Africa: Vaccinating Care Home Residents Reduced Deaths, but the Effect Was Small - New Study

Vaccinating older people probably did avert some deaths in 2021, but the effects were small. And even those small effects on mortality seem to have dissipated during the booster… Read more »

Africa: How Mpox Anti-Vaxx Conspiracies Target and Stigmatise LGBTQ+ People

According to some conspiracy theorists posting on alternative, uncensored social media networks, Mpox is another "scamdemic", created by a powerful elite to cull populations and… Read more »

Africa: New Virus Uncovered in China - Is This a Sign Tick-Borne Diseases Are On the Rise?

Ticks are responsible for spreading over 25 human and animal diseases. While you may be familiar with some of these - such as Lyme disease - there are many others you've probably… Read more »

Africa: Care for Humans, Other Species and the Natural Environment Key to a Just Transition

Communities across the world are facing two worsening crises: a climate crisis and a care crisis. Read more »

Kenya: Kenya Is Overhauling Its National Healthcare Scheme After 58 Years - What Would Make the Transition Less Painful

Kenya's pursuit of universal health coverage has evolved over three decades through incremental reforms. But by far the boldest step taken so far was in 2022 when the government… Read more »

East Africa: Refugees in East Africa Suffer From High Levels of Depression, Making It Harder to Rebuild Lives - New Study

By the end of 2023, more than 100 million people globally had been forced to flee their homes due to war, violence, fear of persecution, and human rights violations. Read more »

Africa: Nobel Prize in Medicine Awarded for Discovery of MicroRNAs, the Molecules That Control Our Genes

Two scientists, Victor Ambros (UMASS Chan Medical School in the US) and Gary Ruvkun (Harvard Medical School in the US), have won the 2024 Nobel prize in medicine or physiology. Read more »

Africa: One of Science's Greatest Achievements - How the Rapid Development of Covid Vaccines Prepares Us for Future Pandemics

Since COVID was first reported in December 2019, there have been more than 775 million recorded infections and more than 7 million deaths from the disease. This makes COVID the… Read more »

South Africa: Rushing or Delaying Decisions Is Linked to Anxiety and Depression in Young People - South African Study

Each day we make thousands of decisions, starting with what to have for breakfast and what to wear. We make so many decisions that we don't keep count. Read more »

Africa: Gut Microbe Imbalances Could Predict a Child's Risk for Autism, Adhd and Speech Disorders Years Before Symptoms Appear

Early screening for neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism is important to ensure children have the support they need to gain the essential skills for daily life. The American… Read more »

Africa: When Medicines Don't Work - Eliminating Neglected Tropical Diseases Will Reduce Drug Resistance - a Win for All

A major health challenge of our time is when drugs no longer work to treat infections. This happens when the agents that cause infections - they may be bacteria, viruses or fungi -… Read more »

Rwanda: Marburg Virus Outbreak in Rwanda - What You Need to Know

Rwanda is in the midst of its first outbreak of Marburg virus - an often fatal disease with symptoms similar to Ebola. So far, 46 cases have been recorded and 12 deaths. The source… Read more »

Africa: Smokers Have a Higher Level of Harmful Bacteria in the Mouth - New Study

A recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 8 million people die annually from smoking related complications. Despite efforts by governments and various… Read more »

Africa: HIV Prevention - Why a New Injectable Drug Could Be Such a Breakthrough - Podcast

A new drug to prevent HIV infection is showing hugely promising results in clinical trials when injected every six months. Read more »

Africa: How Can We Improve Public Health Communication for the Next Pandemic? Tackling Distrust and Misinformation Is Key

There's a common thread linking our experience of pandemics over the past 700 years. From the black death in the 14th century to COVID in the 21st, public health authorities have… Read more »

Africa: Breast Cancer Is the Most Common Cancer in the World. 5 Reads That Could Save Lives

Every year breast cancer claims more than 650,000 lives worldwide. Read more »

Africa: What Pathogen Might Spark the Next Pandemic? How Scientists Are Preparing for 'Disease X'

Before the COVID pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) had made a list of priority infectious diseases. These were felt to pose a threat to international public health, but… Read more »

South Africa: South Africa Has a Good Childhood Vaccination System - What's Stopping It From Being Great

The two public health interventions that have had the greatest impact on the world's health are clean water and vaccines. Professors Susan Goldstein and Haroon Saloojee assess… Read more »

Africa: XEC - What You Need to Know About the New Covid Variant

A new COVID variant is spreading rapidly and could soon become the dominant variant around the globe. The variant, called XEC, was first detected in Germany in August and appears… Read more »

Africa: Why Mpox in Africa Was Ignored for Too Long and Children Are Dying As a Result - Podcast

An epidemic of mpox in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is spreading quickly, particularly among young children. At least 20,000 people are known to be infected in… Read more »

Nigeria: Nigeria Is the World's Second Biggest Plastic Polluter - Expert Insights Into the Crisis

Plastic pollution is a major problem in Nigeria. Read more »

South Africa: South Africa Is Failing Its Youngest Children - Report Flags Critical Gaps in Early Learning, Social Protection and Health Care

Nearly 10 years ago South Africa outlined its commitment to invest in the health and development of young children. Read more »

South Africa: Steve Biko's Murder Exposed Deep Racism in How Medicine Was Taught and Practised in South Africa

In 1966, Steve Biko began studying medicine at the University of Natal in South Africa, the same year that the general assembly of the United Nations declared apartheid a crime… Read more »

Kenya: Kenya's New Social Health Insurance Fund Wants to Improve Care for Mothers and Babies - but It Faces Challenges

Kenya has made strides in maternal and child health over the past decade. Read more »

Africa: Africa Desperately Needs Mpox Vaccines. but Donations From Rich Countries Won't Fix This or the Next Health Emergency

Africa says it needs an estimated ten million doses of mpox vaccine to control this public health emergency. Read more »