Society catergory

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | A bucket containing a soupy green mixture sits under a table in Nduna Ewrong-Nxumalo’s consultation room in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa’s economic hub. The traditional healer, or sangoma, has trusted and prescribed the pungent mixture — cannabis tea — to his patients for years. …

Paris, France | AFP | A new treatment for a drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis can cure 80 percent of sufferers, according to a trial hailed Monday as a “game changer” in the fight against the global killer. Doctors in Belarus — a country with one of the highest rates of …

Paris, France | AFP | Women’s bodies undergo a “striking” change during a specific week of pregnancy that can significantly reduce their risk of developing breast cancer later in life, scientists said Tuesday. Previous research has highlighted how women under the age of 30 can reduce their risk of contracting …

Paris, France | AFP | Bits of plastic have been detected in the faeces of people in Europe, Russia and Japan, according to research claiming to show for the first time the widespread presence of plastics in the human food chain. All eight volunteers in a small pilot study were …

Scientists explain why they haven’t found an HIV vaccine yet Madrid, Spain | FLAVIA NASSAKA | A global HIV conference opened on Oct.22 in Madrid, Spain bringing together researchers to discuss strides made in prevention of infections. Dubbed HIV Research for Prevention (HIVR4P) 2018, the week long event which  happens …

When some women develop extreme fear of childbirth Kampala, Uganda | FRANZISKA WADEPHUL, CATRIONA JONES & JULIE JOMEEN | Childbirth can clearly be a scary prospect. For women who have not given birth before, it is the great unknown. Research into women’s concerns and fears suggests that women may be anxious …

A new study in the Journal of Sleep Research, examines unconscious activity Kampala, Uganda | ANA SANDOIU |  A short daytime nap could do wonders for our brains’ ability to process information, suggests a new study. Sleep is key in both memory formation and the consolidation of new information. Cutting-edge …

The facts and the fiction Kampala, Uganda | MOTORING GURU | Regarding fuel consumption, Ugandan motorists can be grouped into two; those that watch the fuel gauge and those that drive on empty. Both carry tiny jerry cans in readiness for a dash to the fuel station whenever they run out. …

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | A deadly Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is deeply worrying, but does not yet merit being labelled a global health emergency, the World Health Organization said Wednesday. “Based on the current context… the committee recommended that the current Ebola outbreak in DRC …

Findings on obesity and economic status Soweto, South Africa | SHUKRI MOHAMED & TILAHUNHAREGU | Africa is experiencing a demographic and nutrition transition. More and more people are moving to urban areas. Slum communities currently constitute about 56% of the urban population in sub-Saharan Africa. That’s more than 200 million …