The Swiss Re Foundation Entrepreneurs for Resilience Award 2021 for entrepreneurial initiatives (USD 700 000 Prize)

Application Deadline: 8 November 2020 

Click Here to apply: https://bit.ly/3iTkRBo

The Swiss Re Foundation Entrepreneurs for Resilience Award recognises entrepreneurial initiatives that take innovative approaches to building resilient societies and realising the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. While resilience is the core theme of this annual programme, its specific focus changes from year to year.

The 2021 Resilience Award focuses on innovative solutions that increase financial access to healthcare in low-income communities. More specifically, we are looking for innovative, market-based solutions that increase the household resources available for healthcare and/or reduce health shocks that lead to poverty or economic vulnerability following a disease or an accident.

Benefits

Three finalists are invited to pitch their ventures face-to-face to an award jury consisting of senior Swiss Re experts, academic representatives and selected Swiss Re clients. The total prize money of USD 700 000 is divided amongst the winner (which receives up to USD 350 000) and two runners-up.

Covid-19: Angola with 122 new infections

 Angolan health authorities announced Monday 122 new infections, one death and one recovery in the last 24 hours.

The data were released by the Secretary of State for Public Health, Franco Mufinda, who said that 11 cases were reported in Zaire, two in Cuanza Norte, one in Malanje, nine in Cabinda and 99 in Luanda provinces.

Speaking at a daily covid-19 briefing in Luanda, Mufinda said the new cases, whose ages range from 01 to 70 years old, include 80 males and 42 females.
 

The death is a 51-year-old Angolan citizen, residing in Luanda.
 

The recovered patient is also a resident of Luanda.
 

Angola has 6,488 positive cases, 219 deaths, 2,744 recoveries and 3,525 active patients.

Covid-19: Probe into São Tomé case announced

 Angolan Health authorities Monday here announced a probe to find responsibilities in the case in which seven Covid-19 infected patients travelled from Luanda to São Tomé and Príncipe on Wednesday.

The seven are part of a group of 45 people who travelled last week from Luanda to São Tomé and Príncipe, on an Angola Airline (TAAG) humanitarian flight.

In a press release that reached Angop, the Angolan Health Ministry (MINSA) says that in response to the failure to comply with the travel ban on the seven infected persons, the authorities have launched an enquiry to find out responsibilities.

The Health Department further states that in the light of the restriction measures in place in the country to curb the spread of Covid-19, all Angola entries and exits require a negative SARS-CoV-2 test based on the RT-PCR.

This, the note stresses, is a mandatory procedure at Luanda 4 de Fevereiro International Airport.

The note also states that in compliance with existing diplomatic reciprocity procedures between the two countries, MINSA, through its National Health Research Institute, conducted molecular biology test on the passengers, having detected seven positive cases of Covid-19, and conveyed the information to the Embassy of São Tomé and Principe in Luanda.  

A flight ban was then imposed on the seven that were supposed to wait for further specified notice.

Angola’s Covid-19 update shows 6,366 positive cases, 218 deaths, 2,743 recoveries and 3,045 active patients.

Angolan diplomats shocked by Luther Rescova's death

 Angolan diplomats have reacted with shock to the untimely passing of the governor of the northern province, Sérgio Luther Rescova, victim of illness.

In their messages of condolence reached Angop, the ambassadors highlighted the qualities of Rescova, praising his dedication and commitment to development of the country. 

The Angolan ambassador to Portugal, Carlos Alberto Fonseca described the death of Sérgio Luther Rescova an irreparable loss to all Angolans, mainly to the young people.

Carlos Alberto Fonseca wishes that Rescova’s  memory inspire the current and future generations. 

To Jovelina Imperial, ambassador to Namibia, Rescova was a politician, humanist, dynamic and proactive, who dedicated all his life for the cause of the youth contributing with his knowledge to the development of the country and well being of the Angolan society.

Also expressed feeling was the ambassador to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Miguel Costa, who considered Sérgio Luther Rescova a man of the State and one of the best sons of Angola.  

In turn, ambassador to Switzerland, Cecília Rosário said the untimely passing of Sérgio Rescova leaves the Angolan youth more poor and the nation deprived of one of its most selfless and best sons. 

“Luther Rescova will always be remembered by his born qualities. He was  humble, simple, dynamic leaders, mainly committed to the noblest causes of his people and his country”, reads out the message.

Sérgio Luther Rescova Joaquim was born on May 16, 1980, in the municipality of Damba, northern province of Uíge.
 

Master in Legal and Political Sciences and graduated in Law from the Catholic University of Angola, he was a Member of the National Assembly, since September 2017.
 

He also held the position of National Secretary of the ruling party’s youth wing (JMPLA).
 

Between January 2, 2019 and May 26, 2020, he held the position of governor of the Province of Luanda.

Since May 26, 2020, until his death, Rescova held the position of provincial governor of Uíge province.

UK and Kenya to raise $5bn for post-Covid-19 education

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta are due to launch a call to action on Monday to raise $5bn (£3.8bn) for educating the most vulnerable children around the world.

The number of children out of school has risen sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) estimates that up to 1.3 billion learners globally are out of school and experts are warning that many may never return as their countries’ economies contract.

The two leaders will also announce plans to co-host a major education summit in the UK mid next year to rally support for this cause.

Prime Minister Johnson and President Kenyatta will urge world leaders to support their efforts to get more children to school by investing in an initiative dubbed the Global Partnership for Education.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, about a quarter of a billion children were out of school. That number increased six-fold by April of this year because of school closures meant to help slow down the spread of the virus.

The school closures have left children mostly in poor regions even more vulnerable.

Girls are more likely to fall victim to female genital mutilation, early marriage or teen pregnancy, and boys living in conflict zones are at a greater risk of being recruited into armed groups.

Africa ‘needs $1.2tn’ to recover coronavirus losses – IMF

 The economic damage as well as the health costs caused by coronavirus has left Africa needing $1.2tn (£920bn) over the next three years, the International Monetary Fund has said.

IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said the world “must do more to support Africa to [recover]… from this crisis”.

Africa has had fewer Covid infections and deaths than most other continents.

But the World Bank says 43 million more Africans are at risk of extreme poverty as a result of the pandemic.

The economic impact is reversing the trend in recent years of strong growth in Africa, as jobs have been lost and family incomes have been reduced by 12%, Ms Georgieva told a virtual IMF meeting.

The IMF has given African countries about $26bn to cushion the impact but even with the help of private lenders and other countries’ assistance there is still a huge shortfall in funding.

“Some countries are confronting high debt burdens forcing them to choose between debt service and additional social and health spending,” the IMF chief said.

As a means to help, she called for an extension of the moratorium by the G20 of debt repayments and wanted more funds to be available to lend.

There have been more than 1.5 million confirmed coronavirus cases in Africa and nearly 37,000 people have died.