insert_link Africa Aluminium foil that can clean water: we’ve developed a coating which attracts and traps dangerous microbes John Fredricks/NurPhoto By Taufiq Ihsan, Universitas Andalas More than 2 billion people around the world do not have access to safe, uncontaminated drinking water. Around 418 million of them live in African countries. The problem is most acute in rural communities, where people’s primary water sources are rivers, lakes and hand-dug wells, which are often contaminated with harmful pathogens. This contamination is caused by inadequate sanitation facilities, open […] today2 September, 2024
insert_link Health / Medical Health Executive Director gives update on Mpox testing capacity Following the announcement by the Ministry of Health and Social Services that, as of 26 August 2024, public and private health facilities have collectively tested 18 patients for Mpox, with 15 cases testing negative and three still awaiting results, we asked Executive Director Ben Nangombe whether Namibia has the infrastructure and capacity to test for the disease and how long it takes to receive the results. today28 August, 2024
insert_link Health / Medical WHO launches mpox response plan The World Health Organisation has launched a global plan to stop new outbreaks and spreading of the Mpox disease through collective national, regional, and global efforts. The suggested plan will cover 6 months starting September 2024 to February 2025. today27 August, 2024
insert_link Africa How do people choose what food to buy? Answers depend on what you ask – so we built a research tool for African countries People buying and selling food at a farmers’ market in Chad’s capital city, N'Djamena. Issouf Sanogo/AFP By Nomzamo N. Dlamini, University of Pretoria You’re in a shop or market and you’re buying food for the next day. How do you choose what to buy? Does it depend on how much you can spend, on what’s the healthiest, the most attractively packaged? Understanding this is an important part of […] today20 August, 2024
insert_link Health / Medical Philippines detects new case of mpox Pakistan reported another suspected case of the mpox virus on Monday while the health ministry said that the new strain linked to an outbreak in Africa was not detected. The health ministry said that one mpox case of the clade 2 variety has been detected in the country, adding that no cases of the clade 1b strain of the disease have been diagnosed. Clade 1b has triggered global concern because […] today19 August, 2024
insert_link Africa Genetically modified mosquitoes and malaria in Africa: top scientist shares latest advances By Abdoulaye Diabaté Every year, mosquitoes kill more people than any other animal. According to the World Malaria Report (2023), the African continent bears the brunt of the most deadly mosquito-borne disease, malaria. Africa has 94% of the cases and 95% of the deaths. One tool that’s being considered in the fight against malaria is genetic modification. Several research projects around the world are looking to use […] today19 August, 2024
insert_link Africa Air pollution in South Africa: affordable new devices use AI to monitor hotspots in real time By Bruce Mellado, University of the Witwatersrand Air quality has become one of the most important public health issues in Africa. Poor air quality kills more people globally every year than HIV, TB and malaria combined. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Air pollution makes people less productive because they get headaches and feel tired. India, for example, has poor air quality. The impact of India’s […] today14 August, 2024
insert_link Africa Nigeria mandates health form for incoming air passengers Nigeria's government has directed air passengers coming into the country to fill out a health declaration form as part of measures against the Mpox outbreak and other infectious diseases. According to The Vanguard, the mpox strain known as Clade Ib, which has been rapidly spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since September, is both more deadly and more easily transmitted than earlier strains. This strain, transmitted […] today12 August, 2024
insert_link Health / Medical One person dies from AIDS-related illness every minute UNAIDS says the AIDS pandemic can be ended by 2030 if more is done to fund initiatives and protect human rights. In a new report released this week, the organisation says if world leaders stick to their commitments the public health threat can be ended. Jody Jacobs reports from the United Nations in New York. Meanwhile, new HIV infections are rising in three regions, namely the Middle East and […] today24 July, 2024
