The World Health Organization (WHO) announced in this week's WHO Weekly Epidemiological Record that Malawi has been validated to have eliminated lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem.

54gene, whose mission is to advance inclusive precision medicine through research, advanced molecular diagnostics, and clinical programs, has launched its Clinical Program Services (CPS) division in Nigeria.

As African swine fever marches swiftly across countries affecting food security and livelihoods of some of the world's most vulnerable populations, FAO and the OIE are calling on all nations and partners to join forces to keep this deadly pig disease at bay.

Ilara Health, the healthtech company which provides point of care diagnostic testing to small primary care clinics in Kenya, has received a $1.1 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

M-TIBA and Britam have announced the signing of a new partnership to develop digital products to increase health insurance market penetration in Kenya.

Facebook in partnership with the Namibian Blood Transfusion Service (NamBTS) and Ministry of Health and Social Services, have launched a new feature to encourage people to donate blood.

A group of public, private and non-profit organizations, led by the African Union Commission through the Africa CDC launched the Africa Pathogen Genomics Initiative.

COMESA has welcomed the launch of the African Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP) as an invaluable One Stop Shop that will ensure access to safe and affordable quality medicines in Africa.

bioMérieux and the Africa Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP), have partnered to facilitate the supply of high-quality diagnostic solutions from the bioMérieux Pandemic Response Portfolio to African Union Member States.

The United States, through the USAID and Egypt’s Ministry of International Cooperation signed an agreement to add $22.8 million to the five-year Inclusive Economic Governance bilateral assistance agreement.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Pharco, a pharmaceutical group in Egypt have agreed to secure the supply of 25 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine to Egypt.

Elevar Therapeutics has entered into an agreement with taiba Middle East, under which taiba will commercialize and distribute Apealea in certain countries throughout the Middle East and North African (MENA) region.

Vantage Capital, Africa’s mezzanine fund manager, has made a $28.0 million equity investment to acquire a significant minority shareholding in the Cliniques Internationales du Maroc Group.

Mercy Ships unveils its new hospital ship, the Global Mercy, which will join the Africa Mercy, in service in Africa since 2007.

Food and beverage processing company Del Monte Kenya Limited has partnered with the UN women health and empowerment programme.

The Global Fund and Chevron Corporation have celebrated a 12-year partnership that served as an example of the private sector’s contribution to the fight against infectious diseases and to building resilient health systems.

Ethiopian Airlines Group, Largest Aviation Group in Africa announced it will cover the medical insurance including repatriation, evacuation and quarantine costs related to COVID-19 as of 1st of October 2020 until 31st of March 2021.

After nearly 10 years of providing quality HIV and cervical cancer treatment and prevention services in Gutu District, Zimbabwe, the international medical humanitarian organisation MSF is handing over its project activities to the Ministry of Health.

Bosch has developed a new rapid test for its Vivalytic analysis device to detect the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen, providing a reliable result in 39 minutes and is currently the fastest polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test worldwide.

The Global Healthcare Supply Chain Management market is expected to reach $3.60 billion by 2026 growing at a compounded annual growth rate of 9.0 per cent during 2019 to 2026 according to the latest report by Research and Markets.

Ministers of Health from seven small African island states signed an agreement to jointly procure drugs and vaccines in a bid to improve quality and access to medicines and other health products.

Insurers must explore new ways to build capabilities to meet the digital needs of customers as BigTechs and non-traditional players enter the insurance space, according to the World InsurTech Report 2020.

The OPEC Fund for International Development (the OPEC Fund) approved $100 million in new funding to support development operations in Burundi, Nicaragua and Ghana.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is allocating $1 million in funding to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to help Egypt enhance radiation therapy for cancer patients.

Power Africa, through the USAID, announced grants totaling $2.6 million to solar energy companies to provide reliable, affordable off-grid electricity to nearly 300 healthcare facilities in sub-Saharan Africa.

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, announced a partnership with South African-listed Imperial to jointly develop a modular screening and treatment healthcare infrastructure program in Sub-Saharan Africa to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CTI Clinical Trial and Consulting Services (CTI) has announced the acquisition of Clinart, a full-service CRO with nearly 20 years of experience and strong local expertise in the (MENA) region.

The Islamic Development Bank approved $320.56 million in financing to new development projects in water and sanitation, health, roads and women empowerment in Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Yemen and Indonesia.

The World Health Organization received a donation of $1 million from the Qatar Fund for Development to support its ongoing work in Sudan for a period of one year.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) encourages the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Care to maintain and replicate this first of its kind nurse-led Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) healthcare model across the country.

The Regional Expert Committee on Traditional Medicine for COVID-19 has endorsed a protocol for phase III clinical trials of herbal medicine for COVID-19.

A newly established Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) has been unveiled at Kailahun District Hospital in Sierra Leone.

