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Africa Health Excon: Positioning Africa as the continental hub for health innovation and trade

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Merck

Merck is actively bringing technical and process expertise with various key African countries and customers to build local manufacturing capabilities

CAIRO, Egypt, June 6, 2022/APO Group/ — 

The Merck (MerckGroup.com) Africa Bureau aims to accelerate the business transformation of the company operations in Africa to ensure sustainable business and create long-term value. Merck has unveiled plans to expand its footprint in Africa through a four-tiered program of awareness, diagnosis, training of healthcare professionals, and treatment access. Merck announced the brand-new Thyroid awareness program: ThyroAfrica to spread disease awareness. Africa Cancer Care program will be launched to enhance colorectal cancer diagnosis across Africa. Merck continues its work in the fight against Malaria and the neglected tropical disease (NTD) schistosomiasis. Merck is actively bringing technical and process expertise with various key African countries and customers to build local manufacturing capabilities.

Merck, a leading science and technology company, announced today its further commitment to Africa, by strategically expanding its access and awareness programs and strengthening the health systems and patients in low- and middle-income countries across the continent. The announcement came today during the Africa Health ExCon from 5th to 7th of June 2022 in Cairo, Egypt.

In this three-day event, stakeholders across Africa are meeting to learn from the worldwide leaders and experts in healthcare, as well as to share and exchange knowledge and experiences with more than 20,000 participants from more than 55 countries. The key objectives of Africa Health ExCon are refocusing on Africa’s investment potential, ensuring equitable access of health technology, the thriving of the health and pharma businesses, and incubating health innovation and trade in Africa.

”Our aspiration is to be one of the leading healthcare partners in sub-Saharan Africa and to work with NGOs and governments to build and strengthen sustainable health systems within it,” said Dr. Karim Bendhaou, Head of Merck Africa Bureau. “The Merck Africa Bureau aims to accelerate the business transformation of our operations in Africa to ensure sustainable business and create long-term value while seeking to balance environmental, social, and governance aspects. Through the four pillars of Private Public Partnership model, we work hand in hand with our stakeholders through various programs to fight counterfeit medicines, to invest in the technology transfer, to support supply chain sustainability and localization, and to decrease fragmentation of the market.’’

During the ExCon, Merck has unveiled plans to expand its footprint in Africa through a four-tiered program of awareness, diagnosis, training of healthcare professionals and treatment access. The company announced their brand-new Thyroid awareness program and upcoming launch of the Africa Cancer Care program in addition to enhancing ongoing initiatives.

Thyroid disease awareness is relatively very low in Africa. The ThyroAfrica program’s objective is to establish a collaborative partnership with the endocrinology & thyroid disease societies in Africa. This aims to increase disease awareness via communication channels for mass reach of around 7 million people and to offer the proper link for TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) test.

Merck has unveiled plans to expand its footprint in Africa through a four-tiered program of awareness, diagnosis, training of healthcare professionals, and treatment access

Africa Cancer Care program will be launched by the end of June to enhance colorectal cancer diagnosis across Africa by creating hubs of RAS testing in African countries such as Kenya and Nigeria. The RAS (RAT Sarcoma) test is a gene mutation analysis in colorectal cancer. As a predictive biomarker for the disease, it helps to guide treatment and determine outcomes. This would help to counteract the rising demand for specialist care especially with the existing healthcare facilities that require the scaling of resources. This has led to the rise in medical tourism across the continent, as individuals seek specialised care elsewhere. This is in addition to enhancing access to medication and providing HCP capacity-building programs through high quality trainings to oncologists, pathologists, nurses to support diagnosis and treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer in Africa.

“We will remain fully committed to increase access to innovative medicines across Africa and on ground awareness campaigns in a favour of underserved populations in low- and middle-income countries in Africa through our investments and our innovations in science & technology, together with our external partners,” said Ramsey Morad, Regional Vice-President, Head Middle East, Africa, Turkey & Russia/CIS at Merck Healthcare. “Beyond developing novel treatments, we must address the gaps in awareness, accessibility, affordability and availability of treatment.’’

