Africa Science Focus
195 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago -Africa Science Focus is SciDev.Net's award-winning weekly podcast. We dive deep into the impacts that science has on everything from health, to technology, agriculture and life. Subscribe to get the best science and development news from the continent delivered straight to you!
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Episodes
Focus on diabetes, mental health in 2021
January 06, 2021 13:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 23 Did your New Year’s resolutions include going for a medical check-up? Across Sub-Saharan Africa, health workers encourage people to think about their wellbeing as the year begins. We hear why this advice is often not followed. And, while the ‘big three’ diseases continue to be a burden in Africa, experts warn that new and emerging health problems are on the horizon. This week, Africa Science Focus hears from medical specialists who warn that COVID-19 may not be the biggest cha...
Catch up: Africa Science Focus in 2020
December 30, 2020 04:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 22 This year, amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, a new show emerged on Africa’s fledgling podcast scene. Tasked with uncovering the voices of scientists in the least-developed countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and sharing stories from their communities, Africa Science Focus has become a must-listen podcast for policymakers, development practitioners, academics and the general public. Africa Science Focus editor Jackie Opara-Fatoye and SciDev.Net global features and podcasts edi...
Catch up: Africa Science Focus in 2020
December 30, 2020 04:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 22 This year, amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, a new show emerged on Africa’s fledgling podcast scene. Tasked with uncovering the voices of scientists in the least-developed countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and sharing stories from their communities, Africa Science Focus has become a must-listen podcast for policymakers, development practitioners, academics and the general public. Africa Science Focus editor Jackie Opara-Fatoye and SciDev.Net global features and podcasts edi...
‘Eating lake fish is damaging our eyes’
December 23, 2020 15:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 21 Lake Tanganyika is one of Africa’s Great Lakes. It is an aquatic biodiversity hotspot, containing species that are not found anywhere else in the world. But years of pollution and overfishing have left it degraded, and the lake has been ranked among the most threatened in the world. This week, Africa Science Focus reveals fears that eating contaminated fish caught in Lake Tanganyika may be damaging people’s eyesight. Journalist Njenje Chizu reports from the lakeside district of...
‘Eating lake fish is damaging our eyes’
December 23, 2020 15:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 21 Lake Tanganyika is one of Africa’s Great Lakes. It is an aquatic biodiversity hotspot, containing species that are not found anywhere else in the world. But years of pollution and overfishing have left it degraded, and the lake has been ranked among the most threatened in the world. This week, Africa Science Focus reveals fears that eating contaminated fish caught in Lake Tanganyika may be damaging people’s eyesight. Journalist Njenje Chizu reports from the lakeside district of...
Unravel disability with assistive tech
December 16, 2020 14:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 20 This week, Africa Science Focus is shining a light on disability in Sub-Saharan Africa. We look at how assistive technology can improve the lives of people living with disability and highlight the science and innovation underway in Africa’s disability support sector. Want to know more about what’s happening in science in Africa? Send us your questions and we’ll find an expert to answer them — text or voice message WhatsApp +254799042513. Africa Science Focus, with Selly...
Unravel disability with assistive tech
December 16, 2020 14:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 20 This week, Africa Science Focus is shining a light on disability in Sub-Saharan Africa. We look at how assistive technology can improve the lives of people living with disability and highlight the science and innovation underway in Africa’s disability support sector. Want to know more about what’s happening in science in Africa? Send us your questions and we’ll find an expert to answer them — text or voice message WhatsApp +254799042513. Africa Science Focus, with Selly...
COVID-19, fear and maternal health
December 09, 2020 15:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 19 Preventable maternal and child deaths increased during recent Ebola outbreaks in Sub-Saharan Africa as women lost access to health services. This week, Africa Science Focus examines the effect COVID-19 is having on maternal health. “We used to have daily updates, they used to say that as a pregnant woman you are at risk of contracting coronavirus. When it came to attending antenatal I was very scared,” Juliet Banda tells Africa Science Focus. Want to know more about what’s h...
