Science Journalism Forum to Launch Hybrid Format for SJF25, Emphasizing Accessibility and Global Engagement

The Science Journalism Forum (SJF) has announced that its upcoming SJF25 will be held in a hybrid format, a decision that promises to enhance accessibility for participants worldwide. This pivotal change comes as SJF celebrates five years of fostering collaboration among science journalists across the globe. Since its establishment in 2020, SJF has rapidly evolved…

Mubende Regional Referral Hospital Acquires Emergency Operation Center

The Ministry of Health has established an Emergency Operation Center (EOC) at Mubende Regional Referral Hospital to enhance the region’s capacity to respond to public health threats and emergencies. The new Regional Public Health Emergency Operation Center (RPHEOC) will serve as a hub for coordination, resource mobilization, and information sharing, improving the region’s ability to…

Report: Children continue to be left behind in TB efforts

A new report released today by Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF), shows that children with tuberculosis (TB) continue to be left behind in the global effort to end the disease.  The report, TACTIC: Test, Avoid, Cure TB in Children, surveyed TB policy guidelines in 14 countries* with a high burden of TB, revealing that many countries lag behind in aligning…

Building Together: African Women’s Climate Assembly Forges a New Pathway to Climate Action Now

In October 2024, the coastal town of Saly, Senegal became the meeting point for two pivotal African climate justice gatherings—the 2024 Women’s Climate Assembly (WCA) and the African People’s Counter COP (APCC). These parallel events united a diverse group of activists, NGOs, leaders, and community women to tackle the pressing need for climate action across…

Tiny antibodies to fight the dangerous effects of opioids

Opioid drugs are highly effective at relieving pain but come with severe drawbacks. Their side effects range from dizziness to potentially fatal respiratory depression. Their illegal use contributes to nearly half a million deaths worldwide each year. Researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) have discovered a molecule, called nanobody NbE, which binds tightly and…

Hello, sunshine: how solar electricity transformed care at a remote Zimbabwean clinic

At off-grid Hakwata Clinic in Zimbabwe’s Manicaland Province, women gave birth by candle-light and gas-powered fridges strained to keep vaccines cool. That all changed when a solar mini-grid was installed. 27 September 2024 by Farai Shawn Matiashe A 200kW solar mini-grid providing uninterrupted power to a clinic in Hakwata village in Chipinge, Zimbabwe. Credit: Farai Shawn…

The love doctor: how Nigerian matchmaking apps are getting right down to genetics

Matchmaking apps and dating platforms in Nigeria are joining the fight against sickle cell anaemia, a dangerous and genetically heritable condition. 26 September 2024 by Zubaida Baba Ibrahim When Onyinye Igbokwe, the founder of Genzee Baddies – an innovative dating app – turned 25, he discovered that his search for a life partner involved more than…

Sustained Financing for Adolescents’ Sexual and Reproductive Health is Good for Africa’s Economies

By Professor Myriam Sidibe and Serah Malaba Without a concerted effort to support integrated Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), we are unlikely to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on Good Health and Well-being or Gender Equality. Health systems in Sub-Saharan Africa are failing to meet the needs of adolescent girls and…

Global UN fund awards USD 250,000 grant for the development and adoption of global menstrual product standards

 The UN’s Sanitation and Hygiene Fund (SHF) has announced a grant of USD 250,000 to the Swedish Institute for Standards (SIS) to support the participation of Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) in the development of global quality standards for menstrual products. As the secretariat of the technical committee of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) – ISO/TC…