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:

COMING UP!> Ep.59 of "Africa in Focus" Show on 27 January, 2016: Africa's Preparations Towards UN General Assembly Special Session(UNGASS)

We want to use this edition of "Africa in Focus" to revisit the very important issue of drug policy and Africa's preparations towards the special session of the UN General Assembly that will be held in April.

Known as UNGASS, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for African countries to help craft and shape the agenda on drug policy.

The literature is clear that the war on drugs has caused more casualties than necessary, and the whole semantics of "war" has conjured an image of "Us vs Them" typical in any war.

Kofi Annan believes bad policies on drug policies has caused more harm. But he is not the only one.

An increasing number of civil society activists, starting with the Accra-based West Africa Civil Society Institute, have, since 2015, embarked on a campaign to ensure the debate on drug policy and Africa' s preparation towards it is open, transparent, and clear: as law enforcement does its work to catch drug-traffickers, drug policy should be treated as a public health issue.

Furthermore, drug users who may have found themselves trapped in the spiral of drugs must be equally treated with dignity so as to ensure they are weaned of its deleterious effects. This attempt at harm-reduction, while controversial, will go a long way in framing the future of drug policy.

To this end, I will be speaking on 27 January with Maria-Goretti Ane, who is a consultant for the International Drug Policy Consortium(IDPC). She will brief us on what transpired at last week's Regional Consultation on Drug Policy Reform in West Africa here in Accra.

Apart from unpacking the outcomes of the conference, we want to especially demystify drug policy for listeners and explore what Kofi Annan Foundation's West Africa Commission on Drugs has done so well for which reason even East Africa is interested in establishing a similar Commission.

Join us at 14h05!

***********************************************************************
more details will be available soon on http://www.africainfocusradioshow.org ; http://africainfocusshow.blogspot.com. Follow the conversations on #AfricainFocus on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/africainfocus14.

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

Call Radio XYZ93.1FM on 0289.000.931 / 0289.931.000.

Follow 24/7 on https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.radioxyzonline.pc? Look for Radio XYZ on Tune-in and also listen 24/7.

STORIFY Feature: What you missed from the 3-day Symposium on "The Regional Dynamics of Peace & Security in West Africa" at KAIPTC

STORIFY Feature: What you missed from the the 17 March, 2015 edition of "Africa in Focus" Show on Radio XYZ93.1 FM

#ECOWAS@40Podcast -- Ep.8: #AUBlames4SouthSudan, #MaliinTrouble, #WestAfricaRising

Ecowas@40Podcast – 10 March, 2015

Welcome to the 8th edition of the Ecowas@40Podcast, where we give you insights into all that is ECOWAS.

The ECOWAS@40Podcast is divided into four parts. We start off with an overview of what stories are trending under ECOWAS/West Africa/the AU. We then move on to what ECOWAS and/or AU accounts are tweeting. Third, we give listeners an ECOWAS Fact; and, finally, “What’s my ECOWAS Beef?” where I offer candid views on a trending topic. In today’s edition, we are looking at events the Show is involved in one may have missed.

The nettlesome issue of South Sudan is reprised here in this Podcast for obvious reasons: there is lack of clarity around the report, which now cites US, UK, & Norway as being responsible for the mess that that country faces.

Let’s take a look at some of the tweets with the highest RTs:

1.     148RTs – @UN: “Sometimes a woman’s greatest support comes from the men in her life. A man in #SouthSudan talks about his mum #IWD2015”

2.     132RTs – @RT_com: “African Union blames US, UK, Norway for #SouthSudan civil war”

3.     49 RTS – @guardian: “Leaked African Union report notes “ethnic cleansing” in #SouthSudan”

4.     28 RTs -- @Oxfam: “#SouthSudan 2.5 m people at risk of sever hunger by month’s end, and no end in sight as peace process fails yet again.”

5.     16 RTS -- @OXFAM: “#SouthSudan’s leaders must work to reconcile communities who are in desperate need of healing…#peace”

On Mali:

1.     29RTS -- @NewsHour: “In Mali, artists fight to save the country’s ancient cultural treasures”

2.     28RTs -- @NewsHour: “Musicians in Mali are raising their voices to call for peace as extremists threaten a vibrant music culture…”

3.     7 RTS -- @UNMEER: “Border checkpoints like this one in #Mali are key to stopping the spread of Ebola. #EbolaResponse”

4.     5RTs –  @FRANCE24: “Mali restaurant shooting an “attack on the peace process”

5.     3RTs -- @mashanubian: “Mali Counter-terrorism investigators arrived from Paris overnight to aid hunt for the killers of five people, including a French national.”

