Day: November 18, 2021

Cameroon’s Emergency Operations Centres serve as a model for other countries in Africa seeking to strengthen preparedness for and response to emergencies affecting animal and public health.

All countries need a system to manage emergency preparedness and response, and Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) are increasingly seen as critical components of that system. These centres facilitate coordinated responses to a range of hazards, such as natural disasters, humanitarian emergencies and disease outbreaks.

Africa is one of the continents most affected by emergency situations and disasters. Yet very few of its countries possess animal health EOCs, and where they do exist there is sometimes a lack of collaboration and coordination with public health and disaster management EOCs. Consequently, animal health emergency and disaster management interventions are sometimes conducted in a non-systematic manner.

Cameroon is among the countries on the continent that have experienced multiple animal disease outbreaks and continue to face such challenges. In 2019, 452 outbreaks of 49 animal diseases were detected, according to the annual surveillance report by the Cameroon Animal Disease Epidemiology Surveillance Network (RESCAM). Some of the obstacles to effective containment of outbreaks include delays in reporting from the field, delays in information sharing through the public health system, ineffective coordination and slow response.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with support from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has supported the Government of Cameroon in building the capacity of veterinarians, public health officials and wildlife public servants at the EOC to manage health threats that occur at the interface between the environment, animals and humans.

Cameroon’s EOC offers a framework for consultation between the various national and international actors involved in the management of public and animal health emergencies, and the coordination of related interventions. FAO’s Emergency Management Centre for Animal Health (EMC-AH) has been collaborating with Cameroon, the pilot country under a project funded by DTRA, to produce an Animal health emergency operations management manual, which was then customized and adapted to the national context by Cameroon. Following a workshop to present Cameroon’s adapted version of the manual, titled “Manuel pour la gestion des operations lors d’une urgence zoosanitaire au Cameroun” (Manual for the management of operations during an animal health emergency in Cameroon), a national decree for the creation of an Animal Health Emergency Operations Centre (AH-EOC) in the country was issued earlier this year. The necessary documentation and facilities are in place, pending final authorization from the Prime Minister’s Office for the AH-EOC to be officially established and fully operationalized. Cameroon’s adapted animal health emergency operations manual was successfully tested in a simulation exercise in the country in September 2021, using African swine fever (ASF) as a case study.

Other countries on the African continent are facing similar difficulties containing animal disease outbreaks and are also keen to explore the possibility of establishing a national AH-EOC. To this end, representatives from Senegal and the United Republic of Tanzania recently undertook a three-day visit to the Animal Health EOC, the Public Health EOC and the Disaster Management EOC in Cameroon. The team, composed of three animal health officials from the United Republic of Tanzania and two officials from the Senegal One Health platform, also held meetings with technical and management staff, the environment and disaster directorate, members of the One Health national platform and the private sector, including farmers’ associations, policymakers and others.

For the head of Senegal’s Animal Health Protection Division, Dr. Mathioro Fall, the visit “helped to identify framework documents, standard operating procedures, technical and legal aspects and to understand the coordination between the different centres as well as identifying the advantages and disadvantages of setting up an AH-EOC.” For Dr. Baltazar G. Leba, representing the United Republic of Tanzania’s One Health Coordination Desk, learning “how to implement the structure and how to engage the Government in the operationalization of the AH-EOC” was essential: “Understanding the collaboration and coordination mechanisms between the AH-EOC, Public Health EOC and Disaster EOC is critical to establishing a similar mechanism in Tanzania.”

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Virtual Public Finance Management Week 2021 – Beyond the basics in challenging times

Media are invited to attend the opening session of a five-day Public Finance Management (PFM) event. This virtual event will take place from 22 to 26 November 2021. PFM Week 2021 promises to be one of the biggest events in the public finance management calendar this year, with more than seventy highly respected national and international guest presenters and panelists confirmed.

The theme for this year’s conference is “Public Finance Management: Beyond the Basics in Challenging Times”.

The objectives of the conference include:

• strengthening a culture of transparency and accountability amongst officials with responsibilities under the regulatory frameworks, such as the Public Finance Management Act and the Municipal Finance Management Act;

• build on the platform created for PFM officials to update their knowledge and awareness of the latest trends and developments in the PFM space, both nationally and across the globe;

• build communities of practice for sharing successes and lessons learned in this space, to assist PFM officials in performing their work in ways that will lead to better service delivery for everyone;

• provide a platform to build the awareness of all stakeholders, of the NT Capacity Building Strategy for PFM (or the CDS), and its importance in developing and sustaining a strong cadre of public finance professionals across government;

• provide an understanding of National Treasury and its different units, as important central resources designed to achieve and sustain excellence in PFM practice;

• showcase the PFM resources currently available, and highlight how these resources can be accessed.

