HEALTH - The African Mirror

Jul

04

2023

COVID-19 pandemic policies overlooked long-term needs of children

HEALTH

RESEARCHERS from South Africa, the UK, and Brazil recently conducted a study on the impact of COVID-19 on children and young people, particularly those from disadvantaged households. Their research highlights that the pandemic has deepened existing inequalities, with children and young people’s voices and needs not being considered in policy decisions. The study conducted by researchers from the University of the Free State (UFS) and the University of Fort Hare in South Africa; the University College London, the University of Birmingham, and Nottingham Trent University in the UK; and the University of São Paulo in Brazil, found that pandemic policy…

Jun

18

2023

By EDITH MAGAK, BIRD STORY AGENCY

African researchers fighting to help newborns worldwide

HEALTH

CHRIS Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto, Johannesburg, Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town and Kilifi County Hospital in Kenya are participating in a clinical trial that could prevent over 200,000 infant deaths yearly. According to researchers, some 214,000 newborn deaths are caused by sepsis worldwide each year, which affects up to 3 million babies a year. Researchers from countries including Kenya, Uganda and South Africa have now developed two critical tools to identify babies at high risk to ensure they get early treatment. Sepsis, also known as septicemia, occurs when chemicals released in the bloodstream to fight an infection trigger…

Jun

11

2023

By The African Mirror

The nursing startup bringing home-based healthcare to your doorstep

HEALTH

CHARLES WACHIRA, BIRD STORY AGENCY WHEN Naom Monari worked as a student nurse at Gatundu Level 5 Hospital in central Kenya in 2016, she observed that the hospital struggled to provide enough beds for patients. This was exacerbated by those receiving non-urgent medical attention but still taking up valuable bed space. “Some of the patients in the wards were simply receiving services such as wound-dressing, bathing or simply taking drugs to manage a condition. This meant that others who were facing life-threatening infections were left in limbo, with no bed available for them,” said Monari. One day while doing her…

Jun

08

2023

By DORCAS BELLO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Sickle cell “warrior” Excel Praiseworth is making music to manage chronic pain and raise awareness of the disease

HEALTH

"WHEN you are rolling in agony, yeah they call it a crisis. But your bones are on fire, and you can't even describe it…..They say, 'We will try to control the fever, oh, I think you're dehydrated, we'll check your breathing, you need some oxygen', but I just want the pain to go away." These are some of the lyrics in Excel Praiseworth's 'Sickle Song', streamed almost 7,000 times on Spotify alone. Excel, who lives with his family in Abuja, Nigeria, was diagnosed with sickle cell anaemia at nine months old. According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention…

Jun

07

2023

By The African Mirror

Your snacks may be delicious, but are they safe?

HEALTH

FOOD safety is a concern for Nigerians after increasing reports of food-borne illnesses in recent years. According to the Consumer Advocacy for Food Safety and Nutrition Initiative (CAFSANI), consumption of unsafe food in Nigeria results in about 173 million cases of diarrhoea and approximately 33,000 deaths due to foodborne illnesses. Author HELEN ONYEAKA, Associate Professor, University of Birmingham The country has over the years experienced repeated outbreaks of diseases that can be transmitted through contaminated food, including cholera and Lassa fever. Food safety is a global issue affecting everyone, regardless of location or social status. According to the World Health…

May

27

2023

By The African Mirror

Cholera in South Africa: a symptom of two decades of continued sewage pollution and neglect

HEALTH

SOUTH Africans have expressed outrage at the deaths of at least 15 residents of Hammanskraal, in the city of Tshwane. The deaths were caused by cholera – a diarrhoeal disease caused by Vibrio cholerae bacteria. The disease can be fatal if left untreated. The bacteria produce a toxin in the small intestine. This causes the secretion of enormous amounts of water, leading to diarrhoea and a rapid loss of fluids and salts (electrolytes). Author ANJA DU PLESSIS, Associate Professor and Research Specialist in Water Resource Management, University of South Africa The bacteria are shed in the stools of people who…

May

26

2023

By MICHAEL SARPONG MFUM, BIRD STORY AGENCY

This preterm mother-turned-advocate is bringing hope to parents of premature babies

HEALTH

WHEN Theresa Bagoniah gave birth to her 1.3-kilogram baby early, at 32 weeks and two days rather than an average of 40 weeks, her world and career trajectory turned upside down. "Taking care of a preterm baby is not easy because they are delicate; they need extra attention to survive. My experience was even more challenging because I was at the University of Ghana doing my Master's course when I delivered, so combining academics and caring for the baby was not easy. My mother had to come on board to support me," Bagoniah explained. In Ghana, there are an estimated…

May

23

2023

By The African Mirror

Is exercise really good for the brain? Here’s what the science says

HEALTH

THE health benefits of physical activity are undeniable. Yet, a recent study based on data published over the past 30 years challenges the famous adage Mens sana in corpore sano (a healthy mind in a healthy body) and questions the importance of exercise for both brain health and cognition. Authors MATTHIEU P. BOISGONTIER, Associate Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa BORIS CHEVAL, Senior Researcher, Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, Université de Genève A few days after that study was published, our team of health and neuroscience researchers released the results of our study of over a quarter…

May

19

2023

By The African Mirror

Teen mothers and depression: lack of support from partners and violence are big drivers in Malawi and Burkina Faso

HEALTH

UP to one in four African girls have their first child before the age of 18. Becoming a mother at such a young age can lead to mental health problems like depression. Research suggests that pregnant and parenting teenagers have poorer mental health than adult mothers. Authors ANTHONY IDOWU AJAYI, Associate research scientist, African Population and Health Research Center ELITA CHAMDIMBA, Research fellow, Centre for Social Research, University of Malawi Several factors make teenage mothers vulnerable to mental illness. For example, in conservative societies pregnant, unmarried adolescent girls are shamed and excluded. Parenting is stressful. Early and unintended pregnancy can…

May

13

2023

By The African Mirror

African scientists are working to pool data that decodes diseases – a giant step

HEALTH

INFECTIOUS disease outbreaks in African countries are, unfortunately, all too common. Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Uganda; Marburg virus in Guinea or Equatorial Guinea; cholera in Malawi; malaria and tuberculosis are among them. These diseases do not respect human-made or porous borders. So it’s essential that scientists in Africa are able to generate and share critical data on the pathogens in time to inform public-health decisions. Authors ALAN CHRISTOFFELS, Director South African National Bioinformatics Institute, University of the Western Cape SOFONIAS KIFLE TESSEMA, Program Lead for Pathogen Genomics at the Africa CDC Genomic sequencing technologies are…