Eswatini

The Maternal and Infant Health Care Improvement Project in the Kingdom of Eswatini (Phase II), implemented by the International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF) in collaboration with Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, and the Ministry of Health in the Eswaztini has officially kicked off in January, 2019. This marks the first time the TaiwanICDF cooperates with two hospitals in Taiwan for a nationwide public health and medicine project.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

Making pregnancy and delivery safer

OVERVIEW

Tania Prinsloo
Lecturer in Informatics, University of Pretoria, University of Pretoria

South Africa is in the middle of a severe outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. Although it’s not harmful to humans, it causes mouth ulcers and foot lesions in hoofed animals such as cattle, goats and camels, making them lame.

Submitted by Hugo Wesley
co-authors: Lorenzo Piccio

Sub-Saharan Africa knows more than its fair share of disasters induced by natural hazards. The past few months alone have seen drought in the Horn of Africa, floods in Mali and Rwanda, and landslides in Ethiopia and Uganda. Between 2005 and 2015, the region experienced an average of 157 disasters per year, claiming the lives of roughly 10,000 people annually.

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/96 of 20 June 1996 concerning humanitarian aid1 , and in particular Article 2, Article 4 and Article 15(2) and (3) thereof,

Having regard to Council Decision 2013/755/EU of 25 November 2013 on the association of the overseas countries and territories with the European Union ('Overseas Association Decision')2 , and in particular Article 79 thereof,

Highlights

• Well-below average rainfall has been received in most parts of the region since October, although recent improvements were experienced in some eastern areas

• The low rains have been associated with a delayed season onset in western, central and southern parts of the region. Some areas experienced delays in season onset of 30 to 40 days

• Pasture and livestock conditions deteriorated, and drought-related livestock deaths were reported

As of 30 November 2018, 800,330 Congolese refugees are being hosted in African countries. From 1 January to 30 November 2018 alone, some 154,287 Congolese fled to neighboring countries, with a particularly significant increase in refugee flows to Uganda, Burundi and Zambia.

UNHCR together with 43 humanitarian and development partners launched the revised Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRRP) on 17 July 2018 for $547 million to help respond to the needs of Congolese refugees in Africa.

Regional Highlights and Operational Context

Overview

MIGRANT BASELINE

The 22th round of data collection took place in September and October 2018.
Between 26 August and 24 September 2018, southern Tripoli witnessed clashes between armed groups, triggering population movements of both local populations and migrants to safer locations, often in near-by municipalities. Following the end of hostilities, these movements were reversed as the situation gradually stabilized and livelihood opportunities, such as daily labor, became available again for migrants.

In Numbers

• 8.4 million people food insecure in Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe
  
• 4.1 million people to receive food, cash or vouchers to address immediate lean season needs
  
• Additional USD 171 million required to meet the food needs in the six countries over the lean season (December 2018 - April 2019)

Highlights

Le Conseil de paix et de sécurité (CPS) de l'Union africaine (UA), en sa 815ème réunion tenue le 4 décembre 2018, a adopté la décision qui suit sur le rapport de la Commission sur les élections en Afrique:

Le Conseil,

Spotlight on Progress

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

This overview document presents 331 safety, security and access incidents affecting aid delivery in 12 countries in Southern Africa between January 2017 and March 2018. The report is based on incidents identified in open sources and reported by Aid in Danger partner agencies using the Security in Numbers Database (SiND). The focus is on countries where possible changing or emerging risks can be identified. The total number of reported incidents below reflects the willingness of agencies to share information. It is neither a complete count nor representative.

Abnormal dryness develops in Angola, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

Africa Weather Hazards

1. Delayed seasonal rainfall and erratic precipitation in the last two months has caused dryness across Ethiopia, southern Somalia, and Kenya.

2. Poorly distributed precipitation since September and high daytime temperatures have caused early season drought in South Africa and Lesotho.

3. Consecutive weeks of poor rainfall has caused dryness across central and western Madagascar.

Overview

The American people’s compassion and generosity have saved more than 16 million lives and brought us closer than ever to controlling the HIV/AIDS pandemic – community by community, country by country.

Introduction

Eastern and Southern Africa is home to more than 60 per cent of children and adolescents living with HIV. This is the region where most progress in the HIV response has been made. Coverage of maternal antiretroviral treatment for pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV reached 93 per cent in this region in 2017. Sustaining these gains and continuing to reach children, adolescents and women at risk and living with HIV is critical. In 2017, an estimated 120,000 adolescents aged 10–19 years and 94,000 children aged 0–9 years were newly infected with HIV.