FINAL COMMUNIQUE: CROSS-BORDER MEETING BETWEEN BURKINA FASO, COTE D'IVOIRE, GUINEA, LIBERIA, MALI, NIGER AND SIERRA-LEONE ON THE SURVEILLANCE OF EPIDEMIC-PRONE DISEASES IN A BORDER CONTEXT AND THE "ONE-HEALTH" APPROACH

FINAL COMMUNIQUE

CROSS-BORDER MEETING BETWEEN BURKINA FASO, COTE D'IVOIRE, GUINEA, LIBERIA, MALI, NIGER AND SIERRA-LEONE ON THE SURVEILLANCE OF EPIDEMIC-PRONE DISEASES IN A BORDER CONTEXT AND THE "ONE-HEALTH" APPROACH

12-14 December 2016

1. From 12 to 14 December, a cross-border meeting between Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Niger and Sierra Leone was held in Monrovia, Liberia. Participants were representatives from the human and animal health services.
2. The meeting was also attended by representatives of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the World Health Organization (Africa Region Office, IST-West Africa, country offices of Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia and Niger, the West African Health Organization (WAHO), West Africa Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), OMVS Senegal, The Africa Regional Office of the World Organization for Animal Health (CRSA/OIE), the Agence de Médecine Préventive (AMP), the Centre Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), University of Ghana, University of Ouagadougou and the Centre for International Cooperation in Health and Development (CCISD). The list of participants is attached to this communication.
3. The purpose of the meeting was to share experiences to improve the management of public health emergencies, including malaria and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in a cross-border context at the target country level.
4. Participants at the cross-border meeting in Monrovia noted that during the past 5 years countries in the West Africa region have faced various epidemic outbreaks and health emergencies that include:

• Ebola virus in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, Senegal, Nigeria and Mali;
• Meningitis in Togo, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali and Niger;
• Lassa fever in Benin, Togo and Nigeria;
• Measles and polio in Nigeria;
• Epidemics of the Zika virus in Cabo Verde and Guiné-Bissau;
• Dengue fever in Burkina Faso;
• Rift Valley fever in Niger;
• The health consequences of humanitarian crises resulting from conflicts and terrorist attacks in Nigeria, Niger, Mali, Côte d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso;

In addition to the morbidity related to neglected tropical diseases and malaria.

5. They also noted that the porosity of borders coupled with the poor exchange of health information between countries and the lack of standardized procedures for common and concerted responses at the cross-border level accentuate the challenge of better response and management of Public health events in the West African region.
6. They also noted that the recent epidemic of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) in West Africa has confirmed the critical importance of strengthening national disease surveillance systems and inter-country collaboration to minimize human losses and economic costs.
7. They expressed the need to strengthen epidemiological surveillance and adequate response to these epidemics in the context of the implementation of the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) and the International Health Regulations (IHR) for early detection of numerous epidemic outbreaks in West Africa, and in accordance with the protocol on cooperation in the fight against epidemics in the countries of West Africa, Algeria and Chad, signed in Ouagadougou by the Ministers of Health and Interior in October 1996, the provisions of the International Health Regulations (IHR) adopted by the Member States in 2005 and the WHO resolutions on disease control, the Ouagadougou, Algiers and Libreville declarations signed by the Member States in 2008.
8. They reaffirmed that in view of this situation and in the light of the lessons learned from the recent epidemics in the region, it is necessary to strengthen surveillance in cross-border areas and to establish cooperation protocols with standardized procedures for the management of public health emergencies at the cross-border level as indicated in the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) taking into account the "One Health" approach.
9. The various delegations commended WHO, WAHO and IOM with the support of the World Bank, WAEMU and USAID – Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) for the organization in Monrovia, Liberia from 12 to 14 December 2016 of this cross-border meeting to strengthen epidemiological surveillance and response to priority diseases (epidemics, pandemics and local endemic diseases) through sharing of experiences and lessons learned from the recent EVD epidemic, particularly on border surveillance activities, to harmonize public health protection measures so as to avoid unnecessary disruptions to trade and the movement of people and goods through the development of effective surveillance, alert and response strategies for all public health priority events.
10. They appreciated the quality of the work as well as the availability and cordial ambiance that prevailed during the 3 days of work.
11. At the end of the proceedings, the participants made the following recommendations:

