The Irish Ministers for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, and for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan TD, announced the approval of a new European Innovation Partnership (EIP) project, “The Arable Coast Environment,” led by SECAD. The project aims to enhance habitats for biodiversity along the coast from South Cork to Wexford,… [Read More]
Ontario Announces $2B Investment to Enhance Long-Term Care Services
The Ontario government is making a historic investment of $1.92 billion to protect and expand the province’s long-term care system. This funding supports a significant increase in staffing over the past four years, helping Ontario surpass its target of an average of four hours of daily direct care for residents provided by nurses and personal… [Read More]
UN Peacekeeping Faces Deep Cuts Amid Global Funding Shortfall
The United Nations is facing a severe funding crisis that is forcing deep cuts to its peacekeeping operations. UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix described the situation as “more daunting than ever,” pointing to the partial non-payment of assessed contributions by Member States, which has left financing well below the approved 2025-26 budget. Speaking at a… [Read More]
Global Health at the Forefront: 100 Nations Commit to Climate Action
Tuvalu has become the 100th country to join the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH), alongside the Cook Islands and Malaysia, bringing the Alliance’s membership to 100 countries and areas committed to advancing climate action for health. The Alliance serves as a voluntary network of countries, areas, and partners focused on sharing… [Read More]
Life-Changing Water Supply Projects in DRC Extend Impact Beyond Ebola
For years, the 20,000 residents of Bulape faced a daily struggle to access water, often walking several kilometres through the forest to reach unsafe and stagnant pools. The long journey consumed hours of women’s time, delayed children from attending school, and contributed to frequent outbreaks of waterborne diseases. Henriette Byongo, a mother of seven, recalls… [Read More]
Accelerating HIV Prevention: Nigeria Introduces Injectable PrEP Options
Nigeria is intensifying efforts to eliminate AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Until recently, HIV prevention in the country relied largely on daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), but adherence challenges, stigma, limited awareness, and inconsistent access have hindered widespread uptake. The introduction of long-acting injectable PrEP, which can last two to six months,… [Read More]
Historic Milestone: Angola Launches Cervical Cancer Vaccination Program
Lélia Bartolomeu, aged 12, was deeply influenced by her grandmother’s battle with cervical cancer, which inspired her commitment to promoting change. Each year in Africa, over 117,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and more than 76,000 die from the disease. Despite being highly preventable and treatable when detected early, limited access to prevention, screening,… [Read More]
Cameroon Becomes a Beacon of Hope for Youth Living with HIV
Eugène, a 20-year-old student from Yaoundé, Cameroon, was diagnosed HIV-positive at 14, a revelation that initially brought fear, stigma, and uncertainty into his adolescence. Overcoming these challenges, he now advocates for self-acceptance and equitable access to reproductive health services for young people living with HIV, reflecting the experiences of thousands of Cameroonian youth facing similar… [Read More]
India Introduces Kuali Fund to Drive Climate-Resilient Investments Inspired by Huruma Project
COFIDES, together with the European Union, GAWA Capital, the Embassy of Spain, and other partners, officially launched the Kuali Fund in India on 14 October 2025. This innovative impact investment vehicle aims to mobilize over EUR 200 million to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy and strengthen climate resilience among vulnerable communities in India,… [Read More]
Bosnia and Herzegovina: EU and EBRD Launch Initiative to Improve Access to Finance
The European Union, in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Raiffeisen Bank, has signed two financial agreements aimed at improving access to finance for small businesses and households across Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The agreements focus on supporting small businesses led by women, young people, and entrepreneurs outside major cities,… [Read More]
UN Report: 63 Million Children Face Hunger Worldwide Due to Conflict in 2025
In 2025, approximately 118 million children have been pushed into hunger, with around 63 million—over half—driven into this situation by conflict, according to a new analysis by Save the Children on World Food Day. Unlike hunger caused by drought, environmental shocks, or economic pressures, conflict remains the primary driver of the most severe forms of… [Read More]
Study Reveals One in Five Finnish Children Encounter Harmful Online Content on Suicide and War
A new Save the Children Finland survey has revealed alarming trends in children’s online experiences, showing that many Finnish children as young as nine are regularly exposed to violent or distressing content on the internet. The survey, which included more than 1,000 children aged 9 to 15, found that one in five (21%) have been… [Read More]
