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Fall of Assad regime a 'moment of historic opportunity' for Syrian people, Biden saysFormer President Jimmy Carter has died at the age of 100. The 39th president of the United States was a Georgia peanut farmer who sought to restore trust in government when he assumed the presidency in 1977 and then built a reputation for tireless work as a humanitarian. He earned a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Carter died Sunday, coming up on two years after entering hospice care, at his home in Plains, Georgia. At age 52, Carter was sworn in as president on Jan. 20, 1977, after defeating President Gerald R. Ford in the 1976 general election. Carter left office on Jan. 20, 1981, following his 1980 general election loss to Ronald Reagan. Here's the latest: President Joe Biden has scheduled a state funeral in Washington for former President Jimmy Carter on Jan. 9. Biden also declared Jan. 9 as a National Day of Mourning across the U.S. Carter, the longest-lived former president, died Sunday at his home in Plains, Georgia. He was 100. Biden also ordered U.S. flags to fly at half-staff for 30 days from Sunday. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Sunday praised Carter for his significant contributions to international peace through the Camp David Accords, the SALT II Treaty and the Panama Canal treaties. “President Carter’s commitment to international peace and human rights also found full expression after he left the presidency,” Guterres said in a statement. "He played a key role in conflict mediation, election monitoring, the promotion of democracy, and disease prevention and eradication. These and other efforts earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 and helped advance the work of the United Nations. “President Carter will be remembered for his solidarity with the vulnerable, his abiding grace, and his unrelenting faith in the common good and our common humanity,” Guterres said. King Charles III joined leaders from around the world in issuing their condolences and sharing their reflections on the former president. “It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of former President Carter," the king said in a public statement. “He was a committed public servant, and devoted his life to promoting peace and human rights. His dedication and humility served as an inspiration to many, and I remember with great fondness his visit to the United Kingdom in 1977." President Joe Biden broke from his family vacation in the U.S. Virgin Islands to remember Carter, recalling his predecessor as a role model and friend. America and the world lost a “remarkable leader” with Carter’s death, Biden said, adding that he had spoken to several of the former president's children and was working with them to formalize memorial arrangements in Washington. Speaking for roughly 10 minutes, Biden remembered Carter as a humanitarian and statesman, someone he couldn't imagine walking past a person in need without trying to help them. He represented “the most fundamental human values we can never let slip away,” Biden said. The president repeatedly praised Carter's “simple decency” and his values, saying some will see him as a man of honesty and humility from a bygone era. “I don’t believe it’s a bygone era. I see a man not only of our time, but for all times,” Biden said. “To know his core, you need to know he never stopped being a Sunday school teacher at that Baptist church in Plains, Georgia.” Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said on X that Carter's significant role in achieving the peace agreement between Egypt and Israel "will remain etched in the annals of history.” He went on to say Carter's “humanitarian work exemplifies a lofty standard of love, peace, and brotherhood.” Carter will be remembered as “one of the world’s most prominent leaders in service to humanity,” el-Sissi said. President Joe Biden will speak about Carter Sunday evening. The president will make his address from a hotel in St. Croix, from the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he is on a holiday vacation with his family. Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter had one of the great love stories and political partnerships in U.S. presidential history. The former president sometimes called his wife, who died Nov. 19. 2023, “Rosie,” which is a good way to remember how her name actually is pronounced. It is “ROSE-uh-lyn,” not, repeat NOT, “RAHZ-uh-lyn.” They were married more than 77 years but their relationship went back even further. Jimmy’s mother, “Miss Lillian,” delivered Eleanor Rosalynn Smith at the Smith home in Plains on Aug. 18, 1927. The nurse brought her eldest child back a few days later to visit, meaning the longest-married presidential couple met as preschooler and newborn. She became his trusted campaign aide and White House adviser, surprising Washington by sitting in on Cabinet meetings. Then they traveled the world together as co-founders of The Carter Center. Most of the nation saw the former president for the last time at Rosalynn Carter’s funeral. Jason Carter is now the chairman of The Carter Center’s board of governors. He said his grandparents “never changed who they were” even after reaching the White House and becoming global humanitarians. He says their four years in Washington were just one period of putting their values into action and that the center his grandparents founded in Atlanta is a lasting “extension of their belief in human rights as a fundamental global force.” Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter traveled the world advocating for democracy and fighting disease, but Jason Carter said they weren’t motivated by pity, or arrogance that a former American president had all the answers — they ventured to remote places because they could “recognize these people.” They too were from “a 600-person village” and understood that even the poorest people “have the power ... the ability ... the knowledge and the expertise to change their own community.” As reaction poured in from around the world, President Joe Biden mourned Carter’s death, saying the world lost an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian” and he lost a dear friend. Biden cited Carter’s compassion and moral clarity, his work to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless and advocacy for the disadvantaged as an example for others. Biden said he is ordering a state funeral for Carter in Washington. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is remembering Carter as a man steeped “in devotion to public service and peace.” The California Democrat said in a statement Sunday that Carter was committed to “honoring the spark of divinity within every person,” something she said manifested in “teaching Sunday school in his beloved Marantha Baptist Church, brokering the landmark Camp David Accords to pave the way to peace or building homes with Habitat for Humanity.” Pelosi also said Carter led “perhaps the most impactful post-presidency in history.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer noted in a post on X the special contribution Carter made by brokering the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt and through his work with the Carter Center. “Motivated by his strong faith and values, President Carter redefined the post-presidency with a remarkable commitment to social justice and human rights at home and abroad,” Starmer said. To commemorate Carter’s death, officials with the Empire State Building said in a post on social media that the iconic New York City landmark would be lit in red, white and blue on Sunday night, “to honor the life and legacy” of the late former president. In a statement issued Sunday, former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama said Carter’s beloved Maranatha Baptist Church “will be a little quieter on Sunday,s” but added that the late former president “will never be far away -- buried alongside Rosalynn next to a willow tree down the road, his memory calling all of us to heed our better angels.” Noting the “hundreds of tourists from around the world crammed into the pews” to see the former president teach Sunday school, as he did “for most of his adult life,” the Obamas listed Carter’s accomplishments as president. But they made special note of the Sunday school lessons, saying they were catalysts for people making a pilgrimage to the church. “Many people in that church on Sunday morning were there, at least in part, because of something more fundamental: President Carter’s decency.” The longest-lived American president died Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” The Carter Center said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. In his 1975 book “Why Not The Best,” Carter said of himself: “I am a Southerner and an American, I am a farmer, an engineer, a father and husband, a Christian, a politician and former governor, a planner, a businessman, a nuclear physicist, a naval officer, a canoeist, and among other things a lover of Bob Dylan’s songs and Dylan Thomas’s poetry.” A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. After he left office and returned home to his tiny hometown of Plains in southwest Georgia, Carter regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world. Former Vice President Al Gore praised Jimmy Carter for living “a life full of purpose, commitment and kindness” and for being a “lifelong role model for the entire environmental movement.” Carter, who left the White House in 1981 after a landslide defeat to Ronald Reagan. concentrated on conflict resolution, defending democracy and fighting disease in the developing world. Gore, who lost the 2000 presidential election to George W. Bush, remains a leading advocate for action to fight climate change. Both won Nobel Peace Prizes. Gore said that “it is a testament to his unyielding determination to help build a more just and peaceful world” that Carter is often “remembered equally for the work he did as President as he is for his leadership over the 42 years after he left office.” During Gore’s time in the White House, President Bill Clinton had an uneasy relationship with Carter. But Gore said he is “grateful” for “many years of friendship and collaboration” with Carter. Former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, remember Carter as a man who lived to serve others. “Hillary and I mourn the passing of President Jimmy Carter and give thanks for his long, good life. Guided by his faith, President Carter lived to serve others — until the very end." The statement recalled Carter's many achievements and priorities, including efforts “to protect our natural resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, make energy conservation a national priority, return the Panama Canal to Panama, and secure peace between Egypt and Israel at Camp David." After he left office, the Clinton statement said, Carter continued efforts in "supporting honest elections, advancing peace, combating disease, and promoting democracy; to his and Rosalynn’s devotion and hard work at Habitat for Humanity — he worked tirelessly for a better, fairer world,” the statement said.casino game real money app 。

