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UPS Foundation Doles Out Over $2.4n for Global Volunteerism Initiatives

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The UPS Foundation announced that it will award more than $2.4 million to nine nonprofit organizations focused on volunteer efforts.

This includes $1.2 million awarded to the Points of Light Foundation to support its disaster relief initiatives, its Veterans Leadership Program and its Direct-to-People Digital Strategy which will extend the organizations reach to engage and recruit more volunteers around the world. Additional initiatives that the volunteerism grants will support include leadership training programs, youth development and education, financial literacy and pro-bono counsel.

“One of UPS’s primary values is giving back to the communities in which we do business,” said Eduardo Martinez, president of The UPS Foundation.

“As volunteers are at the heart of building community resiliency, UPS believes it would be virtually impossible for non-profits and NGOs to operate without them. By supporting the efforts of our partner organizations that focus on increasing volunteerism, UPS has been able to create lasting and impactful efforts for organizations committed to leadership, youth development, financial literacy and disaster relief. As a way to reinforce our commitment, UPS has set a goal of completing 20 million hours of global volunteerism and community service by the end of the year 2020,” the president said.

Since 2011, UPS employees and their families have completed more than 5 million volunteer service hours to support disaster relief, youth leadership development and educational programming, among a wide range of initiatives.

Following UPS’s 12th annual Global Volunteer Month in October, more than 2,400 employees volunteered 315,000 hours around the world where UPS serves its local community, demonstrating the company’s commitment to reaching its 2020 goal.

In total, nine organizations will receive The UPS Foundation’s 2014 volunteerism grants, including:

BoardSource toward programs that strengthen and support nonprofit board leadership capacity and impact the overall sustainability and effectiveness of the nonprofit sector.

International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE) toward the continued development support of the IAVE Global Network, national and local NGO

capacity assessments, staffing capacity and National Volunteer Centers, GCVC Disaster Research Working Group and the continued development of global youth platform and volunteer centers.

Junior Achievement Worldwide toward the “Be Entrepreneurial” program, an initiative that teaches high school students entrepreneurship, financial literacy and work readiness.

National Youth Leadership Council toward initiatives that develop young leaders (K-12) and to expand current partnerships with schools in Georgia, Minnesota and Illinois from a current total of 11 schools to 27 schools.

Peace Corps toward funding four distinct initiatives, including the Gender and Development Fund (forming women’s cooperatives and youth leadership camps), the Business Development Fund (micro-finance and agribusiness projects), Environment Fund (awareness activities and projects for greener infrastructure) and the Global Fund (building classrooms, providing agricultural assistance and working with youth education projects).

Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta to support its nonprofit legal check-up program, which pairs nonprofits with trained attorneys who conduct in-kind legal audits.

Tapfound Inc. to provide skills-based volunteerism to local organizations with needs in marketing, design, human resources, technology and strategic planning across the U.S. (Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.).

Toolbank USA to support of the Tool Bank Disaster Response Mobile Unit which allocates grant dollars to the launch of the organization’s disaster services and the expansion of the national ToolBank network.

UPS is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including the transportation of packages and freight; the facilitation of international trade, and the deployment of advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business.

Since its founding in 1907, UPS has built a legacy as a caring and responsible corporate citizen, supporting programs that provide long-term solutions to community needs.

Founded in 1951, The UPS Foundation is responsible for facilitating community involvement to local, national, and global communities.

In 2013, UPS and its employees, active and retired, invested more than $102 million in charitable giving around the world.


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Trump Ends Funding for Malaria, Other Global Health Programs

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The Trump administration has ceased funding for roughly 5,800 global health programs, including those that support providing vaccines, life-saving medications, and emergency health care to millions of people around the world.

Trump Ends Funding for Malaria, Other Global Health Programs

Donald Trump

On Wednesday, the U.S. State Department began sending out a wave of emails informing thousands of health groups, refugee camps, tuberculosis clinics, and polio vaccination projects that they would no longer receive funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), per the New York Times.

The funding was distributed to a wide range of programs, including those for HIV treatment, malaria prevention in Africa, and maternal health care in Nepal.

More major projects now canceled due to the funding cut include: a $90 million malaria prevention contract, a project in the Democratic Republic of Congo that provided water for 250,000 displaced people living in conflict zones, HIV care and treatment in Lesotho, Tanzania, and Eswatini run by Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, a $34 million medical supply management contract in Kenya, 87 shelters in South Africa that support thousands of women who have survived rape and domestic violence, a Yemen community health program in Yemen that identified malnourished children, and a severe acute malnutrition treatment project in Nigeria that serves millions of children and women.

“People will die, but we will never know, because even the programs to count the dead are cut,” Dr. Catherine Kyobutungi, executive director of the African Population and Health Research Center, said in a statement.

 

 

 


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NAFDAC Withdraws Registration of Artemether/Lumefantrine Oral Suspension over Stability Concerns

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Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, director-general, NAFDAC,
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National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced the discontinuation of the registration of Multi-Dose Anti-Malarial (Artemether/Lumefantrine) dry powder for oral suspension.

