Health / Medical Archives - Page 32 of 49

Gum arabic from Africa’s acacia trees in the Sahel is used in hundreds of products: what’s worth knowing

By Asgar Ali, University of Nottingham The conflict in Sudan has turned attention to a rarely discussed commodity: gum arabic. This product, the dried sap of certain species of acacia trees, is used mainly as an additive in the soft drinks industry. Sudan accounts for about 70% of global gum arabic exports. Asgar Ali, an expert in sustainable food systems, answers questions about the commodity and its […]

30 April, 2024

Africa

How expensive it is to be poor: Prof. Abdoulaye Diabaté inspires global action against malaria at TED2024

In a stirring address at TED2024, Prof. Abdoulaye Diabaté, Head of Medical Entomology and Parasitology at the Research Institute in Health Sciences in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, and Principal Investigator of Target Malaria Burkina Faso, shared his journey with malaria and his resolute commitment to eradicating it. Prof. Diabaté's talk shed light on the devastating toll of malaria, particularly in Africa, and stressed the urgent need for transformative solutions. […]

30 April, 2024

Health / Medical

Namibia marks World Immunisation Week

This week is World Immunisation Week, with this year celebrating 50 years of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation. The World Health Organisation director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, says they are calling on world leaders to advocate, support, and fund vaccines and immunisation programmes. The week is marked under the theme of ‘Humanly Possible’. Here is the Minister of Health and Social Services Dr. Kalumbi Shangula for his message. Vaccines Save […]

29 April, 2024

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. […]

26 April, 2024

Health / Medical

Namibia celebrates World Malaria Day

World Malaria Day is being celebrated today under the theme, “Accelerating the fight against malaria for a more equitable world”. Despite significant progress in reducing the global burden of malaria between 2000 and 2015, progress has slowed in recent years, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. We contacted Dr Richard Kamwi, the Africa CDC Champion and Ambassador of the Elimination 8 Initiative to find out how Namibia is faring.

25 April, 2024

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 […]

25 April, 2024

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 […]

25 April, 2024

Health / Medical

Does ejaculating often reduce your risk of prostate cancer?

By Daniel Kelly, Sheffield Hallam University In terms of men’s health issues, prostate cancer features high on the agenda. It’s the second most diagnosed cancer in men globally – closely followed by lung cancer. And it’s the most common cancer in men in the UK. As the prostate is a reproductive organ with its main job being to help make semen – the fluid that carries sperm […]

24 April, 2024

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 […]

23 April, 2024