1. To the Health authorities at the central level:

• Sign and validate policy or legislation for cross-border initiatives using IDSR and IHR (2005) framework in the context of One Health approach (ToR, members of committee for each country, MoU for joint activities, financial mechanism for supporting the plan, etc.…);
• Develop a Joint plan of action with the following key elements: enhanced surveillance, information exchange, systems and services, networks, communication tools, preparedness and a well-coordinated investigation and rapid response etc...;
• Share information on entomological and epidemiological sentinel sites for malaria and NTDs in order to prepare coordinated responses of member states;
• Enhance  coordinated health  services  in the context of One Health approach (joint  coordination, joint implementation of IDSR at district and community level,  IHR & joint M&E);
• Integrate cross-border activities in the annual health plan and funding  including simulations exercises
• Create/update and reactivate existing protocols of cooperation and MoU between districts in 2 countries taking into account the One Health approach
• Report on the functioning of Points of Entry (POE) at the next cross-border meeting.

2. To the administrative and political authorities of the border localities:

• Institutionalize cross-border meetings involving bordering districts and local governments;
• Integrate cross-border activities into the Regional and District Annual Action Plans and the Border Communal Development Plans;
• Increase community leader engagement and awareness to facilitate detection, contact tracing  and sharing of information
• Create/update and reactivate existing protocols of cooperation and MoU between districts in 2 countries taking into account the One Health approach
• Organize joint training to ensure that surveillance and response staff on both sides of the border are familiar with the procedures, forms, ICTs used by their counterparts

3. To the technical and financial partners:

• Support the implementation of action plans for cross-border activities through  technical, financial, material and logistical support to improve the functioning of border entry points;
• Strengthen the capacity of health personnel (human, animal and environment) working at border points of entry;

12. Participants at the cross-border meeting on epidemic-prone diseases, including malaria and neglected tropical diseases, held in Monrovia from 12 to 14 December 2016, congratulated themselves for a successful meeting which was conducted in a serene and cordial environment.
13. Participants thanked the authorities of the Republic of Liberia for all the facilities granted for the organization and success of the meeting.
14. Participants also expressed their deep appreciation to WHO, WAHO and IOM for the initiative and quality of the technical support provided for the organization of this meeting and for their continued support to countries.
15. Finally, they expressed their gratitude and appreciation to the World Bank, UEMOA and USAID– Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) for financing the cross-border meeting and for the relevance of their support to the improvement of the health status of the region.

Dated in Monrovia, December 14, 2016

Signed by:

SPEECH BY THE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE WEST AFRICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATION AT THE CLOSING CEREMONY OF THE CROSS-BORDER MEETING ON EPIDEMIC-PRONE DISEASES INCLUDING MALARIA AND NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES

SPEECH BY THE

DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE WEST AFRICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATION

AT THE CLOSING CEREMONY OF THE CROSS-BORDER MEETING ON EPIDEMIC-PRONE DISEASES INCLUDING MALARIA AND NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES

Monrovia, December 14, 2016

                                                             

• All protocols observed

During the three days of intense work, rich in sharing experiences, I would like to thank participants for their availability and the seriousness demonstrated.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Let me underline the particularity of this meeting which has been extended from 3 to 7 countries with the hope that we can cover all the countries in the next edition.

I am particularly happy to note that the objectives and expected results of this meeting have been achieved.

I would like to urge all countries to take ownership of the recommendations from this meeting and to implement them in order to make cross-border areas safer and serve as a means of rapprochement and all-round cooperation in which the movement of people and goods would be a reality.

With this in mind, I can reassure you that WAHO, in line with its mandate to contribute to regional health integration, works for the development of cross-border activities and makes the "One Health" approach one of the strategies to contribute to finding adequate responses to health problems in the ECOWAS region.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Allow me to reiterate my sincere thanks to:

• the World Bank Group for its support to WAHO
• the World Health Organization for agreeing to co-organize this activity with WAHO;
• the International Organization for Migration for all the efforts made to improve the health status of the people of the ECOWAS area and for its involvement in the preparation and holding of this meeting;
• the West African Economic and Monetary Union for its technical and financial support for the meeting;
• USAID for agreeing to co-finance this activity.

I would also like to use this opportunity to pay a well-deserved tribute to the Liberian Minister of Health and all the members of the local organizing committee for the important work being done in such a short time to ensure the success of this workshop.

I cannot end without thanking the staff of the Golden Gate Hotel, the hostesses, the members of the Secretariat and the interpreters who contributed to the success of this meeting.

Finally, I wish everyone a safe journey back home.

