Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers, but does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group. 
Download logo
Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia after fighting broke out in early November, 2020. Some 50,000 people have crossed to Sudan as refugees, while many others are displaced within the region, staying in towns and remote areas or trapped between localized outbreaks of fighting. MSF teams have been providing medical care to some of the affected people in Tigray since mid-December.

For those areas MSF teams could access, tens of thousands of displaced people are living in abandoned buildings and on construction sites in western areas around Shire, Dansha, and Humera towns, while others have found refuge in host communities in the east and south of the region. These people have very limited access to food, clean water, shelter, and healthcare. MSF teams have also heard reports that many people are still hiding in the mountains and in rural areas across the region.
In some of the places visited by MSF, power lines are cut, water supplies are not functional, telecommunications networks are down, banks are closed, and many people are afraid to return to their places of origin because of the ongoing insecurity. Often, they have no way to contact their relatives or to buy essential items for their households. Some people are also hosting family members displaced from elsewhere in the region, creating an additional burden on them. The fighting broke out at harvest time in a region where crops were already badly damaged by desert locusts, leaving food in short supply. Before the fighting started, nearly one million of people were already dependent on humanitarian assistance. Although aid agencies and local authorities are distributing food in some areas, they are not reaching everyone.
In southern Tigray, MSF teams are running mobile clinics and have restarted some services at health centers in the towns of Hiwane and Adi Keyih, alongside staff from the Ministry of Health. Between December 18 and January 3, MSF teams in Hiwane and Adi Keyih provided 1,498 medical consultations.
In eastern Tigray, MSF is supporting the hospital in Adigrat, the region’s second city. When an MSF team arrived in the city on December 19, they found that the hospital—which serves a population of more than one million—had partially stopped functioning. Given the urgency of the situation, MSF sent oxygen cylinders and food for patients and their caretakers from Mekele, 120 kilometers [about 74 miles] further south, and referred patients to Avder hospital in the region’s capital city. Since December 23, MSF medical teams have been running the hospital’s emergency room, as well as the medical, surgical, pediatric, and maternity wards. They are also providing outpatient care for children under five. MSF received 760 patients in the emergency room of Adigrat’s hospital from December 24 to January 10.
In central Tigray, as far north as the towns of Adwa, Axum, and Shire, MSF teams are providing some of the displaced people with basic health care and supporting health facilities which lack essential supplies such as medications, oxygen, and food for patients. MSF teams estimate that between three and four million people in central Tigray have no access to basic health care.
In the northwestern towns of Mai Kadra and Humera, MSF has provided support to some health centers and has been supporting up to 2,000 internally displaced people by providing medical services, supplying water, sanitation and hygiene products, and constructing emergency latrines. Most of the internally displaced people are no longer there.
Prior to the conflict, the population in Tigray was around 5.5 million, including more than 100,000 internally displaced people and 96,000 refugees who were already dependent on food assistance, according to the United Nations. As well as its activities in Tigray, MSF teams have provided healthcare to thousands of displaced people at the border of Amhara region since November. They have also supported several health facilities with medical supplies and provided nutritional and mass casualty trainings to Ministry of Health staff. MSF is also responding to the needs of Ethiopian refugees across the border in Sudan.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Médecins sans frontières (MSF).

Ethiopia: MSF provides medical assistance to some of the most affected people in Tigray

Militants continue to stage deadly attacks as insecurity expands into previously ‘safe’ zones in West Africa, Sahel, top official tells Security Council

Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers, but does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group. 
Download logo
The World Bank plans to invest over $5 billion over the next five years to help restore degraded landscapes, improve agriculture productivity, and promote livelihoods across 11 African countries on a swathe of land stretching from Senegal to Djibouti.

World Bank Group President David Malpass announced the investment at the One Planet Summit, a high-level meeting co-hosted with France and the United Nations that is focused on addressing climate change and biodiversity loss.
“This investment, which comes at a crucial time, will help improve livelihoods as countries recover from COVID-19 while also dealing with the impact of both biodiversity loss and climate change on their people and economies,” said Malpass.
The more than $5 billion in financing will support agriculture, biodiversity, community development, food security, landscape restoration, job creation, resilient infrastructure, rural mobility, and access to renewable energy across 11 countries of the Sahel, Lake Chad and Horn of Africa. Many of these efforts are in line with the Great Green Wall initiative. This builds on World Bank landscape investments in these countries over the past eight years that reached more than 19 million people and placed 1.6 million hectares under sustainable land management.
“Restoring natural ecosystems in the drylands of Africa benefits both people and the planet,” said Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission.  
Working with many partners, PROGREEN, a World Bank global fund dedicated to boosting countries’ efforts to address landscape degradation, will also invest $14.5 million in five Sahelian countries – Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, Mali, Mauritania.
The World Bank Group is the biggest multilateral funder of climate investments in developing countries. In December 2020, the World Bank Group announced an ambitious new target for 35% of its financing to have climate co-benefits, on average, over the next five years.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.

World Bank plans to invest over $5 Billion in Drylands in Africa

Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers, but does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group. 
Download logo
The COVID-19 pandemic, emerging digital threats, climate change and the US China relationship are among the Top 5 Risks for business in 2021, published today by Control Risks (www.ControlRisks.com), the specialist global risk consultancy.

