General News
Ebola Fight Needs $430m to End Record Outbreak-WHO
More than $430 million will be needed to bring the worst Ebola outbreak on record under control, according to a draft document laying out the World Health Organization’s (WHO) battle strategy.
The plan sets a goal of reversing the trend in new cases within two months, and stopping all transmission in six to nine months.
It requires funding by governments, development banks, the private sector and in-kind contributions, according to the document obtained by Bloomberg News.
The current outbreak, which has killed 1,427 people in Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, may soon exceed all previous Ebola outbreaks combined.
The sum now being sought is six times more than the $71 million the WHO suggested was needed in a plan published less than a month ago.
“There is reason to be concerned about whether the proposed resources would be adequate,” said Barry Bloom, a public health professor at Harvard University who also questioned whether the funds would be made available face enough, and whether the organization’s latest plan would ensure the expertise from WHO that is needed.
“The WHO plans to publish the plan by the end of this week at the earliest and details may change,” said Fadela Chaib, a spokeswoman for the Geneva-based agency. United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon this month appointed health crisis expert David Nabarro to coordinate the UN response.
WHO criticized The European Commission and aid groups including Doctors Without Borders have criticized the WHO for a lack of leadership in coordinating the fight against the outbreak.
Clearly WHO didn’t foresee this outbreak and while the Ebola crisis was clear in March, it didn’t act until August to declare an emergency, Bloom said in an e-mail. J. Stephen Morrison, director of the global health policy center at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, had a different view.
The scale of the disease’s devastation goes far beyond what health officials had seen previously, he said in a telephone interview.
“It’s not a question of incompetence or complacency,” according to Morrison, who said the WHO should be able to raise the money needed. It’s the fact we’re catching up with the unknown, and it’s way ahead of us. Treatment centers More than half the cost will be needed for the treatment, isolation and referral centers that are bearing the brunt of the epidemic, according to the WHO plan. Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone are among the world’s poorest countries, and weak health systems combined with a lack of experienced health-care workers has contributed to the epidemic, the WHO has said.
“The response at the beginning wasn’t robust enough,” David Heymann, a professor of infectious diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine who worked on the first recorded Ebola outbreak in 1976.
It’s a step forward that they’ve made the plans and I’m glad they’re emphasizing rapid containment as a start.
The WHO this month declared Ebola in West Africa a public health emergency of international concern. A separate outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed as many as 13 people, the government in that country said on Monday.
In West Africa, more than 240 health care workers have been infected and 120 have died, the agency said in a statement yesterday. Among them is Abraham Borbor, the deputy chief medical officer of Liberia’s John F. Kennedy Medical Center, who died despite being treated with Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc.’s experimental ZMapp medicine, the nation’s information minister said. Experimental drug Borbor was one of three Liberian health-care workers being treated with ZMapp, the same drug that was used on two American aid workers who were evacuated to the US after being infected in Liberia.
Closely held Mapp, based in San Diego, has said its supply of the drug is exhausted. A British health worker, William Pooley, was flown home for treatment at London’s Royal Free hospital after being infected in Sierra Leone, Public Health England said in a statement on Monday.
Pooley is receiving excellent care, his family said in a statement on the hospital’s website, as it asked everyone to remember those in other parts of the world suffering with Ebola who do not have access to the same health-care facilities as Will.
A Senegalese disease-tracker working with the WHO in Sierra Leone also became infected, making him the first of the agency’s 400 workers in the affected countries to fall ill with the deadly virus, the WHO said. Evolving epidemic The epidemic continues to evolve in alarming ways, with the severely affected countries, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, struggling to control the escalating outbreak against a backdrop of severely compromised health systems, significant deficits in capacity and rampant fear, according to the draft of the WHO’s so-called road map.
Clearly a massively scaled and coordinated international response is needed to support affected and at-risk countries. The document has been shared with the WHO’s partners for comment and will be published once their feedback has been received, Chaib said.