COVID-19, fear and maternal health
December 09, 2020 15:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 19 Preventable maternal and child deaths increased during recent Ebola outbreaks in Sub-Saharan Africa as women lost access to health services. This week, Africa Science Focus examines the effect COVID-19 is having on maternal health. “We used to have daily updates, they used to say that as a pregnant woman you are at risk of contracting coronavirus. When it came to attending antenatal I was very scared,” Juliet Banda tells Africa Science Focus. Want to know more about what’s h...
From human waste to liquid gold
December 02, 2020 11:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 18 Ever wondered if your urine could help with food security in Africa? We go to Malawi this week to hear how a ‘magic liquid’ is helping farmers cope with the high cost of synthetic fertilisers, while keeping the marketplaces cleaner and smelling fresher. And, we hear from science research gurus Fredros Okumu and Alice Matimba about Your Digital Mentor Podcast, which explores mentoring, research, and career development. Want to know more about what’s happening in science in Af...
From human waste to liquid gold
December 02, 2020 11:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 18 Ever wondered if your urine could help with food security in Africa? We go to Malawi this week to hear how a ‘magic liquid’ is helping farmers cope with the high cost of synthetic fertilisers, while keeping the marketplaces cleaner and smelling fresher. And, we hear from science research gurus Fredros Okumu and Alice Matimba about Your Digital Mentor Podcast, which explores mentoring, research, and career development. Want to know more about what’s happening in science in Af...
Labia stretching and its controversies
November 25, 2020 13:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 17 Is labia stretching — also called labia minora elongation — a violation of girls’ and women’s rights, or a harmless cultural practice? To some, it’s a form of female genital mutilation. To others, labia pulling is just part of having a sex life. This week, Africa Science Focus goes to Zambia to seek answers from women and health experts. Want to know more about what’s happening in science in Africa? Send us your questions and we’ll find an expert to answer them — text or voi...
Labia stretching and its controversies
November 25, 2020 13:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 17 Is labia stretching — also called labia minora elongation — a violation of girls’ and women’s rights, or a harmless cultural practice? To some, it’s a form of female genital mutilation. To others, labia pulling is just part of having a sex life. This week, Africa Science Focus goes to Zambia to seek answers from women and health experts. Want to know more about what’s happening in science in Africa? Send us your questions and we’ll find an expert to answer them — text or voi...
Health costs and the ‘ugly’ gender gap
November 18, 2020 16:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 16 This week, Africa Science Focus is in The Gambia, talking to women about how gender inequality is affecting their health. Across much of Sub-Saharan Africa, there are at least five times more male doctors than female doctors, while women are often financially dependent on men. “The access to precious health services depends on men’s decisions,” says Samiratou Ouédraogo, an epidemiology and public health specialist. Want to know more about what’s happening in science in Afri...
Health costs and the ‘ugly’ gender gap
November 18, 2020 16:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 16 This week, Africa Science Focus is in The Gambia, talking to women about how gender inequality is affecting their health. Across much of Sub-Saharan Africa, there are at least five times more male doctors than female doctors, while women are often financially dependent on men. “The access to precious health services depends on men’s decisions,” says Samiratou Ouédraogo, an epidemiology and public health specialist. Want to know more about what’s happening in science in Afri...
Life with fistula – and stigma
November 11, 2020 12:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 15 This week on Africa Science Focus, two women narrate their painful experience with obstetric fistula, a devastating birth injury that can be treated with a simple surgery that too many women cannot access. In Uganda, the Ministry of Health estimates between 140,000 and 200,000 women are living with fistula. The condition impacts the health and wellbeing of both girls and women worldwide. Want to know more about what’s happening in science in Africa? Send us your questions and...
Life with fistula – and stigma
November 11, 2020 12:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 15 This week on Africa Science Focus, two women narrate their painful experience with obstetric fistula, a devastating birth injury that can be treated with a simple surgery that too many women cannot access. In Uganda, the Ministry of Health estimates between 140,000 and 200,000 women are living with fistula. The condition impacts the health and wellbeing of both girls and women worldwide. Want to know more about what’s happening in science in Africa? Send us your questions and...
