community that is committed to protecting 30% of land and sea by 2030.”But the Kiribati government said that when it established PIPA it was assured it would be able to recoup the revenues lost from fishing licences, which make up more than 70% of Kiribati’s total annual revenue, but that this had not eventuated.The government said years after PIPA’s inception it was not sufficient to meet the present need of the people of Kiribati and the country’s future development needs.The statement also reiterated the Kiribati government’s commitment to conservation efforts by investing in marine and biodiversity protection and promoting climate resilience.The government said that since PIPA’s closure to commercial fishing, there had been an 8% decline in demand for fishing in Kiribati’s EEZ translating to a loss in revenue of up to USD$146m from 2015 to the present.Former president Anote Tong, who was responsible for overseeing the creation of PIPA, expressed his strong disappointment with the announcement, but said the proper process, which involves a parliamentary vote on opening up PIPA to fishing, still had to be observed.“I’m very, very disappointed,” he said. “I never expected that this would happen. And this was precisely the reason that we put it into legislation. Because it had to be something that would remain regardless of any political changes.”
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- 23 November 2021
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Museveni Commissions Ultra-Modern Children Surgical Hospital
ChimpReports6 November 2021President Yoweri Museveni has paid glowing tribute Dr. Gino Strada an Italian war surgeon, human rights and peace activist and founder of EMERGENCY, a recognized international non-governmental organization for the ultra-modern children surgical hospital in Entebbe, saying he has left a special gift for humanity right at the heart of the equator. Dr. Strada died in August this year before the official commissioning of the hospital that he was looking forward to. “Jesus died 2000 years ago but is remembered today because of his good deeds. Although Dr. Gino died, he has left behind a testimony of his character and contribution to humanity. The Italians have done something special for humanity right at the centre of the equator,” the President said. The President was today commissioning an ultra-modern EMERGENCY Children’s Hospital for children 0-18 years at Nakiwogo in Entebbe Municipality. The facility designed by World renown architect Renzo Piano on a pro-bono basis is earth friendly, constructed using innovative solutions to minimize energy consumption, combining architectural excellence with State-of-the-art medical care. It provides the best environment for patients’ treatment and recovery. President Museveni said the hospital, built on 30 acres of land donated by the UPDF (Special Forces Command) has got a number of interesting aspects; including the founder being a wonderful Christian with the concept of “caring about your neighbour as you love yourself” the core of Christianity; the architect as much as possible using nature and being environmentally friendly; and the donor Ms. Paola Coin, a rich, smart, small lady from the Italian city of Venus known for its story of Shylock, being a great philanthropist who donated US$8million towards construction of the hospital. “This land was for SFC cattle farm. When I heard of the hospital, I said this was a more lifesaving effort than the cows. We gave them 30 acres. I am happy that there is another idea of adding a nurses training centre which can be part of this facility. We must see how to take advantage of the dedication by our partners from Italy. If we can have a nursing training school where they can impact both the skills and the passion,” he said. The President later presented the 50th Uganda independence golden medal to the founder Dr. Gino Strada (Posthumously), the donor Ms. Paola Coin, the architect Mr.Renzo Piano, Rossella Miccio, President of EMERGENCY and Pietro Parrino, Director of EMERGENCY Field Operations Department. The 50<sup>th</sup> Independence Golden medal is given to individuals by the President in recognition of their outstanding service and loyalty to the country. The Entebbe hospital will become a referral point for surgery from patients across the continent. It is the second facility in EMERGENCY’s African Network of Medical Excellence (ANME), after EMERGENCY’s Salam Centre for Cardiac Surgery, built in Khartoum, Sudan, in 2007, which has treated patients from over 30 countries. Situated on the banks of Lake Victoria, EMERGENCY’s Children’s Surgical Hospital opened its doors on Monday 19 April, but due to Covid-19 restrictions, the opening ceremony took place after six months of activities. The facility has admitted 345 patients since opening, whilst 1,185 patients have been treated as outpatients. 355 surgical operations have taken place and the average patient age is five years old. Ms. Rossella Miccio, president of EMERGENCY said the hospital is rapidly becoming a referral point for paediatric elective surgery, in Uganda and beyond, as we are receiving patients from around the country and will soon open the doors to provide free of charge surgical care to children from neighbouring countries. “These first six months of activity clearly confirmed that there is a strong need of paediatric elective surgery in the region. A real partnership between international organizations and Ugandan institutions and professionals can pave the way to strengthen local capacity and to provide continuous secondary and tertiary quality care,” she said. At full capacity, the hospital will employ 385 local people, including 179 medical workers. The facility will be dedicated to training local staff, who will play an integral role improving paediatric surgery and medical care in the country. The Minister of Health Dr. Ruth Acheng said the facility cost Shs 117 billion and Uganda Government has facilitated it with a 20% contribution and will continue paying 20% of the running costs for 8 years until it is handed over to the Ugandan government.
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- 9 November 2021
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Natural Gas Key to Africa’s Energy Security, Says AfDB’s Adesina
Bloomberg4 November 2021Akinwumi Adesina Photographer: Christopher Goodney/ BloombergNatural gas remains key to Africa’s energy security and economic prosperity, even as political pressure grows to speed up the transition away from fossil fuels, according to the continent’s biggest development bank.“Gas is fundamental to Africa’s energy system,” African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina said in an interview with Bloomberg News on Wednesday. “We’ve got to make sure that we’re pragmatic” and that a system is created to support long-term development, he said.While natural gas is less polluting than other fossil fuels such as coal and oil, some environmentalists want to end its use because the industry is responsible for methane that has far more planet-warming power than carbon dioxide.For African governments like Mozambique and Tanzania, where more than $50 billion-worth of gas projects are being discussed with companies including TotalEnergies SE and Equinor ASA, it tops the development agenda. In Kenya where the national electricity grid is already 90% renewable, authorities are considering converting the remaining fossil-fuel power plants to use liquefied natural gas.Even if Africa tripled its natural gas output, it would add under 1% to its less-than 3% contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions, said Adesina. The world needs to “be fair to Africa” because the continent needs to industrialize and create jobs which requires a stable energy supply, he said.
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- Sunhak Peace Prize
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Future generations refer not only to our own physical descendants
but also to all future generations to come.Since all decisions made by the current generation will either positively
or negatively affect them, we must take responsibility for our actions.