The RiskMap 2021 website: www.ControlRisks.com/riskmap
Underpinning these risks, the danger of missing the rebound in a year of multi-speed recovery is a top risk for business in the coming year.
“There’s no doubt that businesses will continue to face considerable disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic, but we believe that the opportunities are real and exciting for many companies in 2021,” comments Control Risks CEO, Nick Allan.
All top 5 global risks are present in Africa but play out in unique ways. In some areas the continent presents a positive break from the more negative global trends, such as in the regional cooperation shown by the continent in its response COVID-19 and the planned launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA).
Overall, however, 2021 will be a tough year for a continent that will struggle to recover from COVID-19 as fast as much of the rest of the world. Despite many significant opportunities for investors, the markets they are investing in will be ones characterised by significant operational and political uncertainty.
The investors that will achieve success in 2021 are those that understand that Africa’s post-pandemic landscape will be tangibly changed from what came before, presenting different challenges and new opportunities.
The global Top 5 Risks for Business in 2020
The Top 5 risks are released as part of Control Risks’ annual RiskMap report, a global risk forecast for business leaders and policy makers across the world, published today.
1. A world with long COVID
2021 will be a year of uneven recovery as vaccine rollouts create a world of haves and have-nots, with pockets of forever COVID at the bottom of the pecking order. Much of Africa, unfortunately, will be in the have-not category and companies will face prolonged operational uncertainty as localised restrictions are sporadically imposed in response to virus spikes. Africa’s economic recovery will also be more gradual, as governments with limited fiscal headroom cannot engage in sustained stimulus spending and must instead rely on under-developed private sectors to drive their recoveries.
2. US-China: stabilisation without normalisation

While 2021 should see superficial stabilisation in the US-China relationship, the straining of the international rules-based system seen over the past few years will not go into full reverse. Competition rather than cooperation will remain the norm in international relations. In this regard at least Africa represents a welcome break from global trends, as 1 January will see the launch of ACFTA, and although full implementation of a continental free trade area will be slow the fact that Africa is moving in that direction when much of the world is not should be attractive to potential investors.
3. Go green or go bust

An inflection point is coming for the relationship between businesses and climate change in 2021. No organisation can now afford not to take a stance. The environment is a critical aspect in a broader area of the ESG agenda. Although no African country bar South Africa has made a net zero pledge to date – without special funding, governments do not view it as a priority – the continent nonetheless has huge renewable energy potential. Renewable energy projects connected to microgrids make sense in a continent of small population centres spread over huge areas, and the recent liberalisation of energy markets in many countries has opened up multiple opportunities for private-sector investors. Without government backing, however, investor may ignore these opportunities for the subsidies and support on offer elsewhere.
4. Digital acceleration hits emerging threats

The remarkable increase in connectivity across Africa – in mobile phone penetration, internet penetration, social media use and data traffic flows – has opened up a vast array of new opportunities. This is evidenced by the rapid growth in the African tech sector over the past few years. But this connectivity also brings risks. Cyber crime has boomed across Africa, from simple scams to sophisticated attacks on critical infrastructure. Criminal and state actors have also engaged in influence operations, spreading misinformation and inflammatory content that poses reputational risks to companies as well as political players. Companies in Africa, just like the rest of the world, will have to balance the drive for technological innovation with security, integrity and resilience challenges.
5. Missing the Rebound

The coming year will see strong GDP growth in multiple markets, the roll-out of vaccines and a world hungry to start living again. While progress will be faltering, an uplift is coming &#8211; do not miss the rebound. If 2020 was about survival for many companies, 2021 is the time to focus on opportunity. Under the duress of COVID-19 many companies have flexed, not broken. Through innovation, rapid technology adoption and streamlining, they have emerged stronger, while weaker competitors have fallen. Those companies that turn the efficiency gains of 2020 into productivity gains, continue to accurately assess trends and show flexibility in adapting their operations will benefit from the coming surge in demand.
“Governance, policy consistency and rule of law are critical for investors in Africa and deep-rooted challenges remain across the continent in this realm, however we do see positive change across the region. Recovery will be an opportunity for governments to address structural constraints and promote new approaches &#038; technologies &#8211; the region remains front and centre for many of our clients. For Control Risks, Africa sits at the heart of our past, present, and future &#8211; we continue to invest and see growth across the region” explains Tom Griffin, Partner &#8211; Africa and Middle East, Control Risks.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Control Risks Group Holdings Ltd.
The RiskMap 2021 website will be live from Monday, 11 January 2021. The world map with countries’ political and security risk forecasts will be available to download here: www.ControlRisks.com/riskmap
For broadcast interviews: Control Risks is equipped with an in-house Globelynx studio for live or pre-recorded broadcast interviews. To arrange an interview with one of our experts, please contact communicationsemea@controlrisks.com
Media contact: Bina Philip Marketing Director, Middle East and Africa Bina.Philip@controlrisks.com
About Control Risks: Control Risks (www.ControlRisks.com) is a specialist global risk consultancy that helps to create secure, compliant, and resilient organisations in an age of ever-changing risk. Working across disciplines, technologies and geographies, everything we do is based on our belief that taking risks is essential to our clients’ success. We provide our clients with the insight to focus resources and ensure they are prepared to resolve the issues and crises that occur in any ambitious global organisation. We go beyond problem-solving and provide the insight and intelligence needed to realise opportunities and grow.

