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Ebola Crisis Sparks Debate Over Global Health Double Standards
To some Africans, the claim that the continent’s largest health agency had already bungled its response scratched a familiar wound.
Trump administration plans to admit more white South Africans as refugees this year
The Trump administration plans to admit up to 10,000 more white South African refugees into the United States, citing discrimination against Afrikaners | K-DAWN
Trump administration proposes admitting more White South African refugees
The Trump administration is proposing increasing the refugee admissions ceiling to 17,500 for White South Africans, according to a State Department report to Congress obtained by CNN.
Ebola and hantavirus have African leaders talking 'health sovereignty' as donor support fades
A new Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda is highlighting Africa's struggle with reduced international aid.
View: Why we need to domesticate Africa’s health algorithm
As AI transforms medicine, African countries risk becoming the raw material for a revolution whose benefits flow elsewhere.
“Un-African” or Unjust? The Politics of Homophobia in Senegal
In recent months, Senegal has found itself at the center of growing debates over LGBTQ rights as rising homophobia and stricter laws reshape the nation’s social and legal landscape. Building on past legislation, a 2026 bill to increase penalties for queer individuals has been met with strong public
UN Global Compact Africa Business Leaders Coalition Unveils New Roadmap to Accelerate Intra-African Trade and Sustainable Growth
/PRNewswire/ -- The Africa Business Leaders Coalition (ABLC), a CEO-led platform convened by the UN Global Compact to bring together leading African CEOs and...
A look at major Ebola outbreaks and when the disease was first identified
African health officials say there is a new outbreak of the Ebola disease in the Central African country of Congo, with at least 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths
Scientists Find Fossils Of Southeast Asia's Giant Dinosaur In Thailand
According to the researchers, the largest predator in the ecosystem was a relative of the giant African meat-eating dinosaur Carcharodontosaurus.
Scientists Think Africa May Be Cracking Along a New Tectonic Plate Boundary
If the rift keeps growing larger, the African continent could end up splitting in half, researchers say.
Nurses Are Not A Cost To Health Systems. They Are The Power Holding Them Together.
Recently, I met with African nursing leaders who told me stories of nurses in countries such as Ghana and Nigeria earning the equivalent of only a few hundred
A warning from the UK for America’s political class
Americans are only a little less satisfied with our system of government than the people of South Africa, which is really saying something, given that South Africans as a whole are about half as sa…
DHA-GEIS strengthens biosurveillance, force health protection during African Lion 26
AGADIR, Morocco — A coalition of U.S. military and research organizations deliver integrated biosurveillance support, strengthening commanders’ situatio...
DHA-GEIS strengthens biosurveillance, force health protection during African Lion 26
AGADIR, Morocco — A coalition of U.S. military and research organizations deliver integrated biosurveillance support, strengthening commanders’ situational awareness and directly bolstering mission readiness during African Lion 26, April 20-May 8, 2026. The Defense Health Agency’s Global Emerging Infections Surveillance program coordinated subject matter experts and laboratory partners from Walter Reed Army Institute of Research‑Africa; Naval Medical Research Unit, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Central; the 1st Global Field Medical Laboratory; and the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. Together they provided pre‑exercise risk assessments, rapid laboratory analysis and real‑time reporting that commanders and medical planners used to protect forces.
Botswana’s former President Festus Mogae dies aged 86
The former leader won praise for good governance and the fight against HIV/AIDS in the southern African nation.
Top 10 most powerful African passports, according to latest ranking
Business Insider Africa presents the top 10 most powerful African passports, according to the latest ranking
Scientists just discovered Africa is closer to breaking apart than we thought - Futura-Sciences
The Turkana Rift in East Africa is well-known for its wealth of early human fossils and its intense volcanic activity, caused by tectonic plate movements. Now, scientists report that the crust beneath this region has thinned far more than we previously understood, signaling the long-term breakup of the African continent...
Zambia blasts the US over a $2 billion health deal in exchange for critical minerals
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zambia is accusing the United States of tying a $2 billion deal for critical health assistance to access to the southern African nation's rich mineral assets, and calling the outgoing U.S. ambassador's allegations of corruption “mischievous” and “undiplomatic."
Global Health & WASH: May 2026 Funding Opportunities (14 new opportunities!)
