10 Quarantined After Kenya’s First Ebola Case
Kenya is facing its first confirmed Ebola case after a man who travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo died in a Nairobi hospital. Health officials have quarantined ten people who came into contact with him, while tracing 57 others who may have been exposed. Concern is growing over screening measures after it emerged that the patient, who had reportedly been ill for about a month, travelled through several cities in DR Congo, crossed into Uganda and flew to Kenya without being detected. Kenyan authorities said that surveillance has been intensified at airports and border crossings, with more than 650,000 travellers screened and 267 samples tested so far. Health officials have also designated four hospitals to manage suspected Ebola cases, while the Africa CDC is working with countries in the region to strengthen their response.
Eritrean Troops Reportedly Move Into Ethiopia’s Tigray Region
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Eritrean soldiers are reportedly moving into northern Ethiopia’s Tigray region as renewed fighting between Ethiopian government forces and Tigrayan forces raises fears of a wider conflict. Residents in Adigrat said that they had seen convoys of Eritrean military trucks travelling south towards areas where clashes have been reported. The developments come amid worsening relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea and accusations from Addis Ababa that Eritrea is supporting the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, which Asmara has denied. The reported return of Eritrean troops has caused anxiety among Tigray residents, many of whom remember alleged atrocities committed during the 2020–2022 civil war.
UN Allocates $160m for Global Humanitarian Crises
The United Nations has allocated US$160 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund to provide life-saving assistance in 12 of the world’s most underfunded humanitarian crises across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Of the funding, US$150 million will support emergency responses in countries including Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Chad, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Cameroon and Afghanistan, as well as the occupied Palestinian territory, Cuba and Yemen. A further US$10 million will support people with disabilities and make humanitarian assistance more accessible and inclusive. The UN says the funding forms part of a wider effort to reach 87 million people facing severe humanitarian needs this year, while stressing that political action is also needed to secure humanitarian access to affected populations.
African Union Launches First Regional Credit Rating Agency in Mauritius
The African Union is launching the Africa Credit Rating Agency, the continent’s first regional credit rating agency, in Mauritius, in an effort to provide an alternative perspective to the major global rating agencies. The agency will assess sovereign governments, financial institutions and private companies, with the AU saying it will draw on African data, expertise and economic realities to provide more context-specific assessments. African leaders have long criticised major international rating agencies over what they see as unfair assessments of African economies, although the agencies reject accusations of systemic bias. The AU says AfCRA could help improve investor confidence, market transparency and access to capital, particularly as African countries face rising debt-service costs and 23 economies currently lack ratings from the major global agencies.
Nigerian Authorities Launch Probe After Passenger Dies on Kenya Airways Flight
A passenger has died aboard a Kenya Airways flight from Nairobi to Lagos after becoming unresponsive about 20 minutes before the aircraft landed at Murtala Muhammed International Airport. The airline said its crew administered first aid and followed emergency procedures before medical personnel met the aircraft on arrival and confirmed the passenger had died. Nigerian aviation authorities said the passenger had reportedly been denied entry into Madagascar. He was being returned to Nigeria when complications arose during the flight. Authorities said the passenger had allegedly become aggressive, attempted to enter the cockpit and later tried to open a rear aircraft door before being restrained by crew members. Police have taken over the investigation, obtained statements from the crew and placed the body in a morgue in Ikeja. The passenger’s identity and cause of death have not been disclosed.
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Zambia Set to Sign $1.5bn U.S. Health Deal
Zambia is set to sign a U.S.$1.5 billion health funding agreement with the United States after resolving a dispute over the sharing of sensitive health data. The agreement will provide U.S.$1.5 billion in U.S. funding over five years. Zambia is expected to contribute U.S.$2.1 billion towards health programmes. Zambia had initially rejected the deal over concerns about requirements to share medical information and biological samples. However, officials said that the data-sharing provisions have now been narrowed to information needed to monitor and evaluate U.S.-funded programmes, with a clause allowing access to patient specimens removed. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe and Ghana have rejected similar U.S. funding terms over concerns about sovereignty and sensitive health data. Zimbabwe particularly warned against unrestricted access to epidemiological data and biological samples.