Control Risks announces the Top 5 Risks for Business in 2021

Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers, but does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group.
African Union Member States (55) reporting COVID-19 cases (3,056,761) deaths (72,742), and recoveries (2,469,266) by region:

Central (78,286 cases; 1,511 deaths; 69,382 recoveries): Burundi (986; 2; 773), Cameroon (27,088; 451; 25,542), CAR (4,973; 63; 4,873), Chad (2,537; 107; 1,965), Congo (7,217; 108; 5,846), DRC (19,436; 611; 14,743), Equatorial Guinea (5,289; 86; 5,154), Gabon (9,694; 66; 9,498), Sao Tome &#038; Principe (1,066; 17; 988)

Eastern (335,587; 6,173; 260,498): Comoros (1150; 18; 860), Djibouti (5,877; 61; 5,789), Eritrea (1,556; 6; 803), Ethiopia (128,316; 1,1994; 113,374), Kenya (98,334; 1,713; 81,101), Madagascar (18,001; 267; 17,447), Mauritius (539; 10; 514), Rwanda (9,630; 120; 6,974), Seychelles (531; 1; 278), Somalia (4,726; 130; 3,639), South Sudan (3,649; 63; 3,165), Sudan (25,027; 1,468; 13,524), Tanzania (509; 21; 178), Uganda (37,742; 301; 12,852)

Northern (984,668; 25,939; 825,409): Algeria (102,144; 2,807; 69,212), Egypt (149,792; 8,197; 118,900), Libya (105,378; 1,589; 81,237), Mauritania (15,512; 384; 13,435), Morocco (452,532; 7,743; 424,896), Tunisia (159,276; 5,215; 117,701), Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (34; 4; 28)

Southern (1,392,400; 35,663; 1,083,599): Angola (18,193; 416; 13,872), Botswana (16,050; 48; 12,927), Eswatini (11,435; 295; 7,676), Lesotho (5,937; 85; 1,572), Malawi (8,575; 225; 5,824), Mozambique (21,939; 192; 17,535), Namibia (28,602; 261; 24,462), South Africa (1,231,596; 33,163; 966,368), Zambia (28,596; 471; 20,781), Zimbabwe (21,477; 507; 12,582)

Western (265,820; 3,456; 230,378): Benin (3,363,46; 3,222), Burkina Faso (8,082; 89; 5,845), Cape Verde (12,392; 114; 11,733), Côte d&#39;Ivoire (23,750; 139; 22,570), Gambia (3,857; 125; 3,677), Ghana (56,230; 338; 54,631), Guinea (13,980; 81; 13,233), Guinea-Bissau (2,478; 45; 2,400), Liberia (1,800; 83; 1,406), Mali (7,600; 298; 5,291), Niger (3,877; 126; 2,386), Nigeria (100,087; 1,358; 80,030), Senegal (21,533; 465; 18,357), Sierra Leone (2,834; 77; 1,983), Togo (3,957; 72; 3,614)
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).Media filesDownload logo

Coronavirus: African Union Member States reporting COVID-19 cases as of 11 January 2021, 6 pm EAT

Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers, but does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group.
New cases: 452 Total active cases: 2,744 Lost to follow-up: 134 Total number of tests conducted: 97,429 (1,696 new) Total confirmed cases: 9,027 Total recovered: 5,838 (14 new) Outcome under investigation :76 Total deaths: 235 (10 new)
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health and Population, Republic of Malawi.Media filesDownload logo

Coronavirus – Malawi: COVID-19 update (11 January 2021)

Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers, but does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group.
In the last 24hrs we recorded 868 new cases (from 8,750 tests in 32 districts) &#038; 183 recoveries. Sadly, we also recorded 2 facility deaths (MTSRIP).
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI).Media filesDownload logo

Coronavirus – Zambia: COVID-19 update (11 January 2021)

Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers, but does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group. 
Download logo
African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) President Akinwumi Adesina on Monday joined world leaders to discuss the global transition to clean power as part of a green recovery and identify actions that can be taken to support this.

The virtual COP26 Roundtable on Clean Power Transition, under the theme “Achieving a rapid shift to green, affordable and resilient power systems” was held amid growing recognition that climate change remains one of the greatest challenges facing humanity.

Participants included UN Secretary General António Guterres, COP26 President Alok Sharma, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Luigi Di Maio, and representatives from governments, multilateral development banks, the private sector and international organisations.

Guterres said the year ahead would be critical “not only in beating the COVID-19 pandemic but in meeting the climate challenge”. He said African countries in particular were vulnerable and renewed his call for developed nations to fulfill their longstanding pledge to provide $100 billion a year for developing countries to support both climate mitigation and adaptation.  

“Huge amounts of money have been earmarked for the COVID-19 recovery and stimulus measures. But sustainable investments are still not being prioritized,” Guterres said. “We must invest in the future of affordable renewable energy for all people, everywhere.”

These discussions have gained an added urgency in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has strained fiscal resources that are available to cope with global crises. The accelerated transition to green, affordable and resilient power systems has been identified as a top priority for COP26 under the presidency of the United Kingdom, which has established the Energy Transition Council to drive the transformation.

One of the most direct impacts of the pandemic was the disruption it caused to the 2020 edition of the global climate change talks known commonly as COP, hosted annually by the United Nations. The event was postponed to November this year, when it is due to be held in Scotland.

COP26 President Sharma said the global transition to clean power must move at least four times the current pace to achieve targets set out in Paris Agreement on climate change. He called for enhanced global cooperation to boost innovation and economies of scale.

“This is our moment in history to make those vital decisive and positive choices so that we can protect the future of our planet and our peoples. So, let’s continue to work together to bring the benefits of clean affordable and resilient power to the world,” Sharma said.

Di Maio, whose government co-hosted Monday’s event, said a clean energy transition “must be a universal goal in the interests of the entire international community.”

