Africa Science Focus: Recent Episodes
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Africa Science Focus is SciDev.Net's award-winning weekly podcast. We dive deep into the impacts that science has on everything from health, to technology, agriculture and life. Subscribe to get the best science and development news from the continent delivered straight to you!
[SciDev.Net] – Following up on our previous episode that explored the funding disparities faced by women in STEM across Africa, this episode of Africa Science Focus explores the ongoing efforts to foster gender inclusion within science granting councils.
In this episode, our reporters Ogechi Ekeanyanwu and Titilope Fadare speak with councils across Africa to understand the steps being taken to build a more inclusive research ecosystem.
Thomas Kaluvi, an officer at the National Commission for Science and Technology in Malawi, tells us about an internal review that revealed gender imbalances in team composition in previous research projects, discouraging women from participating.
In response, the council introduced a funding quota for women and vulnerable groups to encourage their participation in research projects.
Hildegalda Mushi, a senior researcher at the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH), explains that the council developed a research grant manual that enabled men and women to compete on equal terms.
She adds that the commission also launched a special funding call for women-led projects, to encourage more female researchers to take the lead in research activities.
In Ghana, Mavis Akuffobea-Essilfie, a senior research scientist at the Science and Technology Policy Research Institute, tells us the council is forming focal groups to monitor progress and promote consistent integration of gender considerations across its research system.
To ensure the efforts across councils are sustainable, Lorenza Fluks, senior research specialist at South Africa’s Human Sciences Research Council, explains that a gender equality policy framework was developed to guide future work, embedding gender inclusion into funding, collaborations, and research outcomes.
This podcast was supported by the Science Granting Councils Initiative which aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of 18 public science funding agencies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station.
Do you have any comments, questions or feedback about our podcast episodes? Let us know at podcast@scidev.net
The 2025 Global Food Policy Report warns that the world could be heading toward another major food crisis. For Africa, the warning is especially urgent.
Across the continent, food systems are under pressure from climate change, economic shocks, and political instability.
These overlapping challenges are making it harder for governments to respond to rising food needs or invest in long-term solutions.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, reporter Michael Kaloki explores how research and evidence can help build food systems that are more resilient, inclusive, and better prepared for future shocks.
Steven Omamo, director of development strategies and governance at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), says many African countries already have food policies, but poor implementation and weak investment continue to undermine them.
He highlights the value of science in guiding early warning systems, promoting stress-tolerant crops, boosting local production, and supporting community-based responses to disruptions caused by climate and conflict.
Food systems specialist Jane Battersby, associate professor at the University of Cape Town, urges a shift in focus toward urban food insecurity. She says while there is attention on hunger in rural areas, a large number of food-insecure people live in cities, often in informal settlements where food is available, but unaffordable.
Zippy Ondisa Shiyoya, director at the Institute of Packaging Professionals of Kenya, says poor coordination, high policy costs, and unreliable data are barriers to effective food strategies.
She explains how science underpins food safety and quality, from production, through to distribution, consumption and data gathering. It guides better packaging solutions, which extend shelf life, reduce spoilage, and minimise post-harvest losses — a major source of food waste across the continent.
This podcast was supported by the Science Granting Councils Initiative which aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of 18 public science funding agencies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station.
Do you have any comments, questions or feedback about our podcast episodes? Let us know at podcast@scidev.net
[SciDev.Net] Millions of people parts of Africa are facing record levels of hunger, the UN World Food Programme has warned.
Yet at the same time, the region is rapidly losing forests, one of its most valuable food sources.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, the rate of forest loss in Africa has been increasing steadily over the last three decades, with 3.94 million hectares lost between 2010 and 2020.
These forests are not just biodiversity hotspots, they are vital to the survival of millions of people who rely on them for wild foods, medicine, fuel, and income.
The result is a vicious cycle. As food insecurity grows, people turn to forests for survival, increasing deforestation. But as these forests disappear, so too does a critical safety net that could help communities cope with hunger and climate shocks.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, reporter Michael Kaloki investigates why protecting forests is essential for food security across the continent.
Laura Mukhwana, coordinator of the Global Landscapes Forum in Nairobi, Kenya, explains that forests play a direct role in local food systems.
She also warns that forest conservation won’t work without better communication between researchers and the communities who depend on these resources.
Richard Sufo, a Cameroonian scientist at the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry, points to traditional agroforestry systems, where trees and crops grow together, as a powerful, homegrown solution. He says it is important to integrate traditional knowledge with modern science to protect forests and build resilient food systems.
In Uganda, Joel Ngobi is putting these ideas into action. Through the School Food Forest Initiative, he combines indigenous knowledge with modern science to improve student nutrition and teach sustainable land management. His model empowers communities to grow their own food while conserving the land.
This podcast was supported by the Science Granting Councils Initiative which aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of 18 public science funding agencies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Do you have any comments, questions or feedback about our podcast episodes? Let us know at podcast@scidev.net
Africa's space sector, while valued at US$22.64 billion in 2024, is still in its early stages—but scientists say it holds significant promise for addressing some of the continent’s development issues.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, reporter Michael Kaloki explores how space research and innovation are being used across the continent.
Mary Makuate, a researcher at Cameroon’s Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation, shares insights from her experience using satellite data to develop digital maps for the humanitarian response to the 2023 earthquake in Morocco.
Susan Murabana, CEO of The Travelling Telescope Africa Ltd, talks about her efforts to bring astronomy to underserved Kenyan communities.
Her mobile telescope initiative introduces students and local residents to space, aiming to spark interest in science and technology.
And Daniel Okoh, a research scientist at Nigeria’s National Space Research and Development Agency, says Africa must strengthen its own space capabilities.
He tells us how global satellite models often underrepresent the continent, due to a lack of accurate local data, and calls for greater investment in homegrown technologies.
This podcast was supported by the Science Granting Councils Initiative which aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of 18 public science funding agencies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Do you have any comments, questions or feedback about our podcast episodes? Let us know at podcast@scidev.net
Africa’s oceans are vital for economic growth, supporting fisheries, tourism, and coastal livelihoods. But the costs of plastic pollution in our seas are mounting.
The World Bank puts the cost of the damage caused by marine plastic pollution at up to US$33,000 per tonne of plastic waste, in West Africa alone.
As pollution worsens, researchers say stronger policies, community engagement, and scientific collaboration can protect marine ecosystems in the region.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, reporter Michael Kaloki hears from researchers about the diverse ways to conserve the region's oceans and their ecosystems
Despite existing policies to protect Africa’s oceans, implementation remains weak. Juliet Koudonu, a marine biologist at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, says there is lack of enforcement and stresses that policies alone won’t drive change without government investment and accountability.
For conservation efforts to succeed, policies must align with the needs of coastal communities, says marine social scientist Danai Tembo, a researcher in ocean governance at Nelson Mandela University, South Africa.She warns that laws failing to reflect local identities and livelihoods can backfire.
Effective conservation requires scientists and local communities to work together. Shehu Akintola, professor of fisheries at the Lagos State University, Nigeria, believes it is important to integrate traditional knowledge with scientific research.
The researchers say the continent can protect its marine resources for future generations by enforcing policies, empowering communities, and fostering scientific collaboration.
This podcast was supported by the Science Granting Councils Initiative which aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of 18 public science funding agencies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station.
Do you have any comments, questions or feedback about our podcast episodes? Let us know at podcast@scidev.net
Africa’s healthcare systems face major challenges, from workforce shortages to gaps in infrastructure.
In the latest episode of Africa Science Focus, reporter Michael Kaloki speaks with AI experts about how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is driving change across the continent.
Charles Waka explains how AI is optimising maternal and neonatal healthcare, improving outcomes for mothers and newborns.
Ndisha Mwakala, a former health information systems advisor at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, discusses how limited African data was a major hurdle in developing an AI tool to identify patients most at risk of HIV and connect them to testing and treatment.
Zakia Salod, South African researcher in medical AI and bioinformatics, highlights how AI-powered tools like her VAXIN8 are accelerating vaccine development.
Darlington Akogo, CEO of minoHealth AI Labs, discusses how his AI tool, Moremi, streamlines disease diagnosis, treatment planning, and prescription, while Uzma Alam, programme lead for science policy engagement at the Science for Africa Foundation, stresses the need for investment in AI research to maximise its benefits.
This podcast was supported by the Science Granting Councils Initiative which aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of 18 public science funding agencies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station
Do you have any comments, questions or feedback about our podcast episodes? Let us know at podcast@scidev.net
Language plays a crucial role in education, shaping how students learn and connect with the world.
Yet, according to UNESCO, 40 per cent of the global population does not have access to education in a language they speak or understand.
This gap presents a significant barrier to effective learning, particularly in science education, where technical terms and complex concepts are often difficult to understand in unfamiliar languages.
In our first podcast episode of 2025, our reporter, Michael Kaloki, explores the importance of teaching science in local languages in Africa where multiple indigenous languages are spoken.
Adeyemi Ademowo, a Nigerian professor of social anthropology and African cultural studies at Afe Babalola University in Nigeria’s Ekiti state, wants to see children in rural areas taught in their local language.
Grace Kago, a Kenyan post-doctoral fellow in biomedical sciences at the University of Texas, says teaching science in indigenous languages can foster public trust in science and encourage community participation in scientific discussions.
How can multilingual education systems be implemented in countries with numerous languages? Algerian researcher Zehlia Babaci-Wilhite proposes some innovative solutions, including bilingual and multilingual education models.
Tune in to the episode to find out how she suggests implementing this approach.
This podcast was supported by the Science Granting Councils Initiative which aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of 18 public science funding agencies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Do you have any comments, questions or feedback about our podcast episodes? Let us know at podcast@scidev.net
Globally, women account for just 30 per cent of science professionals and this underrepresentation persists across Africa.
In this final podcast episode of 2024, Africa Science Focus speaks to two African women who have overcome entrenched gender barriers to forge successful careers in science and technology and we learn about their contributions to advancing science in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Martha Alade tells reporter Jayne Augoye how, as an inquisitive schoolgirl, she inspired classmates by gathering bones to bring science lessons to life. Now executive director of Women in Technology in Nigeria, we hear how Alade collaborates with parents and communities to foster a culture that supports girls in STEM.
Gwen Jones, co-founder of the Nzatu Food Group in Zambia, talks about her work to tackle food insecurity and climate change by promoting the cultivation of drought-resistant indigenous grains such as fonio and millet.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
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Science is fun! That’s the message from science communicators who are undertaking the critical task of engaging the researchers, mathematicians and engineers of tomorrow.
A 2024 UNESCO report showed that fewer than 25 per cent of students in Sub-Saharan Africa pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. This lack of participation has profound implications for the region's technological and economic future.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we explore how creative approaches to STEM education can help to bridge this gap. We speak to Tracey Shiundu, founder of Funke Science and host of the STEM Africa Fest in Kenya, who believes that fun is a game-changer for STEM education.
Lwidiko Mhamilawa, malaria researcher and Founder of Projekt Inspire STEM Park in Tanzania, tell us that fun is a catalyst for science engagement, while Kenneth Monjero, nicknamed "Dr. Fun" and President of the Fun and Education Global Network, shares with us his passion for education using dynamic teaching techniques to make science relatable.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
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By 2030, Africa will account for 53 per cent of the world's population living in hunger, primarily due to climate change and worsening food shortages, the UN warns.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, reporter Michael Kaloki investigates how scientists are tackling the region’s food crisis by exploring gene editing to develop climate-resilient crops, particularly wheat.
Cristobal Uauy, a project leader in crop genetics at the John Innes Centre in the UK, tells us how gene editing can be used to strengthen wheat's resistance to diseases and increase its nutritional value.
Godwin Macharia, centre director for the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), says gene editing can improve yields amid a 16 per cent decline in wheat production between 2022 and 2023.
Anna Backhaus, a cereal pre-breeder at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), says gene editing requires robust policies to prevent exploitation.
And Richard Shaw, director of the UK-CGIAR Centre, stresses the importance of international collaboration among organisations and countries to advance gene editing.
This episode was supported by the UK-CGIAR Centre. The UK-CGIAR Centre, hosted at CABI (CAB International, the parent organization of SciDev.Net), aims to support global food security by bringing together scientists from the UK and CGIAR to form impact-focused research collaborations. This project is funded by UK International Development.
Do you have any comments, questions or feedback about our podcast episodes? Let us know at podcast@scidev.net
Do you have any comments, questions or feedback about our podcast episodes? Let us know at podcast@scidev.net
By communicating their research, scientists can influence policy and drive meaningful change in society.
Findings from scientific research have the power to address pressing challenges in society, from climate change to disease outbreaks.
But what happens when important discoveries from these studies are left to gather dust in libraries or academic journals?
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, reporter Michael Kaloki speaks with African scientists and researchers about the need for better communication of scientific research.
Jackie Opara-Fatoye, a science journalist and deputy coordinator at SciDevNet, Sub-Saharan Africa, highlights some of the barriers to effective science communication, including limited funding, technical jargon, and poor media coverage.
South African researchers Teboho Mofokeng and Amber Abrams share their experiences using local radio stations and engaging communities to promote their study on water sustainability.
Bosede Afolabi, a Nigerian professor of obstetrics and gynaecology, pushes for increased government funding to expand the reach of scientific research.
This podcast was supported by the Science Granting Councils Initiative which aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of 18 public science funding agencies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Do you have any comments, questions or feedback about our podcast episodes? Let us know at podcast@scidev.net
Systemic barriers and poor support structures are stifling the progress of women in STEMUnderrepresentation of women in science and technology is limiting the continent's access to different perspectives and innovation, educators in the sector tell Africa Science Focus.
Women account for only 20 per cent of women in science and engineering in Africa and 32 per cent of research and development scientists, according to research by the UN Economic Commission for Africa.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, reporter Michael Kaloki talks to women in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) about how to break the barriers women and girls face.
He speaks with Adefunke Ekine, educational expert and researcher at the Tai Solarin University of Education in Nigeria’s Ogun state, who says abstract teaching and a lack of female role models are among the problems.
Verdiana Masanja, mathematics professor at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology in Tanzania, pushes for more inclusive policies in STEM education.
Excellence Joshua, a social entrepreneur and creator of the Techy Train Incubator, a foundation that equips young African women with digital skills, wants to see more support for women in the workforce.
