insert_link Africa Kenyan doctors’ strike: the government keeps failing to hold up its end of the bargain By Kahura Mundia, University of Nairobi At least 4,000 doctors are employed in Kenya’s public healthcare sector. Almost all of them went on strike on 14 March 2024, demanding the implementation of a labour agreement signed with the government in 2017. The agreement promised higher salaries, better working conditions and the recruitment of doctors. The Kenyan government said it didn’t have the money to honour the agreement, […] today29 April, 2024
insert_link Africa Sierra Leone’s Energy Minister Resigns Amid Electricity Crisis Sierra Leone's Energy Minister, Kanja Sesay, resigned on Friday in the midst of a prolonged electricity crisis. His resignation came on the same day the government disclosed partial payment of outstanding debts owed to energy providers. Sesay took full responsibility for the crisis in his resignation letter. Following Sesay's resignation, President Julius Maada Bio's office announced that the energy ministry would now be directly supervised by the president. today29 April, 2024
insert_link Africa Nigeria is pioneering a new vaccine to fight meningitis – why this matters By Idris Mohammed, Gombe State University Nigeria recently became the first country to roll out a new vaccine (called Men5CV) recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), which protects people against five strains of meningococcus bacteria. The Conversation Africa asked Idris Mohammed, a professor of infectious diseases and immunology and former board chair of Nigeria’s National Programme on Immunisation, to explain the new vaccine and its likely impact. […] today26 April, 2024
insert_link Africa Nigerians throw naira notes around to show love: but it could land you in jail By Abiodun Odusote, University of Lagos The legal implication of physically damaging the naira, Nigeria’s currency, came into focus recently with the prosecution of at least two celebrities by the country’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Nigeria has a law that prohibits what it terms abuse, which also includes writing on the notes or crumpling them. It also covers naira coins. The law was introduced in 2007 […] today26 April, 2024
insert_link Africa Zimbabwe’s Tourism and Hospitality Industry Permanent Secretary gives update on MoU with Namibia Zimbabwe and Namibia in 2014 signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the seventh session of the Joint Permanent Commission meant to strengthen bilateral trade and investment. Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Permanent Secretary Dr. Takaruza Munyanyiwa. today25 April, 2024
insert_link Africa Nigeria revokes dormant mining licences, opens opportunity for investors Nigeria's government has revoked with immediate effect, 924 dormant licences across four sectors in the mining industry. It has also invited investors to freely apply for the affected licences which it says will be offered on a "first come, first served" basis. today25 April, 2024
insert_link Africa R21 anti-malaria vaccine is a game changer: scientist who helped design it reflects on 30 years of research, and what it promises By Adrian Hill, University of Oxford Until three years ago nobody had developed a vaccine against any parasitic disease. Now there are two against malaria: the RTS,S and the R21 vaccines. Adrian Hill, director of the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford and chief investigator for the R21 vaccine, tells Nadine Dreyer why he thinks this is a great era for malaria control. What makes malaria […] today25 April, 2024
insert_link Africa Rwanda’s post-genocide model prioritises security over freedom and equality – a risk to future stability By Omar Shahabudin McDoom, London School of Economics and Political Science Rwanda, a small and landlocked central African country, has made remarkable socio-economic progress since the 1994 genocide in which an estimated 500,000 people died. But the country, as well as the rest of the world, remains divided over the achievements made and the direction taken over the past 30 years. Supporters of Rwanda’s trajectory believe in […] today25 April, 2024
insert_link Africa Sugar in baby food: why Nestlé needs to be held to account in Africa By Susan Goldstein, University of the Witwatersrand Nestlé has been criticised for adding sugar and honey to infant milk and cereal products sold in many poorer countries. The Swiss food giant controls 20% of the baby-food market, valued at nearly US$70 billion. Nadine Dreyer asked public health academic Susan Goldstein why extra sugar is particularly bad for babies and how multinationals targeting low-income countries with sweeter products […] today25 April, 2024