“Italy has been working with international agencies and private sector to foster smart and digital power infrastructure in African countries. Such an improvement would boost energy efficiency and facilitate energy access for all local communities.”

Reiterating that the African Development Bank will no longer finance coal projects, Adesina said the Bank had prioritized renewables as the mainstay of its Light Up and Power Africa strategic priority, as a result of which the share of renewable energy in the Bank’s power generation investments now stands at 80%.

“The Bank has been at the forefront of transformative renewable energy projects in Africa, including large-scale concentrated solar projects in Morocco – one of the largest in the world – and the Lake Turkana wind power project, the largest in Sub-Saharan Africa,” Adesina said.

The Bank expects to invest $10 billion in the energy sector over the next five years, Adesina said. One of its flagship projects is the $20 billion Desert-to-Power program, which strives to build the largest solar zone in the world in the Sahel and to provide electricity to some 250 million people.

“When we light up and power Africa – based on an energy mix aligned to a low carbon transition and prioritizing renewable energy sources – we will achieve a more economically prosperous Africa,” Adesina said.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Media Contact: Gershwin Wanneburg Communication and External Relations Department African Development Bank Email: g.wanneburg@afdb.org

COP26 Roundtable: ‘2021 will be critical in the fight against COVID-19 and climate change’ – UN Secretary-General António Guterres

Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers, but does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group. 
Download logo
63 people have tested positive for the virus, from a sample size of 2,134 tested in the last 24 hours, bringing to 98,334 the number of confirmed positive cases in the country. 93% of the new confirmed cases are asymptomatic. The cumulative tests are now 1,094,278.

Distribution of the cases by Counties is as follows; Nairobi 43, Kakamega 3, Makueni 3, Kilifi 3, Busia 2, Kiambu 2, Murang’a 2, Laikipia 2, Nyeri 1, Nakuru 1 and Machakos 1.

226 patients have recovered from the disease, 221 being from the Home-Based Care Program, while 5 have been discharged from various hospitals. The total recoveries now stand at 81,101.

3 patients have lost their lives to the disease, pushing the cumulative fatalities to 1,713.

There are 687 patients admitted in various health facilities countrywide and 2,190 on Home Based Isolation and Care.  31 patients are in Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 20 of whom are on ventilatory support and 10 on supplemental oxygen. 1 is on observation.

Another 11 patients are separately on supplementary oxygen all of whom are in general wards. No patient is in the High Dependency Unit.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Kenya.

Coronavirus – Kenya: COVID-19 update (11 January 2021)

Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers, but does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group.
1,244 new cases of COVID-19 Nigeria; Lagos-774 FCT-125 Plateau-102 Anambra-47 Ondo-46 Rivers-27 Edo-18 Kaduna-16 Ogun-16 Gombe-16 Bauchi-11 Kano-11 Nasarawa-10 Akwa Ibom-7 Sokoto-7 Borno-5 Ekiti-4 Zamfara-2

101,331 confirmed 80,491 discharged 1,361 deaths
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).Media filesDownload logo

Coronavirus – Nigeria: COVID-19 update (11 January 2021)

Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers, but does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group.
African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) President Akinwumi A. Adesina has been announced as a champion of Africa’s Great Green Wall (GGW) initiative.

The appointment was made at a forum held in the margins of the One Planet Summit 20201 to mobilise support for the ambitious project to plant an 8,000 km swathe of trees and other vegetation across the Sahara and Sahel regions of Africa. The green wall will act as a barrier against desertification and aims to create over 10 million green jobs in the region.

“I would also like to welcome the commitment of Dr. Adesina, President of the African Development Bank, who has agreed to take on the role of resource mobilization champion and help raise, by 2030, all the necessary funds for the realization of the Great Green Wall,” French President Emmanuel Macron told participants.

In the role of champion, Adesina will lead the mobilisation of political and economic support for the initiative.

“The Great Green Wall Initiative is the first step on the way to nature-based solutions as well as solutions based on the vitality of African eco-solutions,” said Macron. “France is very committed to this region from the standpoint of security and sustainability. We need to beef up the initiative for all the 11 countries.”

During the forum, Adesina announced that the Bank would mobilize up to $6.5 billion over the next 5 years for the Great Green Wall Initiative, joining multilateral development institutions, governments and development partners that have pledged over $14 billion. The World Bank, for instance, pledged over $5 billion in funding to advance land restoration and degradation issues and to address challenges around Lake Chad.

Adesina praised the initiative. “The Great Green Wall is part of Africa’s environmental defense system — a shield against the onslaughts of desertification and degradation,” he said. “The future of the Sahel region of Africa depends on the Great Green Wall. Without the Great Green Wall, in the face of climate change and desertification, the Sahel may disappear.”

The Bank will extend resources through a range of mechanisms, partnerships and operations, and draw on internal and external sources of funding, including the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF), among others.

Adesina noted that ongoing Bank initiatives such as Desert to Power, a programme to build the largest solar zone in the world in the Sahel, will enhance and complement the Great Green Wall. “This will provide electricity for 250 million people and help to protect the Great Green Wall. If there is no access to energy, the Great Green Wall will be no more than trees waiting to be turned into charcoal.” The Bank has committed to mobilize $25 billion for climate finance by 2025.

The One Planet Summit 2021 is hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. The Summit, held annually, brings together political leaders, private sector decision makers, foundations, NGOs and citizens to identify and accelerate funding for climate, biodiversity and ocean solutions and mobilize all stakeholders in public life and the economic world in collaborative efforts.

