Africa Science Focus

Strengthening research and innovation in Africa can catalyse progress on development issues such as food insecurity, the climate crisis, and poor health systems.  In this episode of Africa Science Focus Podcast, our reporter Michael Kaloki speaks with chair holders of the OR Tambo Africa Research Chairs Initiative (ORTARChI) about how technology transfer and collaboration can lead to tangible chan...

According to the 2022 Uganda Demographics Health Survey , around 40 per cent of Ugandan children are underdeveloped as a result of malnutrition. In this Episode of Africa Science Focus we speak to community worker Reuben Kikora who hopes to fight against child malnutrition by promoting kitchen gardening in the Kaborole district of western Uganda’s Tooro region. Our reporter, Michael Kaloki, looks...

The health crises faced by Africa in the last decade have highlighted the clear need for improved healthcare systems and pandemic preparedness. Deadly disease outbreaks, such as the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa and the COVID-19 pandemic, underscore the urgency for stronger epidemic intelligence and response mechanisms. In this episode of our Africa Science Focus Podcast, reporter Michae...

Access to sexual and reproductive health services is a human right, but for millions of women and girls in Sub-Saharan Africa it is lacking. Consequently, the region has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world with 545 deaths for every 100,000 live births, according to the United Nations children’s agency UNICEF. In this episode of our Science Explained series, reporter Michael Kaloki spe...

Breast milk is the ideal food for infants as it provides them with the nutrients and antibodies they need to thrive. But Nigeria’s breastfeeding rate stands at a meagre 29 per cent for a myriad of reasons including poor support for breastfeeding mothers and medical conditions.  In this episode of our African Changemakers series, Africa Science Focus speaks with Chinny Obinwanne, founder of the Mil...

With the rollout of two new malaria vaccines on the horizon in Africa, the outlook for fighting the disease looks optimistic. But is it enough? In this episode of our Africa Science Focus Science Explained series, Michael Charles, head of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, tells us why he believes Africa must lead the drive to end the disease. Charles hails the “groundbreaking” latest WHO-recomme...

In this episode of Africa Science Focus, maths professor Jill Adler, recipient of the 2023 National Research Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award, sheds light on the education system of South Africa’s former apartheid government, which was designed to disadvantage black students.  She talks to us about her work to improve the teaching of mathematics in indigenous South African languages and dis...

Artificial intelligence is ubiquitous and will impact the world in ways we can only imagine. In Africa, it has the potential to transform many aspects of daily life, from healthcare and agriculture to education and finance. In this episode of the podcast Africa Science Focus , we speak to Barbara Glover, programme officer at the African Union Panel on Emerging Technologies, about the potential of...

In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we hear about the Atayese Health Network, which is confronting the prevailing issues of healthcare inaccessibility and escalating costs. Our reporter, Royal Uche, speaks to Atayese founder Adeolu Olusodo, who tells us that the organisation is working to making healthcare available and affordable for all, particularly in rural communities in Nigeria’s South...

In this first episode of the ‘Science Explained’ series by Africa Science Focus, we dive into a study by Makerere University that uncovered traces of the antiretroviral (ARV) drug Efavirenz, used for HIV/AIDS treatment, in chicken feed in Uganda.  Our reporter, Halima Athumani, also spoke with lead researcher, Hussein Oria, who let us know the gravity of using unapproved drugs in animal feed. We a...

In this episode of Africa Science Focus , we speak to Maureen Akolo, a nurse and public health specialist in Kenya who supports communities at risk of HIV/AIDS, including sex workers and drug addicts. She works to create awareness about HIV/AIDS and encourage and educate people about life-saving treatments such as anti-retroviral drugs. Our reporter, Michael Kaloki, also hears from a patient livin...

In this episode of Africa Science Focus , we explore how funding agencies are supporting women in research. We take a look at the barriers that persist for women pursuing academic careers and how these can be broken down. How can funding for women’s research in Africa help them contribute to knowledge creation on an equal footing to men and compete on the global stage? And how can data on gender h...

