Efforts to end female genital mutilation are gradually bearing fruit in Tanzania. The prevalence of the ritual that marks a rite of passage among some communities has now fallen to around 10% from 18% in 1996.
Read moreHaving survived cancer, Christelle, a mother of five, is now tapping into her experience to raise awareness and kindle hope among cancer patients, making early detection the thrust of her message to women in communities around the Republic of Congo’s capital Brazzaville. She narrates how she overcame the disease and how her outreach is helping others.
Read moreAs African countries gear up for the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, it is crucial to lay a strong groundwork for what will be the continent’s largest-ever immunization campaign. The World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, are working with countries to shore up readiness using a 10-point assessment tool.
Read moreNew COVID-19 variants have emerged in Africa as the continent records a new peak in infections. While virus mutations are not unusual, those that are more infectious are worrisome. Professor Francisca Mutapi, Professor in Global Health Infection and Immunity, University of Edinburgh, explains the implications of SARS-CoV-2 variants and what African countries can do to respond.
Read moreIn early November 2020, positive samples for yellow fever were reported from five Nigerian states. Nigeria is a high-risk country for yellow fever and is a priority country for the global eliminate yellow fever epidemics (EYE) strategy. The re-emergence of the virus there in September 2017 has been marked by outbreaks throughout the country.
Read moreFor 60-year-old Gabriel Wahome, it is simple: “universal health coverage was a very good idea,” he says. “We were happy about it.”
Read moreWhen Regina Otokpa, an Abuja-based journalist, co-authored a newspaper article on poor observance of mask-wearing and physical distancing directives in Nigeria, it caused some buzz.
Read more“COVID-19 doesn’t kill anybody in Angola as we are immune due to malaria,” so goes one of the myriad falsehoods about the pandemic in the southern African country.
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