insert_link South Africa South Africa’s foot and mouth disease cases climb to 223 (Photo by: Reuters) Foot-and-mouth disease infections have risen sharply in South Africa’s Free State province, with authorities confirming 29 new cases that push the total to 223. The spike has intensified pressure on agricultural officials as they work to contain the outbreak in one of the country’s key livestock regions. The provincial Department of Agriculture says multiple outbreak zones have been identified, triggering strict quarantines and movement controls on affected […] today20 January, 2026
insert_link Health / Medical US registers first measles death in decade A child in the US state of Texas has died from measles amid a worsening outbreak. The death is the first in the country from the disease in more than a decade. Nick Harper reports from Washington. today27 February, 2025
insert_link World Texas measles outbreak spreads among unvaccinated children A measles outbreak in the U.S state of Texas is spreading. Health officials say at least 10 children in one county have tested positive in the past two weeks for the highly contagious disease - which can cause fevers, rashes, brain swelling and even death. All of the children are unvaccinated. Toni Waterman has more. today11 February, 2025
insert_link Africa Rwanda’s Marburg Virus Outbreak Eases After Vaccinations With Mpox Still Spreading Rwanda’s Marburg virus outbreak is showing signs of improvement following the vaccination of high-risk groups, including healthcare workers as per Reuters. However, Mpox cases continue to spread to new African countries, according to Rwanda's health minister and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. In early October, Rwanda initiated vaccinations to curb the Ebola-like Marburg virus outbreak in the country. today18 October, 2024
insert_link Health / Medical What is cervical cancer and how can it be prevented? Answers to key questions By Abba Mallum, University of KwaZulu-Natal; Beatrice M’mboga Akala, University of the Witwatersrand; Maureen Bilinga Tendwa, Rhodes University; Rakiya Saidu, University of Cape Town; Stephen Avery, University of Pennsylvania; Twalib Ngoma, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, and Wil Ngwa, Johns Hopkins University In 2020 the World Health Organization rolled out a global strategy to eradicate cervical cancer by 2030. This is the fourth-most […] today24 June, 2024
insert_link Opinion Pieces The Winter Season and Poultry Diseases By Hanks Saisai, Technical Advisor: Crops & Poultry The transition from the warm summer months to the cold winter months has posed challenges for many poultry farmers in Namibia. Between May and September, farmers often encounter various health issues in their flocks. To reduce the risk of poultry deaths, farmers need to be aware of the following aspects. The change in weather conditions has a […] today10 June, 2024
insert_link Africa “Silent disease” outed at African Hepatitis Convention From the left: Mark Sonderup, Danjuma Adda, Mark Heywood, Elaine Saayman and Yolaan Andrews during a session at the African Viral Hepatitis Convention on Saturday. Photo: Liezl Human By Liezl Human, via GroundUp The African Viral Hepatitis Convention this past week has put a spotlight on the need for eliminating hepatitis B and C, a disease which has infected millions of South Africans and can cause liver cancer if […] today21 May, 2024
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 […] today23 April, 2024
insert_link Health / Medical Cardiovascular risks and COVID-19: New research confirms the benefits of vaccination Common cardiovascular complications of COVID-19 — including blood clots, stroke, arrhythmias and heart attacks — were substantially reduced in vaccinated patients. (Shutterstock) Glen Pyle, University of Guelph COVID-19 is a respiratory disease. Yet, from the earliest days of the pandemic, the cardiovascular risks associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection were clear: individuals with severe cases of COVID-19 often died from cardiovascular complications, and those with pre-existing cardiovascular disease were more likely to […] today26 March, 2024