|
Many medical emergencies in Africa end in tragedy because it’s difficult for patients to reach hospitals quickly. One of the reasons is that countries don’t have a database of where health facilities are. This means nobody has a clear idea of where they’re located and which communities they serve. Paul Ouma and Emelda Okiro addressed this by creating the first ever database of hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa.
NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft brought images of Pluto to the world - and now it aims to do the same with an asteroid called Ultima Thule. That’s why scores of scientists gathered in Senegal last month for a massive data-gathering mission. David Baratoux explains how the mission went, and why it was such a boon for Senegalese science.
|
A small hospital in Wakiso district in the central region of Uganda.
Shutterstock
Paul Ouma, Kenya Medical Research Institute; Emelda Okiro, Kenya Medical Research Institute
Only 16 out of 48 African countries and islands have access to hospital services within the WHO's two-hour time threshold.
|
Science + Technology
|
-
David Baratoux, Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD)
Senegal has made great strides in astronomy and planetary sciences in recent years.
|
|
Environment + Energy
|
-
Jessica Nosizwe P. R. Thorn, Colorado State University; Rachel Friedman, The University of Queensland
Efforts to conserve nature needs to include communities.
|
|
Health + Medicine
|
-
Jane Battersby, University of Cape Town; Gareth Haysom, University of Cape Town
Foreign shop-owners in South Africa are accused of selling counterfeit food and food beyond its sell-by date. These claims are driven by politically charged opinions, not evidence.
|
|
Politics + Society
|
-
Joleen Steyn Kotze, University of the Free State
Troubles in South Africa's coalition-led local governments are affecting accountability, governance stability and service delivery.
|
|
From our international editions
|
-
Luciana Esteves, Bournemouth University
Relocation from risky areas is the only safe response.
-
Duane Mellor, Coventry University
Two large nutritional studies seem to have reported contradictory findings on carbs. But only if you believe the headlines.
-
Amy Bhatt, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Before colonialism, India embraced homosexuality and gender fluidity. The Supreme Court's repeal of a 157-year-old gay sex ban partially reclaims that history, but LGBTQ Indians still face hurdles.
|
|