Thank you for your kind attention

SPEECH BY THE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF WEST AFRICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATION

SPEECH BY THE

DIRECTOR GENERAL OF WEST AFRICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATION

AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF ECOWAS CROSS-MEETING ON EPIDEMIC-PRONE DISEASES INCLUDING MALARIA AND NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES

Monrovia, 12 December 2016

                                                                

• All protocol observed

On behalf of His Excellency Mr. Marcel Alain DE SOUZA, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, on behalf of the Director General of WAHO, I wish to first of all thank Her Excellency the President of the Republic of Liberia, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for authorizing the holding of this cross-border meeting here in Monrovia and above all for her continuing efforts to strengthen the health systems of the ECOWAS countries in general, and Liberia in particular.

My appreciation also goes to the Minister of Health for all the attention she has given to this cross-border meeting on epidemic-prone diseases including Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases, and for sending a representative. This illustrates adequately the importance attached to the strengthening of surveillance and cross-border management of epidemics and to the "One Health" approach.

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is now established that zoonotic diseases can have a direct impact on public health. Thus, for twenty years, major health crisis have multiplied and new pathologies appear or reappear. This was the case of epizootics due to the Nipah virus in Asia in 1999, foot-and-mouth disease in Europe in 2001, highly pathogenic avian influenza in almost all regions of the world in 2004. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002, or vector-borne diseases such as the Ebola Virus disease in 2014-2015 and Rift Valley fever in 2016.

I would also like to recall that the recent epidemic of the Ebola virus (EVD) in the West African region, with more than 28,000 cases and more than 11,000 deaths, has revealed the critical importance of strengthening the disease surveillance systems, inter-sectoral collaboration and inter-agency and inter-agency cooperation to enable early detection of outbreaks of diseases to provide a rapid and effective response.

Lessons learned from the management of this crisis have clearly demonstrated that an epidemic can rapidly transcend local and national borders and hamper trade between countries with severe economic consequences for the affected countries. It is important to note that it is important for health institutions to focus on the cross-border issue of managing epidemics and public health emergencies, taking into account the "Single Health" approach in order to Promoting the exchange of health information among countries and developing and adopting standardized procedures for joint and concerted responses at cross-border level for better response to public health events in the West African region.

In this respect, the current cross-border meeting on disease surveillance and epidemic management in cross-border areas and taking into account the One Health approach is timely.

I would like to urge all countries to take ownership of the conclusions that will emerge from this meeting and to contribute to their implementation, so that the cross-border areas are safer and serve as a means of rapprochement and all-round cooperation, movement of people and goods is a reality.

With this in mind, I can reassure you that WAHO, in line with its mandate to contribute to regional health integration, works for the development of cross-border activities and makes the "One Health" approach one of the strategies able to contribute to finding adequate responses to health problems in the ECOWAS area.

Thus, with the support of technical and financial partners, in particular the World Bank, WAHO is committed to building national and regional inter-sectoral capacities for disease surveillance and response to epidemics in West Africa through the implementation of the West Africa Regional Disease Surveillance project (WARDS), the Regional Disease Surveillance Systems Enhancement project (REDISSE) and the Sahel Malaria and Neglected Tropical Disease (SMNTD).

Ladies and gentlemen,

Allow me to reiterate my sincere thanks to:

• the World Bank Group for its support to WAHO through the financing of the various projects in the region, including WARDS, REDISSE and SMNTD;
• the World Health Organization for accepting to co-organize this activity with WAHO within the framework of the implementation of the WARDS and SMNTD projects financed by the World Bank;
• the International Organization for Migration for all the efforts made to improve the health status of the people of the ECOWAS region and their involvement in the preparation and holding of this meeting;
• the West African Monetary Union for their technical and financial support for the meeting; and
• USAID for agreeing to fund this activity.

I cannot conclude my remarks without paying a well-deserved tribute to the Liberian Minister of Health and all the members of the local organizing committee for the important work carried out in such a short time to ensure a successful workshop.

Thank you for your attention

Cross – border meeting on Epidemic – prone diseases, including malaria and Tropical Neglected Diseases Golden Gate, Paynesville City, Monrovia December 12 – 14, 2016

Cross – border meeting on Epidemic – prone diseases, including malaria and Tropical Neglected Diseases

Golden Gate, Paynesville City, Monrovia

December 12 – 14, 2016

Distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, all protocols observed.

  

Special recognition to the Health Minister, Hon. Bernice Dahn and her hard working Deputy, Hon. Tobert Nyensuah. It is an honor to form part of the official opening of this all important Cross – Border Meeting that has brought together regional epidemic responders and decision makers.

Let me begin by expressing our sincere appreciation to the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Health, national and regional actors including my organization, IOM, who have worked tirelessly to see this meeting come to fruition.  