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SOUTH KOREA, — A jetliner skidded off a runway, slammed into a concrete fence and burst into flames Sunday in South Korea after its landing gear apparently failed to deploy. All but two of the 181 people aboard were killed in one of the country’s worst aviation disasters, officials said. The 737-800 operated by Jeju Air plane arrived from Bangkok and crashed while attempting to land in the town of Muan, about 290 kilometers (180 miles) south of Seoul. Footage of the crash aired by South Korean television channels showed the plane skidding across the airstrip at high speed, evidently with its landing gear still closed, and slamming into the wall, triggering an explosion and generating plumes of thick, black smoke. The crash killed 179 people, the South Korean fire agency said. Emergency workers pulled two crew members, to safety. They were conscious and did not appear to have any life-threatening injuries, health officials said. Lee Jeong-hyeon, chief of the Muan fire station, told a televised briefing that the plane was completely destroyed, with only the tail assembly still recognizable in the wreckage. Officials were investigating the cause of the crash, including whether the aircraft was struck by birds, Lee said. The control tower issued a warning about birds to the plane shortly before it intended to land and gave the crew permission to land in a different area, ministry officials said. The crew sent out a distress signal shortly before the crash, officials said. Senior Transport Ministry official Joo Jong-wan said workers retrieved the jet's flight data and cockpit voice recorders. He said it may take months for investigators to complete their probe. The runway at the Muan airport will be closed until Jan. 1, the ministry said. Video of the crash indicated that the pilots did not deploy flaps or slats to slow the aircraft, suggesting a possible hydraulic failure, and they did not manually lower the landing gear, suggesting they did not have time, said John Cox, a retired airline pilot and CEO of Safety Operating Systems in St. Petersburg, Florida. Despite that, the jetliner was under control and traveling in a straight line, and damage and injuries likely would have been minimized if not for a barrier being placed so close to the runway, Cox said. Another aviation expert said videos showed the aircraft had used up much of the runway before touching down. With little braking ability, the aircraft skidded atop its engine cowlings, said Ross “Rusty” Aimer, CEO of Aero Consulting Experts. “It's basically like skidding on ice,” he said. The Boeing 737-800 is a "proven airplane" that belongs to a different class of aircraft than the Boeing 737 Max jetliner that was linked to fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019, added Alan Price, a former chief pilot at Delta Air Lines and now a consultant. More than 4,500 of the planes are in service around the world, according to the aviation analytics company Cirium. One of the survivors was being treated for fractures to his ribs, shoulder blade and upper spine, said Ju Woong, director of the Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital. Ju said the man, whose name was not released, told doctors he “woke up to find (himself) rescued.” Details on the other survivor were not immediately available. The passengers were predominantly South Korean and included two people from Thailand. Officials identified 88 of them in the hours after the crash, the fire agency said. Thailand’s prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, expressed condolences to the families of those aboard the plane in a post on X. Paetongtarn said she ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide assistance. Boonchuay Duangmanee, the father of a Thai passenger, told The Associated Press that his daughter, Jongluk, had been working in a factory in South Korea for several years and returned to Thailand to visit her family. "I never thought that this would be the last time we would see each other forever,” he said. Kerati Kijmanawat, the director of Thailand's airports, confirmed in a statement that Jeju Air flight 7C 2216 departed from Suvarnabhumi Airport with no reports of anything abnormal aboard the aircraft or on the runway. Jeju Air in a statement expressed its “deep apology” over the crash and said it will do its “utmost to manage the aftermath of the accident.” In a televised news conference, the company's president, Kim E-bae, bowed deeply with other senior company officials as he apologized to bereaved families and said he feels “full responsibility” for the crash. He said the company had not identified any mechanical problems with the aircraft following regular checkups and that he would wait for the results of government investigations. Family members wailed as officials announced the names of some victims at a lounge in the Muan airport. Boeing said in a statement on X that it was in contact with Jeju Air and was ready to support the company in dealing with the crash. The crash happened as South Korea is embroiled in a political crisis triggered by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s stunning imposition of martial law and ensuing impeachment . South Korean lawmakers on Friday impeached acting President Han Duck-soo and suspended his duties, leading Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok to take over. Choi, who traveled to the site in Muan, called for officials to use all available resources to identify the dead as soon as possible. The government declared Muan a special disaster zone and designated a weeklong national mourning period. Yoon’s office said his chief secretary, Chung Jin-suk, presided over an emergency meeting between senior presidential staff to discuss the crash and reported the details to Choi. Yoon expressed condolences to the victims in a Facebook post. In Rome’s St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis said he joined in “prayer for the survivors and the dead.” The Muan crash is one of the deadliest disasters in South Korea’s aviation history. The last time South Korea suffered a large-scale air disaster was in 1997, when a Korean Airline plane crashed in Guam, killing 228 people on board. In 2013, an Asiana Airlines plane crash-landed in San Francisco, killing three and injuring about 200. Sunday’s accident was also one of the worst landing disasters since a July 2007 crash that killed all 187 people on board and 12 others on the ground when an Airbus A320 slid off a slick airstrip in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and hit a nearby building, according to data compiled by the Flight Safety Foundation, a nonprofit group aimed at improving air safety. In 2010, 158 people died when an Air India Express aircraft overshot a runway in Mangalore, India, and plummeted into a gorge before erupting into flames, according to the safety foundation. ___ Associated Press journalists David Sharp in Portland, Maine; Paul Wiseman in Washington; Bobby Caina Calvan in New York; Chalida Ekvitthayavechnukul and Jintamas Saksornchai in Bangkok; Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo; and Giada Zampano in Rome contributed to this report.Palantir Was Not Part Of 'Cool Kids Club,' Says Dan Ives, As Stock Surges 376%: 'Group Think' Mentality Of Institutional Investors Gave Retail The EdgeShikha Mukerjee | Yunus’ hostile Dhaka sets a huge challenge for Delhi

NoneTexas Supreme Court Says Ken Paxton Can't Be Deposed in Whistleblower Case

It looked like a recipe for disaster. So, when his country's swimmers were being accused of doping earlier this year, one Chinese official cooked up something fast. He blamed it on contaminated noodles. In fact, he argued, it could have been a culinary conspiracy concocted by criminals, whose actions led to the cooking wine used to prepare the noodles being laced with a banned heart drug that found its way into an athlete's system. Recommended Videos This theory was spelled out to international anti-doping officials during a meeting and, after weeks of wrangling, finally made it into the thousands of pages of data handed over to the lawyer who investigated the case involving 23 Chinese swimmers who had tested positive for that same drug. The attorney, appointed by the World Anti-Doping Agency, refused to consider that scenario as he sifted through the evidence. In spelling out his reasoning, lawyer Eric Cottier paid heed to the half-baked nature of the theory. “The Investigator considers this scenario, which he has described in the conditional tense, to be possible, no less, no more,” Cottier wrote. Even without the contaminated-noodles theory, Cottier found problems with the way WADA and the Chinese handled the case but ultimately determined WADA had acted reasonably in not appealing China's conclusion that its athletes had been inadvertently contaminated. Critics of the way the China case was handled can't help but wonder if a wider exploration of the noodle theory, details of which were discovered by The Associated Press via notes and emails from after the meeting where it was delivered, might have lent a different flavor to Cottier's conclusions. “There are more story twists to the ways the Chinese explain the TMZ case than a James Bond movie,” said Rob Koehler, the director general of the advocacy group Global Athlete. "And all of it is complete fiction.” Something in the kitchen was contaminated In April, reporting from the New York Times and the German broadcaster ARD revealed that the 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for the banned heart medication trimetazidine, also known as TMZ. China's anti-doping agency determined the athletes had been contaminated, and so, did not sanction them. WADA accepted that explanation , did not press the case further, and China was never made to deliver a public notice about the “no-fault findings,” as is often seen in similar cases. The stock explanation for the contamination was that traces of TMZ were found in the kitchen of a hotel where the swimmers were staying. In his 58-page report , Cottier relayed some suspicions about the feasibility of that chain of events — noting that WADA's chief scientist “saw no other solution than to accept it, even if he continued to have doubts about the reality of contamination as described by the Chinese authorities.” But without evidence to support pursuing the case, and with the chance of winning an appeal at almost nil, Cottier determined WADA's “decision not to appeal appears indisputably reasonable.” But how did the drugs get into the kitchen? A mystery remained: How did those traces of TMZ get into the kitchen? Shortly after the doping positives were