Other Great Green Wall Champions include musicians Baaba Maal and Ricky Kej and environmental activist Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Media Contact: Olufemi Terry Communication and External Relations Department African Development Bank Email: o.terry@afdb.org
About the African Development Bank Group: The African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org.
 Media filesDownload logo

African Development Bank President Adesina named a champion of Africa’s Great Green Wall climate-adaptation initiative

Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers, but does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group.
Kaspersky (https://africa.kaspersky.com/) experts expect growing economic turbulence along with the impact of COVID-19 to contribute to an increase in cybercrime across South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria this year.

Growth in cybercrime

“Even though every country globally has had to deal with the pandemic in its own way, developing economies across Africa have been especially hard hit by national lockdowns and limited business activity. And thanks to the increased connectedness of people, the rise in unemployment will not only see a spike in traditional crime, but this will also extend to the digital environment – something we are already seeing,” says Lehan van den Heever, Enterprise Cyber Security Advisor for Kaspersky in Africa.

While the increase in these crimes will vary by country, African nations must prepare themselves for the inevitability of increases in malware that already topped 28 million by August last year, according to Kaspersky research.

Growth in APTs

Adding further pressure to this melting pot of cyberattacks is an expected rise, along with changes in strategy, in Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs). Adds van den Heever; “Our researchers anticipate that in 2021, across the globe though where Africa is not immune, there will be a change in threat actors’ approach to the execution of APT attacks and as such, organisations must pay special attention to generic malware as it will likely be used to deploy more sophisticated threats.”

Compounding this is the concern around hackers-for-hire and cyber mercenary groups targeting SMEs and financial institutions.

“Businesses are under pressure to differentiate themselves in a highly competitive market as they struggle to survive these trying times, amplified further by the effects of COVID-19. The current landscape may likely lead to bankruptcy and an increase in legal disputes in court. This makes an ideal breeding ground for these malicious groups to operate in. And although such activity has not been rife in Africa yet, the region is not immune to this cyber threat.”

Cyber-mercenaries are hired to search for sensitive, private information that can be used in disputes to win court rulings or to steal business trade secrets and provide their ‘employers’ with competitive intelligence to get ahead in the market.

Remote work and data breaches

Additionally, van den Heever believes that the normalisation of remote working will further put existing organisational IT systems under pressure as companies now must content with an influx in connections into the corporate back-end.

“More companies are exposing their systems online while their focus turns to always-on availability. However, few of them have considered how to adapt their cybersecurity controls to this new environment. This results in some databases and systems inevitably being left open to intruders,” he says.

To this end, van den Heever expects data breaches across Africa to increase in the coming months with many companies racing to tighten their security.

“This year is going to be a watershed for cybersecurity as organisations start realising the importance of having an integrated and threat intelligent approach to safeguard their systems and data against increasingly sophisticated threat agents,” he concludes.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kaspersky.
For further information please contact: Nicole Allman INK&#038;Co. nicole@inkandco.co.za
About Kaspersky: Kaspersky (https://africa.kaspersky.com/) is a global cybersecurity company founded in 1997. Kaspersky’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and a number of specialized security solutions and services to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky technologies and we help 250,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at https://africa.kaspersky.com/.
Follow us on: Facebook: facebook.com/Kaspersky Twitter: twitter.com/Kaspersky YouTube: youtube.com/user/Kaspersky Instagram: instagram.com/kasperskylab Blog: http://blog.kaspersky.com/
 Media filesDownload logo

Kaspersky Security Bulletin: Economic uncertainty set to shape 2021 cybercrime agenda in Africa

Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers, but does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group.
HRH The Prince of Wales’s urgent appeal comes as The Prince marks 50 years of campaigning for the environment; Marking a year since HRH announced his Sustainable Markets Initiative (www.Sustainable-Markets.org) at Davos, the Terra Carta (www.Sustainable-Markets.org/Terra-Carta) offers the basis of a recovery plan to 2030 that puts Nature, People and Planet at the heart of global value creation; Designed by former Chief Design Officer at Apple, Sir Jony Ive, the Terra Carta sets out a ten-point action plan for businesses reflecting HRH’s year convening ‘coalitions of the willing’ across industries around the world; Supporters include Bank of America, Unilever, BlackRock, EY, AstraZeneca, Schroders, BP, Heathrow Airport and Sir Jony Ive; One of Terra Carta’s actions will be initiated today in Paris, with the creation of a Natural Capital Investment Alliance targeting $10 billion by 2022.

As part of the Sustainable Markets Initiative, launched by The Prince of Wales in January 2020 at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, and following his call for a ‘Marshall-like Plan for Nature, People and Planet’ during Climate Week in September 2020, As part of the Sustainable Markets Initiative launched by HRH The Prince of Wales last year, The Prince has unveiled the Terra Carta (Earth Charter)– which provides a roadmap to 2030 for businesses to move towards an ambitious and sustainable future; one that will harness the power of Nature combined with the transformative power, innovation and resources of the private sector. 

Speaking at the One Planet Summit in Paris, The Prince is making an urgent appeal to private sector leaders around the world to join this endeavour and to give their support to the Terra Carta.
In support of global agreements such as the Paris Climate Agreement, the Convention of Biological Diversity and the Sustainable Development Goals, the Terra Carta outlines ten areas for action and comprises of nearly 100 actions for business as the basis of a recovery plan that puts Nature, People and Planet at the heart of global value creation. The Terra Carta aims to encourage and provide a framework for each actor to accelerate their respective transition journeys. 

