Month: February 2023

As it marks World Cancer Day, the World Health Organization is calling for action to tackle breast cancer, the most common and leading cause of cancer deaths among women.

Every year, more than 2.3 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer, and nearly 700,000 die of the disease, which disproportionately affects women living in low- and middle-income countries.

WHO officials say women who live in poorer countries are far less likely to survive breast cancer than women in richer countries.

“Breast cancer survival is 50 percent or less in many low- and middle-income countries, and greater than 90 percent for those able to receive the best care in high income countries,” says Bente Mikkelsen, director of the Noncommunicable Diseases Department at the WHO.

She says the odds are stacked against women who live in poor countries, noting many must sell their assets to pay for the treatment they need.

She notes that women also are discouraged from seeking and receiving a timely diagnosis for their condition because of the stigma attached to breast cancer.

“A woman subjected to racial and ethnic disparities will receive lower quality care and be forced to abandon treatment,” she says.

WHO data show more than 20 high income countries have successfully reduced breast cancer mortality by 40 percent since 1990. It finds five-year survival rates from breast cancer in North America and western Europe is better than 95 percent, compared to 66 percent in India and 40 percent in South Africa.

Mikkelsen says by closing the rich-poor inequity gap, some 2.5 million lives could be saved over the next two decades.

“Time is, unfortunately, not on our side. Breast cancer will be a larger public health threat for tomorrow, and the gap in care will continue to grow.

She says that “by the year 2040, more than 3 million cases and 1 million deaths are predicted to occur each year worldwide. Approximately 75 percent of these deaths will occur in low- and middle-income countries.”

Coinciding with World Cancer Day, the WHO is launching a global breast cancer initiative to tackle the looming threat. The initiative contains a series of best practices for addressing this significant public health issue.

The strategy rests on three main pillars: early-detection programs so at least 60 percent of breast cancers are diagnosed and treated as an early-stage disease; starting treatment within three months of diagnosis; managing breast cancer to ensure at least 80 percent of patients complete their recommended treatment.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the WHO, says, “Countries with weaker health systems are least able to manage the increasing burden of breast cancer … so, it must be a priority for ministries of health and governments everywhere.

“We have the tools and the knowhow to prevent breast cancer and save lives,” he says.

Benjamin Anderson, medical officer and lead of the WHO’s global breast cancer initiative, says one of the best ways to implement the initiative is through primary health care systems.

“The patient pathway is the basis of the three pillars of the global cancer initiative framework. What we anticipate is that by using awareness, education in the public, combined with professional education, it sets us up for the diagnostic processes that must take place and the treatment that has to follow.”

The World Health Organization warns failure to act now to address cancer in women, including breast cancer, will have serious intergenerational consequences.

It cites a study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer that reported that because of “the estimated 4.4 million women who died from cancer in 2020, about 1 million children became maternal orphans in that year,” 25 percent of which was due to breast cancer.

Mikkelsen observes, “the children whose mothers die from cancer experience health and educational disadvantages throughout their lives.”

WHO officials acknowledge the cost of drugs to treat breast cancer could be a matter of life or death. It notes the price of certain oral drugs is less than $1, while others range from $9,000 to $10,000.

As many countries are unable to negotiate prices, they say the WHO is working to increase the availability and affordability of breast cancer medication.

Source: Voice of America

Pope Francis called on Catholic clergy Saturday, especially those in Africa, to raise their voices against injustice and abuse of power by authorities. Francis was speaking to church leaders on his second day in Juba, South Sudan, where he is on a three-day ecumenical peace pilgrimage.

Pope Francis said Saturday the church should play a significant role in ending violence and bad governance in Africa by speaking out about injustices committed by those in power.

The pope said, if we want to be pastors who intercede, we cannot afford to remain neutral before the pain caused by acts of injustice and violence. To violate any right against any woman or man is an offense against Christ.

The pope was addressing Catholic bishops, priests, and nuns at Juba’s St. Therese Cathedral, where he also cautioned against remaining neutral to injustice.

He said we are called to intercede for our people, to raise our voices. We cannot afford to remain neutral.

Using a metaphor, the pope equated the Nile River, which passes through Juba from Lake Victoria, the world’s largest freshwater lake, to the Mediterranean Sea, as the tears of the people of South Sudan immersed in endless suffering.