This meeting is an evidence that Liberia and other countries in the region (especially the sub – region – MRU countries) are still recovering from the Outbreak of the Ebola Virus and other priority diseases that threaten and breakdown our public health systems. Ebola was an enemy that fought this nation and claimed the lives of many Liberians including health workers, something we feel very sad to talk about. Meanwhile, we must appreciate the efforts of the government and partners who worked collaboratively to have seen Liberia announced Ebola free in the region more than once. It wasn’t just easy to have happened.     

In real life today, we can mention that Liberia is still recovering from the 14 years of civil unrest that claimed the lives of many Liberians, rendered a good percentage displaced and vulnerable, shattered its infrastructures and systems established at the time. The attainment of more than a decade of peace in Liberia is now seemingly irreversible; the efforts of government through the leadership of the president of Liberia, Her Excellency Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, must be appreciated and supported by all, including institutions and individuals who value peace and co-existence.

IOM Liberia has supported the government in different areas of migration management including:

• It’s contribution to the DDRR processes (Disarmament, Demobilization, Repatriation and Reintegration)
• Livelihood support including marketable skills transfer to vulnerable groups
• Registration and return assistance to Third Country Nationals and Returning Liberian Migrants during the elections violence in Cote d’Ivoire in late 2010
• Return assistance to Stranded Liberian Migrants in the sub – region (Ghana, Nigeria, Guinea & Sierra Leone)
• Development of the draft national migration policy and the review of the Aliens and Nationality law
• Support to Victims of Trafficking

Although it’s considered a new marriage but our partnership with the Ministry of Health has been remarkable. We worked in establishing and managing three Ebola Treatment Units and renovated 29 health care facilities in Grand Cape Mount, Bomi and Grand Bassa Counties. The challenges were enormous but with the collaborative efforts of MOH and partners, we came out victorious in containing the virus. I say bravo to all of us who tirelessly contributed to this. I was serving as the Chief of Mission in Guinea at the time and made regular visits to the borders. I saw things there that were no different from those happening in Liberia.

Our just ended/concluded Health Border and Migration Management Project (HBMM) has helped to strengthen border and Community Event – Based Surveillance systems. The evaluation results of this project will advance key recommendations for implementation by our government counterparts. This project is complemented by the Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) project supported by IRC led EPR Consortium. Series of simulations and emergency planning are carried out to ensure that national capacities are built to respond to emergencies in real time.

I must say that this meeting is timely as we all endeavor to see “One Health Approach” in the region. I say thanks to WHO and WAHO for supporting this process as we all hope to have successful deliberations during the meeting. And finally, I say thanks to our donor, USAID-OFDA, for funding these activities.  

Thank you.  

Coming up!>#AfroDemocracy(8): SDG(16) vs. Agenda 2063

Episode #93*
(Season 5; Ep.10): 
#AfroDemocracy(8): SDG(16) vs. Agenda 2063

Still on our mission to demystify the Sustainable Development Goals, with a specific focus on SDG 16, which calls for accountable institutions, we will be speaking to ISODEC's Bernard Anaba to help us explore commonalities and differences between the SDGs and Agenda 2063 -- the AU's flagship blueprint for continental development.

In our last two shows on SDG 16 (ep.89 & 91), we discussed Freedom of Information and Democracy respectively.

We want to continue to #AfroDemocracy series, now in its 8th edition, by comparing and contrasting aspects of Agenda2063 and the SDGs.

It is well-nigh impossible to do an outright comparison between the two voluminous documents, evidently, so we have chosen to focus on SDG 16, which promotes "just, peaceful and inclusive societies".

Buried inside the specific targets is the development of "effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels." This is very consistent with the whole Africa in Focus Show itself, which prides itself in demystifying the institutions of ECOWAS, African Union, and East African Community. We believe we cannot make any headway in shedding light on these institutions alone:  a necessary accountability must be expected.

In one foul swoop, we are introducing the Sustainable Development Goals, with a specific focus on SDG 16 and Agenda 2063, where with 7 "aspirations", and 76 articles, Africans are expected to get an equitable Africa they want by 2063.

The focus on SDG 16 and Aspiration 7 in this show will help us better-focus on the institutions necessary for an equitable society.

A conversation of the two landmark documents is only the beginning of a very-necessary conversation on obtaining a more just, and inclusive society for all.

At 14h05 on Wednesday 19 Oct, 2016, I will interview Bernard Anaba of the Integrated Social Development Centre. A podcast will be made available.

**Guiding questions**
1. What is Agenda2063?
2. What is SDG16 and why is it especially-important for Africa?
3. Can a comparison between SDGs and Agenda2063 do justice to what Africa needs for a more equitable continent?

