Awaza, Turkmenistan — Agriculture is a critical sector in landlocked developing countries, as more than half (55 percent) of the population is employed in the agriculture sector – significantly higher than the global average of 25 per cent. As such, the deterioration of food security in landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) is an unfolding catastrophe. There…
The US State Department said Monday some visa applicants will soon be required to pay bonds of up to $15,000 to discourage visa overstays as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on migration. Starting later this month, the pilot program will require applicants from certain countries to pay a sum of “no less than $5,000”…
Awaza, Turkmenistan — Heads of State, ministers, investors and grassroots leaders are gathered in Awaza on Turkmenistan’s Caspian coast for a once-in-a-decade UN conference aimed at rewiring the global system in support of 32 landlocked developing countries whose economies are often ‘locked out’ of opportunity due to their lack of access to the sea. Geography…
Geneva/New York — Joint statement by WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell “Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure a baby’s health, development, and survival in the earliest stages of life. It acts as their first vaccine, providing protection against diseases including diarrhoea and pneumonia. “Investing…
Nairobi — Landlocked developing countries face a unique set of challenges. Without coastal ports, they rely on transit nations, causing higher trade costs and delays. To explore solutions to these complex hurdles, the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) or LLDC3, will take place in Awaza, Turkmenistan, 5-8 August 2025. May Yaacoub, LLDC3…
Dakar — An estimated 80,000 children are at high risk of cholera, as the rainy season begins across West and Central Africa. The heightened risk of cholera spreading is driven by active outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Nigeria, which raise the threat of cross-border transmission to neighbouring countries. Chad, Republic…
Across most of Africa, rural communities grow their own food, relying on smallholder agriculture. But climate change is threatening this way of life. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall and degraded soils are already shrinking harvests. This is pushing millions of smallholder farmers into deeper poverty. Yet some African farmers are embracing innovative, cost-effective and environmentally friendly…
Two runaway wallabies sparked a cross-border chase in Belgium and France, with police and firefighters hot on the heels of the fast-hopping marsupials. Firemen captured one of the fugitives on Tuesday near the northern French city of Lille, days after the pair broke out of their enclosure in the border town of Mouscron, Belgium. But…
Three Southern African countries now have Event-Based Surveillance (EBS) Guidelines–a critical tool for detecting and responding to emerging health risks. Event-based surveillance systems collect and analyse information from diverse sources, including communities, the media, and healthcare workers, to detect unusual health events in real time. They complement traditional indicator-based surveillance and are designed to support…
Results from a newly published study highlight the growing spread of drug resistance across 14 African countries, underscoring the urgent need to strengthen laboratory testing, data systems, and health planning to tackle hard-to-treat infections. The study, known as the Mapping Antimicrobial Resistance and Antimicrobial Use Partnership (MAAP), is the largest of its kind ever conducted…
