Kenya’s police still kill with impunity – what needs to be done to stop them: Days ahead of the first anniversary in Kenya of the Gen Z-led anti-government protests that resulted in at least 60 deaths and displays of police brutality, news broke that Albert Ojwang, a young Kenyan blogger, had died in police detention. …
Beating malaria: what can be done with shrinking funds and rising threats: Healthcare in Africa faces a perfect storm: high rates of infectious diseases like malaria and HIV, a rise in non-communicable diseases, and dwindling foreign aid. In 2021, nearly half of the sub-Saharan African countries relied on external financing for more than a third …
The US has lifted its intelligence sharing pause with Ukraine. But the damage may already be done: Parilov/Shutterstock There has been a great deal of speculation about whether Elon Musk might deny Ukraine access to his satellite network system, Starlink – and what might happen if he did. Musk fuelled talk of a possible shutdown …
Africa’s elephants have been in dramatic decline for 50 years. What can be done to save them – new study: Surveying elephants is hard, risky work. Dedicated biologists have been doing this challenging task across Africa for decades. Systematic surveying started in the late 1960s but has been sporadic, as access to remote areas takes …
Reducing air pollution could increase methane emissions from wetlands – here’s what needs to be done: Sampling in a Pantanal lake, Brazil. Vincent Gauci, CC BY-NC-ND What if well-meaning policies that reduce one atmospheric pollutant could also increase natural emissions of powerful greenhouse gases? Our findings, just published in the journal Science Advances, advance an …
960 million dirty diapers are a big waste problem – what can be done with them: The use of disposable diapers (nappies) is growing in African countries. The disposable diaper undoubtedly makes it easier for many parents to work or spend time on other things, including their own and their child’s wellbeing. At the same …
Ghana needs to stop households from using firewood: what must be done: Cooking on firewood and coal increases air pollution and ill health. Some of the dangers include stunted growth in children and undernutrition in children and adults. Babies who’ve been exposed to charcoal and firewood smoke while in the womb can have reduced birth …
Why school suspensions and exclusions have risen dramatically in England – and what could be done: BearFotos/Shutterstock The government looks set to implement a shift in how behaviour is managed in English schools. This would focus on keeping pupils in attendance. It comes after figures show that in the last academic year, school exclusions and …
Malawi faces a food crisis: why plans to avert hunger aren’t realistic and what can be done: Malawi is heading towards a severe food crisis later this year. Drought brought on by the El Niño weather pattern has affected the harvest of maize, the staple food grown by nine out of 10 farming households in …
South Africa’s media have done good work with 30 years of freedom but need more diversity: In 1992, two years before the end of apartheid, Nelson Mandela bemoaned the state of South Africa’s print media. He said the media’s domination by middle class males from the minority white population posed the biggest threat to freedom …
Ghana wants to restrict imports on 22 products – an economist explains how, why and what else must be done: Ghana’s Ministry of Trade and Industry has tabled in parliament a proposed ban or restrictions on imports of certain goods, including rice, sugar, poultry, fruit juices and animal intestines (tripe). The proposed legislation empowers the …
Rwanda’s troops in Mozambique have done well to protect civilians – the factors at play: Rwanda’s involvement in peacekeeping operations for the United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU) has increased since 2004. The relatively small east African nation is Africa’s most active troop-contributing country and the fourth most active worldwide. It has nearly 6,000 …
Climate adaptation funds are not reaching frontline communities: what needs to be done about it: Communities around the world face increasingly severe and frequent impacts from climate change. They are on the “frontlines” of droughts, flooding, desertification and sea level rise. International climate finance is supposed to help. In the 2015 Paris Agreement, the world’s …
Climate change and farming: economists warn more needs to be done to adapt in sub-Saharan Africa: Sub-Saharan African countries strongly rely on the agricultural and forestry sectors. Agriculture contributes up to 60% of some countries’ gross domestic product. But the sector is highly vulnerable to climate change because it relies heavily on climatic factors. This …
Ghanaians don’t trust the police. A criminologist on what needs to be done about it: The relationship between Ghanaian citizens and officers of its police service is a tenuous one. Recent reports by the research network Afrobarometer show a decline in trust between citizens and officers amid complaints of harassment and bribery. There have also …
Bird flu in South Africa: expert explains what’s behind the chicken crisis and what must be done about it: An outbreak of avian flu – a highly contagious viral infection that affects wild birds as well as poultry – has hit poultry farms in South Africa. Two different strains are causing outbreaks in the country …
Kenya’s cost of living crisis: expert unpacks what’s driving it and what should be done: Kenyans are grappling with the high cost of living. Policy analyst Adan Shibia led a technical team that prepared a recent report on the state of Kenya’s economy. We asked him to unpack what’s driving costs, who’s affected and what …
Surgery is facing its #MeToo moment – here’s what needs to be done now: Jacob Lund/Shutterstock As the NHS seeks to heal and care, it now faces a challenge of introspection, driven by alarming revelations. Research released this week has shone a harsh light on the widespread issue of sexual misconduct within the surgical profession, …