On 11 March, 2020, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization (WHO) formally designated COVID-19 as a global pandemic. Citing “alarming levels of spread and severity”, he...
Asia
Regional integration a must in post-COVID Africa
Regional integration helps countries overcome divisions that impede the flow of goods, services, capital, people and ideas. The World Bank has described these divisions as a constraint to economic growth, especially in...
Gone for good
Sub-Saharan Africa: the medical brain drain Doctors and other medical professionals migrate for many reasons, but their absence seriously compromises health service delivery A brain drain of African medical staff over...
Leading by example
Innovation: local heroes Kenyans are used to finding local solutions to everyday challenges and COVID-19 has inspired innovators to find creative ways to cope with the pandemic Onyango Okoth was diagnosed with COVID-19...
The impact of South Africa’s governance response to COVID-19
When COVID-19 first struck, South African policymakers reacted promptly and implemented one of the world’s strictest lockdowns for five consecutive weeks. Despite that, and a slow release of the...
Science isn’t enough to prevent disaster: the case of the desert locust plague in East Africa
East Africa is experiencing the worst desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) outbreak in decades. The outbreak began in early 2019 and science isn’t enough to save the livelihoods and ensure the food security of at...
