Category: News

The Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) provides primary data and information on internal displacement and population movements – incountry and at regional and global levels. DTM’s work worldwide informs humanitarian, recovery, transition and development interventions by providing timely data and analysis to relevant actors including governments, United Nations partner agencies, donors and other stakeholders. DTM operates in contexts where conflict, natural disasters and complex emergency settings can cause short-term or protracted displacement, as well as in mixed migration contexts. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, there were 15.7 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in 2021. This figure constitutes 26 per cent of the global population of IDPs, making MENA the region with the second highest concentration of IDPs worldwide (following the sub-Saharan Africa region). Most displacement in the MENA region (81%) has been triggered by armed conflict, in particular in Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen.

Source: International Organization for Migration

World Health Organization Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus gave a grim assessment of the many health challenges and threats people around the world have faced this year.

Topping the list was the COVID-19 pandemic that has sickened and killed millions of people for a third year. He noted a global outbreak of monkeypox, now known as mpox, an Ebola outbreak in Uganda, and cholera outbreaks in multiple countries as other health crises.

He said these emergencies were compounded by wars in Ethiopia and Ukraine, as well as climate disasters, including drought and flooding in the greater Horn of Africa and the Sahel, and flooding in Pakistan.

And yet, as 2022 draws to a close, he said there were many reasons for hope.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has declined significantly this year, the global monkeypox outbreak is waning, and there have been no cases of Ebola in Uganda for more than three weeks,” he said. “We are hopeful that each of these emergencies will be declared over at different points next year.”

While the pandemic is not over, Tedros said great progress has been made in containing its spread. He noted that one year ago, COVID-19 was killing 50,000 people a week. This now has dropped to fewer than 10,000 deaths a week.

Despite the significant decline, he cautioned the virus is here to stay and people have to learn how to manage the disease. He urged vigilance, masking, social distancing and, above all else, vaccinating.

2023

Looking ahead to next year, he said the WHO’s focus will be on health promotion and disease prevention.

“Instead of focusing on sick care like we do, we focus on health care, meaning keeping people healthy,” said Tedros. “And we will do everything to make that happen. But for that to happen, we will also focus on pushing for universal health coverage, especially with a shift to primary health care as a foundation.”

The WHO chief cited emergency preparedness and response as another priority. With new virus strains emerging, he emphasized the importance of doing everything possible to prepare the world for future pandemics.

Source: Voice of America

IOM works with national and local authorities in order to gain a better understanding of population movements throughout Southern Africa. Through the setup of Flow Monitoring Points (FMPs), IOM seeks to quantify migration flows, trends and routes and to gain a better understanding of the profiles of observed individuals at entry, transit or exit points (such as border crossing posts, bus stations, rest areas, police checkpoints and reception centres). This report is an overview of the data collected in these FMPs from 1 to 30 November 2022.

Inter-regional migration from and within the Southern Africa is categorized along the following corridors. The Flow Monitoring Points (FMPs) were set-up in several key transit locations along the corridors to track the movements of passengers:

Zimbabwe (Mutare) – Mozambique (Manica)

Zimbabwe (Chirundu) – Zambia

Zimbabwe – Botswana (Plumtree)

Zimbabwe – South Africa (Beitbridge)

Malawi (Mchinji) – Zambia (Mwami)

Malawi (Karonga ) – United Republic of

Tanzania

Malawi (Mwanza) – Mozambique (Zobue)

Mozambique (Ressano Garcia) – South Africa

Democratic Republic of the Congo

(Kasumbalesa) – Zambia

Over the reporting period a total of 76,844 movements were observed across 48 FMPs in the region. The Zimbabwe – South Africa corridor hosted the largest number of movements with 38,422 (50%) followed by the Malawi (Mwanza) – Mozambique (Zobue) corridor with 9,795 (13%) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kasumbalesa) – Zambia corridor with 8,960 (12%) movements reported.

Source International Organization for Migration

LUANDA The 10th Summit of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (Oeacp), held here, condemns in a statement, the use of unilateral and coercive measures, including illegal sanctions, against certain developing countries.

 

The communication is contained in the Luanda Declaration, which summarizes the common position of the 79 member countries of the bloc, whose meeting of heads of State and government ended Friday night in this capital.

 

The text warns of the existence of illegal sanctions aimed at preventing certain nations from exercising their rights to determine their own political, economic and social system. In this sense, the Oeacp rejected the increasing application of unilateral and extraterritorial laws and measures contrary to international law.

 

As a concrete example, it pointed to the Helms Burton Act in the case of Cuba.

 

The Luanda Declaration sets out the positions of the Oeacp on various issues, including threats to peace and security, South-South and triangular cooperation, and the challenges facing the global crises in the economic, food, energy and climate spheres.

 

The elimination of poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, continues to be the main challenge and the necessary condition for sustainable development, the 10th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Oeacp reassured. — NNN-PRENSA LATINA

 

Source: Nam News Network

PRETORIA, South Africa’s Health Minister Joe Phaahla has announced that as of 2023 all children aged between five and 11 who are at risk of contracting severe COVID-19 will be able to receive the vaccine.

 

He said, these children will be offered two doses of the Pfizer vaccine, with an interval of 21 days between the two doses.

 

This will include children with chronic respiratory, heart, neurological, kidney, liver and gastrointestinal conditions as well as those with certain endocrine disorders, conditions associated with immunosuppression and serious genetic abnormalities.

 

Briefing the media, Phaahla also announced that South Africa has crossed the 38 million mark for administered COVID-19 vaccines since the rollout of the programme began.

 

“Although the number of COVID-19 cases remains very low around the country, sub-variants of Omicron continue to be detected at low levels across the country,” he said.

 

He raised his concern about the continued number of COVID-19 related deaths recorded every week.

 

According to the Minister, the COVID-19 vaccination is now integrated into the primary healthcare services as government has closed the majority of the special vaccination sites.

 

He told the media that the target remains to reach 70% of the adult population with a particular focus on reaching the elderly and vulnerable groups.

 

“The department has been receiving enquiries on whether additional COVID-19 vaccine booster doses will be made available to provide ongoing protection against the pandemic, especially for older persons and those who are immunocompromised because they are at the highest risk of severe COVID-19 complications,” the Minister said.

 

He explained that adults between the ages of 18 and 49 years are eligible to receive three doses, while those 50 years and older are eligible to receive four doses.

 

“Consideration is being given to an additional booster dose to be offered to both age groups.”

 

This means adults aged between 18 and 49 years will be eligible to receive a total of four doses, while those 50 years and older will be eligible to receive five doses.

 

“There is little experience of ideal booster intervals and there is a high level of immunity in the community. At this stage, the intention is to provide another booster at an interval between the previous and the additional booster dose of a minimum of 180 days or six months,” he said.

 

“Although, this next booster will be a voluntary dose and not part of a wide community campaign. But the department reminds South Africans that the lifting of restrictions didn’t imply that the pandemic is over.”

 

Source: Nam News Network