Sub-Saharan Africa - The African Mirror

Jun

16

2021

Nigerian growth lags Africa, poverty rising, says World Bank

NIGERIAN economic growth has resumed after the COVID shock but is lagging the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, with food inflation, heightened insecurity and stalled reforms slowing growth and increasing poverty, the World Bank has said. Presenting its six-monthly update on development in Africa's most populous country, the organisation gave a GDP growth forecast for Nigeria of 1.9% in 2021 and 2.1% in 2022, compared with 3.4% this year and 4.0% next year for sub-Saharan Africa. Lead economist for Nigeria Marco Hernandez said inflation, especially in food prices, was exacerbating poverty and food insecurity. Food accounted for almost 70% of Nigeria's…

May

27

2021

By The African Mirror

Your phone and your brain – what we know so far

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

A defining characteristic of the way many people live today is persistent online connectedness. Since the introduction of smartphones about 15 years ago, the rapid and broad adoption of these devices has had an impact on people’s behaviour at all hours of the day. Forecasts suggest that the number of smartphone connections in sub-Saharan Africa will reach 678 million by the end of 2025, representing an adoption rate of 65%. DANIEL B. LE ROUX, Senior Lecturer, Stellenbosch University Many people check their phones when they wake up, use them while travelling to work and constantly keep an eye on them…

May

19

2021

By The African Mirror

Malaria control needs longer lasting repellents. We’re a step closer to finding one

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

MALARIA is one of the leading causes of illness and death around the world. The disease is primarily caused by the bite of mosquitoes carrying a parasite. In 2019, around 229 million malaria cases were reported with an estimated number of 409,000 deaths. Most of the reported cases occurred in sub-Saharan Africa. Children younger than five years and pregnant women are most prone to malaria. ANTÓNIO BENJAMIM MAPOSSA, Postdoctoral fellow in Chemical Engineering, University of Pretoria To prevent malaria, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends spraying insecticides indoors and using bed nets treated with long-lasting insecticide. These interventions have one…

May

19

2021

By The African Mirror

Spain-Morocco relations strained

NEWS

JON NAZCA and MARIANO VALLADOLID A sudden influx of migrants swimming into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in northern Africa is a serious crisis for Europe, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said yesterday, vowing to re-establish order promptly amid heightened diplomatic tensions with Morocco. Spain deployed troops to Ceuta to patrol the border with Morocco after around 8,000 migrants, many from Sub-Saharan Africa and including some 1,500 minors, entered the enclave on Monday and Tuesday by swimming in or climbing over the fence. Armoured vehicles were guarding Ceuta's beach on Tuesday, and soldiers and police used batons to clear migrants from…

Apr

28

2021

By The African Mirror

‘Climate dividends’ can help cut emissions and poverty, researchers say

ENVIRONMENT

SONIA ELKS HANDING 5% of the money rich nations raise from carbon emissions charges to sub-Saharan Africa would counter the impact of rising prices on the world's poorest people, researchers said on Tuesday. More and more wealthy countries are seeking to impose emissions charges on companies, but doing so risks pushing up the price of essential goods, which hits the poor hardest, said a study published in the journal Nature Communications. The researchers said that risk could be mitigated by handing the proceeds to households in the form of "climate dividends" and donating 5% to the poorest countries. "You can create…

Apr

21

2021

By The African Mirror

Why African countries need reliable local data on sugary drinks taxes

HEALTH

DIETS in sub-Saharan Africa are changing as more countries advance from low-income to middle-income status. People’s eating habits are shifting from food rich in starchy staples, vegetables and fruits to a more westernised diet high in sugar, saturated fats and oils. This shift to unhealthy foods is fuelling obesity-related chronic, non-communicable conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Preventive measures are more critical than ever to curtail this tsunami that is overwhelming health systems. One area that must adjust is the food and beverage sector in sub-Saharan Africa. The processed food industry is promoting the region as a growth…

Mar

02

2021

By The African Mirror

Traditional healers in South Africa are exposed to infection, but few can get protective gear

HEALTH

THERE are around two million traditional healers in sub-Saharan Africa. More than 200,000 live and work in South Africa. CAROLYN AUDET, Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Policy at the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health , Vanderbilt University MOSA MOSHABELA, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research and Innovation (Acting), University of KwaZulu-Natal RYAN G WAGNER, Research Fellow, Wits School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand Traditional healers are frequently exposed to bloodborne pathogens such as hepatitis B and HIV. In particular, they are exposed through the widespread practice of traditional “injections” by incision. This is when the healer makes small…

Feb

18

2021

By The African Mirror

Collaboration on therapy for sickle cell disease

HEALTH

NOVARTIS has entered into a grant agreement with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to fund the development of accessible single-use gene therapies to cure sickle cell disease (SCD), the pharmaceuticals company said yesterday. The project aims to address disparity in access to treatments and prioritize populations and regions that bear the greatest burden of the hereditary blood disease, Novartis said. Around 300,000 people are born with the condition annually. Sub-Saharan Africa is particularly badly affected by SCD, which reduces the ability of red blood cells to transport oxygen and can be fatal.

Feb

13

2021

By The African Mirror

What’s in the way of quality antenatal care for women in West and Central Africa

HEALTH

GLOBALLY, nearly 300,000 women die from pregnancy-related causes each year. Most of these deaths are in the low-income countries of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. COMFORT Z. OLORUNSAIYE, Assistant Professor of Public Health, Arcadia University The leading causes of maternal mortality include severe bleeding, hypertensive disorders, infection, unsafe abortion and embolism. There are also indirect causes such as HIV, malaria and anaemia. About three in four maternal deaths could be prevented if women had adequate access to quality care before, during and after pregnancy. Quality antenatal care can save lives by identifying and addressing health problems that can cause pregnancy…

Dec

19

2020

By The African Mirror

How sub-Saharan Africa can rethink its approach to agriculture

BUSINESS

In response to the economic devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, most sub-Saharan governments are developing economic recovery plans. These will require some different thinking, particularly when it comes to agriculture. Wandile Sihlobo, the chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa, explains to Michael Aliber, a professor of agricultural economics at the University of Fort Hare, what that new thinking might look like. MICHAEL ALIBER, Professor of Agricultural Economics, University of Fort Hare WANDILE SIHLOBO, Visiting Research Fellow, Wits School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand You have argued that governments should use the post-COVID environment to…