The Organization of African Union (OAU) established Africa Environment Day in 2002, to be celebrated on March 3, as a way of raising awareness on the pressing environmental challenges facing the continent.
In January 2012, the African Union (AU) adopted a decision calling for the joint commemoration of African Environment Day and Wangari Maathai Day on 3rd March, in recognition of the work and life of the late Professor Wangari Maathai, who dedicated her life to promoting environmental conservation and sustainable development in Africa.
Prof Wangari Maathai was a Kenyan environmental and human rights activist and, notably, a woman of many firsts.
Among her key achievements, was the award of a Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 ‘for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace’, making her the first black and African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Through the Green Belt Movement, she mobilized thousands of women and men to plant tens of millions of trees throughout Kenya.
She led the fight to protect water catchment areas, advocating for the planting of trees; environmental conservation, and women’s rights in Kenya.
Today, the African continent continues to endure serious environmental challenges, including climate change, biodiversity depletion, desertification, land degradation and unsustainable use of finite natural resources.
These remain a serious risk for Africa as they pose real impediments to sustainable development.
The annual celebration of Africa Environment Day/ Wangari Maathai Day is important in that it contributes to raising awareness of pressing environmental challenges for Africa.
It also highlights the importance of environmental sustainability in achieving the continent’s development goals, and the centrality of the continent in these discussions.
The Africa Environment and Wangari Maathai Day showcase good practices in environmental management.
This year’s celebration of Africa Environment and Wangari Maathai Day has additional significance as indicated by the theme: ‘Circularity as a Solution to tackling Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss and Pollution’
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Monrovia — The Rwanda Minister of State responsible for Health, Dr. Yvan Butera, cautioned that while the country is beginning to see positive signals in its fight against the Marburg virus, the outbreak is “not yet over”. He, however, expressed hope that “we are headed in that direction”. The minister said the epidemiology trend, since the disease was first discovered in the country more than a month ago, is moving towards fewer cases.
Dr. Butera, who was giving updates during an online briefing yesterday, said in the past two weeks, only two deaths were recorded while 14 people recovered from the disease. He said Rwanda was expanding its testing capacity with 16,000 people already inoculated against the disease.
The priority right now, Butera said, is “rapid testing and detection”.
Marburg is a highly virulent disease transmitted through human-to-human contact or contact with an infected animal. The fatality rate of cases, which has varied over the period, is more than 50%, according to the World Health Organization. WHO said the highest number of new confirmed cases in Rwanda were reported in the first two weeks of the outbreak. There’s been a “sharp decline” in the last few weeks, with the country now tackling over 60 cases.
At Thursday’s briefing, a senior official of the Africa Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Ngashi Ngongo, said mpox – the other infectious disease outbreak that countries in the region are fighting – was been reported in 19 countries, with Mauritius being the latest country to confirm a case. He said although no new cases have been recorded in recent weeks in several countries where outbreaks occurred previously – including Cameroon, South Africa, Guinea, and Gabon – Uganda confirmed its first Mpox death. This, he said, is one of two fatalities reported outside Central Africa.
Dr. Ngashi revealed that there was an increase in cases in Liberia and Uganda. He said mpox cases were still on an upward trend.
“The situation is not yet under control.”
Source: allafrica.com
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