June 13
Africa: June 16 Uprising - How a Massacre in South Africa Led to Africa's Boycott of the 1976 Olympics
As the world prepares for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, can we maintain faith in the nonpolitical ethos of the event? The Montreal Olympics Games in 1976 stands out, among others,… Read more »
Senegal: Senegal Has a Rich History of Traditional Music - How It Lives On in Modern Music
Senegal has a rich history of traditional music - and this lives on as it influences the west African country's modern music today. Read more »
South Africa: Jacob Zuma - South Africans Have Five Theories About Why He's Still Popular
A number of theories are being touted in South Africa about why and how former president Jacob Zuma retains his appeal as a leader. And why the party he formed - uMkhonto we Sizwe… Read more »
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
Africa: Why Doesn't Water Help With Spicy Food? What About Milk or Beer?
Spicy foods taste spicy because they contain a family of compounds called capsaicinoids. Capsaicin is the major culprit. It's found in chillies, jalapeños, cayenne pepper,… Read more »
Sudan: Sudan Food Emergency - Local Researcher Unpacks Scale of the Disaster and What Action Is Needed
The UN recently warned of the risk of famine in Sudan. The war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has killed civilians and devastated livelihoods on a… Read more »
Malawi: Malawi Farming Experiment Shows How Simple Changes Can Boost Maize Yields and Improve Soil
Malawi's increasingly unpredictable rainfall and higher than usual temperatures are causing problems for smallholder farmers. Soil erosion has increased, causing soil fertility and… Read more »
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 »
South Africa: South Africa's Biggest Arts Festival Turns 50 - We Assess Its Impact
The National Arts Festival was established in 1974 in Grahamstown (now Makhanda) in South Africa's Eastern Cape province. Each year, in winter, the rural town transforms into a… Read more »
Congo-Kinshasa: Are Presidents Good Role Models for Vaccination Uptake?
Immunisation is considered one of the most cost-effective public health interventions, saving millions of lives each year, and benefiting the health of the wider community through… Read more »
June 11
Africa: The Last Ozone-Layer Damaging Chemicals to Be Phased Out Are Finally Falling in the Atmosphere
Since the 1985 discovery of a hole in the ozone layer countries have agreed and amended treaties to aid its recovery. The most notable of these is the Montreal protocol on… Read more »
Africa: Africa's Freeports Should Boost Trade and Foreign Exchange Earnings - but Evidence Is Thin
The concept of a freeport - an area where normal tax and customs rules don't apply - has existed for centuries. Over time, different terms have emerged. They include export… Read more »
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 »
Senegal: Senegal's Remote Bassari People Talk About Climate Change, and How Their Local Knowledge Is Key to Coping Strategies
The Bassari people, a farming community of about 20,000 people, live in an area between Senegal and Guinea. During French colonial rule, the Bassari lost part of their communal… Read more »
Africa: Girls Usually Read Better Than Boys. Why This Isn't the Case in Some African Countries
In most parts of the world, girls outperform boys in reading. Girls are more likely to read at or above the expected level of proficiency for their grade compared to boys. Read more »
Africa: African Elephants Address One Another With Name-Like Calls - Similar to Humans
What's in a name? People use unique names to address each other, but we're one of only a handful of animal species known to do that, including bottlenose dolphins. Finding more… Read more »
South Africa: Cyril Ramaphosa's Leadership Style Didn't Impress Voters - but Seeking Consensus May Be What South Africa's Unity Government Needs
South Africa's 2024 general election, with its devastating loss of a majority for the ruling African National Congress (ANC), is also damaging for President Cyril Ramaphosa (71).… Read more »
June 10
South Africa: South Africa's Unity Govt - 5 Parties That Need to Find Common Ground
Following South Africa's historic 2024 general election, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) has started a process to establish a government of national unity. This, after… Read more »
Africa: EU Migration Policy Is Getting Tougher - the 3 New Tactics Used to Keep African Migrants Out
Nearly a decade has passed since migration to Europe from Africa and the Middle East reached a peak in 2015, referred to as the year of the "migrant crisis". Over a million people… Read more »
Africa: Bicycles Can Change Lives, Especially in Rural Africa
To many people around the world bicycles are a crucial means of transport, especially for carrying loads in rural areas. While their benefits are huge and many organisations are… Read more »
June 09
Africa: Economic Development in Sub-Saharan Africa Is Linked to Increasing Obesity Rates in Women
Obesity and excess weight gain, traditionally perceived as health issues predominantly affecting high-income countries, are now increasingly prevalent in low and middle-income… Read more »
Morocco: Hunter-Gatherer Diets Weren't Always Heavy On Meat - Morocco Study Reveals a Plant-Based Diet
About 11,000 years ago, humans made a major shift from hunting and gathering to farming. This change, known as the Neolithic Revolution, dramatically altered our diets. Read more »
Malawi: Farming With a Mixture of Crops, Animals and Trees Is Better for the Environment and for People - Evidence From Ghana and Malawi
Farming just one kind of crop in a field at a time, and using a lot of chemicals, poses a risk to both people and nature. This simplified intensive agriculture often goes hand in… Read more »
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 07
Africa: Displaced By Violent Conflict - the World's Most Neglected Crises Are in Africa - Six Essential Reads
The Norwegian Refugee Council recently released a report highlighting the 10 most neglected displacement crises in the world in 2023. Nine of the 10 countries are in Africa - the… Read more »