This podcast was supported by the Science Granting Councils Initiative which aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of 18 public science funding agencies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Do you have any comments, questions or feedback about our podcast episodes? Let us know at podcast@scidev.net
Africa's indigenous knowledge holds untapped potential for scientific innovation.
In a continent with so many different cultures and traditions, indigenous knowledge has enormous potential to inform and strengthen scientific research. However, the legacy of colonialism has pushed African indigenous science knowledge to the fringes.
In this episode of African Science Focus, reporter Michael Kaloki speaks with African scientists and researchers about the importance of incorporating local knowledge in science communication.
Ayodele Ibiyemi, a US-based Nigerian culture researcher, notes that while colonial systems affected Africa’s culture and displaced its science knowledge, the continent is taking steps to regain its identity.
Kenneth Monjero, a Kenyan biotechnologist, highlights a critical disconnect between young people and their indigenous science.
To bridge this gap, Temilade Sesan, a Nigerian social development researcher, proposes a fundamental shift in education that reflects local realities including teaching STEM subjects in local languages.
This podcast was supported by the Science Granting Councils Initiative which aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of 18 public science funding agencies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Do you have any comments, questions or feedback about our podcast episodes? Let us know at podcast@scidev.net
Sub-Saharan Africa faces significant food security challenges, exacerbated by climate change and conflict.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we explore the potential of hydroponic farming. This type of farming uses nutrient-rich solutions instead of soil—allowing for controlled and sustainable food production.
Our reporter, Abdulkareem Mojeed, speaks to farmers and researchers who share their experiences and insights on harnessing hydroponics to improve crop yields.
Adeniyi Olayanju, a Nigerian professor of sustainable agricultural mechanisation, says hydroponic farming can mitigate the effects of herder invasions.
Earnest Larmie, a Ghanaian farmer, says the climate-smart method enables him to farm all year round, despite weather fluctuations.
Nigerian farmer Modupe Olafusi explains how she uses fish water as compost for her hydroponic farming system.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
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The Nigerian government's approval earlier this year of transgenic insect-resistant and drought-tolerant maize varieties, also known as TELA maize, has sparked intense debate among farmers, scientists, and the general public.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, reporter Jayne Augoye hears out the diverse perspectives on the introduction of TELA maize, a genetically modified (GM) crop, which proponents say will contribute to food and nutrition security.
Samuel Agele, professor and researcher in plant ecophysiology at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, emphasised the need for public education and the regulation of genetically modified crops in Nigeria, amid concerns over possible health and environmental impacts.
Ijeoma Akaogu, a plant breeder and geneticist and programme officer at the African Agricultural Technology Foundation - implementing partner of the TELA maize project in Nigeria - says the engineered crops have increased resistance to pests and diseases.
However, farmers Anthony Musa and Olusola Sowemimo have differing views on the benefits of GM crops.
Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
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Citizen science educates the public about science and enhances research for evidence-driven policies
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, our reporter Michael Kaloki speaks with African scientists who discuss the important role citizen science plays in scientific research.
Peter Elias, a geography professor in Nigeria, says communities use storytelling and folklore to document their experiences, providing valuable supplementary knowledge to scientific research.
Jaqueline Goldin, a professor of anthropology in South Africa, says a major challenge she faced in her citizen science project was gaining the trust of farmers, but she successfully addressed this by using social dialogue and partnering with education authorities.
And Doris Wangari, senior program officer at the Science for Africa Foundation, says her team engages citizens in reviewing proposals for innovative products that benefit the community.
This podcast was supported by the Science Granting Councils Initiative which aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of 18 public science funding agencies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Do you have any comments, questions or feedback about our podcast episodes? Let us know at podcast@scidev.net
The dapivirine vaginal ring holds promise in the fight against HIV. But for the young women in Africa who need it most, access remains a major challenge.
Women aged 15 to 24 are disproportionately vulnerable to HIV infection due to a complex web of factors, including social, cultural, and economic forces.
The silicone ring reduces their risk of infection by continually releasing the antiretroviral dapivirine into the vagina.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, reporter Bunmi Yekini looks at issues such as access to the ring and the impact the ring has in countries that have approved its use.
Akhona Gxarisa, a research participant in the dapivirine study in South Africa, shares her experience of using the ring with her partner and advocates for greater availability of the product.
Patriciah Jeckonia, programme manager, policy and partnerships, at LVCT health, a non-governmental organisation in Kenya, says that the ring presents “an opportunity for women to prevent HIV and choose what works for them when they are at risk”.
In South Africa, the HIV prevention project FastPrEP is raising awareness of prevention methods among South African youths. Marketing and communications coordinator Mbali Jonas explains how this is being done, using mobile clinics and courier services.
Nigeria is one country that is yet to introduce the ring. Oliver Ezechi, director of research at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research and professor of maternal, reproductive and child health at Lead City University, in Nigeria, explains why.
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Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Do you have any comments, questions or feedback about our podcast episodes? Let us know at podcast@scidev.net
Effective policymaking in Africa requires collaboration between scientists and policymakers. But, despite the potential for science to drive sustainable development, the relationship between these two groups can be underwhelming.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, scientists highlight the need for scientists and policymakers to work together to create evidence-based policies to solve problems and share successful examples of scientific advisory.
This podcast was supported by the Science Granting Councils Initiative which aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of 18 public science funding agencies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Do you have any comments, questions or feedback about our podcast episodes? Let us know at podcast@scidev.net
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, our reporters Ogechi Ekeanyanwu and Titilope Fadare speak to researchers who highlight Nigeria's energy access challenges and the potential of mini grids to address them.
Temilade Sesan, energy researcher and consultant, and Ewah Ileri, executive director of the International Centre for Energy, Environment and Development, a Nigerian think tank, explain what mini grids are and discuss ways to overcome regulatory hurdles to deliver sustainable energy solutions.
Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
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Poor road networks in Africa make it difficult to transport medical supplies and samples to remote communities, hindering access to healthcare.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, reporter Halima Athumani explores how drone technology can bridge this gap and serve the so-called “last mile”.
She speaks with leaders of two drone companies, Kenya Flying Labs and VillageReach, about their efforts to enhance Africa's health infrastructure through drone technology.
Henry Chimtengo, senior medical assistant at Malombe Health Centre in Malawi’s Mangochi district, explains how drones assisted the country’s polio vaccination drive.
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Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
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After Africa achieved wild poliovirus-free status in 2020, the region faced a setback with outbreaks recurring in Mozambique and Malawi in 2022.
However, a swift global response by countries and health organisations, including large-scale vaccination campaigns reaching 50 million children across five nations, culminated in a recommendation this month by the independent Poliovirus Outbreak Response Assessment (OBRA) to declare the end of the wild poliovirus type 1 outbreaks in Southern Africa.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, reporter Justice Baidoo speaks to public health experts to uncover the strategies Southern African countries adopted to fight the disease.
Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
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Ghana's fight against malaria has seen a major breakthrough with a 90 per cent reduction in malaria mortality since 2012.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, reporter Justice Baidoo speaks to health authorities in Ghana, who attribute this progress to a national strategy and the launch of the R21/Matrix-M vaccine.
Mother-of-three Martha Obeng says her six-month-old son is “strong and very healthy” after receiving the vaccination.
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Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
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In this episode of Africa Science Focus, our reporter Michael Kaloki speaks with African researchers on the importance of ethics in science.
Jerome Singh, an adjunct professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Canada, talks about the need to prioritise human wellbeing during science experiments, while Emma Ruttkamp-Bloem, chair of UNESCO’s World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology, highlights the ethical considerations needed in the production of artificial intelligence technologies.
Alloy Ihuah, from the Department of Philosophy, Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria, evaluates the effects of western science on Africa, and advocates for the domestication of science on the continent.
This podcast was supported by the Science Granting Councils Initiative which aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of 18 public science funding agencies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Do you have any comments, questions or feedback about our podcast episodes? Let us know at podcast@scidev.net
Technology professionals explore how artificial intelligence and drones can transform industries in Africa.
In this Africa Science Focus episode, reporter Michael Kaloki discusses the relationship between artificial intelligence (AI), drone technology, and data analytics with information technology professionals.
Dennis Mutua, managing director of Geo-Cart,a Kenya-based surveying and drones solution company, says AI and drones could improve agriculture, engineering, and resource management.
AI and blockchain could shape the future of African businesses, says Bright Mawudor, regional lead at blockchain specialists Crystal Intelligence.
We also hear from Nancy Kinyua, head of geospatial engineering and data analytics at Nairobi-based data analytics firm Statsspeak, Moses Kemibaro, founder of Dotsavvy digital marketing agency, and Addy Kimani, sales and marketing lead at Fahari Aviation, a company specialising in unmanned aircraft systems.
Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
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Growing more local seeds in Africa can solve the region’s food insecurity and climate problems.Local crops and seeds are often neglected in Africa, despite their nutritional and environmental benefits, research has shown.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, Method Gundidza, director of the EarthLore Foundation, explains to reporter Elna Schütz the legacy of colonialism on these native species.
Siphiwe Sithole, a farmer and managing director at African Marmalade, an agribusiness that specialises in African crops, highlights the significance of indigenous seeds on the continent.
Using research, Albert Modi, executive dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Walter Sisulu University, South Africa, assesses the level of use of local seeds in Africa.
Meanwhile, Mariam Mayet, executive director of the African Centre of Biodiversity indicates ways African farmers can increase the use of indigenous seeds.
Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
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Solar powered, low-cost respiratory technology is aiding the fight to reduce neonatal mortality in Nigeria.
Nigeria has a newborn mortality crisis, with 262,000 infant deaths each year.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, our correspondent, Royal Uche, highlights an innovation developed to curb the deaths of preterm babies in Africa’s most populous nation.
We hear from Jimoh Abdulrasheed, consultant paediatrician at the Calabar Women and Children’s Hospital, who tells us about the life-saving impact the solar-powered respiratory technology has had at this hospital in the south of the country.
Hippolite Amadi, a professor of medical engineering and technology, Imperial College, London, who developed the product, reveals the challenges he faced in scaling it, including dealing with corrupt high-ranking health officials.
Mary Edet shares her baby's survival story. And Olukemi Tongo, consultant neonatologist at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, in Nigeria’s Oyo state, says the government should invest in the innovation to reduce new-born deaths.
This project was funded by the European Journalism Centre, through the Solutions Journalism Accelerator. The fund is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
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In this episode of Africa Science Focus, our reporter Michael Kaloki pulls apart the packaging challenges that threaten food security in East Africa.
We speak to Zippy Shiyoya, director at the Institute of Packaging Professionals Kenya, who highlights challenges faced by the industry, such as high production costs and shortages of materials that limit access to safe packaging.
Michael Humble, a Kenyan biochemist, explains how there is a need to understand the physical and chemical properties of food packaging to prevent spoiling and contamination.
This podcast was supported by the Science Granting Councils Initiative which aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of 18 public science funding agencies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
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Women in Sub-Saharan Africa are highly prone to developing fibroids, a kind of non-cancerous growth in the uterus, according to research. But they often don’t receive the treatment they need, risking major health consequences.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, reporter Busola Ajibola speaks to Maureen Umemmuo-Umeakuewulu, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at the National Hospital Abuja, Nigeria, who explains why fibroids are prevalent in the region. She discusses the symptoms, treatment options, and recovery tips, including the role of nutrition.
We also hear from women dealing with fibroids about their experiences, in the last of our month-long series on women’s health.
Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
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Childbirth brings forth new life but is a dangerous journey for many women in Sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, over two-thirds of global maternal mortality occurs in the region.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus – the second in our series on women’s health – our reporter, Busola Ajibola, speaks to Eli Sukarime, associate professor and honorary consultant in obstetrics and gynecology at Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.
He discusses the need to understand the causes of maternal mortality in the region in order to design effective healthcare solutions.
Osaretin Okonji, public health researcher at the University of Western Cape’s School of Pharmacy, in Cape Town, South Africa, says improving access through policy changes and prioritising interventions like antenatal care are crucial steps.
Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station.
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The SPOON Chair has the potential to significantly improve the lives of children with cerebral palsy and their families across Africa.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we feature an innovative device called the SPOON Chair, designed to improve feeding for children with the movement and posture disease cerebral palsy.
David Kibirige, who helped develop the device, tells us how the chair was produced and what features are coming next. We also hear from Jacinta Nakazzi, a mother who witnessed firsthand the positive impact of the SPOON Chair on her son with cerebral palsy.
Speech therapist Daniel Seremba emphasizes the importance of proper positioning during feeding for children with disabilities.
This project was funded by the European Journalism Centre, through the Solutions Journalism Accelerator. The fund is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
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To commemorate International Women’s Day on 8 March, Africa Science Focus speaks with women leaders in academic science across Africa.
Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, former and first female President of Mauritius and biodiversity scientist, tells our reporter, Michael Kaloki, how to make science more attractive for young women.
Quarraisha Abdool Karim, epidemiologist and Pro-Vice Chancellor for African Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, explained how mentorship advanced her career.
Lastly, Marie Korsaga, West Africa’s first female astrophysicist and an assistant lecturer at the Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo in Burkina Faso recounted how she is surviving in a male-dominated field.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This podcast was supported by the Science Granting Councils Initiative which aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of 18 public science funding agencies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
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In this episode of Africa Science Focus, our reporter Bunmi Yekini speaks to Hammed Rauf, owner of Hamruf Global Limited, who transforms glass waste into valuable resources.
We also hear from Mufutau Adelotan, a user of the recycled glass, who shares insights on the product’s usefulness.
Glass poses environmental and health risks when not managed properly. Is recycling alone sufficient to mitigate these risks and safeguard the environment and climate? Professor Ilemobayo Oguntimehin, professor of environmental dynamics and management, Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology in Okitipupa, Ondo, Nigeria, sheds light on this.
And Doyinsola Ogunye, climate activist and founder of the Recycling Scheme for Women and Youth Empowerment, shares her perspective on the recycling.
This project was funded by the European Journalism Centre, through the Solutions Journalism Accelerator. The fund is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
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In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we examine what role telemedicine could play in plugging Africa’s healthcare gaps.
Our reporter, Royal Uche speaks with Abubakar Ibrahim, founder of telemedicine solution provider Medicliq, who tells us how remote methods of healthcare could be instrumental in solving the continent’s health challenges.
