Articles tagged with Africa
Researchers have discovered fossilized cashew nuts in Germany, dating back 47 million years, which suggest that the genus Anacardium was once distributed in Europe. This finding indicates that Europe may be an important biogeographic link between Africa and South America, challenging previous theories.
A team of researchers from Arizona State University has discovered the earliest evidence of modern human behavior in South Africa, dating back 164,000 years. The findings suggest that early humans expanded their diet to include shellfish and other marine resources, likely as a response to harsh environmental conditions.
The Lancet study found that maternal mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa are not decreasing fast enough to meet the MDG5 target, with a yearly rate of decline required to achieve the target being 5.5%. The authors conclude that a huge emphasis on improved pregnancy and delivery care is needed throughout the developing world.
Researchers discovered extreme droughts in tropical Africa between 135,000 to 90,000 years ago, which may have led to the Out-of-Africa hypothesis that all humans descended from a few people living in Africa. The study also found that fish evolution in Lake Malawi was altered due to these megadroughts.
Researchers found that 96% of Nigerian consumer paints contained higher than recommended lead levels, with bright-colored paints posing the greatest risk. The study highlights the need for international regulations to supplement local efforts and eliminate lead from paint globally.
A new study published in The Lancet found that global under-5 mortality rates have fallen from 110 per 1000 in 1980 to 72 per 1000 in 2005. However, the target of a 67% decline by 2015 is unlikely to be met due to slow progress in sub-Saharan Africa.
A team of researchers has determined that human ancestors outside of Africa were more primitive than previously thought, based on analysis of 1.8 million-year-old fossils found in Dmanisi, Georgia. The species had a small stature and brain size similar to earlier African species, with some modern aspects of lower limb morphology.
Researchers discovered that female Evarcha culicivora spiders prefer larger mates before mating, despite the risk of cannibalism. Once mated, females opt for smaller males, a finding that challenges traditional assumptions about spider mating behaviors.
A mathematical model predicts that daily PrEP pills could prevent 3.2 million new HIV infections in southern sub-Saharan Africa in 10 years. The strategy is most effective when targeted towards high-risk individuals.
Despite being bastions of biodiversity conservation, African national parks are losing species at an alarming rate. The decline is attributed primarily to anthropogenic causes such as poaching and human encroachment, leading to the loss of large mammal populations.
The Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies will receive £15 million over five years to improve health status, focusing on HIV infection. Researchers will study the impact of ART programs and develop interventions to prevent transmission.
A University of Missouri-Columbia researcher found that AIDS compounds poverty in households, especially when a primary income earner dies. Older women play a crucial role in day-to-day survival through government pensions and are more likely to be affected than infected with HIV/AIDS.
New research shows that distributing free insecticide-treated bed nets can significantly reduce malaria cases and save lives. A successful program in Kenya distributed over 3 million nets to two-thirds of children, with no difference in coverage between rich and poor homes.
A recent analysis by Robert Horwitz reveals that South Africa's telecommunications reform has largely failed to improve access and affordability for the majority of the population. Despite comprehensive legislation passed in 1996, Telkom was able to thwart competition and impose high prices, limiting service offerings.
Researchers found correlations between plentiful sunspots and heavy rain in East Africa, with peak sunspot activity preceding heavy rainfall by about a year. This link could enable public health officials to prepare for insect-borne diseases and flooding.
A global struggle to provide adequate and safe blood supplies in the developing world is highlighted by The Lancet Editorial. Many countries are making progress in implementing strategies to reduce unnecessary transfusions, test for compatibility, and establish voluntary donor programs.
A recent study published in Human Resources for Health found that international health volunteers have a positive impact on capacity building and resource allocation in low-income countries. However, junior and inexperienced NGO volunteers often lack the necessary skills and knowledge to work effectively in these settings.
Three clinical trials in Africa found that adult male circumcision reduced HIV transmission by 51-60%. However, the impact on US populations is uncertain due to differing modes of transmission and circumcision prevalence. The CDC suggests considering circumcision as an additional prevention measure for high-risk men.
The study confirms that modern humans originated from a single area in Sub-saharan Africa, with genetic diversity decreasing as populations migrated further away. The researchers found no evidence to support alternative non-African origins.
