TRADE X Opens New Office in Lagos, Nigeria to Accommodate Growing Automotive Demand in Africa’s Largest Economy

The TRADE X global automotive trading platform and new Lagos facility will help Nigerian dealers and fleet owners gain streamlined, friction-free access to imported vehicles from North America and other global markets.

LAGOS, Nigeria, May 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — TRADE X, a global B2B cross-border automotive trading platform based in Canada, today announced that it has opened TRADE X Nigeria in Lagos to help meet the rapidly growing demand for vehicles, particularly cars and light trucks, in the country. Damilola Thompson, Emerging Markets Lead at TRADE X, will oversee the opening of the company’s new vehicle import facility, and Olufemi Folarin, VP of Trade and Business Development, will manage operations.

TRADE X Nigeria, TRADE X’s first facility outside of North America, will help give local car dealers, fleet owners, rental car companies, and other commercial buyers direct access to a global pool of vehicles in high demand while streamlining the transport, logistics, homologation, compliance, and customs activities associated with importing them.

“Nigerian dealers and fleet owners have long struggled to find enough vehicle inventory to meet consumer demand, given our fast-growing economy and growing population,” said Thompson. “TRADE X is working to solve this issue, by connecting Nigerian buyers with sellers in North America, Europe, Asia, and other markets, where vehicles – particularly pre-owned ones ready for re-sale – are more abundant.”

Poor transparency around logistics, vehicle condition, valuation, and pricing has served as a barrier to entry in international automotive trading. In recent years, Nigerian dealers who have managed to buy vehicles from global sources have had to do so in a largely fragmented way, relying on personal contacts and managing the purchase and importation logistics themselves. Transactions were characterized by a lack of trust, visibility, and buyer/seller protection, which, in turn, limited trade.

“TRADE X Nigeria will be a game-changer for Nigerian automotive buyers and consumers,” Folarin said. “With the opening of our new Lagos office, we are demonstrating our deep commitment to supporting and serving the Nigerian marketplace and helping to accelerate vehicle turnover and revenue. We encourage dealers and other buyers to utilize the streamlined features the TRADE X platform offers instead of having to deal with the bureaucracy of the port and customs themselves. Not only is the process of obtaining vehicles quicker but sourcing specific inventory can also be done through the platform’s proprietary Instant Request feature, all while removing the risk dealers were previously exposed to when trading cross-border through manual means.”

To begin the process of cross-border trading, local automotive dealers can sign up online on the tradexport.com website to begin the process of cross-border trading and start building greater inventory for their customers.

The TRADE X platform provides a seamless end-to-end process for the sourcing and distribution of cross-border vehicle inventory; its AI-driven ‘Brain’ software provides support in all aspects of new and used vehicle trading, including identifying vehicles for purchase and assessing pricing, while handling transport and other logistics for the users.

About TRADE X
With headquarters in Ontario, Canada, TRADE X is the first global vehicle marketplace to aggregate cross-border supply and demand for car dealers, fleet owners, rental companies, mobility solution providers, importers, and exporters, opening new trading corridors to buy and sell vehicles. The TRADE X ‘Brain’ platform is a machine-learning, AI-driven technology that connects buyers and sellers through a transparent marketplace that aids sellers in finding the world’s highest bidders and gives buyers access to the best source markets and price arbitrage opportunities. Users can quickly and seamlessly transact online in a secure environment with all the complexities of international trade – compliance, anti-money laundering regulations, vehicle inspection, currency exchange, digital trade documentation, payments, and financing – all managed by TRADE X. The company serves authorized buyers and sellers everywhere with a user-friendly app available 24/7 via mobile, tablet, or desktop. TRADE X’s largest investors include Aimia Inc., a publicly traded holding company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: AIM). To learn more, please visit www.tradexport.com.

 

Media Contact: TRADE X Contact:
John Hanlon Shelley Keller
JConnelly Director, Corporate Communications + Brand
(973) 796-6106 shelley.keller@tradexport.com
jhanlon@jconnelly.com

 

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Huawei Launches PowerPOD 3.0, a New Generation of Power Supply System

DONGGUAN, China, May 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — During the Huawei Next-Generation Data Center Facility launch event, Fei Zhenfu, CTO of Huawei Data Center Facility Team, released a new generation of power supply solution—PowerPOD 3.0. Through core technology innovation and component convergence, the solution optimizes the layout and builds a worry-free data center power supply system that saves footprint, power, and time.