The event will allow for senior officials from the National Treasury and other government departments; international organisations; academics; and experts within their respective fields of knowledge to share their views on contemporary issues of public finance reforms within the current implementation environment.

PFM Week 2021 seeks to engage on:

• How to ensure that the basics of good public finance are in place and sustainable, whilst encouraging strong innovation and excellence within the public sector to optimise service delivery to all South Africans.

• What the fiscal constraints are and how to develop a road map for recovery.

The range of expert panelists and speakers will also discuss the state of professionalism of public finance management in South Africa explore the enhancement of the capacity of officials; what officials can do to capacitate themselves; and what their organisations can do to support them in their professional progression.

The PFM Week programme is available on the National Treasury Website.

Source: Government of South Africa

WINDHOEK-The World Food Programme (WFP) in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture recently launched its Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (HGSFP) at Otjimuhaka Primary School, Kunene Region. The programme, amounting to US$ 120,000, equivalent to N$ 1.79 million, is funded by WFP.

“Every cent devoted to school meals goes a long way. An investment in school meals is an investment in the health, education and future of a child as well as the future of the country,” said WFP Country Director, George Fedha. “Through this initiative and beyond, WFP continues to work with the Government of Namibia towards achieving zero hunger through approaches tailored to the Namibian context.”

The HGSFP complements the National School Feeding Programme (NSFP) through the provision of balanced and diversified diets with food purchased locally from local smallholder farmers, served with the existing fortified maize blend.

In Namibia, the HGSFP will benefit 11,687 children attending 28 schools in seven regions (Omaheke, Kunene, Ohangwena, Kavango East, Kavango West, Zambezi East and Zambezi West).

“We have reached another milestone for the Namibian child, as a Ministry, we can only pledge to ensure this project bear fruits for learners, their respective schools and surrounding communities,” said Kunene Regional Director of Education, Arts and Culture, Angeline Jantze.

Through this programme, the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, in partnership with WFP, intend to relieve acute hunger and malnutrition, enhance children’s ability to learn and remain in school and increase enrolment rates. For smallholder farmers and traders, the programme creates a predictable income and boosts agricultural production thereby boosting the local economy and reducing poverty.

The United Nations World Food Programme is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. We are the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

Follow us on Twitter @WFP_Africa; @WFPNamibia, Facebook @WFPNamibiaWINDHOEK-The World Food Programme (WFP) in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture recently launched its Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (HGSFP) at Otjimuhaka Primary School, Kunene Region. The programme, amounting to US$ 120,000, equivalent to N$ 1.79 million, is funded by WFP.

“Every cent devoted to school meals goes a long way. An investment in school meals is an investment in the health, education and future of a child as well as the future of the country,” said WFP Country Director, George Fedha. “Through this initiative and beyond, WFP continues to work with the Government of Namibia towards achieving zero hunger through approaches tailored to the Namibian context.”

The HGSFP complements the National School Feeding Programme (NSFP) through the provision of balanced and diversified diets with food purchased locally from local smallholder farmers, served with the existing fortified maize blend.

In Namibia, the HGSFP will benefit 11,687 children attending 28 schools in seven regions (Omaheke, Kunene, Ohangwena, Kavango East, Kavango West, Zambezi East and Zambezi West).

“We have reached another milestone for the Namibian child, as a Ministry, we can only pledge to ensure this project bear fruits for learners, their respective schools and surrounding communities,” said Kunene Regional Director of Education, Arts and Culture, Angeline Jantze.

Through this programme, the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, in partnership with WFP, intend to relieve acute hunger and malnutrition, enhance children’s ability to learn and remain in school and increase enrolment rates. For smallholder farmers and traders, the programme creates a predictable income and boosts agricultural production thereby boosting the local economy and reducing poverty.

The United Nations World Food Programme is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. We are the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

Source: World Food Programme

ADDIS ABABA— Ethiopia’s ruling party, the Prosperity Party, PP, has accused the West of wanting to turn the country into another Iraq or Libya.

The Horn of Africa nation is facing a politico-security crisis that has seen rebels threaten to attack the capital Addis Ababa and remove Prime Minister ABiy Ahmed’s government.

The government has in the last weeks accused among others, the United States and the European Union of issuing alarmist security advisories about the country.

PP posted on their official Twitter handle: “Once they satisfied their avaricious egocentric interest & ruined us to a point of no return, they would say, ‘sorry, that was a mistake’. They did it in Iraq, Libya. It’s up to us to learn from history & tell them we can act with reasonable efficiency & decency on our matters.”

