Nairobi’s skyline from Westlands. African countries need to invest in infrastructure and services that expand social opportunity, such as accessible public transport. [Elvis Ogina, Standard] Africa’s population is projected to nearly double by 2050, with 80 per cent of that growth being concentrated in urban areas, leaving two out of three Africans living in cities. This expansion of cities at an unprecedented rate will bring both challenges and opportunities for African countries. Uncover the stories others won’t tell. Subscribe now for exclusive access Unlock the Truth Now 》 Unlimited access to all premium content Uninterrupted ad-free browsing experience Mobile-optimized reading experience…
Author: By The Conversation
The incidence of HIV among older people is rising.For decades, public health efforts across sub-Saharan Africa have focused on HIV prevention, testing and treatment campaigns on children, and women of reproductive age, overlooking the population at older ages. At present, the high success of antiretroviral therapy (ART) campaigns, together with the continuous efforts to achieve the UNAids 95-95-95 HIV targets – that 95% of people with HIV know their status, 95% of those are on treatment, and 95% of those have suppressed viral loads – have reduced the HIV treatment gap in many African countries. In turn, this has dramatically increased…
One theory is we’re hearing gas bubbles pop in the fluid around the knee. It’s a quiet morning. You lace up your shoes, step outside and begin a brisk morning stroll. But as you take those first few steps, there it is, a faint grinding noise, almost like the crunch of gravel underfoot, except … the sound is coming from your knee! Thinking back, you recall noticing a similar sound as you were walking up the stairs last week. You pause, do some quick stretches and continue walking. But the grinding sound quickly returns. A wave of dread follows: Is there…
Here’s a clear guide to the different types, including some that you may not have heard of, along with information about what causes them and how they are treated. Type 1 Type 1 diabetes is caused by the body’s immune system mistakenly attacking the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. This autoimmune reaction can occur at any age, from infancy through to old age. It is not linked to diet or lifestyle. Instead, it probably results from a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental triggers, such as viral infections. Treatment involves lifelong insulin therapy, delivered through injections or pumps. A small…
At a time when loneliness is reportedly at epidemic proportions, it’s easy to see why teens may turn to AI companions for connection or support.Teenagers are increasingly turning to AI companions for friendship, support, and even romance. But these apps could be changing how young people connect to others, both online and off. New research by Common Sense Media, a US-based non-profit organisation that reviews various media and technologies, has found about three in four US teens have used AI companion apps such as Character.ai or Replika.ai. These apps let users create digital friends or romantic partners they can chat with any time,…
But what’s perhaps less known is that energy needs are actually even slightly higher during breastfeeding than during pregnancy. Human breastmilk is a dynamic liquid and its composition (including carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals) varies over the entire breastfeeding period, and even between feeds. It can change depending on what mum is eating, environmental factors, and what the baby needs, through a biofeedback system (sometimes called “baby backwash”). For example, if a baby is starting to get sick, breastmilk will adjust to include more leukocytes, immune cells that fight infection. So what should breastfeeding women be eating? And how…
Despite the success of HIV drugs and PrEP, precarious health-care systems and high drug costs mean we can’t rely on them to bring an end to the ongoing global HIV pandemic.Over the past three decades, there have been amazing advances in treating and preventing HIV. It’s now a manageable infection. A person with HIV who takes HIV medicine consistently, before their immune system declines, can expect to live almost as long as someone without HIV. The same drugs prevent transmission of the virus to sexual partners. There is still no effective HIV vaccine. But there are highly effective drugs to…
Sleeping too long (meaning more than the recommended amount for your age) is associated with health problems. But what about sleeping “too much”? Recent reports that sleeping more than nine hours could be worse for your health than sleeping too little may have you throwing up your hands in despair. It can be hard not to feel confused and worried. But how much sleep do we need? And what can sleeping a lot really tell us about our health? Let’s unpack the evidence. Sleep is essential for our health Along with nutrition and physical activity, sleep is an essential pillar of…
Here are some other things you might not know about blood. 1. Blood is both liquid and solid Blood is a connective tissue in the body. It has a multi-cellular component (made of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets) and a liquid extracellular matrix. Unlike the other connective tissues in the body, blood is a liquid. The extracellular matrix, plasma, is liquid and suspends the cells in blood. But when tissues are damaged, by a cut for example, blood becomes a solid like other connective tissues. This is known as clotting. Clotting is activated by exposure to anything…
Big tech sharing economy platforms like Airbnb and Uber are marketed as trustworthy, but a new book by a South African media scholar argues that they are highly vulnerable to scammers who spread delusive speech (a form of disinformation, designed to deceive by criminal intent). Julie Reid draws from first-hand accounts and over 600 cases from around the world of victims lured into scams or physical danger by fake Airbnb reviews and listings, providing a detailed case study. We asked her five questions about her book. How do the scams work? Airbnb is the world’s largest accommodation-sharing platform. It connects property owners who want…
Kibera slum in Nairobi. [File, Standard] In Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi, it is estimated that over 70 per cent of the population live in informal settlements. Many of these have a history rooted in colonial policies whereby the “African native” was a temporary resident of the city. Africans could only live in the city as registered labourers. As these informal settlements grew over the years, their names – and the names of places within them – have grown to encapsulate their history. Africans were forced to live in dormitory-like working quarters. In spite of these restrictions some still found their…
Joseph Kony addresses journalists in southern Sudan in November 2006. [AFP] Eleven years ago, a documentary catapulted the name Joseph Kony onto the global stage. The controversial film Kony 2012 told the story of a Ugandan warlord whose forces are believed by the United Nations to be responsible for the deaths of more than 100,000 people, the abduction of at least 20,000 children and the displacement of more than two million people. Though most of the world hadn’t heard of Kony before then, Ugandans knew and feared him. The founder of the Lord’s Resistance Army unleashed a wave of violence…
NSE Market watch board during ringing of the bell ceremony at Nairobi Securities Exchange, on September 4, 2019. [File, Standard] Over the past two decades, African countries have increasingly turned to international capital markets to meet their development financing needs. Fo example, Kenya and Benin raised a combined $2.5 billion through bond issuances during the first half of 2025. Proceeds were used to repay maturing bonds. This means new bonds, with unfavourable terms, are being issued to pay previous lenders. Yet African bonds are substantially mispriced, resulting in excessively high yields that are not justified by fundamentals – based on economic, fiscal and institutional…
The recent killing in Kenya of Albert Ojwang in police detention highlights a string of systemic failures to hold the country’s security officers accountable for their actions. Despite public outrage and protests, Kenyan police officers continue to use inhumane, brutal and sometimes fatal methods with little consequence. Douglas Lucas Kivoi, who has studied policing and police reform in Kenya, unpacks the situation. Why is the Kenyan police service given to brutality? First, Kenya’s police institution was established as a colonial instrument of oppression. Police reforms since independence in 1963 have had little impact in changing this. Instead, successive governments have used the…
Easter Eggs In Basket On Grass With Sunny Sky Background. [Courtesy] A lot of Easter traditions – including hot cross buns and lamb on Sunday – stem from medieval Christian or even earlier pagan beliefs. The chocolate Easter egg, however, is a more modern twist on tradition. Chicken eggs have been eaten at Easter for centuries. Eggs have long symbolised rebirth and renewal, making them perfect to commemorate the story of Jesus’ resurrection as well as the arrival of spring. Although nowadays eggs can be eaten during the fasting period of Lent, in the middle ages they were prohibited along with meat…