Pasha - from The Conversation Africa
299 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingWelcome to Pasha, The Conversation Africa’s brand new podcast. In the spirit of The Conversation, Pasha – which means to inform in Swahili – will be bringing you some of the best and brightest research from academics across the continent. After nearly four years of publishing expert research, we’re thrilled to be bringing our own brand of smart journalism to a new audio format. Each episode will collect stories and commentary on a given theme.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Pasha 100: Tackling banditry, terrorism and kidnapping in Nigeria
March 17, 2021 15:07 - 8 minutes - 7.96 MBGettyImages Insecurity is common throughout Nigeria. But the northern region is the worst affected because of attacks by the terror group Boko Haram, banditry, kidnappings and conflict between farmers and herdsmen. The chaos has led to the closure of some schools and a feeling of helplessness among citizens in states where attacks are on the increase. Sheriff Folarin, a professor of political science and a peace and conflict scholar, blames the current state of affairs on successive go...
Pasha 99: Why Patrice Motsepe is a good choice for the next CAF president
March 11, 2021 16:26 - 11 minutes - 10.9 MBPatrice Motsepe Getty Images The president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has a tough job. It includes working with FIFA to run the sport in Africa, and overseeing the continent’s tournaments and leagues. There are also issues of broadcast rights and improving the organisation’s poor reputation. The latest to throw their name into the ring is South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe. The mining magnate is the owner of Mamelodi Sundowns, a club he led to success in Sout...
Pasha 98: Why it's important to understand how much water is in the Nile river
February 25, 2021 14:31 - 6 minutes - 6.39 MBshutterstock The Nile river flows through 11 countries in Africa. It is a major source of water for millions of people. This makes it increasingly important that the river is used in a way that’s equitable and fair to all. The starting point is to know how much water there is in the river system, and where – including soil moisture. In today’s episode of Pasha, Emad Hasan, a postdoctoral researcher in remote sensing hydrology at Binghamton University and the State University of New York...
Pasha 97: Everything you need to know about ivermectin
February 05, 2021 14:04 - 17 minutes - 15.8 MBshutterstock Ivermectin has become one of the most talked about drugs in the world. A highly effective treatment for fighting parasites in animals, it was later also shown to be effective in humans. In 2015 the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was given to William Campbell and Satoshi Ōmura for discovering its use against infections caused by roundworm parasites. Interest in the drug has spiked following laboratory evidence that it has an active ingredient that acts against the COV...
Pasha 96: The impact of COVID-19 on Nigeria's oil dependent economy
February 03, 2021 14:39 - 8 minutes - 8.21 MBGettyImages In response to COVID-19, governments around the world, including Nigeria, adopted lockdown measures to curtail the spread of the coronavirus. As expected, these measures were generally unfavourable to businesses and livelihoods. Nigeria is yet to recover from the blows to its already faltering and largely informal economy. In today’s episode of Pasha, Ndubuisi Nwokoma discusses the impact of COVID-19 on the Nigerian economy and the government’s recovery plan. He is professor ...
Pasha 95: Key questions answered on the results of the Novavax vaccine trials
February 01, 2021 15:23 - 19 minutes - 17.6 MBshutterstock Novavax vaccine trials run in South Africa and the UK indicate that its efficacy in the UK was 89% at least 7 days after individuals had received two doses of vaccine. In South Africa, the vaccine efficacy was 60% in people living without HIV. The trial is being viewed as highly significant because it is the first vaccine to be tested on a particular COVID-19 variant first identified in South Africa. In today’s episode of Pasha Shabir Madhi, professor of vaccinology and di...
Pasha 94: Talking about masculinity with South African artist Nakhane
January 27, 2021 15:12 - 9 minutes - 8.53 MBNakhane live at Omeara What is it to be a man? Through their role in the film Inxeba and the music videos from their albums, South African singer-songwriter, author and actor Nakhane presents themself as fiercely gender nonconforming. With a focus on queer identity and the complexities of manhood, Nakhane’s work challenges conventional notions of masculinity. In today’s episode of Pasha, Associate Professor Gibson Ncube from the University of Zimbabwe talks to Nakhane about their views o...