The May update for Global Health & WASH brings new calls that cluster around three distinct shifts: LMIC research leadership moving from funder encouragement into a hard eligibility constraint, pharmaceutical and corporate-linked funders running structurally independent education and use-inspired research portfolios at substantial scale, and AI adoption shifting decisively from speculative tool to operational capability across health and WASH systems alike. In LMIC Research Leadership as Eligibility, Not Encouragement, Wellcome anchors the dominant signal of the month with three separate major calls that all require or strongly center LMIC leadership in their basic eligibility architecture. Wellcome’s ESIC Hubs (£1.5-£1.9M per hub over 3-5 years) explicitly requires an LMIC-based lead applicant, treating Global South leadership as a design constraint rather than a participation goal. Wellcome’s Infectious Disease Clinical Trial Development Award funds transdisciplinary teams whose lead must be a mid-career or established researcher based at an organization in Africa, South Asia, or Southeast Asia. Wellcome’s larger Infectious Disease Clinical Trial Award (£1M-£8M for optimizing licensed interventions) requires the administering organization to be in eligible LMIC regions and at least 50% of applicants based there. Around Wellcome, the same pattern shows up at smaller scale and across funders: CHINNOVA channels $1M into West and Central African research institutions for climate-health work; IBRO’s Neuroscience Training Grants explicitly tier ceilings by region of residence with Africa receiving the highest amount ($5,000); IHME’s GBD Emerging Researcher Award reserves at least one of its two annual awards for an LMIC researcher; Sidaction’s HIV Cure call funds research teams across France, the Netherlands, and eligible African countries with a minimum two-country collaboration requirement. Taken together, these calls signal a meaningful shift in how research equity is being operationalized — not as encouragement language at the bottom of a call, but as a structural feature of who can lead, where the work must be administered, and what proportion of the team must be regionally rooted. In Pharma-Funded Independent Medical Education and Use-Inspired Research, the lineup this month is unusually deep. Pfizer alone runs four parallel calls under independent education and quality improvement frameworks: a Migraine and Women’s Health RFP (200K x 2-year, $500K pool), Migraine IME ($200K, $1M pool), JAK Inhibitor evidence-based education ($100K), and Maternal Vaccination HCP Education in Saudi Arabia ($75K), plus a separate Pediatric Pneumococcal Surveillance research call in Saudi Arabia ($400K per project). Novo Nordisk Foundation runs four parallel calls of its own at substantial scale: Infectious Diseases Catalyst Grants (DKK 60M pool, up to DKK 7M collaborative), Non-Diabetic Endocrinology Collaborative Grants (DKK 53M pool, DKK 5-10M per project), Pioneer Innovator Grant Health (DKK 1.1M), and Distinguished Innovator Grant Health (DKK 6.8M). LEO Foundation deploys DKK 2-4M per project for dermatology research excellence. Pfizer’s framing across calls deliberately separates the funding from product promotion, emphasizing measurable practice-relevant change and structural distance between scientific outputs and commercial activity. Novo Nordisk’s “use-inspired” hard filter pushes researchers toward a credible translation pathway from mechanism to deployable tool. The pattern: industry-aligned funders are running structurally independent portfolios at meaningful $ that fund implementation evidence, not promotion. In AI as Operational Capability, Not Speculation, several calls this month explicitly treat AI adoption as a near-term operational question with real evidence and governance requirements, rather than a speculative trend to be watched. Wellcome’s ESIC Hubs frames AI as “the accelerator” for evidence synthesis, asking hubs to translate technical innovation into adoption-ready workflows that can match real-world policy timelines. UNICEF Venture Fund’s new Climate Tech for Children’s Health call funds for-profit startups deploying AI, machine learning, and blockchain in low-resource environments, with a strict requirement that solutions must already have a working prototype with promising pilot results. The Water Research Foundation has launched two simultaneous AI calls treating reproducibility, cybersecurity guardrails, and human-in-the-loop deployments as core design constraints rather than nice-to-haves: one on GenAI and Agentic AI in water utilities ($200K), one on alternatives to water shutoffs that explicitly screens for implementation economics evidence. Nordic Innovation’s quantum technology call (NOK 4.5M) extends the same logic into life science and healthcare, demanding consortium-stage projects mature enough to test with real users. TEF-Health offers €300K in subsidized testing infrastructure for European healthcare AI and robotics SMEs. The pattern: funders are converting AI pilots into playbooks, requiring transfer evidence and risk controls before AI can move from experimentation to sector-wide operational practice. For LMIC-based researchers in infectious disease or evidence synthesis, the three Wellcome calls together represent the deepest concentration of LMIC-led research capital in recent memory — pair the Infectious Disease Clinical Trial Development Award (£200K, deadline May 19) as a strategic pipeline feeder into the larger Infectious Disease Clinical Trial Award (£1-£8M, deadline June 2), since the development award functions explicitly as a track into the larger trial scheme. For Nordic researchers, the four Novo Nordisk Foundation calls plus LEO Foundation and Nordic Innovation Quantum represent ~$30M in regional research capital this cycle, all with deadlines clustered in May-August. For WASH practitioners, the three Water Research Foundation calls together (each up to $200K) are a cluster worth reading across — one on AI deployment, one on shutoff alternatives, one rewarding applied innovation — and the strongest applicants will articulate how their work bridges utility operations to policy-relevant evidence. For US-based clinical researchers and educators, the four Pfizer calls plus the APF Portfolio’s 80+ programs form an unusually accessible recurring pipeline; APF’s prohibition on indirect costs is a meaningful structural feature for early-career applicants whose institutions might otherwise absorb significant overhead. Snapshot of New Opportunities Total Estimated Funding Pool: $100 Million+ USD The grants are organized into three categories: Open Calls: Current grant and opportunities with a deadline. Grants are listed by closing date. 39 open opportunities- 14 new! Rolling Applications: current grant and opportunities with rolling applications (but it’s still best to submit as early as possible). 