The international press has also come under attack among others: Reuters Africa, CNN, BBC and the Associated Press.

Abiy’s law enforcement operation in November 2020 to combat the Tigray regional leadership has escalated following a fightback by rebels that has caused the crisis to spiral into neighbouring regions amid a march towards Addis Ababa.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

World Food Programme and humanitarian partners need urgent funds to anticipate, restore and protect

From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, extreme weather linked to climate change is causing misery and hunger for millions of people – 811 million are currently going hungry around the world, a figure that will balloon exponentially if the 196 countries that signed up to the Paris Agreement in 2015 do not fulfil their obligations.

COP26, the UN’s big climate change summit in Glasgow, sadly fell far short of the groundbreaking success many had hoped for.

Governments did commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions but not enough to stay below the limit of 2C above pre-industrial levels.

It is critical for the world to recognize that no one is exempt. Mitigation is crucial but the humanitarian sector cannot wait for emission reductions. We must adapt now or face unprecedented needs.

This year there have been devastating floods in Germany and New York. Italy registered the hottest temperature ever recorded in Europe – 48.8°C. Wildfires wreaked havoc on popular holiday destinations in Greece and Turkey.

Ethiopia, Madagascar, South Sudan and Yemen are among countries where 584,000 people currently face famine-like conditions as climate change intersects with the other huge driver of hunger, conflict – pushing 45 million to the brink of famine. This number has risen from 27 million in 2019.

World Food Programme (WFP) climate and disaster risk prevention chief Gernot Laganda explains: “Natural resources such as clean water and fertile land are becoming scarce and competition over these resources is becoming fiercer. This is leading to a toxic interplay between the climate crisis, conflict and hunger.”

According to the latest figures, if the earth’s temperature were to rise 4°C above pre-industrial levels, 1.8 billion more people would be pushed into hunger. For a measure of the challenge that would pose, consider: WFP, with a 20,000-strong workforce across more than 80 countries, currently aims to reach 100 million people.

At the two-week conference hosted by the UK and Italy in Scotland, it is not just the fact of the climate crisis that WFP, other UN agencies and humanitarian partners sought to highlight, it’s our collective duty to assess how we are responding, to collaborate, coordinate and act.

As UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres puts it: “Our fragile planet is hanging by a thread… It is time to go into emergency mode — or our chance of reaching net zero will itself be zero.”

He adds we must: “build [the] resilience of vulnerable communities against the here-and-now impacts of climate change. And make good on the $100 billion climate finance commitment to support developing countries.”

What WFP does

Emergency response is a core aspect of WFP’s work, as the organization showed following cyclone Idai in Mozambique in 2019 and more recently after the earthquake in Haiti.

But what we prefer to do is see climate hazards coming before they turn into disasters – using early-warning data to trigger financial support; restoring degraded ecosystems as natural shields; and protecting the most vulnerable with safety nets and insurance against climate extremes.

WFP climate risk management reaches more than 6 million people in 28 countries. In Bangladesh, in July last year, WFP supported 120,000 people with cash assistance four days ahead of severe flooding that was forecast along the Jamuna river. This money was used by people to buy food and medicine, protect critical assets, and transport livestock and families to safe places.

By using early warning data to trigger early action, WFP empowers households to prepare for flood impacts and prevent losses and damages. This reduces the cost of the emergency response.

In Chad, WFP works in the arid Sahel belt to establish tree nurseries that produce around 1 million tree seedlings a year. The trees help reclaim degraded land, recharge groundwater tables, capture thousands of tons of carbon dioxide, enabling the production of nutritious food.

In Central America, WFP has supported over 32,200 vulnerable people across the ‘dry corridor’ in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to adapt to the impacts of drought and improve livelihoods through activities that create incomes.

In 2020 WFP protected 1.2 million people in Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe and the Gambia from catastrophic drought events with climate-risk insurance, through its African Risk Capacity Replica initiative.

In southern Madagascar, WFP’s launched a microinsurance programme for farmers in the drought-afflicted districts of Amboasary and Ambovombe. After a failed first planting season, nearly 3,500 households received payouts of US$100 each to cover the full loss of their maize harvests.

In the wake of COP26, we want governments to recognize the importance of shifting from crisis response to risk management – and to achieve this we need commitments to more predictable, flexible, and longer-term funding.

Fostering a spirit of collaboration is critical. Humanitarian organizations are experienced risk managers. They must be recognized as a resource for governments in their efforts to increase the resilience of food systems. These are broken and need to be fixed.

The good news is they can be – just about. But we must act now.

Source: World Food Programme