Health – Science Africa

29 Sep, 22

New Treatment for Visceral Leishamaniasis Effective -Study Says

New Treatment for Visceral Leishamaniasis Effective -Study Says By Sharon Atieno The new treatment for visceral leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease caused by sandflies is effective, a new study published in The Clinical Infectious Journal reveals. The study conducted in Eastern Africa by Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), a non-profit medical research organization and […]

29 Sep, 22

Kenya: Border Screening Heightened as Ebola Cases Rise in Uganda

Kenya: Border Screening Heightened as Ebola Cases Rise in Uganda By Peter Oliver Ochieng The Ministry of Health (MOH) in Kenya has heightened screening at the Busia and Malaba border points, two weeks after an outbreak of the Ebola virus disease in neighbouring Uganda. Over 36 cases have been reported, claiming over 20 lives, according […]

27 Sep, 22

Africa: Dire Action Needed as Malnutrition, Food Insecurity Worsens

Africa: Dire Action Needed as Malnutrition, Food Insecurity Worsens By Sharon Atieno With the October- December (OND) rainfall season expected to be below average in most parts of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) region especially the drought affected areas, urgent assistance is needed to address the worsening levels of malnutrition and food security. This […]

Trachoma Ends in Malawi

Trachoma Ends in Malawi By Joyce Ojanji Malawi becomes the first in southern Africa and the fifth in Africa to eliminate trachoma, a bacterial eye infection that can cause irreversible blindness if untreated. This follows the establishment of a national task force that implemented the World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended SAFE strategy to control the disease which entailed training a […]

New Initiative for Improving Cervical, Breast Cancer Outcomes Underway

New Initiative for Improving Cervical, Breast Cancer Outcomes Underway By Mary Hearty In an effort to improve cervical and breast cancer outcomes for women and patients in resource-constrained countries, Roche and the John Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynecology and Obstetrics have partnered to support the implementation of sustainable programs meant to meet their […]

Uganda on High Alert Following Confirmed Case of Ebola

Uganda on High Alert Following Confirmed Case of Ebola By Mary Hearty Uganda has declared an Ebola outbreak after a case of the relatively rare Sudan strain was confirmed from a sample taken in Mubende district, central part of the country. The Uganda Virus Research Institute confirmed the case after testing a sample taken from […]

Africa: Bacterial Infection Misdiagnosed as Severe Malaria in Children

Africa: Bacterial Infection Misdiagnosed as Severe Malaria in Children By Mary Hearty Finding malaria parasites in a blood smear or a positive rapid diagnostic test (RDT) in a sick child does not necessarily mean that malaria is the cause of the illness. This is according to a research published in The Lancet titled: Substantial Misdiagnosis […]

Marburg Outbreak in Ghana is Over

Marburg Outbreak in Ghana is Over By Sharon Atieno With no new cases being reported in 42 days (two incubation periods), Ghana has declared the end of the Marburg virus disease outbreak that was confirmed nearly two months ago. It was the first time the highly infectious haemorrhagic fever was detected in the West African […]

Africa: Alarm as Antimicrobial Resistance Testing Capacity Wanting

Africa: Alarm as Antimicrobial Resistance Testing Capacity Wanting By Sharon Atieno Though Africa was found to have the highest mortality rate from antimicrobial resistance (AMR) infections in the world, with 24 deaths per 100,000 attributable to AMR in 2019, testing is still a challenge for most African countries. This is according to a new data released on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) […]

15 Sep, 22

Long-term Exposure to Air Pollution Likely to Cause Premature Death

Long-term Exposure to Air Pollution Likely to Cause Premature Death By Gift Briton With research showing that air pollution in most Kenyan cities are beyond the threshold, experts note that long-term exposure to ambient air pollution may cause lung cancer, stroke and heart failure thereby leading to premature death. Furthermore, World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that […]