14 rolling opportunities- 1 new opportunity! Long term planning: Grants that have closed their current rounds, but are expected to open new windows. 4 long term opportunities! A quick tip for returning readers: if you want to jump straight to the newest additions, use CTRL F to search for “New!” and navigate quickly to the latest funding opportunities This post is for paid subscribers. This helps support the time and effort it takes to curate and organize these opportunities. Subscribe To keep this accessible to everyone who needs it, we’re happy to offer pay what you can rates. You can find more details here. Open Calls: Migraine Competitive Grant Program: Migraine and Women’s Health (Quality Improvement and/or Research RFP), Pfizer.*Closing soon!* Pfizer, in collaboration with the American Headache Society, is seeking independent quality improvement and research projects that close persistent gaps in migraine care for women across the United States. The funding logic centers on measurable, practice-relevant change: proposals should generate actionable evidence, tools, or system improvements that can be shared and used widely, not just within a single site. Priority areas span menstrual migraine and screening in women’s health settings, the role of hormonal fluctuations across the lifespan, sex-specific risk factors, comorbidities and quality-of-life burden, and disparities in outcomes by race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. The call is structured as a two-step competitive process with an initial Letter of Intent, with the strongest concepts expected to translate scientific insight into implementable improvements in diagnosis, management, and equity. Geographies: United States. Who can apply: U.S.-based organizations (not individuals), including professional schools, healthcare institutions, professional organizations, and other entities focused on healthcare improvement. Funding amount: Up to USD $200,000 total over 2 years; total pool USD $500,000. Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Health; Focus areas: migraine, women’s health, quality improvement, clinical research, menstrual migraine, health disparities. Deadline: LOI: May 5, 2026; Full proposal (by invitation): August 28, 2026. Learn more and apply here. This RFP rewards “shareable impact”: the most competitive submissions will pair rigorous methods with a clear plan for system uptake and dissemination beyond the originating institution. ReSSARC: Strengthening the Health Sector and Food Security in the Central African Republic (AID 013381/01/0) Call for Proposals, Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). *Closing soon!* AICS is seeking a limited set of high-capacity humanitarian partners to deliver an integrated package that stabilizes essential health services while reducing acute malnutrition and strengthening food security resilience in priority areas of the Central African Republic. The funder’s logic is explicitly nexus-based: proposals should meet urgent, life-saving needs while reinforcing local systems, coordination mechanisms, and community-level capacity so results persist beyond the emergency window. AICS emphasizes inclusion and protection outcomes, expecting gender-sensitive design and explicit measures for groups facing compounded vulnerability, including women, children under five, internally displaced people, and people with disabilities. The call also signals a localization pathway, encouraging stronger collaboration with national NGOs and balanced partnerships, alongside clear coordination with existing cluster and humanitarian actors to minimize duplication and improve coverage. Geographies: Central African Republic (Bangui, Ombella-Mpoko, Ouham, Ouham-Pende, Lim-Pende, Lobaye). Who can apply: Non-profit organizations registered with AICS, plus eligible non-profits without an office in Italy that have a pre-existing collaboration agreement with an AICS-listed organization. Funding amount: Total pool EUR €1,800,000; max EUR €800,000 (single applicant) or EUR €1,000,000 (ATS). Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Health; Focus areas: malnutrition prevention and treatment, maternal and child health, community health services, food security and resilience, localization partnerships Deadline: May 5, 2026. Learn more and apply here. This call is structured to reward partners who can link frontline service delivery to system durability and localization, not just short-term coverage gains. Contracts for Innovation in drug and alcohol addiction healthcare, Innovate UK. *Closing soon!* Innovate UK, on behalf of the Office for Life Sciences Addiction Healthcare Goals program, is procuring R&D to accelerate innovations that can improve treatment outcomes, strengthen recovery, and reduce harm and deaths linked to drug and alcohol addiction. The competition is positioned as a market-facing readiness push: selected projects are expected to advance solutions toward later-stage validation, generate evidence of user acceptability and UK market fit, and map credible routes through regulatory and certification requirements. Innovate UK signals a preference for innovations that can be field-tested in relevant UK settings and progressed to TRL 6 or 7, with practical plans for commercialization after contract completion. This structure favors applicants that can execute most work in-house, co-develop with service providers and people with lived experience, and translate technical progress into deployable tools for addiction healthcare delivery. Geographies: United Kingdom. Who can apply: Single organizations of any size (including EU, EEA, or international) leading delivery, with most work and key deliverables carried out in the UK; subcontractors for specialist skills only. Funding amount: GBP £200,000–1.5 million per project (inclusive of VAT); Total pool: GBP £20 million (across two strands). Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Health; Focus areas: Mental Health, Health Systems Strengthening, Research & Development, Technology Access. Deadline: May 6, 2026 (11:00am). Learn more and apply here. This call uses procurement to pull near-market addiction innovations toward operational proof and adoption pathways in UK services.
