Science and research news from Africa. Covers Congo Basin wildlife, maternity care, malaria resurgence, and drug-resistant parasites.
Researchers from Case Western Reserve University found a dramatic reduction in mosquito transmission, new infections, and severe disease manifestations with four annual mass treatments. The study provides essential guidelines for controlling the infectious disease and points to the ultimate eradication of filariasis on a global level.
A NASA study analyzed satellite data from 1997-2000 and found that the transition from El Nino to La Nina reversed rainfall patterns in Africa, affecting vegetation greenness. This reversal has implications for agriculture, livestock farming, and vector-borne disease outbreaks.
The new CIPRA grant will address HIV/AIDS as a family issue, not just an individual problem. The research aims to develop practical techniques tailored to the needs of South African families, with a focus on prevention, treatment, and social support services for those living with HIV/AIDS.
Sexual violence is rooted in gender power inequalities and hierarchical relationships, with prevention efforts extending to health services, education, and social policies. Health professionals play a crucial role in supporting victims and promoting autonomy, bodily integrity, and self-esteem.
A new study reveals three distinct species of African elephants: savanna, forest, and west African. The west African population has been diverging for over two million years and is threatened with extinction due to human activities.
The western chimpanzee is critically endangered with only 4% of its original population remaining. Conservation efforts are underway to address threats such as agricultural development, logging, and the bush meat trade. The action plan provides a roadmap for halting or reversing the decline in chimpanzee numbers in West Africa.
A Global Development Organisation is necessary to overcome barriers to global development, including fragmentation, strategic incoherence, and resource overconsumption. The organisation would aim to set standards for best practice, avoid duplication of work, and hold institutions accountable for their impact on development.
A Canadian-led team will excavate the Strongholds of Cameroon, a group of ancient stone-built structures in northern Cameroon. The four-month project aims to uncover information on how to excavate the larger sites without jeopardizing their structural integrity.
A Franco-Senegalese research team has demonstrated the efficacy of antiretroviral therapy in Africa, contrary to previous doubts. The 18-month pilot scheme showed strong adherence and high patient respect for prescriptions, with improved treatment outcomes.
A new study reveals a small-brained Homo erectus individual from Georgia, raising questions about the role of brain size in human migration. The discovery, part of a rich fossil collection, suggests that other factors may have contributed to the ancestors' exit from Africa.
The African HIV-1/AIDS epidemic is reaching catastrophic levels, with significant implications for the region's healthcare infrastructure. Co-existing sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), malaria, and tuberculosis further complicate the situation, highlighting the need for comprehensive interventions to mitigate these consequences.
Researchers aim to better understand West Africa's climate trends and model potential impacts on the region's water resources, agriculture, and energy sector. The study's findings could help inform regional plans for adapting to climate change and ensure the long-term sustainability of hydroelectric power.
A study assessing existing data on HIV/AIDS interventions found that cost-effectiveness varies greatly between interventions. Some interventions, such as selective blood safety measures and targeted condom distribution, can prevent a case of HIV/AIDS for under $11 and gain over $1 in disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) per dollar spent
In southern Africa, measles elimination strategies reduced reported clinical cases from 60,000 to 117 cases between 1996 and 2000. With overall vaccination coverage of 91%, continued national commitment is crucial for implementation and maintenance of proven strategies.
A UMass anthropologist has investigated the dental development of an extinct primate species, revealing that these early primates developed teeth rapidly to adapt to their environment. The study found that these ancient lemurs had highly developed teeth by birth, allowing them to survive on solid food shortly after birth.
The South African government is under pressure to implement a national program against vertical transmission of HIV from mothers to children. Key researchers are calling for increased investment in antiretroviral treatment and support to improve public health outcomes.
A new fossil discovery in Ethiopia indicates that Homo erectus was a single, widespread species, rather than two separate ones. The 1 million-year-old fossil found in the Middle Awash region of Ethiopia is similar to other Homo erectus fossils from Asia and Africa.
A new million-year-old skull found in Ethiopia contradicts recent suggestions of a split in the homolineage between Eurasiatic and African populations. The team's detailed analysis shows genetic continuity between populations, indicating movement and mobility between them, consistent with a single species Homo erectus.