We also hear from Omolola Salako, public health expert and clinical oncologist at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, about how such technology can benefit rural and underserved areas.
Meanwhile, Joana Eva Dodoo, lecturer in the department of business programmes at the College of Distance Education, University of Cape Coast, Ghana, shares her findings on the shortfalls of telemedicine in Africa and how to overcome them.
Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
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In this episode of African Science Focus, we look at the effort African scientists are making to elevate science and its impact globally.
Our reporter, Michael Kaloki speaks with Vanessa McBride, science director at the International Science Council, who advocated for policymakers to invest more in research and development in Africa.
Dorothy Ngila, director of strategic partnerships at South Africa’s National Research Foundation, says gender integration in science is critical to the advancement of science in the continent.
And Farai Kapfudzaruwa, research and strategic partnerships manager at Future Africa, University of Pretoria, South Africa, highlights the importance of pan-African open science platforms and effective collaboration between scientists in the region.
This podcast was supported by the Science Granting Councils Initiative which aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of 18 public science funding agencies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
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[ACCRA] Located within Accra’s bustling Agbogbloshie market, Ghana's infamous e-waste dumpsite poses serious health risks to residents and traders.
The burning of discarded electronics for valuable materials leads to smoky air that has severe health implications for the community.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, reporter Justice Baidoo speaks with Anita Asamoah, a researcher at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, who analysed the breast milk of mothers in this location and found cancer-causing metals.
Meanwhile, Mountain Research Institute president Vincent Kyere, suggests some lasting solutions to the environmental pollution at Agbogbloshie.
Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station.
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Africa produces only about four percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, but the region — particularly its agriculture sector — bears the brunt of climate change.
In this episode, Ogechi Ekeanyanwu and Titilope Fadare find out how smallholder farmers from Kenya and Nigeria ensure they produce crops all year round amid extreme weather conditions.
Boaz Waswa, a soil fertility specialist at the Alliance of Bioversity International and International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) based in Kenya, shared some climate-smart strategies that farmers can adopt to build resilience.
We also hear from Shalika Vyas, associate fellow in agriculture and climate at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT. She discusses how access to climate finance can assist farmers in adapting and mitigating the impacts of climate change.
Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station.
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Ebola is a highly contagious and often deadly virus and has been a persistent threat to several countries in Africa.
In this episode, Africa Science Focus spoke to researchers at the University of Zambia and Hokkaido University, Japan, who designed a kit which can detect the Ebola virus within minutes.
Katendi Changula, infectious disease researcher at the University of Zambia, explained how this test can be a game-changer, while Ayato Takada, professor at the International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Japan, explains how the kits were developed.
And Joseph Ndebe, researcher at the School of Veterinary Medicine, disease control department, at the University of Zambia, sheds light on the challenges faced in deploying the test kits.
We also hear from Sheila Makiala, who works at the National Institute of Biomedical Research in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She spoke to us about how the tests play a pivotal role in the effective management of Ebola outbreaks in the DRC.
This project was funded by the European Journalism Centre, through the Solutions Journalism Accelerator. The fund is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
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Unlocking the wonders of science in young minds is pivotal for cultivating a generation of critical thinkers and innovators, particularly in Africa.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we look into the challenges and innovative solutions for igniting children's passion for science.
Our reporter, Michael Kaloki, speaks to Harun Mbuvi, chair of the Chemistry Department at Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya, who highlights the barriers within Africa’s education system hindering science education for children.
Yetunde Oluwatosin, education specialist at UNICEF, provides insights into overcoming obstacles to science education. And Sani Aliyu, a professor and renewable energy expert at Usmanu Danfodiyo University in Sokoto, Nigeria, shares some strategies to enhance children's understanding of science.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This podcast was supported by the Science Granting Councils Initiative which aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of 18 public science funding agencies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
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Misconceptions about disability and sex often lead to stigma and can prevent women with disabilities from accessing the sexual and reproductive healthcare they need.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, reporter Ijeoma Ukazu speaks to Nigerian disability rights advocates and experts Lois Auta-Udonkanta, Salome Net and Rahmatu Ahmed.
They share their experiences of navigating disabilities, debunk some of the myths attached to disability and sex, and highlight the factors preventing women with disabilities from accessing quality health services.
Joy Shu’aibu, director of programme operations for Sightsavers in Nigeria, shares practical steps policymakers can take to make sexual and reproductive health accessible for women with disabilities.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
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Africa's water crisis, compounded by climate change, threatens agricultural sustainability and food security.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we delve into actionable strategies for managing water effectively across the continent.
Our reporter, Michael Kaloki, speaks to Professor Sylvester Mpandeli, executive manager for water utilization in Agriculture at the Water Research Commission, South Africa, to uncover critical gaps hindering efficient water use in agriculture.
Dr. Mathapelo Seopela, a lecturer in the chemical sciences department at the University of Johannesburg, offers practical solutions for communities and leaders to safeguard water quality.
Dr. Thabile Ndlovu, senior lecturer in the chemistry department at the University of Swaziland, Kwaluseni, explores how cross-border collaboration can unlock the potential for clean, agricultural water across Africa.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This podcast was supported by the Science Granting Councils Initiative which aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of 18 public science funding agencies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station
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This episode of Africa Science Focus continues to investigate the pollution of the Osun River in southwest Nigeria, delving into the environmental impact of gold mining along its banks.
Olugbenga Okunlola, professor of geology at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, joins our reporter, Babatunde Okunlola, to talk about the gold deposits in Osun state and the region's environmental dynamics.
We hear from miners and ecological experts about the soil erosion, vanishing forests, and polluted air and water resulting from unregulated mining practices – and explore potential solutions.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
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The Osun River in south-west Nigeria is a paradox. On one hand, it is revered by those who believe in its spiritual connection to the river goddess Oshun and its healing powers. On the other, mining activities have led to its pollution, affecting the river's water quality.
In the first of a two-part series on the Osun River, Africa Science Focus dives into this complex landscape.
Our reporter Babatunde Okunola talks with devoted worshippers who remain drawn to the river amid health concerns. Oluseyi Atanda, president of the Traditional Religious Association in Osun state, provides insight into the river's deep, historical significance.
Azeez Luqmon, associate professor of analytical environment and nano chemistry at the University of Osun, Nigeria, shares his findings about the pollution and offers solutions for the river’s restoration.
Can science and tradition work together to heal the Osun River and ensure its continued cultural and environmental value? Tune in to Africa Science Focus to find out.
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Plastic pollution is a spiralling global problem and in cities like Kampala plastic waste is found everywhere in its streets, parks, and waterways.
Uganda’s Ghetto Research Lab, set up to find innovative ways to improve people’s lives and solve environmental problems, is taking on this challenge with its “solar basins”, made from recycled plastic.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, reporter Aneta Felix speaks with the lab’s founder, Patrick Mujuzi, about how the solar laundry basins are easing the load for Ugandan women.
We hear from beneficiary Musiige Jovia about how the innovation is creating economic opportunities in vulnerable communities and from environmentalist Aisha Faith about the negative effects of plastic pollution in Uganda.
This project was funded by the European Journalism Centre, through the Solutions Journalism Accelerator. The fund is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
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Cervical cancer is a deadly disease which claims the lives of thousands of Nigerian women every year.
Nigeria is fighting this health menace with the introduction of a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine into its routine immunisation programme and began a vaccination drive for young girls in October.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, reporter Royal Uche speaks to top Nigerian scientists and health experts, Muhammad Habeebu, Ifeoma Okoye and Oyewale Tomori to learn more about the virus, from transmission to prevention, and how it leads to cancer.
We also hear from Ahmed Rufai Garba, national coordinator for HPV vaccination in Nigeria, about the rollout of the vaccine and future plans to mitigate the challenges.
This podcast was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
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Tech solutions, even those created by young people, could tackle development challenges on the continent.
In this episode of the Africa Science Focus podcast, reporter Aneta Felix speaks with two young innovators, Olivia Chizaram Obi from Nigeria and Sharon Kemunto from Kenya, who recently participated in a global tech competition.
They give us insights into their innovations, and discuss the potential impact on their communities.
The podcast also explores the behind-the-scenes journey of competition preparation with parents and mentors.
David Jinad, a Nigerian software engineer, tells us how these young innovations can grow Africa's technology sector.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
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Strengthening research and innovation in Africa can catalyse progress on development issues such as food insecurity, the climate crisis, and poor health systems.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus Podcast, our reporter Michael Kaloki speaks with chair holders of the OR Tambo Africa Research Chairs Initiative (ORTARChI) about how technology transfer and collaboration can lead to tangible changes on the ground.
We also hear about the food systems research being carried out in Africa and why local cultural norms are an essential consideration.
ORTARChI aims to build the capacities of researchers, fund their work and bring them together to find solutions to the lingering challenges facing the continent.
This podcast was supported by the Science Granting Councils Initiative which aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of 18 public science funding agencies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
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According to the 2022 Uganda Demographics Health Survey, around 40 per cent of Ugandan children are underdeveloped as a result of malnutrition.
In this Episode of Africa Science Focus we speak to community worker Reuben Kikora who hopes to fight against child malnutrition by promoting kitchen gardening in the Kaborole district of western Uganda’s Tooro region.
Our reporter, Michael Kaloki, looks at how communities are being trained to grow vegetables and other small-scale crops, to help feed their families and generate extra income.
Bernard Bwambale, who oversees food systems and nutrition programmes in the region, tells us how this initiative can be made sustainable.
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This project was funded by the European Journalism Centre, through the Solutions Journalism Accelerator. The fund is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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The health crises faced by Africa in the last decade have highlighted the clear need for improved healthcare systems and pandemic preparedness. Deadly disease outbreaks, such as the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa and the COVID-19 pandemic, underscore the urgency for stronger epidemic intelligence and response mechanisms.
In this episode of our Africa Science Focus Podcast, reporter Michael Kaloki speaks with Jean Ngamba and Professor Lorena Núñez Carrasco, recipients of the COVID-19 Africa Rapid Grant Fund. They share their research on potential responses that Africa could employ in the event of a future pandemic or health crisis.
This podcast was supported by the Science Granting Councils Initiative which aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of 18 public science funding agencies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Access to sexual and reproductive health services is a human right, but for millions of women and girls in Sub-Saharan Africa it is lacking. Consequently, the region has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world with 545 deaths for every 100,000 live births, according to the United Nations children’s agency UNICEF.
In this episode of our Science Explained series, reporter Michael Kaloki speaks with Tlaleng Mofokeng, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health. She talks about what needs to be done to change the cultural norms in communities where abortions are stigmatised, to avoid putting the lives of mothers and babies at risk.
We also hear from Magda Robalo, president and co-founder of the Institute for Global Health and Development, in Guinea-Bissau, about ways to promote access to sexual and reproductive healthcare for women and girls.
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Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station.
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Breast milk is the ideal food for infants as it provides them with the nutrients and antibodies they need to thrive. But Nigeria’s breastfeeding rate stands at a meagre 29 per cent for a myriad of reasons including poor support for breastfeeding mothers and medical conditions.
In this episode of our African Changemakers series, Africa Science Focus speaks with Chinny Obinwanne, founder of the Milk Booster breastfeeding company and Nigeria’s first milk bank, about the potential of breast milk banks to help address these challenges and improve the health and well-being of infants.
We also speak to Olaiya Adegbola about his experience with the breast milk bank as a father in Nigeria.
This project was funded by the European Journalism Centre through the Solutions Journalism Accelerator. The fund is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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With the rollout of two new malaria vaccines on the horizon in Africa, the outlook for fighting the disease looks optimistic. But is it enough?
In this episode of our Africa Science Focus Science Explained series, Michael Charles, head of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, tells us why he believes Africa must lead the drive to end the disease. Charles hails the “groundbreaking” latest WHO-recommended malaria vaccine, R21/Matrix M, but stresses the need to keep up other malaria control measures too.
We also hear from Chika Offor, CEO of the Vaccine Network for Disease Control, who says people in the region must see the value of the vaccine if the rollout campaign is to be successful.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
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In this episode of Africa Science Focus, maths professor Jill Adler, recipient of the 2023 National Research Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award, sheds light on the education system of South Africa’s former apartheid government, which was designed to disadvantage black students.
She talks to us about her work to improve the teaching of mathematics in indigenous South African languages and discusses the importance of considering students’ different language needs.
We also speak to James Meiring, director of reviews and evaluations at South Africa’s National Research Foundation, who tells us that Adler's work has helped to disrupt the apartheid government's education system and improve maths education.
This podcast was supported by the Science Granting Councils Initiative which aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of 18 public science funding agencies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Artificial intelligence is ubiquitous and will impact the world in ways we can only imagine. In Africa, it has the potential to transform many aspects of daily life, from healthcare and agriculture to education and finance.
In this episode of the podcast Africa Science Focus, we speak to Barbara Glover, programme officer at the African Union Panel on Emerging Technologies, about the potential of AI to benefit Africa, as well as the possible pitfalls. We also hear from Abake Adenle, chief executive officer of Ajala, a start-up that develops speech technologies for African languages.
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Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station.
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In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we hear about the Atayese Health Network, which is confronting the prevailing issues of healthcare inaccessibility and escalating costs.
Our reporter, Royal Uche, speaks to Atayese founder Adeolu Olusodo, who tells us that the organisation is working to making healthcare available and affordable for all, particularly in rural communities in Nigeria’s South West region.
Uche also speaks to healthcare workers who shed light on the challenges plaguing the healthcare sector in Nigeria.
This project was funded by the European Journalism Centre, through the Solutions Journalism Accelerator. The fund is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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In this first episode of the ‘Science Explained’ series by Africa Science Focus, we dive into a study by Makerere University that uncovered traces of the antiretroviral (ARV) drug Efavirenz, used for HIV/AIDS treatment, in chicken feed in Uganda.
Our reporter, Halima Athumani, also spoke with lead researcher, Hussein Oria, who let us know the gravity of using unapproved drugs in animal feed. We also investigate the motivations of poultry farmers, how they source ARVs, and shed light on the troubling implications.
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In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we speak to Maureen Akolo, a nurse and public health specialist in Kenya who supports communities at risk of HIV/AIDS, including sex workers and drug addicts. She works to create awareness about HIV/AIDS and encourage and educate people about life-saving treatments such as anti-retroviral drugs.