Africa CDC Launches the African Strategic Advisory Group on Genomics
I’m today announced the launch of the African Strategic Advisory Group on Genomics (ASAG), a new continental advisory mechanism established to provide independent, multidisciplinary, and trusted technical guidance on the strategic governance and implementation of genomics across Africa. The launch of ASAG marks a pivotal step in advancing Africa CDC’s vision to democratize access to […]
Ghana becomes the latest African country to reject a US health deal, citing data sharing concerns
Ghana has rejected a proposed health deal with the U.S. over provisions that would have allowed U.S. entities access to the nation’s sensitive health data without necessary safeguards, an official told The Associated Press on Friday. It was the latest African country to walk away from the deal ov...
Ghana becomes the latest African country to reject a US health deal, citing data sharing concerns
Ghana has rejected a proposed health deal with the U.S. due to concerns over data privacy
Ghana becomes the latest African country to reject a US health deal, citing data sharing concerns
Ghana has rejected a proposed health deal with the U.S. due to concerns over data privacy.
Ghana becomes the latest African country to reject a US health deal, citing data sharing concerns
Humanities Center and CAAPP welcome science fiction writer Nnedi Okorafor
The Pitt Humanities Center and Center for African American Poetry and Poetics will host Nnedi Okorafor, a Nigerian-American writer of science fiction and fantasy, for a weeklong seminar from May 4 to 8. Okorafor will discuss the work of fantasy and how dreaming of other worlds helps us survive this one. She is best known for her Binti Series, a trilogy of African-futurist science fiction novellas. She has won the Hugo, Nebula, Eisner and World Fantasy awards and was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. Her most recent novel, “Death of the Author,” was heralded by the New York Times as
Health Policy Watch: African leaders declare end of aid era at Nairobi World Health Summit, but the data tell a more complicated story
African leaders opened the World Health Summit Regional Meeting with a unified declaration that two decades of dependence on foreign aid for health is over.
Health Policy Watch: Ghana rebuffs US health deal – but South Africa and Zambia struggle without aid
Ghana became the latest African country to reject the US terms for bilateral health assistance, particularly the requirement to share sensitive health data.
Black business honored with historical marker
A historical marker is unveiled at the HJ Russel Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs building where prominent African American construction businessman, HJ Russell started his business 75 years ago. The community gathers to honor what the family has done for Atlanta.
Ibogaine Hype Is Outpacing the Science
The hype surrounding the psychedelic drug ibogaine reached a fever pitch earlier this month, when President Donald Trump talked up its potential at a White House event promoting increased access to psychedelics. Ibogaine, which comes from the root of a West African shrub, has long been used for ceremonial and spiritual purposes. Now, for the first time, the Food and Drug Administration will allow a clinical trial of the drug.
Africa CDC Launches African High-Level Ministerial Committee to Shape Global Health Architecture Reform
Nairobi, Kenya | 27 April 2026 — Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) today launched the African High-Level Ministerial Committee on Global Health Architecture Reform (AHLMC) on the margins of the World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya. The Committee brings together Ministers of Health and Finance from across the continent to […]
England's Hamilton wins first European Tour title
Esme Hamilton holds off challenge from fellow Englishwoman Cara Gainer to win her first European Tour title at the South African Open.
Mali’s Defence Minister Sadio Camara killed amid coordinated attacks
Camara's house in the garrison town of Kati came under attack amid simultaneous attacks across the West African country.
Beyond the Athlete conference highlights mental health in sports
Students and community members gathered in McKinnon Hall for the first-ever Beyond the Athlete Conference. Leaders in sport spoke about the challenges that Black or African American and allied community members, identifying as women, face during and after their athletic career.
DNA research just rewrote the origin of human species
Scientists have uncovered a surprising new picture of human origins that challenges the long-held idea of a single ancestral population in Africa. By analyzing genetic data from diverse modern African groups—especially the highly distinct Nama people—and comparing it with fossil evidence, researchers found that early humans likely evolved from multiple intermingling populations over hundreds of thousands of years. Rather than a clean split, these groups stayed connected, exchanging genes even after beginning to diverge around 120,000–135,000 years ago.
‘How Black Music Took Over the World’ Review: Science and Rhythm
Many of the world’s most popular music genres have their origins in black traditions. Western notation can’t always capture African musical innovations.
Land, Power, and Property Rights: The Political Economy of Land Titling in Sub-Saharan Africa -
Land, Power, and Property Rights: The Political Economy of Land Titling in Sub-Saharan Africa By Matthew K. Ribar, Stanford University Only 15% of African households possess a formal title for their agricultural land, despite the [...]
Considering History: Jackie Robinson, Japanese Americans, and the Best of American Sports and Community | The Saturday Evening Post
Jackie Robinson can help us better remember a largely forgotten teammate and childhood friend, Shigeo “Shig” Takayama, and the connections between African American and Japanese American baseball.
Algeria eliminates trachoma as a public health problem
The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated Algeria as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem, making it the 10th country in WHO’s African Region and the 29th country globally to achieve this significant milestone.
