Africa Science Focus SciDev.Net

Effective policymaking in Africa requires collaboration between scientists and policymakers. But, despite the potential for science to drive sustainable development, the relationship between these two groups can be underwhelming. In this episode of Africa Science Focus, scientists highlight the need for scientists and policymakers to work together to create evidence-based policies to solve problems and share successful examples of scientific advisory.------------------------------------...

In this episode of Africa Science Focus, our reporters Ogechi Ekeanyanwu and Titilope Fadare speak to researchers who highlight Nigeria's energy access challenges and the potential of mini grids to address them.Temilade Sesan, energy researcher and consultant, and Ewah Ileri, executive director of the International Centre for Energy, Environment and Development, a Nigerian think tank, explain what mini grids are and discuss ways to overcome regulatory hurdles to deliver sustainable energy sol...

Poor road networks in Africa make it difficult to transport medical supplies and samples to remote communities, hindering access to healthcare. In this episode of Africa Science Focus, reporter Halima Athumani explores how drone technology can bridge this gap and serve the so-called “last mile”. She speaks with leaders of two drone companies, Kenya Flying Labs and VillageReach, about their efforts to enhance Africa's health infrastructure through drone technology. H...

After Africa achieved wild poliovirus-free status in 2020, the region faced a setback with outbreaks recurring in Mozambique and Malawi in 2022. However, a swift global response by countries and health organisations, including large-scale vaccination campaigns reaching 50 million children across five nations, culminated in a recommendation this month by the independent Poliovirus Outbreak Response Assessment (OBRA) to declare the end of the wild poliovirus type 1 outbreaks in Southern Africa....

Ghana's fight against malaria has seen a major breakthrough with a 90 per cent reduction in malaria mortality since 2012.In this episode of Africa Science Focus, reporter Justice Baidoo speaks to health authorities in Ghana, who attribute this progress to a national strategy and the launch of the R21/Matrix-M vaccine. Mother-of-three Martha Obeng says her six-month-old son is “strong and very healthy” after receiving the vaccination.-------------------------------------------------------...

In this episode of Africa Science Focus, our reporter Michael Kaloki speaks with African researchers on the importance of ethics in science. Jerome Singh, an adjunct professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Canada, talks about the need to prioritise human wellbeing during science experiments, while Emma Ruttkamp-Bloem, chair of UNESCO’s World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology, highlights the ethical considerations needed in the ...