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Articles by Eldon Opiyo
Afrique: Une éducation au changement climatique s'impose face aux tempêtes
Nairobi — Les efforts de reconstruction à la suite des tempêtes tropicales et des cyclones qui ont frappé Madagascar, le Malawi et le Mozambique au début de cette année doivent tenir compte des risques et des impacts du changement climatique, indique un rapport. L'Afrique du Sud-Est a été frappée par trois cyclones tropicaux et deux tempêtes tropicales en janvier et février de cette année.
‘Climate change literacy needed’ as Africa faces storms
[NAIROBI] Reconstruction efforts following tropical storms and cyclones that hit Madagascar, Malawi and Mozambique earlier this year need to account for climate change risks and impacts, a report says. Southeast Africa was hit by three tropical cyclones and two tropical storms in January and February this year.
Afrique: Du papier issu du bananier pour combattre les ravageurs de la pomme de terre
Nairobi — Selon une étude, envelopper les semences de pomme de terre dans un papier développé à partir de déchets de bananiers recyclables réduit leur infestation par un ravageur dévastateur de la pomme de terre, multipliant par cinq le rendement.
Banana ‘paper’ helps fight destructive potato pest
[NAIROBI] Wrapping potato seeds in a paper developed from recyclable banana plant waste reduces infestation by a devastating potato pest, increasing potato yield five-fold, a study has found. Potato cyst nematodes (PCNs) cause potato production losses of more than 60 per cent in Kenya, with potato farmers in other East African countries such as Rwanda and Uganda also plagued by the destructive pests.
Climate change plans ‘fail to tackle invasive species’
Heavy going: A man pulls a boat through water hyacinth that prevents fishers from working on Lake Victoria at Kichinjio Beach in Kisumu, Kenya. The plant is an invasive species from the Amazon Basin that suppresses local biodiversity and obstructs river flows. Photo: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP Countries are making little effort to link climate change adaptation plans with invasive species management, a study has found, despite the potential financial benefits of doing so.
Africa on alert as Malawi declares polio outbreak
[NAIROBI] Malawi and neighbouring countries are on high alert following the detection of wild poliovirus type 1 in a young child, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said. The detection of the virus in Lilongwe, the country’s capital, is the first to occur on the continent in more than five years, after the last case was identified in northern Nigeria in 2016. The Malawi government declared an outbreak of wild poliovirus type 1 last week (17 February).
‘Connect climate change mitigation policies’ to save rivers
[NAIROBI] Careful coordination of global climate change mitigation policies is needed to reduce unintended harmful local impacts to African river basins, a study says. The study published in Nature Climate Change analysed about 7,000 future scenarios involving global climate change, policies that mitigate climate change and their local effects.
Africa: Uneven Partnerships Could Stifle Attainment of SDGs
Nairobi — The partnerships of organisations charged with implementing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) may perpetuate the imbalance in resources between high- and low-income countries, a study says. The 2030 agenda for sustainable development puts equal emphasis on developed and developing countries and demands coherent collaboration across all countries.
Companies struggling with consumer data protection
[NAIROBI] Many companies operating in Uganda and other African countries are not adequately keeping data safe, putting consumers at risk of identity theft and social harm, a report says. The report, which is based on the analysis of 32 organisations that work in Uganda and operate in other African countries including Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria and South Africa, identifies the lack of consistency across the countries and in accountability in collecting consumers’ data.
Africa: Microbe Discovery 'Could Halt Malaria Transmission'
A microbe that is transmitted between male and female mosquitoes but can also block reproduction could be key to controlling malaria by targeting its release into mosquito populations, a study says. The study published in Frontiers in Microbiology found that the microbe called Microsporidia MB can pass from one mosquito to another as they mate. It could also block the release of malaria parasites from infected mosquitoes.
Dams fuel malaria cases in Africa
[NAIROBI] While dams are critical to ensuring water and food security throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, small dams in particular pose a greater risk of malaria transmission, a study says. According researchers, although the negative effects of large dams on malaria transmission is known in Sub-Saharan Africa, evidence on the potential impacts of both small and large dams is lacking.
