TOP STORIES IN SCIENCE AFRICA – Page 56

Tobacco Free Farms Launched in Kenya

Tobacco Free Farms Launched in Kenya By Marlene Angir Kenya is the first country to roll out the tobacco free farms project which aims to improve health and livelihoods by shifting farmers from growing tobacco to other sustainable crops. Tobacco farmers and their families are exposed to serious health risks through nicotine absorbed through the skin […]

23 Mar, 22

Kenya: Viruses to Complement Antibiotics in Treatment

Kenya: Viruses to Complement Antibiotics in Treatment By Sharon Atieno Though viruses have been known to cause diseases in human beings and animals, they could be the solution to fighting antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and averting 10 million deaths expected annually by 2050. With the increased cases of antibiotics’ resistance, bacteriophages (phages) – virus that attack […]

23 Mar, 22

Rwanda: GPS, Cooperatives Curb Crime among Boda Bodas

By Steven Nsamaza and John Mugisha Before the advent of the smart metres system, the exact number of taxi-moto operators in Rwanda was unknown with municipality estimating that there were around 37,000 motor riders but only 19, 300 riders who are legally registered. According to Rwanda National Police, most of those unlicensed commercial motorcyclists were […]

Climate Change Threatens African Health Systems

Climate Change Threatens African Health Systems By Mary Hearty If adaptation and mitigation measures are not put in place, the current trend in global warming, could lead to additional burden on the already fragile African health systems, expert cautions. This is according to Dr Adugna Woyessa, Epidemiologist and Public Health Specialist at the Ethiopian Public […]

Africa: 23 Million plus Children Targeted in Mass Polio Vaccination

By Gift Briton More than 80 million oral polio vaccine doses set to be administered on all children below five years in five southern African countries in a bid to stop the spread of the disease outbreak which was first reported in Malawi in February this year. With the support of WHO, the four round vaccination […]

18 Mar, 22

Seedballs Aiding Kenya’s Reforestation Efforts

By Sharon Atieno In Kenya, like other countries in the world, deforestation is the major driver of tree cover loss. So big is this loss that between 2001 to 2020, Kenya lost 11% of its tree cover, about 361 kilo hectares, according to the Global Forest Watch. To solve this problem, Kenya targets to increase […]

Strategies to Advocate for Male Reproductive Health Needed

By Naomi Kitur Healthcare providers should advocate for male reproductive health and encourage health seeking behaviours among the male gender, according to Dr.Lucy Natecho Namusonge, a Public Health expert from the School of Nursing at Kibabii University in Bungoma County. Keen interest has in most cases been taken on reproductive health issues among females, thereby […]

16 Mar, 22

Ejo Heza saving scheme primed to secure future of informal workers

Olivia Umutoni, 25, a tailor and mother of one daughter from Rwesero cell in Kirehe District, Eastern Province, does not have a fixed monthly income because of the nature of her job, but can afford to save into Ejo Heza at least Rwf.10,000 per month after all her living expenses. Ejo Heza program, launched in […]

16 Mar, 22

Kenya: Credit Tanks Improving Accessibility to Water in Makueni Villages

By Thomas Muia With a population of 987,653 people, water coverage in Makueni County remains very low at only 35.6%. Of this, only three out of 10 households are connected to piped water, while the remaining rely on unimproved water sources, according to a World Bank Makueni Countywide Inclusive Sanitation situation analysis report. Eunice Nduku, […]

HIV: South Africa Approves Vaginal Ring

By Sharon Atieno South Africa joins Zimbabwe to become the leading countries in Africa to approve the use of Dapivirine vaginal ring as a HIV prevention method for women. Developed by the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM), the vaginal ring is a longer-acting HIV prevention product made of flexible silicone, that slowly releases the antiretroviral […]