Footprint saving: 40% smaller footprint

By using an innovative converged architecture and the industry’s ultra-high-density UPS5000-H, the power density per cabinet is increased and the space layout of the power supply system is optimized. The number of cabinets is reduced from 22 to 11, resulting in a significant footprint decrease. In a 12 MW data center, for example, the footprint saved by the PowerPOD 3.0 solution allows for deploying more than 170 additional racks compared with a traditional power supply solution.

Power saving: 70% lower consumption

The link efficiency of a traditional power supply solution is generally lower than 94.5%. In contrast, PowerPOD 3.0 raises the efficiency up to 97.8% while shortening the link length. In addition, the UPS5000-H delivers an efficiency of 99.1% in S-ECO mode, effectively reducing power consumption. Using the PowerPOD 3.0 in a 12 MW data center will save nearly 300,000 U.S. dollars each year.

Time saving: 75% shorter delivery

A traditional power supply solution requires about 35 copper bars and 180 cables to be connected onsite, resulting in high-quality risks and a delivery period of 2 months. The PowerPOD 3.0 uses tray-alike prefabricated busbars for internal connections. With prefabrication and commissioning completed in the factory, onsite construction can be completed only in 2 weeks, accelerating service rollout for customers.

Worry free: 40% lower fault rate in SLA

Based on the concept of “autonomous driving” and AI technologies, the PowerPOD 3.0 is armed with iPower intelligent feature, which provides two-layer reliable designs for end-to-end visibility as well as AI temperature prediction, life prediction of key components, and intelligent setting. Automatic and predictive O&M becomes possible.

Data centers are evolving towards high density and large scale. As the “heart” of a data center, the power supply system must not only ensure safety and reliability throughout its life cycle to match the growth in demand, but also integrate all equipment in the power supply chain in an innovative way to create more value for customers.

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Huawei Reveals Next-Generation Data Center Facility

DONGGUAN, China, May 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Huawei revealed the definition of the Next-Generation Data Center Facility, and unveiled PowerPOD 3.0, a brand-new power supply system, on May 26 in Dongguan, China. The new rollouts, based on the collective wisdom and joint efforts between Huawei Data Center Facility Team and industry experts, reaffirm Huawei’s commitment to building low-carbon, smart data centers.

Defining the Next-Generation Data Center Facility

Charles Yang, Senior Vice President of Huawei and CEO of Huawei Data Center Facility Team, introduced the groundbreaking definition of the Next-Generation Data Center Facility at the launch event. He said that technical experts and industry authorities have reached a consensus on the four characteristics of next-generation data center facilities after extensive and in-depth discussions, that is, Sustainable, Simplified, Autonomous Driving, and Reliable.

Sustainable: Next-generation data center facilities will be fully green and energy-efficient while maximizing the recycling of all data center materials. In this way, the overall data center ecosystem will be eco-friendly and environmentally sustainable. Sustainable data centers can be achieved by utilizing green resources – electricity, land, and water – and maximizing the recycling of used materials throughout the life cycle. In addition to the extensively used Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE), other metrics, including Carbon Usage Effectiveness (CUE), Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE), and Grid Usage Effectiveness (GUE), will also be used to measure data center sustainability.

Simplified: Simplified architecture, power supply, and cooling embody the evolution of the data center facility.

Simplified architecture brings innovative forms of buildings and equipment rooms. If the prefabricated modular construction mode is used to construct a 1000-rack data center, the construction period can be reduced from more than 18 months to 6–9 months.

Simplified power supply reshapes components and links. It shortens the delivery period from 2 months to 2 weeks. Simplified cooling maximizes heat exchange efficiency by changing multiple heat exchanges to one heat exchange, and shortening the cooling link.