The final document will include a country- by-country plan for dealing with the outbreak, she said. Bloomberg
IHS Nigeria, part of the IHS Holding Limited (NYSE: IHS) (“IHS Towers”) group, one of the largest independent owners, operators, and developers of shared communications infrastructure in the world by tower count, has partnered with the Ilorin Innovation Hub to host the maiden edition of its Demo Day at the state-of-the-art facility in Ilorin, Kwara State.
The event, themed “The Convergence,” is designed to spotlight 19 emerging startups that have participated in the Hub’s accelerator and incubation programs, and invite them to pitch their solutions to investors, venture capital funds, corporate partners, and the media.
The Ilorin Innovation Hub, a partnership between the Kwara State Government and IHS Nigeria, began operations in February 2025 with programs managed by Co-creation Hub and Future Africa.
The Demo Day presents an opportunity to take stock and assess how the Ilorin Innovation Hub is helping to nurture and bring to life groundbreaking ideas and solutions supporting economic resilience and addressing real-world societal challenges. The event is expected to help unlock funding opportunities, foster strategic collaborations, and amplify visibility for these startups that are developing solutions across critical sectors including agriculture, health-tech, green energy, lifestyle, and digital services.
Beyond the startup showcase, the Demo Day highlights Kwara State’s continued commitment to driving digital innovation and entrepreneurship, and IHS Nigeria’s commitment to bridging the digital divide and deepening the digital economy in Nigeria.
Mohamad Darwish, CEO, IHS Nigeria, commented, “We believe innovation and digital technology are powerful drivers of economic growth and sustainable development. This is why we partnered with the Kwara State Government on the Ilorin Innovation Hub. It is impressive and very fulfilling to see the diverse portfolio of ideas and solutions showcased today from the hub within a year of the commencement of operations.
This speaks to the depth of creativity among Nigerians and what is possible when they are equipped and supported. Today’s event makes me proud of our investment in the space and underscores IHS Nigeria’s continued commitment to supporting technology, entrepreneurship, and digital innovation in Nigeria.”
Temi Kolawole, Managing Director, Ilorin Innovation Hub, commented, “Today, we showcase 19 startups that have shown that when you combine talent with the right support, the results speak for themselves. The Ilorin Innovation Hub exists to ensure that geography is never a barrier to building something extraordinary, and this Demo Day is proof that we are on the right track.”
AfriStakes has launched a new capital platform in Nigeria aimed at linking African small- and medium-scale enterprises with a broad range of investors in a move to address persistent funding gaps across the continent.
In a statement, the firm said the platform would improve capital allocation by bridging the disconnect between available funds, investment-ready businesses, and viable opportunities.
The launch comes as many African businesses continue to face funding constraints despite the availability of capital within the financial system.
AfriStakes said structural barriers have limited access to funding, even as capital remains concentrated in traditional instruments such as fixed deposits, equities, and managed funds.
The platform enables businesses and investors to connect directly by creating profiles, listing funding needs, and identifying suitable investment partners.
According to the company, businesses can upload key documents and showcase their funding requirements, while investors can outline their interests and financial capacity.
Founder of AfriStakes, Henry Adebisi, said the initiative was designed to tackle inefficiencies on both sides of the investment market.
“In Africa, businesses suffer from low access to capital while investors suffer from low access to investable opportunities. With AfriStakes, we ensure businesses are properly prepared and positioned for investment, while investors gain the clarity and confidence needed to deploy capital effectively,” Adebisi said.
The company noted that a major challenge for many SMEs is not a lack of value but poor investment readiness, which affects their ability to attract funding.
AfriStakes said it addresses this gap by providing a structured framework that helps businesses present financial information, develop investment narratives, and prepare realistic projections.
The platform also offers support services such as due diligence, deal structuring, and preparation of investor-facing materials.
It added that the platform would facilitate capital inflow from local and international investors, including individuals, angel investors, diaspora investors, entrepreneurs, and institutional players.
Adebisi said the platform would promote efficient capital flow into businesses driving economic growth across Africa.
“Our vision is to build a system where capital flows more efficiently into real businesses that drive economic change. By positioning both businesses and investors for success, we enable stronger investment decisions and more impactful economic outcomes,” he said.