Pasha 92: How we discovered two new giant radio galaxies
January 24, 2021 06:08 - 7 minutes - 7.23 MBMeerKAT Radio Telescope A telescope in South Africa by the name of MeerKAT enabled the discovery of two giant radio galaxies recently. Finding one radio galaxy is special. Finding two is fantastic. Radio galaxies get their name from the fact that they release huge beams, or “jets”, of radio light. The find was made possible by the ability of a phenomenally powerful telescope called the MeerKAT to detect faint, diffuse light, which previous telescopes were unable to do. The giant radio gal...
Pasha 93: Nigeria doesn't have a coherent COVID-19 vaccine plan. What's needed
January 20, 2021 13:56 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MBGettyImages Many countries are either buying or planning to buy COVID-19 vaccines to immunise their citizens. But there is not yet a coherent plan by the Nigerian government for how to get the vaccines. Public officials have announced different plans just as some state governments are also planning to get their own supply. Daniel Oladimeji Oluwayelu, a professor of virology at the University of Ibadan, offers insight into how Nigeria can source vaccines and why it urgently needs a dis...
Pasha 91: Blunders that left South Africa trailing in the vaccine stakes
January 14, 2021 14:31 - 17 minutes - 16.4 MBshutterstock The South African government has announced plans to vaccinate about two-thirds of its population against COVID-19 by the end of the year. The aim is to do this in three phases, starting with healthcare workers in phase one, the elderly and those with co-morbidities in phase two and the rest of the population in phase three. But the plan has been vehemently attacked as lacking in any detail. In addition, the government has been lambasted for failing to acquire vaccines. Sha...
Pasha 90: How COVID-19 has hit the tourism sector
December 10, 2020 14:25 - 14 minutes - 13.6 MBshutterstock COVID-19 has affected most industries and sectors in some way. One of those hit the hardest is the tourism sector as a result of lockdowns, borders closing and the global pandemic. Hospitality, aviation and travel for sport and religion were all hit hard. But what steps have tourism industries taken to survive? How have these industries coped during this time? In today’s episode of Pasha, Kaitano Dube at the Vaal University of Technology, and Godwell Nhamo and David Chikodzi...
Pasha 89: Talking about earthquakes in South Africa
December 02, 2020 14:42 - 14 minutes - 13.2 MBshutterstock Earthquakes are quite rare on the African continent. But that’s not to say that one couldn’t hit and be damaging. Recently the Western Cape region of South Africa saw some earthquake activity, though it’s unusual and was low on the scale that measures earthquakes. There is always a risk that a larger one could hit the region. Why do they occur? Is South Africa prepared? What about potential damage to the nuclear power plant in the region? In today’s episode of Pasha, Ray Du...
Pasha 88: Lockdown and young people living on the streets of Harare, Zimbabwe
November 25, 2020 14:36 - 9 minutes - 8.32 MBGettyImages For many young people living on the streets, lockdown and the COVID-19 pandemic has made their situation worse. The city of Harare in Zimbabwe was no exception. Lockdown made it difficult for young people to find food and make money in the informal economy. Researchers set up a story map – a map with text, images and multimedia content – to hear their voices and understand their experiences. It’s part of a three-year project called Growing up on the Streets, which worked with...
Pasha 87: Why de-escalation and dialogue is necessary for Ethiopia and Tigray
November 18, 2020 15:04 - 13 minutes - 12.1 MBGettyImages Tensions between Ethiopia’s central government and its Tigray region escalated after Tigray disputed a decision by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to delay elections. Tigray held its own elections. Ahmed then launched a military offensive on Tigray. Mass casualties, suffering and regional conflict are likely. Ethiopia, which has a legacy of civil war, needs to work towards a peaceful resolution. But what will that take? In today’s episode of Pasha, Francesca Baldwin, a P...
Pasha 86: Why it's wrong to be pessimistic about democracy in Africa
November 11, 2020 14:55 - 16 minutes - 15 MBshutterstock The state of democracy on the continent is often depicted as generally negative. But the reality is more nuanced. African countries represent a spectrum, from relatively stable democracies like Botswana, Ghana and South Africa to problem spots where opposition and transfers of power are not tolerated. There is no single trend. Tanzania, Ivory Coast and Guinea may appear to be backsliding towards authoritarianism, but they don’t represent the entire continent. In today’s ep...
