October 05, 2023
South Africa: Jerry Coovadia - the South African Doctor Who Led the Fight Against HIV in Children
South African-born Professor Hoosen "Jerry" Coovadia, renowned academic and prominent anti-apartheid activist, passed away on 4 October. As a paediatrician I was privileged to know… Read more »
September 07, 2023
Africa: Why Mothers and Babies Will Suffer More As Africa Grows Hotter
As Africa gets hotter, mothers and babies are most at risk. Why is this and what can be done about it? Matthew Chersich, a specialist in climate change and maternal health,… Read more »
August 22, 2023
Zimbabwe: Young Zimbabweans Are Using YouTube to Ridicule Politicians and Educate Voters
As Zimbabwe holds its 2023 elections, young creatives are taking to social media like YouTube to discuss politics and to create comic spoofs and critiques that speak back to the… Read more »
August 01, 2023
Africa: Climate Change Contributes to Violence Against Children - Here's How
Every day of the northern hemisphere's summer in 2023 seems to bring a calamitous headline about the climate: heatwaves, wildfires, massive hailstorms. Read more »
July 11, 2023
Ghana: Ghana's Population Is Young and Rapidly Urbanising - Policies Need to Match the Data
Ghana's population has reached 30.8 million according to the 2021 population census. This is a 6.1 million increase from the 24.7 million recorded in 2010. Understanding population… Read more »
Nigeria: Nigeria's Growing Population Can Be an Advantage, With Better Data and a Policy Focus On Young People
Nigeria's population is currently estimated at over 222 million, with the median age - the age at the midpoint of the population - 18.1 years. This poses challenges and… Read more »
Congo-Kinshasa: DRC Has One of the Fastest Growing Populations in the World - Why This Isn't Good News
The demographic profile of a country matters because it sets its development pace - it creates opportunities and presents risks. For many developing countries, the challenge is to… Read more »
June 27, 2023
Africa: Covid-19 Hurt Kids' Math Learning More Than Reading and Writing - With the Biggest Setbacks in Fall 2020
The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. Read more »
June 25, 2023
Africa: Children's Movement Affects Health and Development but Research Is Lacking in Africa - Here's Why
Children's health and development depend on how much time they spend doing physical activity, being sedentary and sleeping. Read more »
June 06, 2023
South Africa: Learning to Read Is a Journey - a Study Identifies Where South African Kids Go Off Track
Any parent who has watched a child learning to read knows that it is a journey. Various skills and processes must come together and build "brick by brick" before a child can read a… Read more »
May 04, 2023
Ghana: History Classes Help Students Develop Curious Minds - but Teachers Aren't Equipped to Nurture This
There are two camps when it comes to teaching children: one says teachers should focus on guiding students to find things out for themselves. This approach makes learning… Read more »
April 30, 2023
Africa: Child Labour On Farms in Africa - It's Important to Make a Distinction Between What's Harmful, and What Isn't
Children across the vast expanse of rural Africa hoe, dig, plant, carry, tend livestock, cook, scrub, care for their siblings, and undertake many other farm and domestic tasks.… Read more »
April 19, 2023
South Africa: South Africa's Only Mother and Child Hospital Is Falling Apart - a Veteran Doctor Reflects On Why
South Africa's health ombudsman recently published the findings of an investigation into Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital. The investigation followed the publication of a… Read more »
April 13, 2023
Africa: Drawing Pictures Is Great for Children's Development - Here's How Parents Can Help
When the weather's bad and there's no prospect of a trip to the park, we might well reach for crayons, pencils and paper as a way to keep our children entertained. But drawing is… Read more »
April 16, 2023
Ghana: Juvenile Offenders Aren't Prepared for Rejoining Society - How the System Is Failing Them
Globally, about one million children are held in police custody annually; 410,000 of them are held in detention and remand centres. On any day, it is estimated, remand homes around… Read more »
March 28, 2023
Africa: Young People in Africa Should Have a Say in Decisions That Affect Their Health
Most of Africa's population - 70% - is under 30 years old. In 2017 there were 628 million young people under 25 on the continent. This figure is predicted to reach 945 million by… Read more »
March 23, 2023
Africa: TB Kills 75,000 Children in Africa Every Year - How This Can Stop #WorldTBDay
Tuberculosis (TB) is a preventable and curable disease. Half of the world's 30 highest TB burden countries are in Africa. In many of these countries, TB is the leading cause of… Read more »
March 13, 2023
Nigeria: Child Victims of Sexual Violence Aren't Heard or Understood - Nigerian Study
Violence against children is a global problem. A 2020 Global Status Report revealed that every year, almost one billion children globally encounter some form of violence, such as… Read more »
March 06, 2023
Africa: Children and Teenagers Can Carry Out Valuable Wildlife Research - Here's How
The environment is in crisis. Young people are calling for environmental action and requesting more education about the environment and the climate emergency. They are also looking… Read more »
Africa: Curious Kids - Who Was the First Celebrity?
Who was the first celebrity? - Grace, aged eight, Belfast, Northern Ireland Read more »
March 01, 2023
Africa: Curious Kids - Why Don't Grown-ups Play Like Kids?
Why don't grown ups play like us kids do? Annie, aged 7, Canberra Read more »
February 27, 2023
Africa: Cough Syrup Can Harm Children - Experts Warn of Contamination Risks
The recent deaths of over 300 children in Africa and Asia have prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to warn about the use of "substandard and falsified" medical products.… Read more »
February 09, 2023
Africa: Is 13 Too Young to Have a Tiktok or Instagram Account?
The surgeon general is the "nation's doctor" in the United States. They are tasked with giving Americans the "best scientific information" about their health. Read more »
January 29, 2023
Africa: Children and Teens Aren't Doing Enough Physical Activity - New Study Sounds a Health Warning
Physical inactivity is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. It's also associated with chronic illness and disability. Recent research estimates that the world could see… Read more »
January 18, 2023
South Africa: My Child Isn't Happy With Their Final Exam Results. How Can I Support Them?
Every January, the day arrives that South Africans know can decide their fates: the "matric" exam results are announced. In 2022, 753,964 full-time and 167,915 part-time candidates… Read more »