Editor's note

The storms off Africa’s east coast are weaker than their northern hemisphere counterparts. Nevertheless they are becoming more intense and more frequent. Jennifer Fitchett explains why it’s difficult to manage the impact of storms that rage across political borders, and why countries in sub Saharan Africa must start putting strategies in place to manage an increasing and more vicious cycle of cyclones.

Globally, TB continues to be the leading cause of death from a bacterial infectious disease. About 1.6 million people are estimated to have died from TB in 2017 while 10 million were infected with the bacteria. In Southern Africa, high rates of HIV infection have been the primary driver of TB disease, to the point where the region is now home to the world’s worst HIV-TB epidemic. But there’s been a shift in the TB landscape. Bavesh Kana looks at some of the positive developments in TB prevention and treatment.

Nontobeko Mtshali

Education Editor

Top stories

People leaving their homes in the flooded section of Praia Nova, Beira, Mozambique in the wake of tropical cyclone Idai. Denis Onyodi/ IFRC handout

Tropical cyclone Idai: the storm that knew no boundaries

Jennifer Fitchett, University of the Witwatersrand

The recent storms provide a grim reminder of the prospect of future tropical cyclones in a region under continued threat from climate change.

TB, which is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, is a leading cause of death. Kateryna Kon/Shutterstock

Major battles have been won against TB. But the war isn’t over

Bavesh Kana, University of the Witwatersrand

In Southern Africa, high rates of HIV infection have been the primary driver of TB

Business + Economy

What we learnt from young South Africans about the minimum wage and employment

Leila Patel, University of Johannesburg

A national minimum wage could benefit young people who have jobs and stimulate those who have given up trying to find work. But those without work need additional help.

A look at how India’s Africa strategy is working

Meera Venkatachalam, University of Mumbai ; Renu MODI, University of Mumbai

India does not have an official Africa policy, even though it has been engaging with the continent for over six decades.

From our international editions

White nationalism, born in the USA, is now a global terror threat

Art Jipson, University of Dayton; Paul J. Becker, University of Dayton

The recent massacre at a New Zealand mosque is a traceable, direct outgrowth of an American white nationalist movement that insists immigrants and people of color are a threat to 'white civilization.'

Eggs and health: unscrambling the message

Tom Sanders, King's College London

Some of the advice on eggs should be taken with a pinch of salt.

How we solved the mystery of the human sperm tail – and what it could mean for the future of IVF

Hermes Gadelha, University of York

Our new research has discovered what gives human sperm the strength to succeed in the race to fertilise the egg – and it's all to do with their tails.

The Wandering Earth: why you need to see China’s latest sci-fi blockbuster

Hiu Man Chan, Cardiff University

A Chinese sci-fi epic is breaking box office records and exporting a vision of a new world order as it does so.

 
 
 
 

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