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The head of the World Health Organisation Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had to make an embarrassing U-turn after announcing that Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe had been named goodwill ambassador for non-communicable diseases. Tedros was right to reverse the decision. As Luke Allen and Alice Bouriez explain, violence, political oppression and corruption are anathema to the founding principles of the organisation.
The best way to describe the Marburg virus is that it’s the lesser known sister of the Ebola virus. There are many differences between the two, but what they have in common is the way in which they are transmitted. Jacqueline Weyer unpacks what Uganda should be doing to manage the recent outbreak of the viral hemorrhagic fever to make sure it doesn’t spread.
South Africa suffers from disturbingly high levels of crime. As the country digests the release of the most recent crime statistics, Andrew Faull provides insights into how police officers see their role and how they view their position in society.
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A calamitous endorsement.
Jason Szenes/EPA-EFE
Luke Allen, University of Oxford
Unpicking the baffling case of how one of Africa's dictators became the world's top ambassador for non-communicable diseases – at least for a while.
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It’s speculated that the natural host of the Marburg virus are Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus).
Seregraff/Shutterstock
Jacqueline Weyer, National Institute for Communicable Diseases
In the 50 years following the discovery of the Marburg virus there have only been 12 known outbreaks.
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Politics + Society
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Andrew Faull, University of Cape Town
Born and raised in poor circumstances, many South African police officers find themselves in the job after original aspirations slipped beyond reach.
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Business + Economy
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Timothy Njagi Njeru, Egerton University
Kenya's government responded with subsidies to tend to the 2017 maize crisis to ensure that it remained affordable. However, the country needs long term solutions to this perennial challenge.
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From our International Editions
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Nicole L Freiner, Bryant University
Support for asserting Japan's military might in response to threats from North Korea and China may destabilize the region.
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Sharmila Rudrappa, University of Texas at Austin
Surrogate mothers in developing countries are being shuffled across borders to evade a crackdown on the industry. This emerging gray market puts women at risk.
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Iain Fraser, University of Kent
Is the 61% spike in the price of Brazil nuts this year because we're going nuts for nuts?
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