Global Health and Gavi Veteran Anuradha Gupta to Lead Global Immunization at Sabin

Former Gavi deputy CEO Anuradha Gupta joins Sabin Vaccine Institute

Global health veteran Anuradha Gupta is Sabin Vaccine Institute’s new Global Immunization President

WASHINGTON, Oct. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Veteran public health leader Anuradha Gupta, who has spearheaded a host of successful global initiatives to improve the health of women and children and boost vaccine access and uptake, has joined Sabin Vaccine Institute as President of Global Immunization. Gupta’s record of crafting and implementing creative solutions to seemingly intractable health challenges is particularly significant now with life-saving childhood immunizations sustaining their largest backslide in decades, fueled largely by the pandemic.

Gupta comes to Sabin after eight years with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, where she served as Deputy CEO and led efforts to center policies, programs and partnerships around vaccine equity, gender and communities. She also pioneered the concept of zero-dose children – those who have not received a single dose of the most basic vaccines – and drove efforts to create a new model of country-level partnerships.

“Anuradha Gupta is a stellar addition to Sabin’s executive management team at a time when vaccine access and equity, as well as misinformation, remain enormous challenges worldwide,” said Sabin CEO Amy Finan. “Anuradha’s visionary approach, expertise, and deep commitment to those we serve will help move the needle for global vaccination rates.”

Gupta said she’s excited for her role and will use her extensive experience to advance innovative approaches to improve vaccine access and uptake. “This is a watershed moment for immunization, and we must ensure that vaccines remain front and center on the global public health agenda,” said Gupta. “There’s still so much to be done to introduce, scale up and universalize the full range of vaccines, and Sabin will be a powerful catalyst for this critically important work.”

A recent United Nations report noted that in 2021, 25 million babies missed out on one or more doses of routine vaccinations for diseases such as measles, diphtheria, and whooping cough. Nearly 18 million of those children, many in low-income countries, were zero-dose, making them more vulnerable to deadly and debilitating infectious diseases, and also, spurring fears of diseases such as polio and measles reemerging in non-endemic countries.

“Fighting and finishing polio in India with an oral vaccine developed by Dr. Sabin is an unforgettable part of my public health journey,” Gupta recalls. “So, I am delighted to join an institution that is dedicated to advancing Dr. Sabin’s legacy by harnessing the full power of vaccines to save lives.”

Under Gupta’s leadership, Gavi won many accolades and rolled out a new framework for partner engagement that has helped bolster country ownership of Gavi-supported programs and improved accountability for results. Those achievements contributed to Gavi receiving the prestigious Lasker-Bloomberg Public Service Award in 2019 for providing sustained access to childhood vaccines in the world’s poorest countries.

“Her willingness to expand the tent to include global players from various sectors is laudable and has measurably improved outcomes in many of these countries,” said Dr. Regina Rabinovich, MD, MPH, chair of the Sabin Board of Trustees. “Anuradha’s work exemplifies Sabin’s commitment to champion evidence-based solutions for immunization in low and middle-income countries and to build partnerships delivering lasting impact in these places.”

Gupta’s most recent initiative to focus on children who have not received a single shot is audacious for its ambition and scope. She was the guiding force behind Gavi’s $500 million Equity Accelerator Fund which includes an innovative program aimed at reaching zero-dose children in conflict zones and drought-afflicted areas in the Sahel region and the Horn of Africa.

Gupta pointed out that children who had been deprived of a single shot accounted for half of vaccine-preventable deaths and that targeting this population could be a game changer for reducing disease outbreaks and improving overall health security.

“These children live in communities that often face multiple deprivations so we must find a way to connect them to their first shot otherwise they miss their shot at a healthy future,” she said. “The Zero Dose Immunization concept goes beyond routine vaccines to connect families to other critical health care and humanitarian services, in consultation with communities, governments and other key groups.”

Prior to Gavi, Gupta served as Mission Director of the National Health Mission of India where she played a leading role in India’s efforts to eradicate polio, reduce maternal and child mortality, bring down fertility rates and revitalize primary health care. She served as a member of the Steering Committee for Child Survival Call to Action, co-chaired the Stakeholder Group for the 2012 London Summit on Family Planning and was a member of the Family Planning 2020 Reference Group.

