Kampala, Scidev.Net — A new wave of bilateral health deals with the United States is facing growing resistance across Africa, as courts, civil society groups and public-health experts question how the deals reconfigure control over health data, pathogen samples and national priorities. Fourteen African countries have signed agreements with Washington under the United States’ America…
Abuja, Nigeria — West African leaders meeting in Abuja have issued a sweeping communiqué that hardens the regional bloc’s stance against coups, revives momentum for a single currency, and lays out a far-reaching reform agenda ahead of a Special Summit on the future of ECOWAS. At the 68th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of…
The Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development, Odrek Rwabwogo, has questioned the continued use of restrictive visa requirements across African states, arguing that such barriers undermine the continent’s integration and economic growth goals. Speaking during the International Business Week at Speke Resort Munyonyo, Rwabwogo asked why a Ugandan still needs…
Uganda has reiterated its support for multilateralism and called for increased investment in peace and security across Africa, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja said on Tuesday . Speaking at the 7th African Union-European Union (AU-EU) Summit in Luanda, Nabbanja delivered President Yoweri Museveni’s message, emphasising that such investments are essential for building stable societies, promoting trade…
Across Africa, more than 600 million people live within reach of mobile broadband but remain offline. The reason is not network coverage, according to GSMA Africa head Angela Wamola as quoted by TechCabal, but the high cost of smartphones. For many households, an entry-level device still consumes a large share of monthly income. To address…
The South African Revenue Service (Sars) and the Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) have dismissed a report that as many as 16 000 eFiling profiles have been hijacked, with taxpayers losing refunds to cybercriminals. The Sowetan reported on Friday that cybercriminals were increasingly breaching Sars’s systems, raising questions about the security of taxpayer data. But…
Nairobi — Africa must stop viewing itself solely as a destination for visitors and instead position itself as a driver of global tourism, according to UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary-General Shaikha Al Nowais. Al Nowais has called for a new approach that puts African nations at the center of shaping tourism policies, stressing the…
Secretary-General António Guterres has issued a stark call to world leaders on the eve of the United Nations General Assembly’s high-level week, warning that a “global crisis” of war, climate change, inequality and technological risk demands urgent, coordinated action. “We are facing a global crisis. Conflicts are multiplying in the context in which geopolitical divides…
Harare is preparing to host one of Africa’s most outspoken gatherings on digital media and civic technology, with this year’s Hub Unconference urging the continent to “decolonise the internet.” Now in its 11th edition, the free two-day event will run on 24-25 September at Harare Gardens as part of the build-up to the Shoko Festival….
Johannesburg — The 12th South African AIDS Conference opened this week at Emperor’s Palace in Gauteng, South Africa, as pressure mounted on health systems in the host country and the region. The conference, which runs from September 8-11, drew about 1,400 delegates under the theme Unite for Change, Empower Communities and Redefine Priorities for HIV/AIDS….
