International efforts to combat polioare mounting: the Centre for DiseaseControl (CDC) has established anAfrica-based emergency operations cen-tre which will tackle public health cri-ses, including polio. Meanwhile, thePolio Eradication Initiative – made upof WHO, UNICEF, CDC, the Bill andMelinda Gates Foundation and theRotary Foundation – has designatedpolio a ‘‘programmatic public healthemergency’’ until eradication isachieved. (UN humanitarian and news anal-ysis service, IRIN 31 ⁄ 1)

Cote d’Ivoire

The government can no longerafford free health care for all.

Cote d’Ivoire is abandoning its freehealth care for all experiment becauseof skyrocketing costs.

‘‘In nine months the government hadto pay CFAf 30bn (about US$60m)under difficult circumstances,’’ IvorianHealth Minister Yoman N’dri said.

As of February, free care for deliveriesand free treatment would only be avail-able to mothers and their childrenunder six. Consultation fees woulddrop from CFAf 1,000 to 650 ($2-1.5).

Aid organizations say the government’sdecision is understandable given thecountry’s recent political turmoil, andare pleased that the most vulnerablewill continue to receive care.

Theft, poor management and risingcosts have made the service – intro-duced by President Alassane Ouattara’sgovernment at the end of civil conflictto ease a dire public health situation -unaffordable. Health Minister N’drisaid implementation of the service hadbeen poorly planned, and the PublicHealth Pharmacy had just 30% of itsrequired stock, much of which hadbeen pilfered. (IRIN, UN 26 ⁄ 1)

Malaria

The global funding crisis threatensthe campaign’s success.

Recent Nobel Prize laureate, PresidentEllen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia whoassumed the chair of the African Lea-ders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) at theend of January inherited a malariacampaign that has made significantprogress, yet faces real challenges interms of funding.

According to the World Health Organi-zation (WHO), there has been a 33%decrease in malaria deaths in Africaover the last decade. Despite this pro-gress, the current global funding crisis– as evidenced by the postponement ofthe Global Fund Round 11 – threatensmomentum.

ALMA estimates that there is a gap of$3.3bn in funding needed to achieveand sustain universal coverage of essen-tial malaria interventions includingartemisinin-based combination thera-pies (ACTs), rapid diagnostic tests(RDTs) and long-lasting insecticidalnets (LLINs) to the end of 2015.

‘The malaria campaign is emerging as astandout success in the effort toimprove the health and welfare ofmothers and children, but we cannotlose focus now,’ said President Sirleaf.‘There is a moral and economicimperative to fill the malaria fundinggap.’

ALMA members agreed to intensifyefforts to close financing gaps. SevenALMA member countries – Benin, Bur-undi, Cameroon, Kenya, Mozambique,Rwanda, and Tanzania – received spe-cial recognition for removing all taxesand tariffs on malaria-related commod-ities, banning dangerous monotherapytreatments, or making significant pro-gress on malaria control. (New AfricaAnalysis 20 ⁄ 2)

Cholera, Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe isreporting up to 50 cases of typhoid perday and has treated more than 1,500people in an outbreak blamed on poorwater and sanitation facilities.

‘‘The progressive deterioration of pub-lic health infrastructure has seen suchrare diseases like typhoid becomingmore common,’’ the Health MinisterHenry Madzorera said.

Finance Minister Tendai Bitiannounced the country will use $40mfrom IMF support to refurbish waterand sanitation facilities. (� AFP, Harare31 ⁄ 1)

SPORTAfrica Cup of Nations

Outsiders Zambia defeat Cote d’Ivo-ire on penalties in their first everwin.

The 28th Africa Cup of Nations, orOrange Africa Cup of Nations as it iscalled for sponsorship reasons, washosted by two countries, Gabon andEquatorial Guinea. The matches wereplayed in stadia across both countries,the tournament kicking off on January21st in the Equato-Guinean capital,Bata, and the final taking place onFebruary 12th in Gabon’s capital,Libreville.

Sudan, initially the only East Africannation in the tournament, started quali-fying as one country, but is now two.Players from both Sudan and SouthSudan played and made it through tothe quarter finals of the tournament. It

was a chance for the people to feel abond of unity. Libya and Tunisia bothfielded teams despite going through rev-olutions in 2011. Libya was knockedout after the first round.

Togo did play for a spot in the tourna-ment despite the horrific attack theyendured in Angola, 2010. Unfortu-nately they failed to qualify. Egypt alsofailed to qualify despite winning thetournament a record seven times,including in 2010. (France24, goafrica, ca-fonline 13 ⁄ 2)

Africa Cup of Nations 2012

Group A

Equatorial Guinea - Nzalang Nacional

Libya - The Greens

Senegal - Teranga Lions

Zambia - Chipolopolo (Copper Bullets)

Group B

Cote d’Ivoire - The Elephants

Sudan - Nile Crocodiles

Burkina Faso - Les Etalons (Stallions)

Angola - Palancas Negras (Black ante-lope)

Group C

Gabon - Les Pantheres (The panthers)

Niger - Menas

Morocco - Atlas Lions

Tunisia - Les Aigles de Carthage (TheCarthage Eagles)

Group D

Ghana - The Black Stars

Botswana - Ezimbizi (The Zebras)

Mali - Les Aigles (Eagles)

Guinea - Syli national (National Ele-phants)

Results

Quarter Finals Results

02 ⁄ 04 ⁄ 12: Zambia (3) v Sudan (0), Bata

02 ⁄ 04 ⁄ 12: Cote d’Ivoire (3) v EquatorialGuinea (0), Malabo

02 ⁄ 05 ⁄ 12: Gabon (1) v Mali (1), (Maliwin 5-4 on penalties), Libreville

02 ⁄ 05 ⁄ 12: Ghana (2) v Tunisia (1),Franceville

Semi Finals Results

02 ⁄ 08 ⁄ 12: Zambia (1) v Ghana (0), Bata

02 ⁄ 08 ⁄ 12: Mali (0) v Cote d’Ivoire (1),Libreville

Finals

02 ⁄ 12 ⁄ 2012: Zambia (8) v Cote d’Ivoire(7) - penalty shootout, Libreville

(cafonline.com)

Social and Cultural19180 – Africa Research Bulletin

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� Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2012.