Autonomous Driving: O&M automation, energy efficiency optimization, and operation autonomy reshape the management of data centers’ operation and maintenance. O&M automation enables engineers to complete the inspection of 2000 racks in 5 minutes remotely. The energy efficiency optimization means an optimal cooling strategy can be delivered via 1.4 million original combinations within 1 minute, achieving smart cooling. Operation autonomy maximizes the value of resources.

Reliable: Proactive security and secure architecture ensure high quality and sustainable development of data centers. Proactive security means using big data and AI technologies to implement predictive maintenance from components to data centers, based on the visibility and perception of all domains in the data centers. Automatic fault response means it will take only 1 minute to spot a fault, 3 minutes to analyze, and 5 minutes to recover. Secure architecture means security will be ensured at various levels, such as components, devices, and systems. At the system level, the E2E visualizable, manageable, and controllable platform enables the system availability to reach 99.999%.

PowerPOD 3.0: A footprint-saving, time-saving, and energy-saving power supply system

At the event, Fei Zhenfu, CTO of Huawei Data Center Facility Team, released a new generation of the power supply system, known as PowerPOD 3.0. The system reduces the footprint by 40%, cuts the energy consumption by 70%, shortens the delivery period from 2 months to 2 weeks, and lowers the SLA fault rate by 38%.

In the pursuit of the next-generation data centers, technological innovation will be a key force in ensuring sustainable development. Looking towards the future, Huawei will keep making breakthroughs in products and technologies through continuous investment in R&D and with extensive cooperation with customers, ecosystem partners, and industry organizations. We can jointly usher in a new era of data center development.

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JA Worldwide Inducts 2022 Laureates into the Global Business Hall of Fame

BOSTON, May 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The Global Business Hall of Fame, presented by JA Worldwide, features entrepreneurs and business leaders spanning the last two centuries. From the inventor of blue jeans to the co-founder of one of the world’s leading biotech companies, visitors to our digital showcase find inspiring influencers to kindle their entrepreneurial spirit.

Global Business Hall of Fame, presented by JA Worldwide

About the Global Business Hall of Fame

The Global Business Hall of Fame is not only reflective of JA’s global reach, the diversity of JA students in 115 countries, and a wide range of global industries, but also prioritizes nominees who are working toward the Global Goals for Sustainable Development (SDGs), reinforcing to young people that they have the power to be a force for global good.

In addition, nominees for new laureates are grouped into two categories:

  • Leader: An executive-level professional who inspires others, the Leader’s contributions have advanced the landscape of business with a focus on improving lives. As a result, the Leader has led companies and initiatives toward the Global Goals and is a role model who exhibits social values, inclusivity, and a global point of view. The Leader is likely to have led ventures with a large scope of responsibility, resources, and talent.
  • Innovator: Under 40 years of age, entrepreneurial in spirit, and community focused, the Innovator is changing the landscape globally or has recently emerged on the global stage. The Innovator is an inspiration, full of energy, passionate about work, courageous, and a promoter of change and innovation on behalf of the global good.

Each of our new laureates joins a digital exhibit with immersive, aspirational content, redesigned this year—thanks to the support of Delta Air Lines—to look and feel like a hall-of -fame exhibition. The Global Business Hall of Fame inspires young people through laureate stories and achievements.

The Global Business Hall of Fame 2022 Laureates

We’re pleased to announce our 2022 laureates:

  • Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu (Leader/Ethiopia): When Bethlehem saw skilled artisans in her community living with chronic unemployment, she built a company that would showcase their skills and provide well-paying, sustainable jobs. Today, she is founder and Executive Director of soleRebels, Africa’s fastest-growing footwear company. She has approached her other startups—The Republic of Leather, Garden of Coffee, Made by Ethiopia, Selam Bank, GIZA digital, NoodFoods, and TeffTastic—with the same goal: provide employment and economic prosperity in her community, while dispelling the myth that Ethiopians and Africans don’t know how to create their own prosperity.
  • Alisée De Tonnac (Innovator/Switzerland): Alisée is CEO and co-founder of Seedstars World, the largest global competition for startups in emerging and fast-growing startup ecosystems, which connects entrepreneurs with investors and grants. Alisée has managed competitions in more than 85 cities and has a physical presence in 15 strategic co-working hubs around the world. As a result, more than 40,000 entrepreneurs from emerging markets have taken part in Seedstars’ events and programs, fundraising more than US$250 million and creating more than 2,500 jobs. After the outbreak of COVID-19, Alisée also launched #SeedstarsCares, an initiative that facilitates discussions and forums via webinars, podcasts, and videos about the pandemic and other important world issues.
  • Marcos Galperin (Leader/Argentina): As founder and CEO of Mercado Libre, the largest ecommerce and fintech ecosystem in Latin America, Marcos has empowered the Latin American entrepreneurial community by leveling the playing field between large companies, small businesses, and entrepreneurs. Under Marcos’s leadership, Mercado Libre seeks to foster entrepreneurship through educational initiatives that encourage financial literacy and inclusion and support entrepreneurs whose projects contribute to environmental, social, and economic goals, which the company calls “triple impact entrepreneurs.” Through Mercado Libre, Marcos has brought decent work and economic growth to 18 countries in the Americas, enabling more than one million families to make their livelihoods by operating in the platform.
  • Audrey Cheng (Innovator/Kenya): Audrey is co-founder, former CEO, and board member of Moringa School, a learning accelerator headquartered in Kenya that teaches skills to African youth that increase their employability potential and launch their careers. Moringa School provides digital education—including a technology bootcamp—that gives rising developers and data scientists the skills they need to enter the booming tech workforce. Today, the school also offers scholarships to low-income students and women in an effort to even the socioeconomic and gender imbalance in tech. As a natural outgrowth of the school, Audrey co-founded LendHer Capital, which funds Kenyan, female-led businesses.
  • The Global Business Hall of Fame nomination process is designed to engage diverse stakeholders from around the world and to ensure protocols are followed in the selection of laureates. To ensure fairness and transparency, the annual process involves checking performed by PwC, the Global Process Integrity Partner of the Global Business Hall of Fame. PwC oversees JA Worldwide’s processes for entry evaluation, manages the committee selection of finalists, and provides a platform for the Voting Jury.

About JA Worldwide
As one of the world’s largest and most-impactful youth-serving NGOs, JA Worldwide delivers hands on, immersive learning in work readiness, financial health, entrepreneurship, sustainability, STEM, economics, citizenship, ethics, and more. Reaching more than 12 million young people each year through nearly half a million teachers and business volunteers, JA Worldwide is one of few organizations with the scale, experience, and passion to build a brighter future for the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders. Visit us at jaworldwide.org.

Contact
Tere Stouffer
Chief Marketing Office
JA Worldwide
+1-212-641-0747
tere.stouffer@jaworldwide.org

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AMAZFIT LANCE LA T-REX 2 : UNE NOUVELLE SMARTWATCH GPS ROBUSTE POUR L’EXTÉRIEUR, CONÇUE POUR AFFRONTER LES GRANDS ESPACES

Doté d’un système de positionnement par 5 satellites à double bande et d’une puissante batterie d’une autonomie de 24 jours[1], ce nouvel accessoire intelligent peut endurer toutes les aventures.

LONDRES, 25 mai 2022 /PRNewswire/ — La marque mondiale de vêtements intelligents Amazfit, appartenant à Zepp Health (NYSE : ZEPP) a créé sa montre la montre la plus robuste et la plus avancée à ce jour avec le lancement de la T-Rex 2. Ayant passé 15 tests de résistance de niveau militaire[2], la nouvelle smartwatch GPS robuste conçue pour l’extérieur peut accompagner les utilisateurs dans des environnements extrêmement difficiles. Combinant la double bande, les 5 satellites et une résistance à l’eau de 10 ATM[3], elle est le compagnon idéal des aventuriers et des sportifs en plein air.

The Amazfit T-Rex 2 is a rugged outdoor GPS smartwatch with dual-band and 5 satellites positioning, and 10 ATM water resistance that can accompany users in extremely challenging environments.

Avec des modes de sport supplémentaires, de nouvelles fonctions de navigation et un suivi complet de la santé, la T-Rex 2 aide les amateurs d’aventure et de fitness en plein air à repousser leurs limites, quels que soient la manière et le lieu de leur exploration.