Our reporter, Michael Kaloki, also hears from a patient living with the disease about how she accepted her diagnosis and is living a healthy life thanks to Akolo’s mentorship.
This project was funded by the European Journalism Centre, through the Solutions Journalism Accelerator. The fund is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we explore how funding agencies are supporting women in research. We take a look at the barriers that persist for women pursuing academic careers and how these can be broken down.
How can funding for women’s research in Africa help them contribute to knowledge creation on an equal footing to men and compete on the global stage? And how can data on gender help funding agencies address gaps in grant allocation?
Our reporter, Michael Kaloki, has been speaking to African women in science about their experiences and the new initiatives aimed at levelling the playing field.
This podcast was supported by the Science Granting Councils Initiative, which aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of 18 public science funding agencies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we speak to Gladys Nyachieo, a social science researcher, whose work revolves around transforming pedestrian experiences and urban transportation in Kenya. She advocates for the widespread adoption of walking and non-motorized modes of travel, particularly in Nakuru, Kenya.
Our reporter, Michael Kaloki, looks at the practicability of her campaigns and speaks to beneficiaries of work.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we delve into the hurdles that women on the African continent experience while attempting to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Long-standing gender stereotypes and the burden of unpaid labour are just some of the factors that feed into the underrepresentation of women in these sectors.
Our reporter Michael Kaloki spoke with some African female scientists who described the problems women face in STEM fields and shared their ideas about how to bridge the gender gap.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
In the first episode of our new season of Africa Science Focus, we follow the journey of Josephine Nackeny Augustino whose mission is to tackle the pressing waste management crisis in South Sudan.
With cities in low-income countries expanding, and waste generation escalating, Augustino's commitment to finding a solution is inspiring. She is helping to transform waste into nutrient-rich compost for agricultural purposes.
Through her research on microorganisms, she is changing the farming practices of local farmers and harnessing the power of composting.
This project was funded by the European Journalism Centre, through the Solutions Journalism Accelerator. This fund is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Spina bifida is a birth defect that affects the proper formation of the spine. It can lead to complications that can cause both physical and intellectual disabilities, and even death.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, our reporter, Ijeoma Ukazu, talks to Lawrencia Dyawei, mother of a child with spina bifida about the challenges she and her child face.
Ifeanyi Nsofor, a global health equity advocate, explains spina bifida.
Festus Fajemilo, co-founder and executive director of Nigeria-based Festus Fajemilo Foundation, which supports people with spina bifida, speaks about caring for people with the condition, and Joyce Mwatonoka, a paediatrician at Benjamin Mkapa Hospital, Dodoma, Tanzania, talks to us about preventive measures.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
We have come to the end of season three of the Africa Science Focus podcast and we decided to compile some insights on science in Sub-Saharan Africa from some of the science conferences we attended in 2022.
At the 2022 World science forum, Cape Town, South Africa, Tumelo Nhlapo of the University of South Africa’s Science Engagement Centre tells us how the centre engages kids in problem solving and STEM.
At the 2022 conference on public health in Africa, Kigali, Rwanda, Noella Bigiriman, deputy director general, Rwanda Biomedical Centre, talks us to about incorporating covid-19 lessons into public health systems.
And at the Africa Economic Conference, we learnt about climate smart development, transitioning to clean fuels and developing policies around renewable energy in Africa
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
In Africa, rising temperatures have resulted in extreme weather events like floods and droughts that threaten lives and livelihoods. In order to tackle climate change, people need to know how to take action. And the younger they are when they lean, the better.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we speak to the founders of social enterprise Earth Warriors, who tell us about their curriculum creation initiative. Keya Lamba, a co-founder of Earth Warriors, tells us about the approach they take in building curriculums for school students. Shweta Bahri, explains how climate knowledge is already being infused in schools in some countries in Africa.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Eastern and Southern Africa have the highest HIV/AIDS burden in the world. And it is mostly women and girls in low- and middle-income countries who bear the greatest burden. This year, World AIDS Day highlighted the inequalities holding back progress in ending HIV/AIDS.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we speak to Anne Githuku-Shongwe, UNAIDS Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, about the inequalities faced by people on the African continent in accessing HIV treatment. Eva Kiwango, country director of UNAIDS South Africa, focuses on access to HIV treatment in South Africa.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Oral diseases are largely preventable, yet a recent World Health Organization report reveals that half of the global population has some form of oral disease. And most of these people live in low- and middle-income countries.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we speak to Morenike Oluwatoyin Ukpong, professor of paediatric dentistry and the dean at the faculty of dentistry, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria, about the inequities in oral health in Africa. Victor Nwabudike, a consultant family dentist and head of the dental department at Ajeromi General Hospital, speaks to us about the consequences of oral diseases.
Also McKing Amedari, a consultant at the department of preventive and community dentistry at Obafemi Awolowo University tells us about the findings of his latest research on oral health in Nigeria.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Africa produces only one per cent of its routine vaccines. This leaves the region dependent on imports for its vaccine needs, and makes it vulnerable to a vaccine crisis during health emergencies.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, Ebere Okereke, senior technical advisor at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and honorary senior public health advisor for the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, says research in science, and funding for therapeutics and vaccine manufacturing in the continent, must increase. Professor Claude Muvunyi, director general for the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, tells us that boosting Africa’s capacity to manufacture vaccines will be a front burner discussion during the 2nd International Conference on Public Health in Africa, scheduled to take place in Rwanda on the second week of December.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Progress towards universal health care in Africa is slow, and according to the World Health Organization 80 per cent of Africans depend instead on traditional medicine.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, Oluwagbemiga Aina, head of the centre for traditional, complementary and alternative medicine at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, explains what herbal medicines are. Scholastica Lan, national chairman of the Association of Lady Pharmacists in Nigeria, tells us why regulation is sorely needed.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
African currencies are in free-fall, with hard-biting inflation hitting double digits in countries like Ghana and Nigeria, putting food nearly out of reach for many.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we speak to Churchill Ogutu, a Kenyan economist, who unpacks the links between currency depreciation and poverty. And Ndubusi Nwokoma, director of the Centre for Economic Policy Analysis and Research of the University of Lagos, Nigeria, tells us what’s needed to stabilize the situation.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Nigeria is facing its worse flooding in a decade with building and infrastructure submerged and lives and livelihoods lost. While climate change does play a role, poor infrastructure and poor preparation have intensified the situation.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we get the backstory from Professor Nelson Odume, acting director of the Institute for Water Research at Rhodes University, South Africa. Philip Jakpor, the director of programmes at Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, a social action organisation, puts the blame on poor dam management. And Alagoa Morris - flood victim, environmentalist and the Head of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth, in Bayelsa state, Nigeria, tells us what it is like to live through the flood.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Africa is largely a coastal continent, with more than 70 per cent of African countries having a coastline. Much of the region depends on the ocean for food and income, but the changing climate is causing Africa’s coastal communities to deal with rising sea levels and dwindling resources.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, Dickson Gereza, a fisherman, co-founder and manager of the Kuruwitu Conservation and Welfare Association in Kilifi County, tells us what his community is doing to adapt to the pressure the ocean is facing. We also talk to Thando Mazomba, a marine scientist and alumni of Ocean Womxn, a leadership programme under the Department of Oceanography, who advocates for Africa-centric solutions.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Africa is battling a suicide and mental health crisis. According to the World Health Organization, the region has the highest number of suicide cases in the world with around 11 people per 100, 000 dying by suicide each year. The region is also home to six of the ten countries with the highest incidence of suicide.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we hear from Kenyan resident Philis Mwatee about the pain of losing a dear friend to suicide. Florence Baingana, WHO regional advisor on mental, neurological and substance abuse, highlights the risk factors affecting Africans. And clinical psychologist Gladys Mwiti from Oasis Africa, a trauma centre, says Africa must invest in stronger support structures.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
The lands of indigenous peoples contain much of the world’s surviving tropical forests – which are key to limiting the devastating impacts of climate change. Yet it is estimated that just 17 per cent of global climate and conservation finance allocated for indigenous peoples and local communities’ forest management initiatives reaches them.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, Bryson Ogden of the Rights and Resources Initiative in Washington DC explains the barriers indigenous peoples face in accessing funds meant to protect forests on their lands. And Kenyan social entrepreneur and climate leader, Patricia Kombo, speaks about the importance of the forests in indigenous communities.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Uganda is experiencing its first outbreak in a decade of the deadly Ebola disease caused by Sudan virus, health authorities announced in September. More than 40 cases and at least 29 deaths have been reported, including four health workers. Nine of these deaths are from confirmed cases. While there are vaccines against the more common Zaire strain, there are no licensed vaccines or therapeutics for Sudan ebolavirus.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we find out more about the current outbreak in Uganda from the World Health Organizations’s Patrick Otim. Dimie Ogoina, president of the Nigerian Infectious Diseases Society, tells us what the continent must do to curb the spread of the virus and prevent future outbreaks.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Antimicrobial resistance is a growing threat to public health in Sub-Saharan Africa. Bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites can change their make-up and become resistant to the drugs that are used to treat them, such as antibiotics. One major challenge the continent faces is the lack of data to provide insight into the extent of the problem.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, African Society for Laboratory Medicine virologist Pascale Ondoa explains the implications of drug resistance for Africa’s health systems. And Yewande Alimi from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention tells us why over-reliance on antimicrobial medicines, particularly without a diagnosis, is a key reason for the rise of superbugs.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Despite contributing the least greenhouse gas emissions globally, Sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing some of the greatest impacts of climate change. Increasingly harsh weather conditions including higher temperatures and changes in rainfall patterns, as well as rising sea levels are leading to floods, droughts and other extreme weather events that are exacerbating poverty in the region.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we talk to farmer Munuaradzi Muronda, who tells us how climate change is driving losses and how he is adapting his farming practices to accommodate changes in the weather. And Mithika Mwenda, executive director of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, tells us about the interventions that could build climate resilience.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Sub-Saharan Africa has the world’s largest burden of sickle cell disease - the World Health Organisation says 66 per cent of the 120 million people affected globally live in Africa. And over half of the estimated 1,000 children born with the disease every year will die before they turn five.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we learn about the myths and misconceptions surrounding sickle cell disease that create stigma and hamper proper and early diagnosis. We also learn of the hurdles the Sub-Saharan African region faces in the treatment, prevention and detection of sickle cell disease.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Farmers rely on fertiliser to ensure they get a good yield from their crops, particularly when soils are depleted, as is the case in parts of the African continent. But the cost of fertiliser has been soaring, especially due to the Ukraine-Russia conflict, and it is taking its toll on the price of food.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we speak to Agnes Kalibata - the president of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) - to find out what this means for consumers, and what countries can do to reduce their reliance on imported fertiliser.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
As this year’s World Water Week draws to a close, our reporter Michael Kaloki investigates Africa’s growing water needs – and how to improve infrastructure and management to meet them.
Farmer Carol Mwangi tells Africa Science Focus why her efforts to overcome water challenges have left her in debt. And Olufunke Cofie, principal researcher and country representative for West Africa at the International Water Management Institute, tells us what needs to be done to buffer Africa’s vulnerability to droughts, which are affecting food prices.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
The injection of medicines directly into a muscle, a procedure called intramuscular injection, – is a common way to treat people around the world. But it can prove dangerous if done wrongly or too frequently.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we learn about gluteal fibrosis — a complication of intramuscular injections that occurs mostly in infancy and childhood and limits how f the affected muscles function. We also learn ways we can prevent this injury in the future.
Around three-quarters of emerging infectious diseases affecting humans are zoonotic, that is they emerge from wild and domestic animals. These zoonotic diseases cause one billion infections and millions of deaths, mostly in low-income countries, according to the World Health Organization.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we find out how scientists are taking on this critical issue through farming. Bernard Bett at the International Livestock Research Institute, in Nairobi, Kenya, introduces us to the concept of one health - an intervention approach that recognises the connection of people, animals and plants.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Sudan’s long-running political unrest and instability have left the country in dire need of healthcare workers and services. A group of Sudanese in the diaspora are hoping to close the health gap using Project ECHO, a mentoring programme that uses telemedicine to connect rural communities and health workers with experts around the world.
This week, Nada Fadul, a Sudanese-American infectious diseases professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, explains the Project ECHO model and tells our reporter Michael Kaloki how it supported COVID-19 vaccine uptake in unreached communities. And, trainee doctor Sarah Mohammed shares her experience and the benefits of remote mentoring programmes.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Ponmo – cow hide meat - is a popular food in parts of Nigeria and across West Africa. But nutritionists and scientists in the region warn about the safety and nutritional value of this local delicacy.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, our reporter Royal Uche speaks with Abiodun Wahab, program operations officer at the One Health and Development Initiative, about the toxic bacteria found in the meat even after cooking. Sherifah Wakil, associate professor of microbiology at the University of Ibadan, shares findings from her latest research on the contamination of the meat. And Obaisi Alaanuloluwa, environmental and social development consultant for the World Bank, explains how ponmo affects the environment.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Female genital schistosomiasis – FGS – affects an estimated 56 million women in Sub-Saharan Africa. But not much is known about how this debilitating condition affects women in Sub-Saharan Africa, despite its prevalence. As FGS symptoms mirror many sexually transmitted diseases, it is often misdiagnosed.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, our reporter Michael Kaloki speaks to Tijani Salami, physician and sexual reproductive health expert, on the slow progress that’s being made towards curbing one of Africa’s most neglected diseases. And Ibrahim Rabiu, president of the Female Genital Schistosomiasis Society of Nigeria and lecturer at Gombe State University, debunks some misconceptions surrounding the disease.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Endometriosis – a disease that occurs when tissues similar to the ones that line in the uterus, grow outside the uterus – affects one in ten women around the world. But not much is known about how this debilitating condition affects women in Sub-Saharan Africa, despite its prevalence.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, our reporter, Royal Uche, follows the journey of two women who have suffered excruciating pain from the inception of their periods to date. Both experience a loss of productivity and a substantially reduced quality of life as a result of this disease. Also, Joe Wanyoike Gichuhi, consultant, obstetrician and senior lecturer at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, tells us how endometriosis manifests.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Sub-Saharan Africa has an acute shortage of workers for cancer treatment and care. It means that, by 2030, there could be 1 million deaths annually in the region without intervention.
