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Add to Preferred SourcesEbola could be curable, new drug tests showed, more than half a million Rohingya refugees have received identity cards and a new report on climate action around the world was published. Here is what you missed from last week’s headlines in the international development sector:
Main story: Ebola drug trial turned successful as Burundi kicked off vaccination campaign
The co-sponsors of the Ebola therapeutics trial in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have announced advances that will bring patients a better chance of survival. Two out of the four drugs being tested proved to be more effective in treating Ebola, which will turn out to be the only drugs that future patients will be treated with.
This WHO initiative is the first-ever multi-drug randomized control trial aimed at evaluating the safety and efficacy of four drugs used for the treatment of Ebola patients. Initially developed as a multi-outbreak, multi-country study, the initiative was launched in November 2018 as part of the emergency response in DRC, in collaboration with a broad alliance of partners.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Health and AIDS Control of Burundi kicked off a vaccination campaign for frontline staff against the Ebola virus disease. The campaign started at the Gatumba entry point at the Border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Ebola vaccination campaign is part of Burundi’s preparation for a possible case of Ebola.
Burundi has received doses of the Ebola vaccine to provide protection against the Zairian strain of the virus, which is currently affecting the DRC. Although this vaccine is not yet approved and its commercial use is not yet authorized, it has been shown to be effective and safe during Ebola outbreaks in West Africa. Further scientific research is required before the vaccine can be licensed.
“The vaccination of health and front-line staff is a significant step forward in preparing for the response to this disease,” said Dr. Kazadi Mulombo, WHO Representative in Burundi. “The vaccine proved highly protective against Ebola in a trial conducted in Guinea in 2015. Pending consideration by the relevant regulatory authorities, the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization recommended that the vaccine be used as part of a protocol on expanded access and compassionate use during Ebola outbreaks related to the Zaire strain, such as the current one in the DRC. In Burundi, we will use it for prevention purposes.”
No cases of Ebola have been reported in Burundi.
Here’s what else has happened
Rohingya refugees: More than 500,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar have been registered in a joint registration exercise by the Bangladesh authorities and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. The biometric, fraud-proof cards were being issued to all verified refugees over the age of 12, to ensure the accuracy of data on refugees in Bangladesh, giving national authorities and humanitarian partners a better understanding of the population and their needs.
Mali: There has been a sharp increase in grave violations committed against children in 2019 in Mali, particularly in killing and maiming, UNICEF and child protection partners warned. Over 377,000 children are estimated to be currently in need of protection assistance, as UNICEF is requesting US$4 million to meet its child protection needs in the country.
Mozambique: UNDP and the Government of Mozambique signed an agreement for UNDP Recovery Facility that will help fast track recovery and build resilience following the devastation unleashed by Cyclones Idai and Kenneth. The programme is an agile mechanism to implement short-to-long term recovery activities that will contribute to addressing the root causes of vulnerability and build resilience to future disasters.
Venezuelans: The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) launched a new Response Plan (HRP) that aims to help around 2.6 million people in Venezuela through to the end of the year. The HRP includes 1.2 million girls and boys, in the areas of health, water, sanitation and hygiene, food security, nutrition, protection, shelter and non-food items and education.
Reports
Climate action and support trends 2019
The report “Climate Action and Support Trends” was prepared as UN Climate Change input to the UN Climate Summit and it puts a spotlight on the progress made over the past 25 years since the inception of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
It outlines climate-related impacts and hazards, but also the measures countries are deploying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to build resilience to climate change.
Climate action and support trends 2019 shows that countries are stepping up institutional arrangements for planning, funding, implementing, monitoring and evaluating climate action, and that the portfolio of actions to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change is expanding. However, despite clear progress in some areas, efforts by countries to achieve their national climate action plans are currently not sufficient to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.
“The next two years offer a crucial window of opportunity for all nations – as well as non-State actors – to capitalize on our current framework, build on our existing momentum and make the changes we desperately need. The good news is that much of this work has already begun. There is a solid basis on which to build ambition, and there is a clear sense of urgency to address the existential threat of climate change. But the pace of action remains too slow and must be accelerated, ” said UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa.
Events
9th Green Standards Week
Valencia, Spain
1-4 October 2019
The theme of the 9th Green Standards Week is ‘Connecting Smart Sustainable Cities with the Sustainable Development Goals’. The event aims to identify the standardization requirements that would accelerate the deployment of ICTs and frontier technologies and to raise awareness on the importance and opportunities that they bring in engineering innovative climate solutions, expediting the transition to smart sustainable cities and unlocking the potential of circular economy.
8th International Airborne Wind Energy Conference
Glasgow, UK
15-16 October 2019
Airborne Wind Energy (AWE) is an emerging renewable energy technology that aims to replace the use of fossil fuels for energy production on an economical basis.
A characteristic feature of the various AWE concepts is the use of tethered flying devices to access wind energy at higher altitudes where the wind is more consistent. Over the past decade, the AWE scientific and industrial community has grown considerably. The largest AWE demonstrator system to date is a 600kW system; many other demonstrator systems exist in the electricity output range up to 80 kW.
Seventh Asia-Pacific Urban Forum
Penang, Malaysia
15-17 October 2019
In 2019 the 7th Asia-Pacific Urban Forum (APUF‐7) provides a unique platform to discuss and analyze the status, challenges and opportunities of the implementation of the New Urban Agenda, the Paris Agreement, Sendai Framework, Addis Ababa Action Framework and the 2030 Agenda in the region. APUF-7 will serve as the venue to launch The Future of Asia-Pacific Cities Report 2019, as well.
International Renewable Energy Conference (IREC)
Seoul, Republic of Korea
23-26 October 2019
IREC 2019 invites leaders from across society to meet and discuss policies and experiences. The focus is on building collective know-how to advance renewables at the international, national and sub-national levels. Over the course of the conference, issues relevant to the host country and region are discussed, from the international, national and local perspectives.
MENAPAR 2019
Ifrane, Morocco
28-31 October 2019
MENAPAR 2019 is the annual conference of the Middle East & North Africa Public Administration Research network (MENAPAR). This year’s theme will contribute to knowledge building in “Public Administration Research and South-South Cooperation for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in the Arab Region.”