The need to create a sound mental health policy
November 04, 2020 15:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 14 Africa Science Focus takes time this week to reflect on how life issues like divorce take a toll on the mental health of the individual and the need for Africa to create a robust mental health policy. Want to know more about what’s happening in science in Africa? Send us your questions and we’ll find an expert to answer them — text or voice message WhatsApp +254799042513. Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.
The need to create a sound mental health policy
November 04, 2020 15:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 14 Africa Science Focus takes time this week to reflect on how life issues like divorce take a toll on the mental health of the individual and the need for Africa to create a robust mental health policy. Want to know more about what’s happening in science in Africa? Send us your questions and we’ll find an expert to answer them — text or voice message WhatsApp +254799042513. Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi. Do you have any comments, questions or feedback about our po...
Accessing sexual reproductive health information
October 28, 2020 17:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 13 Did you listen to our previous episode on how women in Sub-Saharan Africa access abortions? On Africa Science Focus this week, we explore apps young people in Sub-Saharan Africa can access to get information on sexual reproductive health in a bid to reduce unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection, including HIV-AIDS. Want to know more about what’s happening in science in Africa? Send us your questions and we’ll find an expert to answer them — text or voice messa...
Accessing sexual reproductive health information
October 28, 2020 17:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 13 Did you listen to our previous episode on how women in Sub-Saharan Africa access abortions? On Africa Science Focus this week, we explore apps young people in Sub-Saharan Africa can access to get information on sexual reproductive health in a bid to reduce unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection, including HIV-AIDS. Want to know more about what’s happening in science in Africa? Send us your questions and we’ll find an expert to answer them — text or voice messa...
Boosting women in health research
October 21, 2020 15:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 12 Following our popular episode, ‘Where are Africa’s women in STEM?’, Africa Science Focus this week hears from female scientists who are launching their careers. From Janelisa Musaya in Malawi, to Violet Kayamba in Zambia and Martha Zewdie Gebeyehu in Ethiopia, some of the most important research on the continent is being led by women. Want to know more about what’s happening in science in Africa? Send us your questions and we’ll find an expert to answer them — text or voice ...
Boosting women in health research
October 21, 2020 15:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 12 Following our popular episode, ‘Where are Africa’s women in STEM?’, Africa Science Focus this week hears from female scientists who are launching their careers. From Janelisa Musaya in Malawi, to Violet Kayamba in Zambia and Martha Zewdie Gebeyehu in Ethiopia, some of the most important research on the continent is being led by women. Want to know more about what’s happening in science in Africa? Send us your questions and we’ll find an expert to answer them — text or voice ...
Africa’s edtech future
October 14, 2020 13:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 11 Africa has the youngest population in the world, and the billion-dollar market for digital learning and education technologies is on the rise. Locally developed e-learning solutions will be the future of education in Africa, says Given Edward, the head of edtech venture Mtabe, as this year’s lockdowns have shown that learning happens beyond the classroom. “It’s not a matter of if, it’s just a matter of when. That’s where the world is heading, and that’s where we are heading,...
Africa’s edtech future
October 14, 2020 13:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 11 Africa has the youngest population in the world, and the billion-dollar market for digital learning and education technologies is on the rise. Locally developed e-learning solutions will be the future of education in Africa, says Given Edward, the head of edtech venture Mtabe, as this year’s lockdowns have shown that learning happens beyond the classroom. “It’s not a matter of if, it’s just a matter of when. That’s where the world is heading, and that’s where we are heading,...
Rebuilding science after conflict
October 07, 2020 16:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 10 Africa Science Focus takes time this week to reflect on the impact that conflict has had on research and development across the continent. Science is an easily forgotten victim of war, natural disaster and public health crises. “Research, for the most part, is done in an enabling environment. With conflict … and bullets flying all over the place, that might not be the best environment for all kinds of researchers,” says Sierra Leone’s information and communications minister...
Rebuilding science after conflict
October 07, 2020 16:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 10 Africa Science Focus takes time this week to reflect on the impact that conflict has had on research and development across the continent. Science is an easily forgotten victim of war, natural disaster and public health crises. “Research, for the most part, is done in an enabling environment. With conflict … and bullets flying all over the place, that might not be the best environment for all kinds of researchers,” says Sierra Leone’s information and communications minister...
