Zambia: Toxic Mines Poison Locals Long After Closure

"Henry" is thin and small for his age. The 10-year-old, his mum and I are sitting outside in the dusty, poor township of Waya in the Zambian city of Kabwe on a hot, dry afternoon. Read more »

Africa: Lead in the Blood - the Poisoning of a Generation

Years have passed, but Kasuba* still remembers when she was tested for lead as a child of about 8. The World Health Organisation says that there is no safe level of lead exposure.… Read more »

Zambia: Playing in Poisoned Dust - Being Outside is a Health Risk for Some of Zambia's Children

Thousands of children in Kabwe, Zambia, risk lead poisoning just by playing outside because the earth and dust are so contaminated. The source is a lead and zinc mine that shut… Read more »

Zambia: Zambia: Lead Contamination Imperils Children

Effective Cleanup, Health Services Desperately Needed Near Former Lead Mine Read more »

Kenya: Safe Access to Abortion Crucial to Reducing Maternal Mortality in Kenya

Five years ago, Kenya's First Lady, Margaret Kenyatta, launched the "Beyond Zero" campaign to eradicate preventable maternal and child mortality in Kenya. The initiative has drawn… Read more »

Tanzania: 'It Felt Like a Punishment' - Growing Up With Albinism in Tanzania

Introduction Read more »

Ghana: Oversight Needed to Enforce Shackling Ban

Hundreds of people with real or perceived mental health conditions remain chained or confined in prayer camps in Ghana, despite some progress, one year after the government pledged… Read more »

Congo-Kinshasa: Upsurge in Killings in 'Ebola Zone'

Unidentified fighters have killed more than 1,000 civilians in Beni territory in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in a series of massacres beginning four years ago, Human… Read more »

Africa: Giving Girls a Future: Empowering Pregnant Girls and Adolescent Mothers to Stay in School

“[My school] supported me. For example, when I was breastfeeding, they would give me time off. I would go to school and then run back home [during lunch break] to feed my… Read more »

Burundi: AU Shouldn't Tolerate Banning Pregnant Girls from School

In June, Burundi joined a small group of African countries that ban pregnant girls from continuing with formal education in government schools. Burundi's Education Ministry banned… Read more »

East Africa: East African Bishops Should Support Education for Pregnant Teens

Representatives of the Catholic church in Eastern Africa will meet in Addis Ababa later this week to discuss "vibrant diversity, equal dignity, and peaceful unity" in the region. Read more »

Congo-Kinshasa: The DR Congo Ebola Outbreak

On May 8, 2018, the Democratic Republic of Congo's health minister declared an outbreak of Ebola, the highly deadly disease that killed more than 11,000 people in West Africa… Read more »

Congo-Kinshasa: Fears for Health of Detained Activist

Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo should immediately release the pro-democracy activist Carbone Beni, who has been arbitrarily detained by the national intelligence… Read more »

Zimbabwe: Tobacco Firms Fail to Warn Farmers of Nicotine Poisoning Dangers

Everyone sat on a thatched blanket spread outside under the warm sun, near the tobacco curing barn, with flat farmland, green grass and the occasional tree stretching as far as the… Read more »

Ghana: Ghana Should Implement Commitments On Mental Health Issues

Over the last several years, Ghana has taken positive steps in the field of mental health by establishing the Mental Health Authority, training mental health professionals,… Read more »

Tanzania: Facing Prosecution for Challenging HIV Policies in Tanzania

When Sibongile Ndashe, a South African feminist lawyer, got on a plane to travel to Tanzania to convene a meeting of human rights lawyers and activists, she knew she might come… Read more »

Africa: Global Medical Body Condemns Forced Anal Exams

Doctors, medical professionals, and national medical associations should heed the World Medical Association's October 2017 resolution to end forced anal examinations on people… Read more »

Senegal: Senegal Makes Strides On Palliative Care

When it comes to end-of-life care and pain treatment, Francophone Africa has a long way to go. But, Senegal is one country working to change this. Read more »

Ghana: Invest in Mental Health Services to End Shackling

The government of Ghana should ensure adequate funding for mental health services in Ghana, as a crucial step to eliminating the widespread practice of shackling and other abuses… Read more »

Ethiopia: Forced Relocations Bring Hunger, Hardship

The Ethiopian government under its "villagization" program is forcibly relocating approximately 70,000 indigenous people from the western Gambella region to new villages that lack… Read more »