Ambassador Selby Pillay, High Commissioner of Seychelles accredited to India, signed a MoU with Telecommunications Consultants India for the e-VidyaBharti (e-education) and e-ArogyaBharti (tele-medicine) project (e-VBAB).

Facebook, in partnership with the National Blood Service Zimbabwe (NBSZ) announced a new feature to encourage people to donate blood.

South Africa's public sector healthcare institutions do not have the budget needed to implement progressive e-health strategies, such as collating patient records across different facilities in a simple and transparent manner.

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) have partnered with the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO), to launch a new Arab-Africa Trade Bridges Program initiative.

Ebola is spreading in a western province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), raising fears that the disease could reach neighbouring Republic of Congo and even the capital, Kinshasa, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

Kenyan technology startup, xetova, has been named 2020 Global Solve finalist by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the health security and pandemics track.

Innovative health organization Illumina, Inc. has collaborated with 54gene, a health technology company whose mission is to advance precision medicine capabilities in Africa through research, advanced molecular diagnostics and clinical programs.

The national Department of Health (DoH) launched a COVID Alert SA App in partnership with Discovery, to strengthen the existing contact tracing methods to help break the transmission of COVID-19.

Low- and middle-income countries could soon leapfrog high-income countries in their adoption of new AI-enabled technologies in health, suggests a report led by the Novartis Foundation and Microsoft.

The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), announced more than $15 million in additional humanitarian assistance to help end the outbreak of Ebola in Équateur Province in DRC.

IFC announced a loan to International Medical Group (IMG) to strengthen services at the healthcare provider’s Ugandan hospital and clinics, allowing them to continue to deliver quality medical care.

The World Bank has appointed Mr. Keith Hansen as the new Country Director for Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, and Uganda effective September 8, 2020.

Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB), announced the appointment of Mary Beth Powers as President and CEO.

The World Bank approved $75 million development policy operation for Madagascar to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.

With Covid-19, came a flood of new telehealth (virtual consulting) healthcare solutions, exposing more patients to its benefits and features.

Africa CDC, in partnership with IHR Strengthening Project of Public Health England, launched a web-based tool, AVoHC Net, to facilitate rapid deployment and better administration of a standby workforce for public health emergencies across Africa.

Novartis and the African Union (AU) through the Africa Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP) have announced a new collaboration to facilitate the supply of medicines from the Novartis Pandemic Response Portfolio to the AU member states.

UAP Old Mutual General Business and Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital have partnered to provide a comprehensive medical cover for children, ranging from birth to 21 years old of age.

Finding ourselves in the middle of a global pandemic has been a shock. We've spent a lot of time fine-tuning ways in which we can prevent ourselves from catching the virus.

The Moroccan Minister of Economy, Finance and Administration Reform and the Vice-President of the EIB announced the release of €100 million to finance the Kingdom of Morocco’s most urgent requirements as it deals with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Digital Horizon venture fund has invested in Y Combinator alumnus Healthlane, the startup focusing on modern, online consultations for local and remote patients, alongside traditional face-to-face public health services across Africa.

Imperial Logistics acquired a 49% shareholding in Pharmafrique (trading as Kiara Health), an African pharmaceutical manufacturing and healthcare services company based in Johannesburg South Africa.

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is running out of funding for its COVID-19 Response Mechanism, and is seeking an additional $5 billion.

Ada Labs Africa with headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya announced that since it’s launch earlier this year, the fusion lab has acquired six startups. The Lab currently has two in the market with the other four launching in the coming months.

Mental health is said to be a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, to cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.

The Government of Canada has provided CAD$ 11 million to support the Government of Somalia, through UNFPA, on a new initiative on Strengthening Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.

For many public health workers in Uganda, responding to disease outbreaks of epidemic potential in not new. This is because the country has been in preparedness and response modes for quite some time.

As the prevalence of COVID-19 accelerates across Africa, over 40 per cent of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa do not have access to clean water and are unable to heed the advice of health experts to wash their hands.

African Union (AU), and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) launched Africa Against COVID-19: Saving Lives, Economies and Livelihoods campaign, to facilitate the development of a harmonized strategy.

Orange Egypt signed a new cooperation protocol with Misr El Kheir Foundation and Prime Speed Medical to provide hospitals with FDA approved rapid test kits to diagnose COVID-19 infected cases.

Kenyans living in the diaspora have come together to mobilize funds and other resources to compliment the Kenya Government’s efforts in the fight to combat the effects of COVID-19.

Standard Chartered Kenya announced Gertrudes Hospital is the latest company to complete a drawdown from the Bank’s global $1 billion COVID-19 financing commitment.

Medical Teams International was awarded $3.4 million by the U.S. PRM to support Medical Teams’ ongoing work to provide comprehensive and timely medical care to refugees and host populations in Uganda.

Health Ministers and representatives from African countries gathered for the annual World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa voiced concern over the impact of COVID-19.

