insert_link Environment Bird flu: what is it, how does it spread and how can we protect ourselves from it? By Daniel Oladimeji Oluwayelu, University of Ibadan There has been an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso’s capital. The viral disease, also called avian influenza, killed 441 chickens out of a flock of 641 on a farm. There have been several outbreaks bird flu across Africa over the past 18 years. Nigeria was the first African country to report an outbreak in February 2006. […] todayMarch 25, 2024 12
insert_link Health / Medical Namibia sees HIV reduction between 2018 and 2022 With the number of HIV cases having decreased between 2018 and 2022, the Ministry of Health and Social Services is targeting to end AIDS as a public threat in Namibia. Here is Executive Director Ben Nangombe with more. todayMarch 14, 2024 30
insert_link Namibia Break Free anti-violence campaign launches mental health talk The Break Free Anti-Violence campaign, initiated in 2017 under the leadership of the Former First Lady, Madame Monica Geingos, and the One Economy Foundation, aims to raise awareness about various forms of violence and provide practical solutions to reduce its prevalence. Tomorrow, on the 15th of March, a mental health conversation will take place at the Nampower Convention Centre. Pefimbo Shipunda a senior social worker at One Economy Foundation, has […] todayMarch 14, 2024 39
insert_link Health / Medical Why do we usually sleep at night? What happens when we don’t sleep? Expert insights into this essential part of our lives By Karine Scheuermaier, University of the Witwatersrand; Alison Bentley, University of the Witwatersrand; Dale Rae, University of Cape Town; Francesc Xavier Gomez-Olive Casas, University of the Witwatersrand; Gosia Lipinska, University of Cape Town; Jonathan Davy, Rhodes University; Joshua Davimes, University of the Witwatersrand; Nomathemba Chandiwana, University of the Witwatersrand, and Oluwatosin Olorunmoteni, Obafemi Awolowo University Sleep is as essential to our health as food and water. It […] todayMarch 14, 2024 19
insert_link Africa In climate-related flooding, a Ugandan river turns poisonous By Ashoka Mukpo Uganda’s Nyamwamba river, in the Rwenzori Mountains, has begun to flood catastrophically in recent years, partly due to climate change. Along the river are copper tailings pools from an old Canadian mining operation, which are becoming increasingly eroded by the flooding. According to a series of studies, these tailings have been washing into the water supply and soil of the Nyamwamba River Basin, contaminating human tissue, food […] todayMarch 11, 2024 56
insert_link Health / Medical Global obesity rates double among adults, quadruple among children The number of obese people worldwide has surpassed one billion, according to global analysis. Research published by The Lancet journal shows 879 million adults and 159 million children were obese in 2022 - the most recent year included in the analysis. The data shows that globally, obesity rates among children and adolescents quadrupled from 1990 to 2022, while rates among adults more than doubled. The numbers, according to local Dietician […] todayMarch 4, 2024 22
insert_link Africa Antibiotic use on Kenya’s dairy farms is putting consumers and animals at risk By Dishon Muloi, International Livestock Research Institute and Arshnee Moodley, CGIAR System Organization Farmers often use antibiotics to keep their livestock healthy. They’re sometimes used as “quick fixes”, to avoid more costly management measures like regular disinfection, waste management, routine vaccination or provision of clean drinking water. Animal husbandry now accounts for about two thirds of the global consumption of antibiotics. As livestock and fish production […] todayFebruary 22, 2024 10
insert_link Health / Medical Health ministry urges caution amid Covid-19 increase in Rehoboth Ministry of Health Executive Director, Ben Nangombe has urged the public to adhere to COVID-19 prevention measures, especially when attending memorial services for the late President Hage Geingob. This comes after a surge in COVID-19 cases at two schools in Rehoboth, with 20 reported cases since February 8th. Nangombe has confirmed that the cases are clustered in Rehoboth and have not spread to other parts of the country. todayFebruary 19, 2024 34
insert_link Health / Medical HIV among older South Africans in rural areas: big study shows there’s a problem that’s being neglected By Jen Manne-Goehler, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Francesc Xavier Gomez-Olive Casas, University of the Witwatersrand; Julia Rohr, Harvard University; Kathleen Kahn, University of the Witwatersrand; Nomsa Mahlalela, University of the Witwatersrand, and Till Bärnighausen, University of Heidelberg South Africa continues to have a high prevalence of HIV among all age groups. About 8.2 million people or 13.7% of the population live with HIV, one […] todayFebruary 19, 2024 17
