In celebration of its tenth anniversary, the Philips Foundation launched the Social Impact Award, a global internal competition inviting Philips employees to submit innovative ideas to improve healthcare access for underserved communities. Program Manager Victor de Boer emphasized the Foundation’s bold target of reaching 100 million people annually with quality healthcare by 2030 and encouraged… [Read More]
Labor
Gavi Welcomes Renewed Commitments to Health Equity and Security Made at TICAD9
At the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), held in Yokohama from 20–22 August 2025, Japan reaffirmed its strong support for global health and Africa’s health equity agenda. Prime Minister H.E. Shigeru Ishiba announced that Japan will contribute up to US$ 550 million over the next five years to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance,… [Read More]
Oregon Artists and Cultural Groups Awarded Over $1 Million in Creative Heights Grants
The Oregon Community Foundation has awarded more than $1 million in Creative Heights grants to 14 Oregon artists and cultural groups, enabling them to bring ambitious, community-focused projects to life. The grants, ranging from $24,000 to $100,000, are particularly valuable at a time when federal funding for the arts has been drastically reduced, making private… [Read More]
NUS Secures S$3 Million Mapletree Gift to Expand Service-Learning Courses and Support 60,000+ Seniors and Families
The National University of Singapore (NUS) has received a generous S$3 million pledge from global real estate company Mapletree Investments to strengthen its service-learning courses. This contribution will empower over 4,000 student volunteers annually to support more than 60,000 beneficiaries, including seniors and vulnerable families, highlighting the importance of collaborative efforts among government, community, and… [Read More]
Flood Risk Management in the Western Balkans: Strategies and Success Stories
In the Western Balkans, floods in the Drin River Basin, which spans Albania, North Macedonia, and Montenegro, have long threatened communities, farmland, and infrastructure. With climate change accelerating, these floods are becoming more frequent, severe, and destructive, putting farmers, families, and small businesses at heightened risk. Residents like Robert Tonaj in Shkodër, Albania, have seen… [Read More]
Regional Workshop Boosts African Disability Protocol Ratification and Implementation
The Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Law recently hosted a two-day Regional Workshop on Enhancing the Ratification and Implementation of the African Disability Protocol. The workshop convened a diverse group of stakeholders from multiple sectors, including the disability sector, academia, donor agencies, government, National Human Rights Institutions, and civil… [Read More]
Angela Gichaga: Pioneering Healthcare Investment Across Africa
Across Africa, community health systems face chronic underfunding, with an estimated $2 billion annual gap leaving rural clinics without essential supplies, health workers unpaid, and millions of families lacking reliable access to care. This systemic challenge drives Dr. Angela Nyambura Gichaga, a Kenyan physician who shifted her focus from treating individual patients to transforming the… [Read More]
Asia-Pacific Accelerates Climate Finance Efforts to Boost Resilience
Over 150 participants from 20 countries, including ministers of finance, development partners, UN agencies, private investors, and civil society representatives, gathered in Bangkok for the Inclusive Climate Finance Dialogue for a Resilient Asia-Pacific. Co-organized by the UNDP Climate Finance Network (CFN) and the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) with support from partners including the UK… [Read More]
Eco-Justice Ethiopia Empowers Waste Pickers and Composters to Promote Environmental Rights
Organic waste management in Ethiopia faces significant challenges, largely due to limited infrastructure, low public awareness, and economic constraints. The country generates large volumes of organic waste that are often uncollected and improperly processed, leading to environmental degradation, health risks, and missed opportunities for resource recovery. In response, Eco-Justice Ethiopia (EJE) is working to strengthen… [Read More]
UK PACT Supports South African Municipalities to Achieve Energy Independence
South Africa’s energy sector is experiencing significant transformation as municipalities increasingly explore pathways to energy security, economic resilience, and climate action, even as national attention focuses on load shedding and the challenges facing Eskom, the state-owned electricity utility responsible for roughly 90% of the country’s power generation. Local governments are emerging as key players in… [Read More]
African Health Ministers Approve New Framework to Fast-Track Oral Health Progress
African health ministers at the Seventy-fifth session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa in Lusaka, Zambia, have endorsed a new framework aimed at accelerating progress in oral health across the continent. The initiative addresses the widespread prevalence of oral diseases affecting around 42% of the African population and sets ambitious targets, including providing at… [Read More]
Health Communication Network Enhances Emergency Response Capabilities in Angola
Angola has taken a significant step to strengthen public health communication by organizing a national training session focused on the role of the media in responding to health emergencies. The training, supported by the Ministry of Health (MINSA), the Ministry of Telecommunications, Information Technology, and Social Communication (MINTTICS), the World Health Organization (WHO), and UNICEF,… [Read More]
