By Henry Opondo With the COVID-19 pandemic already affecting 47 Gavi-supported countries mostly in Africa, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance has taken new steps to help strengthen the preparedness of health systems in lower-income countries with the full support of its Board. According to the WHO, at least 33 African countries had reported more than 600…
How Blockchain is enabling African farmers
Blockchain technology is a game changer. It is transforming agriculture by enabling smallholder farmers in Africa to improve their production and enhance their trade through a platform of trust. Blockchain is a decentralised, digital ledger which works through a series of digitally connected records where information can be shared openly and publicly verified through a…
Water pumps – a much-needed solution for municipalities
Several countries across Africa face ongoing power delivery challenges, with municipalities struggling to meet the demands of citizens and businesses, and load shedding which has again become a harsh reality, particularly in South Africa. A solution to these challenges will require the involvement of numerous stakeholders, but one power-saving solution has the potential to deliver…
Imperial College London, MIT launch search for African research collaborators
Imperial College London and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have launched a seed fund for ‘blue-skies’ research, with a regional focus on Africa. Consequently, the two are also searching for collaborating institutions in Africa to drive innovation from across the continent. With this seed fund, researchers and educators at Imperial and MIT aim to…
East African research centres plot for climate-ready cassava
By Patrick Amunavi A team comprising of researchers from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in Kenya, Mikocheni Agricultural Research Institute (MARI) in Tanzania, in collaboration with Basque Institute for Research and Development in Agriculture (NEIKER) in Spain are evaluating and developing cassava cultivars adaptable to the climate change-induced stresses. The project…
Africa Prize finalists use engineering to solve local health, energy, education and resource challenges
The inventors of a device that detects malaria without drawing blood, a cheap and sustainable recycling method to recover precious metals, an innovative smart meter that gives consumers more control over energy use and a textbook-sized science lab for kids are the four engineering innovators chosen as finalists for the prestigious 2018 Africa Prize for…
African Innovators sought ahead of Africa Innovation Summit II
The Africa Innovation Summit (AIS II), which will take place from 6-8 June 2018 in Kigali, Rwanda, under the esteemed patronage of His Excellences President Paul Kagame and Pedro Pires (ex-President of Cabo Verde), announced a call for applications to innovators across Africa whose solutions have the potential to solve the continent’s challenges. The AIS…
New mobile application to support fight against Fall Armyworm in Africa launched
The fight against Armyworm in Africa has taken a new turn with the launch of a mobile application by FAO to enable farmers, agricultural workers and other partners at the frontline of fighting the worms to identify, report the level of infestation, and map the spread of this destructive insect, as well as to describe its…