Oberlin Launches Rotberg Lecture in African Politics with April 22 Inaugural Talk | Oberlin College and Conservatory
Oberlin College and Conservatory has established the Robert I. Rotberg ’55 and Fiona J. Y. Rotberg ’90 Annual Lecture in African Politics, a new endowed series that will bring leading scholars to campus each year.The lecture series is designed to expand opportunities for students and the broader community to engage with the study of political development across the African continent—past, present, and future—while also reflecting Oberlin’s longstanding connections to influential African leaders and thinkers.
South African business confidence hits five‑month low on impact of Iran war
South African business confidence weakened to a five-month low in March, dragged down by a weaker rand currency , a slowdown in trade and share price falls linked to the Iran war, data showed on Tuesday.
South African Business Optimism Wanes in March on Iran Conflict
South African business confidence moderated in March as the US-Israeli war with Iran roiled financial, commodity and foreign-exchange markets.
South African rand flat as traders eye business confidence index, central bank policy report
The South African rand was flat in early trade on Tuesday as investors tracked geopolitical developments and awaited the release of a domestic business confidence survey and a central bank monetary policy review later in the day.
South Africa's Malema faces political crisis after jail sentence in firearm case
Julius Malema, a polarizing figure in South African politics, faces an uncertain political future after being sentenced to five years prison on Thursday following his conviction for firing an assault rifle in public during a 2018 rally.
South African Politician Julius Malema Is Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison
The leftist lawmaker has been a prime target of President Trump’s attacks on South Africa. The ruling, handed down after a conviction on gun charges, leaves Mr. Malema’s political future in doubt.
UroFlow Claims Evaluated: Reviewing the Official Website Benefits & Ingredients to Support Prostate Health
A 2026 consumer information overview of how UroFlow presents its Saw Palmetto, Pygeum Africanum, Lycopene, and Tomato Sauce Trick ingredient references, official website benefit descriptions, pricing structure, and published guarantee terms for men researching natural prostate and urinary flow support supplementsLakeland, FL, April 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This article contains affiliate links. If a purchase is made through these links, a commission may be earned at no additional cost to the
Key South African Coalition Member Gets New Leader as Vote Looms
The second-biggest political party in South Africa’s ruling coalition appointed a new leader as it gears up to contest municipal elections that look set to reshape the country’s political landscape.
African American Health Symposium highlights support for those impacted by Alzheimer's
This year's theme: "It Takes a Village: Faith, Family and Community in Caregiving."
WATCH: Democratic presidential prospects flock to Al Sharpton's conference in New York
The Democratic Party's most ambitious politicians are courting African American activists in New York this week as the party's unofficial 2028 presidential nomination contest takes shape at an annual conference led by Rev. Al Sharpton.
African frogs haven’t forgotten the ice ages. Scientists can tell by where they live.
Why are frogs diverse in some parts of Africa’s rainforests and less so in others? The patterns of cooling and glaciation during the last ice age would probably not have been your first answer or even your last-ditch guess, but it is, nonetheless, correct. “When the glaciers were at their maximum
Live Entertainment Platform Launches Culture Investment Program To Support African Talent
TMG will launch a global talent management division representing African and diaspora artists across various creative verticals.
Scientists Found ‘Supergenes’ That Turbo-Charge Evolution
It usually takes millions of years for new species to evolve, but not for fish in one African lake.
On plant health and embracing new plant-breeding techniques in South Africa
The major challenge currently confronting South Africa’s agriculture is the spread of foot-and-mouth disease. For many farmers across the country, the most urgent tasks are both securing sufficient vaccines and rolling them out quickly in the coming months, particularly as the beef and dairy industries continue to suffer big losses. There is also pressure on sheep, goats, and other livestock to prevent the disease from spreading. As efforts to get the country through this monumental challenge continue, I believe it is important to sharpen our focus on the broader task at hand: strengthening biosecurity. This covers both animal and plant health. In recent years, we haven’t focused much on plant health, except a few times, such as when we had a goss’s wilt scare in the maize industry, a few cases of citrus black spot, or cases of sclerotinia in sunflower seeds. But the fact that South Africa managed to control the outbreaks of these particular diseases when they occurred a few years ago was due to organized agricultural and government scientific capabilities, and, most importantly, the availability of crop protection or agrochemicals necessary to address some of them. Therefore, as the animal health division in the Department of Agriculture focuses on the pressing challenge of the day, the foot-and-mouth disease, there is an opportunity for the plant health division to assess if they have all the requirements to tackle any outbreak that may occur on fruits, vegetables or crops in future. The challenge with crop diseases is that they can spread quickly and cause much more rapid damage in the field than we typically see with livestock. Therefore, speed is everything in ensuring the appropriate controls are available. I raise this as an important area, particularly given the drastic climate variation we observe across the country. The production conditions in some areas have changed noticeably over time, which may introduce new risks. The other essential part is ensuring that South Africa has access to the best crop protection technology available in the market. Many technology developers worldwide have operations in South Africa. Therefore, the Department of Agriculture, along with the Agricultural Research Council, must continuously interact with technology