Eastern Africa: Clinical Trial Finds New Treatment for Post-kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis By Thuku Kariuki Clinical trials have shown that a new treatment for people with post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL), a serious skin disease is safer, shorter, and more effective than the current treatment. The trial was conducted in Sudan by the non-profit medical research organization […]

Africa: Action Needed as Road Deaths, Injuries Increase By Sharon Atieno Despite a global decrease, road traffic deaths and injuries continue to pose a significant challenge in Africa, a new World Health Organization (WHO) report says. According to the Status report on road safety in the WHO African region, the number of deaths between 2010 and […]

WHO Launches Road Safety Report for Africa By Joyce Ojanji and Isabella Njeri Even though Africa accounts for only three percent of the global vehicle fleet, nearly 250,000 people died from road traffic injuries in 2021. This represents 19% of the global burden of deaths. Since 2010, there has been a 17% increase in road […]

New Tech Helps Kenyan Flower Exporters Meet Strict EU Rules By Joshua Isaac With an estimated worth of $900 million in export value annually and over two million people depending on it for livelihood, the flower industry is a critical pillar of the Kenyan economy. However, flower’s vulnerability to diseases and pests and stringent exportation […]

Kenya: Community Members Plant Indigenous Trees to Conserve River Kibos By Clifford Akumu Richard Okumu crouches to dip his hands into River Kibos at Kajulu village, Kisumu County, ready to scoop water that passes through undulating hills and boulders before emptying into Lake Victoria. He grimaces at the water in his hands: “It is dirty,” […]

WHO Unveils Tobacco Cessation Guidelines By Isabella Njeri The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its first-ever clinical treatment guidelines for tobacco cessation in adults. The new guidelines seek to support over 750 million people globally who wish to quit the use of tobacco. According to WHO, while over 60% of the world’s 1.25 billion […]

Somalia Launches National Task Force to Combat Polio By Joshua Isaac In a significant stride towards accelerating polio eradication and improving child health, the Somali government has launched a National Immunization and Polio Eradication Task Force. Chaired by the Prime Minister of Somalia, Hamza Barre, the task force will oversee polio eradication and immunization initiatives […]

World’s Second-Largest Tropical Forest Under Tremendous Threat By Joshua Isaac Congo Basin affectionately called the ‘lungs of Africa’, is one of the world’s greatest allies against climate change, removing over 40 gigatons of carbon from the atmosphere annually and home to a diverse ecosystem. However, evidence from the latest State of the Forests report by […]