insert_link Africa Uganda investigates unidentified illness Ugandan health authorities are investigating an unidentified disease outbreak that has killed at least 12 people in a span of two weeks in Kyotera district in the central region. The BBC reports that affected patients had rashes on the skin which kept widening, before dying in a matter of days while some had swollen limbs. The country’s Ministry of Health has collected fresh samples but the findings are yet to […] todayNovember 22, 2023 1
insert_link Africa Ugandan entrepreneur wins 2023 Leadership Impact Award for solar-recycled smart bag A Ugandan entrepreneur has won a prestigious award for her solar-recycled smart bag. Jamilah Mayanja beat twelve other global competitors to win the 2023 Leadership Impact Award which rewards individuals who have made an impact in their communities. The Mandela Washington Fellowship describes Jamilah as a social entrepreneur and educator who empowers women and girls to transform their lives and communities. In 2012, she founded Smart Girls Uganda, a nonprofit […] todayNovember 21, 2023 6
insert_link Africa Antibiotic resistance causes more deaths than malaria and HIV/Aids combined. What Africa is doing to fight this silent epidemic By Tom Nyirenda, Stellenbosch University Each year antimicrobial resistance – the ability of microbes to survive agents designed to kill them – claims more lives than malaria and HIV/Aids combined. Africa bears the brunt of this development, which thrives on inequality and poverty. Nadine Dreyer asked Tom Nyirenda, a research scientist with over 27 years’ experience in infectious diseases, what health organisations on the continent are doing to fight this […] todayNovember 21, 2023 4
insert_link Health / Medical Antimicrobial resistance is a silent killer that leads to 5 million deaths a year. Solutions must include the poor Marina Joubert, Stellenbosch University; Phaik Yeong Cheah, University of Oxford, and Sonia Lewycka, Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) Microbes such as bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi form part of our everyday lives – they live in us, on us and around us. We need them for healthy digestion, immune function, and the synthesis of essential nutrients, and we depend on them for farming and industrial processes. But microbes also […] todayNovember 20, 2023 2
insert_link Africa There are too few toilets in Africa and it’s a public health hazard – how to fix the problem Omololu Fagunwa, Queen's University Belfast and Helen Onyeaka, University of Birmingham Imagine you are miles from the nearest restroom, and nature’s call is urgent – a situation that might raise a mild panic during a hike or at a music festival. Now, picture that same scenario, not as a one-off inconvenience, but as a daily reality. This is the case for about half a billion people globally. In African countries, […] todayNovember 17, 2023 14
insert_link Health / Medical NPPF open letter to patients and members of Namibian medical aid funds Dear Patients and Members of Namibian Medical Aid Funds… The purpose of this communication is to provide some information on the latest developments within the Namibian private healthcare system, a system of such quality and standard that it even surpasses many systems in first-world countries. This is due in large part to a combination of excellent facilities, excellent practitioners and an excellent financial system providing a functional third-party payer (medical […] todayNovember 16, 2023 449
insert_link Health / Medical Malaria elimination efforts intensify in Oshikoto despite challenges The Ministry of Health and Social Services' malaria ambassador for Oshikoto, Vilho Nuunyango, is determined to eradicate malaria in the region despite facing several challenges. Nuunyango expressed this commitment during a courtesy visit to the office of Oshikoto Governor Penda Ya Ndakolo on Wednesday. “We want to fulfil our vision of eliminating malaria in the whole of Oshikoto by the end of this year,” said Nuunyango. The health ministry’s regional […] todayNovember 16, 2023
insert_link Health / Medical Government concerned about maternal, neonatal deaths: Shangula Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Kalumbi Shangula, has expressed concern over the increased maternal deaths, stillbirths and neonatal deaths in Namibia. The minister was speaking on Thursday during the opening of the National Seminar on Neonatal Care in Swakopmund. The one-day seminar provides an opportunity for experts and practitioners in the field of pediatrics and neonatology to exchange ideas and collaborate on innovative solutions to improve the health […] todayNovember 16, 2023 3
insert_link Health / Medical NDCN workshop addresses outdated disability policy The National Disability Council of Namibia (NDCN) conducted a consultative workshop in Rundu on Tuesday to discuss the Persons with Disabilities Draft Bill and the National Policy on Disability. NDCN Chief Executive Officer Angelique Philander addressed the workshop, saying the consultations were prompted by an outdated national policy on disability established in 1997. She explained that the policy no longer aligns with the current needs and advancements of people […] todayNovember 14, 2023
Paying it forward: Kenyan coastal doctor Bashrahil Mohammed Mafudh has made it his life’s work to care for the most vulnerable in his community, at no cost.