3.     WHAT ECOWAS IS TWEETING:

Ecowas account on twitter now has 2 more followers from last week making it 41; it is STILL not following anyone yet. It has tweeted 18 times since its first tweet on 10 February. The last tweet was 3 days ago, when it tweeted “Today is the 58^th anniversary of the Republic of Ghana’s independence. Happy Independence Day!”, with a pic…the inevitable flag of Ghana!

Let’s look at some of the highest RTs under the #westAfrica:

1.     18RTS -- @allafrica: “Africa gets a new superhero in Lagos” (Graphic novel; animated)

2.     10RTS -- @allafrica: “Sierra Leone’s Vice President in Ebola Quarantine…#SierraLeone #WestAfrica”

3.     6RTS – @FHWCoalition: “#WestAfrica Costing Analysis…finds $573M in 5yrs to double #healthworkforce + comprehensive #CHW program #Ebola”

4.     5RTS – @OSIWA1 – “#WestAfrica: New #railway network aims to boost inter-regional #trade”

5.     4RTs – @WBG_Agriculture: “Ivory Coast aims to become the rice bowl of #WestAfrica…cc:@AfricaRice”

6.     3RTs – @EcobankResearch: “#CEMOI to launch EUR6mn #chocolate factory in #Abidjan in May…will manufacture chocolate for export to #WestAfrica”

4. ECOWAS FACT

1.      It is the Revised ECOWAS Treaty of 1993 that enjoins supranationality over Member States. This means that ECOWAS has what is called a legal international legal personality, meaning it has rights and obligations under international law;

2.      The Revised Treaty is 42 pages, and has 93 articles;

3.       Article 72:

a.      “There is hereby instituted a Community levy for the purpose of generating resources for financing Community activities.

b.      The CL shall be the percentage of the total value of import duty derivable from goods imported into the Community from third countries.

c.      The actual level of the CL shall be determined by the Council

d.      The conditions for the application of the CL, the modalities for the transfer to the Community of the revenue generated and the utilization of the Community levy shall be defined in the relevant Protocol.

e.      Member States undertake to facilitate the application of the provisions of this Article.”

4.      WHAT’s MY ECOWAS BEEF?

Given Ghana has a momentous – and auspicious -- opportunity under the ECOWAS Chairmanship to celebrate one of the most vibrant regional economic communities on the continent, really, is this the best it can do as far as celebrations are concerned? A press conference to launch #ECOWAS@40 celebrations?

What you missed!

The three-day Eighth Pan-African Congress ended on 7 March with a call to hold a second phase of it in 2016 h ere in Ghana, so as to prepare for a delegates Conference in Brazil, which offered to host the 9^th Congress in that country.

Speaking to a plenary on Day 2, avowed and reputable Pan-Africanist Professor Horace Campbell revealed the imminent establishment of a North American Reparations Commission. This is in the spirit of efforts made by CARICOM countries’ call for reparations against the trans-Atlantic slave trade. CARICOM is a region AU member States can learn a lot from on advocacy on reparations.

One of the key outcomes of PAC8’s work is the establishment of the Network of Pan-African Communicators to prosecute the agenda of Pan-Africanism, and the century-long work of Africans. AIF is one of the founding members of the Network, which include seasoned journalists like George Koomson and Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng. We already have  established a list-serve and whatsapp group.

ENDs

  

COMING UP!>>Ep.36: West Africa Drug Policy Network, & Analysis of Bill to transform Ghana’s Narcotics Board (NACOB) into a Commission

36th Edition:  

West Africa Drug Policy Network, & Analysis of Bill to transform Ghana’s Narcotics Board (NACOB) into a Commission

It will be recalled that Ep.31 of the Show looked at the necessity of civil society intervention in drug  policy in West Africa. Subsequently, the Ghana Chapter of the newly-established Network (WaDruPoNe), which is backed by the Kofi Annan Foundation’s West Africa Commission on Drugs, held a meeting 25 February to chart the way forward on the Network’s advocacy.

In this second programme on civil society advocacy around drug policy in West Africa, we want to use the 36^th edition of “Africa in Focus” to begin a very critical and important conversation on two things.