Scientists at the University of Cape Town have developed a genetically engineered (GE) maize variety that is resistant to maize streak virus (MSV), a destructive pathogen that can wipe out entire maize crops. The transgenic maize variety has proven consistently resistant and can be reliably passed on to future generations.
Researchers suggest using insecticide-treated bed nets for adults and older children to protect against malaria. The strategy could substantially enhance protection of vulnerable groups by reducing mosquito transmission.
The Johns Hopkins Fogarty African Research Ethics Training Program has successfully trained 23 African professionals in bioethics, enabling them to implement changes in their home countries. Trainees have made institutional changes, drafted guidelines, and raised awareness of the need for research ethics support.
In two Thai prisons, Médecins Sans Frontières successfully delivered HIV prevention and treatment programs, showing comparable clinical outcomes with other settings. Meanwhile, research highlights the need for increased surveillance and efforts to address escalating road traffic injuries in Africa.
Experts recommend mass distribution of LLINs to control malaria, citing two protective effects: direct user protection and community-wide prevention. Low coverage and social marketing restrictions hinder efforts, leading to criticism from Sachs and colleagues.
A new study by John R. Talbott finds that the number of infected prostitutes in a country is key to understanding the global spread of AIDS. The study suggests that prostitute communities can act as an engine driving infection rates to unusually high levels in the general population.
The discovery of small perforated sea shells in Morocco has pushed back the known origin of bead adornments to 82,000 years ago. The findings suggest that modern humans possessed symbolic thought and cognitive abilities earlier than previously thought.
A study found that non-physician clinicians (NPCs) can play a significant role in scaling up health workforces in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in rural areas. NPCs were shown to perform basic diagnosis and medical treatment, with some trained in specialty activities like caesarean sections and eye surgery.
The research provides the first synoptic view of industrial logging in Central Africa, enabling conservation agencies and governments to better gauge its impact on forests and their inhabitants. The expansion of logging poses a significant threat to biodiversity and climatic change.
Despite challenges such as password issues and internet outages, African postgraduate doctors are making regular use of online medical literature. Textbooks remain a central source of information for many, but 66% have used the Internet for health information in the last week.
Researchers will investigate the immune response to TB, developing new vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments. The study aims to understand how the infection is transmitted and why some people develop active disease.
A new study warns that forest elephants are facing intense poaching pressure due to the illegal ivory trade. The researchers found only 1,900 elephants remaining in Salonga National Park, with the probability of encountering them increasing with distance from roads.
A new study reveals that forest elephants are being pushed into remote depths of national parks due to heavy poaching for ivory near roadways. Protected areas, however, are critical to elephant survival, with some areas experiencing increased abundance despite road access.
A study published in The Lancet found that exclusive breastfeeding can significantly reduce the risk of HIV transmission from mother to child under six months. Infants who received formula milk or solids were nearly twice as likely to be infected, highlighting the importance of breast milk protection.
A NYUCD research team found that Streptoccocus mutans, a bacterium associated with dental caries, has evolved along with its human hosts in Africa between 100,000 and 200,000 years ago. This oral bacterial evidence supports the dispersal of modern Homo sapiens out of Africa to Asia.
Scientists reconstructed land temperatures in tropical Africa over the past 25,000 years using a new method based on soil bacteria molecular fossils. The results show that tropical Africa was cooled more than the Atlantic Ocean during the last ice age, leading to drier conditions and a lush rainforest.
A study found that G6PD deficiency protects hemizygous male children but not heterozygous female children against severe malaria. The deficiency appears to mitigate disease processes set up by infected red blood cells in the bloodstream, offering a survival benefit.
The ivory trade is driving organized crime in Africa and Asia, with the black-market price rising to $750 per kilogram. Western nations must reinstate strong enforcement efforts to stop the trade and protect elephant populations.
The prevalence of asthma and allergic diseases has significantly increased in Ghana between 1993 and 2003. According to a study, the prevalence of exercise-induced bronchospasm and atopy doubled over this period, posing concerns for public health in West Africa.
African scientists will receive training in drug discovery techniques to combat diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria. The program aims to develop affordable, effective drugs using low operating costs and socially conscious investments.
A study by Max-Planck-Gesellschaft scientists finds that bacteria Helicobacter pylori spread with humans out of Africa, following similar migration paths. The genetic diversity of H. pylori is larger than man's, but paves the way for analyzing its data to understand human history.