Researchers have found that innovative soil fertility replenishment programs can increase crop yields by two- to four-fold, providing strong evidence for their effectiveness. The programs use natural resources available in Africa, such as trees and rocks, to replenish nutrients depleted from the soil.
Researchers found clean-air slots with pristine air, sandwiched between polluted layers in southern Africa. These 'clean-air slots' can persist for days on end over thousands of square miles.
Scientists have discovered two significant fossil finds in Europe, shedding light on the early evolution of humans. The oldest relative of all living great apes was found in Germany, while a nearly complete skull of Dryopithecus was uncovered in Hungary.
Dinosaur expert Paul C. Sereno has made groundbreaking discoveries in Africa, including the giant predator Carcharodontosaurus and the spinosaur Suchomimus. His research is transforming our understanding of dinosaur evolution, shedding light on their diversity and abundance during the Cretaceous period.
Researchers mapped areas of Africa at risk for RVF outbreaks, identifying conditions necessary for breeding mosquitoes that transmit the virus. Satellite data also suggested a link between dry to wet changes in tropical regions and Ebola outbreaks.
A national survey in South Africa found that 33% of reported child rapes were perpetrated by school teachers, with 85% occurring among children aged 10-14. The study highlights the need for effective action to address rape and sexual harassment of girls in schools.
The study resolves placental mammals into four major groups, revealing a common ancestor in Gondwana. Afrotheria is the oldest group, with some orders never leaving Africa, and Xenartha populations South America.
Researchers found that soil geology plays a significant role in the Congo River Basin's response to drought. The basin's varied geology, including ferruginous cuirassed peneplain, sandy soils, and porous aquifers, affects discharge reduction rates during droughts.
Researchers will track subsurface floats to measure temperature, pressure, and oxygen in a region extending thousands of miles west of Africa. By studying these dynamics, they aim to better understand ocean mixing processes and improve climate models.
A NASA study reveals that Zambia faces significant air quality challenges due to the transportation of pollutants across southern Africa. Ground-level ozone levels in Lusaka exceeded .90 parts per million during the day, posing serious health risks to local populations.
The Southern African Regional Science Initiative (SAFARI 2000) study investigated coupled land-atmosphere processes associated with aerosols and trace gases. Key findings show the impact of southern African emissions on climate, as visualized through satellite, airborne, and ground-based observations.
The analysis found that two-thirds of the world's blind are concentrated in India, China, and Africa. Women living in underdeveloped countries were almost 40% more likely to be blind than men, while those in industrialized nations had a risk 63% higher.
Researchers found evidence of advanced stone tool technology and symbolic thinking in Africa, challenging the long-held assumption that modern human behavior emerged later. The discovery of 28 bone tools at Blombos Cave suggests that 'behavioral modernity' first evolved in Africa around 35,000 years ago.
The study provides new evidence on the timing and migration path of early hominids out of Africa. Researchers used Earth's magnetic field reversals to determine a more precise age for the Erk-el-Ahmar site, which dates back around 300,000 years.
A 30-million-year-old lemur fossil, Bugtilemur mathesoni, found in Pakistan's Bugti Hills provides a rare glimpse into the evolution of strepsirrhine primates. The discovery sheds new light on the origins of lemurs and their close relatives, the lorises.
A systematic review of 11 studies from sub-Saharan Africa found that 75% of women underwent caesarean sections for maternal reasons, with prolonged labour and placental abruption being common causes. The authors suggest a need for improved obstetric guidelines to reduce mortality rates.
Researchers have found a new antimalarial drug combination to be effective in treating falciparum malaria, the most severe form of the disease. In a study conducted in Tanzania, 93% of children were cleared of parasites after treatment with chlorproguanil-dapsone, compared to just 39% on standard pyrimethamine-sulfadoxine.
The Southern Highlands region of Tanzania is facing significant biodiversity loss due to widespread harvesting of African orchids. The Wildlife Conservation Society is working to establish a national park in the region to protect the area's floral significance and prevent further depletion of the species.
By analyzing seismic waves, scientists have mapped the physical properties of the earth below, identifying regions with seismically fast mantle that produce gem-quality diamonds. This discovery could aid in locating new diamond mines by targeting areas with similar characteristics.
