South Africa

ADF STAFF The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed health systems in many African countries to the breaking point. But there is some good news amid the challenges: The continent has seen a boom in health care technology, including telemedicine,…

ADF STAFF The rapidly spreading omicron variant of COVID-19 has reached 13 African countries, but so far it is producing milder infections than earlier variants, according to researchers. South Africa, which first reported omicron in…

ADF STAFF When protests in South Africa boiled over into violence and looting in July, much of the energy driving the violence came from social media. Across the continent, social media has become a mechanism for amplifying already…

ADF STAFF As it faces a fast-moving fourth wave of COVID-19, South Africa is working urgently to educate the public on health measures. The country’s diverse culture, language, media and economic conditions are among the reasons…

ADF STAFF It was no coincidence that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had just boarded an airplane when he delivered a forceful rejection of recent COVID-19-related travel bans. His country was the first to alert the world to a…

ADF STAFF Africa’s public health leaders are expanding their continentwide effort to test people for COVID-19 exposure to track the movement and evolution of the virus. Dr. John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centres for Disease…

ADF STAFF Based in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, Dr. John Nkengasong works near one of the world’s deadliest conflicts. Despite a national state of emergency, the fighting has not impacted the day-to-day operations of the Africa…

ADF STAFF In the fight against COVID-19, public health leaders say increasing Africa’s capacity for genomic surveillance is a key part of understanding the enemy and defeating it. If hospitals and health workers are the front line of…

ADF STAFF Alongside its infrastructure investments in Africa, China is promoting the use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) — raising concerns about increased poaching of the continent’s wildlife and the risk of future diseases…

ADF STAFF Although the rate of new COVID-19 cases in Africa declined in mid-November, nine nations have experienced a fourth wave of coronavirus infections, the Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC) and Prevention reported.…