La T-Rex 2 est la troisième édition de la série Amazfit T-Rex. Les fonctions améliorées de la T-Rex 2 visent à permettre aux aventuriers amateurs de plein air, tels que les surfeurs et les randonneurs, d’enregistrer leurs données de santé personnalisées, quel que soit l’endroit où ils prennent leur dose de fitness.

Ne manquez jamais une aventure

Aucune aventure n’est hors de portée avec la T-Rex 2. Ce nouvel appareil aide les randonneurs, les alpinistes, les coureurs de fond et les aventuriers à explorer des terrains inconnus grâce à ses fonctions de navigation sur la trajectoire de l’itinéraire, de navigation en temps réel et de suivi du voyage[4]. Il utilise également la navigation à retour direct pour indiquer la ligne droite[5] la plus courte pour revenir au point de départ d’un voyage. L’altimètre barométrique et la boussole intégrés sont parfaits pour ceux qui veulent conquérir de nouveaux sommets et découvrir des sentiers inexplorés. Grâce à la nouvelle fonction d’importation d’itinéraires, les utilisateurs peuvent importer des itinéraires présélectionnés et les suivre à l’aide de la montre.

Avec le positionnement à double bande et la prise en charge de cinq systèmes de navigation par satellite, la montre peut réduire plus efficacement les interférences environnementales, et atteindre une vitesse de recherche plus rapide et un positionnement plus précis[6].

Autonomie de la batterie ultra-longue et ajout de modes sportifs permettant d’atteindre de nouvelles profondeurs

Comme pour tous les appareils Amazfit, l’autonomie de la batterie est ultra-longue et suffisamment puissante pour fonctionner pendant 24 jours – ce qui signifie qu’aucune retraite en pleine nature alimentée par l’adrénaline ne devra être écourtée.

La T-Rex 2 propose également plus de 150 modes sportifs – comprenant désormais le triathlon, la chasse, la pêche, le swing de golf et le mode surf[7] – et avec une note de 10 ATM, elle peut résister à une pression d’eau équivalente à une profondeur de 100 m, pour accompagner les porteurs lorsqu’ils surfent ou nagent.

Gestion de la santé 24 heures sur 24 par simple pression d’un bouton

La montre intègre également des fonctions de gestion de la santé 24 heures sur 24[8] grâce à son 6 PD (six photodiodes) BioTracker™ développé par ses soins, afin que les utilisateurs puissent obtenir rapidement et efficacement les données qui comptent. Cela comprend la surveillance de la fréquence cardiaque, de la saturation en oxygène du sang et des niveaux de stress, le tout en même temps, afin d’obtenir une évaluation personnalisée. Grâce à la mesure facile d’un seul coup d’Amazfit[9], les utilisateurs peuvent également mesurer quatre paramètres de santé différents[10] – fréquence cardiaque, saturation en oxygène du sang, niveau de stress et fréquence respiratoire – en seulement 45 secondes.

La ténacité de l’intérieur à l’extérieur

La montre est suffisamment robuste pour être utilisée[11] à des températures aussi basses que -30°C et résister à des températures aussi basses que -40°C et élevées que +70°C, prouvant ainsi qu’elle est un compagnon de confiance même dans des conditions extrêmes. L’Amazfit T-Rex 2 est capable de fonctionner à travers les vagues de chaleur, les forêts tropicales humides et les glaciers polaires.

Un design inspiré de la nature

Les quatre palettes de couleurs conviennent parfaitement aux aventuriers du plein air et réunissent style, texture et durabilité. La clarté de l’écran couleur HD AMOLED de 1,39″, la haute résolution et l’affichage permanent signifient également que le porteur n’aura jamais à arrêter son activité pour suivre ses progrès ou toute information importante. Avec un écran plus grand, il n’a jamais été aussi facile de surveiller vos données pendant vos déplacements.

L’Amazfit T-Rex 2 sera lancé mondialement le 24 mai 2022 (GTM+1) à partir de 229,9 € en Europe. Elle sera disponible en prévente sur les boutiques Amazfit Amazon en Italie et en France le 1 juin 2022, et également dans les points de vente Amazefit d’Italie, de France et d’Allemagne le 1 juin 2022. L’Amazfit T-Rex 2 sera disponible dans d’autres pays au cours du mois de juin 2022.