First: the implications of a transformation of the erstwhile Narcotics Control Board into a Narcotics Control Commission, and what that augurs for treatment of those hooked onto drugs. Advocates from the newly-established WaDruPoNe believe the Bill to sustain the old and repressive focus of “war on drugs”, which targets the small fish by imposing long and harsh sentences on them, in lieu of treating them as addicts in need of assistance by clinicians, psychologists, and public health professionals.

Second: the Network’s call on members of the public and CSOs to support the call to SUPPORT NOT PUNISH drug users, with an equally-urgent call for a holistic review of the Bill before ratification by Parliament.

To this end, we will be speaking to two technical experts from the Ghana Chapter of the Network on the show to help speak to these issues, as well as a reformed drug user who can help speak to the necessity of drug policy reform.

Join us if you can at 1pm on 17 March, 2015.

Guiding questions

• Why is an analysis of the new Narcotics Control Commission Bill (transform Narcotics Board into a Commission) important?
• Does the bill address harm reduction strategies?
• Is the NCC Bill what one may call a progressive one?
• Despite the 2014 “Not Just in Transit” report by the West Africa Commission on Drugs, why have governments been slow in treating drug use as a public health issue?
• How universal will the current bill address the needs of every Ghanaian drug user regardless of their socio-economic status?

Guests in the studio:

Ø  Maria-Goretti Ane, Barrister/Solicitor & Regional Consultant, International Drug Policy Consortium

Ø  Mohammed A Adamu ,  Founder/CEO WABHARM Foundation(GH)

Ø  Christian “Lion” Lokko, Public Relations Officer, REMAR

On the line:

·        Macmillan Prentice, Standards Officer, Ghana Standards Authority @13h15

·        Kobby Blay, EbolaWatch @13h30

NEWS: West Africa: New railway network aims to boost inter-regional trade

By: SEM Contributor on March 2, 2015.

Rail to link Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria and Togo 

On the dual carriageway linking the main airport to downtown Niamey, the capital of Niger, workers are busy digging trenches in the middle of the island separating the lanes, and laying tracks where rows of lampposts once stood. They are racing against the clock to build a thousand-kilometre stretch of a regional network that will connect Niamey to the West African seaport of Cotonou, Benin. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2015.  (Photo: Workers lay rails at a train station outside Niamey, Niger.  Photoby Ado Youssouf)

“We’ve waited so long for the train to arrive,” quipped Nigerien president Mohamadou Issoufou as he ushered his counterparts from Benin and Togo into a brand-new carriage on a muggy day in April 2014. The symbolic ride lasted for only a few minutes. “History is in the making,” said President Issoufou.

Building a railroad network along the West African coast from Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire to Lomé in Togo has been talked about for years. The network is expected to boost trade among Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger and Togo. After several delays, the project is now firmly back on track following the decision by the exclusively francophone Conseil de l’Entente (Council of Accord), the oldest West African subregional cooperation forum, to start construction. Niger and Benin started working on their stretch of the project in April, to be followed by Burkina Faso and Togo shortly thereafter.

Surface transport slow 

Landlocked Niger depends on its neighbours’ seaports and road infrastructure to move its exports and imports. Much of its international trade is conducted through Cotonou and Lomé seaports.

Until recently, road transit across the region has been unreliable. The situation, however, is improving gradually as international trade corridors are being rehabilitated and many police checkpoints that were slowing down traffic and being used to solicit bribes have been removed. Yet even in those improved conditions, a private car could take up to 18 hours to travel the 1,050-km trip from Niamey to Cotonou. For freight transport, travel times are even longer; drivers could spend up to three or four days on the road.

A 2011 study of infrastructure within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region found that road freight across the West African region moves at an average of 1.6 km per hour, almost double the average velocity in southern Africa. The study, which was done by the World Bank’s Africa Infrastructure Country Diagnostic (AICD), a project that examines physical infrastructure in Africa, also found surface transport to be more expensive than in the rest of Africa and other developing countries. It costs US$0.08 per kilometre to move one tonne of freight, twice the average cost in the rest of the developing world.

The projected regional railroad network is expected to speed up transit times for freight and reduce the prices of consumer goods for landlocked Sahelian countries such as Burkina Faso and Niger because most imported goods will be shipped by train. Those countries are also expecting the regional railroad network to boost their exports of natural resources.