Mobile screening app triples eye care uptake
[NAIROBI] Using smartphones for eye screening and referrals could triple the number of people seeking primary care for eye problems and increase the uptake of hospital services in low-resource settings, a study says. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 2.2 billion people globally have a near or distance vision impairment, with rates of unaddressed near vision impairment at greater than 80 per cent in western, eastern and central subregions of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Climate-resilience of rural chicken is in the genes
[NAIROBI] The genetic make-up of indigenous chickens has changed to better cope with climatic challenges, giving hope to future breeding of more productive and climate-resilient livestock, a study in Ethiopia has found. According to researchers, backyard poultry farming provides about 97 per cent of Ethiopia’s total poultry meat and egg production. African indigenous chickens are known to cope with harsh environmental conditions but how their genes contribute to this resilience was unknown.
Invasive bugs, plants ‘cost more’ than Africa’s GDP
[NAIROBI] Bugs and plants which have been introduced to Africa by human activity are costing the continent more than its total annual economic output, a study says, when the lost opportunities of time spent weeding are taken into account. So-called invasive alien species (IAS) are costing Africa’s agricultural sector economic losses estimated at US$3.66 trillion a year, according to the study.
Une combinaison de 3 médicaments soigne la tuberculose sévère en 6 mois
By: Eldon Opiyo [NAIROBI] Un régime à trois médicaments pour traiter les souches de tuberculose résistantes aux médicaments a guéri 90 %des patients et réduit la période de traitement d’environ 20 mois à six mois, a-t-on appris lors d’une conférence.
Weather forecasts a ‘life-saving tool against meningitis’
[NAIROBI] Scientists are using weather-based surveillance to predict impending meningitis outbreaks in Sub-Saharan Africa, making weather forecasts a possible tool to help health services combat the disease. Meningitis affects more than five million people globally each year, with one in ten dying and two in ten left with an impairment such as brain injury or amputation, according to Meningitis Research Foundation.
Three-drug combo ‘cures 90 per cent of severe TB cases’
[NAIROBI] A three-drug regimen for treating drug-resistant TB strains cured 90 per cent of patients and cut down treatment period from about 20 months to six months, a conference heard. According to the 2020 WHO global report on TB, 206,030 people in 2019 had a severe form of TB called multidrug- or rifampicin-resistant TB, but only 38 per cent were on treatment.
Africa: Three Natural Enemies Found to 'Beat Fall Armyworm'
Nairobi — Maize farmers across Africa could soon find relief from the devastation caused by fall armyworm (FAW) following encouraging results from the use of indigenous natural enemies to fight the pest. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that fall armyworm causes Africa to lose up to 18 million tonnes of maize annually, representing an economic loss of as much as US$4.6 billion.
Africa: Non-Surgeon Medical Staff 'Can Perform Safe Operations'
Nairobi — Surgery performed by associate clinicians or medical professionals who are not qualified surgeons are as safe and effective as those performed by doctors, and should be promoted in Sub-Saharan Africa, a study suggests. Faced with a growing shortfall of surgeons, the 68th World Health Assembly passed a resolution in 2015 to promote so-called task shifting in hospitals globally.
Non-surgeon medical staff ‘can perform safe operations’
[NAIROBI] Surgery performed by associate clinicians or medical professionals who are not qualified surgeons are as safe and effective as those performed by doctors, and should be promoted in Sub-Saharan Africa, a study suggests. Faced with a growing shortfall of surgeons, the 68th World Health Assembly passed a resolution in 2015 to promote so-called task shifting in hospitals globally.
Q&A: Women must ‘do the hard stuff’ to stand out
[NAIROBI] Agnes Kalibata, a Rwandan who grew up in Uganda with refugee parents, had an ambition to become a medical doctor or an engineer. But as her father turned from teaching to farming to fund his children’s education, little did Kalibata know she would end up being an agricultural scientist.
