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South Africa is proposing plans to manage diseases like COVID. Why they’re flawed

South Africa is proposing plans to manage diseases like COVID. Why they’re flawed

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the South African government published “special regulations” to contain the spread of the disease. These actions were taken under special powers granted by the Disaster Management Act. In April 2022, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa announced an end to the crisis management mode the country had been in for two years. Now processes are underway to embed some of the special regulations into the country’s general health regulations related to notifiable medical conditions. Authors IGNATIUS MICHAEL VILJOEN, PhD Candidate Cell and Gene Therapy Regulation. Institute for Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Pretoria…
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Nairobi is rapidly losing its green spaces: this could open the door to more diseases

Nairobi is rapidly losing its green spaces: this could open the door to more diseases

THERE'S been widespread concern in Kenya over the shrinking of green spaces in Nairobi, the capital city. Most recently, there was uproar over the construction of a raised highway. This resulted in the felling of hundreds of trees, though protests managed to save the life of one 100-year-old fig tree. ERIC FÈVRE, Professor of Veterinary Infectious Diseases, University of Liverpool and International Livestock Research Institute, Kenya, University of Liverpool JAMES HASSELL, Wildlife Veterinarian with Smithsonian's Global Health Program, and adjunct Assistant Professor, Yale University It was also proposed that part of the highway run through Uhuru park – one of…
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Locals must lead the way to African scientific capacity and solutions

Locals must lead the way to African scientific capacity and solutions

VICTORIA KASPROWICZ, University of KwaZulu-Natal DENIS CHOPERA, University of KwaZulu-Natal AFRICA bears a disproportionately high burden of globally significant diseases. But the continent has lagged in knowledge production to address its health challenges. There are a number of factors that contribute to this. These include the absence of a critical mass of researchers even where pockets of excellence exist. Progression pathways for those in scientific careers are very weak. Scientists have limited access to scientific publications and research support services. And legacies of colonialism – such as funding and publishing structures – continue to favour Northern-based researchers. The problems facing…
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