AfriStakes said it supports multiple funding pathways, including debt financing, equity investment, partnerships, and acquisitions.
The company added that the platform would promote transparency, inclusivity, and structured investment processes across the African business landscape, adding that the initiative positions AfriStakes as a key player in addressing the continent’s financing challenges by creating a bridge between capital and opportunity.
The modern kitchen is no longer just a place to cook, rather where families gather, conversations happen, and lifestyles are expressed. Today’s homeowners want appliances that don’t just work efficiently but also reflect their personality and enhance their living experience.
This is exactly where the LG MoodUP™ Refrigerator stands out. Designed to combine innovative technology, customizable design, and smart entertainment, the LG MoodUP Refrigerator transforms the kitchen into a vibrant, expressive, and connected space.
A Refrigerator That Matches Your Mood and Lifestyle
Traditional refrigerators focus solely on storage and cooling. The LG MoodUP Refrigerator takes a bold step further by redefining what a kitchen appliance can be.
At the heart of this innovation are colour‑changing LED door panels that allow users to personalise their refrigerator’s appearance. With just a few taps via a smartphone app, you can effortlessly change the colors of the refrigerator doors to match your mood, décor, or occasion.
Whether you prefer calm neutral tones, vibrant colours for entertaining guests, or subtle lighting for a relaxed evening at home, the LG MoodUP adapts seamlessly.
Customizable LED Panels: Design Meets Technology
One of the most striking features of the LG MoodUP Refrigerator is its customizable LED door panels. These panels offer multiple colour options and lighting combinations, helping you create a kitchen that truly reflects your personality.
Why This Matters for Modern Homes
- Enhance kitchen aesthetics without renovations
- Allows you to refresh your space instantly
- Creates a dynamic, stylish focal point in the kitchen
- Ideal for design‑conscious homeowners and young professionals
In Nigerian homes where kitchens are increasingly becoming open, social spaces, this feature adds a unique blend of style and innovation.
Built-In Bluetooth Speaker: Entertainment at the Heart of Your Home
The LG MoodUP Refrigerator goes beyond design by introducing entertainment into the kitchen. With a built‑in Bluetooth speaker, users can connect their smartphones directly to the refrigerator.
This allows you to:
- Play music while cooking
- Listen to podcasts or radio shows
- Enjoy audio while hosting family or friends
- Make daily kitchen routines more enjoyable
From meal prep to weekend gatherings, the kitchen becomes a more social and engaging environment.
Smart Technology for Smarter Living
LG is known globally for pioneering smart home solutions, and the MoodUP Refrigerator reflects this commitment. Using LG’s intuitive app interface – LG ThinQ, users can control lighting, sounds, and certain settings directly from their smartphones.
This smart connectivity ensures:
- Easy customization
- Seamless user control
- A modern, connected kitchen experience
For tech‑savvy Nigerian consumers looking to integrate smart appliances into their homes, the LG MoodUP Refrigerator fits perfectly into today’s digital lifestyle.
Designed for Style, Comfort and Everyday Use
Beyond its innovative features, the LG MoodUP Refrigerator remains a high‑performance refrigerator built for daily use. It delivers reliable cooling performance, efficient food preservation, and durable construction expected from LG appliances.
Key lifestyle benefits include:
- Elegant, premium design
- Reliable cooling efficiency
- Smart functionality without complexity
- A blend of practicality and visual appeal
This makes it ideal for homes that value both performance and style.
Why LG Continues to Lead in Home Innovation
LG’s approach to product development focuses on understanding how people live today and how technology can improve everyday moments. The MoodUP Refrigerator is a strong example of this philosophy, demonstrating that appliances can be both functional and expressive.
Rather than blending into the background, the LG MoodUP stands out as a lifestyle statement; one that reflects individuality, creativity, and modern living.
For anyone looking to upgrade their kitchen experience and embrace the future of smart living, the LG MoodUP Refrigerator delivers a bold and refreshing approach where your kitchen truly matches your mood.
For more information, kindly visit https://www.lg.com/africa/refrigerators/lg-gr-a24fdmmb
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