insert_link Africa South Africans uncertain about two-pot retirement system The two-pot retirement system comes into effect on 1 September 2024 in South Africa. It allows people to withdraw a portion of their retirement funds before reaching retirement age. The rest will be preserved to sustain them post-retirement. However, many South Africans remain concerned as to how it will work and its impact. We asked Local Pension Fund Expert Arthur Kröhnert for his opinion on the matter. todayApril 23, 2024 27
insert_link Africa Pressure mounts in Mali to nullify military’s political activity suspension Pressure is mounting in Mali on the Supreme Court to nullify the military government's order which seeks to suspend political activities. A group of political parties and civil society organizations have filed an appeal at the top court arguing that the order is repressive. Nabil Ahmed Rufai reports from Accra. todayApril 23, 2024 2
insert_link Africa Planting trees in grasslands won’t save the planet – rather protect and restore forests By Susanne Vetter, Rhodes University Tree planting is one of the nature-based solutions being used to offset greenhouse gas emissions. Trees absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide. Many of these tree planting projects target Africa’s rangelands (open grasslands or shrublands used by livestock and wild animals). They include agroforestry initiatives such as the Great Green Wall in the Sahel, or commercial timber plantations that double as carbon offset projects. […] todayApril 23, 2024 19
insert_link Africa Two new malaria vaccines are being rolled out across Africa: how they work and what they promise By Jaishree Raman, National Institute for Communicable Diseases Malaria incidents are on the rise. There were 249 million cases of this parasitic disease in 2022, five million more than in 2021. Africa suffers more than any other region from malaria, with 94% of cases and 95% of deaths worldwide. This year two revolutionary malaria vaccines are being rolled out across the continent. Nadine Dreyer asks Jaishree Raman […] todayApril 23, 2024 35
insert_link Africa WHO approves new oral simplified cholera vaccine World Health Organization's has approved a new oral vaccine for cholera. The oral vaccine for cholera received prequalification by the WHO on 12 April 2024. The inactivated oral vaccine Euvichol-S has a similar efficacy to existing vaccines but a simplified formulation, allowing opportunities to rapidly increase production capacity. There were 473 000 cholera cases reported to WHO in 2022 -- double the number from 2021. Further increase of cases by 700 […] todayApril 22, 2024 94
insert_link Africa Senior FAO official warns of real risk of famine in Sudan Sudan’s food security crisis is a matter of deep concern with a very real risk there could be famine there, Rein Paulsen the Director of the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s Office of Emergencies and Resilience has told UN News. The FAO is supporting vulnerable farms to boost crop production and is implementing famine prevention strategies, including vaccinating animals. todayApril 22, 2024 14
insert_link 2 Africa Johannesburg to host 2024 Africa Children’s Summit The Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund says the 2024 Africa Children’s Summit will play a vital role in empowering the continent’s children. The SABC reports that the summit will be held in Johannesburg from 9 to 12 August. The fund’s CEO Doctor Linda Ncube-Nkomo, “The summit is a platform for children’s voices to be heard and what we want to get out of it is a reversal of what happens, where […] todayApril 22, 2024 44 2
insert_link Africa Insurance payouts expected for some Southern African drought hit countries A drought driven by the El Nino weather pattern is likely to trigger insurance payouts to four southern African countries that took out cover with an agency of the African Union. Bloomberg reports that Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique will receive payments at the end of the harvesting season, according to current projections, African Risk Capacity said in a statement but the payments are unlikely to meet regional needs. todayApril 22, 2024 21
insert_link Africa Blue whales: first discovery near Seychelles in decades – what our study found By Jeremy Kiszka, Florida International University Blue whales are fascinating animals. At 24-30 metres in length (longer than a basketball court) they are the largest creatures on Earth. They are also among the rarest. Estimates suggest that there are only around 5,000 to 15,000 blue whales left in the world. Their populations experienced a 89-97% decline due to commercial whaling activities worldwide that started in the North […] todayApril 22, 2024 13