developers to assess the various crop protection technologies they are releasing globally and determine their suitability and need in South Africa. This will require a proactive approach from the government, unlike the current approach, in which technology developers typically approach regulators with new technologies. The government, recognising the food security risks, must take a proactive approach to ensure that South African farmers have access to the latest crop protection technologies, thereby safeguarding the country’s food security. Beyond crop protection, we must never forget that South Africa’s agriculture is key to ensuring that the country is the most food-secure country at the national level in sub-Saharan Africa. South Africa is also the only African country in the top-40 global agricultural exporters, having more than doubled since 1994 on the back of the adoption of high-yielding seed cultivars. South Africa has been the only African country to adopt a bold approach to embracing science and adopting genetically engineered seeds for grains and oilseeds in the early 2000s. Since then, we have seen crop yields improve noticeably, contributing to the gains we mentioned above. But ensuring that South Africa improves further is not a given. The key lies in South African regulators’ attitudes towards new technologies. We have to maintain a progressive approach and not give in to the politics of non-food and non-scientific voices that shout on the sidelines. Food security is national security, and the government must ensure we progress, leaning on science. Therefore, the registration of high-yielding new genomic techniques is required. South Africa cannot afford to fall behind the EU, the USA, South America, and many of its competitors in global agriculture. The Department of Agriculture’s crop science division must adopt a progress-and-science-embracing approach for the good of the country. Thanks for reading AgriView! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Subscribe Share
What Sea Creatures Reveal About How Fast People Age
By Carole Tanzer Miller HealthDay ReporterSUNDAY, April 5, 2026 (HealthDay News) — This is no ordinary fish story. Researchers who videotaped every moment in the lives of 81 African turquoise killfish gleaned intriguing insights into the aging process that may also apply to humans. Though killfish ...
1000 new African genomes added to global science
Wits-led AGenDA project sequenced 1,000+ African genomes, uncovering vast genetic diversity and novel variants. This helps correct Eurocentric bias in global datasets, improving disease prediction, treatment design, and ensuring African populations benefit from genomic medicine.
Newcastle agree training ground, kit sponsor: Why £18m KNOX deal is significant
The deal with KNOX, a South African sports drinks company, is set to last three years starting from July.
Minerals for aid: Are new US health deals ‘exploiting’ African countries?
Zimbabwe and Zambia have pushed back against 'lopsided' agreements after US asks for health data and minerals.
The Hidden Garden: Science, profit and the human cost of ‘HeLa’ cells
“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” tells the story of an ordinary African-American whose cells were taken without her knowledge.
Scientists solve 40-year-old biological mystery behind sleeping sickness
To survive in the human bloodstream, the African trypanosome parasite wears a "cloak" made of proteins known as a variant surface glycoprotein (VSG). The study, published in Nature Microbiology, identifies ...
Will a Fragmented Electorate Undermine Black Political Strength?
Crowded primaries could signal a weakening of African American political power, but a more open and competitive political environment could also be a sign of democratic health.
African Content Moderators Have Worse Mental Health than Global Peers, Study Finds
A new study finds African content moderators report worse mental health than global peers, amid low pay, precarious work, and exposure to traumatic content.
Sibanye Lawyer Assassination Alarms South African Business
The assassination this week of a labor lawyer working for Sibanye Stillwater Ltd. in downtown Johannesburg has prompted a protest from South Africa’s business fraternity.
'The Africans' lecture, Comedy for a Cause, flamenco performance and more events this week
Put these on your calendar ...
No H.I.V. Aid Without More Access to Minerals: U.S. Ponders ‘Sticks’ Against Zambia
A draft State Department memo outlines ways the Trump administration may ratchet up pressure on the African country by ending health support “on a massive scale.”
Africa’s great divide: Why the continent’s split is so exciting for science
The African continent is splitting along a triple junction of rifts that converge in Afar, Ethiopia. A new ocean may take millions of years to form, but that is giving scientists ample time to glean important discoveries from one of the world’s most inhospitable regions.
Young Africans score higher than Americans on 'mind health,' new study finds: Wealth ‘not an indicator’ of well-being
A new Sapien Labs study found that young people in Ghana and Nigeria are much more able to function than those in the U.S.
The Global Politics of Kwame Nkrumah
Through Nkrumah’s story, Howard French charts the history of African decolonization and the American civil rights movement.
Iran war sends shockwaves through African fuel market and economies
Rising global oil prices triggered by the Iran war are increasing economic pressures across Africa, where most countries rely heavily on imported petroleum products.
Arts Politics graduate students went to the Lincoln Center
Professor Michael McElroy took his Public Policy and African American Music graduate students to the Syncopated Stages: Black Disruptions to the Great White Way at the New York Public Library / Lincoln Center
African Public Health Emergency Management Fellowship Cohort III Announcement
CONTEXTCombating the several public health threats across the African continent requires adequately trained and equipped workforce. The Africa Health Security and Sovereignty (AHSS) Agenda has called for self-sustaining health security program that includes workforce development. The call is in alignment with the vision of the African Union (AU) and its desire to build capacity in […]
South African Factory Outlook Dims as Business Activity Softens
South African manufacturing sentiment soured slightly in February as business activity weakened and employment declined.
