Tag Archives: Africa
Waking a sleeping giant: How increasing Africa’s research output can benefit global cardiovascular health?
Africa is home to 1.4 billion people, of whom 55 million suffer from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Despite this, Africa contributes to only 1.7% of the world’s cardiovascular science. We studied 179 clinical trials led by African researchers
Driving time delays treatment initiation for tuberculosis in Uganda
We investigated the association between distance to health care facilities and delay in treatment initiation for patients with tuberculosis in Kampala, Uganda. We used a theoretical construct known as appraisal delay, which is the approximate time in
Biological larviciding against malaria mosquitoes in rural West Africa – A cost analysis
Malaria is still the most common vector borne disease in Africa, although the number of cases and deaths was reduced by 18 and 48% respectively since the 2000s. In 2015 some 188 million people fell sick from
Staggering financial shortfalls to meet biodiversity targets in Kenya
Biodiversity is highly valuable for ecosystem functioning and the provision of ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration and flood control. However, biodiversity is threatened by multiple human pressures on the natural environment, such as habitat loss and
Does the ethnomedicinal uses of the sour plum tree correlate with its ethnopharmacological properties?
Ximenia caffra Sond. (Fig. 1), commonly referred to as “sour plum” is a common and popular medicinal and fruit tree in the dryland zone in central, eastern and southern Africa. The generic name ‘Ximenia’ commemorates a Spanish
Mobile phones support palliative care services in Africa
The African Palliative Care Association (APCA) are a pan-Africa advocacy and research organisation working to expand palliative care services in the Africa region. APCA have been working with Honexus, a software development company, to create an electronic
High blood pressure: does it matter to know your disease condition and prescribed medicines well?
High blood pressure is a disease condition in which the force of the blood against your artery walls is perpetually high enough that it may eventually cause health problems, such as heart disease. If you have been
Risk factors of hypertension amongst adults in rural areas of South Africa
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is now the leading cause of death worldwide, and its major impact is not only observed in developed countries but also in developing countries. In 2008, CVD caused 30% of all global deaths, of
Training African health practitioners within Africa; expanding the skills pool
The African Paediatric Fellowship Programme (APFP) was established by the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital (RCWMCH) in 2007. The aim of the APFP is to create a network of
Africa’s roads to ruin?
Africa’s natural environments and spectacular wildlife are about to face their biggest challenge ever. In a recent paper, my colleagues and I assessed an infrastructure-expansion scheme for Africa so sweeping in scope, it is dwarfing anything the
Maps can help in the fight against neglected tropical diseases
Numerous diseases affect the populations of Africa. Some diseases receive a lot of attention and others do not. The World Health Organization has grouped seventeen of these latter diseases into what is now known as Neglected Tropical
How did new species arise?
How did new ways of life and new adaptations to the surroundings evolve in our early ancestors? And how did new species arise? These questions are at the heart of understanding the evolutionary origin of our species
