HEALTH - The African Mirror

Sep

02

2025

South Africa faces vaccination crisis as 220,000 children miss life-saving shots

HEALTH

SOUTH Africa is grappling with a dangerous vaccination gap that has left hundreds of thousands of children vulnerable to deadly diseases, according to new data that places the country among the world’s top 20 nations with the highest number of unvaccinated children. A staggering 220,000 South African children received zero vaccines in 2023, creating what health experts call “zero dose communities” where entire groups of young people remain defenceless against highly contagious diseases like measles, diphtheria, and whooping cough. “We are witnessing entire groups of children falling through the cracks,” warns Dr. Zeina Elian, Vaccines Medical Head for Sanofi Africa.…

Aug

15

2025

By LYNN SMITH

4 tips for a healthy heart from a biokineticist

HEALTH

THE human heart is an extraordinary organ. About the size of a fist, it works hard to pump over 7,500 litres of blood daily, delivering oxygen and nutrients to every part of the body while simultaneously removing waste, regulating core body temperature and supporting the health of organs and tissues. But the heart is vulnerable. Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, responsible for nearly one-third of all deaths. Deaths related to cardiovascular disease contribute 38% of all noncommunicable disease-related deaths in Africa. In South Africa, cardiovascular diseases cause almost one in six deaths, equating to approximately 215…

Aug

12

2025

By The African Mirror

Kenya to host Continental Medical Regulation Conference in November

HEALTH

NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenya will host more than 300 international delegates for a major scientific conference focused on strengthening Africa's medical product regulation and manufacturing capabilities, organisers announced. The Scientific Conference on Medical Products Regulation in Africa (SCoMRA VII) will take place November 11-13, 2025, in Mombasa under the theme "Regulatory Harmonisation: Unlocking Africa's Potential in Health Product Manufacturing and Trade." The conference is jointly organised by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and the African Medicines Agency, along with other partners. It represents the continent's primary forum for collaboration on regulatory systems strengthening and innovation. Focus on Self-Reliance The…

Aug

11

2025

By OBASANJO BOLARINWA, ALIU MOHAMMED, and CLIFFORD OBBY ODIMEGWU

Sexual health is an extra struggle for women with disabilities: findings from 10 African countries

HEALTH

EVEN after more than three decades of global efforts to promote inclusive sexual and reproductive health policies, many women with disabilities in Africa still face serious challenges. Their rights are often overlooked, and they have limited access to contraception and other essential services. Lack of access to sexual health knowledge or contraception doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It is driven by factors like poverty, gender inequality, limited education, and cultural or legal norms. The lack of access can lead to a chain of avoidable sexual and reproductive health issues. Examples are unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions and increased risk of HIV.…

Jul

31

2025

By FORTUNATE MOKOENA

First malaria treatment for babies is a major step to ending the disease in Africa – biochemist

HEALTH

THE first malaria treatment for babies and very young children of 2 months up to 5 years was approved for use by the Swiss agency for therapeutic products, Swissmedic, in early July 2025. Until now, babies and very young children have been treated with medicines formulated for older children. The Conversation Africa asked Fortunate Mokoena about the significance of this approval and what it means for the battle against malaria in Africa. She is a biochemist working on the identification of novel therapeutics for diseases that disproportionately affect children under five, including malaria and pneumonia. How important is this drug…

Jul

28

2025

By BURTRAM C. FIELDING; ETHERESIA PRETORIUS, and MASSIMO NUNES

Long-COVID, viruses and ‘zombie’ cells: new research looks for links to chronic fatigue and brain fog

HEALTH

MILLIONS of people who recover from infections like COVID-19, influenza and glandular fever are affected by long-lasting symptoms. These include chronic fatigue, brain fog, exercise intolerance, dizziness, muscle or joint pain and gut problems. And many of these symptoms worsen after exercise, a phenomenon known as post-exertional malaise. Medically, the symptoms are known as myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). The World Health Organisation classifies this as a post-viral fatigue syndrome, and it is recognised by both the WHO and the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention as a brain disorder. Experiencing illness long after contracting an…

Jul

10

2025

By TOSIN ONI

Men and family planning: studies from 23 African countries reveal gaps in what we know

HEALTH

WHEN people think about family planning in Africa, they often picture women visiting clinics, women making decisions, and women bearing the responsibility. Yet family planning affects both men and women. How is male involvement being studied? Are men being included in both practice and research? And what does that mean for future health policy? To find answers, our team of demographers, reproductive health researchers and population scientists analysed the way male involvement in family planning has been measured and conceptualised in Africa-based research over the past three decades. Our study reviewed 152 scientific publications from 23 African countries. We examined…

Jul

04

2025

By PETER M MACHARIA and EMELDA OKIRO

How far is your closest hospital or clinic? Public health researchers explain why Africa needs up-to-date health facility databases

HEALTH

THE lack of reliable information about health facilities across sub-Saharan Africa became very clear during the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid a surge in emergency care needs, information was lacking about the location of facilities, bed capacity and oxygen availability, and even where to find medical specialists. This data could have enabled precise assessments of hospital surge capacity and geographic access to critical care. Peter Macharia and Emelda Okiro, whose research focuses on public health and equity of health service access in low-resource settings, share the findings of their recent study, co-authored with colleagues. What are open health facility databases? A health…

Jul

01

2025

By ALEXANDER RICHARD BRACZKOWSKI

How does Marburg virus spread between species? Young Ugandan scientist’s photos give important clues

HEALTH

IN the shadows of Python Cave, Uganda, a leopard leaps from a guano mound – formed by bat excrement – and sinks its teeth into a bat. But this is no ordinary bat colony. The thousands of Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) found in this cave are known carriers of one of the world’s deadliest viruses: Marburg, a close cousin of Ebola. Over just four months, our cameras recorded 261 predator encounters: crowned eagles, Nile monitors, leopards, pythons, and blue monkeys all caught feeding on, or scavenging from this virus-harbouring colony. https://www.youtube.com/embed/au3lp8QiS-4 And yet, this wasn’t the work of a…

Jun

17

2025

By BONFACE ORUCHO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

This Ghanaian nurse is raising the bar in cancer care

HEALTH

AT the crack of dawn, long before the hospital corridors fill with footsteps and clipped conversations, Naomi Oyoe Ohene Oti has already started her rounds. She begins her day with a devotion, a prayer, a moment of spiritual grounding before immersing herself in the organised ‘chaos’ of Ghana’s largest public oncology centre. “Once the first patient arrives, your day has started, whether it’s official time or not. You’re responsible,” she says. By 7:00 a.m., she’s inspecting wards, checking chemotherapy protocols, coaching junior staff, and coordinating complex multidisciplinary meetings. This is a typical morning for Naomi, the unassuming yet tenacious nerve…