The Terra Carta has been designed by Sir Jony Ive (the former Chief Design Officer at Apple) and his new team at LoveFrom. In addition to the 17-page charter, the team created a summarium — a single page optimized for both digital and print.

The Terra Carta is based on a series of recommendations developed over a year of HRH convening ‘coalitions of the willing’ among global business leaders across industries in almost every sector, challenging them to identify ways to set our planet on a fundamentally more sustainable trajectory. Together, they have developed a charter of ambitious, but practical action aimed at building a truly sustainable future.

The Terra Carta further aims to unlock the catalytic potential of consumer demand, and to drive investment into solutions (Nature-based and engineered) that address the climate and biodiversity crises. 

Over the next ten years, the Terra Carta will be updated and reported on annually by HRH’s Sustainable Markets Initiative in order to reflect the rapid pace of change and continuous progress being achieved around the world.

Speaking at the One Planet Summit, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales will say:
“Today, I am making an urgent appeal to leaders, from all sectors and from around the world to give their support to this ‘Terra Carta’ – to bring prosperity into harmony with Nature, People and Planet over the coming decade.  I can only encourage, in particular, those in industry and finance to provide practical leadership to this common project, as only they are able to mobilize the innovation, scale and resources that are required to transform our global economy.
“The ‘Terra Carta&#39; offers the basis of a recovery plan that puts Nature, People and Planet at the heart of global value creation – one that will harness the precious, irreplaceable power of Nature combined with the transformative innovation and resources of the private sector.”   Welcoming the launch of the Terra Carta, Brian Moynihan, SMI Co-chair and Chairman and CEO Bank of America and Founding Partner of SMI said: 
“The Terra Carta is a comprehensive roadmap for the private sector to help drive toward a sustainable future.  By integrating sustainability into our operating models the private sector can marshal the resources that will be needed to reach the climate, biodiversity and development goals.  HRH Prince of Wales’s leadership and commitment has created a spirit of possibility that business leaders are proud to join.”   

One of the actions in the Terra Carta has already been initiated today. The Prince’s SMI has created a Natural Capital Investment Alliance to develop Natural Capital to help us arrive at a common language on Natural Capital Investment so that we can start putting money to work and improve the flow of capital. This Alliance will work to actively increase capital allocation in this direction targeting $10 billion by 2022.  It will also aim to expand the flow of Natural Capital investment through corporate offsetting and carbon pricing prospects. Founding partners of the Alliance are HSBC Pollination Climate Asset Management, Lombard Odier and Mirova.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Sustainable Markets Initiative.
Terra Carta launch film: https://bit.ly/3nGgBIc Terra Carta: https://bit.ly/39pY1P4
Media Contact: Laura Round, Communications Director Sustainable Markets Initiative Secretariat Email:  l.round@sustainable-markets.org Mob: +44 7 543 759 844

About the Sustainable Markets Initiative : The Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) [(www.Sustainable-Markets.org] aims to lead and accelerate the world’s transition to a sustainable future by putting Nature, People and Planet at the heart of our global value creation.  His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales launched the SMI at the World Economic Forum 2020 Annual Meeting in Davos and has convened global leaders from across public, private and philanthropic sectors, challenging them to identify ways to accelerate and bring economic value int harmony with social and environmental sustainability. 
 Since its launch last year, with HRH’s leadership, the SMI, co-chaired by Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan, has hosted more than two dozen industry roundtable discussions, bringing hundreds of business leaders together.  The SMI has also: engaged with country leaders to support their transition efforts; launched a network of Chief Sustainability Officers; supported the launch of a Natural Capital Fund; and, has launched RE:TV, a content platform showcasing the most inspiring business innovations and ideas for a sustainable future through films curated by editor-in-chief, HRH The Prince of Wales. The Terra Carta will serve as the guiding mandate for the Sustainable Markets Initiative. 
About the Terra Carta: Devising its name from the historic Magna Carta, which inspired a belief in the fundamental rights and liberties of people over 800 years ago, the Terra Carta (www.Sustainable-Markets.org/Terra-Carta) aims to reunite people and planet, by giving fundamental rights and value to Nature, ensuring a lasting impact and tangible legacy for this generation.  The Terra Carta is a response to HRH’s call during Climate Week, in September 2020, for a Marshall-like Plan for Nature, People and Planet.

Commitments of the Terra Carta include: 

• Commit to rapidly accelerating the world’s transition towards a sustainable future.
• Recognize that ensuring the integrity of all ecosystems, on land and under water, requires that climate, oceans, desertification and biodiversity be treated as one common system and addressed simultaneously.
• Acknowledge that we need to make health our goal; individual health, community health, economic health and the health of our Natural resources (e.g. soil, air and water).
• Recognize the importance of ‘local’ – local traditions and culture, local products, local jobs and local sustainability – and how these ‘locals’ connect and support each other in the wider tapestry of regional and global systems.
• Acknowledge that Nature underpins the inherent prosperity, wellbeing and future of all people and the one planet we share.  Further, that the restoration of the natural world is of common benefit to all humankind irrespective of borders.
• Acknowledge that the required global trajectory is a sustainable one, where the private sector has a critical role to play.  To accelerate along this trajectory, a ‘future of industry’ and ‘future of economy’ approach must be taken.
• Take into account the need to ensure a skilled workforce and cadre of leaders that are prepared to participate in a fair, equitable and just transition towards a sustainable future.
• Recognize that to scale sustainable solutions and investment, cross-border and longer-term ‘mega’ projects need to be explored underscoring the importance of public, private and philanthropic collaboration.
• Acknowledge the need for net zero commitments to be achieved by 2050 or sooner.  Setting more ambitious timelines, such as 2035, emphasizes and catalyzes immediate action, continuous innovation and improvement.  
• Undertake to collaborate, share knowledge and ideas to propel the world towards sustainability at a faster pace through public, private and philanthropic collaboration.