Network to speed up transit time

Niger’s mineral resources contribute a very small amount to its gross domestic product (GDP), although they represent more than three-quarters of its total exports. According to Oxfam International, a UK-based charity, Niger’s uranium exports, which constituted 71% of the country’s total exports in 2010, contributed a paltry 5.8% to its GDP.

Over the next decade, however, the government hopes to quadruple the revenue from uranium. Authorities recognize that reducing production costs is key to maximising profits and tax advantages. This will entail shifting to moving uranium ore to the Cotonou seaport by rail wagons, rather than trucking it over the 2,000 km from the  Northern Agadez region.

A 2013 study by Conseil de l’Entente projects mineral exports for the entire region will rise from 109,200 tonnes per year over the 2012–2020 period to 3.4 million tonnes per year over the 2020–2030 period. Since shipping goods to and receiving them from Niger and Nigeria accounts for 90% of the Cotonou seaport’s activities, Benin stands to gain from improved transportation infrastructure.

Not everybody in Niamey is convinced that building the transport network should be a priority. Representatives from civil society organizations went on the airwaves in May 2014 to voice their opposition to the project, arguing that Niger should spend its resources on guaranteeing food security and lifting its people out of poverty. The country is ranked last on the latest UN Development Programme Human Development Index. The government, however, has the support of the coalition of opposition parties.

“We are convinced that a rail network is very important for a landlocked country like ours. But rushing it over the first 140 km…is very surprising,” said Seini Oumarou, the leader of the coalition.

Niger’s general elections are scheduled to be held in early 2016. Mr. Oumarou suspects authorities of being influenced by “political expediency,” as President Issoufou has vowed to ride the train to the events commemorating Nigerien independence on 18 December.

Exploring innovative financing

The new tracks being laid from Niamey will connect to an existing sub-network in neighbouring Benin. That segment is part of a bigger West African rail track project that will loop back to Abidjan with the addition of a coastal rail line running through Cotonou (Benin), Badagry (Nigeria), Lomé (Togo) and Accra (Ghana).

Experts estimate that the Niger-Benin section will cost $1.6 billion, a sum that has long deterred investors. Governments have now started exploring innovative financing alternatives. Because of the economic potential of these projects and Africa’s expected growth over the coming years, regional authorities are eager to let private investors take control of the “strategic infrastructure” for as long as necessary to recoup their initial investments and make profits. They are inviting the private sector to invest under build, operate and transfer (BOT) arrangements. Under such an arrangement, private companies build and initially operate the infrastructure, then hand over operations and ownership to the government.

Bolloré Africa Logistics (BAL), the French company that has been awarded the Niger-Benin contract, currently operates public service concessions in Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso through a subsidiary, the Société Internationale de Transport Africain par Rail.

Once the coastal rail line is completed, the whole network will be 3,000 km with 1,200 km of new track, in addition to the existing 1,800, which are to be rehabilitated. Other countries in the region are looking at similar BOT arrangements. Leaders from Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo recently called on both BAL and Pan-African Minerals, a UK-based mining company, to finance the coastal rail line linking Côte d’Ivoire to Nigeria. The projected cost for this rail project is about $58.9 billion.

Since 2009, ECOWAS has been pushing for interconnection of the rail networks that exist in 11 of its 15 member states. But unlike in Southern Africa, where intra-regional rail networks are well developed and integrated, in West Africa the rail systems are mostly fragmented and operate on three different rail gauges (widths). Most francophone countries’ rails are 1,000 mm wide, but Ghanaian and Nigerian rails are 1,067 mm wide, while Guinea and Liberia use the standard 1,435 mm width. The coastal rail line project carries hope for the entire region, in part because its completion would demonstrate that once-insurmountable technical challenges can be overcome.

By: Franck Kuwonu, courtesy of Africa Renewal

- See more at: http://www.sierraexpressmedia.com/?p=73068#sthash.ZV3GjKza.dpuf

Coming Up on 28th Edition: >> Perspective Retrospective 1: Review of the Year 2014

28^th Edition:  

Perspective Retrospective 1: Review of the Year 2014

A New Year is upon us once again. Happy New Year!

We want to use the first edition of the Africa in Focus show for 2015 (also the 28^th edition) to review 2014.

