HEALTH - The African Mirror

May

18

2026

In Sudan, a migrant community reveals a resistance to malaria: the genetic study helping shape medicine

HEALTH

SUDAN lies at the crossroads of Africa and the Middle East. It has played a key role in human demographic movements, reflected in the diversity of its cultures and languages. Although much of the country is arid, the Nile River has long acted as a corridor for trade, facilitating human migration through the region for thousands of years. This makes Sudan a valuable place to study human genetic diversity and evolutionary history, which has important implications for understanding population-specific adaptation and health. The Copts are a population that migrated from Egypt in the 7th century and mixed with populations in…

May

16

2026

By The African Mirror

Better‑designed homes could cut three major child diseases by up to 44% – Tanzania trial

HEALTH

MALARIA, diarrhoea, and pneumonia are preventable childhood diseases that are major causes of death in young children. They’re transmitted largely in and around the home, where children spend most of their time. For example, around 80% of malaria transmission in Africa occurs when people are bitten by malarial mosquitoes indoors at night. Diarrhoea results usually from food and water that’s been contaminated by faeces. It can also be spread through poor hygiene. Pneumonia is spread through overcrowding and poor ventilation, and is exacerbated by indoor air pollution. We are an international group of specialists from different fields, including architecture, communications,…

May

12

2026

By PULENG SEGALO and JACOB OWUSU SARFO

Is all my struggle going to be wasted?’ Ghana study explores how mothers feel about early births

HEALTH

ABOUT 10% of births – that’s about 15 million babies – are born prematurely worldwide each year, making preterm births a major global health concern. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines preterm birth as delivery before 37 completed weeks of gestation. Estimates suggest that the preterm figure is much higher in low-income countries. Preterm births are a danger to the infant’s survival and long-term health. And according to the WHO, the level of socioeconomic development in the country where a preterm baby is born often plays a crucial role in their survival. In high-income countries, over 90% of extremely preterm…

May

06

2026

By BAMBA GAYE

The bias in medical research: Africa carries a huge disease burden but is missing from clinical trials

HEALTH

MODERN medicine prides itself on being a universal science, built on evidence from clinical trials. But there’s a bias in medical research. While Africa accounts for roughly 25% of the global disease burden and 19% of the global population, the continent’s people are largely invisible in some clinical trials. The scale of the erasure is revealed in a landmark study of 2,472 randomised controlled trials globally published between 2019 and 2024. I led this team of researchers, who scrutinised the world’s most influential medical publications to quantify African representation. They included the New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, the…

Apr

25

2026

By WALE FATADE

Ending malaria in Africa: 5 essential reads on gains and challenges

HEALTH

MALARIA, a life-threatening disease spread to humans by some types of mosquitoes, is preventable and curable. The World Malaria Report 2025 shows that in 2024, there were an estimated 282 million malaria cases and 610,000 malaria deaths in 80 countries. Africa carries a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden. In 2024, Africa accounted for 95% of malaria cases (265 million) and 95% (579,000) of malaria deaths. Children under five accounted for about 75% of all malaria deaths in the region. Over half of all deaths in Africa occurred in three countries: Nigeria (31.9%), the Democratic Republic of Congo…

Apr

11

2026

By SEGUN FATUMO

Kidney disease is growing in Africa: big new study casts light on genetic risk factors

HEALTH

EVERY minute your kidneys are hard at work, filtering around 200 litres of blood, removing waste, balancing salts and fluids, and regulating blood pressure. This happens without any conscious effort on your part. But when your kidneys begin to fail, the consequences are devastating, including fatigue, fluid buildup and heart complications. Some people eventually need dialysis or a transplant to stay alive. Kidney disease is one of the fastest-growing causes of death across the world. Around 850 million people are living with some form of it, more than the combined number of people affected by diabetes and cancer. Chronic kidney…

Apr

08

2026

By EFEFIOM KOFON

Nigeria imports 70% of its medicines – why local manufacturing doesn’t meet demand

HEALTH

NIGERIA imports at least 70% of its medicines. This is striking for a country of over 230 million people and at least 120 active pharmaceutical manufacturers. Domestic manufacturing is largely concentrated in lower-end medicines that require relatively simple production processes. The more complex and higher-value pharmaceutical products continue to be imported. This pattern has persisted for decades. It reflects two things. First is the limited impact of policies aimed at reducing import dependence. The other is the entrenched interests across pharmaceutical companies. An incentive structure that favours imports over local production. I recently completed my doctorate studies focusing on the…

Apr

07

2026

By OBASANJO BOLARINWA and REBECCA TADOKERA

Maternity health services in Nigeria are failing women: 4 steps to better care

HEALTH

NIGERIA faces one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates. Around 1,047 women die for every 100,000 live births, far above the African regional average of about 531 deaths per 100,000. This highlights the fact that not all women are getting maternal healthcare. Reasons include: differences in access to healthcare between geographical regions socio-demographic factors such as education, poverty, age and limited decision-making power within households religious affiliation, which in some communities shapes health-seeking behaviour limited exposure to health information poverty and unemployment a lack of health insurance. Nigeria has implemented several maternal health programmes over the past two decades.…

Mar

24

2026

By DEBORAH OYINE ALUH

Mental health laws ignore traditional care in Africa: insights from 5 countries

HEALTH

WHEN Idoko, a 23-year-old man living in rural Benue State, north central Nigeria, began hearing voices, withdrawing from family and speaking incoherently, his family’s first call was not to a psychiatrist. They took him to a local faith-based prayer group, where members pray over people believed to be afflicted by spiritual forces. When he showed no signs of recovery, the clan head advised them to take him to a renowned traditional healer. Idoko was chained to a tree for the first six weeks and was given doses of a herbal concoction prepared by the traditional healer. His condition improved, and…

Mar

19

2026

By The African Mirror

‘Miracle workers’: SA President hails Mankweng team after historic separation of conjoined twins

HEALTH

IN the operating theatres of Mankweng Hospital in Limpopo, history did not arrive with fanfare. It arrived in scrubs, in silence, and in the steady hands of a team of surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses, and specialists who refused to be daunted by one of medicine’s most complex challenges. When the procedure concluded successfully, the result was not merely a surgical milestone - it was a profound affirmation of life. The successful separation of conjoined twins at Mankweng Hospital now stands as one of the most celebrated achievements in South African public healthcare in recent memory. Led by the distinguished Professor Nyaweleni…