Research in Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park, South Africa, reveals that elephants' preference for marula fruits poses a risk to female Marula trees, which are more susceptible to damage and death. The study suggests that evolution may have favored the development of trees with better resprouting abilities to counter this selective pressure.
A mathematical model created by researchers shows that South African migration played a major role in the spread of HIV, increasing high-risk sexual behavior among migrant men and their partners. Without migration, peak HIV prevalence would be less than 5 percent.
A recent study reveals that the bacteria causing most painful stomach ulcers has been present in humans since modern man migrated from Africa over 60,000 years ago. The research provides new insights into early human migration and offers a way to study the diversification of human populations.
Previous studies suggested that protected values lead to quantity insensitivity, but new findings reveal a different story. Morally-motivated decision makers may actually be more sensitive to consequences when considering net benefits.
A Johns Hopkins study found that 31% of HIV-positive patients in Uganda had HIV dementia, a rate that challenges Alzheimer's and stroke dementia globally. The condition is treatable and potentially reversible with antiretroviral medication.
Tiny airborne dust particles from Africa's desert regions can alter surface and air temperatures globally, causing a 'teleconnection' effect. Researchers found that North African dust affects the Caspian Sea and central Asia while having a cooling effect on the region.
A team of scientists led by Dr Tim Wright is studying the Ethiopian rift valley to track the movement of continents. Using satellite radar imaging and other geophysical techniques, they aim to understand how magma moves through the Earth's crust and create a 3D computer model.
A team of medical ethics and public health experts argue that involuntary isolation measures are justified to contain the deadly XDR-TB strain in South Africa. The forced isolation of extensively drug-resistant TB and MDR-TB infected individuals may be a proportionate response given the extreme risk posed.
Research ethics committees in Africa struggle with inadequate funding, staffing, and training, hindering their effectiveness. Despite these challenges, many RECs have shown promise by prioritizing ethics and having predictable funding.
A deadly, highly-contagious and drug-resistant mutant strain of tuberculosis is spreading rapidly in South Africa. The World Health Organization warns that the situation poses a potentially explosive international health crisis due to its contagious nature and the presence of millions of migrant laborers.
Research ethics committees in Africa often lack adequate funding, staffing and training, leading to a focus on scientific aspects over ethical considerations. The study's findings highlight the need for national policies and international support to establish and monitor research ethics committees across the continent.
The Eastern Arc Mountains in Tanzania and Kenya are home to over 1000 endemic species, many with ancient lineages. Effective conservation requires addressing human needs and securing protected areas to preserve biodiversity.
A 35,000-year-old European skull found in Romania has been analyzed, revealing that it exhibits both modern and archaic features. The discovery supports the idea of human evolution and suggests that early modern humans interbred with Neanderthals.
A 36,000-year-old human skull from South Africa confirms the 'Out of Africa' theory of modern human origins. The fossil provides critical evidence that modern humans migrated out of sub-Saharan Africa around this time.
A new study reveals that modern humans first arrived in Europe around 45,000 years ago, with evidence of stone, bone and ivory tools found in Russia. The discovery includes a carved piece of mammoth ivory believed to be the oldest figurative art ever discovered.
Researchers reevaluate human migration, proposing a new timeline for the spread of modern humans out of Africa. According to studies involving fossil analysis and genetic research, this migration likely took place between 40,000 and 60,000 years ago.
The CATALIST Project will help maintain biodiversity, improve environmental management, and develop markets for agricultural inputs and crops in the Great Lakes region. Local people will be employed in labor-intensive public works to plant trees and build terraces and roads.
A new study by Yanhong Zhang reveals that almost 45 million students in sub-Saharan Africa were not enrolled in school in 2001, with rural students facing significant learning disadvantages. The study finds that family socio-economic status and school quality play a crucial role in the learning gaps between urban and rural students.
Researchers uncover evidence of advanced rituals performed by modern humans in Africa for 70,000 years, featuring a python rock with man-made indentations and no signs of normal habitation. The discovery suggests that humans had the capacity for abstract thinking at an earlier point in history than previously assumed.
A study comparing trained mid-level providers (MLPs) to doctors for first-trimester manual vacuum aspiration abortions found that MLPs are equally safe as doctors. In South Africa and Vietnam, rates of complications were low and comparable between the two groups, with women reporting equal satisfaction.