Guest (in the studio)
➢  Bernard Anaba,  ISODEC

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*more details will be available soon on www.africainfocusradioshow.org ; africainfocusshow.blogspot.com.

*Follow the conversations on #AfricainFocus on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/africainfocus14.

*Tweet Emmanuel ahead of time on www.twitter.com/ekbensah, using #africainfocus.

*Follow 24/7 on https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.radioxyzonline.pc

#STORIFY FEATURE: What you missed from the 12 Oct,'16 edition of "Africa in Focus" Show on Radio XYZ93.1 FM (#BlueEconomy #SommetLome)

E.K. Bensah Jr shared "AFRICA IN FOCUS 12-10-16 - BLUE ECONOMY.mp3" with you

Hi there, E.K. Bensah Jr (africainfocusradioshow@ekbensahdotnet.org) invited you to view the file "AFRICA IN FOCUS 12-10-16 - BLUE ECONOMY.mp3" on Dropbox. E.K. said: "Dear comrades, Kindly find this podcast of an exclusive interview with two members of staff of the Togolese Embassy to Ghana, and Nii Armah Amarfio Richster, Co-Founder of the Fisheries Alliance. The discussion was about the Blue Economy, which was timely as Lome played host to 54 African Union member States who have been meeting since 10 October, and hope to conclude 15 October a Charter for the Continent on Maritime Governance. " View file Enjoy! The Dropbox team © 2016 Dropbox

Coming up!> Africa in Focus Show | Ep.92 | Fishing for Solutions: Demystifying Africa’s Blue Economy

Africa in Focus Show | Ep.92 | Fishing for Solutions: Demystifying Africa's Blue Economy

19h00 update:
*Bama Lamré, Chargé d'Affaires of the Togolese Embassy here in Accra has agreed to appear on the Show to give us the Togolese government view, and explain why it believes Togo felt it necessary to host this first-ever AU Summit**

♢♢♢♢♢♢♢♢♢♢♢♢♢♢♢♢♢♢♢♢♢

Ahead of the  first-ever African Union Extraordinary Summit on Maritime Security and Safety & Development in Africa to be held in Lome, Togo from 10 to 15 October, we want to use the 12 October edition of the Show to demystify the trillion-dollar Economy that is known as the Blue Economy.

Given the precious little conversation there exists on what constitutes the Blue Economy, we want to speak to Nii Amarh Amarfio Richster, a final year law student at Central University; Co-founder of Fisheries' Alliance and a fisherman to help us better-understand why this conference remains one of the most important conferences in the AU's institutional memory in the way it will seek to address Africa's Blue Economy, which includes aquaculture, fisheries, and oceans.

Guiding questions:
*What is the Blue Economy?
*Why is the Lome conference important?
*How can Africa strategically-benefit from the Blue Economy?

Guests on the line/studio:
•Nii Amarh Amarfio Richster, Co-Founder of Fisheries Alliance; law student; teacher
•Bama Lamré, Chargé d'Affaires, Embassy of Togo, Accra

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*more details will be available soon on www.africainfocusradioshow.org ; africainfocusshow.blogspot.com

*Follow the conversations on #AfricainFocus on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/africainfocus14.

*Tweet Emmanuel ahead of time on www.twitter.com/ekbensah, using #africainfocus.

*Follow 24/7 on https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.radioxyzonline.pc

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XYZ Africa Exclusive: She wants to take Ghana’s Chocolate industry by storm

She wants to take Ghana’s Chocolate industry by storm -- an XYZ Africa Exclusive

By E.K.Bensah Jr

The first thing almost everyone asks her is whether she is exporting -- to which she answers in the negative.

Meet Managing Director of “The Sweet Art Company” Ruth Amoah. She cuts an affable and vivacious figure, with a passing wistful look of better days when she was not into the chocolate business full-time.

Outside the shores of Ghana, she may be known as a chocolatier, an elegant and superlative title that may be apt for the quality of chocolate she produces. Regrettably, in these parts, the title is not backed by the money.

Her business has been underway for under ten months, but you could be forgiven for thinking that, given the "hmms!" and "aahs!" emanating from chocolate-connoisseurs and alike at the Second Pan-African Agribusiness Conference, she is giving the state-owned Golden Tree a big run for its money. But, Mz. Amoah appears too modest to state it.

She heads a three-man company that is getting orders from all over the country, including ones at the Duty Free at Ghana's national airport, Kotoka International. During my interview, a call kept interrupting us -- it was one of the airport orders.

