Nigeria: Pandemic Underscores Flaws in Country's Farming and Food Supply Chains

During the lockdown in Lagos, Nigeria, I joined a humanitarian team to distribute food to poor people in the urban slums. The project was launched because food was not available… Read more »

Africa: How to Get Covid-19 Vaccines to Poor Countries - and Still Keep Patent Benefits for Drugmakers

The world has a COVID-19 vaccine access problem: Almost half of all doses administered so far have been in Europe and North America, while many poorer countries have vaccinated… Read more »

Africa: 'COVAX is a Smokescreen to Cover Up Vaccine Nationalism'

Accusations abound of vaccine nationalism against states that stockpile vaccines and of vaccine apartheid, as COVID-19 vaccines become concentrated in rich countries. Calls for… Read more »

Africa: We're On the Hunt for Novel Ways to Assess the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is characterised by elevated blood glucose levels. This can cause complications that lead to damage to the kidneys, nerves, and the retina in eyes. Other… Read more »

Africa: World's Best Hope for Fair Distribution of Covid-19 Vaccines Is At Risk of Failing. Here's How to Save It

COVAX, the global initiative to coordinate the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in an equitable way, is crucial for bringing the pandemic under control. Read more »

South Africa: Case Study Sheds Light On How Vaccine Manufacturing Can Be Developed

The uneven availability of COVID-19 vaccines has become an increasingly urgent and vexatious issue. But managing the problem of what's been labelled "vaccine nationalism" is… Read more »

South Africa: New Research Shows Levy On Sugar-Sweetened Drinks Is Having an Impact

Three years ago South Africa introduced Africa's first major tax on sugar-sweetened beverages based on grams of sugar. The tax now stands at about 11% of the price per litre. Read more »

Kenya: Covid-19 Vaccine Rollout Off to a Slow Start - The Gaps, and How to Fix Them

Kenya has started the first phase of its COVID-19 vaccination strategy. This was made possible by the delivery of just over one million AstraZeneca vaccines that arrived in two… Read more »

Africa: How Worried Should You Be About Coronavirus Variants?

Spring has sprung, and there is a sense of relief in the air. After one year of lockdowns and social distancing, more than 171 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered… Read more »

Africa: Social Media Users in Kenya and South Africa Trust Science, but Still Share Covid-19 Hoaxes

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to widespread disinformation circulating on social media globally. This includes false information about the virus, its origins and possible cures for… Read more »

Africa: Game-Changing Covid Variants Mean Vaccines Aren't Enough. We Need 'Maximum Suppression'

At the end of 2020, there was a strong hope that high levels of vaccination would see humanity finally gain the upper hand over SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. In an… Read more »

Africa: Lessons From the Past - Protecting Women and Girls From Violence During Covid-19

COVID-19 has impacted women and girls around the globe in adverse ways. However, little attention has been paid to women and girls in humanitarian settings, those whose safety has… Read more »

Ghana: Long-Term Care for the Aged in Ghana Is On the Back Burner. Here Is How to Change It

Providing long-term care is a challenge to states around the world. In rich countries, supporting frail and disabled adults is a major budget item, and even then, the care provided… Read more »

Africa: Covid-19 Vaccines Are a Victory for Public Research, Not 'Greed' and 'Capitalism'

Boris Johnson, the UK prime minister, reportedly attributed the success of the COVID-19 vaccines to "capitalism" and "greed". But he is wrong - the idea that private ingenuity and… Read more »

Africa: Turning Findings Into Policy - Six Tips for Researchers

There has been tremendous growth in the number of studies on sexual and reproductive health in sub-Saharan Africa in the past two decades. Notably, there has been an increase in… Read more »

Africa: Ebola Might Be a Chronic Infection - but Here's Why We Shouldn't Panic

Connor Bamford, Queen's University Belfast Read more »

Malawi: How 'Frugal Design' Brings Medical Innovations During the Pandemic

Dr. Msandeni Chiume Kayuni found herself in the middle of a supply crisis as COVID-19 spread to Africa in April 2020. As head of Pediatrics at Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe,… Read more »

Africa: Should the Tokyo Olympics Go Ahead Without a Level Playing Field for Covid-19 Vaccines?

Planning for the Olympics has now shifted to promises of delivering a Games that puts "safety first" in a time of great uncertainty. In February 2021, the IOC released several… Read more »

South Africa: Why South Africa's HIV Prevention Programmes Should Include Sex Worker Clients

There are around 150,000 sex workers in South Africa. The National Strategic Plan on HIV identifies sex workers as a "key population" at high risk of HIV. HIV prevalence for female… Read more »

Kenya: Kenyans With Chronic Kidney Disease Know Diet Is Important. but Many Don't Follow the Guidelines

Chronic kidney disease is a condition that occurs when a person's kidneys are damaged and can't remove harmful waste from the blood. This can lead to high blood pressure and severe… Read more »

Africa: Why India Is Banking On Health Diplomacy to Grow African Footprint

India has stepped up its global ambitions and foreign policy re-engagement with African countries in recent years. Its bilateral trade increased from $7.2 billion in 2001 to $63… Read more »

Africa: Education Needs a Refocus So That All Learners Reach Their Full Potential

One of the sectors that the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted massively is education. Read more »

Kenya: Covid-19 - a New Challenge for Clean Cooking Progress in Kenya

Over 90% of the 238 million people living in sub-Saharan Africa's informal settlements, rely upon solid fuels for cooking, heating, and lighting their homes. These fuels include… Read more »

Kenya: Nairobi Is Rapidly Losing Its Green Spaces - This Could Open the Door to More Diseases

There's been widespread concern in Kenya over the shrinking of green spaces in Nairobi, the capital city. Most recently, there was uproar over the construction of a raised highway.… Read more »

Africa: Interested in Vaccine Rollouts Across Africa? Here's a Map to Guide You

Most developed countries are in the advanced stages of COVID-19 vaccination rollouts. But a large number of developing countries, including most across Africa, are still at the… Read more »