revealed, the Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations held a meeting on April 30 where it heard from the leader of China's agency, Li Zhiquan. Li's presentation was mostly filled with the same talking points that have been delivered throughout the saga — that the positive tests resulted from contamination from the kitchen. But he expanded on one way the kitchen might have become contaminated, harkening to another case in China involving a low-level TMZ positive. A pharmaceutical factory, he explained, had used industrial alcohol in the distillation process for producing TMZ. The industrial alcohol laced with the drug “then entered the market through illegal channels,” he said. The alcohol "was re-used by the perpetrators to process and produce cooking wine, which is an important seasoning used locally to make beef noodles,” Li said. “The contaminated beef noodles were consumed by that athlete, resulting in an extremely low concentration of TMZ in the positive sample. "The wrongdoers involved have been brought to justice.” New information sent to WADA ... eventually This new information raised eyebrows among the anti-doping leaders listening to Li's report. So much so that over the next month, several emails ensued to make sure the details about the noodles and wine made their way to WADA lawyers, who could then pass it onto Cottier. Eventually, Li did pass on the information to WADA general counsel Ross Wenzel and, just to be sure, one of the anti-doping leaders forwarded it, as well, according to the emails seen by the AP. All this came with Li's request that the noodles story be kept confidential. Turns out, it made it into Cottier's report, though he took the information with a grain of salt. “Indeed, giving it more attention would have required it to be documented, then scientifically verified and validated,” he wrote. Neither Wenzel nor officials at the Chinese anti-doping agency returned messages from AP asking about the noodles conspiracy and the other athlete who Li suggested had been contaminated by them. Meanwhile, 11 of the swimmers who originally tested positive competed at the Paris Games earlier this year in a meet held under the cloud of the Chinese doping case. Though WADA considers the case closed, Koehler and others point to situations like this as one of many reasons that an investigation by someone other than Cottier, who was hired by WADA, is still needed. “It gives the appearance that people are just making things up as they go along on this, and hoping the story just goes away," Koehler said. “Which clearly it has not.” ___ AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-gamesIndianapolis Colts coach Shane Steichen seemed to sense the question might arise after his club was eliminated from playoff consideration Sunday with a ghastly 45-33 loss to the host New York Giants in East Rutheford, N.J. The Giants were 2-13 and had lost a franchise-record 10 straight games entering the contest and their season-high point total Sunday more than tripled their season average of 14.3 points per game. It was the type of bad loss that leads to head coaches being asked about their job security. "I control what I can control," Steichen said of the employment situation. The Colts (7-9) were outplayed all contest by the team that entered the day with the worst record in the NFL -- and with their playoff hopes on the line. Last season, Steichen's first as Indianapolis coach, the Colts also fell short, losing to the Houston Texans in the final week of the season to miss the playoffs. "It was as disappointing as it gets," Steichen said of the setback against the Giants. "As the leader of a football team, shoot, I always say I've got to be better, we've all got to be better. That's a group effort, everyone's got to chip in and do their part, so stuff like that doesn't happen." Giants quarterback Drew Lock passed for 309 yards and tied his career high of four touchdowns while also running for a score. Meanwhile, the Colts also went with a reserve quarterback in veteran Joe Flacco and he turned the ball over three times on two interceptions and a fumble. He also passed for 330 yards. Flacco started because rookie Anthony Richardson couldn't play due to back and foot injuries. Indianapolis completes the season next weekend at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars. "I know it's a tough situation, obviously, when you're out of the playoff hunt, but again, I told (the team) we've got to be professional about it," Steichen said. "That's the biggest thing. We've got to show up and do our job still with one week left." The Colts last made the playoffs in the 2020 season. Their last playoff win was two seasons earlier. --Field Level MediaBiodesix director Jack Schuler buys $122,840 in stock

