Nearly 200 million vaccine doses allocated to reach millions of children missed during COVID-19 pandemic

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in collaboration with UNICEF and WHO, has allocated nearly 200 million additional doses of key, life-saving vaccines aimed at contributing to the vaccination of approximately 50 per cent of children in Gavi countries missed during the pandemic.

Targeted funding of US$290 million in support of the “Big Catch Up” initiative was approved by the Gavi Board in December 2023, and today’s announcement indicates that all country requests received during the application window for this special effort can now move to the implementation stage.

Nearly 32 million doses have already been shipped to 13 countries* as part of the effort so far, and another 10 million doses are set to be shipped by the end of this month. Of the 35 lower-income countries targeted by the initiative, many are already conducting catch-up activities, with others poised to launch efforts imminently.

“Lower-income countries made unprecedented efforts to vaccinate their populations during the C-19 pandemic, but this emergency response strained their health systems. Now, our priority is twofold: help countries regain lost ground in routine immunisation coverage and build more resilient and equitable vaccination programmes for the future,” said Thabani Maphosa, the Managing Director of Country Programmes Delivery at Gavi. “Gavi and our partners are acting swiftly to support this critical public health mission, recognising that strong immunisation systems are the foundation for combating disease outbreaks and saving lives.”

The Big Catch-Up was launched by partners in April 2023 to address the decline in childhood vaccination rates observed during the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of overburdened health systems and disrupted access to medical care.

The latest global immunisation coverage data (WUENIC) for 2023 highlighted significant variations across Gavi implementing countries, with improvements in 22 countries, offset by sizeable declines in a smaller number of countries. Immunisation coverage in Gavi-supported countries remained stable – mirroring the global trend – despite a growing birth cohort as Gavi implementing countries vaccinated a near record number of children.

The data also pointed to an increase in the number of zero-dose children in Gavi implementing countries, highlighting the need for further efforts to reach these and under-immunised children.

The gaps in coverage caused by the pandemic have led to increased outbreaks across multiple countries, further highlighting the critical need to address immunity gaps.

For instance, data from WHO-CDC shows that from December 2022 to November 2023, 51 countries experienced significant or disruptive measles outbreaks, with the high levels of coverage required to prevent outbreaks a challenge for many health systems.

Another challenge is the rate of population growth in regions such as Africa, meaning countries must reach more children each year to maintain coverage levels.

Through this extraordinary catch-up effort, Gavi and partners aim to help lower-income countries close immunisation gaps, restore immunisation coverage to pre-pandemic levels, and strengthen immunisation systems in the longer term. The review and allocation process was aimed at providing support to all countries that applied within the funding window, including by strengthening plans to achieve better outcomes.

Big Catch Up funding is already supporting countries identify and immunize unimmunized children, particularly in some of the most hard-to-reach contexts.`

For example, in April 2024, the Syrian Arab Republic rolled out a campaign with an aim to reach an estimated 360,000 children.

Around 15,000 health workers and vaccinators were deployed to more than 1,000 sites to screen children’s vaccination status and immunise those who are unvaccinated.

In another example, Somalia is using Big Catch-Up support as a driver to address some of the country’s widest gaps, administering measles vaccine, inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) and diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis-containing vaccine to ward against deadly outbreaks of these diseases.

 

 

Modesh Bakers

Kenyan Female Youths benefit from Alternative Financing 

By Lenah Bosibori

As the world plans for this year’s Conference of Parties 29, (COP 29) with the theme of Climate Financing in Azerbaijan in Baku this November, change in weather patterns is still hitting hard in Kenya as many entrepreneurs yet to heal from the floods that affected the country in May.

The conference places many youths with high hopes that the meeting will bear fruits by providing alternative financing in climate related activities. In Kenya, most female youths have found it difficult to get loans from local banks due to high lending rates shifting to alternative lenders.

One Non-government organization has stepped out to support women with loans at a low interest rate to help them expand their ventures. Launched in 2023 and funded by the Standard Chartered Bank, Somo in collaboration with Youth Business International (YBI) has successfully supported 77 women-led businesses with loans creating 326 direct jobs and achieving notable growth.

The fund supports low-income female entrepreneurs aged 18-35 to access financial support they need to sustain and grow their business. According to them, they provide loans between Sh 130,000-Sh 3.2 million (US$1,000 and US$ 25,000) at five cent interest rate per annum.

Informal businesses play a critical role in the inclusive economic growth, job creation and sustainable development, however they face substantial barriers in accessing finance, limiting their potential to contribute to national economies and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Over 80 % of Kenya’s employment outside small-scale agriculture is in the informal sector, Women entrepreneurs face significant financial exclusion receiving only 7 % of venture capital funding in Sub-Saharan Africa despite representing 26 % of entrepreneurs.

One notable beneficiary of the program in Kenya is Maureen Odera founder Modesh Bakers based in Kisumu County Manyatta estate. Odera says that she started her business in 2016 with little funding but when she heard about Somo and YBI in 2021, she has been able to record progress and expansion in her business.

“I started my business in 2016 and came 2021, I heard about SOMO Africa when I visited KIRDI Kisumu, they trained us on entrepreneurial skills and then granted me a loan of Sh 100,000 (US$766) through Standard Chartered Bank and I returned the loan within 5-6 months,” says Odera in an interview.

Benefits of the Somo and YBI loan

After successfully returning the initial amount. Odera adds that she was able to get a bigger loan of Sh 1.5 million which she has used to expand her business and employed seven employees.

