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A new public health study introducing dry blood spot (DBS) and oral fluid (OF) sampling for suspected measles and rubella cases was launched in Sofia, Bulgaria, on 9 February 2026. The initiative was inaugurated by Japan’s Ambassador to Bulgaria, H.E. Mr Chikahisa Sumi; Kristina Mauer-Stender, Special Representative of the WHO Regional Director in Bulgaria; and… [Read More]

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is strengthening agribusiness value chains in West Africa through a €70 million loan to Valency International. The financing will support the procurement of key agro-commodities, including cashew, soya beans, cocoa and sesame, in Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria for processing and export. The investment is designed to meet the… [Read More]

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is strengthening agribusiness value chains in sub-Saharan Africa through a loan of up to US$ 70 million (€60 million equivalent) to Robust International. The financing will support the procurement of agro-commodities and reinforce agricultural trade operations in Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria, marking the Bank’s first food and agribusiness… [Read More]

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has launched a public consultation on its proposed Economic Governance Strategy for 2026–2030, marking the first time the Bank is introducing a dedicated strategy in this area. The consultation period runs from 12 February to 28 March 2026, during which stakeholders are invited to submit comments and feedback… [Read More]

The Mazda Foundation (USA), Inc. has announced $586,361 in grant funding for 2026 to support nine nonprofit organizations delivering essential programs in food security, education and STEM, and workforce development across the communities served by Mazda. The funding underscores the Foundation’s long-standing commitment to building high-impact partnerships that expand opportunity and strengthen community resilience. According… [Read More]

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has partnered with the Estonian Ministry of Climate to address the growing rental housing gap and stimulate investment beyond the country’s main urban centers. Currently, only about two percent of new dwellings in Estonia are built outside Harju, Tartu, and Pärnu counties, even though roughly one-third of the population lives… [Read More]

Queensland is set to restore its southern beaches following the damage caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, thanks to a $57 million disaster recovery package. The funding, part of the 2025 Tropical Cyclone Alfred Environmental Recovery Package: Coastline Rehabilitation Program, will support eight councils in rebuilding popular coastal areas from Bundaberg to the Gold Coast. The… [Read More]

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) operates in six official languages, allowing it to disseminate technical knowledge and guidance to a wide range of audiences worldwide. This multilingual approach supports capacity development, facilitates effective communication, and strengthens partnerships among stakeholders across different regions. In Europe and Central Asia, Russian remains a… [Read More]

Civil society organisations around the world are calling for competitive elections to the United Nations Committee on Non-Governmental Organisations (Committee on NGOs), emphasizing the importance of inclusive and transparent processes. For NGOs to engage meaningfully with the UN, they must first obtain ECOSOC consultative status, a process managed by the Committee, which acts as a… [Read More]

Governor Kathy Hochul announced a $1.2 million investment for historical societies across New York State, aimed at preserving culturally significant sites and expanding community engagement. Of this amount, $1 million is allocated to the Weeksville Heritage Center in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, to support ongoing preservation efforts, literacy programs, staff, and educational tours, as well as… [Read More]

Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani have announced that New York State will provide an additional $1.5 billion over two years to help address the city’s fiscal challenges. This includes $1 billion in operating support for City Fiscal Year 2026 and $510 million in City Fiscal Year 2027, with $510 million… [Read More]

Governor Kathy Hochul announced a $3.8 million New York State African American Heritage Grant Program aimed at supporting and promoting the history and achievements of African Americans and people of African descent across the state. The program will provide funding to nonprofit organizations and local governments to document, interpret, and preserve sites, stories, and cultural… [Read More]

The Future Leaders programme was established to support early-career academic and clinical researchers in neuro-oncology, helping them become leading experts in the field. The award provides up to £1.8 million in funding over 12 years and includes the resources needed to set up an independent laboratory. After completing the initial three-year phase, postdoctoral fellows are… [Read More]

More than 150 young pastoralists from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and South Sudan recently pledged to lead rangelands and pastoralism toward a peaceful and prosperous future. During a November 2025 gathering, the youth adopted the “Kobebe Declaration,” advocating for the full implementation of the IGAD Transhumance Protocol, a regional framework ensuring the free and orderly… [Read More]

Meeting today’s agricultural challenges while preparing for the future requires giving farmers access to a diverse set of tools and solutions. Central to this effort is the Future Seeds genebank, managed by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, which functions as a global repository for plant materials that can adapt to changing environments and… [Read More]

Stakeholders in Nigeria came together to call on the Federal Government to make childhood cancer treatment free as the country marked International Childhood Cancer Day in Abuja. The advocacy outreach was organised by the Akanimo Cancer Foundation at the Church of Christ, Kado-FCT, with parallel events held in over 11 other locations nationwide, including Lagos,… [Read More]

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has launched a five-year strategy, CEPI 3.0, aimed at strengthening global preparedness for epidemic and pandemic threats. The organisation has called for an additional $2.5 billion in funding to reinforce worldwide disease defenses, bringing the total required for full implementation to $3.6 billion. With $1.1 billion already secured,… [Read More]

Immunic has successfully completed a private placement led by existing investor BVF Partners, with participation from Avidity Partners, OrbiMed, Trails Edge Capital Partners, TCGX, Vivo Capital, and other institutional investors. The company raised a total of $400 million through the issuance of pre-funded warrants, which will support ongoing operations and strategic initiatives through late 2027…. [Read More]

Aruwa Capital Management has secured a commitment of up to $8 million from the International Finance Corporation for its second private equity fund, Aruwa Capital Fund II, which aims to raise $50 million with a $60 million hard cap. The Lagos-based, women-led firm, founded in 2019 by Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes, will use the fund to… [Read More]

More than 200 new graduate nurses, midwives, and doctors have begun working across the Central Coast this year, significantly strengthening the region’s health services. Among them, 138 graduate nurses and midwives will gain hands-on experience in emergency departments, acute care, maternity, mental health, and other specialties within the Central Coast Local Health District. These new… [Read More]

The Minns Labor Government is advancing a significant school infrastructure program in Western Sydney, with Parramatta East Public School undergoing a major upgrade. The project will replace all 21 demountable classrooms with 24 permanent classrooms, a learning support unit comprising three classrooms, 12 common rooms, multipurpose spaces, and a new library. These facilities are scheduled… [Read More]

The Minns Labor Government is reinforcing its commitment to protecting workers from dust-related diseases through the $2.5 million Lung Health Mobile Clinic, which offers free lung health screenings across New South Wales. The mobile clinic, or “Lung Bus,” has arrived in Blacktown to provide essential checks that can detect diseases like asbestosis, silicosis, and mesothelioma… [Read More]

The Albanese and Minns Labor Governments have launched a new initiative to make New South Wales safer for older women by improving supports for those who have experienced sexual violence. This initiative, developed with over $500,000 in funding from the Sexual Violence Project Fund, includes a comprehensive package of training and resources created by the… [Read More]