In this second episode of our three-part mini-series, Africa Science Focus reporter Michael Kaloki follows up with Beatrice Wiafe, a breast health expert and one of the lead researchers of a cancer report by health journal The Lancet, on why there is a deficit of medical workers in cancer and what it will take for Sub-Saharan Africa to build and retain the expertise needed to manage the disease.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
The cancer burden in Sub-Saharan Africa is rising. It is set to nearly double by 2030, with cancer deaths predicted to reach one million yearly without intervention, a report by The Lancet Commission shows.
In the first episode of a special three-part mini-series, Africa Science Focus reporter Michael Kaloki speaks to the experts who unpack the reasons that 80 per cent of people in the region prefer traditional and alternate medicine. We find out how this affects diagnosis and treatment, and hear how cancer care in Sub-Saharan Africa could transform over the next ten years.
Featuring:
Beatrice Wiafe Addai, breast surgeon and chief executive officer of the Peace and Love Hospitals; president and founder of Breast Care.
Gladys Nyachieo, senior lecturer, department of sociology at the multimedia University of Kenya.
Andrew Odhiambo, oncologist and lecturer at the University of Nairobi
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Conflict and drought have left millions of people in Ethiopia without access to food, water and healthcare. Health centres in the north of the country have been devastated by three years of violence. Meanwhile, the worst drought in forty years has hit agriculture and livestock in eastern and southern Ethiopia.
Millions of people around the country need urgent food aid, but fuel shortages have forced support organisations to reduce or suspend deliveries. This week, our reporter Halima Athumani is at Dubti Hospital in the northern Afar region, where admissions of severely malnourished children are rising by 30 per cent a month and the hospitals are seeing a mortality rate of up to 12 per cent.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Monkeypox was first discovered in humans in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970, and is now endemic in more than ten countries in Africa. Scientists in the region have spent years studying the disease, so this week on Africa Science Focus we spoke to the continent’s top monkeypox researchers to find out what the world can learn from Africa.
The current outbreaks of monkeypox in countries with no history of the virus can be contained, according to Fiona Braka, who leads the World Health Organization’s emergency operations for Africa. And, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control monkeypox expert group member Adesola Yinka-Ogunleye debunks some of the misinformation circulating on social media.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Writing computer code might seem daunting. But across Sub-Saharan Africa, children as young as three are learning how to talk to computers. Coding clubs are springing up all over Africa to teach the region’s future tech leaders how to do everything from building computer games, to creating smartphone apps, controlling robots, and running scientific experiments.
This week on Africa Science Focus, we meet Wariara Waireri from the Raspberry Pi Foundation, a global computer and digital technology charity that’s helping to set up clubs across the continent. And, Lagos club leader Queen Elohoghene Justice-Usum tells us how coding champions are convincing schools and governments that kids should learn the language of computers.
You can learn more about CoderDojo here, and join a Code Club here.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Coffee is a major industry in Sub-Saharan Africa, supplying around ten per cent of the world’s coffee beans. But coffee plants are under threat from climate change. This week on Africa Science Focus, our reporter Michael Kaloki heads to the first G25 African Coffee Summit in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, to find out what the continent’s coffee future looks like.
We hear from Elijah Gichuru, the director of the Coffee Research Institute at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, about climate impacts on coffee production and consumption. And, coffee farmer Prudence Jackie tells us how a local collaboration is supporting small-scale female farmers, who provide the majority of the labour in the coffee industry.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Every year, dog bites that spread the rabies virus cause more than 59,000 preventable deaths – 99 per cent of them in Africa and Asia. This week on Africa Science Focus, we hear from Ahmed Lugelo in Tanzania, whose research team spent almost 15 years following around 50,000 dogs to find out why rabies still exists in the Serengeti district.
We learn about a potential new single dose human vaccine that could increase protection against rabies. And, our reporter Michael Kaloki speaks to Jacqueline Weyer at South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases to find out why rabies prevention strategies are so urgently needed.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Maize yields are expected to be drastically lower this season than in previous years in drought-hit Sub-Saharan Africa. While the drop will affect the entire region, Kenya is facing the biggest struggle as one of the region's largest importers of the staple food.
This week on Africa Science Focus, maize buyers and sellers tell us that prices are already soaring in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. Mario Zappacosta from the Food and Agriculture Organization tells reporter Michael Kaloki why economic sanctions on Russia – the world’s largest exporter of agricultural fertilisers – could impact global maize production.
And, new research reveals that higher carbon dioxide levels could boost maize yields – but bring down the crop’s nutritional value. Tebadi Burgess from South Africa’s Rhodes University tells us why more maize isn’t the only solution to food insecurity.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Basic living costs are rising across Africa and around the world. The 2022 Global Report on Food Crises paints a picture of increasing hunger and malnutrition, with almost 200 million people worldwide in need of urgent assistance.
The Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Nigeria are among the ten countries with the highest number of people in crisis. This week, Africa Science Focus reporter Ijeoma Ukazu finds out how families in Nigeria are managing to maintain a healthy diet, as the country grapples with wider malnutrition challenges for children and women.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
mRNA vaccine technology has been a game-changer in the management of COVID-19. Now, scientists are looking to take on other infectious diseases that have burdened Sub-Saharan Africa for decades.
This week, Africa Science Focus reporter Michael Kaloki finds out how African researchers cracked the code of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. And, he hears how the technology could offer a much-needed breakthrough in the fight against HIV, malaria and tuberculosis.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Half of humanity is at risk of the devastating effects of climate breakdown. This disruption in nature, caused mainly by human actions, threatens the planet’s welfare, particularly in poor and developing countries, many of which are in Africa.
In the second episode of Season Three, Africa Science Focus talks to a strawberry farmer in Kenya and the Meteorological Department in Kenya to determine the extent of damage caused by an overheated climate. And why effective adaptation systems must be employed sooner rather than later.
Africa Science Focus, with Halima Athumani.
It was December 2019 when the first COVID-19 outbreak was recorded in Wuhan, China. Since then, the world has seen global lockdowns, closed borders and healthcare systems stretched to breaking point. But what’s happening now? Is the pandemic over in Africa, or are we poised for a deadly new phase?
In the first episode of Season Three, Africa Science Focus takes you from the streets of Nairobi to the Kenya Medical Association, and into the corridors of the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, to find out.
Africa Science Focus, with Halima Athumani.
With nine in every ten new jobs in 2030 expected to require digital skills, graduates in Africa — and young women in particular — without information and communications technology training will be left behind. In this episode, we hear from two women working to change that - Unoma Okorafor and Baratang Miya.
Okorafor has founded the Working to Advance African Women Foundation, which is equipping girls with the science and technology skills of the future, while Miya has established the training and entrepreneurship organisation GirlHype to introduce girls from disadvantaged and diverse backgrounds to coding, with graduates going on to work with major computer and software companies.
Catch up on the full interviews included in today’s show:
Hacking Africa’s next tech geniuses
Girls who code ‘can change the world’
Africa Science Focus, with Harrison Lewis.
When a monkey joined her in playing the piano, 12-year-old Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka knew she wanted to work with animals. Little did she know that her passion for primates would eventually lead to her to become Uganda’s first wildlife vet. This week, we look at the topic of agriculture and conservation, and hear how Gladys’ love for gorillas grew into a community coffee and conservation project.
Whilst Gladys tries to clean up the practices of local communities in rural regions of Uganda, another of our contributors this season, Nzambi Matee, is fervently trying to clean the streets of her capital city Nairobi. Just a few years ago, Nzambi decided to do something about the plastic pollution that she saw all over Kenya. Now, she has designed and built a thriving recycling and brick production facility, and her social enterprise Gjenge Makers has recycled plastic waste weighing more than five elephants.
Finally, we look at the role of sustainable home-grown farming, and good nutrition, and speak to Diana Nambatya Nsubuga from the non-profit Living Goods, who tells us how good food can be just as important as having easy access to medical expertise.
Catch up on the full interviews included in today’s show:
Gorillas, coffee, and communities
Building a future from plastic waste
Integrating public health, urban farming
Africa Science Focus, with Harrison Lewis.
When Jane Kubai fled forced marriage at the age of 11, she began working as a maid and found support to go to school. She later took a job as a security guard at a hospital in Kenya — and discovered a passion for surgery. Working day and night, Kubai studied to become a theatre technologist. And she has her eyes fixed firmly on becoming a surgeon.
However, Jane is the exception. Eight of the ten countries in the world with the highest rates of child marriage are in Africa. According to the United Nations, 37 per cent of young women in Sub-Saharan Africa are married before they turn 18.
This week, we revisit the issue of child marriage, and hear from biostatistician and maternal health researcher Halima Twabi, who tells us why she’s working to keep girls studying, and why powering and supporting women’s passion for science, technology, engineering and maths is so important.
Catch up on the full interviews included in today’s show:
From security gates to the operating room
Science leaders ‘can tackle child marriage’
Africa Science Focus, with Harrison Lewis.
If you ask any news reporter on the continent what the most important story in Africa is right now, they’ll tell you that it’s climate change.
This week, we revisit the COP26 climate summit, we’ll hear how volunteers have planted over 30 million trees across Sub-Saharan Africa, and we’ll discover why bugs are a sustainable source of protein that could help in the fight against climate change.
Catch up on the full interviews included in today’s show:
Taking on the climate crisis
Growing Africa’s green belt
Bugs ‘next big thing’ in culinary world
Africa Science Focus, with Harrison Lewis.
It’s hard to believe that we’re already coming to the end of season 2 of Africa Science Focus! Over the next few weeks we’ll take you back through some of the most important issues that we dug into this season.
Today, we’ll hear again from some of the best science communicators who have come on the show to tell you about their work. We’ll learn about the Cradle of Humankind, where some of the world’s most important human fossils have been found; we’ll hear how Uganda’s long school shutdown may have affected learning; and we’ll find out why Africa needs to develop a better understanding of dementia.
Catch up on the full interviews included in today’s show:
Meet Bones, SuperScientist explorer
Ugandan schools reopen, but has learning been lost?
‘Witchcraft’ stigma surrounds dementia
Africa Science Focus, with Harrison Lewis.
Nana Aba Appiah Amfo joined a swathe of women at the top of their fields when she became the University of Ghana’s first female Vice-Chancellor in late 2021. Amfo says her strategy now is to incorporate technology and innovation into every aspect of university life, to produce graduates who are both critical thinkers and technologically adept as the world continues on its digital revolution.
A powerhouse in the world of linguistics, Amfo tells Africa Science Focus that dreams can come true when women – and men – support each other. And, she tells us why context is everything when it comes to communication.
Africa Science Focus, with Michael Kaloki.
Learn more about Nana Aba Appiah Amfo’s career
Coceka Mfundisi is only the third black female neurosurgeon in South Africa. More than 50 years after the first brain and spinal surgeons were trained, the field remains limited in Africa, and the continent’s unmet need for neurosurgery has been described by scientists as “staggering”.
Mfundisi tells Africa Science Focus that patients in Africa often turn to doctors of Western medicine as a last resort — a hierarchy that she says keeps her humble. While Mfundisi says she respects traditional medicine practitioners, she also says that it’s time for Africa to make vital investments in neurosurgery and neuroscience.
Africa Science Focus, with Michael Kaloki.
Learn more about Coceka Mfundisi’s career
While around 30 per cent of researchers in Sub-Saharan Africa are women, just 20 per cent of the continent’s coders are female. Baratang Miya is on a mission to change this statistic.
Miya established the training and entrepreneurship organisation GirlHype in 2003 to introduce girls from disadvantaged and diverse backgrounds to coding, with graduates going on to work with major computer and software companies.
With artificial intelligence expanding into all parts of life, Miya says African girls and women should be driving the global tech solutions that will be used by their communities.
Africa Science Focus, with Michael Kaloki.
Learn more about Baratang Miya’s career
Just a few years ago, Nzambi Matee decided to do something about the plastic pollution that she saw all over Kenya. Now, she has designed and built a thriving recycling and brick production facility, and her social enterprise Gjenge Makers has recycled plastic waste weighing more than five female elephants.
This week on Africa Science Focus, reporter Michael Kaloki takes a tour of Matee’s workshop – and finds out how she is tackling Kenya’s pollution problem, one brick at a time.
Africa Science Focus, with Halima Athumani.
Learn more about Nzambi Matee’s career
Schools in Uganda have reopened after the world’s longest shutdown. More than 10 million students are now trying to adjust to life back in the classroom. Teachers and researchers will also begin the task of assessing how much learning was lost during lockdown.
Education and science communication guru Connie Nshemereirwe tells Africa Science Focus that it has made an already complex educational situation even more complex. And, we hear how Nshemereirwe’s somewhat unorthodox relationship with science has made her a leading science and policy facilitator in Uganda.
Africa Science Focus, with Michael Kaloki.
Learn more about Connie Nshemereirwe’s career
Around 600 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa live without access to electricity. Leading environmentalist Wanjira Mathai says that communities are forced to rely on burning wood and other fuels for heat and for cooking, which damages ecosystems and threatens families’ health.
Mathai tells Africa Science Focus why energy access is crucial to both development and conserving the continent’s forests and landscapes. And, she tells us what is at stake at this year’s international climate summit, COP27, in Egypt.
Africa Science Focus, with Halima Athumani.
Learn more about Wanjira Mathai’s career
Managing a wave of an unknown COVID-19 variant is a challenge for even the most experienced doctor. But for one of the youngest doctors in South Africa, the outbreaks of Omicron and Delta were a steep learning curve.
Thakgalo Thibela is just 22 years old, and her first years as a medical doctor have been spent on the frontlines of the pandemic at Johannesburg’s public Helen Joseph Hospital. Thibela tells Africa Science Focus what it’s like treating patients during a global health crisis, and what has kept her going through sleepless nights at the hospital.
Africa Science Focus, with Halima Athumani.
Learn more about Thakgalo Thibela’s career
Fried, crispy and crunchy: entomologist Esther Ngumbi says scientists and chefs are collaborating to find ways to make insects the next big thing in the culinary world.
Packed with protein, bugs can be grown in urban areas with limited space, Ngumbi tells Africa Science Focus. She says insect production is ideal in areas that experience drought, while they could also reduce agricultural emissions that contribute to climate change.
