The first five years of life lay an important foundation for children’s future schooling, health and earnings. Yet over 77% (table 2) of children in sub-Saharan Africa don’t have access to early childhood care and education. This places them at risk of not reaching their development potential. In response, governments across Africa are increasingly committing…
Political violence refers to the use of force by groups pursuing political goals. It can include attacks on civilians, armed clashes, riots and explosions, all of which cause obvious and immediate harm. But the effects of political violence can continue long after the violence itself has ended. The immediate effects of war, such as poverty,…
Nairobi — Poverty may have a greater influence on healthy brain ageing than a cancer diagnosis, according to a new study by the Aga Khan University Brain and Mind Institute (AKU-BMI), highlighting the role of socioeconomic conditions in shaping long-term cognitive health. The three-year Brain Resilience Kenya (BRK) study tracked 404 Kenyan adults aged 35…
Altron Digital Business MD Craig Stewart Altron Digital Business (ADB) has concluded a first-of-its-kind benchmark study focused on how employees experience technology across eight major institutions in the financial services industry. The Employee Technology Experience Index (TEXI) measured employee sentiment across eight core technology categories using a standardised scoring methodology. The findings reveal the scale…
A study conducted by Altron Digital Business (ADB) found that a staggering 88% of South African employees agree that technology enables them to do their best work. ADB concluded the benchmark study, focusing on how employees experience technology across eight major institutions in the financial services industry. The Employee Technology Experience Index (TEXI) measured employee…
Only about 57% of the people in Africa have access to electricity, the vast majority of them in sub-Saharan Africa. To meet the United Nations goal of everyone having access to affordable electricity by 2030, African countries will need to rapidly expand electricity generation. However, generating more electricity will have an effect on available water…
According to Unesco, around 250 million children (16%) globally are out of school although they are of an age to be at school in their countries. Available evidence suggests that out-of-school numbers are extremely high in conflict-affected countries, though the exact number is hard to quantify. For example, in the Central African Republic, South Sudan…
Beneath our feet lie some of the largest living organisms on Earth. Fungi are mostly invisible and largely overlooked, but they help sustain the ecosystems and food systems that we depend on every day. In a new global study, colleagues and I have mapped Earth’s vast underground networks of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. These fungi are…
In some African countries, more than 50% of women regularly use skin-lightening products. In South Africa, the rate is 32%, while in Nigeria it’s 77%. This dwarfs rates in other regions of the world. The health consequences are not trivial. Over-the-counter skin lightening creams and pills have been linked to severe skin discoloration, organ damage,…
Academia isn’t strong on gender equality. Women are under-represented throughout, in the research workforce and even more so as leaders in scientific organisations. This is true for science academies (prestigious bodies within national science systems) and scientific unions (international organisations representing disciplinary communities). Women today make up nearly a third of the global research workforce….
