News
‘Africa’s COVID-19 cases nearly 290,000 as death toll reaches 7,693’
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across the African continent reached 286,141 as of Saturday afternoon, the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.
The Africa CDC in its latest situation update said that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across Africa rose from 275,323 on Friday afternoon to 286,141 as of Saturday afternoon.
The continental disease control and prevention agency also disclosed that the death toll from the pandemic also rose from 7,395 on Friday to 7,693 as of Saturday afternoon.
The Africa CDC, which noted that the virus had spread into 54 African countries, said that some 132,412 people who were infected with COVID-19 had recovered across the continent as of the stated period.
Amid the rapid spread of COVID-19 across the African continent, the highly affected African countries include South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana, as well as Algeria, it was noted.
When population is taken into consideration, Djibouti, Sao Tome and Principe, Gabon, Cape Verde and Equatorial Guinea, are reporting the most cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population within the continent, according to the Africa CDC.
The Africa CDC also said that the Southern Africa region is now the most affected area across the continent in terms of positive COVID-19 cases, overtaking the Northern Africa region. Western Africa region is the third-most affected area in terms of the number of COVID-19 cases.
According to figures from the Africa CDC, during the past week, some 55,612 new COVID-19 cases have been reported across the continent, which the Africa CDC said has registered a 27 per cent increase in new COVID-19 cases compared to what was reported in the previous week.
Five countries account for 63 per cent of the new COVID-19 cases reported over the past week that are South Africa with 34 per cent, Egypt with 16 per cent, Nigeria with six per cent, Ghana with four per cent, and Cameroon with three per cent, it said.
Earlier this week, the Africa CDC revealed that some 43 African countries are under full border closure due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), according to the Africa CDC. -Xinhua
In addition to the 43 countries under full border closure, night-time curfew has been activated across 35 countries in an effort to halt the spread of the infectious virus. -Xinhua
News
Ghana-Colombia strengthens ties through diplomatic engagement
In an important diplomatic engagement, the Colombian Ambassador to Ghana H.E. Daniel Garces Carabali paid a courtesy call on the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, at his office in Accra to discuss some key areas of collaboration.
The meeting focused on pressing issues, including security, decongestion of Ghana’s prisons, prison reform programmes, training programmes, improving the welfare of prisoners and enhancing disaster management in the country.
The courtesy call underscores the growing bilateral ties between Ghana and Colombia, building on previous engagements, such as the visit of the Colombian Vice President to Ghana in 2023.
The meeting demonstrates the commitment of both nations to fostering cooperation and addressing shared challenges.
News
Ghana to host African Catholic Journalists from August 10
The Union Catholique Africaine de la Presse (UCAP), also known as the African Catholic Union of the Press, in collaboration with the Catholic Association of Media Practitioners-Ghana (CAMP-G), is set to host its prestigious Triennial Congress from August 10 to 17 August, 2025.
The programme would be held at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Legon, Accra, Ghana.
This landmark event, the most significant gathering of Catholic journalists in Africa, will bring together media professionals, researchers, and experts in digital technology from across the continent and beyond.
The theme for the Congress is: “Balancing Technological Progress and the Preservation of Human Values in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.”
Congress Highlights
The UCAP Congress 2025 will feature discussions and deliberations on critical issues arising from or related to integral human development, particularly within the framework of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Some of the key sub-themes to be addressed include:Corporate Social Responsibility in Managing the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Human Values, Deploying AI in Eco-friendly Business Start-ups in Africa: Opportunities and Challenges, Technology and the Reprogramming of Social Reality, Distortion of Reality in Social and Digital Media, Ecological Education and Action Against Unsustainable Exploitation of Natural Resources, and Media and the Promotion of the Recommendations of the Synod on Synodality in Africa.
Participants will include media professionals from both ecclesiastical and lay organisations, media researchers and academics, representatives from the Vatican, government agencies, NGOs, civil society, and the digital technology sector.
Objectives of the Congress
The primary goal of this Congress is to strengthen the capacities of media professionals and educate the public on the necessity of preserving human values amid rapid technological progress. Specific objectives include; Training 100 media practitioners in Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies, with a focus on balancing innovation and human values.
This will include promoting ethics and bioethics in technical research and technological innovations through media.
Advocating for human values such as respect for life, human dignity, charity, solidarity, and human rights and assessing the impact of technological progress to better understand the challenges, risks, and opportunities presented by AI will be part of the objectives.
UCAP is a continental organisation dedicated to promoting communication within the Catholic Church and its partners in Africa. With a mission to foster spiritual growth, collaboration, and responsible journalism, UCAP works to spread the Gospel, uphold human values, and support developmental initiatives across Africa and beyond.
UCAP is an independent, autonomous, non-political, and non-profit organisation comprising African Catholic journalists, communicators, academics, researchers, and institutions in various media fields.