Global webinar on core public health capacities to conduct ship inspections and issue ship sanitation certificates
Ships cross borders every day, connecting countries and serving as a backbone of the global economy. However, outbreaks onboard can disrupt maritime traffic, leading to significant economic and operational negative consequences. Without strong public health capacities to detect, prevent, and respond to public health risks on board ships, maritime travel can also become a pathway for the spread of infectious diseases. To support countries in strengthening these capacities, the World Health Organization (WHO) convened a two-day webinar on 11–12 February, bringing together more than 700 ship inspectors, port health officers, and public health authorities, primarily from the African, Eastern Mediterranean, and European Regions. The webinar came at a pivotal time. With the amended International Health Regulations entering into force on 19 September 2025, the need to focus on public health preparedness has never been greater. Strengthening public health capacities at borders, including onboard conveyances, is a cornerstone of global health security and central to the amended IHR.“The high level of attendance and active participation throughout the two days of the webinar highlighted the growing demand for technical guidance and capacity-building support in ship inspection and issuance of ship sanitation certificates”, said Dr Ninglan Wang, Head of the Borders, Mass Gatherings and Health Protection Measures (BMM) Unit at the Health Emergency Preparedness Department at WHO headquarters. “The dynamic interactions among experts and countries underscored the value of continued cross-border collaboration in the maritime sector and knowledge exchange in this area”. Conducting regular public health inspections on board ships for the issuance of ship sanitation certificates (SSCs) in accordance with the IHR requirements is crucial for ensuring that ships meet specific health standards, thereby minimizing the risk of the international spread of diseases via maritime traffic. These certificates, mandated by the IHR, require ports to have trained personnel who can identify and control public health risks on board vessels and apply recommended control measures. This standardized global procedure not only ensures compliance with the IHR but also promotes consistency in health practices across ports worldwide. SSCs are the globally-recognized tool used to prevent and control known public health risks on ships, providing a common way to register and communicate public health events and measures taken on board between all stakeholders involved in this process, including public health authorities in ports and ship operators. Only SSCs issued by ports authorized by national authorities to issue such certificates are considered valid. As per the IHR, all States Parties are required to send to WHO their list of authorized ports (available here) and to keep it updated. However, many Member States continue to face practical challenges, such as limited resources, high staff turnover, and competing priorities. These realities underscore the value of platforms such as this webinar, which foster collective learning, peer-to-peer exchange, and practical solutions to help countries build and sustain the capacities required under the IHR.Over the two days, participants engaged in presentations and discussions covering a wide range of technical and operational topics, such as the overarching international legal framework governing ship sanitation; considerations for pre-inspection planning; risk assessment factors by type of vessel; the completion and issuance of SSCs and evidence report forms; or practical insights on the inspection of various technical areas, such as food safety, medical facilities, water systems, or vector control, among others. In addition, public health authorities from the Netherlands, Morocco, and Tanzania shared case studies to showcase their practical application of these IHR requirements in their respective countries. Given its success, WHO plans to replicate similar sessions in the future to reach additional time zones and regions and cover other pressing border health-related topics, ensuring that Member States can continue benefiting from these opportunities to share knowledge and expertise.
Guinea, US Sign $143 Million MOU To Boost Health Over Five Years
Guinea has signed a $143 million memorandum of understanding with the US to boost health systems in the West African nation, Finance Minister Mariama Ciré Sylla said in a video posted on Facebook.
Jesse Jackson obituary: charismatic civil rights leader who ran for president
Jackson was a protégé of Martin Luther King Jr. before carving out his own place in the African-American struggle
Rising anger over ‘lop-sided’ and ‘immoral’ US health funding pacts with African countries
Zimbabwe refuses to sign agreement and Kenya faces a court case over data sharing as new aid deals come under scrutiny
US, Burkina Faso sign health cooperation memo
The United States and Burkina Faso signed a five-year bilateral health cooperation memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening regional health security and improving the African nation's ability to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday.
US to end health aid to Zimbabwe after funding talks collapse
The U.S. is to wind down health assistance to Zimbabwe after the African country withdrew from talks on a proposed $367 million bilateral funding deal.
Zimbabwe exits health funding talks with US
The U.S. is to wind down health assistance to Zimbabwe after the African country withdrew from talks on a proposed $367 million bilateral funding deal.
Trump Administration Ending Humanitarian Aid to Seven African Countries
The State Department will let lifesaving projects expire because “there is no strong nexus between the humanitarian response and U.S. national interests,” according to an internal email.
The ANC’s sudden embrace of South African business
Once instinctively hostile to corporate interests, the party is now working with the private sector to shore up the economy
ICE drawdown may be too late for small businesses like El Sazon
Operation Metro Surge kept many people of Latino and East African descent home, afraid to go to work or out to shops and restaurants. This caused a drastic drop in revenue for small businesses, which are now seeking aid.
