South Africa: Intermittent Fasting Could Help Protect the Brain From Age-Related Diseases Like Alzheimer's

As the world population has grown older, Alzheimer's disease has become increasingly common. Alzheimer's disease is the most prevalent form of dementia. Dementia is a term used to… Read more »

South Africa: National Health Insurance Bill Has Noble Aims but Leaves Too Much Uncertain - It Needs More Work

South Africa's National Health Insurance (NHI) bill has passed the first hurdle towards becoming law, getting the country closer to its vision of achieving universal access to… Read more »

Africa: Every 2 Seconds in the World a Baby Is Born Prematurely - Report Identifies Biggest Challenges for Their Survival

Globally, about one baby in 10 is born too soon - that's around one baby every two seconds. A full term pregnancy is around nine months or 37 weeks. Babies born before this mark… Read more »

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 »

South Africa: Cholera - Vaccines Can Stop the Spread, but the Biggest Deterrent Is Clean Water

South Africa has experienced outbreaks of cholera since January. The worst was in May in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria, where nearly 30 people died. Cholera is a bacterial… Read more »

Tanzania: Baby Deaths in Tanzania - Being Born in a City No Longer Increases Their Chances of Survival

Five million children under five years old died in 2021. Of these, nearly half occurred within the first month - a time of high vulnerability. Sub-Saharan Africa had the highest… Read more »

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 »

Africa: Dirty Tea Towels Are Breeding Grounds for Harmful Bacteria - Here's How to Clean Them Properly

Kitchens can harbour all sorts of germs and bacteria. These can arrive via humans, pets, uncooked food or even plants, meaning that a high proportion of foodborne infections are… Read more »

Africa: Human Organs for Transplant - 5 Steps Africa Must Take to Improve the Supply Chain

Medical science has made tremendous advancements over the past 70 years. One of these is the transplant of human organs from one person to another. The first transplant - a kidney… Read more »

Nigeria: Health Workers and Absenteeism - Study Shows How Personal and Political Relationships Protect Offenders

Absenteeism of health workers contributes to poor quality of care. A study in Uganda, for example, showed that it reduced the likelihood of people using primary health centres by… Read more »

South Africa: Measles and Whooping Cough Outbreaks in South Africa - a Sign of Low Vaccination Coverage, Experts Warn

The concentrated global effort to use vaccination as a public health intervention began in 1974. Since then, vaccination has changed our lives. Worldwide, in the decades 2000-2020,… Read more »

Africa: Why Does My Back Get So Sore When I'm Sick? the Connection Between Immunity and Pain

Have you ever wondered why your back aches when you're down with the flu or a cold? Or COVID? Read more »

Africa: What If China Really Did Develop Covid As a Bioweapon? Here Are the Issues Involved

China is facing renewed allegations that the COVID-19 outbreak was caused by a leak from one of their laboratories - and that this research is connected to biowarfare. Read more »

South Africa: Water Quality in South Africa - Reports Show What Needs to Be Fixed, and At What Cost

The citizens of Hammanskraal, a small town north of South Africa's capital, Tshwane, have been dealing with the deaths of 23 residents from cholera since 23 May 2023. Tests to find… Read more »

Africa: Long Covid - Effects On Fatigue and Quality of Life Can Be Comparable to Some Cancers - New Research

As of March 2023, the Office for National Statistics estimated that 1.7 million people in the UK were living with self-reported long COVID. This refers to symptoms, including… Read more »

South Africa: HIV Care for Migrant Women in South Africa - the Gaps and 5 Steps Towards Offering Better Services

Around 8.45 million people in South Africa live with HIV - an estimated 13.9% of the population. Of South African women aged 15-49, approximately 24% are HIV positive. Read more »

South Africa: Should I Get the Flu Vaccine? South African Experts Say Yes - Here's Why

The winter months are synonymous with the flu in South Africa. Similar to other countries in the southern hemisphere, South Africa has an annual influenza season stretching from… Read more »

Africa: Covid Has Highlighted the Connection Between Spirituality and Vaccine Scepticism

In the two and a half years since the first COVID vaccines were administered, anti-vaccination sentiment has grown exponentially. Scepticism about vaccines has been voiced, in… Read more »

South Africa: Foetal Alcohol Syndrome - Facial Modelling Study Explores Technology to Aid Diagnosis

Foetal alcohol syndrome is a lifelong condition caused by exposing an unborn baby to alcohol. It's a pattern of mental, physical and behavioural symptoms seen in some people whose… Read more »

Nigeria: Hepatitis B Is a Life-Threatening Liver Infection - Our Machine Learning Tool Could Help With Early Detection

More than 296 million people worldwide live with hepatitis B, a potentially life-threatening liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Most don't know they are… Read more »

Africa: 'It's Actually a Human Person, Undergoing Real Emotions' - How Podcasts Can Impact Attitudes Around Mental Health

Millions of people listen to podcasts each year. Podcast content is diverse, with popular genres including true crime, comedy, and society and culture. Read more »

Africa: Removing Antimicrobial Resistance From WHO's 'Pandemic Treaty' Will Leave Humanity Vulnerable to Future Pandemics

In late May, the latest version of the draft Pandemic Instrument, also referred to as the "pandemic treaty," was shared with Member States at the World Health Assembly. The text… Read more »

Africa: The First Line of Vaccines Was Highly Effective At Restricting Covid-19's Damage

After more than three years of COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that over 763 million infections, and nearly seven million deaths, have been attributed to… Read more »

Africa: Exercise Linked to Higher Pain Tolerance - New Study

Many benefits come from regularly exercising, including stronger muscles, lower risk of disease and improved mental health. But a recent study suggests that exercise may have… Read more »

Africa: How to Navigate Difficult Conversations With Your Teenager

Important conversations with teenagers are among the biggest challenges of parenting. They can feel like walking a tightrope. Lean too much - or too little - into commands and… Read more »