WebinarsNew
Explore Business Standard
Africa
Three persons, who recently returned to Chhattisgarh's Durg district from Ebola virus-affected countries in Africa, have been placed under 21-day home isolation as a precautionary measure, officials said on Thursday. The three travellers, however, show no symptoms of the disease and have no history of contact with Ebola-infected persons, officials said. Durg Collector Abhijeet Singh said one woman arrived in Durg from the Democratic Republic of Congo on May 31, while two others reached Bhilai on June 2 from Ethiopia and Uganda. Of the three travellers, two are Indian nationals and one is a Ugandan citizen, he said. "As none of them have symptoms and there is no history of contact, all three have been placed under home isolation for 21 days. They are currently asymptomatic and in good health," Singh said. Health officials have been monitoring their condition through telephonic follow-up twice a day and collecting information about their health status every morning and evening, he .
India has sent emergency pharmaceutical supplies to support efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in Congo, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday. In a social media post, Ethiopia-headquartered Africa CDC said the consignment, donated by India, was received in Uganda by its Eastern Africa Regional Coordinating Centre. The supplies include essential diagnostics, therapeutics, infection prevention and control materials, and case management support, which will be deployed to affected communities in eastern DR Congo, it said. "Africa CDC welcomes the arrival of emergency pharmaceutical supplies generously donated by the Government and people of India to support the ongoing response to the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the DRC," the continental public health agency said. It thanked India for its "continued support and commitment to protecting lives and advancing health security across the continent". The Bundibugyo strain is one of the six known species
Every time Vanny Birungi, a volunteer with the Red Cross in eastern Congo, goes out to raise awareness about the latest Ebola outbreak as suspected cases near 1,000, she faces a double threat. One is the rare Bundibugyo type of Ebola, with no vaccine or treatment. The other is the anger and suspicion of residents who have pelted her with stones and verbal abuse in Bunia, a city at the heart of the outbreak. "We continue to tell them that the disease is out there. Some accept, and others don't," Birungi told The Associated Press on Monday as she and colleagues spoke with groups of people in a working-class neighborhood under the scorching sun. Aid workers are especially at risk in this volatile region where residents, like Birungi, have long been under threat of armed groups that have killed thousands of people and displaced many more in recent years. Trust is hard to find among the traumatised population that is wary of outsiders, even those trying desperately to contain the rapidl
The Indian government has advised citizens to avoid non-essential travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda and South Sudan in view of the Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain in parts of Africa. The advisory comes after the World Health Organisation (WHO) on May 17 declared the situation a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (IHR), 2005. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has also designated the outbreak affecting the DRC and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security. According to the advisory issued by the Indian government on Saturday, the WHO's IHR Emergency Committee on May 22 issued temporary recommendations to strengthen disease surveillance at points of entry to "detect, assess, report and manage travellers with unexplained febrile illness arriving from areas with documented Bundibugyo virus detection" while discouraging travel to the
India is set to unveil an ambitious roadmap to further solidify its ties with the African continent at a crucial summit on May 31 that will primarily focus on ramping up cooperation in an array of sectors in the face of increasing geopolitical upheavals. Top leaders of a sizeable number of African nations are expected to attend the fourth India Africa Forum Summit to be held in New Delhi, officials said on Saturday. The summit will primarily focus on boosting cooperation in areas of economy and trade, agriculture, health, education, climate action, defence, space technology, energy, critical minerals and high-technologies among others, they said. "We are looking at enhancing our economic partnership in a big way," said one of the officials while emphasising that the aim will be to transform the relationship into a forward-looking partnership under a robust developmental framework. A declaration will be unveiled at the end of the summit that will outline the broad agenda of ...
Kalpataru Projects International Ltd (KPIL) on Thursday said the company with its subsidiaries, have secured orders worth about Rs 4,439 crores in the Transmission and Distribution (T&D) business. These include order of 400kV transmission line and associated substations in Africa: orders for transmission line projects in India and order for substation project in Sweden, a company statement said. According to the statement, KPIL, one of the leading EPC players in the power transmission and distribution (T&D) and civil infrastructure sector, along with its subsidiaries, have secured notification of awards/comfort letters/confirmation of consummation of contract of about Rs 4,439 crore in the transmission and distribution (T&D) business. Manish Mohnot, MD & CEO, KPIL, said in the statement, "The T&D business allows us to leverage our market-leading position and integrated capabilities to deliver world-class EPC solutions. With these wins, we have surpassed our annual .
Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds and state-backed companies are unlikely to scale back renewable energy investments in Africa despite disruptions from the Iran war, analysts say, given the strong long-term economic and strategic reasons driving such funding. Investors made wealthy by the Gulf region's abundant oil and gas increasingly are turning to Africa's clean energy sector, attracted by rising electricity demand, rapid urbanization and the continent's growing role in global supply chains tied to critical minerals and manufacturing. A report released last month by the Clean Air Task Force found that more than $101.9 billion had flowed into Africa's renewable energy sector from Gulf countries by end of 2024, led by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. Much of the investment has been concentrated in North Africa, Southern Africa and parts of East Africa, while West Africa has attracted relatively limited funding. "Africa remains one of the few ..
Seif al-Islam Gadhafi, the son and one-time heir apparent of Libya's late dictator Moammar Gadhafi, was killed in the northern African country, Libyan officials said Tuesday. The 53-year-old was killed in the town Zintan, 136 kilometers (85 miles) southwest of the capital, Tripoli, according to Libyan's chief prosecutor's office. The office said in a statement that an initial investigation found that Seif al-Islam was shot to death, but did not provide further details about the circumstances of his killing. Khaled al-Zaidi, a lawyer for Seif al-Islam, confirmed his death on Facebook, without providing details. Abdullah Othman Abdurrahim, who represented Gadhafi in the U.N.-brokered political dialogue which aimed to resolve Libya's long-running conflict, also announced the death on Facebook. Seif al-Islam's political team later released a statement saying that "four masked men" stormed his house and killed him in a "cowardly and treacherous assassination." The statement said that h
Indian companies are increasing their presence in Abu Dhabi, which has enabled them to access key markets across the middle east Africa and beyond, Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, said on Thursday. Speaking at the CII-ADF Summit here, Al Zaabi, who is also chairman of Abu Dhabi's International Financial Centre and free economic zone ADGM (Abu Dhabi Global Market), said the emirate believes in partnerships and not transactional relationships. "India has always been an important part of our growth. That role tells a powerful story of confidence in Abu Dhabi's vision. Indian companies are increasing their presence in Abu Dhabi with an annual compounded growth rate (CAGR) of 38.4 per cent between 2019 and 2024. And they are more enabled than ever before to access key markets across Middle East Africa and beyond," he said. Describing India as a nation whose energy, talent and ambition inspire the whole world, he said, "The geographic .
President Droupadi Murmu arrived in Botswana on Tuesday on the final leg of her two-nation visit to Africa, aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and finalising an agreement on the translocation of eight Kalahari desert cheetahs to India. Murmu, who took off from Angola's capital Luanda early in the day, arrived at the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport in Botswana's capital Gaborone, and was received by President Duma Gideon Boko. She was accorded a 21-gun salute and a guard of honour at the tarmac. The two heads of state later witnessed a performance by the traditional dance troupe at the airport. This is the first-ever visit of an Indian President to Botswana, like Angola. Murmu is on a six-day state visit to the two countries. During her three days in the landlocked southern African country, Murmu will hold delegation-level talks with President Boko, and senior officials from both sides will exchange some Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) aimed at enhancing bilateral ...