Malaria vaccine added to routine immunization programme for young children
On 31 October, the Congolese government officially integrated the malaria vaccine into the national routine immunization programme. Several partners, including the WHO, UNICEF and the Vaccine Alliance, GAVI, support this initiative, making the Democratic Republic of the Congo the 15th African country to incorporate malaria vaccination into its routine immunization programmes. The pilot phase targets over 173,000 children, with WHO providing technical support, training for healthcare personnel, and outreach activities to facilitate the implementation. In June 2024, the country received its first stock of 693,500 doses of the malaria vaccine, intended for children aged six months and older. According to the 2022 report from the National Malaria Control Program, children under five represent nearly 50 per cent of malaria cases and approximately 70 per cent of malaria-related deaths in DRC.
Acute food insecurity affects over 25 million people
A total of 25.6 million people across the Democratic Republic of the Congo are experiencing food insecurity (classified as phase 3 or above) as of 28 October, according to the latest reports from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification. This includes an estimated 3.1 million people facing emergency food insecurity (phase 4), mainly in the conflict-affected eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri, as well as in the central Kasai region (Kasai, Kasai-Central, and Kasai-Oriental), Tanganyika, and Maniema provinces. Major factors driving this food crisis include ongoing conflicts, armed violence, rising food prices, and outbreaks of diseases such as measles, cholera, malaria, and Mpox.
Mali
Schools reopen after one-month delay due to floods
On 4 November, Malian national authorities announced the official start of the 2024-2025 academic year, which had been delayed by one month due to severe flooding. In August 2024, transitional authorities declared a national emergency following unprecedented floods that impacted every region of the country, prompting the postponement of the school year initially set for 1 October. Since July 2024, these floods have resulted in 92 deaths, 154 injuries, and affected nearly 380,000 people in the country as of 29 October. Additionally, 43,400 houses and buildings were destroyed, along with hundreds of water points and around 86,000 acres of crops, raising concerns about worsening shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene, health, food, and nutritional needs nationwide in 2025.
The Donors Conference to Support Displaced People and Refugees in the Sahel and Lake Chad region took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on 26 October. Over US$1.12 billion in pledges were made to support humanitarian efforts in the region, alongside in-kind support and commitments for development funding. The conference was co-hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and organized by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, with the support of OCHA and UNHCR. UN Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted both the region's potential and its severe challenges, including conflict, climate impacts, and large-scale displacement. With over 7.5 million displaced people and 30 million people needing humanitarian aid, Guterres urged additional funding for humanitarian response plans, currently around 45 per cent funded. He called for comprehensive action to address root issues such as poverty, inequality, and climate adaptation.