By Adlyne Wangusi There is a bad relationship between researchers and policymakers in Africa, a fact that has stifled the contribution science, technology and innovation to policy development on the continent. Speaking during the annual Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) conference, Dr Nicholas Ozor who is the executive director…
Prioritising the oil, gas & energy transformation debate in Sub Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa currently has a total installed generation capacity in sub-Saharan Africa is 122 gigawatts (GW), and accounts for 4.5 per cent of global primary energy demand (619 million tonnes of oil equivalent) according to the IEA’s 2017 report. Three-quarters of the generated capacity is fossil fuel-based, with coal accounting for 35%. Renewables make up…
SADC Heads commit to ending malaria by 2030
Sixteen Heads of State across southern African countries are stepping up commitments to eliminate the malaria disease by 2030. Meeting at the 38th Ordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Heads of State signed the “Windhoek Declaration on Eliminating Malaria in the SADC Region” that…
Africa Code Week empowers teachers in Ghana to drive 21st century skills development among local youth
More than 560 teachers took part in this year’s Africa Code Week (ACW) Train-the-Trainer workshops over four days in Accra and Kumasi as part of this year’s efforts to drive 21st century skills development among African youth. Now in its fourth year, ACW instills 21st century skills among African youth with a key focus on…
Kenya hosts regional resource mapping conference once again
By Adlyne Wangusi Nairobi’s Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) hosts the regional mapping conference from 15th to 17th August 2018. Geared to spur the exchange of ideas on fast-tracking application of Earth observation (satellite data) and geospatial technologies in development decision making, the conference seeks to answer the question as to “how…
Malawi: Rotavirus vaccine effective against infant diarrhoea deaths
A major new study has shown that rotavirus vaccination reduced infant diarrhoea deaths by 34% in rural Malawi, a region with high levels of child deaths. The study led by scientists at the University of Liverpool, UCL, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and partners in Malawi provides the first population-level evidence from a…
DR Congo: Ebola vaccination begins In North Kivu
The Democratic Republic of the Congo announced Thursday the launch of Ebola vaccinations for high-risk populations in North Kivu province. The vaccinations have begun just one week after the announcement of a second outbreak of Ebola this year in the country. A total of 44 cases have been reported so far, of which 17 have…
Kenya’s Kitui County budgets for climate change
Kitui County Government sets aside funds to aid Climate Change Adaptation Kitui County has enacted a law that sets aside one per cent of its Sh11.7 billion annual budget towards climate change adaptation. “By the decision, the county wants to put climate change at the centre of its development planning and help vulnerable communities adapt…