The virus takes its name from the Ebola River, near the site of one of the first recorded outbreaks in what is now the DRC, in 1976. Four of these six species are known to cause disease in humans and the major African outbreaks have been linked mainly to Zaire, Sudan and Bundibugyo ebolaviruses
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s plan may help the continent emerge successfully from the Covid-19 pandemic and respond to other threats
Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya among 27 countries yet to sign the treaty for the establishment of the African Medicines Agency.
The highlights of 2021 in Africa
Britain has suffered one of the highest tolls in Europe with nearly 138 000 Covid-19 deaths since March last year, raising questions about why it has fared worse than comparable nations.
What’s been happening on the continent this week?
Ivorian health workers had previously said that vaccinations of “targeted groups” had already begun on Sunday
Guinea is fighting the virus with a vaccine used in the DRC, while their neighbours Sierra Leone and Liberia increase border surveillance
More than 50 women have accused Ebola aid workers from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and leading nongovernmental organisations of sexual exploitation and abuse in the Democratic Republic of Congo, an investigation by the nonprofit news agency The New Humanitarian and the Thomson Reuters Foundation has revealed. In interviews, 51 women — many of whose […]
To take care of ourselves, we must take care of the world around us
With the closure of schools, learning has moved to online platforms across the world, but a UNESCO report said only 12% of households in the least-developed countries have internet access at home
The DRC has systematically gone about strengthening health infrastructure, engaging the community and doing better research
The protests sweeping the United States after the latest police killing of a black man again speak to the ability of images to evoke powerful emotional responses
The recent news of evictions and mistreatment of African students in China during the Covid-19 pandemic is rooted in a history of violence and discrimination
The methods that work in Western nations rarely translate into African contexts
Guinea’s response to the coronavirus has exacerbated the country’s existing fault lines
The country has experienced violent incidents of unrest in recent weeks
Health, debt and hunger are huge threats to the continent’s stability
Experience in Brazil, West and South Africa show how ‘people’s science’ can manage deadly illnesses
South Africa has largely escaped the fate of several European countries and the United States, but that doesn’t mean we can’t prepare, just in case
When Ebola first hit Lagos, Dr Ameyo Adadevoh knew something was seriously wrong, so she did something about it
Africa’s new disease control agency reacted early and quickly to the Covid-19 pandemic
So far, most countries on the African continent are dealing with Covid-19, but not all leaders are taking the coronavirus pandemic seriously
The World Health Organisation said people could die of preventable illnesses if steps to control malaria as well as immunisation for measles, yellow fever and polio are interrupted
People know what they need to buy, the payments can piggyback on the Sassa system and the money will help prevent people from falling further into long-term poverty
The key to containing ‘kokoro korona’ is to speak to people in their own languages
As health workers in the DRC deal with the news that Ebola has not yet been defeated, they reflect on the lessons the epidemic has taught them
While Sierra Leone was grappling with Ebola, there was a spike in deaths from another disease – malaria. We need to make sure this does not happen again
Dr Matshidiso Moeti’s father helped to eliminate smallpox. Now she’s leading Africa’s efforts against the coronavirus
Several polls since the start of the pandemic show a majority of people checking the news several times a day and turning to trusted news sources and state broadcasters rather than social media
Drawing on lessons from Ebola, African artists are using music to convey public health messaging. And they are doing it in style
It’s difficult to enforce a lockdown in informal settlements, and social distancing may be impossible. New ideas are needed