Pour plus d’informations, rendez-vous sur le site www.amazfit.com/en/

Notes de bas de page :
1, L’autonomie de la batterie peut varier en fonction des réglages, des conditions d’utilisation et d’autres facteurs.
2, Les données pertinentes sur ce sujet proviennent du rapport suivant : H202203154768-01EN. Une exposition prolongée n’est pas recommandée car elle peut endommager la montre et ses composants.
3, Selon la norme ISO 22810:2010, l’Amazfit T-Rex 2 atteint un indice de 10 ATM, soit une étanchéité jusqu’à 100 mètres, et convient donc aux éclaboussures, à la neige, à la douche, à la natation ou à certains sports nautiques à grande vitesse.
4, Ces fonctionnalités seront ajoutées via une mise à jour OTA.
5, La ligne droite indiquée pour revenir au point de départ d’un voyage peut ne pas être un itinéraire pratique à suivre en raison de facteurs environnementaux ; elle est uniquement destinée à vous aider à suivre votre position par rapport au point de départ du voyage. Cette fonctionnalité sera ajoutée via une mise à jour OTA.
6, Les services de positionnement en intérieur ne sont pas pris en charge. La vitesse et la précision de positionnement peuvent être affectées par l’environnement environnant. La montre peut se connecter automatiquement à un maximum de deux systèmes satellites à la fois. Les connexions satellites spécifiques peuvent dépendre de votre emplacement.
7, Le mode sport Surfing sera ajouté via une mise à jour OTA.
8, La surveillance 24 heures sur 24 de la fréquence cardiaque et de la saturation en oxygène du sang (SpO2) doit être activée dans l’application Zepp.
9, Pour procéder à la mesure en un coup et à d’autres mesures métriques manuelles, veuillez porter la montre à une distance d’un doigt du poignet et garder le bras immobile pour de meilleurs résultats. Les mouvements et les caractéristiques environnementales et physiques peuvent influer sur la vitesse et la précision de la surveillance et de la mesure.
10, Ce produit et l’application Zepp ne sont pas des dispositifs médicaux et ne peuvent pas être utilisés à des fins médicales, ou comme base de diagnostic d’un état médical.
11, Le mode basse température doit être installé via une mise à jour OTA. Elle est désactivée par défaut et doit être activée dans les paramètres de la montre.

À propos d’Amazfit

Amazfit, l’une des principales marques mondiales d’accessoires portables intelligents axés sur la santé et la forme physique, fait partie de Zepp Health (NYSE : ZEPP), une entreprise de technologie de la santé. Proposant une large sélection de montres intelligentes et de bracelets, l’essence de la marque Amazfit est « Up Your Game », encourageant les utilisateurs à vivre leurs passions et à exprimer librement leur esprit actif. Amazfit est alimenté par la plateforme de gestion de la santé exclusive de Zepp Health, qui fournit des informations et des conseils exploitables 24 heures sur 24 et 7 jours sur 7 pour aider les utilisateurs à atteindre leurs objectifs de bien-être. Avec un savoir-faire exceptionnel, les montres intelligentes Amazfit ont remporté de nombreux prix de design, dont le prix iF Design Award et le Red Dot Design Award.

Lancé en 2015, Amazfit est aujourd’hui adopté par des millions d’utilisateurs. Ses produits sont disponibles dans plus de 90 pays sur le continent américain et dans les régions EMEA et APAC. Pour en savoir plus sur Amazfit, rendez-vous sur le site www.amazfit.com. Pour en savoir plus sur Zepp Health, rendez-vous sur le site www.zepphealth.com.

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Fire Kills 11 Newborn Babies at Senegal Hospital

Senegal’s President Macky Sall said on Wednesday that 11 newborn babies died in a fire at the neonatal section of a regional hospital in the town of Tivaouane, around 120 kilometers (74.56 miles) east of the capital Dakar.