Pasha 85: Large numbers of seals aborted in Namibia this season: scientists investigate
November 04, 2020 14:41 - 9 minutes - 8.99 MBshutterstock Around 5,000 aborted seal foetuses were found at a Cape fur seal colony on Namibia’s coast in October 2020. Events like this have occurred before, for example in 1994, but this high rate of simultaneous abortion has not been seen recently. The reasons for seal pups being aborted may be poor nutrition or infections in the mothers. The causes this time remain to be seen and scientists are collecting as much information as possible. In today’s episode of Pasha, Tess Gridley, r...
Pasha 84: South Africa and a resurgence of COVID-19
October 28, 2020 14:28 - 14 minutes - 13 MBshutterstock South Africa will almost certainly experience a resurgence of COVID-19. However, this new round is likely to be lower than the first round of infections in the country. This is because at the peak earlier in the year, restrictions were being eased and an estimated 35%-40% of South Africans had already been infected with the virus. The worry is that this time round the country’s hospitals could come under great pressure if people don’t adhere to non-pharmaceutical intervention...
Pasha 83: Talking #EndSARS and the new proposed unit
October 21, 2020 15:46 - 9 minutes - 8.69 MBGettyImages Following over two weeks’ protest against police brutality in Nigeria, there are reports that a number of protesters have been shot with live ammunition. Reports suggest that unarmed protesters were shot by military men at the Lekki toll plaza in Lagos on Tuesday, October 20. The shooting was said to have occurred just before a 24 hour curfew imposed by the Lagos State government. The people were protesting against human rights abuses perpetrated by a now disbanded unit in t...
Pasha special edition, part 2: The significance of the call to prayer in Islam
October 14, 2020 13:28 - 8 minutes - 7.56 MBshutterstock The call to prayer in Islam has been sounded out aloud for centuries. Recently in South Africa a citizen took issue with the noise coming from the Islamic education centre in his neighbourhood and took the matter to court. Here we explain how the call to prayer came about, why it’s important and some of the issues around it. In today’s episode of Pasha, Suleman Essop Dangor, emeritus professor of religion at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, discusses the call to prayer. He ...
Pasha special edition: The Muslim call to prayer controversy in South Africa, part 1
October 07, 2020 15:01 - 9 minutes - 8.3 MBshutterstock The call to prayer in Islam, or adhan, as it’s known in Arabic, has come under the spotlight in South Africa. Fed up with hearing the call to prayer from a neighbouring Islamic education centre in Durban, a resident took the centre to court alleging the call amounted to “nuisance noise”. The court agreed, ruling that the centre should only announce the call to prayer within the confines of its walls. In today’s episode of Pasha, Thomas Coggin, a senior lecturer in property l...
Pasha 82: Remembering South Africa's George Bizos
September 30, 2020 15:04 - 6 minutes - 6.22 MBshutterstock South African human rights lawyer and advocate George Bizos passed away on 9 September 2020. Bizos was famous as a fighter for human rights and was one of Nelson Mandela’s lawyers in the Rivonia trial. He also represented anti-apartheid struggle icons like Ahmed Kathrada. Bizos left an important legacy in South Africa. In today’s episode of Pasha Kylie Thomas, a research fellow at the NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies in the Netherlands, pays tribute to ...
Pasha 81: A closer look at the informal water market in Kenya
September 23, 2020 14:23 - 12 minutes - 11.3 MBGettyImages Water is a scarce resource. In certain parts of Nairobi, Kenya, water is hard to come by. This has created a market for informal vendors to exist. Often these vendors sell water at highly inflated prices and they often take water from cut municipality pipes, which can lead to contaminated water. But the vendors are necessary because they provide people with water which they would normally struggle to access. This means that steps need to be taken to ensure that water is provid...
Pasha 80: A new app helps COVID-19 frontline workers with mental health
September 09, 2020 15:24 - 9 minutes - 8.8 MBshutterstock Fighting the coronavirus can put severe strain on a person’s mental health. Frontline workers in healthcare constantly have to deal with challenges of life and death importance. With this in mind, a team of researchers and health experts in South Africa developed an app to help healthcare professionals cope with anxiety and stress. The app connects healthcare workers to information, resources and each other. It recognises the importance of holistic protection. In today’s ep...