In targeting a global private sector and multi-industry audience, not all actions of the Terra Carta will apply equally to all industries, businesses or investors.  At the same time, to reach a sustainable future, the systems-level shift required relies on the leadership, resources and interdependence of knowledge and ideas to propel the world towards sustainability at a faster pace through private, public and philanthropic collaboration. 

Initial Supporters of the Terra Carta include: AstraZeneca, Unilever, BlackRock, Fidelity International, Bank of America, freuds, Sir Jony Ive/LoveFrom, Refinitiv, State Street Corporation, Manyone, Heathrow Airport, Coutts, IIGCC, Schroders, EY, BP, Signify, State Street Corporation, Pollination, Lombard Odier, Mirova, Drax Group, Eurasia Resources Group, EFI, Compass Group, ReNew Power, Polymateria, CCm Technologies, Lanzatech.
 Media filesDownload logo

As part of the Sustainable Markets Initiative, HRH The Prince of Wales, announces the ‘Terra Carta’ – a charter that puts sustainability at the heart of the private sector

Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers, but does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group.
New cases: 269 Total active cases: 2316 Lost to follow-up: 134 Total number of tests conducted: 95736 (1125 new) Total confirmed cases: 8575 Total recovered: 5824 (15 new) Outcome under investigation: 76 Total deaths: 225 (5 new)
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health and Population, Republic of Malawi.Media filesDownload logo

Coronavirus – Malawi: COVID-19 update (10 January 2021)

Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers, but does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group.
Pfizer (www.Pfizer.com) announced today the appointment of Patrick van der Loo as Regional President for Africa and the Middle East (AfME) region. Patrick&#39;s Pfizer experience spans more than 20 years in leadership roles with multiple successes across geographies. In his new role as Regional President for AfME, Patrick will lead commercial operations to bring scientific breakthroughs in vaccines, oncology, rare diseases, internal medicine, hospitals, and inflammation &#038; immunology, to serve patients.

Commenting on his appointment, Patrick said: &#8220;This year has made me even more grateful and proud to be part of Pfizer. The global pandemic has accentuated our purpose as a company and reinforced our commitment to patients and communities worldwide. AfME is home to some of the world&#39;s fastest-growing markets with increasing demand for innovative health treatments and services. Overall, the region has shown remarkable resilience due to strong leadership and sound policies.&#8221;

He added: &#8220;Pfizer has been operating for over 60 years in AfME. I look forward to continuing this journey and bringing our breakthroughs to address unmet patient needs. My top priority will remain to work with our teams to ensure greater access to our medicines across our strategic therapeutic areas. We will seek even stronger collaboration with healthcare professionals, communities, and governments to change the lives of millions of people and protect them from tomorrow&#39;s health threats.&#8221;
Patrick has been passionate about the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry from the start of his career. He has managed some of Pfizer&#39;s largest therapeutic areas in cardiovascular and neuroscience globally and led the commercial development efforts of a 500+ molecule business.

In his previous role, Patrick served as the Developed Asia Cluster Lead and General Manager for Pfizer&#39;s Hospital Business Unit, responsible for leading and executing Pfizer&#39;s commercial and cultural strategy in Japan, Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. Before this role, Patrick worked as the Emerging Asia Cluster Lead for the Pfizer Essential Health business.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Pfizer.
For media interview requests: FleishmanHillard Jai Tolani  jai.tolani@fleishman.com   +971 55 8211998 
Pfizer AfME Lamia Hotait   lamia.hotait@pfizer.com
About Pfizer: Breakthroughs That Change Patients&#39; Lives:  At Pfizer (www.Pfizer.com), we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety, and value in the discovery, development, and manufacture of health care products, including innovative medicines and vaccines. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments, and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as one of the world&#39;s premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with health care providers, governments, and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For more than 150 years, we have worked to make a difference for all who rely on us. We routinely post information that may be important to investors on our website at www.Pfizer.com.
 Media filesDownload logo

Pfizer appoints Patrick van der Loo as Regional President for Africa and the Middle East

Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers, but does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group.
Results of COVID-19 tests done on 10 January 2021 confirm 66 new cases. The cumulative confirmed cases are now 37,808.

One COVID-19 death. The total COVID-19 deaths are now 302.

The breakdown of the new cases are:

65 contacts and alerts: Kampala (32) Butaleja (8) Soroti (12) Jinja (3) Tororo (3) Kitgum (2) Bukedea (1) Wakiso (3) Mukono (1)  

1 Truck driver: Malaba PoE
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health &#8211; Republic of Uganda.Media filesDownload logo

Coronavirus – Uganda: COVID-19 Update (10 January 2021)

Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers, but does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group.
Ghanaian peacekeepers at the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) have been commended for their lifesaving support to a man who was severely wounded during recent violent inter-communal clashes in the north of the country.