Gupta holds an MBA from the University of Wollongong in Australia and received executive education from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Stanford Graduate School of Business and Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. In 2015, she was named one of “300 Women Leaders in Global Health” by the Global Health Centre of the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies. She was profiled among the ten most influential women IAS officers in a recently released book – the Indian Administrative Services or IAS as it’s commonly called is India’s preeminent civil service.

In 2021, Gupta received the University of Wollongong’s Alumni Award for Social Impact. She was also conferred the highest civilian award for public service by the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Cross of Labour by the President of Laos for contributions to the health of the people in that country. In September 2022, she was awarded the Advance Global Australian Award, in recognition of the global impact of her many accomplishments.

About the Sabin Vaccine Institute

The Sabin Vaccine Institute is a leading advocate for expanding vaccine access and uptake globally, advancing vaccine research and development, and amplifying vaccine knowledge and innovation. Unlocking the potential of vaccines through partnership, Sabin has built a robust ecosystem of funders, innovators, implementers, practitioners, policy makers and public stakeholders to advance its vision of a future free from preventable diseases. As a non-profit with more than two decades of experience, Sabin is committed to finding solutions that last and extending the full benefits of vaccines to all people, regardless of who they are or where they live. At Sabin, we believe in the power of vaccines to change the world.

For more information, visit http://www.sabin.org and follow us on Twitter @SabinVaccine.

Media contact:

Rajee Suri
rajee.suri@sabin.org

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a2bfd118-42e2-4ff5-b2c1-92fd13e316cf

Anuradha Gupta, spécialiste de la santé mondiale et ancienne cadre chez Gavi, dirigera le programme de vaccination mondiale de Sabin

WASHINGTON, 03 oct. 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Anuradha Gupta, leader chevronnée de la santé publique, qui a dirigé de nombreuses initiatives mondiales couronnées de succès visant à améliorer la santé des femmes et des enfants et à accroître l’accès et l’adoption des vaccins, a rejoint le Sabin Vaccine Institute en tant que présidente du programme de vaccination mondiale. Le bilan de Mme Gupta en matière d’élaboration et de mise en œuvre de solutions créatives pour relever des défis de santé apparemment insolubles est particulièrement impressionnant avec des campagnes de vaccination qui ont sauvé la vie de nombreux enfants, qui ont connu leur plus grand recul depuis des décennies, en raison notamment de la pandémie.

Mme Gupta intègre Sabin après huit années passées chez Gavi, l’Alliance du Vaccin, où elle a occupé le poste de PDG adjointe et dirigé les efforts visant à centraliser les politiques, les programmes et les partenariats autour de l’égalité, du sexe et des communautés en matière de vaccins. Elle a également lancé le concept d’« enfants zéro dose », ciblant ceux qui n’ont reçu aucune dose des vaccins les plus élémentaires, et mené des efforts pour créer un nouveau modèle de partenariats au niveau des pays.

« Anuradha Gupta vient compléter l’équipe de direction de Sabin à un moment où l’accès et l’égalité en matière de vaccins, ainsi que la désinformation, demeurent d’énormes défis dans le monde entier », a déclaré Amy Finan, PDG de Sabin. « L’approche visionnaire, l’expertise et l’engagement profond d’Anuradha envers ceux que nous servons aideront à faire augmenter les taux de vaccination mondiaux. »

Mme Gupta a affirmé qu’elle est ravie de son rôle et qu’elle utilisera sa vaste expérience pour faire progresser des approches innovantes visant à améliorer l’accès et l’adoption des vaccins. « Il s’agit d’un moment décisif pour la vaccination, et nous devons nous assurer que les vaccins restent au centre de l’ordre du jour mondial de la santé publique », a commenté M. Gupta. « Il reste beaucoup à faire pour introduire, intensifier et universaliser la gamme complète de vaccins, et Sabin sera un puissant catalyseur pour ce travail d’une importance cruciale. »

Un récent rapport des Nations unies a noté qu’en 2021, 25 millions de nourrissons avaient manqué une ou plusieurs doses de vaccins de routine pour des maladies telles que la rougeole, la diphtérie et la coqueluche. Près de 18 millions de ces enfants, dont beaucoup résident dans les pays à faible revenu, n’ont reçu aucune dose, ce qui les rend plus vulnérables aux maladies infectieuses mortelles et invalidantes, en plus de susciter des craintes que des maladies telles que la poliomyélite et la rougeole réapparaissent dans les pays non endémiques.