TRADER JOE'S fans will know that now is the time to stock up on seasonal gems, and this year, Sweet Cannoli Dip is stealing the spotlight. While it’s already a treat on its own, one savvy shopper shared their 'favorite way' to take this creamy dessert to the next level, and fans can’t get enough. In a post from the Montrose, CA, location, one sweet-toothed fan shared on @TraderJoesobsessed how to elevate your dessert game. The post started. "Here are some fun dessert ideas with the sweet Cannoli Dip." Sharing a picture of the dip surrounded by Trader Joe's Butter Waffle Cookies. The post continued, "There’s also the sea salt caramel chips too!" Read more Trader Joe's news "Elevate these even more with a chocolate drizzle. It’s even great with fruit too!" Other fans rushed to the comment section to share further inspiration. One person commented, "This is my favorite way to eat them as well!" A second person raved, "Yum! I'm obsessed with butter waffle cookies. Thanks for this little recipe, I'm going to try it!" Most read in Money With the holidays just around the corner, this dessert offers multiple ways to enjoy. This versatile dip isn’t just for cookies or crackers. It also pairs nicely with fresh fruit like strawberries or apple slices for a slightly healthier twist. One Instagram comment read, "I love these with almond thins." Another person shared a fruity dessert idea, saying, "I used the dried apple chips and Graham crackers." TikTok creators have gone wild with the dip too. Trader Joe's Waffle Cone Tips are also making waves on social media for being a simple and effortless sweet treat. We found further inspiration on @Danielles_eats over on TikTok. In a video that has now been viewed more than 1.8 million times, the creator shared ways to enjoy in her '25 Days of Christmas' series. And the love doesn't stop there. Trader Joe's Canoli Dip and Cones videos are racking up millions of views on TikTok for creative serving ideas. Read More on The US Sun Whether you’re hosting a holiday gathering, prepping for a cozy movie night, or just looking for a sweet pick-me-up, these easy hacks are sure to impress. With just a few simple tweaks, you can transform this seasonal favorite into a holiday dessert everyone will be raving about.Samuelson’s Olympic marathon win was a game-changer for women’s sportsQatari Society for Family and Community Medicine scientific conference begins

MIT Startup Working On Synthetic Bioscience{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "NewsArticle", "dateCreated": "2024-12-08T21:51:20+02:00", "datePublished": "2024-12-08T21:51:20+02:00", "dateModified": "2024-12-09T10:05:42+02:00", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/22444/news/featured/featured-rwanda-celebrates-10-startups-transforming-srh-across-africa-through-technology", "headline": "FEATURED: Rwanda celebrates 10 startups transforming SRH across Africa through technology", "description": "The Ministry of ICT and Innovation celebrated 10 outstanding Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) startups that emerged with innovative,...", "keywords": "", "inLanguage": "en", "mainEntityOfPage":{ "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/22444/news/featured/featured-rwanda-celebrates-10-startups-transforming-srh-across-africa-through-technology" }, "thumbnailUrl": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/thenewtimes/uploads/images/2024/12/08/65914.jpg", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/thenewtimes/uploads/images/2024/12/08/65914.jpg" }, "articleBody": "The Ministry of ICT and Innovation celebrated 10 outstanding Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) startups that emerged with innovative, technology-driven solutions that have significantly improved access to healthcare services across Sub-Saharan Africa. The event held on December 6, at Norrsken. Kigali’s premier innovation hub and marked the successful conclusion of flagship startups participating in the HangaPitchFest’s SRH programme launched in October 2023. The occasion also celebrated their achievements in leveraging technology to address critical sexual and reproductive health (SRH) challenges. This initiative was conceived in 2022 as part of HangaPitchFest, aiming to leverage technology startups for improved Sexual & Reproductive Health outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa. 20 startups from across Sub-Saharan Africa selected to participate. After a rigorous selection and funding process, 10 standout ventures progressed to the acceleration phase. The SRH programme targeted key challenges such as maternal mortality, unsafe abortion, gender-based violence, unmet need for contraception , and limited access to youth-friendly SRH services. Through technology and innovative approaches, the startups provided impactful solutions that break traditional barriers. ALSO READ: Hanga Pitchfest, a path to innovation-led opportunities Esther Kunda, the Director General of Innovation and Emerging Technologies at the Ministry of ICT and Innovation, pointed out that the private sector faces significant challenges, particularly in the health sector, despite its substantial contributions to improving healthcare in Africa. Particularly in Rwanda, issues like teenage pregnancy, limited access to youth friendly services continue to persist. “Our main goal when we started the program was to start seeding these companies in tackling such issues. We worked with partners such as ‘Brink innovations’ to successfully deliver the program,” she said. As noted by Kunda, the programme has already demonstrated significant impact including funding, where ventures raised approximately $1.5million from venture capitalists and foundations. Additionally, they generated $55,000 through sales of products and services. The startups also reached out to over 33,500 individuals who benefited directly from these solutions. Job creation is another milestone celebrated where more than 130 jobs have been created across various regions. Kunda said; “We’re very happy where the success of this program has gone and we hope that in the subsequent years, we're going to be able to understand how we continue building sustainable ventures within this