Pressed on how she produces such fine chocolate, she explained that, thanks to her brother-in-law’s farm in the Central Region, she is able to get beans, which she picks, roasts, hand-cracks and grinds before she gets the final product.

Providence has been on her side as far as the cocoa beans are concerned, making it easier for her to get good quality beans over the largely-mouldy ones she has obtained in the past.

It takes some 48 hours for her and her production team of two to process the cocoa, and refine to the succulence we experienced as a finished product. She quips how people generally sell beans, but are clueless on how to make chocolate. This has prompted people from all over to ask her to show them how to make chocolate. Many of these requests, she believes, are in vain: mostly people looking to make quick and easy money.

That’s as if to say her journey has been easy. Far from it, for she has had to depend on family, friends, and loans to get to the stage where Duty Free has asked for her chocolate in lieu of the state-owned Golden Tree.

Mz. Amoah quickly whips out her iPad and, with dexterity, takes me through a maze of pictures to her instagram page, where she explains how her chocolate was ordered by non-governmental organization Solidaridad for their work in Liberia.

The Solidaridad and duty-free orders speak to a company that is making profit from customized orders and recommendations. This could not be further from the truth as she confesses to being indebted because any little money she gets is obviously reinvested, and given her manpower, that’s a significant constraint that reduces her profit margin.

She’s ecstatic for the appreciation she receives, including the requests for partnership, and exports, but she is facing an uphill struggle of reconciling the demand with the supply. It is a recondite fact that, with a business this young, it is not going to be able to scale up to the level the state-owned Golden Tree has gotten. She needs money, and lots more. It could be through an angel investor, or simply any investor ready to support her to scale up.

Asked whether she might consider the commercial banks, she answers with a firm no, as they are wont to complicate and frustrate potentials who go seeking loans. She laments how, apart from the length of time spent chasing a loan, the documentation the banks will ask of you remains this side short of a headache.

Quizzed on what she did on International Cocoa Day a few days ago, she chuckled, explaining how government policy may want to do a re-think and shift emphasis from National Chocolate Day(celebrated on Valentine’s Day each year since 2006) to the International Cocoa Day. She believes government could have been more strategic in supporting and boosting cocoa by rather-hyping this day.

Does she have any expansionary ideas? For now, it’s about exporting to other markets, with a preference on Southern and Eastern Africa. She would say “absolutely, buy made-in-Ghana chocolate! We are the second largest.producer of cocoa in the world. Finally, we have the best-tasting chocolate” she adds.

Hope for the future is what Mz. Amoah possesses a lot of: certainly daunted by the prospect of out-competing the state competition in Golden Tree chocolate, which one non-Ghanaian working in one of the sponsor organisations for the conference called "horrible", she believes she can make it.

For someone who quit her full-time job to jump into this venture, one might say while her nine months has been a bitter-sweet symphony, she is poised now, more than ever, to seize opportunities like this Agribusiness conference to further-promote her eight varieties of chocolate, with a value chain that strategically integrates tourism with chocolate.

#aaintsb

Video clips on Africa in Focus Youtube:

*Ruth Amoah on how she makes her chocolate, plus a quick overview of her ranges:
https://youtu.be/fgYfoCm2N50

*Ruth Amoah pitches her chocolate to East & Southern Africa:
https://youtu.be/bhXzI7NOsKo

Emmanuel.K.Bensah Jr/XYZ Africa News@8

#STORIFY: What you missed from today's Show reflecting on World Tourism Day, & International Universal Access to Information Day

COMING UP!>>Ep.91 | AfroDemocracy(7): SDG 16 & Understanding & Celebrating the First International Day for Universal Access to Information

Synopsis | Africa in Focus Show | Ep.91 | AfroDemocracy(7): SDG 16 & Understanding & Celebrating the First International Day for Universal Access to Information

2016 is the first year of UNESCO marking 28 September as the "International Day for Universal Access to Information" (IDUAI).  On 17 November 2015, UNESCO adopted a resolution (38 C/70) declaring 28 September of every year as International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI). 

UNESCO hopes that the marking of 28 September as the "International Day for Universal Access to Information" will provide for more countries adopting FOI legislation, developing policies for multilingualism and cultural diversity in the cyberspace, and ensuring that women and men with disabilities are integrated.

To that end, we want to use this edition of the Show to speak to Mina Mensah of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative to help demystify the advocacy on Freedom of Information. What is it? Why is it important? How come Nigeria is more advanced than Ghana on FOI legislation? These are some of the questions we will he asking in this edition of Africa in Focus.

