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Ugandan nurse dies in first Ebola outbreak in two years
A nurse in Uganda has died of Ebola in the first recorded fatality since the country’s last outbreak of the disease ended in early 2023, a...
Major boost for Afrigen with $6.2m grant for mRNA jab
A $6.2m grant awarded to Afrigen Biologics from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (Cepi) will allow it to develop its human candidate mRNA...
Rising cardiovascular cases tied to air pollution in Africa
Research on other continents has shown a clear link between high air pollution levels and cardiovascular diseases, but such data is lacking in Africa...
Tanzania denies Marburg outbreak after WHO alert
A World Health Organisation (WHO) report of a suspected new outbreak of the Ebola-like Marburg virus in Tanzania were false alarms, according to officials...
Sierra Leone declares mpox emergency
A state of emergency was declared in Sierra Leone on Monday after the country reported its second case of mpox in less than four...
Genetics put African men most at risk of prostate cancer
Breakthrough research, and the largest study of its kind, has identified the genetic risk factors contributing to increased prostate cancer in African men.
The study,...
Kenya’s balancing act with addictive natural stimulant
Amid growing concerns about muguka, a highly addictive variant of the natural stimulant khat, Kenya needs evidence-based regulations to balance public health and economic...
Morocco produces Africa’s first mpox tests
In a first for Africa, a Moroccan company is filling orders for mpox tests as an outbreak continues in the Congo and neighbouring countries,...
Zimbabwe’s sick turn to herbalists as system crumbles
Zimbabwe’s health system continues to deteriorate, with hospitals lacking medicine, equipment and staff, and with frustrated patients turning to herbalists as an alternative –...
WHO experts to probe mystery disease in DRC
Health experts have been deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo by the WHO to try to determine the cause of an undiagnosed disease...
Infections rise as 143 die from unknown disease in Congo
An unknown disease killed 143 people in the DRC’s southwestern province last month, with the victims reporting flu-like symptoms, including high fever and severe...
Pepfar boss to resign before Trump takes office
Ambassador John Nkengasong, head of the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar), says that because he is a political appointee, he will be...
Two-decade SA study unpacks challenges in nephroblastoma treatment
A 21-year study on nephroblastoma by the University of the Free State revealed unique challenges, with the scientists noting that future research should analyse...
WHO green-lights emergency listing for Japan’s mpox jab
In a welcome move for regions in Africa being pulverised by mpox, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has granted emergency use listing for Japan’s...
African activists fear Trump will cut birth control funds
There is growing anxiety across Africa – and other countries – that US President elect Donald Trump might end the donor funding for services...
Chewing gum linked to drop in preterm births – randomised Malawi study
Results from a study in Malawi showed that chewing gum containing xylitol, a naturally occurring alcohol sugar, was associated with a 24% reduction in...
Rwanda success story in controlling Marburg outbreak
Marburg virus – which has no approved vaccines or drugs – is notorious for its killing ability, with as many as nine patients out...
Millions of sub-Saharan Africa’s teens have undiagnosed asthma
Rapid urbanisation is thought to be damaging adolescent health, say researchers, whose recent study found that millions of teenagers in Africa are suffering from...
Rwanda’s Marburg wanes as mpox cases increase
While the Marburg virus outbreak in Rwanda appears to be on the decline, with no new cases in the past several days, mpox continues...
Egypt now malaria-free
Egypt has become the fourth African country to eradicate malaria, a “disease that plagued pharaohs”, in what the World Health Organisation (WHO) said was...
Kenya's path to universal health coverage
Kenya’s pursuit of universal health coverage has evolved over three decades through incremental reforms. But by far the boldest step taken so far was...
Pepfar chief pushes for extension of programme
USAids relief programme head John Nkengasong is committed to persuading Congress to return to granting a five-year reauthorisation of the programme, he said in...
Rwanda starts Marburg vaccine trial
Rwanda launched a vaccine trial against the Marburg virus on Sunday in desperate efforts to combat an outbreak which has already killed a dozen...
Zambia to manufacture cholera vaccine
In a collaboration between Zambia and China, a recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and China’s JIJIA...
African drug makers urged to adopt a regional approach
US global Aids co-ordinator John Nkengasong has called on African pharmaceutical companies to investigate the possibility of a regional manufacturing approach, to take advantage of...
Marburg virus kills eight in Rwanda
Eight people have died from an outbreak of Marburg virus in Rwanda, most of the victims being healthcare workers, the country’s Health Minister has...
Africa gets pledges of $800m for mpox response
African countries and partners have pledged more than $800m towards the continent’s mpox response amid surging infection, said the director-general of the Africa Centres...
EMA extends mpox jab to youngsters
The European Medicines Authority has recommended extending the indication of the smallpox/mpox vaccine Imvanex (also know as Jynneos) to adolescents aged 12 to 17, the drug...
Hope for Africa as WHO approves first mpox vaccine
The WHO has given its authorisation to a first vaccine to protect against mpox, the decision announced so hastily last Friday that the head...
Aspen urges co-operation for local production of mpox vaccines
With Africa under immense pressure to curb an outbreak of the mpox, Aspen Pharmacare is “in talks” with partners to manufacture vaccines at its...
Lilly signs deal for RA drug production in Africa
Egypt’s Eva Pharma has inked a licensing deal with Eli Lilly to manufacture the latter’s rheumatoid arthritis treatment Olumiant and eventually supply the drug in 49...
Africa still awaiting mpox jabs from the West, despite promises
Despite the thousands of mpox doses promised to Africa, no vaccines have yet been delivered to any of the countries affected by the outbreak...
Kenyan project cuts labour ward staff burnout
High-quality care during childbirth is critical for preventing maternal and newborn deaths, with alarming figures showing that an estimated 800 women die every day...
Déjà vu global response to mpox
African countries affected by the latest mpox outbreak are racing to mobilise funds and urgently deploy medical countermeasures, including vaccines, as cases continue to...
No need to panic, say SA experts as DRC buckles under mpox spread
The outbreak of mpox on the African continent – that spurred the WHO into declaring it an international public health emergency last week –...
Urgent global action needed stop Mpox pandemic
Experts have appealed to the international community for help in controlling the deadly strain of the mpox virus that is rapidly spreading across Africa’s...
Mpox cases climb to 24 in SA as incidents rise in Africa
The number of mpox cases in South Africa has risen to 24, with another two cases being confirmed at the weekend – in Gauteng...
Urgent plea for action as malaria drug-resistance grows
A group of 28 leading scientists from 10 countries has warned that millions of lives are at risk unless urgent and radical action is...
Ivory Coast first to roll out malaria jab
Monday marked the official roll-out of the new R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine campaign in Africa, with the first vaccination taking place in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire,...
Rat soup, oracles and traditional birth attendants …
In Lagos, traditional birth attendants are helping to connect women and babies with modern maternity treatments – and although doctors may not always agree...