HEALTH - The African Mirror

May

13

2025

US funding cuts have crippled our HIV work – what’s being lost

HEALTH

THE Trump administration’s cuts to funding for scientific research have left many scientists reeling and very worried. At the National Institutes of Health in the US, which has an annual budget of US$47 billion to support medical research both in the US and around the world, nearly 800 grants have been terminated. The administration is considering cutting the overall budget of the National Institutes of Health by 40%. In South Africa, where tensions are running high with the new Trump administration over land reform and other diplomatic fault lines, scientists have had research grants from the National Institutes of Health…

May

08

2025

By ANNETTEE NAKIMULI

African women at higher risk of pre-eclampsia – a dangerous pregnancy complication

HEALTH

PRE-ECLAMPSIA is a danger to pregnant women. It’s a complication characterised by high blood pressure and organ damage, arising during the second half of pregnancy, in labour or in the first week after delivery. It plays a major role in about 16% of the deaths of pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa. And it’s on the rise: between 2010 and 2018, the incidence of pre-eclampsia in Africa jumped by around 20%. Pre-eclampsia usually occurs in young mothers during their first pregnancy. Girls under the age of 18 years are most at risk. The probability that a 15-year-old girl will die from…

Apr

18

2025

By FLORENCE MALONGANE and TENDAIISHE BEREJENA

Africa’s traditional fermented foods – and why we should keep consuming them

HEALTH

FERMENTATION is a process where microorganisms like bacteria and yeast work together to break down complex carbohydrates and proteins into simpler, more digestible forms. The fermentation process not only extends the shelf life of food but also enhances its nutritional content. During fermentation, beneficial microorganisms produce essential vitamins and minerals. Fermented foods have many benefits and have been shown to reduce inflammation and infections. As nutrition researchers, we undertook an in-depth assessment of fermented African foods and their potential to improve human health cost-effectively. By gaining a deeper understanding of the diverse microbiomes present in various fermented indigenous African foods,…

Apr

16

2025

By FRANCISCA MUTAPI

Africa’s healthcare funding crisis: 3 strategies to manage deadly diseases

HEALTH

THE increasing trend of reducing foreign aid to Africa is forcing the continent to reassess its approach to healthcare delivery. African countries face a major challenge of dealing with high rates of communicable diseases, such as malaria and HIV/Aids, and rising levels of non-communicable diseases. But the continent’s health systems don’t have the resources to provide accessible and affordable healthcare to address these challenges. Historically, aid has played a critical role in supporting African health systems. It has funded key areas, including medical research, treatment programmes, healthcare infrastructure and workforce salaries. In 2021, half of sub-Saharan Africa’s countries relied on…

Apr

10

2025

By TIM BAKER and KARIMA KHALID

Critically ill patients in African hospitals aren’t getting the care they need: new survey

HEALTH

WHEN someone falls critically ill, hospitals are expected to provide life-saving care. But in many African countries, intensive care units are rare. Critically ill patients are treated in general hospital wards, and the provision of essential emergency and critical care is limited. Critical illness refers to any life-threatening condition where at least one vital organ – such as the heart, lungs, or brain – is failing. It can arise from any underlying condition including infections, injuries, or non-communicable diseases such as heart attacks and strokes, and can affect anyone of any age. In high-resourced settings, some critically ill patients are…

Mar

26

2025

By The African Mirror

UNAIDS chief warns of ‘real surge’ in deaths without US funding

HEALTH

AMID continuing uncertainty about the impact of deep US funding cuts on humanitarian work worldwide, the head of the UN agency coordinating the fight against HIV-AIDS warned that an additional 6.3 million people will die in the next four years unless the support is reinstated. “We will see a …real surge in this disease - [we] will see it come back and we see people dying the way we saw them in the 90s and in 2000s,” said Winnie Byanyima, UNAIDS Executive Director, pointing to a “tenfold increase” from the 600,000 AIDS-related deaths recorded globally in 2023. “We also expect…

Mar

24

2025

By ADURAGBEMI BANKE-THOMAS and ITOHAN OSAYANDE

Nigeria offers free caesareans to save mothers’ lives – but it’s not enough

HEALTH

NIGERIA’S government launched an initiative in 2024 offering free emergency caesarean sections to poor and vulnerable women, in a plan to bring down the high number of mothers dying in childbirth. Aduragbemi Banke-Thomas, a maternal and newborn health researcher, and Itohan Osayande, a teaching fellow in public health, discuss the initiative and how it can achieve its objectives. How serious is the maternal mortality challenge in Nigeria? Of the 287,000 pregnant women who died in 2020, almost a third were from Nigeria. At 1,047 deaths per 100,000 live births, Nigeria has the third highest maternal mortality rate globally. This is…

Mar

20

2025

By ROXY DAVIS

Surf therapy for children with disabilities: how it’s changing lives in South Africa

HEALTH

CHILDREN with disabilities face significant challenges in South Africa. Firstly there are delayed diagnoses which can lead to complications. The high cost of healthcare and little financial support for their families can limit their access to healthcare services altogether. There is also little access to rehabilitation services. Inadequate facilities and a shortage of trained personnel are just some of the obstacles. I started thinking about ways to get over these obstacles when I noticed that people with disabilities weren’t well represented in my sport. As a competitive surfer and instructor, I had always celebrated the ocean’s ability to inspire confidence…

Mar

08

2025

By SUSAN GOLDSTEIN

Sugary drinks are a killer: a 20% tax would save lives and rands in South Africa

HEALTH

NON-COMMUNICABLE diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular conditions account for over 70% of global deaths annually. In South Africa, non-communicable diseases cause more than half of all deaths. Diabetes ranks as the second leading cause after tuberculosis. A major contributor to rising diabetes rates is the high consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, including cool drinks. The World Health Organization recommends a tax of at least 20% on sugary drinks as an effective tool to help reduce consumption and curb related health risks. South Africa introduced a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, officially known as the Health Promotion Levy, in 2018. The…

Mar

05

2025

By The African Mirror

World Adherence Day tackles critical health challenge

HEALTH

In a groundbreaking initiative to address one of the most pressing issues in global health, the World Heart Federation (WHF) is set to launch the first World Adherence Day on March 27, 2025, with a powerful campaign dubbed #DontMissaMoment. The campaign highlights a critical problem in healthcare: treatment non-adherence. According to recent data, only 50% of patients in high-income countries and an even smaller percentage in developing nations consistently follow their prescribed treatment plans, leading to devastating health consequences. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) now account for approximately 75% of global deaths, resulting in at least 43 million annual fatalities. In South…