UK efforts to stop wild polio in Africa have contributed to the continent being officially declared free from the disease, which can kill or maim children for life.

South Africa’s overall GDP is expected to decline by at least 5.1 and up to 7.9 percent in 2020 and recover slowly through 2024. This will lead to major setbacks in addressing poverty, unemployment and inequality, according to a new UNDP study.

Rotary and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) announced a historic public health achievement as the World Health Organization’s African region is now certified wild poliovirus-free.

In a first on the African continent, South African manufactured ventilators are in production and the first life-saving machines will be ready in a few weeks’ time.

iHerb, a global leader in health and beauty focused e-commerce, is expanding global availability to 23 additional countries, one of the largest expansions in the company history.

The economic impact of COVID-19 lockdowns throughout Nigeria, Africa's largest economy, has led to growing concerns around food instability.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warns millions of lives could be lost in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) due to hunger unless the international community steps up with more help.

Most people have heard stories about inefficiencies, unexpected costs or redundant re-testing while visiting medical facilities across the globe. I have a few, such as having to re-run tests because my regular specialist couldn't be reached.

The United States, through the USAID, is providing more than $7.5 million in additional humanitarian assistance to help end the 11th outbreak of Ebola in Équateur Province in Northwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the African Risk Capacity have launched two COVID-19 modelling tools for Africa: COVID-19 Potential Outcomes Scenarios and COVID-19 Spread Simulation Tool for Africa.

The first members of a surge team of health experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa to bolster the country’s response to COVID-19.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has launched its nutrition support programme for the first time in Khartoum for 175,000 pregnant and nursing women and children under five, in collaboration with the Khartoum State Ministry of Health.

Over 5,500 frontline healthcare workers in Kenya will continue receiving monthly communication bundles following Safaricom’s move to extend the communication support that was provided for three months from April 2020.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has launched a course on Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), in the context of coronavirus disease.

South Africa responded swiftly to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the sharp drop in activity adds to long-standing challenges and raises the urgency for structural reforms, according to a new OECD report.

With COVID-19 aggravating an already severe hunger crisis in Zimbabwe, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) appealed for an additional $250 million to support a rapidly expanding emergency operation for millions at risk.

IFC has launched an initiative to strengthen health systems by encouraging providers, payors, and investors to adopt a set of 10 ethical principles that can help guide decision-making and improve access to quality, affordable care for all.

Sibanye-Stillwater, AngloGold Ashanti, Sasol and Imperial Logistics have formed a strategic partnership which will see Sibanye-Stillwater distributing hand sanitisers produced by Sasol to schools, health facilities and taxi ranks.

Malawi’s three-year trajectory of increasing economic growth has been interrupted by the global COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, but the full extent of the pandemic’s negative impact is still uncertain as the crisis unfolds, says World Bank.

IFC announced a $50 million loan to Equity Bank Kenya to help it increase working capital and trade-related lending to its small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) clients.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a loan of $288 million to the government of South Africa, as the country battles one of the largest COVID-19 caseloads in the world.

Belgium has contributed to an anticipatory action project aimed at enhancing the food security and nutrition of populations affected by COVID-19 in Zimbabwe.

A COVID-19 dashboard has been launched by the Commonwealth Secretariat to help member countries make vital decisions during the ongoing crisis.

IFC committed $5.6 billion to private sector development in the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa in fiscal year 2020, supporting businesses across the two regions.

According to the report, the mHealth market was valued at $46 billion in 2019, and is expected to reach $230 billion by 2027, registering a CAGR of 22.3% from 2020 to 2027.

The European Union is providing €64.7 million in humanitarian aid for countries in the southern Africa region to help support people in need dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, extreme weather conditions such as persistent drought.

The World Bank responded to dual economic shocks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent collapse in oil prices with strong lending, technical assistance and global expertise throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a grant under the IMF’s Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust (CCRT) to cover Burundi’s debt service falling due to the IMF from July 21, 2020 to October 13, 2020, equivalent of $7.63 million.

African swine Fever (ASF), which may cause up to 100 percent mortality in pigs, has become a major crisis for the pork industry, causing massive losses in pig populations and generating drastic economic consequences.

General Electric (GE) has appointed Nyimpini Mabunda as the Chief Executive Officer for Southern Africa.

Increased and decisive investment will be the channel for Africa’s economic recovery post COVID-19, partners of the Africa Investment Forum said, expressing confidence in the continent’s potential to rebound from the ongoing health and economic crises.

15.4 million cases of acute malnutrition in children under five years old are expected in 2020 in West and Central Africa if adequate measures are not put in place now, warns UN agencies, UNICEF and WFP.

Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) Equateur Province continues to grow, causing major concern as the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners face critical funding gaps.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) approved € 16.6 billion of new financing for projects across Europe and around the world, including more than € 10 billion of COVID-19-related investment to improve public health.