COVID-19 : WHO suffers setback on its plan for global vaccine access facility (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
The World Health Organization appears to have suffered a setback in its major global initiative for a Covid-19 vaccine procurement facility, as the United States and other major industrialized nations remain reluctant to sign up to the scheme in combating the worsening pandemic which has so far claimed more than 842,000 lives.

Finance : WB's "mobilizing finance for development" not financing development (PRIV)
(IPS, Sydney/Kuala Lumpur)
The World Bank leadership must urgently abandon its "Maximizing Finance for Development" (MFD) hoax.

South Sudan : COVID-19 and violence has catastrophic impact on civilians (PRIV)
(IPS, New York)
Large-scale inter-communal violence on civilians in the Jonglei and greater Pibor regions in South Sudan has led to the mass displacement of thousands of people who are living in the open without health care, adequate food, shelter, water or sanitation in the middle of the rainy season.

Africa : How women-led agri-businesses are boosting nutrition (PRIV)
(IPS, Bulawayo)
Oluwaseun Sangoleye's son developed rickets after rejecting baby formula. So she started a business to make natural baby cereal from locally-sourced ingredients in Nigeria.