Pasha 79: Why South Africa's role in COVID-19 vaccine trials is important
September 02, 2020 14:58 - 4 minutes - 3.79 MBshutterstock South Africa is one of the countries where trials are under way to find an efficacious vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease. South Africa’s participation in these trials is crucial. These vaccines are produced in the West and it’s important that they prove to be safe and effective in African countries. Participation in the trials also means that should a vaccine prove to work, the country may have easier access to it. In today’s episode of Pasha...
Pasha 78: South Africa's second COVID-19 vaccine trial explained
August 26, 2020 14:59 - 12 minutes - 11.3 MBshutterstock Trials have begun in South Africa for a second COVID-19 vaccine study. The hope is that at least one of the vaccines being trialled will show promise and play a role in eliminating the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. In this episode of Pasha, Shabir Madhi, professor of vaccinology and director of the vaccines and infectious diseases analytics research unit at the University of the Witwatersrand, explains why there are multiple vaccine studies under way, the differences between th...
Pasha 77: Explainer: the oil spill in Mauritius
August 19, 2020 14:31 - 7 minutes - 7.02 MBGettyImages This is not the first time a ship has run aground in Mauritius, the island nation 2,000 kilometres off the south-east coast of Africa. But how and why did it happen again? Could the government have done more to prevent the spillage that is wreaking havoc on the coastal systems? What will the impact be for the biodiversity? What will it take to clean up this mess and avoid situations like these in the future? In today’s episode of Pasha, Adam Moolna, a lecturer in environment...
Pasha 76: Taking a look at an intensive care unit during the COVID-19 pandemic
August 12, 2020 14:01 - 8 minutes - 7.43 MBshutterstock Nowadays, when one thinks of an intensive care unit or ICU, one might think of a ventilator. But the ICU is so much more than that. A lot of work that goes into keeping patients stable in the ICU so they can recover better. And in this challenging time of the coronavirus, ICUs have come under strain. As part of a global study, Groote Schuur hospital in Cape Town has joined a global alliance sharing clinical insights and using cutting edge technology to find more effective tre...
Pasha 75: Facebook helped us to learn what snakes eat. Why this is important
August 06, 2020 13:36 - 7 minutes - 7.04 MBSnake eating a frog Theo Busschau Snakes eat a great diversity of prey but the details of each species’ diet have long been a bit of a mystery. That’s because it’s difficult to observe their infrequent and unpredictable feeding behaviour. But it’s important to understand their diet because of its impact on ecological systems and its role in venom biochemistry. Snake bites account for many deaths on the African continent. Two researchers used a novel way to gather information about the rept...
Pasha 74: From girl to adult: the impact of early marriages in Ghana
July 29, 2020 14:13 - 8 minutes - 7.76 MBshutterstock There are a number of reasons why many girls marry young in Ghana. They include gender inequality, poverty, traditional and customary practices, social norms, peer pressure and poor parenting. The impact of early marriage on girls’ lives can be negative, especially if they drop out of school and are not ready for adult responsibilities. But some adolescent girls report being happy in their marriages, saying their quality of life is better than it was in their parents’ home. E...
Pasha 73: Looking into fake COVID-19 medication in West Africa
July 22, 2020 15:06 - 7 minutes - 7.19 MBshutterstock Fake medication is doing the rounds in Ghana and Nigeria. A BBC Africa Eye documentary into sales of fake COVID-19 drugs looked into this. Traditional healers are selling these concoctions to people who believe that it will cure them of the coronavirus. The investigation found that many of the fake drugs have harmful substances in them. In today’s episode of Pasha, Wuraola Akande-Sholabi, a lecturer at the faculty of pharmacy at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria, talks to...
Pasha 72: A much-needed conversation on gender-based violence in South Africa
July 15, 2020 13:45 - 4 minutes - 4.32 MBshutterstock According to the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, the country is facing a second pandemic – gender-based violence. But what exactly is government doing about it? Numerous interventions suggest that effort is going into trying to deal with the problem. But are the actions being taken enough? In today’s episode of Pasha Amanda Gouws, Professor of Political Science and SARChi Chair in Gender Politics at Stellenbosch University looks at gender-based violence in the c...