African Health Ministers Launch Regional Forum to Strengthen Healthcare Collaboration
African health ministers convened in Lusaka, Zambia, to open the Seventy-fifth session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa, the continent’s highest decision-making body on health. From 25 to 27 August 2025, representatives from all 47 WHO African Region countries will discuss measures to tackle pressing health challenges and endorse key resolutions… [Read More]
Indonesia’s Climate Future: From Coastlines to Global Commitments
On 18 July 2025, policymakers, climate experts, civil society representatives, private sector leaders, and development partners convened in Jakarta for a high-level meeting of the Friends of Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). Led by Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment, the event marked the finalization of Indonesia’s Second Nationally Determined Contribution (SNDC), a key milestone in the country’s… [Read More]
Kenya Launches Historic Joint Strategy for Disability Rights and Inclusion
The Government of Kenya, in collaboration with 71 organizations from civil society, the private sector, development partners, and the United Nations, has launched the Joint Disability Inclusion Strategy (2025–2027). This landmark framework is aimed at accelerating the rights, empowerment, and inclusion of persons with disabilities across the country. Grounded in the Persons with Disabilities Act… [Read More]
White Rock Invests in Infrastructure Upgrades to Improve Stormwater Management
The City of White Rock is set to enhance stormwater management and protect local waterways through the Marine Drive Stormwater Improvements project, supported by a combined investment of more than $9.86 million from federal, provincial, and municipal governments. The project targets drainage upgrades along Marine Drive between Stayte Road and Finlay Street, including the installation… [Read More]
ILO-China Partnership on Skills Development Boosts Emerging Industry Needs in Cambodia
A new milestone in Cambodia-China skills collaboration was achieved with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening Cambodia’s technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system to meet the evolving needs of emerging industries. Supported by the ILO/China Partnership Programme on Skills Development, the agreement was signed on 30 July 2025… [Read More]
TICAD9: IFAD and Japan Collaborate with Private Sector to End Poverty, Hunger, and Malnutrition
Mobilizing the private sector is crucial to ending hunger, malnutrition, and poverty in Africa, where more than one in five people go hungry, as emphasized by Shinjiro Koizumi, Japan’s Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), and Alvaro Lario, President of the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) at the Ninth Tokyo International Conference… [Read More]
Unitaid Launches Flagship Investments to Boost Local Manufacturing of Diagnostics and Medicines in Africa
Unitaid has announced a foundational investment of nearly US$50 million in two flagship programs designed to strengthen Africa’s capacity to manufacture its own medical diagnostics and treatments. This initiative is part of Unitaid’s broader commitment to building regional manufacturing infrastructure and improving access to quality-assured health products for priority global health challenges, including HIV, malaria,… [Read More]
UK Industrial Strategy Invests Over £30 Million to Boost Northern Ireland’s Science and Tech Industries
Northern Ireland’s science and technology sectors are set to receive a major boost from the UK Government’s modern Industrial Strategy, with at least £30 million earmarked for innovative tech projects. The funding aims to strengthen local jobs, promote economic growth, and support key industries of the future, including cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, and creative industries. Industry… [Read More]
AfDB, AfCFTA, and Africa50 Join Forces to Unlock $3.4 Trillion African Market via Infrastructure
The African Development Bank Group, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, and Africa50 have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to accelerate infrastructure development across Africa and unlock the potential of the continent’s largest free trade area. The agreement, signed during the Africa50 General Shareholders Meeting in Maputo, establishes a framework for cooperation to… [Read More]
Africa Adopts Innovative Financing to Combat Climate-Driven Health Crises
Rising heat waves, floods, and droughts are placing Africa’s health systems under unprecedented strain, threatening the well-being of millions of vulnerable communities. In response, governments, innovators, and development partners are exploring new approaches to protect the continent through climate-resilient health systems. At a two-day regional workshop in Nairobi, organized by the World Health Organization (WHO)… [Read More]
Africa Scales Up Early Warning Systems at ClimDev-Africa Planning Workshop
Africa’s leading development institutions have renewed their commitment to building an African-led, continent-wide early warning system during the ClimDev-Africa Phase II Planning Workshop held in Nairobi. Co-organized by the African Union Commission, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and the African Development Bank, the gathering brought together policymakers, scientists, and stakeholders to shape the… [Read More]