Traditional arts curb deadly diarrhoea in children
[NAIROBI] Potentially deadly cases of diarrhoea and pneumonia among young children can be greatly reduced, a study found, when basic hygiene messages are delivered through drama and song. The study conducted in the Gambia used traditional performing arts to encourage mothers to provide children with safe food and water.
Climate change fuelling harmful pesticide use
[NAIROBI] Smallholder farmers are increasingly using a group of pesticides that are harmful to humans to adapt to climate change, making the need to ban the manufacture, trade and use of these chemicals urgent, a study has found. The pesticides commonly used by farmers in Zimbabwe and other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa belong to a group of chemicals called endocrine disruptor compounds (EDCs), and include dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), an insecticide banned decades ago by the US.
Africa: Boost Smallholder Phone Access for Better Crop Yields
Nairobi — Small-scale farmers across the globe have low access to mobile networks and internet, the kind of data-driven farming that could boost incomes, a study has found. Data-driven farming involves the use of the right data at the right time to aid better decision-making, so farmers can boost their long-term profits. Researchers say that mobile technology and big data are dramatically changing the face of agriculture, but the extent to which they are helping smallholders is poorly understood.
Boost smallholder phone access for better crop yields
[NAIROBI] Small-scale farmers across the globe have low access to mobile networks and internet, the kind of data-driven farming that could boost incomes, a study has found. Data-driven farming involves the use of the right data at the right time to aid better decision-making, so farmers can boost their long-term profits. Researchers say that mobile technology and big data are dramatically changing the face of agriculture, but the extent to which they are helping smallholders is poorly understood.
Unhealthy’ behaviours fuelling disease burden
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Africa pushes for COVID-19 traditional medicine R&D
We encourage you to republish this article online and in print, it’s free under our creative commons attribution license, but please follow some simple guidelines: You have to credit our authors. You have to credit SciDev.Net — where possible include our logo with a link back to the original article. You can simply run the first few lines of the article and then add: “Read the full article on SciDev.Net” containing a link back to the original article.
Africa: Maize Gene Could Lure Natural Enemies of Crop Pests
Nairobi — Scientists have identified genes in local maize varieties that can fight off stemborers by summoning their natural enemies, raising hopes for pest-resistant varieties for African smallholders, a study says. Stemborer -- an insect larva that bores in plant stems -- is causing smallholders in Sub-Saharan Africa yield losses of about US$1.5 billion a year and negatively affecting the livelihoods of nearly 300 million people, according to the study.
Africa: More Conservation 'Could Create U.S.$454 Billion a Year'
Nairobi — Protecting 30 per cent of the earth's surface by 2030 could result in greater economic opportunities for emerging economies, such as those in Africa, a report says. According to the World Economic Forum, losing the different forms of living organisms on earth - known as biodiversity - including those on land and at sea could threaten the global economy.
Africa: World in 'Most Unprecedented' Disruption of Education
Nairobi — Most Sub-Saharan African countries have failed to target vulnerable learners such as students with disabilities during the COVID-19 schools shutdown, exacerbating educational inequality in the region, a UN report says. It comes as the world faces the "most unprecedented disruption in the history of education", the UNESCO report says, with over 90 percent of students globally affected by school closures.
COVID-19's negative impact on education across Africa
Most Sub-Saharan African countries have failed to target vulnerable learners such as students with disabilities during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) schools shut down, exacerbating educational inequality in the region, a UN report says. It comes as the world faces the “most unprecedented disruption in the history of education”, the UNESCO report says, with over 90 percent of students globally affected by school closures.
Q&A with WHO's Dr. Matshidiso Moeti on the R&D impact of COVID-19
There is no doubt that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is taking a heavy toll on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to health. However, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, director of the WHO’s African Region, sees a silver lining in terms of research and development (R&D), innovation, and international collaboration in Africa as a result of the outbreak. You can also listen to the podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, and Stitcher.
