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From fatal allergies to heart attacks and malaria – the devastating health effects of global warming in Africa

From fatal allergies to heart attacks and malaria – the devastating health effects of global warming in Africa

THE winds that whip the towns of the Eastern Cape in South Africa have the power to generate energy. But on a dry, hot day, those winds can gather up embers and dump them into tinder-dry savannah and forest, destroying crops, fodder and homes, and taking lives. LENORE MANDERSON, Distinguished Professor, Public Health and Medical Anthropology, University of the Witwatersrand Wildfires create their own weather systems, generating fire storms with devastating effects. Global warming will increase the number of days of shimmering heat, creating the ideal conditions for fire. In the past months, southern Europe and North Africa have experienced…
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How changing blood pressure targets in South Africa could save costs and lives

How changing blood pressure targets in South Africa could save costs and lives

HIGH blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a serious public health threat globally. If uncontrolled it substantially increases the risk of disability and death from stroke, heart attacks and other cardiovascular conditions. It’s also a huge problem in South Africa – an estimated 35% of people in the country older than 15 have high blood pressure. This is expected to increase as the country’s population rapidly ages over the coming decades. NIKKIL SUDHARSANAN, Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow at Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, University of Heidelberg JUSTINE INA DAVIES, Professor of Global Health, Institute for Applied Research, University…
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