IN SHORT: A video circulating on Facebook appears to show South African epidemiologist Salim Abdool Karim stoking fear about Covid vaccines in a TV news interview. But the video is a deepfake, and the falsely attributed claim has been widely debunked. In June 2025, a video started circulating on Facebook that appears to be a…
Mr Kaseya said climate change is already wreaking havoc across Africa, driving extreme weather events, shifting disease patterns, food insecurity, and waterborne illnesses The Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has launched a strategic framework to address the health impacts of climate change. The Director-General of the Africa CDC, Jean Kaseya, described…
SARWORLOR, Liberia — Five months ago, Roseline Phay, a 32-year-old farmer from the West African nation of Liberia, set off on a quest to find contraceptives. Phay and her partner have two daughters, and they barely make ends meet. Determined not to have more children, she went to a health worker in her village, but…
In the context of continuing global crises and diminishing donor funding, grassroots organisations and advocacy networks are facing difficult circumstances in maintaining services and advocating for progressive policy changes. And sexual and reproductive health accesses are being eroded. In response to these cumulative and complex challenges, MenEngage Africa and Sonke Gender Justice are catalysing a…
In this episode of ITWeb TV, Dr Stacey Ochse, psychiatrist member at the South African Society of Psychiatrists, talks about the alarming effects of excessive screen time on children’s mental health. She also shares expert tips on how to mitigate the risks. #ScreenTime #DigitalWellness #KidsAndTechnology South Africans spend more time on screens than almost any…
Something troubling is happening to our brains as artificial intelligence platforms become more popular. Studies are showing that professional workers who use ChatGPT to carry out tasks might lose critical thinking skills and motivation. People are forming strong emotional bonds with chatbots, sometimes exacerbating feelings of loneliness. And others are having psychotic episodes after talking…
The lack of reliable information about health facilities across sub-Saharan Africa became very clear during the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid a surge in emergency care needs, information was lacking about the location of facilities, bed capacity and oxygen availability, and even where to find medical specialists. This data could have enabled precise assessments of hospital surge…
As climate change continues to exacerbate health inequalities across Africa, experts are now calling for cities to integrate more green infrastructure to cushion urban populations from its dire consequences. Speaking during a cross-border media café on the climate-health crisis in Africa, health and environmental experts emphasised that increasing urban temperatures, fuelled by unsustainable development, are…
Addis Ababa, — – In a powerful display of regional unity and commitment to strengthening public health systems, senior health officials, government leaders, and public health professionals from across Southern Africa convened in Harare, Zimbabwe, for the Fourth Annual Southern African National Public Health Institute (NPHI) Meeting. Hosted under the theme “Strengthened Information, Knowledge Sharing…
A new report released by WomenLift Health lays bare a critical but often overlooked barrier to resilient health systems in Southern Africa: a persistent leadership gap for women in the public health sector, despite decades of progressive gender equality policies. Based on a comprehensive stakeholder analysis across ten countries including Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi,…