After having signed a Memorandum of Understanding, Merck and the African Federation for Fertility Societies (AFFS) have been jointly working on an agenda to further develop educational training programs for healthcare professionals, aimed at improving access to high-quality infertility care for patients in Africa. By combining their forces, AFFS has sought support from Merck in order to develop a regional patient awareness campaign to be launched later this year. Additionally, they are hosting a multi-national advisory board to gain insights on educational gaps for healthcare professionals in AFFS member societies in African countries.

Professor Gamal Serour, President of African Federation of Fertility Societies stated that “AFFS welcomes and appreciates collaboration with Merck for the implementation of high-quality care across Africa”.

Merck also continues its work in the fight towards the elimination of the neglected tropical disease (NTD) schistosomiasis towards its elimination as a public health burden. In partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), we provide up to 250 million tablets of praziquantel per year to treat mainly school-aged children in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).  Since 2007, Merck has donated over 1.5 billion tablets and enabled the treatment of more than 600 million school-aged children in 47 countries in SSA. To support the elimination of schistosomiasis, Merck have adopted an integrated approach which, beyond medicines, includes health education as well as water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) initiatives. We also conduct research for new drugs and diagnostics and develop, together with a consortium of partners, a potential new paediatric treatment option for children as of 6 years of age and below.

Since 2015, Merck has also been very active in the fight against malaria through a holistic approach to prevent, control, and eliminate the disease. Examples include our M5717 drug development program as well as the creation of the Pan African Vivax and Ovale Network (PAVON) in over 10 countries, which has led to important policy changes regarding malaria in Botswana.

During the ExCon, Merck aims to strengthen our existing cooperation with the Pharma industry and Medicine & Quality Regulators across the continent in addition to highlighting strategic projects in Africa carried out by Merck’s Life Science business sector. These efforts bring our expertise in touch with various key African countries and research institutes to enable distributed manufacturing of much-needed vaccines, biological drugs, and therapies in African countries. “Our goal at Merck is to support capacity-building of biologics manufacturing and development in Africa,” said Youssef Gaabouri, Head of Sales Middle East & Africa at Merck Life Science BioProcessing. Furthermore, Merck provides expertise to Regulatory Agencies and shares knowledge regarding the use of quality products for audit purposes. In line with the Merck’s commitment to sustainable access to health solutions in low- and middle-income countries, we implement and enhance health access programs through our shared value initiatives, global health partnerships, and access to medicine strategy.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Merck.

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Africa’s Grid Constraints Come into Focus as Regional Markets Push Toward Integration

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3 days ago

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June 26, 2026

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Africa

Regional power pools are advancing and renewable pipelines are growing, but the regulatory and financial architecture needed to connect them remains the continent’s most critical infrastructure gap – an issue central to the Power Africa Today conference at AEW 2026

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, June 25, 2026/APO Group/ –Africa’s electricity demand is projected to nearly double to 2,291 TWh by 2050, requiring an estimated $30 billion in transmission and grid infrastructure investment to unlock and integrate new generation capacity. Yet across the continent, grid systems are struggling to keep pace with rapidly expanding supply pipelines and rising demand.

In Nigeria, repeated nationwide grid collapses as recently as February 2026 underscore the fragility of aging transmission infrastructure. In East Africa, tower failures along the 428 km Loiyangalani-Suswa line temporarily stranded output from Lake Turkana Wind Power – Africa’s largest wind installation. Meanwhile, demand growth pressures are accelerating across North Africa, where electricity consumption is expected to rise by around 50% by 2035, driven by urbanization, desalination projects, and climate-related temperature increases.

Despite these constraints, generation investment continues to accelerate across Africa, particularly in renewables, gas-to-power and hybrid systems. However, without equivalent investment in transmission and interconnection, much of this new capacity risks being underutilized or stranded. This growing imbalance between generation and grid capacity is driving a sharper focus on system-wide planning and regional market design – issues that will be central to the newly launched Power Africa Today conference at African Energy Week 2026. The platform will bring together policymakers, utilities, investors and developers to explore how regional interconnection, cross-border trading frameworks and financing structures can better align generation growth with grid expansion.

Power Markets Experiment with Reform

Alongside infrastructure challenges, Africa’s electricity sector is undergoing gradual – but uneven – market reform. Most countries still operate vertically integrated systems dominated by state utilities, but a growing number are introducing competitive frameworks to attract private capital and improve efficiency.

