Kenya's slums are a haven for viruses: here's what we know
One of Nairobi's low-income areasAlex Pix/ShutterstockAs the new coronavirus spreads in African countries, a big source of concern is how it will spread and affect those that live in congested...
View ArticleMore than a million babies are born to young Nigerians every year: we...
Child marriage is still a major issue in Nigeria Tom Saater/For The Washington Post via Getty Images In Nigeria, 145 babies are born to every 1,000 girls aged 15-19 annually. Considering the...
View ArticleWhat drives abuse of women in childbirth? We asked those providing the care
A healthcare worker examining a pregnant woman.GettyImagesDisrespect and abuse during childbirth are a violation of women’s human rights. Women deserve care that maintains their dignity, ensures their...
View ArticleTough choices about who gets ICU access: the ethical principles guiding South...
Emergency doctors and nurse performing CPR and inserting an IV drip on a patient. GettyImagesJust weeks after confirming the first case of COVID-19 in South Africa, the government ordered a lockdown in...
View ArticleHow Africa has developed its scientific research capabilities
Scientists are better equipped to do ground-breaking research.GettyImagesAfrica’s preparedness for containing the spread of COVID-19 is determined by several factors. So far the focus has been on...
View ArticleScientists must share research findings with participants. Here's why
Research participants want to know the results of the studies in which they participate.ShutterstockScientists don’t conduct research just to satisfy their own curiosity. Research is meant to benefit...
View ArticleAfrica can and must do more to support nurses and midwives
Nurses and midwives can make a significant impact in managing and preventing the leading causes of death.ShutterstockNurses and midwives are the backbone of health systems globally. Of the world’s 43.5...
View ArticleCoronavirus risks forcing South Africa to make health trade-offs it can ill...
Children at window of a building in Hillbrow, Johannesburg. Children will be vulnerable if vaccinations are postponed.Photo by Marco Longari/AFP via Getty ImagesSouth Africa’s health authorities are...
View ArticleBusting coronavirus myths will take more than science: lessons from an AIDS...
A young school boy running past a mural in Soweto, South Africa. Kim Ludbrook/EPAThe coronavirus pandemic is accompanied by what the World Health Organisation describes as an “infodemic”–...
View ArticleCoronavirus: never been a more compelling time for African scientists to work...
Collaboration is crucial for scientists to tackle the COVID-19 epidemic.Getty ImagesAmid the rising number of deaths from COVID-19, political leadership, health systems and scientific prowess is being...
View ArticleHow African genetic studies offer hope for preventing a common cause of...
A man being tested as he takes part in an ophthalmological study and examination.Tony Karumba/AFP via Getty ImagesGlaucoma is the most common cause of irreversible blindness in the world. It’s...
View ArticleAfrica can't let maternity care slide during the coronavirus pandemic
This pandemic could have adverse effects on pregnant women.GettyImagesAmid global commitments to defeat, or at least minimise, the pervasive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact on the African...
View ArticleHow the Spanish flu affected Kenya -- and its similarities to coronavirus
Kenya's government have issued a directive that people must wear masks while in public places.Boniface Muthoni/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesThe 1918 influenza pandemic – called the “Spanish...
View ArticleAfrica must make sure it's part of the search for a coronavirus vaccine
Modern day research and clinical trials are highly regulated.Getty ImagesThe search for a COVID-19 vaccine has sparked international media controversy and negative sentiment around the potential harm...
View ArticleMalaria still kills 1,100 a day. It can't afford to lose resources to...
A Kenyan mother and her two children sit on their bed with a mosquito net used for preventing malaria.Wendy Stone/Corbis via Getty ImagesToday, another 1,100 people will die from malaria. The number...
View ArticleResponsive and respectful maternity care needs protection during COVID-19 crisis
One of the first babies born on 1 January 2020 in Lagos, Nigeria.Olukayode Jaiyeola/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesCOVID-19 is sweeping the world, and the burden on healthcare facilities is growing. Stories...
View ArticleCoronavirus pandemic: why a flu jab is a good idea in countries heading into...
Getty ImagesAs the southern hemisphere moves closer to winter, virologists are concerned about the upcoming influenza season. This may result in more people needing medical care for flu – including...
View ArticleCan the philosophy of ubuntu help provide a way to face health crises?
A member of the South African National Defence Force hands out pamphlets informing township residents about COVID-19 in Johannesburg. Kim Ludbrook/EPA-EFEAfrican communities, within South Africa and...
View ArticleCommunity health workers are crucial to pandemic response. How to support them
A community health worker carries a box of protection masks in Dakar on April 16, 2020.JOHN WESSELS/AFP via Getty ImagesAlmost all African countries have reported cases of the new coronavirus disease...
View ArticleCOVID-19 shows that where there is political will there is a way to work...
Health workers fill out documents before performing tests for COVID-19 at the screening and testing tents set up at the Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Johannesburg.Photo by Michele Spatari / AFP via...
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