« Combattre et éradiquer la poliomyélite en Inde avec un vaccin oral développé par le Dr Sabin reste une étape inoubliable dans mon parcours de santé publique », se souvient Mme Gupta. « Je suis donc ravie de rejoindre une institution qui se consacre à faire progresser l’héritage du Dr Sabin en exploitant toute la puissance des vaccins pour sauver des vies. »

Sous la direction de Mme Gupta, Gavi a remporté de nombreuses distinctions et déployé un nouveau cadre pour l’engagement des partenaires qui a aidé à renforcer l’appropriation par les pays des programmes soutenus par Gavi et à améliorer la responsabilité des résultats.Suite à ces réalisations, Gavi a reçu le prestigieux prix du service public Lasker-Bloomberg en 2019 pour avoir fourni un accès durable aux vaccins aux enfants dans les pays les plus pauvres du monde.

« Sa volonté d’étendre la portée pour inclure des acteurs mondiaux de divers secteurs est louable et a considérablement amélioré les résultats dans bon nombre de ces pays », a déclaré le Dr Regina Rabinovich, MD, MPH, présidente du conseil d’administration de Sabin. « Le travail d’Anuradha illustre l’engagement de Sabin à défendre des solutions basées sur des preuves pour la vaccination dans les pays à revenu faible et intermédiaire et à établir des partenariats offrant un impact durable dans ces endroits. »

L’initiative la plus récente de Mme Gupta visant à se concentrer sur les enfants qui n’ont reçu aucune dose est audacieuse par son ambition et sa portée. Elle a été la force directrice du fonds d’accélération des capitaux propres de Gavi, d’un montant de 500 millions de dollars, qui comprend un programme innovant visant à atteindre les enfants zéro dose dans les zones de conflit et les zones touchées par la sécheresse dans la région du Sahel et la Corne de l’Afrique.

Mme Gupta a souligné que les enfants qui sont privés d’une seul seule dose de vaccin représentent la moitié des décès évitables par la vaccination et que cibler cette population pourrait changer la donne pour réduire les épidémies de maladies et améliorer la sécurité sanitaire globale.

« Ces enfants vivent dans des communautés qui sont souvent confrontées à de multiples privations, nous devons donc trouver un moyen de leur donner accès à leur première dose afin de leur offrir les meilleures chances possibles de connaître un avenir sain », a-t-elle expliqué. « Le programme de vaccination Zéro dose va au-delà des vaccins de routine pour proposer aux familles d’autres soins de santé et services humanitaires critiques, en concertation avec les communautés, les gouvernements et d’autres groupes clés. »

Avant de travailler chez Gavi, Mme Gupta occupait le poste de directrice de mission de la National Health Mission de l’Inde, où elle a joué un rôle de premier plan dans les efforts déployés par le pays pour éradiquer la poliomyélite, réduire la mortalité maternelle et infantile, diminuer les taux de fécondité et redynamiser les soins de santé primaires. Elle a été membre du comité directeur du Child Survival Call to Action, a coprésidé le groupe des parties prenantes du sommet de Londres de 2012 sur la planification familiale et a été membre du groupe de référence de la planification familiale 2020.

Mme Gupta est titulaire d’un MBA de l’université de Wollongong en Australie et a suivi une formation de cadre de la John F. Kennedy School of Government de l’université Harvard, de la Stanford Graduate School of Business et de la Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs de l’université de Syracuse. En 2015, elle a été nommée parmi les « 300 femmes leaders dans le domaine de la santé mondiale » par le Centre mondial de santé de l’Institut de hautes études internationales et du développement. Elle a été citée parmi les dix représentantes de l’IAS les plus influentes dans un livre récemment publié. Les services administratifs indiens, plus connus sous le nom d’IAS, sont la principale fonction publique de l’Inde.

