June 21
Kenya: Khat in Kenya - Why Efforts to Ban This Popular Stimulant Are Unlikely to Work
Khat - the stimulant leaves and twigs of the plant Catha edulis - seemed to have secure legal status in Kenya despite being illegal elsewhere. It had been declared an official cash… Read more »
June 20
Africa: Global Pandemic Treaty Will Help Fight Future Threats - Top Negotiator On How Talks Are Going
For the past two years the World Health Organization's 194 member states have been negotiating an international accord on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. This was… Read more »
June 19
Africa: Heat Exposure During Pregnancy Can Lead to a Lifetime of Health Problems
Climate change is one of the greatest public health threats humanity has ever faced. Read more »
June 18
Africa: What Is Cervical Cancer and How Can It Be Prevented? Answers to Key Questions
In 2020 the World Health Organization rolled out a global strategy to eradicate cervical cancer by 2030. This is the fourth-most common cancer among women, claiming an estimated… Read more »
June 17
Africa: Romantic Breakups Can Spark Severe Trauma in Young People - New Study
What should I study? What do I want to be? How will I pay for my education? Who do I want to spend the rest of my life with? These are the life-changing decisions many young people… Read more »
June 14
Africa: Results Are Looking Promising for a Combined Covid and Flu Vaccine. Here's How It Could Benefit Public Health
Earlier this week, Moderna announced positive results for its phase 3 clinical trial of a combined vaccine against COVID and influenza. Read more »
June 13
Africa: Despite Improved WHO Regulations, the World Remains Ill-Prepared for the Next Pandemic
The international community's recent failure to conclude a global pandemic agreement leaves large gaps in our capacity to deal with the next major infectious disease emergency. Read more »
June 12
Nigeria: Mental Health Services Are Scarce in Nigeria but There's a Huge Need
Emergency hotlines have a crucial role to play in improving access to mental health services, particularly in countries where these services are in short supply. Read more »
June 11
Africa: Historic Amendments to the Who's International Health Regulations Create a Path Towards an Equitable Pandemic Treaty
On June 1, in the nail-biting final hours of the annual World Health Assembly meeting in Geneva, states agreed to a robust package of amendments to the World Health Organization's… Read more »
June 06
Africa: The Disproportionate Toll That Covid-19 Took On People With Diabetes Continues Today
At the start of the pandemic, many people living with diabetes were wondering what COVID-19 meant for them. Diabetes was already known to put people at higher risks from other… Read more »
June 09
Africa: Cholera Can Kill You Within Hours If Left Untreated
Cholera is a deadly disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, associated with poor sanitation and limited access to clean water. But it has also been found in seemingly… Read more »
June 02
Africa: Patents Based On Traditional Knowledge Are Often 'Biopiracy'. a New International Treaty Will Finally Combat This
Last week, at a conference in Geneva, the member states of the World Intellectual Property Organisation agreed on a new treaty aimed at preventing the for-profit piracy of… Read more »
June 05
Africa: Foreign Healthcare Volunteers in Africa Can Harm Local Relationships - Zambian Study
Thousands of global health volunteers, most from the United States, travel to Africa every year. These volunteers come from diverse backgrounds and have varying levels of… Read more »
June 04
Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone's Bushmeat Markets Pose Serious Health Hazards - We Studied Two for Six Months to Find Solutions
You are walking through the bustling centre of Bo, Sierra Leone's third largest city. Read more »
May 30
Africa: Study of 16 Countries Shows Higher Taxes Would Help Young Smokers Quit or Cut Down
World No Tobacco Day serves to increase awareness about the preventable death and illness associated with tobacco use. It also puts a spotlight on policies that governments can use… Read more »
May 24
Africa: As Covid Cases Rise Again, What Do I Need to Know About the New Flirt Variants?
We've now been living with COVID for well over four years. Although there's still much to learn about SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID) at least one thing seems clear: it's… Read more »
Africa: Animals Self-Medicate With Plants - Behavior People Have Observed and Emulated for Millennia
When a wild orangutan in Sumatra recently suffered a facial wound, apparently after fighting with another male, he did something that caught the attention of the scientists… Read more »
May 27
Africa: Noise-Cancelling Headphones, Earplugs and Earmuffs - Do They Really Help Neurodivergent People?
Noise can make it hard to concentrate, especially for people who are extra sensitive to it. Read more »
May 20
Africa: Snakebites Can Destroy Skin, Muscle, and Even Bone - Exciting Progress On Drugs to Treat Them
The World Health Organization estimates that 1.8 million to 2.7 million people are envenomed by snakes annually, resulting in upwards of 138,000 deaths. Read more »
May 19
Africa: Mapping Malaria in Africa - Climate Change Study Predicts Where Mosquitoes Will Breed in Future
The relationship between climate and malaria transmission is complex and has been the subject of intense study for some three decades. Read more »
May 16
Chad: Chad Hepatitis E Outbreak - How the Dangerous Liver Disease Spreads and How It Can Be Treated
The World Health Organization recently announced an outbreak of hepatitis E in the eastern Ouaddai province of Chad. Between January and April 2024, 2,093 suspected hepatitis E… Read more »
May 15
Africa: Viruses Are Doing Mysterious Things Everywhere - Ai Can Help Researchers Understand What They're Up to in the Oceans and in Your Gut
Viruses are a mysterious and poorly understood force in microbial ecosystems. Researchers know they can infect, kill and manipulate human and bacterial cells in nearly every… Read more »
May 13
Africa: Wildlife Traffickers Carried On Their Illegal Trade During Covid Lockdown
The world literally stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic. But while countries locked down to keep coronavirus at bay, wildlife traffickers carried on their illegal activities.… Read more »
May 12
Africa: Female Genital Mutilation Is On the Rise in Africa - Disturbing New Trends Are Driving Up the Numbers
Thirteen-year-old Salamatu Jalloh had her whole future to look forward to. But in January 2023, her lifeless body was found wrapped in a pink and blue shroud on an earthen floor in… Read more »
May 10
Africa: Lassa Fever Case in Paris - What You Need to Know
A case of Lassa fever has been reported in Paris, France, sparking lurid warnings about the "horrific Ebola-like bug". Read more »