WFP, Tajikistan Sign Agreement to Boost Digital Agriculture and Youth Opportunities
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Tajikistan have signed a Technical Assistance Agreement to implement the project titled “Engaging Youth Smallholder Farmers through Agri-Tech for Improved Food Security and Value Chains,” supported by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). The agreement represents a major step… [Read More]
WFP–KOICA Partnership Enhances Health and Nutrition for Kyrgyzstan’s Schoolchildren
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), has launched a three-year, US$10 million project aimed at improving the health and nutrition of school-aged children. The initiative will directly benefit 15,000 children, half of whom are girls, across… [Read More]
Sierra Leone to Boost Food Security with $2.25 Million African Development Bank Support
The African Development Bank Group’s Board of Directors has approved a $2.25 million financing package to strengthen agricultural productivity and food security in Sierra Leone through the Fostering Africa’s Agricultural Productivity through Fertilizer Value Chain Financing (FOSTER) project. Implemented by Welthungerhilfe, the initiative aims to help thousands of smallholder farmers access quality fertilizers using innovative… [Read More]
AfDB-Funded ProFishBlue Initiative Tackles Fish Waste and Creates Jobs for Women and Youth
In Tolaria, Madagascar, a coastal city located about 1,000 kilometers southwest of the capital Antananarivo, nearly every woman’s livelihood is tied to the fishing industry. Many of these women work as fishmongers, but they have long faced difficulties in selling fish due to a lack of essentials such as ice and cold storage. Without proper… [Read More]
New UNDP-UNODC-EU Program Aims to Prevent Violent Extremism Online Across Asia
The UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), with funding from the European Union (EU), have launched a new regional initiative titled “Supporting Asian Countries’ Resilience to Violent Extremism in the Digital Space.” Spanning three years from August 2025 to July 2028, the project aims to strengthen the ability… [Read More]
Federal Judge Orders Pause on Trump Administration Shutdown Layoffs
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from carrying out layoffs of thousands of federal workers during the ongoing government shutdown. The ruling comes less than a week after the administration confirmed that several agencies had begun laying off about 4,000 employees. US District Judge Susan Illston granted the unions’ request to block… [Read More]
Strengthening Health in Namibia: New Programs Target Women, Children, and Adolescents
Namibia has taken a significant step to enhance the health and well-being of women, children, and adolescents with the official launch of two critical health policy documents by the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) on 9 October 2025 in Windhoek. Supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and partner organizations, the launch introduced… [Read More]
Strengthening Health Security: Tanzania’s New Pandemic Fund Project
The United Republic of Tanzania has officially launched the Pandemic Fund Project in Mwanza, a landmark initiative designed to strengthen the country’s capacity to prevent, prepare for, and respond to future health emergencies and pandemics. Supported by a US$25 million grant from the Pandemic Fund and an additional US$13.7 million in co-investments and co-financing, the… [Read More]
Advancing Renewable Energy: Solar Power Plant Development in Sierra Leone with Proparco and Planet Solar
Proparco has reinforced its support for Planet Solar, a Sierra Leone-based solar energy company, by providing an additional €390,000 to assist with grid connections for local communities. This follows Proparco’s initial investment in the company in 2023 and reflects its ongoing commitment to expanding energy infrastructure in Sierra Leone to meet growing power demand. Founded… [Read More]
Boosting Financial Inclusion in Uganda: Proparco and Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation Partner
Proparco, with support from the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, is providing technical assistance for the second phase of a financial inclusion project in Uganda, implemented by the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation in partnership with UGAFODE Microfinance Limited and VisionFund Uganda. The project focuses on expanding access to financial services for refugees and… [Read More]
Advancing Sustainability: Grupo Promerica Partners with Proparco on $50M Green Building Project
Grupo Promerica, a leading financial group in Central America, has reinforced its commitment to sustainable development through a USD 50 million financing agreement with Proparco, a subsidiary of the Agence Française de Développement Group, directed to Banco Promerica Costa Rica. The loan aims to expand support for projects promoting sustainable and green buildings, directly aligning… [Read More]