“I have just learned with pain and consternation the death of 11 newborn babies in the fire that occurred in the neonatology department of the Mame Abdou Aziz Sy Dabakh hospital in Tivaouane,” Sall said in a tweet without giving further details about the fire.

“To their mothers and their families, I express my deepest sympathy,” Sall, who is on a state visit in Angola, added.

Senegal’s health minister, Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr, said on private Senegalese television TFM that “according to preliminary investigation, a short circuit triggered the fire.”

Sarr, who is in Geneva for the World Health Assembly, said he would cut short the trip and return to Senegal immediately.

Demba Diop Sy, the mayor of Tivaouane, one of Senegal’s holy cities and a transport hub, said police and fire service were still at the hospital, but did not provide further details.

Source: Voice of America

US Offers $2M for Kenyans Wanted for Drug, Wildlife Trade

The United States has announced rewards of up to $1 million each for information leading to the arrest of two Kenyans wanted on charges of drug and wildlife trafficking.

Kenyan security agencies are searching for the two fugitives, Badru Abdul Aziz Saleh and Abdi Hussein Ahmed.

Speaking to reporters Thursday in Nairobi, the head of Kenya’s criminal investigation unit, George Kinoti, said the two Kenyan nationals were wanted for drug and wildlife trafficking worth millions of dollars.

“They were involved in transportation, distribution and smuggling of 190 kilograms of rhinoceros horns and 10 tons of elephant ivory from different countries in Africa, including our country, Kenya, and they transported these things to the United States,” Kinoti said. “They were also involved in transportation and distribution of one kilogram of heroin from Kenya to the United States.”

Kinoti said Saleh was arrested in June 2019 and arraigned in a Kenyan court, where he was released on bail. He was last seen in December 2019.

Kinoti made no mention of Ahmed.

Saleh and Ahmed were indicted in the United States in 2019 and the international police organization Interpol issued a red notice against the suspects.

Eric Kneedler, charge d’affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, said in a statement that eradicating drug and wildlife trafficking was a priority of President Joe Biden’s administration and that the U.S. would work with Kenya to stamp out the crimes, which are affecting both countries.

Information on the reward offer can be found on the U.S. Embassy website.

In July 2020, another suspected wildlife trafficker, Abubakar Mansur Mohammed Surur, was arrested and extradited to the U.S. Surur is believed to have been involved in the illegal poaching of at least 35 rhinos and more than 100 elephants.

Source: Voice of America

West and Central Africa: Weekly Regional Humanitarian Snapshot (17-23 May 2022)

CAMEROON

ARMED MEN ABDUCT HEALTH WORKERS NEW DEATH DUE TO EBOLA DISEASE IN THE SOUTH-WEST REGION

On 15 May, non-state armed group (NSAG) members abducted two health workers administering infant vaccinations in Kendem, Manyu division, in the South-West region, and took them to an undisclosed location.

Abductors accused the health workers of executing a government-funded project. There are currently no details regarding their release. Humanitarian organizations are advocating with parties to the conflict to emphasize that health workers and facilities are not a target and should be allowed to conduct their activities safely.

BURKINA FASO

ARMED GROUPS THREATEN INHABITANTS IN BOURZANGA DEPARTMENT AND FORCE THEM TO LEAVE

Since 19 May, inhabitants of Alga, Boulounga, and Sibargo villages, in the Bourzanga department of Bam Province, in the north, have been forced to flee due to threats from nonstate armed groups (NSAGs).The KongoussiDjibo route via Bourzanga has been under blockade by non-state armed groups for several months, and humanitarian actors continue to face challenges in accessing the route to deliver aid, including violence, irregular controls, and diversion of aid. In March, the Bourzanga department received over 30,000 displaced persons. An additional 6,000 people are estimated to have arrived following attacks by NSAGs in Pobe Mengao, in the Soum province of the Sahel region, on 24 April.

