Africa Science Focus SciDev.Net

Growing more local seeds in Africa can solve the region’s food insecurity and climate problems.

Local crops and seeds are often neglected in Africa, despite their nutritional and environmental benefits, research has shown.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, Method Gundidza, director of the EarthLore Foundation, explains to reporter Elna Schütz the legacy of colonialism on these native species. 
Siphiwe Sithole, a farmer and managing director at African Marmalade, an agribusiness that specialises in African crops, highlights the significance of indigenous seeds on the continent. 
Using research, Albert Modi, executive dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Walter Sisulu University, South Africa, assesses the level of use of local seeds in Africa.
Meanwhile, Mariam Mayet, executive director of the African Centre of Biodiversity indicates ways African farmers can increase the use of indigenous seeds.

Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
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Solar powered, low-cost respiratory technology is aiding the fight to reduce neonatal mortality in Nigeria.

Nigeria has a newborn mortality crisis, with 262,000 infant deaths each year. 
 In this episode of Africa Science Focus, our correspondent, Royal Uche, highlights an innovation developed to curb the deaths of preterm babies in Africa’s most populous nation. 

 We hear from Jimoh Abdulrasheed, consultant paediatrician at the Calabar Women and Children’s Hospital, who tells us about the life-saving impact the solar-powered respiratory technology has had at this hospital in the south of the country. 
 
 Hippolite Amadi, a professor of medical engineering and technology, Imperial College, London, who developed the product, reveals the challenges he faced in scaling it, including dealing with corrupt high-ranking health officials. 
Mary Edet shares her baby's survival story. And Olukemi Tongo, consultant neonatologist at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, in Nigeria’s Oyo state, says the government should invest in the innovation to reduce new-born deaths. 
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This project was funded by the European Journalism Centre, through the Solutions Journalism Accelerator. The fund is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Do you have any comments, questions or feedback about our podcast episodes? Let us know at podcast@scidev.net

In this episode of Africa Science Focus, our reporter Michael Kaloki pulls apart the packaging challenges that threaten food security in East Africa.
We speak to Zippy Shiyoya, director at the Institute of Packaging Professionals Kenya, who highlights challenges faced by the industry, such as high production costs and shortages of materials that limit access to safe packaging.
Michael Humble, a Kenyan biochemist, explains how there is a need to understand the physical and chemical properties of food packaging to prevent spoiling and contamination.
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This podcast was supported by the Science Granting Councils Initiative which aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of 18 public science funding agencies in Sub-Saharan Africa. 
Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Do you have any comments, questions or feedback about our podcast episodes? Let us know at podcast@scidev.net

Women in Sub-Saharan Africa are highly prone to developing fibroids, a kind of non-cancerous growth in the uterus, according to research. But they often don’t receive the treatment they need, risking major health consequences.
In this episode of Africa Science Focus, reporter Busola Ajibola speaks to Maureen Umemmuo-Umeakuewulu, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at the National Hospital Abuja, Nigeria, who explains why fibroids are prevalent in the region. She discusses the symptoms, treatment options, and recovery tips, including the role of nutrition.
We also hear from women dealing with fibroids about their experiences, in the last of our month-long series on women’s health.

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Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Do you have any comments, questions or feedback about our podcast episodes? Let us know at podcast@scidev.net

Childbirth brings forth new life but is a dangerous journey for many women in Sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, over two-thirds of global maternal mortality occurs in the region.

 In this episode of Africa Science Focus – the second in our series on women’s health – our reporter, Busola Ajibola, speaks to Eli Sukarime, associate professor and honorary consultant in obstetrics and gynecology at Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.

He discusses the need to understand the causes of maternal mortality in the region in order to design effective healthcare solutions.

Osaretin Okonji, public health researcher at the University of Western Cape’s School of Pharmacy, in Cape Town, South Africa, says improving access through policy changes and prioritising interventions like antenatal care are crucial steps.
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Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Do you have any comments, questions or feedback about our podcast episodes? Let us know at podcast@scidev.net

The SPOON Chair has the potential to significantly improve the lives of children with cerebral palsy and their families across Africa.

In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we feature an innovative device called the SPOON Chair, designed to improve feeding for children with the movement and posture disease cerebral palsy. 
David Kibirige, who helped develop the device, tells us how the chair was produced and what features are coming next. We also hear from Jacinta Nakazzi, a mother who witnessed firsthand the positive impact of the SPOON Chair on her son with cerebral palsy.
Speech therapist Daniel Seremba emphasizes the importance of proper positioning during feeding for children with disabilities.
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This project was funded by the European Journalism Centre, through the Solutions Journalism Accelerator. The fund is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation. 
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Do you have any comments, questions or feedback about our podcast episodes? Let us know at podcast@scidev.net