Zimbabwe opened its electricity market to full private participation across generation, transmission and distribution in 2025, targeting $9 billion in new investment. South Africa is advancing one of the continent’s most ambitious grid expansion programs, with plans for 14,500 km of new transmission lines and 133,000 MVA of transformer capacity by 2034, alongside mechanisms designed to crowd in private financing. Kenya, meanwhile, has introduced open access regulations enabling independent power producers to wheel electricity directly to multiple off-takers, reshaping how generation assets interface with the grid.

Interconnected electricity markets are the foundation of Africa’s industrial future

Regional Integration Remains Fragmented

Efforts to connect Africa’s fragmented power systems are progressing, though at different speeds across regions. In Southern Africa, the World Bank’s RETRADE SAPP program, approved in 2025, is deploying $12 million to strengthen renewable integration and transmission capacity across 12 member states. In East Africa, the Ethiopia–Kenya–Tanzania Electricity Highway is now in trial operations at up to 2,000 MW, marking a significant step toward a more interconnected regional grid.

West Africa is also moving toward deeper integration, with permanent synchronization of the West Africa Power Pool expected in 2026. Analysts, including the African Finance Corporation, argue that such synchronization is critical to unlocking large-scale hydropower potential and industrial demand across the region. Longer term, full synchronization between the Eastern and Southern African power pools – targeted for the end of 2026 – could create one of the world’s largest cross-border electricity trading corridors.

Building Bankable Financial Architectures

While interconnection is advancing, infrastructure alone is not enough to create investable electricity markets. Investors consistently cite the lack of standardized offtake structures, creditworthy counterparties, and cross-border payment guarantees as key barriers to scaling capital deployment.

New models are emerging to address these constraints. Africa GreenCo, operating across Zambia, Namibia and South Africa, is helping to aggregate independent power producers under a single creditworthy intermediary, standardizing power purchase agreements and reducing counterparty risk. At a broader level, AUDA-NEPAD estimates that Africa requires around $30 billion in additional investment to complete priority transmission corridors and establish three fully interconnected regional trading blocs by 2030.

“Interconnected electricity markets are the foundation of Africa’s industrial future,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “The question at Africa Energy Week is not whether integration is possible – the evidence is already there. The question is which regulatory frameworks and financial structures will get projects to financial close, and which markets will be ready when capital is looking to move.”

The Power Africa Today conference will run alongside AEW 2026, taking place October 12–16 in Cape Town, and will focus on the regulatory, financial and infrastructural architecture needed to build interconnected electricity markets capable of attracting institutional capital and delivering reliable, cross-border power at scale.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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Business

African Development Bank Group and La Francophonie Sign Partnership Agreement to Promote Youth Employment in Francophone Africa

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June 26, 2026

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The agreement was signed during a meeting between the Secretary General of La Francophonie, Louise Mushikiwabo, and African Development Bank Group President, Dr Sidi Ould Tah in Paris, France

PARIS, France, June 25, 2026/APO Group/ –The African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) and The International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) on Wednesday entered a strategic partnership to strengthen digital skills, employability, and entrepreneurship of young people and women in five African countries: Benin, Cameroon, Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Madagascar.

 

The agreement was signed during a meeting between the Secretary General of La Francophonie, Louise Mushikiwabo, and African Development Bank Group President, Dr Sidi Ould Tah in Paris, France. The agreement will address a major challenge faced by countries in the Francophone world and across Africa: providing young people with access to opportunities offered by the digital economy and fostering the emergence of a new generation of entrepreneurs.

The partnership calls for the implementation of training programs in digital professions and entrepreneurship, in fields such as web and mobile development, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and data analysis. Participants will also receive guidance toward employment and self-employment, as well as support for innovation and business creation, notably through training camps, prototyping activities, and partnerships with incubators and accelerators.

The African Development Bank Group and OIF will also work with national authorities in these five countries and training institutions to sustainably strengthen local capacities and promote ownership of the programs by national stakeholders. An initial pilot phase, lasting 12 to 24 months, will be rolled out in the five partner countries, followed by a gradual expansion to other member states depending on the results achieved.

