Africa accounts for 15% of the global population and 25% of the global disease burden, yet the discovery and development of medicines that end up in Africa has historically only happened in the global north. It is time for the situation to change, says Professor Kelly Chibale, director and founder of the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Drug Discovery and Development Centre, H3D.
Health
Politics and Society We did the sums on South Africa’s mental health spend. They’re not pretty
Less than 1 in 10 people living with a mental health condition in South Africa receive the care that they need.
Africans rising Nigerian neurosurgeon Dr. Olawale Sulaiman is performing free surgeries at personal expense
Nigerian professor of neurosurgery and spinal surgery, Dr. Olawale Sulaiman divides his time between the US and Nigeria to provide affordable and often free healthcare in his home country. The surgeon even negotiated a 25% pay cut with his employer in exchange for longer holidays to Nigeria to facilitate his philanthropy.
Politics and Society Lessons from Rwanda on how trust can help repair a broken health system
Rwanda’s government has taken concerted, deliberate steps over the past 25 years to build a strong health system.
Africans rising Ethiopian student Torpout Nyarikjor creates a non-invasive malaria detection device
Torpout Nyarikjor, an engineering student at Dilla University in southern Ethiopia has invented a malaria detection device. The “Tor” which is the name of the device, uses lasers to ascertain infection in the blood and is 70% accurate.
Lifestyle Active registration of traditional healers in the Zanzibar region of Tanzania
In accordance with the Tanzania’s Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act passed in 2009, authorities in Zanzibar have registered approx. 340 traditional healers in an effort to regulate and support them.
Africans rising Dr. Jean-Jacques Muyembe-Tamfum (DRC) and Dr. Francis Gervase Omaswa (Uganda) receive Third Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize
Two doctors, Dr. Jean-Jacques Muyembe-Tamfum, and Dr. Francis Gervase Omaswa, have been named as this year’s (third) recipients of the Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize. The award established by the Japanese government honours people and organisations dedicated to research and medical advances that fight disease in Africa. The Prize includes a citation, a medal and an honorarium of 100 million yen (approx 1 million US dollars) for each laureate.
Africans rising Congolese Dr Jean-Jacques Muyembe discovers a new Ebola treatment that can cure symptoms in just an hour
The frequent Ebola outbreaks across African countries over the past two decades have caused a massive loss of life and devastating economic effects. Thanks to Congolese Dr Jean-Jacques Muyembe, Ebola is now a curable disease and the destruction it has caused on the continent could soon be a thing of the past. Dr Muyembe says the new treatment can cure 90% of infections.
Lifestyle Kenya: Emergency services in Nairobi can be hailed as easily as a cab on Rescue.co
Despite there being an above average number of ambulances in Kenya’s capital, most arrive in 2hours or longer, thus defeating the notion of emergency services. Rescue.co; a solution that is designed and functions like a ride-hailing app or food-delivery service; has created one of the largest networks of Kenya’s best first responders.