The first interview, however, will be with Ebo Quansah of the Tourism Research and Advocacy Centre(TRAC) to help us understand what the tourism think-tank thinks about World Tourism Day (celebrated 28 September), and highlight some of its latest research on tourism in Ghana.

Guiding questions:
○Why is Freedom of Information important?
○How does FOI legislation in Nigeria compare with Ghana?
○What is linkage between SDG 16 and IDUAI?

Guests on the line/studio:
○Mina Mensah, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative @14h25
○Ebo Quansah, Tourism Research Advocacy Centre(TRAC), @14h12

Coming up!》Ep.90 (S05, ep.7) | #DiasporaDiaries(2): From Senegal with Love

Africa in Focus Show | Ep.90 | #DiasporaDiaries(2): From Senegal with Love

Celebration of 21st September in Ghana has conspired to remain a double celebration -- the birthday of Ghana's first President, Dr.Kwame Nkrumah, and the International Day of Peace.

We know that Nkrumah was overthrown in Feb 1966 honouring an invite from Hanoi for a peace mission to help resolve the Vietnam War. 

The two commemorations make it a day to connect Africa conversations around peace and security.

In this special holiday edition, we are reprising DiaporaDiaries special, with a focus on Senegal -- and two Senegalese women in particular.

The first, Aicha Tamba, is a peace and security practitioner working for the GIZ support to the AU Border programme in Arusha, Tanzania.

Our conversation with her is to attempt to demystify what the Border programme is, and how it contributes significantly not just to Africa's integration, but its peace and security. How does it feel like being a Senegalese woman working as a diasporan in a sector that is largely male-dominated?

Secondly, we will talk to Viviane Solange, a Senegalese civil servant with sub-regional and international perspective on Senegal's place in the comity of nations. She will help us understand what is happening in Senegal, and what are the latest developments in key sectors that has made the francophone West African country an envy for many?

On this show, we are particularly interested in using DiasporaDiaries to help unpack dynamics within strategic countries on the Continent that barely get coverage in mainstream media.

Guiding questions:
*What is the AU Border Programme?
*What is its track record on facilitating peace and security?
*What is Senegal doing on developing social life for its citizens?
*How strategic is Senegal in the sub-region?

Guests on the line/studio:
**Aicha Tamba, GIZ Advisor on Border Management to East African Community/African Union Border Programme (AUBPB) @14h05

**Viviane Solange, Sociologist & Development Specialist with portfolio of Universal Health Coverage) Senegalese government @14h30

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*more details will be available soon on www.africainfocusradioshow.org ; africainfocusshow.blogspot.com.

*Follow the conversations on #AfricainFocus on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/africainfocus14.

*Tweet Emmanuel ahead of time on www.twitter.com/ekbensah, using #africainfocus.

*Follow 24/7 on https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.radioxyzonline.pc

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COMING UP!》Ep.89 | AfroDemocracy(6): SDG 16, Civil Society & Democracy

Synopsis | Africa in Focus Show | Ep.89 | AfroDemocracy(6): SDG 16, Civil Society & Democracy

For the second time in the show's history, we join the global community to celebrate International Democracy Day.

The United Nations believes that, the International Day of Democracy provides an opportunity to review the state of democracy in the world. Democracy is as much a process as a goal, and only with the full participation of and support by the international community, national governing bodies, civil society and individuals, can the ideal of democracy be made into a reality to be enjoyed by everyone, everywhere.

The values of freedom, respect for human rights and the principle of holding periodic and genuine elections by universal suffrage are essential elements of democracy. 

In turn, democracy provides the natural environment for the protection and effective realization of human rights. These values are embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and further developed in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which enshrines a host of political rights and civil liberties underpinning meaningful democracies.

This year's celebration will be the first-ever observance of the day since the advent of the SDGs.

The theme of Sustainable Development Goal 16 remains important  as it addresses democracy by calling for inclusive and participatory societies and institutions. It aims to "Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels."

The Goal is both an end in itself and a crucial part of delivering sustainable development in all countries. It has been seen by many commentators as the transformational goal and key to ensuring that the Agenda can be accomplished.

In ep.89, we will be interviewing a staff of West Africa Civil Society Institute(WACSI) to help us understand especially why the conversation on democracy remains a discussion of paramount importance -- whether in an "AfroDemocratic" narrative where Africans bring flair to the prosecution of their governance, or otherwise.

Guiding questions:
▪What is SDG 16, and its relationship with democracy?
▪How critical is civil society to deepening of democracy?
▪Is there still a need to celebrate International Democracy Day?