NAFDAC Withdraws Registration of Artemether/Lumefantrine Oral Suspension over Stability Concerns

Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, director-general, NAFDAC,

The decision follows stability concerns, as studies have shown that the reconstituted formulations lose efficacy over time.

The announcement was made in a public alert No. 01/2025, released on the agency’s website.

NAFDAC confirmed that the suspension applies to all locally manufactured and imported Multi-Dose Artemether/Lumefantrine dry powder for oral use.

Consequently, the agency will no longer accept new applications, renewals, or variations for any local or imported Multi-Dose Artemether/Lumefantrine dry powder for oral suspension.

According to NAFDAC, stability studies revealed that reconstituted Artemether/Lumefantrine oral suspension becomes unstable after mixing, leading to a loss of efficacy.

“This loss can have severe health consequences, including treatment failure, increased risk of complications, and, in extreme cases, death,” the agency stated.

All NAFDAC zonal directors and state coordinators have been instructed to conduct surveillance and remove all affected products from circulation.

The agency has also directed importers, distributors, retailers, healthcare professionals, and caregivers to immediately halt the importation, distribution, sale, and use of these medications.

NAFDAC has urged healthcare professionals and consumers to report any suspected sale of these products or related substandard medicines to the nearest NAFDAC office or via the agency’s toll-free number: 0800-162-3322. Reports can also be submitted via email at [email protected].

Additionally, individuals are encouraged to report adverse reactions through the Med-Safety mobile app, available on Android and iOS, or via email at [email protected].

NAFDAC confirmed that this notification would be uploaded to the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Surveillance and Monitoring System (GSMS) as part of its regulatory measures.

 

 

 


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NITDA Empowers Civil Servants with IT Project Clearance Training

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In line with the presidential priority areas of reforming the economy for sustained inclusive growth and improving governance for effective service delivery, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has commenced a training programme for 1000 civil servants from various MDAs on Information Technology (IT) Project Clearance processes in creating a digitally viable workforce in the public sector towards achieving the desired digital transformation mandate of the present administration.

The opening of the capacity building programme for ICT, Budget, Finance and Planning Officers of Federal Public Institutions, held at the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN) in Kubwa, Abuja, will be conducted in batches to equip participants with essential knowledge, skills, and best practices.

It aims to enhance collaborative planning, budgeting, and management of ICT system acquisition, deployment, operation, and sustainability in the public sector, ensuring a whole-of-government approach to digital projects.

In his opening remark with the theme, “Empowering Public Sector ICT Excellence Through Strategic Planning and Effective Funding”, the DG NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, emphasised the critical role of strategic planning and funding in enhancing public sector service delivery.

While reiterating the agency’s commitment to digital transformation through the implementation of its Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP) 2.0, the DG who was ably represented by the agency’s Director of IT Infrastructure Solutions department, Mr Oladejo Olawunmi, underscored the importance of equipping public sector employees with the necessary tools and knowledge to drive digital initiatives effectively.

Disclosing that NITDA is spearheading digital transformation efforts through its SRAP 2.0, he stated, “This plan aligns with national priorities and aligns with our strategic pillars such as talent development, digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, innovation, and policy-enablement to foster a sustainable digital economy”.

However, Inuwa acknowledged the challenges hindering digital transformation in the public sector, including inadequate collaboration among stakeholders, short-term project planning, poor ICT infrastructure maintenance, software licensing issues, and insufficient capacity-building. These barriers, he noted, have contributed to suboptimal outcomes in government-led digital initiatives.

Noting that most project stagnations or failures are attributed to inadequate integration of modern trends such as cloud computing, remote support, and enterprise network services into project planning, Inuwa averred that the agency has strengthened its IT projects clearance process to ensure that digital initiatives are well-conceptualized, planned, and executed in alignment with intended objectives.

“While there have been notable achievements, only 12 percent of Federal Public Institutions, FPIs comply with the process, necessitating a whole-of-government approach for full alignment with national digital transformation goals,” he revealed.

Emphasising that effective resource allocation ensures initiatives are adequately funded and properly executed to deliver real value to the public, he urged participants to manage public funds prudently and prioritise projects that yield measurable outcomes.

“We will explore how to optimize budgeting processes, improve financial oversight, and build systems that ensure transparency and accountability.

“This event has been structured with your professional development in mind, with sessions led by experts in the field, interactive discussions, and practical case studies that will provide you with actionable knowledge you can apply in your respective roles,” he concluded.

Highlighting the critical role of ICT, project, finance, and planning officers, Inuwa admonished participants to take full advantage of the program’s sessions, designed to strengthen their expertise in strategic planning, monitoring, evaluation, and financial management.

“Each of you plays a crucial role in the management and distribution of resources, the planning and implementation of programmes, and ultimately the delivery of services to our communities. Together, you form the backbone of efficient and transparent governance,” he concluded


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