Sunday, May 19

Africa

clean cooking in Africa
  • In Africa, a staggering 1.2 billion people lack access to clean cooking facilities.
  • Lack of clean cooking facilities is one of the main causes of deforestation in Africa.
  • AfDB funding is a major step along the road to saving the lives of 600,000 mainly women and children each year.

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has pledged $2 billion over the next decade towards clean cooking initiatives in Africa, marking a huge stride in the effort to save the lives of 600,000 people, predominantly women and children, each year. This commitment aims to address the health hazards associated with traditional cooking methods that rely on charcoal, wood, and biomass, which contribute to severe respiratory illnesses and environmental degradation.

At a summit on Clean Cooking in Africa, held in Paris, AfDB President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina announced that the Bank would allocate 20 per cent of its energy project financing to promoting …

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Family laws African women
  • Across Africa, gender inequality in marriage, divorce, custody, and property rights is perpetuated by sex discrimination embedded in both legal systems and customary laws.
  • Discriminatory family laws have profound impacts, increasing the risk of sexual and gender-based violence for women and girls.
  • Laws in Cameroon, Nigeria, Senegal, South Sudan, Sudan, and Tanzania still allow child marriage.

Discrimination against women and girls remains widespread in family laws across Africa, according to new research by Equality Now. An analysis of 20 African countries reveals that gender inequality in marriage, divorce, custody, and property rights is perpetuated by sex discrimination embedded in both legal systems and customary laws. Despite some significant legal reforms, progress has been slow, inconsistent, and hindered by setbacks, lack of political will, and weak implementation.

The report, “Gender Inequality in Family Laws in Africa: An Overview of Key Trends in Select Countries,” highlights how overlapping and …

Kenya's Green Jobs Potential
  • Kenya’s Green Jobs Potential will be key in  preserving the country’s natural heritage and combating the challenges posed by climate change.
  • PS Labour and Skills Development Shadrack Mwadime warned that the transition to green economy has far reaching implications for the world of work
  • Green jobs are becoming a crucial driver of sustainable development in Kenya,

Stakeholders in the environment conservation sectors are deliberating on ways to unlock Kenya’s potential as a global hub for digital work and green jobs. The government, jointly with Jacob’s Ladder Africa, International Labour Organisation, United Nations Environment Programme and United Nations Children’s Fund, are in talks in Nairobi to align government priorities with the demands of the green job market.

Kenya National Green Jobs and Skills Development Workshop, brings together stakeholders from government, academia, private sector, finance, and youth-led groups to address the critical need for green jobs and skills development in …

www.theexchange.africa
  • The eight agreements cover broad areas of cooperation between Kenya and Malawi including politics, diplomacy, defence, fisheries and aquaculture among others 
  • Kenyatta said collaboration and consolidation of ties between the two countries would guarantee socioeconomic growth of their citizens
  • Previously, Kenyan industrialists have said they are seeking trade linkages that will allow them to establish joint ventures with Malawians

Kenya and Malawi have entered into new bilateral relations by signing eight new agreements designed to strengthen socioeconomic bonds between the two nations.

The agreements were signed on October 22 at State House, Nairobi at the end of bilateral talks between Kenyan and Malawian delegations led by President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Southern Africa counterpart Lazarus Chakwera.

The eight agreements covered broad areas of cooperation between Kenya and Malawi in politics, diplomacy, defence, fisheries and aquaculture as well as cooperative development. Others are technical cooperation in health and tourism.

Earlier, President …

www.theexchange.africa
  • The Foundation has announced a commitment of up to $120 million to accelerate access to the investigational antiviral drug molnupiravir 
  • The Foundation said the funding will be allocated based on consultations with partners

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced a commitment of up to $120 million to accelerate access to the investigational antiviral drug molnupiravir for lower-income countries as part of its COVID-19 response effort.

In a statement, the Foundation said the funding will be allocated based on consultations with partners, and will support the range of activities required to develop and manufacture generic versions of the drug, which is being developed by Merck & Co in collaboration with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.

The commitment builds on the foundation’s ongoing efforts, including $1.9 billion in funding, since the start of the pandemic to increase access to COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and tests by supporting R&D, regulatory work, at-risk manufacturing, and product …

www.theexchange.africa
  • Kiva will oversee the disbursement of the low-interest loans to help SMEs
  • Last week Google announced a plan to invest $1billion over 5 years to support Africa’s digital transformation

Google Kenya has announced a disbursement of $10 million to support the economic recovery of small and medium enterprises across Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, and Nigeria during their virtual Google Kenya event.

A non-profit organisation, Kiva, will oversee the disbursement of the low-interest loans to help the SMEs get through the economic hardship created by COVID-19.

This follows the announcement made at the Google for Africa event last week where CEO of Google and Alphabet, Sundar Pichai, announced the plan to invest $1billion over 5 years to support Africa’s digital transformation.

The investment is expected to focus on enabling fast, affordable internet access for more Africans; building helpful products; supporting entrepreneurship and small business; and helping non-profits to improve lives across …

www.theexchange.africa
  • The centre was built through a partnership between the locally-owned GE Healthcare’s entity and Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral & Research Hospital (KUTRRH)
  • In Kenya, cancer is the third leading cause of death, after infectious and cardiovascular diseases

In a major milestone for the fight against cancer in Kenya, the President of the Republic of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, has inaugurated the first publicly-owned comprehensive Integrated Molecular Imaging Centre for the diagnosis and treatment of Cancer in Sub Saharan Africa.

The centre was built through a partnership between the locally-owned GE Healthcare’s entity and Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral & Research Hospital (KUTRRH). The Center will provide lifesaving equipment along the cancer care pathway – from screening and diagnosis to staging, to determining the correct treatments.

This will support the improvement of cancer survival rates and serve patients across Kenya. Critically, it will also enable more cancer research to be carried out, offering …

Most business executives in Kenya expect a stable economy after the August 9 general elections

At the same time, KEPSA said the initiative will provide a unique platform to facilitate U.S. and Kenyan SME partnerships.

It will also help in supporting women and youth to run Kenyan entrepreneurs as well as U.S. women, minority, and diaspora owned businesses, and help SMEs in both countries address the current challenges many faces to access the two markets.

The agreement was signed by CCA President & CEO Florizelle Liser and KEPSA CEO Carole Kariuki and witnessed by President Uhuru Kenyatta in New York, U.S.A.…

autospares market africa
  • Morocco’s car sales exceeded 160,000 units in 2021 and creating over 220,000 direct jobs
  • The auto industry is also set to contribute as much as 24% to the Moroccan GDP by 2022
  • Despite the consequences of the COVID-19 crisis, the industry has gradually recovered this year, selling around 400,000 cars to Europe

Morocco has surpassed South Africa as the biggest exporter of passenger cars on the continent with $7 billion (MAD 65.1 billion) exports made in the car industry at the end of 2018.

New data indicates that the country’s automotive industry is growing exponentially each year with car sales exceeding 160,000 units in 2021, and creating over 220,000 direct jobs.

According to several international experts, Morocco’s auto industry is set to contribute as much as 24% to the Moroccan GDP by 2022.

As of 2021, new passenger vehicles (PCs) recorded an increase of +10.77% with 115,611 units sold, transforming …

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