Sacramento honors African American science pioneers while training the next generation
Sacramento celebrates African American science pioneers while empowering the youth
Biologists discover gene that may determine ‘good’ and ‘bad’ dads
Social cues and surprising genetics may affect mammal fathers.
African Leaders Call to Scale Up Health Workforce, Commit to Deploy Two Million Community Health Workers by 2030
Addis Ababa, 14 February 2026 – African Union (AU) Ministers of Health and Finance, together with Heads of Delegation, have called for urgent and sustained investment in Africa’s health workforce, including to build a two-million-strong community health worker (CHW) workforce by 2030. Leaders said the investment is critical to strengthen Africa’s health security and sovereignty […]
Advancing Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health: Key Advocacy Messages for the 39th African Union Summit
At the 39th African Union Summit, PMNCH underscores urgent priorities to advance women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health across Africa, where preventable deaths remain disproportionately high despite longstanding commitments. In 2023, more than 70% of global maternal deaths occurred on the continent, with an estimated 182,000 women dying from pregnancy-related causes, alongside nearly 58% of global under-five deaths, almost half of newborn deaths and a stillbirth rate of 21.7 per 1,000 total births. PMNCH’s key messages call for accelerated implementation of existing commitments, stronger financing for sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health, prioritization of fragile settings, and reinforced partnerships to translate political will into measurable progress.
Relooted: New video game sees Africans fantasise about taking back treasures from Europe's museums
Imagine it is 2099 and a historic treaty to return African artefacts is falling apart.
African climate science-policy has a serious blind spot: the slowing Atlantic circulation
An important ocean circulation system is slowing down faster than expected.
Devex: Where is HIV prevention drug lenacapavir in ‘America First’ health deals?
Omitting HIV prevention targets from these deals will be devastating to the affordability and scale-up of lenacapavir. African leaders can change that.
National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day - Virginia Department of Health
National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD) is observed on February 7 each year. It exists to raise awareness about the impact of HIV on Black and African American communities. It was first observed in 1999 and highlights the importance of decreasing stigma and increasing community involvement. Improving access to HIV education, prevention, testing, and HIV care are focuses of NBHAAD, as well. Virginia data As is the case […]
These 773,000-year-old fossils may reveal our shared human ancestor
Fossils from a Moroccan cave have been dated with remarkable accuracy to about 773,000 years ago, thanks to a magnetic signature locked into the surrounding sediments. The hominin remains show a blend of ancient and more modern features, placing them near a pivotal branching point in human evolution. These individuals likely represent an African population close to the last common ancestor of Homo sapiens, Neandertals, and Denisovans.
Outdated air quality codes negatively affect Clevelanders’ health
Failing to update air-quality standards in the city of Cleveland would leave African American communities vulnerable and thus shorten lives, writes Yvonka M. Hall, of Cleveland, CEO of the Northeast Ohio Community Resilience Centre, in a letter to the editor.
Next Narrative Africa Fund Partners With Parrot Analytics On First-Of-Its Kind African Entertainment Landscape Study
The Next Narrative Africa Fund (NNAF) has announced it is working with Parrot Analytics on a first-of-its-kind African entertainment landscape study ahead of deciding its inaugural grantees. Launched in late 2024, the Next Narrative Africa Fund (NNAF) is a $40 million commercial content fund paired with a $10M from non-profit Venture Studio and focused on …
SA ready to host AFCON 2028, will be about 'fair play'
South African sports, arts & culture minister Gayton McKenzie told ESPN that his country seeks to host the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2028, and emphasised that he wanted the tournament to be remembered as one of "fair play".
South African pediatric cardiologist joins Manning Family Children's in New Orleans
"I've been very fortunate to be able to make the differences that I've been able to make," Dr. Russel Hirsch said. "And hope to continue that."
Sergi López on 'Sirāt': A journey that makes you look inward
The movie “Sirāt” follows Luis as he treks through the North African desert with his son and dog to find his missing daughter.
Cassava Technologies and AXON Networks Announce Strategic Partnership to Fuel AI Adoption and Innovation Among African Businesses
Cassava Technologies, a global technology leader of African heritage and AXON Networks (AXON), a global leader in intelligent network platforms, today announced a strategic partnership to co-develop, deploy, and manage Africa's first end-to-end Operator-as-a-Service (OaaS) platform.
An overlooked way to close Africa’s health gaps
Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli and Ekhosuehi Iyahen discuss a new social model to make better use of the remittances from the African diaspora.
Health officials team with a soccer tournament for cervical cancer vaccination for African girls
For a young girl, losing the soccer final 5-0 meant little compared to the goals of a tournament held in Zimbabwe to promote trust in cervical cancer vaccination
Project adds more than 1,000 new African genomes to global science
A newly published paper in Nature describes the complex process of launching a nine-country collaboration in Africa to significantly expand scientists' understanding of human genetic diversity. This can ...
Barcelona complete signing of highly-rated African talent talent
Barcelona can finally relax after securing the signing of Hamza Abdelkarim, a move that had required patience, calm negotiation and, above all, the player’s desire to wear the Blaugrana shirt. Acco...