En 2021, Mme Gupta a reçu le prix des anciens élèves de l’université de Wollongong pour son impact social. Elle a également reçu la plus haute distinction civile pour la fonction publique par le président de la République démocratique du Congo et la Croix du travail par le président du Laos pour ses contributions à la santé de la population de ce pays. En septembre 2022, elle a reçu le prix Advance Global Australian, en reconnaissance de l’impact mondial de ses nombreuses réalisations.

À propos du Sabin Vaccine Institute

Le Sabin Vaccine Institute est un important militant en faveur de l’expansion de l’accès et du recours aux vaccins à l’échelle mondiale, faisant avancer la recherche et le développement de vaccins, et amplifiant la connaissance et l’innovation en matière de vaccins. Libérant le potentiel des vaccins par le partenariat, Sabin a bâti un écosystème robuste de bailleurs de fonds, innovateurs, agents de mise en œuvre, praticiens, décideurs politiques et parties prenantes publiques pour faire avancer sa vision d’un avenir où les maladies évitables ont enfin disparu. En tant qu’organisation sans but lucratif comptant plus de deux décennies d’expérience, Sabin s’est engagée à trouver des solutions qui durent et à étendre tous les bienfaits des vaccins à l’ensemble des individus, peu importe qui ils sont et où ils résident. Chez Sabin, nous sommes convaincus que les vaccins ont le pouvoir de changer le monde.

Pour de plus amples informations, rendez-vous sur le site http://www.sabin.org et suivez-nous sur Twitter @SabinVaccine.

Contact auprès des médias :

Rajee Suri
rajee.suri@sabin.org

Une photo accompagnant ce communiqué de presse est disponible à l’adresse https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a2bfd118-42e2-4ff5-b2c1-92fd13e316cf

Anuradha Gupta, veterana de saúde global e da Gavi lidera a imunização global da Sabin

WASHINGTON, Oct. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A veterana líder em saúde pública Anuradha Gupta, que liderou uma série de iniciativas globais bem-sucedidas para melhorar a saúde de mulheres e crianças, e ampliar o acesso e a utilização de vacinas, entrou para o Instituto de Vacinas Sabin como Presidente de Imunização Global. O histórico de Gupta na criação e implementação de soluções criativas para enfrentar desafios de saúde aparentemente intratáveis é particularmente significativo no momento, com as imunizações infantis que salvam vidas tendo o maior retrocesso em décadas, causado em grande parte pela pandemia.

Antes de entrar para a Sabin, Gupta permaneceu oito anos na Gavi, a Aliança de Vacinas, onde atuou como vice-presidente e liderou esforços para centralizar políticas, programas e parcerias em torno da equidade, gênero e comunidades de vacinas. Ela também foi pioneira no conceito de crianças de dose zero – as que nunca receberam uma única dose das vacinas mais básicas – e impulsionou os esforços para criar um novo modelo de parcerias em nível nacional.

“Anuradha Gupta é uma adição estelar à equipe de gestão executiva da Sabin em um momento em que o acesso e a equidade da vacina, bem como a desinformação, continuam sendo grandes desafios em todo o mundo”, disse a CEO da Sabin, Amy Finan. “A abordagem visionária, a experiência e o profundo compromisso de Anuradha com aqueles que servimos irão ajudar a aumentar o índice das taxas globais de vacinação.”

Gupta disse que está animada com seu papel e usará sua vasta experiência para promover abordagens inovadoras para melhorar o acesso e a utilização de vacinas. “Este é um momento decisivo para a imunização e precisamos assegurar que as vacinas sejam prioridade das agendas de saúde pública em todo o mundo”, disse Gupta. “Ainda há muito a ser feito para introduzir, ampliar e universalizar toda a gama de vacinas, e a Sabin será uma poderosa catalisadora desse trabalho extremamente importante.”

Um relatório recente das Nações Unidas indicou que, em 2021, 25 milhões de bebês deixaram de tomar uma ou mais doses de vacinas rotineiras como de sarampo, difteria e coqueluche. Quase 18 milhões dessas crianças, muitas em países de baixa renda, eram de dose zero, sendo mais vulneráveis a doenças infecciosas mortais e debilitantes, e causando o medo de doenças como pólio e sarampo reemergentes em países não endêmicos.