For more recipes, check out Secrets of African Edible Insect Cookery produced by the Stockholm Environment Institute.
Africa Science Focus, with Halima Athumani.
Learn more about Esther Ngumbi’s career
Season 2, Episode 16
An estimated three million people in Uganda live with vision loss, and more than 80,000 of them are blind. The most common cause of blindness in Uganda — cataracts — can be corrected with straightforward surgery. But with only 45 eye doctors for 46 million people, treatment is out of reach in many of Uganda’s communities.
Gladys Atto is the sole ophthalmologist serving 1.2 million people in Uganda’s remote Karamoja region. Atto – who recently won the prestigious Josephine Nambooze Women in Medicine award – tells Africa Science Focus that a new Sightsavers-supported ‘superstructure’ will mean she can begin training new doctors to help with her mission to reverse avoidable blindness.
Africa Science Focus, with Michael Kaloki.
Learn more about Gladys Atto’s career
When a monkey joined her in playing the piano when she was 12 years old, Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka knew she wanted to work with animals. Little did she know that her passion for primates would lead to her become Uganda’s first wildlife vet, among a host of other achievements.
Recently named a Champion of the Earth by the United Nations Environment Programme, Kalema-Zikusoka tells Africa Science Focus how her love for gorillas grew into a community coffee and conservation project.
This is our final episode for 2021, but we’ll be back with more amazing science stories from your communities in 2022.
Africa Science Focus, with Michael Kaloki.
Learn more about Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka’s career
It wasn’t until Daniella Akellot was 28 years old that she found a name for the invisible thing that she felt had always made her different. Akellot was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a group of rare conditions that affect the connective tissues that support the skin, tendons and internal organs.
Akellot tells Africa Science Focus that, as a young African woman, she has struggled at times to be taken seriously as a scientist. Despite this, she’s now research coordinator at the specialist CoRSU rehabilitation hospital in Uganda, where she is investigating poorly understood conditions to help children with disabilities overcome stigma.
Africa Science Focus, with Michael Kaloki.
Learn more about Daniella Akellot’s career
This week on Africa Science Focus, we dive into the results of the world’s largest health attitudes survey, the Wellcome Global Monitor. The survey of around 115,000 adults from 113 countries has found that trust in science has increased globally over the past two years – but not in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Our reporter Michael Kaloki takes to the streets in rural northern Kenya and in the capital Nairobi to find out how COVID-19 has affected people’s lives and livelihoods. And Obed Ogega from the African Academy of Science tells us how research can help communities ‘build back better’ after COVID-19.
Africa Science Focus, with Michael Kaloki.
The world has entered the most exciting era in science, says Quarraisha Abdool Karim, a leading AIDS researcher. Despite the world being off track to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030, South Africa’s Abdool Karim says there are now a wide range of options available for women and men to prevent HIV infection.
Abdool Karim tells Africa Science Focus that the COVID-19 and AIDS pandemics have shown that no one is an island. She tells reporter Dhashen Moodley that while differences of opinion are a fundamental part of science, communities need to work together and build trust to beat the biggest health challenges facing the world today.
Africa Science Focus, with Michael Kaloki.
Learn more about Quarraisha Abdool Karim’s career
Pork tapeworms are responsible for between 30 and 70 per cent of epilepsy cases around the world. According to the World Health Organization, the majority of people living with epilepsy can be found in low-income countries, mostly among subsistence farming communities.
While treatments for the neglected tropical disease neurocysticercosis – which is caused by the pork tapeworm and can lead to epilepsy – are available, the medicines can be extremely difficult to access in Sub-Saharan Africa.
This week on Africa Science Focus, our reporter Michael Kaloki finds out why neuropharmacologist Priscilla Kolibea Mante’s investigations into plant-based treatments for epilepsy, pain, anxiety and depression are so important for the continent.
Africa Science Focus, with Halima Athumani.
Learn more about Priscilla Kolibea Mante’s career
Taking the stage at a major meeting to look at the way that climate loss and damage is valued at the international climate summit COP26, Ineza Grace delivered a powerful message: climate-vulnerable communities cannot adapt to starvation, and finance for irreparable climate damage is a matter of justice.
At just 25, Ineza is co-founder of the global Loss and Damage Youth Coalition. She also leads The Green Protector, an organisation that focuses on Rwanda’s sustainable development and environmental education, and acts as a community think-tank.
An environmental engineer by training, Ineza tells Africa Science Focus that women in Sub-Saharan Africa are heroes who live every day with the growing challenges of the climate crisis.
Africa Science Focus, with Fiona Broom.
Learn more about Ineza Grace
Togo became the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to eliminate the disfiguring disease elephantiasis as a public health problem in 2017, followed by Malawi in 2020. Elephantiasis occurs when parasites carried by mosquitos are transmitted to people. Infection usually occurs in childhood, and can later cause the abnormal enlargement of body parts.
Despite some progress, the disease is still a major health burden across the continent – about one third of global cases of elephantiasis occur in Sub-Saharan Africa. Nigeria’s Jackie Badaki has devoted
her career to studying neglected tropical diseases. She tells Africa Science Focus that this dedication meant taking her first baby with her into the field on research trips.
Africa Science Focus, with Michael Kaloki.
Learn more about Jackie Badaki’s career
When Jane Kubai fled forced marriage at the age of 11, she began working as a maid and found support to go to school. She later took a job as a security guard at a hospital in Kenya — and discovered a passion for surgery. Working day and night, Kubai studied to become a theatre technologist. And she has her eyes fixed firmly on becoming a surgeon.
Recently recognised as a health hero by the Women in Global Health network, Kubai has inspired her former security colleagues to also enrol in training courses. “They’re not supposed to stay where they started, you’re supposed to make a step forward in your life,” she tells reporter Michael Kaloki, as he joins her on a tour of her hospital in Kenya’s Nakuru county.
Africa Science Focus, with Halima Athumani.
Learn more about Jane Kubai’s career
Season 2, Episode 8
Getting stuck deep underground with thousands of years old human remains may not sound like fun to some people, but for explorer and paleoanthropologist Keneiloe Molopyane, it is a dream come true. And, her discoveries in South Africa’s Cradle of Humankind have the potential to change the world.
Molopyane is an underground astronaut, a National Geographic Society emerging explorer, and a diehard Tintin comic fan. This week on Africa Science Focus, we hear how Molopyane is using her science superhero alter ego, Bones, to inspire new generations of adventurers and scientists.
Africa Science Focus, with Michael Kaloki.
Learn more about Keneiloe Molopyane’s career
Music from AShamaluevMusic
Tanzania’s first female physician says major advances have been made in health and wellbeing in the 50 years that she has worked in medicine. But, as Esther Mwaikambo tells Africa Science Focus, major challenges persist — particularly around women’s access to healthcare. She says breast cancer remains rampant in Africa, and cultural changes are needed to fully eradicate female genital mutilation.
And yet, Mwaikambo’s tenacity is slowly paying off: today, there are growing numbers of female medical students at the Hubert Kairuki Memorial University where she teaches. Our reporter Michael Kaloki finds out what’s next for this 81-year-old pioneer, and founder of the Medical Women Association of Tanzania.
Africa Science Focus, with Halima Athumani.
Learn more about Esther Mwaikambo’s career
‘Across the Savannah’. Music promoted by The Free Cat
Uganda is among the top banana-producing countries in the world, and is home to the much-loved matoke banana — also known as the East African highland banana. But the matoke, along with many of the other banana varieties that are native to Sub-Saharan Africa, is under threat from diseases and pests.
This is where Priver Namanya Bwesigye comes in. This week on Africa Science Focus, reporter Halima Athumani finds out how Namanya and her banana research team at the National Agricultural Research Organisation are working to protect Uganda’s bananas, and the vital nutrition that they provide.
Music:
“Adding the Sun” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), License: By 4.0 License, Music promoted by The Free Cat
“By Grace” By Podington Bear, (Inspiring), License: NonCommercial 3.0 International License
Africa Science Focus, with Michael Kaloki.
Learn more about Priver Namanya Bwesigye’s career
Community health workers are the backbone of many health systems around the world. But, their contributions to public health are rarely recognised, and many go unpaid. Diana Nambatya Nsubuga, from the non-profit Living Goods, is working with governments across Sub-Saharan Africa to build these community heroes into their public health systems.
Not only is Nsubuga a high-level public health advocate and maternal health specialist, she’s also an award-winning urban farmer who teaches the tricks of the trade at her Integrated Health Kwagala Farm. Nsubuga tells Africa Science Focus reporter Halima Athumani why farming, nutrition, family and public health go hand in hand.
Music:
"Artifact" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed : By 4.0 License, Music promoted by The Free Cat
Africa Science Focus, with Michael Kaloki.
Learn more about Diana Nambatya Nsubuga’s career
Every three seconds, someone around the world is diagnosed with dementia. And cases of dementia are increasing, with the largest burden felt in low- and middle-income countries. But, stigma and misunderstanding still surround dementia in Sub-Saharan Africa, and research and support are underfunded.
Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia affect not only the sufferer, but also their family, friends and communities. This week on Africa Science Focus, our reporter Michael Kaloki meets psychologists Elizabeth Mutunga and Wambui Karanja. Mutunga’s father lived with Alzheimer’s for 15 years before it was diagnosed, and she tells us how this drove her to study the disease and form the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Organisation Kenya.
Africa Science Focus, with Halima Athumani.
Learn more about Elizabeth Mutunga’s career
Eight of the ten countries in the world with the highest rates of child marriage are in Africa. According to the United Nations, 37 per cent of young women in Sub-Saharan Africa are married before they turn 18.
Girls who are married are more likely to drop out of school, while girls with higher levels of education are less likely to be married as a child. This week, biostatistician and maternal health researcher Halima Twabi tells us why she’s working to keep girls studying, and why powering and supporting women’s passion for science, technology, engineering and maths is so important.
Africa Science Focus, with Michael Kaloki.
Learn more about Halima Twabi’s career
With nine in every ten new jobs in 2030 expected to require digital skills, graduates in Africa — and young women in particular — without information and communications technology training will be left behind. Nigerian computer scientist Unoma Okorafor is striving to change that.
This week on Africa Science Focus, we find out how the Working to Advance African Women foundation is equipping girls with the science and technology skills of the future, through hackathons, mentoring programmes, and a planned network of research academies for girls that will support the continent’s next generation of tech geniuses and thought leaders.
Africa Science Focus, with Michael Kaloki.
Music credit: Broke for free - Night Owl
Learn more about Unoma Okorafor’s career.
Sub-Saharan Africa has the world’s highest maternal mortality rate. While access to health facilities for births is improving for some, many women are still left behind — and the challenges women face during pregnancy and birth have been amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In our second season of Africa Science Focus, we’ll be shining the spotlight on the women from across Sub-Saharan Africa who are leading some of the most important science, technology and health work for the continent.
This week, World Health Organization global health award winner Jemimah Kariuki tells reporter Michael Kaloki how her pandemic-inspired maternal health project, Wheels for Life, was born.
Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Learn more about Jemimah Kariuki’s career
This week we investigate how tiny plastic pieces known as microplastics are contributing to an increase in potentially fatal diseases caused by fungi.
A recent study conducted in western Kenya found that a number of fungal species accumulate on microplastic particles in the soil that can cause serious medical problems such as swelling in the lungs.
Our reporter, Dann Okoth speaks to mycology experts about how these fungal infections are affecting Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Anopheles stephensiis one of the few malaria mosquitoes that thrives in urban areas because of its ability to find clean water to lay its eggs.
The World Health Organization raised the alarm on urban malaria transmission in 2019, urging aggressive action against Anopheles stephensi, which it described as a “major potential threat” to malaria elimination efforts in Africa.
This week we investigate warnings that Africa has just months to react to the invasive Asian mosquito that scientists say could put 125 million city-dwellers across Africa at risk. Our reporter, Michael Kaloki speaks to vector experts about the challenges it poses for malaria control across the continent.
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Africa Science Focus, with Michael Kaloki.
Women in low- and middle-income countries are 15 per cent less likely to use mobile internet services than men -- that’s 234 million fewer women than men connected to the worldwide web -- according to a new report. And some of the biggest gender gaps are in Sub-Saharan Africa. This week we ask: what is blocking women from accessing these services? And how can this gender divide be bridged?
Our reporter, Charles Pensulo, speaks to women in Malawi, and toMehjabeen Alarakhia, aUN policy advisor on women’s economic empowerment, about the challenges facing women in the digital space.
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Africa Science Focus, with Michael Kaloki.
Culture, traditional knowledge, arts and language influence the development of thought in Africa. The science landscape is dominated by European languages. This week, we hear how ‘decolonising’ science and translating terms into African languages will help more people to understand, and become involved with, science.
Our reporter, Halima Athumani, speaks to African language experts, while science communicatorSibusiso Biyela tells us how science fiction inspired his career.
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Africa Science Focus, with Michael Kaloki.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, cannabis has been in use for generations but remains illegal in many countries. Now, the debate over medical marijuana and the development of regulated cannabis industries is heating up.
While many who champion the growth of cannabis say the industry could drive Africa’s development, others have questions about whether farmers and communities will be the ones who benefit.
Our reporter Michael Kaloki takes to the streets to hear public opinion, and speaks to Gama Bandawe, head of biological sciences at the Malawi University of Science and Technology, who calls cannabis a super crop and says making it legal across Sub-Saharan Africa is the “right and logical thing to do”.
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Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Blockchain technology is gaining supporters in Sub-Saharan Africa, and advocates say it could have a growing role in agriculture. This week, our reporter Halima Athumani investigates how blockchain can provide digital identities, access to credit, land and inputs for farmers in Africa.
This is the third and final episode in ourAgriAfrica mini-series, where we’ve been digging into the continent’s agricultural infrastructure to find out more about food loss, food safety, and how to make food more accessible.
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Africa Science Focus, with Michael Kaloki.
In Africa, unsafe food causes illness, puts pressure on public health systems and hinders progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals to end poverty and hunger by 2030. According to the World Health Organization, each year about 600 million people around the world become ill after eating contaminated food.
This is the second episode of our new mini-series,AgriAfrica, where we’re digging into the continent’s agricultural infrastructure. This week, our reporter Charles Pensulo investigates food safety and finds out why aflatoxins — which can grow in soil, grasses and grains — are a major contributor to foodborne illness in Africa.