“I had an oven that needed a three phase, through the loan, I was able to approach Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) who installed the three-phase connection for me,” she adds.  

Odera who is also certified by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) wanted to sell her own cookies and cakes and was able to brand her packaging bags through the loan. “Since I am doing cakes and events, I have made my own packaging bags with part of the money, I also have my own branded tents that I use during events and hire them out for an extra income,” she adds.

She further adds that she has stocked her bakery and managed to add a bigger machine in the bakery with part of the money. “I have stocked my bakery and managed to add a machine in the bakery with part of the money.” She adds. “I am lucky to have been introduced to Somo Africa because they are like my mother, they are always there when I call upon them, the work of a mother is to give birth and then take care of the child.”

Modesh produces cakes and cookies made from cassava and crickets and trains young women in baking skills, Odera is currently generating a monthly turnover of Sh 1.5 million versus a baseline of Sh 57,000 in 2022.

She has trained 80 women in bakery skills, 35 of them have secured employment and 20 have started their own bakery shops while three have been retained by Modesh Bakers.

“Somo has walked with me through a bigger journey, they teach you on how to sell the product then after that they grant loans and employ you, they also help you sell the product and introduce,” she reiterates.

So far Odera has repaid Sh 650,000 from her initial loan of Sh 1.5 million. “I am still paying the Sh 1.5 million, this is my first year and I was given three years to repay, I have already paid Sh 650 000 at an interest rate of 5 per cent as compared to banks which loan at 15-21 per cent,” she adds.

Challenges faced by Odera

Odera says that she has not experienced many challenges in her business apart from the Economic situation in the country that is facing almost every business. “I am facing Economic challenge which is common everywhere,” she adds.

The floods experienced in May also affected her business as most of her clients come from areas that were greatly affected by the floods. “The floods also affected me because some of the clients come from the areas that were highly affected by the floods so they couldn’t come and purchase the product the way they used to,” she says.

This loan model has allowed young entrepreneurs who are operating in the informal sector and are excluded from the financial landscape to access capital and grow their businesses into commercially viable and investable models

According to Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, (KNBS) Economic Survey 2022, the informal sector accounted for over 80 % of Kenya’s total employment

Investing in female entrepreneurs will drive the economic empowerment and inclusion of women in the region like Odera, it will also contribute to increased gender equality in society and business, according to a policy brief by Somo and YBI.

YBI and Somo also call upon the government, financial institutions and development agencies to offer alternative financing models and partner with community-based organizations specifically targeted at informal businesses and provide microloans.

Further, they call upon partnerships with local organizations to provide financial literacy initiatives tailored and accessible to marginalized groups who are more likely to operate in the informal sector.

Finally, they suggest more support for marginalized groups, tailor all support services and simplify policy frameworks for formal business registration and access to finance.

Kamil Alawadhi, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa

African Airlines Set for a Small Profit in 2024: Governments Urged to Harness Aviation for Economic Growth

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called on Africa’s governments to take advantage of a strengthening aviation sector to maximize its benefits for economic and social development across the African Continent.

Recently IATA announced that Africa’s airlines are expected to earn a collective net profit in 2024 for the second year in a row. That is a welcome and hard-won result reflecting the sector’s resilience in its post-COVID recovery. The expected $100 million profit, however, translates into just 90 cents per passenger—well below the global average of $6.14.

“Africa’s airlines are making a collective profit. That is good news. But it is razor-thin and well below the global benchmark. And there are wide variations across the continent where many individual airlines still struggle with losses. The demand to travel is there. To meet it, the African airline sector needs to overcome many challenges, not least of which are infrastructure deficiencies, high costs, onerous taxation, and the failure to broadly implement a continent-wide multilateral traffic rights regime,” said Kamil Alawadhi, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East.

“The challenges facing African aviation are significant, but they are not insurmountable. IATA’s Focus Africa initiative is by no means a panacea, but it does lay out a framework to build a stronger aviation sector that will provide even better support to economic growth and social development. The prize for working together across the continent for safe, efficient, and sustainable air connectivity is well worth focused policy efforts across the continent,” said Alawadhi.

Nady

New AI Insights: AfriLabs Publishes Two Groundbreaking Reports Funded by the Gates Foundation

AfriLabs, the largest pan-African network of technology and innovation hubs, is thrilled to announce the release of two pivotal studies on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Africa. Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), these studies offer unprecedented insights into the AI startup ecosystem and the ethical implications of AI policies on the continent.

The first study, Landscape Analysis of AI Startups in Africa, provides a detailed mapping of AI startups across Africa. It categorizes startups by their focus areas, stages of development, and geographical distribution, presenting a clear picture of the current AI landscape. The study also delves into the unique challenges and opportunities these startups face within Africa’s socio-economic environment.

The second study, Implication of AI Ethical Policies on African Innovators and Entrepreneurs, examines how various ethical frameworks and policies influence AI development and deployment across different African countries. It highlights both the positive implications and potential drawbacks, offering strategic recommendations for policymakers to ensure that AI practices are ethical, aligned with Africa’s broader development goals, and enabled.

Both reports fill critical gaps in existing knowledge and have far-reaching implications for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers working within the field of AI in Africa. These studies are expected to drive informed decision-making and foster a more supportive environment for AI innovation on the continent.

Nanko Madu, Director of Programmes at AfriLabs, emphasized the importance of these studies, stating “The insights from these reports are invaluable for understanding the dynamic AI landscape in Africa and the ethical considerations that must guide our innovation efforts. We are grateful to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for their support and are confident that these studies will serve as crucial resources for stakeholders across the continent.”