Guests on the line/studio:
▪Charles Kojo VanDyck, Head of Capacity-Building, West Africa Civil Society Institute(WACSI)

COMING UP!》Ep.88 (Season 5, ep.6) | AfroLiteracy”: Celebrating World Literacy Day

Synopsis | Africa in Focus Show | Ep.88 | "AfroLiteracy": Celebrating World Literacy Day

For the second time in the show's history, we join the global community to celebrate World Literacy Day.

As in 2015, we celebrate it with an African flair -- AfroLiteracy, which speaks to the extent to which we have become conscientized about our continent.

If book-reading remains the quintessence of being functionally-literate, then it's adequate we speak to someone who is neither no stranger to book-reading nor to the Show, where he has helped us better-appreciate the contribution of tourism to Ghana.

Our second guest is Rachel Emefa Markham, whom we met at the 2015 UN World Tourism Organization meet on #BrandAfrica.

She will be updating us on what she's been up to since 2015, and what plans she has to stage a comeback for her ever-popular #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou.

**Guiding questions:**
*What is significance of book-reading to literacy?
*Are Ghanaians becoming more aware about tourism?
*Has social media helped (re)define literacy of the continent?

**Guests on the line/studio:**
•Kofi Akpabli, Communications Consultant & Tourism Author
•Rachel Emefa Markham, co-founder #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou/Ambassador, UN World Tourism Organisation

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more details will be available soon on www.africainfocusradioshow.org ; africainfocusshow.blogspot.com.

*Follow the conversations on #AfricainFocus on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/africainfocus14.

*Tweet Emmanuel ahead of time on www.twitter.com/ekbensah, using #africainfocus.

*Follow 24/7 on https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.radioxyzonline.pc

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COMING UP!>>Ep.86 (Season 58, Ep.3): AfroDemocracy(6):Deconstructing #ZambiaDecides

As part of our series examining Africa’s democracy and governance, we will use ep.86 (Season 5, ep.3) to continue from where we left off last week, by this time looking at how the 11 August elections in Zambia unfolded.

We bring back Mark Amaliya, who is a governance expert at the Mutatio Institute. Although he has featured on the show twice already in Season 3, we are bringing him to help us do to the Zambian elections what we did in Season 3 examining the fallout of ‪#‎UgandaDecided‬ in February 2016.

In addition, we will be speaking to Zambian CSO Expert, Lucy Munthali -- live from Lusaka--. She voted and offered a summary of how voting transpired on the day in the East Africa Rising group. She will further include an offer of a snapshot of Zambia as a country that enjoys uncanny affinities with Ghana -- including load-shedding and playing second-fiddle producer of a commodity.

**Guiding questions:**

• What’s the significance of the Zambian elections for the SADC region?
• How critical is the outcome of the Zambian elections to the Zambian-Zimbabwe dynamic in the region?
• What will election of incumbent portend for Zambia’s future, including decision to go to the IMF?

COMING UP!>>Episode #85 (Season 5; Ep.2): AfroDemocracy(5): Unpacking & Demystifying the 27th African Union Summit

Episode #85

(Season 5; Ep.2):  

AfroDemocracy(5): Unpacking & Demystifying the 27th African Union Summit

In the second edition for the month of August and first foray into our series on AfroDemocracy , we want to use the show to revisit the noteworthy 27th African Union Summit.

Remarkable in the Summit’s outcome of retaining the incumbent South African Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, it set a precedent for another reason -- the fact that it would be the West African bloc under ECOWAS that caused disruption of business-as-usual. ECOWAS’ dissatisfaction with the calibre of the candidates caused a significant spanner in the works, giving vent to new dynamics within continental governance.

Our interviewee is Mark Amaliya, who is a governance expert at the Mutatio Institute. He has featured on the show twice already in Season 3.

         

Join us if you can at 14h05 on Wednesday 10 August, 2016

Call us on the following number

+233(302)777.173

Guiding questions

•  What does the retention of Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma portend for AU’s continental governance?
• How central has the West African bloc (ECOWAS) been to deepening AU’s own governance?
• What should the take-homes about the AU Summit for ordinary Africans be?

Guest in the studio

• Mark Amaliya,  Mutatio Institute

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*more details will be available soon on www.africainfocusradioshow.org ; africainfocusshow.blogspot.com.

*Follow the conversations on #AfricainFocus on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/africainfocus14.

*Tweet Emmanuel ahead of time on www.twitter.com/ekbensah, using #africainfocus.

*Follow 24/7 on https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.radioxyzonline.pc

Call Radio XYZ93.1FM on +233(302)777.173