Feature Stories

In Kwa Bada village in north-eastern Tanzania, community health volunteer Sylvia Petro is hunting an ancient, endemic disease and shining a light on the devastating stigma that surrounds it.

At the helm of Tattali Iyali Foundation – a charity organization, Niger’s First Lady, Her Excellency Dr Lalla Malika Issoufou, has supported the country’s efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. She explains the impact the pandemic has had on women and the measures to protect them from further vulnerabilities.

In an incredible scientific feat, COVID-19 vaccines have been developed within less than a year after the virus was first detected. Several vaccines that have become available have shown different levels of efficacy. So what is vaccine efficacy? Dr Lee Hampton, a paediatrician and medical epidemiologist with GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, explains.

Niger has witnessed a decline in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks following a surge. Public Health Minister Hon. Botto Ahmet explains what it took to cut back infections and the efforts being strengthened to curb the spread of the virus.

With COVID-19 cases declining after a second wave of the pandemic in Mauritania saw an acute, fast rise, Minister of Health Minister Hon. Dr Mohamed Nedhirou Hamed shares what it took to limit the spread of the virus and the lessons learned that can be applied to an eventual COVID-19 vaccination.

Efforts to end female genital mutilation are gradually bearing fruit in Tanzania. The prevalence of the ritual that marks a rite of passage among some communities has now fallen to around 10% from 18% in 1996.

Having survived cancer, Christelle, a mother of five, is now tapping into her experience to raise awareness and kindle hope among cancer patients, making early detection the thrust of her message to women in communities around the Republic of Congo’s capital Brazzaville. She narrates how she overcame the disease and how her outreach is helping others.

As African countries gear up for the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, it is crucial to lay a strong groundwork for what will be the continent’s largest-ever immunization campaign. The World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, are working with countries to shore up readiness using a 10-point assessment tool.

New COVID-19 variants have emerged in Africa as the continent records a new peak in infections. While virus mutations are not unusual, those that are more infectious are worrisome. Professor Francisca Mutapi, Professor in Global Health Infection and Immunity, University of Edinburgh, explains the implications of SARS-CoV-2 variants and what African countries can do to respond.

In early November 2020, positive samples for yellow fever were reported from five Nigerian states. Nigeria is a high-risk country for yellow fever and is a priority country for the global eliminate yellow fever epidemics (EYE) strategy. The re-emergence of the virus there in September 2017 has been marked by outbreaks throughout the country.