May 21, 2025
Africa: Universal Vaccines Could Reshape How We Fight Future Outbreaks - but a Broad Approach Is Needed
Every year, the race begins anew. Scientists scramble to track mutating viruses, pharmaceutical companies reformulate vaccines and public health systems brace for another season of… Read more »
Lesotho: Morabo Morojele - Lesotho's Swinging Jazz Drummer Who Became a Literary Star
We use the term "Renaissance man" very loosely these days, for anybody even slightly multi-talented. But Lesotho-born jazz drummer, novelist and development scholar Morabo Morojele… Read more »
May 20, 2025
South Africa: Satellite Images Reveal the Dark Side of Household Solar Power
As winter approaches, memories of the past haunt South Africans in more ways than one. The country has experienced years of rolling blackouts, known locally as load shedding.… Read more »
Benin: Armed Groups Are Invading Benin's Forest Reserves. Why and What to Do About It
Benin's Pendjari Biosphere Reserve, also called Pendjari National Park, and its surroundings have been targeted by non-state armed groups since 2019. Read more »
Kenya: Is This Bad for My Health? Kenyan Study Tests Three Types of Warning Labels On Food
Diet-related health conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity, are on the rise in Kenya, putting immense strain on already over-stretched public health systems. These… Read more »
Africa: Ancient Pollen Reveals Stories About Earth's History, From the Asteroid Strike That Killed the Dinosaurs to the Mayan Collapse
If you are sneezing this spring, you are not alone. Every year, plants release billions of pollen grains into the air, specks of male reproductive material that many of us notice… Read more »
May 19, 2025
South Africa: South Africa's Wattled Cranes Are No Longer Critically Endangered - Why the Birds' Numbers Are Rising
Cranes are some of the world's most majestic birds, with 15 species found globally. Four of these are found in Africa. The wattled crane in South Africa was in decline, but seems… Read more »
Nigeria: Sex and Disability - Nigerian Women Share Their Stories
Imagine feeling invisible simply because of your body. Now imagine that invisibility extends into how society treats your desires, your safety, and your rights. Read more »
Nigeria: Cutting HIV Aid Means Undercutting U.S. Foreign and Economic Interests - Nigeria Shows the Human Costs
A little over two decades ago, addressing Nigeria's HIV crisis topped U.S. President George W. Bush's priorities. Africa's most populous nation had 3.5 million HIV cases, and the… Read more »
Africa: African Islands Under Threat - What to Do About Trump's Withdrawal From Climate Change Agreement
President Donald Trump's executive order withdrawing the US from the Paris Agreement raises the question of the implications for small African Indian Ocean island states. Read more »
May 18, 2025
Africa: Terrorists Use Food As a Weapon - How Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab Exploit Hunger
Over the last decade, there has been growing international focus on the role of food in conflict, particularly in Africa. The continent has seen an increase in jihadist terrorism… Read more »
Nigeria: Lagos Slum Evictions Don't Work - 6 Ways City Planners Can Actually Help the Poor
Millions of people in Lagos live in slums. Slums typically have poor housing infrastructure and sanitation, and limited access to education, health facilities and clean drinking… Read more »
Africa: AI-Driven Motion Capture Is Transforming Sports and Exercise Science
In sport, the margin between success and failure is often measured in milliseconds. It could be a cricketer adjusting their foot positioning, a runner refining their sprint start… Read more »
May 15, 2025
Kenya: Kenya Has a Bold New Disability Law - Now to Make It Work
Kenya has long recognised the rights of persons with disabilities in law. The 2010 constitution guarantees access, dignity and inclusion for people living with disabilities. Read more »
Africa: 7 Queer African Works of Art - New Directions in Books, Films and Fashion
Queer African creatives have been making their mark around the world through a range of forms - books, films, fashion, art, music. Their work wins awards, sets trends and is… Read more »
Ghana: Virtual Churches Are Popular in Ghana. but What About Online Safety?
Many churches have been holding worship services online via live-streaming platforms in recent times. This is unsurprising since many congregants use digital technologies. The… Read more »
Africa: Where Do Cuts to USAID Leave the Future of Foreign Aid in Africa? Podcast
Three months after the Trump administration made drastic cuts to its aid agency, USAID, the effects are being felt across the world, particularly in Africa. Read more »
May 14, 2025
Southern Africa: Southern Africa's Rangelands Do Many Jobs, From Feeding Cattle to Storing Carbon - a Review of 60 Years of Research
South Africa's rangelands have always had great value for the country. These areas offer more than just grazing for livestock. They provide services like purifying water, storing… Read more »
Africa: Light Is the Science of the Future - the Africans Using It to Solve Local Challenges
Light is all around us, essential for one of our primary senses (sight) as well as life on Earth itself. It underpins many technologies that affect our daily lives, including… Read more »
South Africa: South African Companies Aren't Innovating Enough - Why Support During Tough Economic Times Matters
South Africa's innovation fund, announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in the 2025 state of the nation address, was a response to the country's urgent need for inclusive and… Read more »
Africa: Koyo Kouoh - Tribute to a Curator Who Fiercely Promoted African Art
The sudden death of the Cameroon-born curator Koyo Kouoh, at the age of 57 and at the height of her career, has shaken the art world. Her passing has left a void in the African… Read more »
May 13, 2025
Africa: AI Can Be a Danger to Students - 3 Things Universities Must Do
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is trained on enormous bodies of text, video and images to identify patterns. It then creates new texts, videos and images on the basis of… Read more »
Ethiopia: Iran and Ethiopia Have a Security Deal - Here's Why They Signed It
Ethiopia and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on 6 May 2025. Under it, their national police agencies will cooperate on security and intelligence. This will include… Read more »
May 12, 2025
South Africa: Marketing Unhealthy Food As Good for Kids Is Fuelling Obesity in South Africa - How to Curb It
Childhood overweight and obesity are a growing public health challenge in South Africa. In 2016, 13% of the country's children were reported to be obese. This is predicted to… Read more »
Africa: What Causes Inequality in African Countries? New Book Traces a Vicious Cycle
Inequality is a problem that exists in various forms in sub-Saharan Africa. Read more »