Air pollution in cities ‘up sharply over 45 years’
By Eldon Opiyo The three cities — Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, Nairobi in Kenya and Kampala in Uganda — have undergone rapid population surge, with increased citywide fuel use and motorisation leading to a rise in a mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets into the air, thus aiding visibility loss, adds the study published in Environmental Research Letters last month.
Africa’s first online database on education research
A database on education research conducted by Africa-based researchers has been launched to raise the visibility and impact of such research.The database , which has about 2,000 education research including theses and working papers on 49 African countries, resulted from the collaboration between the Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) Centre at the UK-based University of Cambridge and the Education Sub-Saharan Africa , a charity with a mission to transform educational outcomes...
Africa's First Online Database On Education Research
By Eldon OpiyoAn open access database on education research conducted by Africa-based researchers has been launched to raise the visibility and impact of such research.
Our clothes are contaminating our planet with tiny plastic threads
This article was originally published by Ensia and is republished with permission. Minute fibers shed from synthetic textiles are polluting oceans, streams, rivers — even the air we breathe — with unknown consequences. You try to do the right thing. You’re conscientious about recycling. You carry reusable shopping bags, drink from refillable water bottles, and you’ve stopped using those face washes and toothpastes that contain plastic microbeads.
Africa: Why Climate-Smart Agriculture Is Crucial to Africa
By Eldon OpiyoNairobi — Agriculture is a risky business in Africa due to dangers such as uncertain weather and poor rural infrastructure but a new detailed guide on the status of and opportunities for climate smart agriculture (CSA) could offer farmers the much needed break. The detailed guide for CSA that cover 14 African countries is aimed at guiding future investments and reduction of risks in implementing the approach.
Responsible Business Forum on Sustainable Development 2018
There has been some progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa since their introduction in 2015, but to achieve the equitable and prosperous future that the continent strives for, progress must be transformational. Technology, innovation and youth will be key drivers in this transformation and impact investment and innovative finance will help to catalyse growth.
App ‘trained’ to spot crop disease, alert farmers
[NAIROBI] A team of scientists has received US$100,000 grant to refine a mobile application (app) that uses artificial intelligence to diagnose crop diseases, and aims to help millions of African smallholders.The CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas team won the grant during big data conference in Colombia on 21 September as part of the CGIAR Platform for Big Data in Agriculture Inspire Challenges The app, to be used against cassava brown streak disease and the cassava mosaic...
Researchers model ways to control deadly maize disease
Researchers have used mathematical modelling to develop techniques to combat two co-infecting viruses causing maize lethal necrosis (MLN) in Kenya. According to researchers who conducted the new study, because maize is a staple crop in Sub-Saharan Africa, the spread of MLN is threatening food security in the region.
Researchers model ways to control deadly maize disease
[NAIROBI] Researchers have used mathematical modelling to develop techniques to combat two co-infecting viruses causing maize lethal necrosis (MLN) in Kenya.According to researchers who conducted the new study , because maize is a staple crop in Sub-Saharan Africa, the spread of MLN is threatening food security in the region.Nik Cunniffe, a co-author and a lecturer in mathematical biology at the UK-based University of Cambridge, says that the study’s objective was to test whether mathematical...
Researchers model ways to control deadly maize disease
[NAIROBI] Researchers have used mathematical modelling to develop techniques to combat two co-infecting viruses causing maize lethal necrosis (MLN) in Kenya.According to researchers who conducted the new study , because maize is a staple crop in Sub-Saharan Africa, the spread of MLN is threatening food security in the region.Nik Cunniffe, a co-author and a lecturer in mathematical biology at the UK-based University of Cambridge, says that the study’s objective was to test whether mathematical...
Dormant leishmaniasis parasites: threat to control
[NAIROBI] Parasites that cause leishmaniasis — a neglected tropical disease transmitted by sand flies — could adopt a dormant phase that might render them invisible to drugs and the host’s immune system, a study suggests.According to the WHO, about 50,000 to 90,000 new cases of the most serious form of the disease, called visceral leishmaniasis or kala-azar, occur globally a year.
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