The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) recently launched a project that aims to investigate the drivers and barriers to adoption of Conservation Agriculture (CA) in southern Africa and to develop strategies for achieving adoption and impact at scale. The project, Understanding and Enhancing Adoption of Conservation Agriculture…
64 nations formally sign up to COVAX facility
64 higher-income economies are pooling financial and scientific resources, to insure themselves against the failure of any individual vaccine candidate and secure successful vaccines in a cost-effective, targeted way. These 64 economies include commitments from 35 economies as well as the European Commission which will procure doses on behalf of 27 EU member states plus Norway and Iceland.…
COVID-19 has exposed the need for science reporting
By Joseph Checky Abuje The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the need for partnership between Scientists and the fourth estate to help build the capacities in reporting science and help offer solutions to emerging health challenges. According to Onche Odeh, African STI News Editor in Nigeria, despite the role the African journalists continue to play…
Weak research funding hampers Africa Covid-19 clinical trials
By Joseph Checky Abuje Africa’s weak funding for research, poor research governance structures and weak health systems continue to hamper its place in vaccine development. Dr Borna Nyaoke-Anoke, a Senior Clinical Project Manager at the Drug for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) during a webinar seminar with African science journalists that while the researchers in…
8th IDF International Symposium on sheep, goat, and other non-cow milk, moves to a digital format
Originally planned for May 2020 in Brussels, Belgium but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organisers have decided on a new approach for the leading event on milk originating from other ruminants than cows, with webinars to be held on 4, 5 and 6 November 2020. As before, the now exclusively digital event will…
Representatives from 500+ islands gather for a virtual summit
The 2nd annual Virtual Island Summit kicked off today with 10,000 island participants from across the world. Politicians joining today’s opening sessions included Fiji’s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali, the Federated States of Micronesia’s David Paneulo, Guam’s Governor Lou Leon Guerrero, Tuvalu’s Enele Sopoaga MP and many others from across the globe.…
Science Policy, Science Literacy: post-COVID education for the developing world during the Fourth Industrial Revolution
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact across the globe. For developing countries, this has not only had a negative impact on the economy, but it has also crippled the education system and will take years to recover. Where to go from here? Governments will not only have to re-look their policies on education…
Updates on COVID-19 treatments progress by the Biopharma Industry
Seven months into the pandemic, the innovative biopharmaceutical industry continues to step up work on researching and testing therapeutics that could lower mortality rates or lessen the severity of COVID-19. Over recent months, the results of rigorous clinical trials of repurposed medicines to achieve quick wins have been mixed, while the pipeline for new treatments…