The pontiff asked, how can we exercise our ministry in this land, along the banks of a river bathed in so much innocent blood, among the tear-stained faces of the people entrusted to us?

He challenged the clergy to be “courageous and generous souls, ready to suffer and die for Africa.

He told said we need courageous, generous souls ready to die for Africa,”

On Friday, Pope Francis urged South Sudanese leaders to shun violence and embrace peace and he also called on the international community to refrain from interfering in the affairs of a sovereign Africa.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby is accompanying the ecumenical pilgrimage.

“My heart breaks. I can hardly speak with sorrow for South Sudan. I beg that at every level, from the president to the smallest child, that people find the mercy of God and are transformed. And that there is peace and good government,” Welby said. “That they will not steal money. That no one kills their neighbors for cattle.”

Rebecca Nyandeng, wife of South Sudan founding father the late John Garang, told citizens to shun ethnic divisions.

She said, I am heartbroken that Dr. John died for the independence of this country, yet the very people he died for are now killing themselves. By the fact that you are still killing yourselves, it means he had died in vain. Please accept one another, stop division and stop killing each other. God has come to us in the form of the visit of Pope Francis, Archbishop of Canterbury and Moderator General of the Church of Scotland.

The three religious leaders later, participated in a joint interdenominational prayer session.

This historic ecumenical visit by the prominent religious leaders is considered a sign of inter-religious unity and their commitment to bear witness to the Gospel, as well as an action to promote peace and reconciliation among the people of South Sudan.

Source: Voice of America

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

AN EXPLOSIVE DEVICE KILLS ONE CIVILIAN IN THE EAST

On 23 January, an explosive device was discovered behind the Beloko customs offices in the west and destroyed by the Central African Armed Forces (FACA) without causing any casualty. Before that, on 21 January, a non-state armed group had attacked Beloko Customs Office, reportedly killing a civilian. Consequently, all UN movements in the nearby Baboua-Beloko axis had been suspended. Since the beginning of the year, attacks on FACA positions have become recurrent in the western Nana Mambere Prefecture temporarily causing people’s movement.

CHAD

OVER 1.5 MILLION MIGHT BE ACUTELY FOOD INSECURE IN THE 2023 LEAN SEASON

According to the November 2022 figures of the Cadre Harmonisé – a tool for analysis of acute food and nutrition insecurity in the Sahel and west Africa – over 800,000 people are in phases 3 and above of acute food insecurity in Chad. The analysis projects that over 1.5 million people will be in phases 3 and above in the June-September 2023 lean season, an increase of over 700,000 people from the year before. Also, the level of Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) [for children] in the country decreased from 10.9 per cent in 2021 to 8.6 per cent in 2022. Nevertheless, important disparities exist between provinces, with 2.6 per cent GAM prevalence in the southern Logone Oriental province and 17.7 per cent in northern Wadi Fira province. Also, the provinces of Wadi Fira, Borkou, in the centre, and Ennedi, in the east, recorded a prevalence above the emergency threshold of 15 per cent.

NIGERIA/CAMEROON

CAMEROON, NIGERIA AND AID ORGANIZATIONS COLLABORATE TO REPATRIATE REFUGEES

On 20 and 24 January, the Governments of Cameroon and Nigeria, together with humanitarian organisations facilitated the voluntary repatriation of 1,310 Nigerian refugees from Maroua, in the far north region of Cameroon, to Borno State in the northeast of Nigeria. The returnees have received food, non-food and livelihood assistance from the Cameroonian government and humanitarian organizations. The last return operation to Nigeria took place in November 2021.

MALI

HUMANITARIAN AID FOR INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS IN GAO CITY

The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has released $750,000 (€697,474) to anticipate on cholera outbreaks in the country. This funding will enable UNICEF, WHO and their partners to provide life-saving assistance to more than 150,000 people as part of a comprehensive strategy to prevent larger outbreaks. In 2022, DRC reported 18,507 cholera cases and 296 deaths nationwide. Interventions under this funding will focus on the most affected areas of North and South Kivu. The CERF funding is part of a two-year pilot initiative.

Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

MOMBASA (Kenya)— About 36.1 million people in the IGAD region have been affected by the current drought situation and are facing heightened levels of food insecurity.

