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A start-up is raising hope for blood shortages in Senegal

Senegal’s club of techpreneurs is showing increasing capacity to deal with everyday issues. One of the many has developed an application to manage the rising incidence of blood scarcity in the tiny West African country

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Senegal’s club of techpreneurs is showing increasing capacity to deal with everyday issues. One of the many has developed an application to manage the rising incidence of blood scarcity in the tiny West African country.

An interface called Hope is saving lives by offering a solution to blood shortages in Senegal.

“Hope is a Web-based and mobile digital platform that allows blood banks and other healthcare facilities to manage blood stocks and to communicate interactively at any time with blood donors, while raising awareness of the importance of giving blood,” said Cameroonian engineer Evelyne Ines Ntonga.

She is the co-founder of Diambars Mobiles, a start-up that launched Hope, with Mr Jean Luc Semedo of Senegal.

Both are alumni of the Multinational Telecommunications School of Dakar.

The engineers have created a form of ongoing interaction between blood banks and donors.

The platform includes a mobile app that allows users to send text messages and conduct voice calls in a variety of local languages so that Hope can reach more people.

Families and healthcare facilities often face a race against time when looking for a donor with a rare blood type.

“When an urgent situation arises, the platform sends emergency SMS messages to all compatible donors in the same geographical area,” Ms Ntonga said.

Hope is well-adapted to large healthcare facilities such as the National Centre for Blood Transfusion of Senegal, which hosted the pilot phase of the project for seven months in 2016.

“During this period, we reached nearly 30,000 people across all our platforms. What’s more, thanks to our solution, the number of blood donations in this centre has more than tripled,” said Ms Ntonga.

The start-up won the 2015 Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award from mobile network operator Tigo and Swedish NGO Reach For Change. The innovation also received the Global South eHealth Observatory Award from the Pierre Fabre Foundation.

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Moroccan annual inflation rises to 0.8% in November

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Morocco’s statistics office has confirmed that the country’s annual inflation rate, as determined by the consumer price index, increased from 0.7% in October to 0.8% in November.

Monthly, consumer prices decreased by 0.2% from October.

The primary driver of inflation, food costs, grew by 0.8% compared to the previous year, while non-food inflation climbed by 0.7%. Core inflation, which does not include more erratic items like food, increased 2.6% annually and 0.2% monthly.

According to the central bank, inflation is expected to average 1% this year, down from 6.1% last year.

Despite the Al-Haouz earthquake, a spike in inflation, and worldwide economic challenges, Morocco’s GDP grew by 3.4% in 2023.

A recovery in tourism, robust industrial exports, and rising private consumption—all bolstered by prudent macroeconomic policies—were the main drivers of growth.

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Nigeria’s $42bn foreign reserves enough for 9 months’ imports— Central Bank

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According to Olayemi Cardoso, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the nation’s $42.01 billion in foreign reserves can cover imports of goods and services for almost nine months.

Cardoso promised Nigerians improved economic fortunes in 2025 while addressing the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance, and Other Financial Institutions yesterday in Abuja at the presentation of the performance index report.

Cardoso stated: “External Reserves rose from $ 38.35 billion it was on September 30, 2024, to $ 42.01 billion as of December 12, 2024”.

He clarified that third-party receipts in Q3 2024 and revenues from taxes connected to crude oil were the main drivers of the rise in foreign reserves during the specified time.

“We saw remarkable improvements in our trade balance and maintained a current account surplus,” he added.

“Our external reserves level can finance over 9.09 months of import of goods and services or 13.91 months only, higher than the international benchmark of 3.0 months and a robust buffer against shocks”.

On cash shortage, the CBN boss reiterated the N150 million fine against any branch of banks caught illegally distributing new Naira notes to currency hawkers and unscrupulous elements and said the Nigerian economy will improve in 2025 through policies and measures.

He predicted a stronger economic future: “Despite our economy’s challenges, there are clear reasons for optimism.

“The gradual stabilization of the forex market, ongoing banking sector recapitalization, and positive growth trends in key sectors, especially the services sector, indicate a path toward recovery and stability.”

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