The African Development Bank Group is pursuing a bold agenda based on “Four Cardinal Points” developed by Dr Ould Tah, the third of which is ‘Turning Demographics into a Dividend.’ This is about strategically converting Africa’s rapidly growing and youthful population into a decisive engine of inclusive growth, productivity, and innovation through large-scale investment in human capital—particularly youth and women.

 

It sees Africa’s growing young population not as a risk, but as a major asset. With the right policies and investments, this potential can create jobs, help small businesses grow, bring more informal businesses into the formal economy, and equip young people with the skills needed for the future. By investing more in education, science and technology, vocational training, entrepreneurship, finance, and digital tools, Africa can help its people drive economic transformation, stay competitive, and build lasting, resilient growth.

The OIF said the agreement marked the first concrete step in its initiative to mobilize innovative and additional funding for its most impactful projects.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

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Paddles up! Hong Kong marks 50 Years of international dragon boat thrills

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June 26, 2026

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Hong Kong

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 25 June 2026 – With top teams from around the world gearing up for the hotly contested Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races this weekend (June 27-28), participants and spectators can expect a bumper programme of action, fun and entertainment along the Victoria Harbour waterfront in Tsim Sha Tsui – one of the city’s most vibrant districts known for its iconic skyline views and tourist attractions.

There is much to celebrate. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races as well as 35th anniversary of both the co-organiser, Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association, and the sanctioning body, International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF). The IDBF added to the occasion by announcing earlier this year the relocation of its headquarters back to Hong Kong.

Riding on the wave of excitement, the organiser, Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), extended the annual Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Festival period to 13 days (June 19 – July 1), beginning on the historic Tuen Ng Festival (Dragon Boat Festival) and concluding on July 1, which is the 29th anniversary of the Establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

As the headline international flagship event of “Hong Kong Summer Fun”, Dr Peter Lam, Chairman of the HKTB, said the Festival not only ran over a longer period, but also featured a stronger race line-up and more vibrant entertainment programmes than in previous years, offering an experience found only in Hong Kong for locals and visitors, while showcasing Hong Kong’s position as the Events Capital of Asia.

More than 220 teams from 16 countries and regions will compete for top honours in the world‑renowned setting of Victoria Harbour. This year’s event also introduces the special 50th Anniversary Fishermen Invitational Cup and the 50th Anniversary Championship, paying tribute to the traditional spirit of dragon boat racing.

Visitors will be able to enjoy a series of thematic activities along the Avenue of Stars, including a 22-metre traditional wooden dragon boat, a dragon boat-themed installation in collaboration with the new film Minions & Monsters, live music performances and a line-up of intangible cultural heritage performances, including martial art Wing Chun, Chinese juggling diabolo, traditional musical instruments ruan and guzheng.

Highlighting Hong Kong’s reputation as the birthplace of modern international dragon boat racing, as well as its strengths as a global hub city, the IDBF has taken a significant step in its long‑term global strategy with the formal incorporation of International Dragon Boat Federation Limited in Hong Kong on 29 April 2026.

“Incorporation in Hong Kong is not a conclusion, but a beginning. It anchors our Federation in the city where our international story started and strengthens our ability to serve our members and the global dragon boat family,” said Claudio Schermi, President of the IDBF.

As part of this new chapter, the IDBF has applied for funding under “the Pilot Scheme to Strengthen the Presence of Hong Kong in Asian and International Sports Associations”, which was recently introduced by the HKSAR Government’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau. The Pilot Scheme is an initiative designed to support Asian and international sports associations establishing their headquarters or regional headquarters in the city.

The Dragon Boat Festival has a long and colourful history dating back more than two thousand years. Held each year on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the day commemorates the patriotic poet Qu Yuan.

According to legend, Qu committed suicide for his beliefs by throwing himself into the Luo River. The villagers nearby raced out on their dragon boats, banging gongs and drums to scare away fish and other underwater creatures to stop them from eating Qu’s body. The tradition continues to this day, with dragon boat competitions taking place at locations across Hong Kong, each reflecting the unique characteristics of its neighbourhood.

Traditional dragon boat treats feature prominently during the festival, notably zongzi. These glutinous rice dumplings, traditionally wrapped in bamboo leaves and steamed or boiled, are widely available during the festive period.

 

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