Their timely efforts in stabilizing and evacuating the victim showed how “every second counts” when providing medical assistance, according to a senior official at the mission. 
Lieutenant-Colonel R.K. Sagoe, Commanding Officer of the Ghanaian battalion, reflected on the events of 23 December. 
“We were on an air patrol to meet with local communities in Mir Mir, a village in the Unity region, following reports of conflict in the area”, he said. 
“Usually, during such interactions, we are met with great kindness by community leaders but this time there was a sense of urgency as soon as we were on the ground.” 
The blue helmets learned that a member of the community had been hit by stray bullets during an inter-communal clash the previous night. 
“The man had sustained injuries to his face, neck and shoulder. He needed help and immediate medical attention”, Lieutenant Totein Sulbein, the Platoon Commander, recalled. 
Urgent evacuation arranged  The peacekeepers sprung into action. 
Staff Sergeant Abigail Bredzei, the battalion’s medical attendant, dressed the patient’s wounds, administering a pain reliever and stabilizing infusions.  
Other team members liaised with UNMISS headquarters in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, to arrange an urgent evacuation to Bentiu, capital of Unity State. 
“The response from headquarters was speedy and we were able to fly the injured man from Mir Mir to Bentiu where he went into surgery. We are told that he is stable now,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Sagoe.  
“As peacekeepers whose main task is to protect civilians across South Sudan, this is the best outcome we could hope for”, he added. 
Lieutenant Sulbein offered further insight into the role of uniformed personnel from across the world serving under the UN flag. 
“The man would have died if we all hadn’t acted rapidly”, he said. “For us, as peacekeepers, being able to help communities when they need us the most, is always a cause for celebration.” 
Protecting civilians, saving lives  UNMISS has been in South Sudan since July 2011, protecting civilians displaced by waves of conflict, facilitating conditions for the delivery of humanitarian aid, and supporting peace efforts. 
The mission routinely goes beyond its mandate to help the South Sudanese people, especially in terms of providing health care and carrying out lifesaving and critical tasks. 
Hiroko Hirahara, Head of the UNMISS Field Office in Bentiu, highlighted how timely response is critical in situations like the one the peacekeepers encountered in Mir Mir village.  
“When you have someone so severely injured, every second counts. I’m very glad that the patrol team was able to coordinate all the moving parts to make sure we provide swift and timely medical assistance to save a life,” she said.
“I’m thankful to everyone in Juba for their support as well. After all, we are here to protect civilians and save lives.”
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.Media filesDownload logo

APO

Ethiopia: MSF provides medical assistance to some of the most affected people in Tigray

Militants continue to stage deadly attacks as insecurity expands into previously ‘safe’ zones in West Africa, Sahel, top official tells Security Council

World Bank plans to invest over $5 Billion in Drylands in Africa

Control Risks announces the Top 5 Risks for Business in 2021

Coronavirus: African Union Member States reporting COVID-19 cases as of 11 January 2021, 6 pm EAT

Coronavirus – Malawi: COVID-19 update (11 January 2021)

Coronavirus – Zambia: COVID-19 update (11 January 2021)

COP26 Roundtable: ‘2021 will be critical in the fight against COVID-19 and climate change’ – UN Secretary-General António Guterres

Coronavirus – Kenya: COVID-19 update (11 January 2021)

Coronavirus – Nigeria: COVID-19 update (11 January 2021)

African Development Bank President Adesina named a champion of Africa’s Great Green Wall climate-adaptation initiative

Kaspersky Security Bulletin: Economic uncertainty set to shape 2021 cybercrime agenda in Africa

As part of the Sustainable Markets Initiative, HRH The Prince of Wales, announces the ‘Terra Carta’ – a charter that puts sustainability at the heart of the private sector

Coronavirus – Malawi: COVID-19 update (10 January 2021)

Pfizer appoints Patrick van der Loo as Regional President for Africa and the Middle East

Coronavirus – Uganda: COVID-19 Update (10 January 2021)

South Sudan: Timely action by Ghanaian peacekeepers proves ‘every second counts’

News Tips

Advertise With Us

APO

Ethiopia: MSF provides medical assistance to some of the most affected people in Tigray

Militants continue to stage deadly attacks as insecurity expands into previously ‘safe’ zones in West Africa, Sahel, top official tells Security Council

World Bank plans to invest over $5 Billion in Drylands in Africa

Control Risks announces the Top 5 Risks for Business in 2021

Coronavirus: African Union Member States reporting COVID-19 cases as of 11 January 2021, 6 pm EAT

Coronavirus – Malawi: COVID-19 update (11 January 2021)

Coronavirus – Zambia: COVID-19 update (11 January 2021)

COP26 Roundtable: ‘2021 will be critical in the fight against COVID-19 and climate change’ – UN Secretary-General António Guterres

Coronavirus – Kenya: COVID-19 update (11 January 2021)

Coronavirus – Nigeria: COVID-19 update (11 January 2021)

African Development Bank President Adesina named a champion of Africa’s Great Green Wall climate-adaptation initiative

Kaspersky Security Bulletin: Economic uncertainty set to shape 2021 cybercrime agenda in Africa

As part of the Sustainable Markets Initiative, HRH The Prince of Wales, announces the ‘Terra Carta’ – a charter that puts sustainability at the heart of the private sector

Coronavirus – Malawi: COVID-19 update (10 January 2021)

Pfizer appoints Patrick van der Loo as Regional President for Africa and the Middle East

Coronavirus – Uganda: COVID-19 Update (10 January 2021)

South Sudan: Timely action by Ghanaian peacekeepers proves ‘every second counts’

News Tips

Advertise With Us

Newsletters