“A luta e erradicação da pólio na Índia com uma vacina oral desenvolvida pelo Dr. Sabin é uma memória inesquecível da minha jornada na saúde pública”, lembra Gupta. “Por isso, é com prazer que passo a fazer parte de uma instituição que se dedica a promover o legado do Dr. Sabin, utilizando todo o poder das vacinas para salvar vidas.”

Sob a liderança de Gupta, Gavi foi muito elogiada e implementou uma nova estrutura para o envolvimento de parceiros que ajudou a fortalecer programas apoiados por Gavi no país, e aprimorou a responsabilidade pelos resultados. Essas conquistas contribuíram para que a Gavi recebesse o prestigiado Prêmio Lasker-Bloomberg de Serviço Público em 2019 por fornecer acesso sustentado a vacinas infantis nos países mais pobres do mundo.

“Sua disposição de expandir o alcance para incluir atores globais de vários setores é louvável e ampliou consideravelmente os resultados em muitos desses países”, disse a Dra. Regina Rabinovich, MD, MPH, presidente do Conselho de Administração da Sabin. “O trabalho de Anuradha exemplifica o compromisso da Sabin em defender as soluções com base em evidências para a imunização em países de baixa e média renda, e criar parcerias que proporcionem um impacto duradouro nesses lugares.”

A iniciativa mais recente da Gupta de se concentrar em crianças que não receberam uma única vacina é audaciosa por seu objetivo e escopo. Ela foi a força guia por trás do Fundo de Aceleração de Ações de US $ 500 milhões da Gavi, um programa inovador destinado a alcançar crianças de dose zero em zonas de conflito e áreas afetadas pela seca na região do Sahel e Nordeste da África.

Gupta destacou que as crianças que nunca receberam nenhuma vacina são responsáveis pela metade das mortes evitáveis por vacina e que o direcionamento a essa população pode ser um divisor de águas para a redução dos surtos de doenças e melhoria da segurança geral da saúde.

“Essas crianças vivem em comunidades que muitas vezes enfrentam várias privações, por isso precisamos encontrar uma maneira de conectá-las à primeira vacina, caso contrário, elas não terão a chance de ter um futuro saudável”, disse ela. “O programa de Imunização de Dose Zero vai além das vacinas de rotina, conectando as famílias a outros cuidados e serviços essenciais de saúde e humanitários, em consulta com comunidades, governos e outros grupos importantes.”

Antes da Gavi, Gupta foi Diretora da National Health Mission of India, onde teve papel de liderança nos esforços da Índia para erradicar a pólio, reduzir a mortalidade materna e infantil, reduzir as taxas de fertilidade e revitalizar a atenção primária à saúde. Ela foi membro do Steering Committee do Child Survival Call to Action, copresidiu o Stakeholder Group em uma Reunião de Cúpula em Londres sobre Planejamento Familiar em 2012, e membro do Grupo de Referência de Planejamento Familiar de 2020.

Gupta fez Mestrado de Administração de Empresas na University of Wollongong na Austrália, educação executiva na John F. Kennedy School of Government da Harvard University, Stanford Graduate School of Business e Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs da Syracuse University. Em 2015, ela foi nomeada uma das “300 Mulheres Líderes em Saúde Mundial” pelo Global Health Centre do Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies. Ela foi incluída na lista das dez mulheres mais influentes da IAS do recém-lançado livro – Indian Administrative Services ou IAS, como é comumente chamado, o serviço público proeminente da Índia.

Em 2021, Gupta recebeu o Prêmio de Impacto Social da University of Wollongong. Ela também recebeu o maior prêmio civil pelo serviço público do Presidente da República Democrática do Congo e a Cruz do Trabalho do Presidente do Laos por suas contribuições para a saúde das pessoas naquele país. Em setembro de 2022, ela recebeu o Advance Global Australian Award, em reconhecimento ao impacto global das suas muitas realizações.

