In the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Kasai Oriental province, Pierre Ngandu Kasomboyi and his wife Vero Ngalula, who have been married for over 20 years, are working as couple facilitators in the Faithful House program, part of Catholic Relief Services' Budikadidi project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development. They coach around 30 couples on communication, decision-making, and mutual respect, contributing to a significant positive transformation in marital relations and gender roles since 2017. The program has led to increased joint decision-making and shared household responsibilities among couples, as evidenced by annual survey results. Jean Bukasa and his wife Therese Kapinga testify to the program's success in improving their marriage, promoting gender equality, and fostering teamwork.

Alexandre Tshibamba, a shop owner in Bakua Mwagi village, Democratic Republic of the Congo, has seen his business thrive after joining a Savings and Internal Lending Community (SILC) through the Catholic Relief Services' Budikadidi project. Funded by the United States Agency for International Development, the project has helped over 87,500 households across 484 villages. SILC groups enable members like Alexandre to buy in bulk, diversify their merchandise, and manage resources without excessive debt. The project, in partnership with various organizations, aims to deliver multi-sectoral programming to foster self-sufficiency, strengthen systems, and reduce barriers to change.

Rapid assistance is urgently needed for over 2.7 million people displaced by Boko Haram in the Lake Chad Basin, marking the fastest growing displacement crisis in Africa. The security situation in southeast Niger continues to deteriorate, with tens of thousands seeking refuge in Diffa. The World Food Programme (WFP) and other U.N. agencies are struggling to provide adequate food, water, and shelter amidst chronic food insecurity and logistical challenges. U.N. agencies are appealing for over $500 million to aid five million people in the region, but funding remains critically low at just 20 percent.

Angola is facing a yellow fever outbreak amid a global vaccine shortage, with cases also reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Uganda, and China. The Institut Pasteur de Dakar, one of four global producers of the vaccine, faces challenges in meeting demand due to the lengthy production process. UNICEF and the WHO emphasize the need for increased production and funding to prevent further outbreaks. Efforts are underway to expand production capacity, including a new facility planned in Dakar by 2020.

Families in Senegal face emotional and bureaucratic challenges when their relatives go missing on the migration route to Europe. Baye Aly Diop has not heard from his son Cheikou since 2006, and the lack of information about missing migrants like him adds to the uncertainty and suffering. The International Organization for Migration reports 1,026 deaths among sub-Saharan African migrants in the Mediterranean since early 2015. Families often cannot obtain death certificates without a body, leaving them in legal limbo. The Senegalese Red Cross offers psychosocial support, and efforts are underway to change legislation to ease the process of obtaining a certificate of disappearance. Meanwhile, families hold onto hope, with some women choosing not to remarry or move in case their missing husbands return.

Sierra Leone's maternal mortality rate is at risk of increasing due to the Ebola epidemic, which has resulted in the loss of over 220 health workers and instilled a fear of hospitals among the population. A World Bank report suggests the mortality rate could rise by 74 percent, reversing progress made since the end of the civil war in 2002. The PCMH (Cottage) Hospital in Freetown has seen a significant drop in births and an increase in maternal deaths since the outbreak. The country has lost an estimated seven percent of its nurses and midwives to Ebola, and experts call for more investment in healthcare and the employment of foreign healthcare workers as a stop-gap measure.

Hundreds of thousands of Mauritanians are facing severe food insecurity due to the effects of climate change and recurrent droughts. The situation has worsened since mid-2013, with an estimated 1.3 million people affected, including nearly half a million in severe food insecurity. The World Food Programme and other NGOs are providing assistance, but funding shortfalls limit their operations. The government has been criticized for its inadequate response, and the food security situation is deteriorating, particularly in urban areas like Nouakchott.

Sierra Leone is showing signs of recovery from the Ebola outbreak, with employment levels and school attendance improving. However, many families remain food insecure, and malnutrition rates among children under five are still high. The outbreak has severely impacted local economies, with restrictions on movement and market closures affecting farmers and traders. Personal accounts highlight the ongoing struggles of individuals and communities as they cope with the secondary impacts of the outbreak.

The death toll from West Africa's Ebola epidemic has surpassed 10,000, with Guinea and Sierra Leone still facing significant challenges due to resistance to anti-Ebola measures. While Liberia has seen no new cases recently, Guinea and Sierra Leone reported 116 new cases this week. Health experts emphasize the importance of community cooperation in combating the outbreak, particularly with the rainy season approaching, which could hinder response efforts. Unsafe burial practices and denial of the disease remain major obstacles in Guinea, despite having the technical capacity to end the outbreak.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is experiencing an increase in new Ebola cases for the first time since December, presenting a challenge for the new regional director for Africa, Matshidiso Rebecca Moeti. Moeti, who began her term on February 1, has prioritized fighting Ebola and strengthening health care systems. Experts advise focusing on local-level staff competence, strengthening health systems, and rebuilding WHO's credibility. The WHO's response to the Ebola outbreak has been criticized for being too late, and the organization must now work with local governments and partners to improve health systems and restore donor confidence.