The drought is also said to have wiped out an estimated 4.2 million head of livestock, shattering the livelihoods of entire pastoralist communities and crippling them economically across the region.

This has been described as a devastating challenge to the continent given that the region hosts almost 50 per cent of the livestock in sub-saharan Africa and livestock accounts for almost 15 percent of the region’s GDP.

In response to these extreme weather challenges, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has proposed to undertake a number of proactive measures beginning with convening a regional climate outlook forum to be held on Feb 20.

“This forum will be part of our continuing effort to remain the most climate-aware region on the continent and enhance the ability of our member states to collect and process data for disaster forecasting, in order to reduce the gap between early warning and early action,” said IGAD Executive Secretary, Workneh Gebeyehu after delivering the 3rd state of the IGAD region address.

“Already we have noted some evidence of the success of this approach. In 2021 and 2022, we noted with some satisfaction that our initiative to ‘take the data to the people’ raised the warning in good time,” Gebeyehu said.

He described 2020 and 2021 as the most challenging years in the history of IGAD, saying the period was one of the hottest, driest and most conflict-affected periods in recent memory.

He added that the drought situation and the food security challenge has been one of the most devastating non-conflict issues affecting the region, having a great impact on peace and security and stability.

Going to 2023, the regions’ climate outlook still looks worrisome as climate scientist have issued an early warning that this year could be even warmer because the la Nina climate phenomenon which was cooling global temperatures is coming to an end.

It will most likely be replaced with the El nino phenomenon which is projected to raise temperatures worldwide.

“The good news for our region from this projection is that the likelihood of a 6th consecutive season of failed rains is reduced”

“But the bad news is that it is possible that our region could rapidly change from severe drought to severe floods as the ones we had in 1996, 2016 and most recently 2019,” he said.

The prolonged drought also triggered large scale population displacement with close to two million people becoming internally displaced and increasing the refugee burden in the region.

Close to 40,000 people are said to have sought asylum from hunger in neighbouring countries in 2022.

The IGAD executive secretary also mentioned that the Russia-Ukraine war had a massive effect on the regional economy inflating food prices, fertilizer and fuel prices in the region.

It is estimated that food prices went up by 55.6 per cent, compelling the neediest people in the region to spend almost 90 per cent of their income on food alone.

To address this, Igad has proposed to review its Food Security and Nutrition Response Strategy and align it with current realities.

“As part of this initiative, we shall be investing heavily in food security data. A starting point will be a region-wide census of livestock in order to have a clear picture of the situation after the drought,” Gebeheyu said.

He added that as part of ongoing efforst to support climate change adaptation and mitigation, Igad will this year be supporting member states to access climate financing under the Green Climate Fund founded by the 2015 Paris Agreement as well as the Loss and Damage Fund established by a resolution of COP27 in 2022.

On the issue of regional integration, Gebeheyu said that it remains the core mandate of the bloc adding that the region has incredible integration potential waiting to be unlocked

According to the Africa Regional Integration Index, the region is approximately 50 per cent integrated.

He said that the bloc was committed as a regional economic community of the African Union to deliver on the tremendous potential that the Continental Free Trade Area holds for the region.

“On trade, we have also made significant progress to lower tariff and non-tariff barriers including the Igad protocols on free movement and transhumance as well as establishment of one-stop border posts,” he said.

The regional bloc also unveiled the Igad Council of eminent persons who were selected to push for peace and integration within the region.

Twelve prominent personalities were conferred to be members of the council after being approved by their member states.

They include Olympic marathon runner Paul Tergat, Major General (Rtd) John Selli the chairman of Kenya Council of Elders and former female marathon runner Catherine Ndereba from Kenya.

Others were Olympic Gold medalist Haile Gabresilassie, Deratu Tulu and Prof. Ahmed Zakira, a renowned scholar from Ethiopia. From Somalia the list included Ugas Ali Ugas, a respected cal elder and Prof. Idil Osman, a Professor of communication and regional peace advocate.

Ambassador Deng’ Alier Deng’ Ruai and reverend Dr. Gabriel Gai Riam from South Sudan, former Djibouti minister of health Kassim Issak Osman and his counterpart Aicha Mohamed Robleh were also conferred with the honors to be part of the council.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK