Africa: Five Books About the Covid Pandemic to Look Out for in 2024

[ad_1] Vi-fi, short for virus fiction, describes contemporary fiction that features the devastating events of world-changing outbreaks and epidemics. Rooted in science fiction, vi-fi draws on bio-thrilling realism and parallel worlds with multiple, dystopian possibilities. Since 2020 there has been an exponential rise in vi-fi by a new COVID generation of authors who came out of isolation having experienced a pandemic in real time. We present a podcast about the latest in pandemic fiction. Here are five books about COVID […]

January 25, 2024

Africa

Africa: How Long Does Immunity Last After a Covid Infection?

[ad_1] Nearly four years into the pandemic, Australia, like many other countries, is still seeing large numbers of COVID cases. Some 860,221 infections were recorded around the country in 2023, while 30,283 cases have already been reported in 2024. This is likely to be a significant underestimate, with fewer people testing and reporting than earlier in the pandemic. But the signs suggest parts of Australia are experiencing yet another COVID surge. While some lucky people claim to have never had […]

January 24, 2024

Africa

Africa: Good Lunchboxes Are Based On 4 Things – Here’s How Parents Can Prepare Healthy Food and Keep Costs Down

[ad_1] Heading back to school is a time of great anticipation for many families, but it is not without challenges. One of the big challenges is preparing healthy, easy, affordable and appealing lunchboxes. Lunchboxes are vital for supporting children's energy levels throughout the school day, which in turn helps maintain their concentration. What does a healthy lunchbox contain? How can you keep it fresh, while also keeping costs down? Making a healthy lunchbox A healthy well-balanced lunchbox should have four […]

January 24, 2024

Africa

Africa: The Birthrate Blues – allAfrica.com

[ad_1] Portland, USA — Increasing numbers of countries are experiencing a spreading demographic condition, below replacement fertility, with many governments bemoaning the birthrate blues. Without compensating international migration, a fertility rate below the replacement level, which in most instances is approximately 2.1 births per woman, leads to population decline, a near universal fear among nations that have become addicted to population growth. Fertility rates below the replacement level were relatively uncommon in the distant past with few if any countries […]

January 23, 2024

Africa

Africa: Scared of Sharps? This Map Shows the Way to Delivering Painless Vaccines

[ad_1] Seoul — If the fear of sharps makes a visit to the doctor dreadful, you need not dread it anymore. A South Korean company's invention of an innovative micro-needle patch could make you look forward to your next doctor's visit. The micro-needle patch (MAP) is a painless, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly way to administer vaccines and drugs in place of solid injections, its developers say. The MAP system has the combined advantages of conventional patches and syringes. It has […]

January 23, 2024

Africa

Africa: Students Do Better and Schools Are More Stable When Teachers Get Mental Health Support

[ad_1] When it comes to mental health at school, typically the focus is on helping students, especially as they emerge from the pandemic with heightened levels of anxiety, stress and emotional need. But as school officials seek to put resources toward student well-being, another school population is possibly being overlooked: teachers. Teachers are experiencing high levels of stress, anxiety and work-related trauma in the classroom - much of it stemming from student behavioral problems. The pandemic exacerbated this issue, impacting […]

January 23, 2024

Africa

Africa: Caffeine – Here’s How Quitting Can Benefit Your Health

[ad_1] Caffeine is the most consumed psychoactive compound in the world. Even if you don't drink coffee or tea, you probably still regularly consume caffeine since it's found in everything from fizzy drinks and cold remedies to decaf coffee and chocolate. When caffeine is consumed, it's rapidly absorbed by the body - reaching peak effects within two hours (though it may take up to nine hours to leave your body). It's also water and fat soluble, so it gets into […]

January 22, 2024

Africa

Africa: Malaria Elimination – Lessons From Cabo Verde

[ad_1] The recent certification of Cabo Verde by the World Health Organisation, WHO, as the third malaria-free country in Africa after Mauritius (1973) and Algeria (2019) offers valuable lessons for Nigeria in its fight against the disease. Cabo Verde's success came from sustained commitment from the government. High-level political leadership ensured consistent funding, effective policy implementation, and strong coordination across different sectors. Nigeria can learn to replicate this commitment by prioritising malaria control in national development plans and mobilising resources […]

January 19, 2024

Entertainment

Africa: The Shame and Pleasure of Masturbation – Poor Things Gets Girls’ Early Sexual Feelings Right

[ad_1] This piece contains spoilers for Poor Things. Poor Things can be described in one word: polarising. Yorgos Lanthimos' film follows Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), a scientist's experiment created from a woman's body and a child's mind. It won two Golden Globes and received a standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival. Yet others walked out of the Venice screening during its many sex scenes, one which depicts a father teaching his two sons the birds and the bees by […]

January 19, 2024

Health and Medicine