We will therefore be speaking to people who can help us offer a retrospective of the year on some of the biggest stories AIF show covered on West Africa; tourism; and the aviation industry.

Health, especially that of Ebola, was a major talking point on AIF as Radio XYZ blazed the trail back in August 2014 on regular weekly discussions of Ebola under Africa in Focus.

Join us if you can at 1pm on 13 January, 2015 on Radio XYZ93.1fm an www.radioxyzonline.com 

Guests in the studio:

Ø  Cordelia Ukwuoma, West Africa Bureau Chief, Nigerian Television Authority

Ø  Dominick Andoh, Head of Aviation desk, Business & Financial Times Paper

On the line:

·         Kofi Akpabli, award-winning Tourism writer @13h25 for our “Africa in the News” segment

·         Kobby Blay, EbolaWatch @14h30

FEATURE: ECOWAS Finally sets up Ebola Awareness Page

by Emmanuel.K.Bensah Jr, Head of Research & Communications Unit, Africa in Focus Show

Barely a month after ECOWAS recorded its first fatality at the ECOWAS Lagos Office to Ebola, the regional institution has finally established a website to help respond to staff concerns about the Ebola virus. Dubbed "ECOWAS Health Awareness", the site is in the three official languages of ECOWAS--English; French; and Portuguese--and uses a combination of cartoons and simple language to explain all one needs to know about Ebola.

Under the "All you need to know" tab, there are sections on recognising the virus; preventing it; transmission; and treatment.

On clicking the FAQ tab, one is directed to pertinent questions on Ebola for "ECOWAS"; the "WHO" and the "UN". There is regrettably no information under the UN section, but there are a detailled list of questions under the "ECOWAS" and "WHO" tabs.

Perhaps the most useful part of the site is the "Updates" tab, which is populated by some statistics of deaths recorded since 27 July up to 8 August, 2014. Although the French and Portuguese site have little information, the English site seems to be more up-to-date.

This website comes at a time when many ECOWAS Community citizens have been left wondering what the regional response to the crisis is. Reports that the AU and WHO are actively collaborating to help countries affected by Ebola have left many sceptical as to whether there is actually any ECOWAS Ebola Fund as trumpeted by ECOWAS at the 45th Ordinary Session that was held here in Accra in July.

The West African Health Organisation(WAHO), the regional counterpart to the World Health Organisation, has been found wanting in its response to the crisis. It is only a small news digest about an upcoming emergency meeting in Accra on 28 August that offers some assurance.

According to the WAHO website, the "Extraordinary Meeting of the Assembly of Health Ministers will be devoted to reviewing Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in the region". The meeting will seek to provide "an update on the implementation of recommendations from the last WHO-sponsored Accra Meeting and the Summit convened by the Heads of State of the Mano River Union."

More than 1,000 people lost their lives to the deadly virus in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria in recent months.

Access the ECOWAS Ebola Awareness site here: http://www.awareness.ecowas.int/

ENDs

FEATURE: ELECTORAL ISSUES, MAJOR SOURCE OF INSTABILITY IN WEST AFRICA-VEEP

By Pamela Ofori-Boateng, Africa In Focus News Reporter

Vice President, Hon Kwesi Amissah- Arthur has mentioned that next year, 2015, promises to be a challenging one for West African democracy since national elections are scheduled in five ECOWAS countries: Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire; Guinea; Nigeria; and Togo

He made this assertion at a joint graduation ceremony for third batch of students of the Master of Arts in Conflicts, Peace and Security (MCPS) and the second batch of students of the Master of Arts in Gender, Peace and Security (MGPS) at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Accra.

According to him, electoral disputes have been a major source of instability as there are people who seek to profit from any misunderstanding.” “We need therefore to guard against the exploitation of differences or disputes. West Africa must not revert to the condition of war and conflict”, he added.

Still delivering the key note address, the vice president Hon. Amissah -Arthur observed that, West Africa, as a continent, is currently confronting challenges by people who, through the force of arms and various acts of terror, are seeking to impose their worldview on others.

“In the last quarter century, our sub-region has experienced extraordinary war and conflict. We are therefore committed to resolving our problems without resorting to warfare. Our societies have begun a long process of recovery and have started to enjoy a peace dividend because we are determined to accommodate all people whether they practice different religions, or have a different cultures and customs.

He congratulated the graduating class for their hard work and commitment throughout their training period and asked them to apply the knowledge acquired in their various endeavors.

