HEALTH

HIV infections and deaths fall as drugs have impact

Greater access to anti-retroviral drugs has helped cut the death toll from HIV by more than 10% over the past five years, latest figures show.  READ MORE

LESOTHO: Mountain clinics bring HIV services to remote villages

Isolated mountain communities hard hit by HIV and AIDS in Lesotho have begun to reap benefits from the overhaul of nine healthcare clinics over the past four years. READ MORE

Researchers, Aid Groups Optimistic About Malaria Fight

With a promising new anti-malaria vaccine in its final stage of testing, researchers around the world are optimistic they are finally making progress toward ending the deadly disease. READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT

Senegalese NGO plants 34 million mangroves

A Senegalese environmental NGO announced on Friday that it had planted 34 million mangrove trees in three months in a project largely financed by French dairy giant Danone to offset its carbon footprint READ MORE

African climate policy centre receives $8.5 million from Sweden

Sweden has signed an agreement with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), committing 60 million Swedish Kronor (about $8.5 million) in support of ECA’s African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC), established in the framework of the Climate Information for Development in Africa (ClimDev-Africa Programme). READ MORE

DEVELOPMENT

All For Africa Executive Director & founder awarded  Africa investor Investment & Business Leaders Award

Africa investor, a leading international investment research and communications group, last night announced the 2009 Investment & Business Leader Awards winners to the global investment community at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, South Africa. READ MORE

All For Africa founding partner, Seacom, receives best Pan African Initiative award.

Seacom, a privately funded submarine fibre optic cable system, has been named Best Pan African Initiative at the AfricaCom Awards 2009 ceremony held in South Africa. READ MORE

Irrigation Helps Zambian Farmers Boost Food Production

There’s strength in numbers, at least for 150 of Chanyanya’s farmers who’ve formed a cooperative. The group has leased part of their land to InfraCo, a company specializing in agricultural infrastructure like trenches and electric pumps to draw water from the nearby Kafue River for irrigation.   READ MORE

MICROFINANCE

Mali’s rural poor boosted with $25.04 million for microfinance

Mali has received a US$25.04 million loan from IFAD to fund an innovative programme to build on the strengths and successes of existing rural microfinance networks to help them expand their reach and ensure their sustainability over time. READ MORE

AGRA partners launch $25m financing programme for smallholder farmers in Uganda

Stanbic Bank Uganda (SBU), the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and Kilimo Trust have announced a partnership that will provide US $25 million in financing for smallholder farmers and various businesses supporting the sector READ MORE