Be sure to join us next week for the third and final episode of the AgriAfrica series, as we look at how blockchain is being used in agriculture in Africa.
Send us your questions from anywhere in the world — text or voice message via WhatsApp to +254799042513.
Africa Science Focus, with Michael Kaloki.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, on-farm losses of fruits and vegetables were the highest in the world before the pandemic hit, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. The United Nations estimates that an additional 45 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia became acutely food insecure last year.
Over the next three episodes Africa Science Focus will be taking a closer look at food production, as part of a new mini-series,AgriAfrica. Join us as we dig into the continent’s agricultural infrastructure and find out about the local innovations that are helping to make food safer, and more accessible.
Our reporter Michael Kaloki begins our AgriAfricaseries with an investigation of food loss and food waste.
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Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
COVID-19 cases have been surging in Africa since the onset of a third wave in May. The World Health Organization is urging wealthy countries to send vaccine supplies to the continent. But, the health body also reports that some countries in Africa are facing distribution challenges and have doses that are at immediate risk of expiration.
This week, Africa Science Focus investigates why Sub-Saharan Africa’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage for the first dose remains at one per cent. Our reporter Charles Pensulo speaks to Richard Mihigo from the WHO, Sophie Everest at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and president of the Society of Medical Doctors in Malawi, Victor Mithi.
And, Mathews Malata, president of the Association of Environmental Journalists in Malawi, answers this week’s question, which comes from Stella in Lagos.
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Africa Science Focus, with Michael Kaloki.
With the ability to develop knowledge on drugs, agriculture, health and the environment, microscope and imaging technologies could be the next big thing in Africa’s research landscape. But, funding and training are needed to magnify microscopy’s potential benefits.
This week on Africa Science Focus, our reporter Michael Baruti meets the microscope specialists from the newly established African BioImaging Consortium, who are excited about the future of imaging on the continent.
And, Mathews Malata, president of the Association of Environmental Journalists in Malawi, answers this week’s question, which comes from a student in Kampala.
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Africa Science Focus, with Michael Kaloki.
Climate change is already hitting Africa hard – from extreme weather events, to locust plagues, and failed harvests. But, international research and policy bodies, and ‘hot lists’ of influential climate scientists, rarely include African scientists.
With United Nations climate talks set to take place in the United Kingdom in November, Africa Science Focus reporter Michael Kaloki asks whether African science can influence these critical international negotiations. We find out which climate scientists and activists the world should be watching, and why climate adaptation and mitigation depends on African science.
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Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Across Sub-Saharan Africa, science and development are being brought together by our creative young thinkers, activists and researchers. At this year’s European Development Days, the #EDD21 Young Leaders — including nine from Africa — will share their ideas and ambitions for a sustainable future with the world.
From the continent’s national parks and major cities, three of these young leaders tell Africa Science Focus reporter Michael Kaloki how they are driving sustainable development in their communities — and how wild dogs, fish and bees are involved.
This week on our question and answer segment, we hear from a student at Uganda’s Mariam High School, and cardiologist Ramon Moronkola.
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Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 44
In Sub-Saharan Africa, malaria is a leading cause of death for children under five and with an estimated 220 million cases worldwide every year, malaria remains a public health crisis.
For some, genetically modified mosquitoes could be a game-changing tool in the fight against malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases. But others say that genetic engineering threatens the delicate circle of life.
The World Health Organization has just released an updated version of its ‘Guidance framework for testing of genetically modified mosquitoes’. Our reporter Michael Kaloki finds out whatgenetically modified mosquitoes are, whyguidance has been developed around this research, and what it all means for Africa.
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Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Sub-Saharan Africa’s vibrant rainforests support communities, lives, and livelihoods. The drylands — which include grasslands, savannahs and scrublands — are just as important. But, many of these landscapes have become degraded, and are under threat.
Our reporter Michael Kaloki investigates what’s being done to rehabilitate and replenish Africa’s forests and drylands. Irene Ojuok, a champion of farmer managed natural regeneration, tells us about Africa’s sleeping underground forests, and we speak to the head of AFR100, Mamadou Diakhite, ahead of the Global Landscapes Forum’s digital conference Restoring Africa’s Drylands, on 2-3 June.
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Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
This is the final episode in our mini-series ‘Energising Africa’, where we investigate progress towards electricity, infrastructure and network access on the continent.
The United Nations declared internet access a human right in 2016. But network disruptions remain an everyday part of life in Sub-Saharan Africa, and some analysts say there is an increasing trend of governments blocking internet access during elections or civil unrest. Reporting from Tanzania, Michael Baruti investigates the impact of unreliable internet access. He speaks with digital inclusion specialist Carol Ndosi, and chief web advocate at the World Wide Web Foundation, Nnenna Nwakanma.
In this week’s Q&A segment, Joseph Kauzi from Mpulungu Day Secondary School in Zambia has a question about climate injustices. Send us your questions from anywhere in the world — text or voice message via WhatsApp to +254799042513.
Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 41
This week, we continue with the second episode in our mini-series ‘Energising Africa’, where we investigate progress towards electricity, infrastructure and network access on the continent.
Our reporter Halima Athumani has been mining for information about the East African Crude Oil Pipeline. What environmental, social and economic impacts could the world's longest heated crude oil pipeline have in Uganda and Tanzania? And with less than half of the countries’ populations connected to a power grid, where will the energy to heat the 1,500 kilometre pipeline come from?
In this week’s Q&A segment, Watipetsa Khawathali from Henry Henderson Institute in Malawi has a question about the future. Send us your questions from anywhere in the world — text or voice message via WhatsApp to +254799042513.
Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 40
Clean energy can power sustainable economic growth by improving access to knowledge, boosting health and wellbeing, and improving the lives of women and children, the United Nations says. This week on Africa Science Focus, reporter Michael Baruti asks whether universal access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy can be achieved in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030, in the face of disruptions caused by the pandemic.
This episode is the first in a special three-part series, ‘Energising Africa’, where we investigate progress towards electricity, infrastructure and network access on the continent.
And, in this week’s Q&A segment, Samson Magombo from Henry Henderson Institute in Malawi has a question on coronavirus mutations. Send us your questions from anywhere in the world — text or voice message via WhatsApp to +254799042513.
Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 39
With the confirmation that malaria parasites in Rwanda have developed resistance to artemisinin — a first-line drug used to treat malaria, which kills around 400,000 people a year worldwide — public health teams in Africa are asking what this could mean for the battle against malaria. Elsewhere on the continent, malaria vaccine trials have reported success.
This week on Africa Science Focus, reporter Charles Pensulo speaks to Karen Barnes from the University of Cape Town, who leads the Worldwide Antimalarial Resistance Network’s Southern Africa Regional Centre, and malaria specialist Elizabeth Juma, a medical officer with the World Health Organization.
And, in this week’s Q&A segment, Wakin Octavia from Henry Henderson Institute in Malawi has a question about chemistry.
Is there something you want to know about life, health or science in Africa? Send us your questions from anywhere in the world and we’ll find an expert to answer them — text or voice message via WhatsApp to +254799042513.
Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 38
With millions of tonnes of plastic waste produced each year on the continent, Africa Science Focus investigates how communities are managing this plastic tsunami.
This week, we speak to a team who set sail across Lake Victoria in a dhow made of recycled plastics and flip flops, and our reporter Michael Kaloki meets with activist James Wakibia, who’s taking his campaign against single-use plastics Africa-wide. Carole Excell from the World Resources Institute tells us what more governments and communities can do to protect people and the environment from plastic waste.
And in this week’s Q&A segment, Kent Chizu from Highland Secondary School in Zambia has a question about COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy theories.
Is there something you want to know about life, health or science in Africa? Send us your questions from anywhere in the world and we’ll find an expert to answer them — text or voice message via WhatsApp to +254799042513.
Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 37
Africa’s prisons are hotbeds of disease and hunger — problems that have been heightened by COVID-19, a lack of resources and poor planning, health and rights advocates tell Africa Science Focus.
This week, reporter Charles Pensulo speaks to a former inmate of Malawi’s notoriously overcrowded prisons, who tells us what life was like behind the walls. We hear about the public health threat from tuberculosis and HIV from Thokozile Phiri-Nkhoma, the executive director of Facilitators of Community Transformation, while Alexious Kamangila from the legal non-profit Reprieve tells us why the poorest members of Malawi’s society still find themselves trapped in the system.
Malawi Prisons Service has acknowledged that it continues to face operational challenges, including inadequate funding, dilapidated infrastructure and old legislation, despite efforts to implement international prison standards
And, in this week’s Q&A segment, Cindy from St Therese Girls’ Secondary School in Zambia has a fantastic question about coronavirus.
Is there something you want to know about life, health or science in Africa? Send us your questions from anywhere in the world and we’ll find an expert to answer them — text or voice message via WhatsApp to +254799042513.
Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 36
Cultural and social norms, and myths about how modern contraceptives affect men’s virility are just some of the reasons why the uptake of contraception remains low in Sub-Saharan Africa, despite increasing demand.
This week on Africa Science Focus, Effie Chipeta from the Malawi College of Medicine tells us about the growing demand for contraceptives, while Tazirwa Chipeta speaks about the services available from the Family Planning Association of Malawi. Over in Uganda, Moses Odongofrom the non-profit Family Medical Point tells us about outreach programmes among the lakeshore communities of Lake Victoria.
Is there something you want to know about science in Africa? Send us your questions from anywhere in the world and we’ll find an expert to answer them — text or voice message via WhatsApp to +254799042513.
Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 35
Music is at the heart of many African cultures. Now, music is taking centre stage in health communication and treatment — particularly in rural communities, where access to television, radio, the internet and electricity is limited.
This week on Africa Science Focus, we hear how music can be a game-changer when it comes to fighting disease. Edward Kabuye has been drumming up interest in cancer and HIV for years, while Joy Mugambifrom the World Organization of Family Doctors Africa region tells us how music has been used to communicate about coronavirus.
Is there something you want to know about science in Africa? Send us your questions from anywhere in the world and we’ll find an expert to answer them — text or voice message via WhatsApp to +254799042513.
Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
This programme was funded by the European Journalism Centre, through the European Development Journalism Grants programme, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Episode 34
Samia Suluhu Hassan has been sworn in as the president of Tanzania, after the death of President John Magufuli was announced on 17 March. While supporters praised his pursuit of development, Magufuli’s approach to the coronavirus pandemic was controversial. Africa Science Focus reporter Michael Baruti is in Dar es Salaam, the country’s largest city, to find out what Tanzania’s COVID-19 future might look like. We hear from epidemiologist Angel Dillip about the need for statistics, while citizens Fatma, Diprah, Bamwe and Steve tell us what they want their government to do now.
Is there something you want to know about science in Africa? Send us your questions from anywhere in the world and we’ll find an expert to answer them — text or voice message via WhatsApp to +254799042513.
Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 33
With new Ebola outbreaks in Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa Science Focus investigates whether the Ebola virus can be sexually transmitted.
It is understood that the women who were the first reported patients in both countries were married to survivors of previous Ebola outbreaks. Scientists say this possible transmission link needs careful attention, without further stigmatising survivors, who face ongoing health and social challenges.
We hear from the World Health Organization’s Margaret Harris, founder of the Sierra Leone Association of Ebola Survivors Yusuf Kabba, and Merawi Aragaw from the Africa CDC. And, researcher Jia Kangbai tells us about his new study, which will investigate what role sex could play in transmission of the Ebola virus.
Is there something you want to know about science in Africa? Send us your questions from anywhere in the world and we’ll find an expert to answer them — text or voice message via WhatsApp to +254799042513.
Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 32
Biotechnology, indigenous knowledge, climate change and banana trees. This week, Africa Science Focus sits down with United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity executive secretary Elizabeth Maruma Mrema to discuss biodiversity and environment on the continent.
With the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration officially launching in June, local solutions and innovations will play a leading role in driving sustainable development in Sub-Saharan Africa, Mrema says.
Is there something you want to know about science in Africa? Send us your questions from anywhere in the world and we’ll find an expert to answer them — text or voice message via WhatsApp to +254799042513.
Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 31
About six million people were affected by floods in 2020, from Rwanda to South Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania and beyond. Flooding can lead to disease outbreaks, such as cholera, and damage livelihoods, crops and the environment.
Why have floods become so bad in East Africa, and what can be done to prevent them?
Africa Science Focus reporter Njenje Chizu speaks to Sally Tembo from the Environmental and Public Health Union of Zambia, environmental health technologist Henry Zimba and Robert Chimambofrom the Zambian Climate Change Network.
Is there something you want to know about science in Africa? Send us your questions from anywhere in the world and we’ll find an expert to answer them — text or voice message via WhatsApp to +254799042513.
Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 30
Strong health systems are essential for sustainable development, and young people and women are leading the way in creating local solutions to Africa’s health ills. Ahead of the Africa Health Agenda International Conference, 8-10 March, we hear from health leaders who say that digital innovations will accelerate progress towards universal health coverage, giving more people access to quality healthcare.
Africa Science Focus reporter Charles Pensulo speaks to Amref Health Africa’s Caroline Mbindyo, Evalin Karijo and Desta Lakew and community health volunteer Repha Kutai to find out more.
Is there something you want to know about science in Africa? Send us your questions from anywhere in the world and we’ll find an expert to answer them — text or voice message via WhatsApp to +254799042513.
Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 29
Vaccine hesitancy is a global health threat, and health teams in Sub-Saharan Africa are doing everything they can to boost COVID-19 vaccine confidence.
This is the third episode in a special Africa Science Focus series investigating coronavirus vaccine hesitancy. In previous episodes, we heard how COVID-19 cases and deaths had increased across Sub-Saharan Africa, and how myths and misinformation spread among communities.
In this episode, reporter Brook Abdu brings you vaccine science from the continent. Phionah Atuhebwe from the World Health Organization, Vicky Baillie from the University of the Witwatersrand and Moses Alobo from the African Academy of Sciences tell us when vaccination programmes will begin in Africa, and urge people should not be afraid to receive them.
Is there something you want to know about science in Africa? Send us your questions from anywhere in the world and we’ll find an expert to answer them — text or voice message via WhatsApp to +254799042513.
Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 28
As coronavirus cases rise in Africa and people search for ways to avoid the disease, myths about steaming and herbal cures are quickly spreading. This week on Africa Science Focus, reporter Charles Pensulo speaks to the people who are working to spread the facts, and save lives.
In last week’s episode, Africa Science Focus asked why coronavirus deaths and cases had rapidly increased in Africa, and we heard how knowledge gaps were being filled with misinformation.
Is there something you want to know about science in Africa? Send us your questions from anywhere in the world and we’ll find an expert to answer them — text or voice message via WhatsApp to +254799042513.
Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 27
Coronavirus deaths and cases have surged in Africa in recent months. As Africa Science Focus takes a closer look at the scale of the outbreak, we ask why numbers have increased so rapidly in the region.
Reporter Jubiel Zulu speaks to people across Zambia and Malawi to find out what they think about efforts to manage coronavirus and vaccinate their communities against COVID-19. We hear from people who say that they do not have access to adequate information, which is causing mistrust in authorities and leaving knowledge gaps that are being filled with misinformation.
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Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 26
Farmers who lost entire crops to desert locusts in 2020 are facing a fresh wave of the invasive pests. Is there an end in sight to East Africa’s worst locust invasion in 70 years?
This week, Africa Science Focus hears from farmers in Ethiopia who are on the frontlines of the locust resurgence, as millions of people in the region face food shortages and income loss. And, our reporters find out about a surprising solution that could help communities deal with future locust threats.
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Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 25
This week, Africa Science Focus reports on Zambia’s faulty condoms and latex gloves scandal. Health and civil society organisations say the unfolding crisis could have repercussions for the ongoing battle against HIV, and impact trust in condoms and the health system. Reporter Njenje Chizu speaks to Zambians whose lives have been forever changed by the scandal.
Is there something you want to know about science in Africa? Send us your questions from anywhere in the world and we’ll find an expert to answer them — text or voice message WhatsApp +254799042513.
Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 24
It might be an idea that makes you squirm, but small-scale farmers in Uganda are getting excited about maggots. Researchers say new studies have shown the larvae of the black soldier fly, which can be found across Sub-Saharan Africa, are a protein-packed feast for chickens, pigs and fish.
This week, Africa Science Focus reporter Joseph Elunya meets farmers who are embracing the bug revolution.
Is there something you want to know about science in Africa? Send us your questions from anywhere in the world and we’ll find an expert to answer them — text or voice message WhatsApp +254799042513.
Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 23
Did your New Year’s resolutions include going for a medical check-up? Across Sub-Saharan Africa, health workers encourage people to think about their wellbeing as the year begins. We hear why this advice is often not followed. And, while the ‘big three’ diseases continue to be a burden in Africa, experts warn that new and emerging health problems are on the horizon.
This week, Africa Science Focus hears from medical specialists who warn that COVID-19 may not be the biggest challenge for the region’s health systems this year.
Is there something you want to know about science in Africa? Send us your questions from anywhere in the world and we’ll find an expert to answer them — text or voice message WhatsApp +254799042513.
Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 22
This year, amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, a new show emerged on Africa’s fledgling podcast scene. Tasked with uncovering the voices of scientists in the least-developed countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and sharing stories from their communities, Africa Science Focushas become a must-listen podcast for policymakers, development practitioners, academics and the general public.
Africa Science Focus editor Jackie Opara-Fatoye and SciDev.Net global features and podcasts editor Fiona Broom look back at their favourite episodes and the impact the podcast has had since its launch in August 2020.
Episode 21
Lake Tanganyika is one of Africa’s Great Lakes. It is an aquatic biodiversity hotspot, containing species that are not found anywhere else in the world. But years of pollution and overfishing have left it degraded, and the lake has been ranked among the most threatened in the world.
This week, Africa Science Focus reveals fears that eating contaminated fish caught in Lake Tanganyika may be damaging people’s eyesight. Journalist Njenje Chizu reports from the lakeside district of Mpulungu, in Zambia.
Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 20
This week, Africa Science Focus is shining a light on disability in Sub-Saharan Africa. We look at how assistive technology can improve the lives of people living with disability and highlight the science and innovation underway in Africa’s disability support sector.
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Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 19
Preventable maternal and child deaths increased during recent Ebola outbreaks in Sub-Saharan Africa as women lost access to health services. This week, Africa Science Focus examines the effect COVID-19 is having on maternal health.
“We used to have daily updates, they used to say that as a pregnant woman you are at risk of contracting coronavirus. When it came to attending antenatal I was very scared,” Juliet Banda tells Africa Science Focus.
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Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
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Episode 18
Ever wondered if your urine could help with food security in Africa? We go to Malawi this week to hear how a ‘magic liquid’ is helping farmers cope with the high cost of synthetic fertilisers, while keeping the marketplaces cleaner and smelling fresher.
And, we hear from science research gurus Fredros Okumu and Alice Matimba about Your Digital Mentor Podcast, which explores mentoring, research, and career development.
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Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 17
Is labia stretching — also called labia minora elongation — a violation of girls’ and women’s rights, or a harmless cultural practice? To some, it’s a form of female genital mutilation. To others, labia pulling is just part of having a sex life.
This week, Africa Science Focus goes to Zambia to seek answers from women and health experts.
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Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 16
This week, Africa Science Focus is in The Gambia, talking to women about how gender inequality is affecting their health.
Across much of Sub-Saharan Africa, there are at least five times more male doctors than female doctors, while women are often financially dependent on men.
“The access to precious health services depends on men’s decisions,” says Samiratou Ouédraogo, an epidemiology and public health specialist.
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Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 15
This week on Africa Science Focus, two women narrate their painful experience with obstetric fistula, a devastating birth injury that can be treated with a simple surgery that too many women cannot access.
In Uganda, the Ministry of Health estimates between 140,000 and 200,000 women are living with fistula. The condition impacts the health and wellbeing of both girls and women worldwide.
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Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 14
Africa Science Focus takes time this week to reflect on how life issues like divorce take a toll on the mental health of the individual and the need for Africa to create a robust mental health policy.
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Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 13
Did you listen to our previous episode on how women in Sub-Saharan Africa access abortions? On Africa Science Focus this week, we explore apps young people in Sub-Saharan Africa can access to get information on sexual reproductive health in a bid to reduce unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection, including HIV-AIDS.
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Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 12
Following our popular episode, ‘Where are Africa’s women in STEM?’, Africa Science Focus this week hears from female scientists who are launching their careers.
From Janelisa Musaya in Malawi, to Violet Kayamba in Zambia and Martha Zewdie Gebeyehu in Ethiopia, some of the most important research on the continent is being led by women.
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Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 11
Africa has the youngest population in the world, and the billion-dollar market for digital learning and education technologies is on the rise.
Locally developed e-learning solutions will be the future of education in Africa, says Given Edward, the head of edtech venture Mtabe, as this year’s lockdowns have shown that learning happens beyond the classroom.
“It’s not a matter of if, it’s just a matter of when. That’s where the world is heading, and that’s where we are heading,” Edward tells the programme.
This week on Africa Science Focus, we discover how students in Tanzania, Rwanda and Ethiopia have been accessing classes while studying from home.
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Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 10
Africa Science Focus takes time this week to reflect on the impact that conflict has had on research and development across the continent.
Science is an easily forgotten victim of war, natural disaster and public health crises.
“Research, for the most part, is done in an enabling environment. With conflict … and bullets flying all over the place, that might not be the best environment for all kinds of researchers,” says Sierra Leone’s information and communications minister, Mohamed Rahman Swaray.
Physician Zazay Yekeh in Liberia was on the frontlines of the Ebola response in 2014. He says the crisis forced many people to move to more stable countries, where they could continue their research.
But, there is work going on behind the scenes to rebuild research in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Our reporters discover developments in the pipeline that could help communities take control of their own big data and restore homegrown science and technology research.
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Many thanks to Mattia Cupelli for allowing us to use his instrumental piece, Touch, which can be found here.
Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 9
This week’s Africa Science Focus is on malaria, one of the biggest killers on the continent.
“Malaria is so common you can get it anywhere, anyhow, any time,” Jessica, a malaria sufferer in Liberia, tells the programme.
This is because Africa’s mosquitoes are “supremely efficient vectors of malaria disease”, says the World Health Organization’s David Schellenberg.
And from Malawi, Catherine Tasankha Chaima was named a finalist in the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation for her affordable antibacterial soap made from agricultural waste and other plant-based extracts.
If you want to know anything about developments in science and health in Africa, send us your science questions for the experts — message WhatsApp +254799042513.
Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 8
Locust swarms spanning up to 2400 square kilometres — the largest for a century — have been ravaging East Africa’s croplands over the past year. Yet could efforts to control the insects also be threatening buffalo breeding, tourism, national parks — and lions?
The average swarm consumes more food in one day than 30,000 people. As the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization predicts new swarms in the region, Africa Science Focus investigates the battle to prevent famine and fight off the desert locusts, from helicopter insecticide spraying, to regional control missions.
And, reporter Sarah Natoloo speaks with David Tusubira, one of the finalists in this year’s Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, to get a sneak peek at his hardware and software system that boosts the efficiency of solar panels.
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Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 7
Africa Science Focus is back with another exciting episode looking at how the COVID-19 pandemic is inspiring health and education innovations. Young developers in Africa are changing the face of innovation with new ventilators, face masks and gloves, as well as digital learning.
“These new innovations are pushing us towards the new normal, the new trend in the world that is towards technology” says Victor Sesay, director of technology and innovation in Sierra Leon’s ministry of Technical and Higher Education.
Joseph Kallah, an innovator from Sierra Leone, who has created an electronically controlled handwashing bucket, says that Africa’s developers want to change the world — but in a simple way.
But, will a lack of funding hold them back?
If you want to know anything about developments in science and health in Africa, send us your science questions for the experts — message WhatsApp +254799042513.
Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 6
The focus of today’s show: women in science. The number of women pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics — known as STEM — is discouragingly low, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“Traditionally, women grow up thinking that those difficult subjects are for men,” Grace Nambatya Kyeyune, director of research at Uganda’s Natural Chemotherapeutics Research Institute tells Africa Science Focus.
And teenagers Phiri, Retisher and Mutumba give us an insight into what girls think their roles are in African society.
If you want to know anything about developments in science and health in Africa, send us your science questions for the experts — message WhatsApp +254799042513.
Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 5
Africa Science Focus this week looks at whether African institutions are free to take independent decisions on research in the continent.
African governments have not given research the attention it deserves, according to Alhaji Njai, a professor of infectious diseases and toxicology at the University of Sierra Leone and research fellow at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, USA.
“African researchers are not in control of the research within Africa because if you are an African researcher…who wants to stay in Africa and do research with relevance and related to Africa, you find yourself at the mercy of foreign donors or foreign support because there isn’t research funds or research grants available for African researchers to tap into, so they tend to look outside”.
Joseph Matovu, senior researcher from the School of Public Health, Makerere University in Uganda, says that while Uganda and some other African countries have recently set aside more funding for research and development, African research is heavily influenced by the developed societies such as Europe and North America.
If you want to know anything about developments in science and health in Africa, send us your science questions for the experts — message WhatsApp +254799042513.
Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 4
On this week’s show, we explore how climate change and COVID-19 are impacting farmers in Malawi, while contactless innovations are changing the way people live in Rwanda.
Malawi’s economy is driven by the agricultural sector, which accounts for nearly 80 per cent of employment. The country is experiencing a food crisis brought on by recent droughts and flooding. We hear from the agricultural extension services gurus spreading technology advice to farmers.
Rwanda’s fledgling cashless public transport payment system, Tap and Go, allows passengers to pay their bus fare electronically. And, high-tech robots providing care at health clinics are changing the way things are being done in Rwanda for the better.
What do you want to know about developments in science and health in Africa? Send us your science questions for the experts — message WhatsApp +254799042513.
Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 3
On this week’s show, we speak to the entrepreneurs and innovators revolutionising Zambia. With youth unemployment in Zambia above 20 per cent, young people are looking for alternative ways to make their mark. We hear how information and communication technologies are playing a central role.
And, we learn about the difficulties faced by smallholders. More than 70 per cent of Zambians rely on small-scale farming for their livelihoods, and female farmers produce up to 80 per cent of locally consumed food. Farmer Mary Sakala tells Africa Science Focus how important information and communication technologies are in agriculture, especially for women and young people.
Also, send us your science questions for the experts — message WhatsApp +254799042513.
Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 2
This week, a closer look at how women in Sub-Saharan Africa access abortions.
Malawi’s maternal mortality rate remains one of the highest in the world, with complications from unsafe abortion estimated to account for up to 18 per cent of maternal deaths.
“This current law now is killing people, it’s killing women, it’s killing girls, because it’s not safe, it’s not accommodative,” a woman who was unable to access a legal abortion tells Africa Science Focus.
Meanwhile, Malawi’s neighbour, Zambia, allows terminations of pregnancies on socio-economic grounds. But even with clearer legislation, Zambia still faces a high maternal mortality rate.
Also, send us your science questions and we’ll put them to the experts — message WhatsApp +254799042513.
Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
Episode 1
In our first episode, presenter Selly Amutabi brings you stories about how health services have been coping with disruptions caused by efforts to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.
We look into how COVID-19 has affected the prioritisation of resources, such as reproductive health services.
In Tanzania, young women and men feel discouraged from collecting contraception from health facilities because of coronavirus infection fears and social stigma.
“It hasn’t been easy accessing family planning or any sexual reproductive health services, because of all the panic and all the tension over COVID-19,” Aisha Matiko, from youth advocacy network Restless Development, in Tanzania, tells Africa Science Focus.
Reporter Sarah Natoolo visits a cancer treatment centre in Uganda and hears how patients are struggling to access treatment. Patients and doctors have been unable to travel to meet appointments due to lockdowns.
Josephine Ogiyo has breast cancer. She and fellow patients have been forced to sleep outside the institute, in the country’s capital Kampala.
“We are sleeping under the veranda,” she tells Africa Science Focus. “If it is raining we have to stand up. We have nothing, no clothes and no blankets.”
“We only have one cancer treatment centre in the whole country,” says Uganda Cancer Society executive director Paul Ebusu. “When the lockdown happened, you can imagine that all the patients across the country were actually stuck, so there has been a lot of distress among patients.”
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