challenging sector. We've seen good partners and we hope that more partners can come onboard to support programs at these ventures.” She assured that the Ministry will continue to engage in this space, supporting innovators and closely monitoring their progress. She also noted that all supported ventures have been able to secure scale up funding from various partners including the Rwanda-based ventures who will be supported by UNFPA Rwanda to ensure their growth and sustainability. “We are proud of this cohort’s journey and their impactful contributions to SRH. As they transition to independence, we will continue to offer advisory and technical support where necessary,” she added. ALSO READ: A look at Hanga Pitchfest progress through the eyes of past winners The Hanga SRH, Program Manager, Annet Mwizerwa noted that from the moment these ventures were selected, they embarked on a journey of transformation. “Initially, some of these start-ups came to us with only a model or a minimum viable product (MVP). Today, they have successfully moved from concept to live solutions, scaling their operations and creating meaningful impact.” She added: “The Hanga SRH Showcase represents not just an opportunity to celebrate the incredible achievements of these ventures but also to ignite new possibilities for collaboration, investment, and growth in the SRH sector. The challenges we face in sexual and reproductive health are complex, but as these ventures have shown us, innovation, collaboration, and determination can overcome even the most significant obstacles.” Highlights from the flagship startups The Advancing Access to Safe Abortion Platform (AASAP), founded by Richard Mbazumutima, is Rwanda's first telehealth initiative for safe abortion. It provides real-time, accurate information about facilities offering legal and safe abortion services, ensuring girls and young women have access to essential care in a safe, legal, and stigma-free environment. “Through our AASAPFinder web- based platform we offer a safe, legal, and acceptable channel that effectively guides and connects girls and young women to health facilities where they can specifically access legal safe abortion services without delays, stigma, judgement, or discrimination, guided by the Rwandan ministerial order determining conditions to be satisfied for a medical doctor to perform an abortion,” said Mbazumutima. He added: “Over the past year, we have raised approximately $68,000 which has enabled us to support over 4,000 young girls and women in accessing these services. Additionally, we are working to reduce stigma by training healthcare providers on value transformation and qualification standards to ensure they address stigma effectively within the community.” Malaica, founded by Dr. Lorraine Muluka from Kenya, is dedicated to making pregnancy safe and joyful for millions of African women. The organization leverages technology to deliver proven interventions through dedicated nurse-midwives, ensuring a safe and fulfilling pregnancy journey. “The program connects pregnant women with registered nurse- midwives via WhatsApp, providing support throughout pregnancy, including counseling services for pregnancy loss,” explained Dr. Muluka. What sets Malaica apart is its hybrid (online and in- person) asset-light model; instead of building its own facilities, Malaica partners with existing healthcare providers. This approach enhances the care journey for pregnant women while enabling the program to scale rapidly and sustainably. “Definitely, embracing technology in the SRH is what we need to do to address the challenges that we have in this sector. I'm really honored to have been part of this program. We’re really thankful for the Ministry of ICT and Innovation,” she added. Tafadzwa K. Munzwa, a Zambian entrepreneur, is the founder of “Dawa Health”, an AI-powered clinic that democratizes access to maternal care. By training and supporting local health workers, Dawa Health provides essential maternal health and reproductive services. This ensures that women and girls in underserved communities in Zambia receive the information, care, and products they need, exactly when they need them. “Dawa Health offers offline and online solutions include mobile clinic vans making maternal healthcare accessible in marginalized Zambian areas, the DawaMom Al app offering tailored maternal services, a hybrid retail pharmacy selling SRH products like birth kits with delivery services available through eBikes and eTricycles addressing transportation barriers in marginalised communities,” explained Tafadzwa K Munzwa. “We are scaling rapidly in Zambia, growing by more than 50 per cent each month. With a team of over 15 workers, we have already reached more than 7,000 patients. Our goal is to continue expanding and reach 25,000 to 30,000 patients by 2025. We are truly grateful for the support we’ve received from the Ministry of ICT,” he said. Another outstanding venture is “JoCare”, a Rwandan based project that provide SRH information and service accessible to young people with disabilities Specifically, it provides tailored sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information, easy-to-use tools, and private support designed for people with disabilities. This helps everyone make informed health decisions, no matter their physical or cognitive abilities. JoCare provides a user-friendly mobile app that includes online medical consultations. 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