The NASA Terra spacecraft and ER-2 aircraft conducted the first synchronized scientific observations over Southern Africa as part of the six-week SAFARI 2000 initiative. The target was to measure carbon monoxide levels in the atmosphere, a major component of air pollution.
The Special Issue of Science documents the devastating impact of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, with 24.5 million HIV-infected people facing inaccessible treatments and preventive tactics. The article highlights the need for increased funding, estimated to be between $1.6 billion and $2.6 billion annually.
A new study of ancient stone tools in Eritrea reveals that early humans harvested seafood in Africa around 125,000 years ago. The discovery suggests a widespread adaptive strategy in early human behavior that spread across the continent between 115,000 and 125,000 years ago.
A team of researchers has discovered two nearly complete fossil skulls from the Dmanisi site in Georgia, which may represent the first hominid species to migrate out of Africa. The fossils show clear signs of African ancestry and are dated to around 1.7 million years old.
Researchers have found nearly complete fossil cranium and skullcap in Dmanisi, Georgia, dating back to 1.7 million years ago. The discovery suggests early human species may have left Africa earlier than previously thought, with the possibility that they were driven by appetite for more protein.
African nations can become more prosperous and politically stable by pooling their energy resources through regional electric power grids, according to Purdue University industrial engineers. Cheaper and more widely available electricity would spur industrial and economic growth in regions of southern and western Africa.
Researchers have discovered iron-rich rock formations dating back 2.3 billion years, indicating the presence of land-based life and atmospheric oxygen during that time. The findings, made by Dr. Hiroshi Ohmoto and Nick Beukes, suggest that life on Earth existed much earlier than previously thought.
A 40 million-year-old fossil from Myanmar, Bahinia pondaungensis, sheds light on the origins of anthropoids, a group that includes monkeys and apes. The discovery suggests that these primates may have originated in Asia, rather than Africa, with similarities to tarsiers found in dental anatomy.
New research predicts that up to half of African primate species could go extinct within decades due to habitat loss. The study suggests an 'extinction debt' has been incurred as a result of widespread deforestation in Africa.
A new species of fossil animal has been discovered in South Africa, revealing the country as the birthplace of all mammals. The Anomocephalus africanus discovery reinforces the idea that distant ancestors of mammals originated from this region.
Researchers identified a subspecies of chimpanzees as the natural reservoir of HIV-1, leading to cross-species transmission events. Studying these animals may help protect humans from developing AIDS.
Recent genetic studies suggest modern humans originated in Africa, with extremely high genetic diversity across the continent. This diversity holds potential for understanding genetic diseases of Africans and African Americans, as well as finding treatments for diseases like malaria and HIV.
Scientists discover African Superswell is caused by hot mantle material rising from the core-mantle boundary, elevating southern Africa and driving tectonic plates. This phenomenon, known as dynamic topography, reveals a link between deep mantle dynamics and surface features.
Researchers Caro-Beth Stewart and Todd Disotell propose a new model for the evolution of humans and apes, suggesting that the common ancestor evolved in Asia rather than Africa. This theory requires only two hominoid migration events, marking a significant departure from traditional views.
Archaeologist Stanley Ambrose's findings from the Enkapune Ya Muto rock shelter in Kenya suggest that modern human behavior emerged around 40,000 years ago. The discovery of stone tools and ostrich eggshell beads indicate an early form of social solidarity and adaptive technology.
African climate has abruptly turned from wet to dry in short time spans, every 1,500 years, according to Columbia University paleoclimatologist Peter deMenocal. This cycle matches a pattern of abrupt changes in the North Atlantic region and points to a persistent, naturally occurring cycle of climate change.
Researchers found that treating co-infections with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) significantly reduces the amount of virus shed in semen, making transmission less likely. The study suggests widespread STD screening and therapy could be a crucial step in combating HIV/AIDS globally.
High-volume logging in Central Africa threatens unique forests and wildlife like gorillas and elephants, WCS warns. The U.S. needs to increase funding and presence to protect the region's forests, according to Wildlife Conservation Society expert Michael Fay.
A delegation from the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Project is meeting with South African astronomers to discuss collaboration on constructing a large astronomical telescope. The proposed telescope would be similar in design to the existing Hobby-Eberly Telescope, featuring an 11m primary mirror and 91 hexagonal segments.