Africa: Viruses Aren’t Always Harmful. 6 Ways They’re Used in Health Care and Pest Control

[ad_1] We tend to just think of viruses in terms of their damaging impacts on human health and lives. The 1918 flu pandemic killed around 50 million people. Smallpox claimed 30% of those who caught it, and survivors were often scarred and blinded. More recently, we're all too familiar with the health and economic impacts of COVID. But viruses can also be used to benefit human health, agriculture and the environment. Viruses are comparatively simple in structure, consisting of a […]

January 10, 2024 1

Africa

Africa: Barrage of Discriminatory Laws Stoking Hate Against LGBTI Persons

[ad_1] Last year witnessed a surge in discriminatory legislation directed against LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) persons across Africa, said Amnesty International today. In a new briefing looking at 12 African countries, Amnesty International documents how legal systems were increasingly weaponized in 2023 to systematically target and discriminate against LGBTI individuals. This includes instances where laws were egregiously employed to persecute and marginalize members of the LGBTI community, highlighting a distressing trend of legal mechanisms being used as […]

January 9, 2024 2

Africa

Africa: We Are Facing Extinction: Escalating Anti-LGBTI Sentiment, the Weaponization of Law and Their Human Rights Implications in Select African Countries

[ad_1] Across Africa, LGBTI persons find themselves contending with a disturbing regression of progress, facing relentless protests against their identities, and confronting formidable obstacles to their legal and social rights. The struggle for the realisation of rights of LGBTI people has been marked by significant challenges and a systematic denial of their basic human rights. This review documents the deteriorating state of human rights and a surge in fear and attacks among LGBTI persons, as well as increased oppression and […]

January 9, 2024 2

Africa

Africa: Report Card 2 – Half-Way to the Global Goals Deadline

[ad_1] Halting unsustainable consumption and production which have contributed to the decline of biodiversity and the health of the world's marine, terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems was central to the establishment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Launched in 2015, the Agenda set out a 15-year plan to realize 17 interconnected targets, known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and change that trajectory. In the second of a two-part series, UN News looks at how far the world has come […]

January 3, 2024 2

Africa

Africa: Report Card 1 – Half-Way to the Global Goals Deadline

[ad_1] The global push for a safer, greener and more just world, as outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, has reached its halfway mark, but what progress has been made so far? Launched in 2015, the initiative set out a 15-year plan to realize 17 interconnected targets, known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Since then, the ambitious goals have shaped national action plans, from building resilient cities and reducing inequalities to taking climate action and forging strong […]

January 3, 2024 2