As the world marks World Prematurity Day, global health agencies are calling attention to the increasing challenges faced by babies born too soon and the families who care for them. The 2025 theme, “Give preterm babies a strong start for a hopeful future,” aligns with the World Health Organisation’s, WHO, Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures campaign,…
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) warn of a major hunger emergency, with acute food insecurity set to worsen in 16 countries and territories between now and May 2026, putting millions of lives at risk. A report released by the two UN agencies on Tuesday identifies six that are…
Bloc agrees compromises to win over sceptical countries as climate concerns take backseat to trade and defence. Published On 5 Nov 20255 Nov 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share European Union climate ministers have struck a watered-down deal on emission-reduction goals as they have scrambled to win over member states before…
Two decades after replacing the OAU, the AU’s record is best measured not by communiqués but by how fast it converts rules into results on the ground. In March 2022, the African Union’s Peace and Security Council (PSC) authorised the transition from AMISOM to ATMIS in Somalia — a reminder that, two decades after the…
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), President, Dr Omar Alieu Touray, has raised the alarm over what he described as a crisis of democracy and security in the West African sub-region. Speaking in Abuja at the second edition of the African Political Square and the Experts meeting on Alternative Futures for ECOWAS at…
Accra, Ghana — It is estimated that 90% of African children in school are unable to read or write, and the situation is worse in conflict-affected areas. Benjamin Piper, the Director of Global Education at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, described this learning crisis as “a heartbreaking statistic.” He said that the situation reflects a…
For many African communities, the climate crisis is not a future scenario – it is a daily emergency. Irreversible losses, destroyed homes, failed harvests, vanishing ecosystems and lack of access to clean water are already happening. I’m a researcher in how to manage the risks of climate change and protect communities against climate disasters. I…
The University of Cape Town (UCT) is spearheading a vital initiative to combat the alarming stillbirth crisis in Africa, which claims nearly one million lives annually, primarily from preventable causes. In collaboration with esteemed organisations such as the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), and the London…
Testimony at police inquiries raises questions about the value of special units and task teams for investigating crime in South Africa. KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has alleged that South Africa’s suspended police minister, Senzo Mchunu, tried to shut down the Political Killings Task Team for improper reasons. He claimed the minister sought…
Durban, Scidev.Net — African leaders urged the continent’s health community meeting in South Africa this week to turn crisis into opportunity, highlighting progress in vaccine manufacturing against a backdrop of drastic job losses and aid cuts. South Africa’s Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Blade Nzimande, speaking at the 4th International Conference on Public Health…
