Universal health coverage – ensuring everyone can get quality, affordable healthcare when they need it – is one of the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals. But progress towards meeting this target has been elusive, especially in developing countries. In recent years, existing weaknesses in public health systems have been magnified by the COVID pandemic,…
Bongani Shezi, strategic information systems specialist and ICT transformation leader. By the end of this piece, you’ll have a simple test: seven signals that tell you whether a public sector information system (IS) implementation will land − or leak value. Think of them as evidence gates. Public sector IS initiatives rarely fail because the technology…
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has challenged Malawi’s media to take greater responsibility in developing and disseminating accurate messages on public health emergencies, including cholera, measles and Mpox. Speaking during a capacity-building workshop for journalists and health officials on Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE), Africa CDC Team Leader Dr…
The death toll rose to 159 on Wednesday after police finished searching all seven of the high-rise towers that were engulfed in flames that took 40 hours to put out, officials said. The blaze elicited grief, anger and fear in the densely packed city of 7.5 million people, which returned to China from British colonial…
The Victoria and Albert East Storehouse, a warehouse that holds items unable to fit in the renowned British museum’s main space, offers the public a rare glimpse at history — including David Bowie’s trousers and an enormous Picasso piece.
Cell C’s share price moved sharply higher on its second day of trade on the JSE on Friday, closing 12.7% up at R31, as investors continued to digest the mobile operator’s long-awaited listing. Cell C Holdings listed on the JSE’s main board on Thursday under the share code “CCD” following a secondary share sale by…
Ride-hailing has become an essential service for some users. A majority (90%) of surveyed South African ride-hailing users consider ride-hailing services safer than conventional transport modes, such as buses and traditional taxis. This is according to anew Safety Index report released by Ipsos, commissioned by ride-hailing platform Bolt. The survey was conducted among a sample…
As the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP11) on the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) convenes in Geneva, critics warn that secretive proceedings are eroding public trust in global tobacco policy. Most sessions are closed to independent scientists, journalists, Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) advocates, and anyone suspected of having links with…
President John Dramani Mahama has called for a new social contract between government, labour, and citizens, based on fairness, productivity, and mutual respect, to drive genuine reform and strengthen public service delivery across Africa. He emphasised that real transformation in governance and service delivery could only be achieved through collaboration with organised labour rather than…
Cape Town, South Africa — Secure digital payment and identification systems could be the key to unlocking Africa’s next wave of entrepreneurs and traders, according to new survey findings released by Co-Develop ahead of the Global DPI Summit 2025. The survey, conducted online by Ipsos across six African markets — Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa,…