Malaria: Africa’s nagging health burden
September 30, 2020 16:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 9 This week’s Africa Science Focus is on malaria, one of the biggest killers on the continent. “Malaria is so common you can get it anywhere, anyhow, any time,” Jessica, a malaria sufferer in Liberia, tells the programme. This is because Africa’s mosquitoes are “supremely efficient vectors of malaria disease”, says the World Health Organization’s David Schellenberg. And from Malawi, Catherine Tasankha Chaima was named a finalist in the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation...
Malaria: Africa’s nagging health burden
September 30, 2020 16:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 9 This week’s Africa Science Focus is on malaria, one of the biggest killers on the continent. “Malaria is so common you can get it anywhere, anyhow, any time,” Jessica, a malaria sufferer in Liberia, tells the programme. This is because Africa’s mosquitoes are “supremely efficient vectors of malaria disease”, says the World Health Organization’s David Schellenberg. And from Malawi, Catherine Tasankha Chaima was named a finalist in the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation...
East Africa’s operation locust swarm
September 23, 2020 10:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 8 Locust swarms spanning up to 2400 square kilometres — the largest for a century — have been ravaging East Africa’s croplands over the past year. Yet could efforts to control the insects also be threatening buffalo breeding, tourism, national parks — and lions? The average swarm consumes more food in one day than 30,000 people. As the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization predicts new swarms in the region, Africa Science Focus investigates the battle to prevent famine and fight...
East Africa’s operation locust swarm
September 23, 2020 10:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 8 Locust swarms spanning up to 2400 square kilometres — the largest for a century — have been ravaging East Africa’s croplands over the past year. Yet could efforts to control the insects also be threatening buffalo breeding, tourism, national parks — and lions? The average swarm consumes more food in one day than 30,000 people. As the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization predicts new swarms in the region, Africa Science Focus investigates the battle to prevent famine and fight...
Pandemic tech innovation silver lining
September 16, 2020 14:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 7 Africa Science Focus is back with another exciting episode looking at how the COVID-19 pandemic is inspiring health and education innovations. Young developers in Africa are changing the face of innovation with new ventilators, face masks and gloves, as well as digital learning. “These new innovations are pushing us towards the new normal, the new trend in the world that is towards technology” says Victor Sesay, director of technology and innovation in Sierra Leon’s ministry of...
Pandemic tech innovation silver lining
September 16, 2020 14:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 7 Africa Science Focus is back with another exciting episode looking at how the COVID-19 pandemic is inspiring health and education innovations. Young developers in Africa are changing the face of innovation with new ventilators, face masks and gloves, as well as digital learning. “These new innovations are pushing us towards the new normal, the new trend in the world that is towards technology” says Victor Sesay, director of technology and innovation in Sierra Leon’s ministry of...
Where are Africa’s women in STEM?
September 09, 2020 16:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 6 The focus of today’s show: women in science. The number of women pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics — known as STEM — is discouragingly low, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. “Traditionally, women grow up thinking that those difficult subjects are for men,” Grace Nambatya Kyeyune, director of research at Uganda’s Natural Chemotherapeutics Research Institute tells Africa Science Focus. And teenagers Phiri, Retisher and Mutumba give us an ins...
Where are Africa’s women in STEM?
September 09, 2020 16:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 6 The focus of today’s show: women in science. The number of women pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics — known as STEM — is discouragingly low, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. “Traditionally, women grow up thinking that those difficult subjects are for men,” Grace Nambatya Kyeyune, director of research at Uganda’s Natural Chemotherapeutics Research Institute tells Africa Science Focus. And teenagers Phiri, Retisher and Mutumba give us an ins...
Foreign funding ‘controlling’ African research
September 02, 2020 15:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 5 Africa Science Focus this week looks at whether African institutions are free to take independent decisions on research in the continent. African governments have not given research the attention it deserves, according to Alhaji Njai, a professor of infectious diseases and toxicology at the University of Sierra Leone and research fellow at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, USA. “African researchers are not in control of the research within Africa because if you are an Afr...