Prof. Kwaku Osei, Dean of students of Academic Affairs, presented special academic awards to two distinguished personalities: Maj. Gen. Anyidoho and Dr. Charles Amlaner for their dedication and immense contribution to the growth of KAIPTC.

The graduants were 67 in number, with 40 being males and 37 being females. Though majority of the students were Ghanaians, the overall best student for each of the programmes studied, were from Japan and Nigeria respectively.

The best student for the Master of Arts in Conflict, Peace and Security was Miss Kanko Oshigama and Mrs. Ugonna Ukaigwe was adjudged the best student for Master of Arts in Gender, Peace and Security.

Mrs. Ukaigwe who spoke on behalf of the graduating class noted that strength is not a preserve of a particular gender and that they have been equipped to view all situations with their gender glasses on. She thanked the lecturers, administration and staff of the training Institute for their enormous support.

The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre will soon commence a Certificate course in Gender, Peace and Security and will follow it up with a doctoral programme in International Conflict Management.

ENDs

PODCAST>> "AFRICA IN FOCUS: "Energy Security in West Africa" (22 July, 2014)

From Emmanuel K: "Dear friends, Kindly find the #PODCAST to the 10th edition of #AfricainFocus , which interrogated the issue: "understanding energy security is important because the reliable supply of commercial energy services is critical for growing economies in West Africa. Just like people elsewhere, citizens in West Africa seek a higher standard of living, which is only possible with access to commercially-sustainable energy services. Yet, most of the region lack the energy infrastructure needed to meet demand, although resources such as oil, gas, hydro and coal are available and there are opportunities for modern use of biomass and other renewables such as wind and solar" Other Questions answered: • What is energy security, and how is it prosecuted in West Africa? (ERERA) • What are some of the threats to energy security in (West) Africa? (ERERA/GIABA) • How can energy security be maintained? (ERERA) • What are the regional & continental responses to countering challenges to energy security? (ERERA/GIABA)" Click here to view (Emmanuel K shared these files using Dropbox. Enjoy!) © 2014 Dropbox

AFRICA IN FOCUS >> Coming up on 22 July, 2014: "Understanding Energy Security in West Africa"

Understanding Energy Security in West Africa

Since mid 2006, Ghana, like much of West Africa, has been facing a serious shortage of electricity.

 Economies in the region grew, which fueled demand for electricity. Regrettably, necessary investments in new generation capacity as well as transmission and distribution networks did not take place. Consequently, efforts to diversify the fuel portfolio, and to increase reliability of the grid faced challenges as regional projects, such as the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) and West African Power Pool (WAPP) faltered when the construction of the pipeline and gas supplies were delayed.

Increased reliance on oil or diesel (imported in the case of all countries in the region including Nigeria) combined with historically-high oil prices hurt ECOWAS member states government budgets and current accounts. Consequently, many businesses were shut down or saw lost sales due to blackouts. It makes sense that a look at the electricity infrastructure in the region is useful for identifying issues that need to be addressed.

Understanding energy security is important because the reliable supply of commercial energy services is critical for growing economies in West Africa. Just like people elsewhere, citizens in West Africa seek a higher standard of living, which is only possible with access to commercially-sustainable energy services.

Yet, most of the region lack the energy infrastructure needed to meet demand, although resources such as oil, gas, hydro and coal are available and there are opportunities for modern use of biomass and other renewables such as wind and solar.

The attacks on the West Africa Gas Pipeline in 2012 by pirates – considered one of the sources of the sub-region’s energy needs – that resulted in disruption of electricity in the countries of the WAGP, including Ghana, suggest there remains a lot to be done in protecting the sub-region’s energy needs. ECOWAS has been instrumental in the development of energy security in the sub-region. Today, we interrogate the question of what energy security is, and explore what the ECOWAS as a REC is doing to beef up the energy needs of the member states for the benefits of its citizens.

Guests include:

Ø  Uwem Thompson, Communications Officer, Ecowas Regional Energy Regulatory Electricity Authority (ERERA), Accra

Ø  Stella Attakpah, Programmes Manager, Intergovernmental  Action Group Against Money-Laundering(GIABA), Dakar [on the line from Vienna, Austria]

Tune in at 13h10 GMT (1:00pm Ghana Time). We’re also streaming live  www.radioxyzonline.com.

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