DR CONGO

NEW DEATH DUE TO EBOLA DISEASE

On 19 May, a new case of Ebola virus disease (EVD) was confirmed in Wangata health zone in the western province of Equateur . The patient was a 12-year-old boy who passed away despite receiving intensive care. This new case brings the total number of confirmed cases to four, with four deaths and two health zones affected: Mbandaka and Wangata. Aid agencies are drawing on lessons learned from previous epidemics to contain the outbreak and prevent it from spreading beyond the province’s health zones

NIGER

EXPLOSIVE DEVICES KILL TWO CIVILIANS IN ANZAROU DISTRICT

On 13 May, an improvised explosive device (IED) killed two civilians in a village in the Anzourou District ofthe Tillaberi region, in the centre of the country. Non-state armed groups (NSAG) operating along the borders of Mali and Burkina Faso use IEDs, obstructing humanitarian organizations’ access and aid delivery. Since the beginning of the year, more than ten civilians have been killed in IED explosions. Aid organizations continue to seek urgent actions to prevent and protect populations from mine-related risks.

Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Director-General’s opening remarks at the 2022 Global Task Force on Cholera Control Side Event in observance of WHA – 25 May 2022

Excellencies, heads of delegation, dear colleagues and friends,

It’s an honour to join you today.

I thank the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies for hosting this event and the Country Support Platform of the Global Task Force on Cholera Control.

Although cholera was eliminated from the global north more than 150 years ago, it continues to plague the global south.

Cholera is a disease of inequity. Almost exclusively, it affects people in communities without adequate water, sanitation and hygiene, and those who have been displaced.

But thanks to the work of the Global Task Force on Cholera Control, we have some notable successes to celebrate.

Last year, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Nepal, Niger, and Nigeria all responded successfully to cholera outbreaks.

And despite the pandemic, humanitarian crises, and natural disasters, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen and Zambia all conducted preventative campaigns with oral cholera vaccine.

This year, South Sudan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Ethiopia are all planning to re-launch preventative campaigns.

And we are also celebrating three years of zero cholera in Haiti, thanks to the efforts of many partners represented here to strengthen surveillance.

Ethiopia and Kenya have joined the list of countries that have developed national cholera plans, while other countries including DRC, Mozambique and Zambia are either initiating or revising their plans.

Thanks to all of these efforts, cases and deaths have declined in recent years, but preliminary data for 2021 shows a massive increase in the number of cholera-related deaths, with an average case fatality rate of 3%.

Last year was marked by large cholera outbreaks in 20 countries, mostly in West Africa and Asia. Some countries have suffered their worst outbreak in decades.

The trend for 2022 remains very concerning, with at least 14 countries experiencing new cholera outbreaks.

This is why the work of the Global Task Force on Cholera Control is so important.

I thank the task force and all the partners for your steadfast commitment.

The outbreaks I’ve mentioned were largely controlled thanks to your efforts, in support of national authorities.

However, for every outbreak response, we are using up limited supplies of oral cholera vaccine and other commodities.

This is putting unprecedented strain on global resources and health systems in affected countries.

Thanks to the Global Task Force and the strong leadership by cholera-affected countries, we have a path forward.

This path requires action across sectors and using the tools we have well.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for a common approach to a common threat. That is what we need to end cholera.

We are grateful to all the partners of the Task Force, those present today and those elsewhere. Without you, achieving progress in cholera control would be impossible.

We must not slow down; we must redouble our collective efforts.

Let me leave you with three areas of urgent focus, to help stop this preventable killer:

First, I urge all partners and donors to support the development and implementation of national cholera plans technically and financially.

Second, I urge countries and partners to invest in greater access to life-saving tools, to improve surveillance measures, and to fully engage communities in prevention and response efforts.

Third, I urge countries and partners to invest in water, sanitation, and hygiene systems, particularly in health facilities and among underserved communities.

Finally, it gives me great pleasure to announce that His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia has agreed to become a cholera control champion.

We are very grateful to His Excellency the President for his leadership on this important public health issue, and we look forward to hearing from him via video address shortly.

I met him a few weeks ago, and his commitment is amazing. That kind of leadership we need in cholera prevention and control. With the political commitment you will mobilise, I know we will make good progress. As the saying goes, political intervention is surgical intervention.

I thank again His Excellency the President for agreeing to champion.

Thank you all once again for your continued commitment to cholera control. WHO is proud to work with you. Together, we can end cholera.

I thank you.

Source: World Health Organization