Foreign funding ‘controlling’ African research
September 02, 2020 15:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 5 Africa Science Focus this week looks at whether African institutions are free to take independent decisions on research in the continent. African governments have not given research the attention it deserves, according to Alhaji Njai, a professor of infectious diseases and toxicology at the University of Sierra Leone and research fellow at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, USA. “African researchers are not in control of the research within Africa because if you are an Afr...
Robots and one tap payment in Rwanda
August 26, 2020 14:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 4 On this week’s show, we explore how climate change and COVID-19 are impacting farmers in Malawi, while contactless innovations are changing the way people live in Rwanda. Malawi’s economy is driven by the agricultural sector, which accounts for nearly 80 per cent of employment. The country is experiencing a food crisis brought on by recent droughts and flooding. We hear from the agricultural extension services gurus spreading technology advice to farmers. Rwanda’s fledgling cas...
Robots and one tap payment in Rwanda
August 26, 2020 14:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 4 On this week’s show, we explore how climate change and COVID-19 are impacting farmers in Malawi, while contactless innovations are changing the way people live in Rwanda. Malawi’s economy is driven by the agricultural sector, which accounts for nearly 80 per cent of employment. The country is experiencing a food crisis brought on by recent droughts and flooding. We hear from the agricultural extension services gurus spreading technology advice to farmers. Rwanda’s fledgling cas...
Meet the finance, agriculture innovators reshaping Zambia
August 19, 2020 16:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 3 On this week’s show, we speak to the entrepreneurs and innovators revolutionising Zambia. With youth unemployment in Zambia above 20 per cent, young people are looking for alternative ways to make their mark. We hear how information and communication technologies are playing a central role. And, we learn about the difficulties faced by smallholders. More than 70 per cent of Zambians rely on small-scale farming for their livelihoods, and female farmers produce up to 80 per cent o...
Meet the finance, agriculture innovators reshaping Zambia
August 19, 2020 16:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 3 On this week’s show, we speak to the entrepreneurs and innovators revolutionising Zambia. With youth unemployment in Zambia above 20 per cent, young people are looking for alternative ways to make their mark. We hear how information and communication technologies are playing a central role. And, we learn about the difficulties faced by smallholders. More than 70 per cent of Zambians rely on small-scale farming for their livelihoods, and female farmers produce up to 80 per cent o...
Changing Africa’s abortion laws
August 12, 2020 14:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 2 This week, a closer look at how women in Sub-Saharan Africa access abortions. Malawi’s maternal mortality rate remains one of the highest in the world, with complications from unsafe abortion estimated to account for up to 18 per cent of maternal deaths. “This current law now is killing people, it’s killing women, it’s killing girls, because it’s not safe, it’s not accommodative,” a woman who was unable to access a legal abortion tells Africa Science Focus. Meanwhile, Malaw...
Changing Africa’s abortion laws
August 12, 2020 14:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 2 This week, a closer look at how women in Sub-Saharan Africa access abortions. Malawi’s maternal mortality rate remains one of the highest in the world, with complications from unsafe abortion estimated to account for up to 18 per cent of maternal deaths. “This current law now is killing people, it’s killing women, it’s killing girls, because it’s not safe, it’s not accommodative,” a woman who was unable to access a legal abortion tells Africa Science Focus. Meanwhile, Malaw...
Africa Science Focus
August 05, 2020 15:00 - 14 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 1 In our first episode, presenter Selly Amutabi brings you stories about how health services have been coping with disruptions caused by efforts to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. We look into how COVID-19 has affected the prioritisation of resources, such as reproductive health services. In Tanzania, young women and men feel discouraged from collecting contraception from health facilities because of coronavirus infection fears and social stigma. “It hasn’t been easy accessi...
Africa Science Focus
August 05, 2020 15:00 - 14 minutes - 10.4 MBEpisode 1 In our first episode, presenter Selly Amutabi brings you stories about how health services have been coping with disruptions caused by efforts to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. We look into how COVID-19 has affected the prioritisation of resources, such as reproductive health services. In Tanzania, young women and men feel discouraged from collecting contraception from health facilities because of coronavirus infection fears and social stigma. “It hasn’t been easy accessi...