Heavy rains continued for a second week across previously dry areas in western Ethiopia and South Sudan.

1) Poorly distributed and significantly below average seasonal rainfall has resulted in deteriorating ground conditions since January. This has negatively impacted crops and livestock throughout many parts of southern Angola and northern Namibia.

Heavy, torrential rain fell over many parts of western Ethiopia, South Sudan, southern Somalia, Kenya and Uganda.

1) Poorly distributed and significantly below average seasonal rainfall has resulted in deteriorating ground conditions since January. This has negatively impacted crops and livestock throughout many parts of southern Angola and northern Namibia.

1) Poorly distributed and significantly below average seasonal rainfall has resulted in deteriorating ground conditions since January. This has negatively impacted crops and livestock throughout many parts of southern Angola and northern Namibia.

2) Little to no rainfall since the second dekad of March has been received across portions of eastern Angola, and western Zambia. Late season moisture deficits indicate an early departure of the southern Africa monsoon in the region and may affect crops planted late in the season.

Vice President Dr Ponatshego Kedikilwe says the nation should remain optimistic that an AIDS-free generation is possible.

Speaking at the National AIDS Council in Gaborone on April 25, he said with a mother to child transmission rate that has dropped from 40 per cent to three per cent and ARV uptake of up to 95 per cent and projected national incidence rate of one per cent in 2011, the nation can be optimistic.

“Such optimism is further cemented by seemingly plummeting infections among the youth,” he said.

Geneva – Tremendous progress to eliminate malaria has been made over the past decade, including a global reduction in malaria deaths of more than 25 percent, yet per year the disease still infects 219 million people and causes 660,000 deaths.

In addition to its direct impact on the health of millions worldwide, malaria also has an indirect impact on economies and development in general.

On World Malaria Day (25 April), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has added its voice to the call for accelerated efforts to eliminate the deadly disease.

1) Since the beginning of the year, poorly distributed and significantly below average seasonal rainfall has led to deteriorating ground conditions, stressed vegetation and negatively impacted cropping activities and livestock throughout many parts of southwestern Africa. Many local areas in Angola and Namibia have experienced less than half of their normal rainfall accumulation since January.

Flooding along the Tana River in Kenya and the Shabelle River in Ethiopia and Somalia displaced thousands of people. More rainfall is expected.

02/04/2013 – When unexpected heavy rains recently lashed the usually dry province of Central Botswana, the local Red Cross was the first to respond. Trained disaster management volunteers from the Botswana Red Cross Society (BRCS) swung into immediate action, quickly accessing relief stocks, prepositioned last year in case of disaster.

27/03/2013 - Heavy rains have pounded Southern African countries resulting in widespread flooding, destruction of property, and loss of lives. The floods took place in the midst of the lean season, in a situation of acute food insecurity affecting millions of people through the region. In Mozambique, the worst hit country, more than 250,000 people, mostly women and children, are affected by the crisis with about 190,000 temporary displaced since January 2013. Malawi, Botswana, Seychelles, Zambia and Zimbabwe have also been affected by the floods.