August 27, 2023
South Africa: TB Research Shows a Good Diet Can Cut Infections By Nearly 50%
For centuries, we have known that tuberculosis is a social disease. It thrives on poverty and social factors such as malnutrition, poor housing, overcrowding, unsafe work… Read more »
August 23, 2023
Ghana: Accra's Most Vulnerable Residents Were Failed During Covid - the Government Didn't Understand Their Realities
Containment measures, such as the lockdowns introduced to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus, had devastating consequences for vulnerable urban populations globally. Read more »
August 22, 2023
Africa: 'Dirty Red' - How Periods Have Been Stigmatised Through History to the Modern Day
About a year ago, at a friend's wedding, a fellow guest asked whether I knew that modern sanitary towels owe their origins to resourceful World War I field nurses who discovered… Read more »
August 15, 2023
Africa: The Orgasm Gap and Why Women Climax Less Than Men
Imagine a steamy sex scene involving a woman and a man from your favourite television show or movie. It's likely that both parties orgasm. But this doesn't reflect reality. Read more »
August 17, 2023
Africa: Can Coffee or a Nap Make Up for Sleep Deprivation? A Psychologist Explains Why There's No Substitute for Shut-Eye
There is no denying the importance of sleep. Everyone feels better after a good night of sleep, and lack of sleep can have profoundly negative effects on both the body and the… Read more »
August 18, 2023
Africa: How Genetically Modifying Mosquitoes Could Strengthen the World's War On Malaria
It's been 126 years since British medical doctor Sir Ronald Ross discovered that mosquitoes in the Anopheles family are primarily responsible for transmitting malaria parasites… Read more »
August 16, 2023
Nigeria: Nigerian Women Ensure They Get the Best Possible Healthcare By Managing Unequal Power Relations With Men
Nigeria is a patriarchal society. Authority is vested in men, who tend to exert power and control over women in various spheres of life. This has an impact on women's health and… Read more »
August 13, 2023
Ghana: National Health Insurance Users Often End Up Paying As Much As Those Who Don't Belong. So Why Join?
Health financing is a challenge any country has to deal with to provide good healthcare services. It's especially important for developing countries such as Ghana, where ability to… Read more »
August 09, 2023
Africa: Depression Isn't Just Sadness - It's Often a Loss of Pleasure
It's often thought that if someone is depressed, they will feel sad or low most of the time. But what many don't realise is that these aren't the only symptoms of depression.… Read more »
August 10, 2023
Africa: The WHO Has Declared Eris a 'Variant of Interest'. How Is It Different From Other Omicron Variants?
EG.5 is a family of Omicron variants (descended from XBB.1.9.2) that first appeared back in February 2023. Read more »
August 07, 2023
West Africa: Sickle Cell Disease Is Rife in West Africa - a Fresh Approach Is Needed to Combat It
Sickle cell disease refers to a group of inherited blood disorders with symptoms like anaemia and blocked blood vessels. About 80% of the world's sickle cell disease cases occur in… Read more »
August 06, 2023
Ghana: Ghana's Housing Policy and Regulation Is Failing - Covid Proved As Much
Access to decent housing is a fundamental human right. Across sub-Saharan Africa, however, this right remains an elusive dream for many households. Read more »
Kenya: Living in Nairobi's Informal Areas Spikes Chances of Having High Blood Pressure
Hypertension, commonly referred to as high blood pressure, is a non-communicable disease that occurs when there is a sustained elevation in the pressure of the blood that flows… Read more »
August 03, 2023
Africa: Immune Cells That Fight Cancer Become Exhausted Within Hours of First Encountering Tumors - New Research
A key function of our immune system is to detect and eliminate foreign pathogens such as bacteria and viruses. Immune cells like T cells do this by distinguishing between different… Read more »
August 04, 2023
Africa: More Adults Than Ever Have Been Seeking ADHD Medications - an Expert Explains What Could Be Driving Trend
As a woman in my 30s who was constantly typing "ADHD" into my computer, something interesting happened to me in 2021. I started receiving a wave of advertisements beckoning me to… Read more »
August 02, 2023
Africa: Does Picking Your Nose Really Increase Your Risk of Covid?
Picking your nose is linked to an increased risk of COVID, according to a study out today. Read more »
August 03, 2023
South Africa: South Africa's New Vaping Tax Won't Deter Young Smokers
Throughout the world, governments impose excise taxes on products like alcohol and tobacco to reduce their demand. The South African government has implemented a tax on vaping… Read more »
August 02, 2023
Namibia: Oil Drilling Threatens the Okavango River Basin, Putting Water in Namibia and Botswana At Risk
The Namibian and Botswana governments may be risking their water resources for oil and gas revenue. They have licensed a Canadian firm, ReconAfrica, to prospect for oil in the… Read more »
Nigeria: Nigeria Battles a Deadly Diphtheria Outbreak - What It Is and How to Control It
Diphtheria has been reported in Nigeria: more than 790 confirmed cases as of 30 June 2023. There were 83 deaths among the confirmed cases between May 2022 and June 2023. Infectious… Read more »
July 26, 2023
Africa: Long Covid - Brain Function Still Affected for Some Up to Two Years After Infection - New Research
Difficulties with cognitive functions or skills, such as the ability to recall memories, concentrate on tasks, or find the right words in conversation, are commonly reported… Read more »
July 25, 2023
Africa: Record Technostress and Reduced Well-Being Show That Remote Working Isn't as Good as we Thought
At the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, at least 557 million workers were forced to work from home. Read more »
Africa: Why Workers in Small Businesses Can Struggle With Mental Health and 'Presenteeism'
If you are struggling with your mental health, is it better to come to work or stay off sick? You may think your employer would prefer you try to keep working, but many employers… Read more »
July 24, 2023
Africa: You've Lost Someone You Love - 4 Signs You May Need to Seek Grief Counselling
Grief is a natural response to losing something you felt a bond with. This loss ranges from death to the end of a relationship. It could also be the loss of an election or of a… Read more »
July 20, 2023
South Africa: Half of All South Africans Are Overweight or Obese. Warning Labels On Unhealthy Foods Help Change That
South Africa's national health department recently invited public comment on regulations for warning labels on food packaging. The regulations specify how pre-packaged food should… Read more »
July 18, 2023
South Africa: Male Fertility Crisis - What Environmental Contaminants Have Got to Do With It
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently reported that around one in six couples globally are affected by infertility. For many years people tended to blame women for a… Read more »