April 17
Africa: Hearing Aid Apps Offer Hope to Millions in Africa with Hearing Loss
In rural Kenya, 64-year-old John Kamau's world of silence is about to change. For decades, isolated by hearing loss from the community's vibrant life and his grandchildren's… Read more »
April 12
Africa: Young, Black Woman Scientist Discovered Pivotal Leprosy Treatment in 1920s But Someone Took the Credit
Hansen's disease, also called leprosy, is treatable today - and that's partly thanks to a curious tree and the work of a pioneering young scientist in the 1920s. Centuries prior to… Read more »
April 02
Africa: Affordable Stroke-Risk Screening Could Save the Lives of Many Children in Sub-Saharan Africa With Sickle Cell Disease
Most of the estimated 300,000 babies born every year with sickle cell disease, an inherited red blood cell disorder, live in sub-Saharan Africa in nations where there are few… Read more »
April 08
Tanzania: Diet and Nutrition - How Well Tanzanians Eat Depends Largely On Where They Live
Cities are growing faster in sub-Saharan Africa than elsewhere, with an annual urban population growth rate of around 4% compared to the world average of 1.5%. Read more »
April 03
South Africa: Aspirant Black Chartered Accountants in South Africa Feel Marginalised, Hurting Pass Rates and Their Mental Health
Every year the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants administers the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC). This board exam is the last hurdle for an aspiring… Read more »
March 28
Gambia: The Gambia May Allow Female Genital Mutilation Again - Another Sign of a Global Trend Eroding Women's Rights
The Gambia's ban on female genital mutilation (FGM) since 2015 is under threat. Proposed changes before parliament could permit medicalised female genital cutting and allow it for… Read more »
March 27
Africa: New TB Skin Test Could Offer Cheaper and Easier Way to Detect the Disease
Detecting tuberculosis early could play a significant role in eradicating the world's most deadly infectious disease. The World Health Organization says 1.5 million people die from… Read more »
March 25
Africa: Cardiovascular Risks and Covid-19 - New Research Confirms the Benefits of Vaccination
COVID-19 is a respiratory disease. Yet, from the earliest days of the pandemic, the cardiovascular risks associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection were clear: individuals with severe… Read more »
March 22
South Africa: Medical Science Has Made Great Strides in Fighting TB, but Reducing Poverty Is the Best Way to End This Disease
Every year, 10 million people fall ill with tuberculosis. Even though the disease is both preventable and curable, it kills 1.5 million people each year, making it the world's… Read more »
March 18
Africa: Do You Have 7,513 Unread Emails in Your Inbox? Research Suggests That's Unwise
How do you manage your emails? Are you an "inbox zero" kind of person, or do you just leave thousands of them unread? Read more »
March 17
Africa: Something Felt 'Off' - How AI Messed With Our Human Research, and What We Learned
All levels of research are being changed by the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). Don't have time to read that journal article? AI-powered tools such as TLDRthis will summarise… Read more »
South Africa: Almost 50% of Adult South Africans Are Overweight or Obese. Poverty and Poor Nutrition Are Largely to Blame
Malnutrition, in all its forms, includes undernutrition (wasting, stunting, underweight), inadequate vitamins or minerals, overweight and obesity. Read more »
March 14
Africa: If You're 65 or Older, It's Time for Another Covid-19 Shot
In my mind, the spring season will always be associated with COVID-19. Read more »
South Africa: Sewage Leaks Put South Africa's Freshwater At Risk - How Citizen Scientists Are Helping Clean Up
Across South Africa, sewage systems are leaking and contaminating the country's freshwater. Involving the affected communities can help prevent this pollution hazard, as a group of… Read more »
Africa: Why Do We Usually Sleep At Night? What Happens When We Don't Sleep? Expert Insights Into This Essential Part of Our Lives
Sleep is as essential to our health as food and water. It is important to a number of brain functions, including how nerve cells communicate with each other. We sleep for a third… Read more »
March 13
South Africa: Are You Sitting Too Long in Your Office Job? South African Study Offers Some Health Tips
Sedentary behaviour can result in chronic health conditions such as obesity and heart diseases, bad news for the millions of office workers who are forced to sit behind their desks… Read more »
March 11
Africa: The Next Pandemic? It's Already Here for Earth's Wildlife
I am a conservation biologist who studies emerging infectious diseases. When people ask me what I think the next pandemic will be I often say that we are in the midst of one - it's… Read more »
February 23
Africa: Slouching Isn't As Bad for You As You Might Think
Often a posture assigned to teenagers and disaffected youth, slouching is traditionally considered to be a "bad" posture - with some claiming it will damage your spine and cause… Read more »
March 04
Africa: Ultra-Processed Foods - Largest Ever Review Shows Many Ill Effects On Health - How to Understand the Evidence
Ultra-processed foods, such as cereals and fizzy drinks, have been linked to 32 harmful health effects, according to the largest review of the evidence to date. Read more »
February 20
Africa: Screen Time Doesn't Have to Be Sedentary - 3 Ways It Can Get Kids Moving
There have been concerns about screens making kids more sedentary and less active since TV was introduced more than half a century ago. Read more »
March 04
Africa: Daily Fibre Supplement Improves Older Adults' Brain Function in Just Three Months - New Study
In just 12 weeks, a daily fibre supplement improved brain function in twins over the age of 65. Could the microbes in our gut hold the key to preventing cognitive decline in our… Read more »
March 12
Africa: What's Behind the Worldwide Shortage of Cholera Vaccines? for Starters, They're Only Made By One Company
In February 2024 the World Health Organization announced southern Africa was suffering the deadliest regional outbreak of cholera in at least a decade. At the epicentre of the… Read more »
South Africa: Is My Water Safe to Drink? Expert Advice for Residents of South African Cities
In early March 2024 the residents of Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city and the economic capital of the country, were hit by extended cuts in water supplies. This was a new… Read more »
March 11
Africa: As the Pandemic Turns Four, Here's What We Need to Do for a Healthier Future
Anniversaries are usually festive occasions, marked by celebration and joy. But there'll be no popping of corks for this one. Read more »
March 07
Africa: Why 'One Health' Needs More Social Sciences - Pandemic Prevention Depends On Behaviour As Well As Biology
On March 11, 2024, it will be four years since the World Health Organization characterized the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak as a pandemic. And while COVID-19 continues to impact people… Read more »