In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we speak to Gladys Nyachieo, a social science researcher, whose work revolves around transforming pedestrian experiences and urban transportation in Kenya. She advocates for the widespread adoption of walking and non-motorized modes of travel, particularly in Nakuru, Kenya.  Our reporter, Michael Kaloki, looks at the practicability of her campaigns and spea...

In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we delve into the hurdles that women on the African continent experience while attempting to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).  Long-standing gender stereotypes and the burden of unpaid labour are just some of the factors that feed into the underrepresentation of women in these sectors. Our reporter Michael Kaloki sp...

In the first episode of our new season of Africa Science Focus, we follow the journey of Josephine Nackeny Augustino whose mission is to tackle the pressing waste management crisis in South Sudan.  With cities in low-income countries expanding, and waste generation escalating, Augustino's commitment to finding a solution is inspiring. She is helping to transform waste into nutrient-rich compo...

Spina bifida is a birth defect that affects the proper formation of the spine. It can lead to complications that can cause both physical and intellectual disabilities, and even death.  In this episode of Africa Science Focus, our reporter, Ijeoma Ukazu, talks to Lawrencia Dyawei, mother of a child with spina bifida about the challenges she and her child face.  Ifeanyi Nsofor, a global health equit...

We have come to the end of season three of the Africa Science Focus podcast and we decided to compile some insights on science in Sub-Saharan Africa from some of the science conferences we attended in 2022.  At the 2022 World science forum, Cape Town, South Africa, Tumelo Nhlapo of the University of South Africa’s Science Engagement Centre tells us how the centre engages kids in problem solving an...

In Africa, rising temperatures have resulted in extreme weather events like floods and droughts that threaten lives and livelihoods. In order to tackle climate change, people need  to know how to take action. And the younger they are when they lean, the better. In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we speak to the founders of social enterprise Earth Warriors, who tell us about their curriculum...

Eastern and Southern Africa have the highest HIV/AIDS burden in the world. And it is mostly women and girls in low- and middle-income countries who bear the greatest burden. This year, World AIDS Day highlighted the inequalities holding back progress in ending HIV/AIDS.  In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we speak to Anne Githuku-Shongwe, UNAIDS Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Afr...

Oral diseases are largely preventable, yet a recent World Health Organization report reveals that half of the global population has some form of oral disease. And most of these people live in low- and middle-income countries. In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we speak to Morenike Oluwatoyin Ukpong, professor of paediatric dentistry and the dean at the faculty of dentistry, Obafemi Awolowo U...

Africa produces only one per cent of its routine vaccines. This leaves the region dependent on imports for its vaccine needs, and makes it vulnerable to a vaccine crisis during health emergencies.  In this episode of Africa Science Focus, Ebere Okereke, senior technical advisor at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and honorary senior public health advisor for the Africa Centres for Diseas...

Progress towards universal health care in Africa is slow, and according to the World Health Organization 80 per cent of Africans depend instead on traditional medicine. In this episode of Africa Science Focus, Oluwagbemiga Aina, head of the centre for traditional, complementary and alternative medicine at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, explains what herbal medicines are. Scholastica L...

African currencies are in free-fall, with hard-biting inflation hitting double digits in countries like Ghana and Nigeria, putting food nearly out of reach for many. In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we speak to Churchill Ogutu, a Kenyan economist, who unpacks the links between currency depreciation and poverty. And Ndubusi Nwokoma, director of the Centre for Economic Policy Analysis and Re...

Nigeria is facing its worse flooding in a decade with building and infrastructure submerged and lives and livelihoods lost. While climate change does play a role, poor infrastructure and poor preparation have intensified the situation. In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we get the backstory from Professor Nelson Odume, acting director of the Institute for Water Research at Rhodes University,...

Africa is largely a coastal continent, with more than 70 per cent of African countries having a coastline. Much of the region depends on the ocean for food and income, but the changing climate is causing Africa’s coastal communities to deal with rising sea levels and dwindling resources. In this episode of Africa Science Focus, Dickson Gereza, a fisherman, co-founder and manager of the Kuruwitu Co...