Sobre o Sabin Vaccine Institute

Sabin Vaccine Institute é um dos principais defensores da expansão do acesso e uso de vacinas em todo o mundo, do avanço da pesquisa e desenvolvimento de vacinas e da ampliação do conhecimento e inovação das vacinas. Revelando o potencial das vacinas através da parceria, o Sabin criou um ecossistema robusto de financiadores, inovadores, implementadores, profissionais, formuladores de políticas e partes interessadas públicas para avançar sua visão de um futuro livre de doenças evitáveis. Como uma organização sem fins lucrativos com mais de duas décadas de experiência, o Sabin está empenhado em encontrar soluções duradouras que levem todos os benefícios das vacinas a todas as pessoas, independentemente de quem sejam ou de onde vivem. No Sabin, acreditamos no poder das vacinas para mudar o mundo.

Para mais informação, visite http://www.sabin.org e siga-nos no Twitter @SabinVaccine.

Contato com a Mídia:

Rajee Suri
rajee.suri@sabin.org

Foto deste comunicado disponível em https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a2bfd118-42e2-4ff5-b2c1-92fd13e316cf

Around 1.6 billion tonnes of food is wasted – FAO report

ROME— As the world marks the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, around 1.6 billion tonnes of the primary product equivalent is wasted, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations estimates.

Of this number, 1.3 billion tonnes, representing 81 percent is edible, the FAO said in its Food Wastage Footprint and Impact on Natural Resources report.

“Food wastage’s carbon footprint is estimated at 3.3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent of GHG released into the atmosphere per year” the FAO added in the report published on its website adding that “The total volume of water used each year to produce food that is lost or wasted (250km3) is equivalent to the annual flow of Russia’s Volga River, or three times the volume of Lake Geneva.”

Similarly, the report said 1.4 billion hectares of land – 28 percent of the world’s agricultural area – is used annually to produce food that is lost or wasted.

According to the report, agriculture is responsible for a majority of threats to at-risk plant and animal species tracked by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The report said a low percentage of all food wastage is composted and that much of it ends up in landfills, and represents a large part of municipal solid waste resulting in Methane emissions, one of the largest sources of GHG emissions from the waste sector.

“Developing countries suffer more food losses during agricultural production, while in middle- and high-income regions, food waste at the retail and consumer level tends to be higher. The direct economic consequences of food wastage (excluding fish and seafood) run to the tune of $750 billion annually,” the report said.

In this regard, a research Scientist at the Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Institute of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), Dr. Stella Agyeman Duah, has asked that the quality of food produced in the country should not be compromised.

In a statement in ACCRA, she said causes of food loss and waste could not only be attributed to post-harvest losses but warm or humid environments which promote insect, pest, and microorganism infestation.

In her view, consumer rejection due to aesthetic defects of produce especially fruits and vegetables is equally high in developed countries contributing to food loss.

“In reducing these challenges, shortening the food supply chain, and promoting food security, the standards of food produce should not be compromised,” Dr Duah said in an article to mark the day.

Governments’ investment at the local level to reduce food losses and waste, she said, must be visible and reflective in the farmers’ lives.

To this end, Dr Duah said the global trend of food insecurity in the world should necessitate the provision of storage facilities like silos by governments for staples to avoid glut in bumper seasons.

“On the part of consumers, it is important to promote planetary health by making a shopping list and buying what is needed. Consumers who decide to shop in bulk should be sure of adequate storage in their homes. It is kind to share leftovers with the needy. Do not throw them away, it contributes to global warming,” she advised.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

Marchers Call for Peace in Cameroon, But Warring Sides at Odds on Talks

In Cameroon, thousands of people are marching to call for peace in the country’s separatist conflict. The daily peace marches, which began on Friday and are slated to continue through Tuesday, come on the third anniversary of talks designed to end the fighting. Marchers say authorities need to do more to return peace to the restive western regions, where fighting has killed about 3,500 people since 2017.

The protesters, a majority of them women, say hardly a day goes by without cases of killings, abduction, rape and torching of public edifices in the Northwest and Southwest regions.

Monday’s peace march was organized by a non-governmental organization called Cameroon, Peace and National Unity. Its president, Clementine Mvogo, said the peace march marks the third anniversary of government-organized peace talks called the Major National Dialogue.

