Money flows in agricultural development are still reinforcing damaging industrial models in Africa, according to a new report by Biovision, IPES-Food and the UK-based Institute of Development Studies. The Money Flows report looks at investments in sub-Saharan Africa with a focus on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the biggest philanthropic investor in agri-development, Switzerland,…
Royal Academy of Engineering launches Project CARE to support engineering innovation to fight COVID-19 in Africa
Five female entrepreneurs are combining their engineering and business skills in the fight against COVID-19 in sub-Saharan Africa thanks to funding from the Royal Academy of Engineering through its Project CARE (COVID Africa Rapid Entrepreneurs) initiative. The five are among the three Kenyans, two Nigerians, a South African and Ghanaian who have each received £5,000…
COVID-19: Pan-Africanism at an all-time high for continent’s youth, a new survey finds
While Africa Day (May 25th), the official day of the African Union (AU) marking intercontinental unity, takes place solemnly in 2020 on the backdrop of the continued outbreak of COVID-19 (coronavirus), a recent study of Africa’s youth has showcased continent-wide resiliency, institutional trust, cohesion and collective ‘Afro-Optimism’ in facing the challenges ahead. The results of…
An inclusive approach to sustainable agriculture
By Kalongo Chitengi For over a century the world has marked the month of March with tributes to women for strides made in elevating women’s achievements. The 2020 International Women’s Day (IWD) theme #EachforEqual reminds us that this period of celebration is also about the pursuit to live in an equitable world where women’s…
New global plan to end TB
The Stop TB Partnership launched the Global Plan to End TB 2018-2022 that calls for 2.6 billion USD per year for vital research and development of new tuberculosis (TB) diagnostic tools, new drug regimens and a new vaccine, and 13 billion USD per year for TB care and prevention. With the new Global Plan, the…
Proposals to Resume Ivory Sales Roundly Defeated
Two proposals that would have resulted in a resumption of ivory sales by amending the CITES Appendices for the African elephant were roundly defeated today at CITES CoP 18. Proposal 10 would have transferred elephants in Zambia from Appendix I to Appendix II but was amended on the floor to delete sales of raw ivory and include…
ECHO study finds high rates of HIV and STIs among young women in 4 African countries
Henry Opondo New evidence from eSwatini, Kenya, South Africa and Zambia presented at the 10th IAS Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2019) in Mexico show high rates of HIV incidence overall among young women in these countries. The highly-publicized Evidence for Contraceptive Options and HIV Outcomes (ECHO) trial, which just a few weeks ago finally…
Scale-up of TB prevention among people living with HIV possible, reveals new study
In an important moment for tuberculosis (TB) control, a new study finds that a shorter regimen to prevent TB can be safely co-administered with dolutegravir (DTG)—the first-line drug to treat HIV in many high-burden TB countries. Presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI), the study found that weekly administration of rifapentine and…