“The culture of peace is still very much absent in Cameroon since the holding in Yaounde of a Major National Dialogue from September 30 to October 4 2019. The ongoing peace march in Yaounde is to make the quest for peace a daily struggle of all Cameroonians. All civilians and civil society movements should be concerned about the return of peace to Cameroon,” Mvogo said.

After that dialogue, Cameroon’s President Paul Biya implemented recommendations to give the Northwest and Southwest regions more power, including the creation of regional assemblies and elected regional presidents.

Zacchaeus Bakuma Elango, president of the Southwest regional assembly, said outreach efforts to the armed separatist groups continue.

“We’re doing everything we can to convince them to lay down their arms and come to the negotiation table. We have families who have been displaced, children who have not gone to schools for five years, so what becomes of them? Are we coming up with a generation of semi-illiterates?” said Elango.

Elango said some people have realized that war is not the answer.

“As the years go by, more and more people are beginning to understand that we are in the same country. There were problems and those problems progressively are being addressed and the situation is improving.”

As evidence of that, he notes that tens of thousands of people who fled the fighting have returned to Southwest towns and villages in Manyu, Lebialem, Meme, Ndian, Fako and Koupe Manengouba administrative units. Elango said several hundred schools sealed by fighters in the region have been reopened.

The government says after the dialogue, powers were given to a national commission for the promotion of bilingualism to give equal status to the English and French languages, in order to reduce domination by the French-speaking majority.

David Abouem a Tchoyi, a member of the commission, said the conflict still persists because many separatist leaders refused to take part in the dialogue.

“I regret bitterly that some of our brothers and sisters, especially those who are abroad, couldn’t be part of that jamboree. When I read the recommendations, I saw some of them which could be game changers and I think it is important to note that the head of state said that the recommendations should be implemented according to the means and the capabilities of the state.”

Three years on, the prospects for peace talks remain stalled. Some separatist groups say they are not ready for any dialogue, while others say the talks should be held outside Cameroon. Separatist leaders based in Europe and the United States have expressed concern they will be arrested on charges of terrorism if they come home for peace talks.

Cameroon maintains that the 2019 dialogue was successful and no talks will be organized outside the country.

The stalemate doesn’t bode well for peace in the western regions, and suggests that Yaounde will see more marches like the ones taking place this week.

Source: Voice of America

UN Report: Fiscal Policies of Advanced Economies Risk Global Recession

U.N. economists warn the monetary and fiscal policies of advanced economies risk plunging the world into a recession worse than the financial crisis of 2008. UNCTAD, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development has issued its annual Trade and Development Report 2022.

The authors of the report warn the world is teetering on the edge of a recession due to bad policy decisions by advanced economies, combined with cascading crises resulting from climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the war in Ukraine.

They project this year’s global growth rate of 2.5 percent will slow to 2.2 percent in 2023. This, they say, will leave a cumulative shortfall of more than $17 trillion, close to 20 percent of the world’s income.

The report finds the slowdown is hitting countries in all regions, especially developing countries. It says growth rates in the poorer countries are expected to drop below three percent, damaging development and employment prospects.

UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan says middle-income countries in Latin America, as well as low-income countries in Africa, will register some of the sharpest slowdowns this year.

“In Africa, an additional 58 million people will fall into extreme poverty in 2022 adding to the 55 million already pushed into extreme poverty by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Grynspan said.

Grynspan says developing countries are facing alarming levels of debt distress and under investment. She says 46 developing countries are severely exposed to multiple economic shocks. She adds another 48 countries are seriously exposed, heightening the threat of a global debt crisis.

“So, countries that were showing signs of debt distress before COVID are taking some of the biggest hits, with climate shocks further threatening economic stability,” Grynspan said. “This is increasing the threat of a global debt crisis. So, countries urgently need real debt relief.”


Grynspan says there is still time to step back from the edge of recession if countries use available tools to calm inflation and support vulnerable groups.

Among its recommendations, UNCTAD urges a more pragmatic strategy that deploys strategic price controls, windfall taxes, anti-trust measures and tighter regulations on commodities speculation.

Source: Voice of America