Pasha 71: COVID-19 vaccine trial in South Africa explained
July 08, 2020 13:27 - 9 minutes - 9.01 MBshutterstock South African researchers, in collaboration with Oxford University’s Jenner Institute, are trialling a vaccine for the COVID-19. Trials of this nature are important because they give robust data about the safety of vaccines. Being part of the trial will also mean that South Africa won’t lag behind should a vaccine prove to work. But how exactly does the trial work? Who receives the vaccine and the placebo? Are South African volunteers being used as “guinea pigs”? In this epi...
Pasha 70: Why have I been having weird dreams during the pandemic?
July 01, 2020 14:19 - 8 minutes - 7.56 MBshutterstock Sleep is incredibly important for the body and mind. When we sleep our immune system makes antibodies, which help fight off pathogens. That’s obviously vital during a health crisis. But many people have been having disrupted sleep and weird dreams in recent times. In today’s episode of Pasha, Dale Rae, Director of Sleep Science and a senior researcher at the faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Cape Town, discusses why it’s so necessary to sleep well and why the...
Pasha 69: Five ways to stop young people from smoking
June 24, 2020 12:11 - 11 minutes - 10.1 MBshutterstock Most adult smokers take up the habit before the age of 20. So, if governments can prevent young people from smoking, it’s likely they won’t smoke in adulthood. To ensure a smoke-free future, governments should aim anti-smoking campaigns at young people. But how can they go about this? To answer this question, this episode’s guests are Corné van Walbeek, a professor at the University of Cape Town’s School of Economics and principal investigator of the Economics of Tobacco Co...
Pasha 68: Higher education in refugee camps
June 10, 2020 14:53 - 10 minutes - 10.1 MBshutterstock Education is crucial for many refugees: a way out in the future, a way to get a job. But how can people get a tertiary education in a refugee camp, where challenges – such as a lack of infrastructure – are everywhere? It’s possible, as long as the education programmes are tailored to the needs of the refugee students. In today’s episode of Pasha we hear from Paul O'Keeffe, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Geneva. We also ask some refugees at Kakuma in Kenya ab...
Pasha 67: It's time to talk about coronavirus symptoms
June 03, 2020 15:40 - 8 minutes - 8.19 MBshutterstock COVID-19 is proving a hard medical nut to crack. Why are some people asymptomatic? Why do some people have different symptoms? Why are children hardly symptomatic and why do older people seem to be hit the hardest? In today’s episode of Pasha Tom Boyles, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of the Witwatersrand, answers these, and other questions. Photo: “Coronavirus Bacteria Cell Icon” By Vectores de Lia Shutterstock Music “Happy African Village” by John...
Pasha 66: Coronavirus conspiracy theories and myths
May 28, 2020 14:01 - 7 minutes - 6.92 MBshutterstock “The coronavirus was made in a laboratory in Wuhan, China.” “COVID-19 is not real and comes from 5G network towers.” “Drinking warm water with lemon juice will kill the coronavirus.” “The flu vaccination will mean I won’t get COVID-19.” These are all conspiracy theories and myths shared on social media platforms. And it’s time they were addressed. In today’s episode of Pasha, Neelaveni Padayachee, a lecturer in the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, and Lisa Claire du ...
Pasha 65: Busting myths around the flu vaccine
May 20, 2020 14:31 - 5 minutes - 5.32 MBshutterstock The flu vaccine will not stop you from getting the coronavirus but it’s still important to get it. It will help you fight off other respiratory viruses like the flu and you will avoid visits to the doctor, where there are sick people. Many people think the flu vaccine will make you sicker. There are also those who believe that it contains toxic mercury. In today’s episode of Pasha, Marietjie Venter, head of the Zoonotic, Arbo and Respiratory Virus Programme and professor in...
Pasha 64: The history of drugs in southern Africa
May 06, 2020 15:06 - 8 minutes - 7.87 MBshutterstock The history of drugs in southern Africa shows how pharmaceutical and illegal substances are intertwined. Understanding the history matters because a society inherits ideas about what is “normal” and what is morally right or wrong. This shapes the approach to care for people with drug addiction, for example. Policy makers need to base their decisions on empirical information, not prejudice, fear and blame. In today’s episode of Pasha, Thembisa Waetjen, an Associate Professor ...
Pasha 63: Let's talk about ethics and treatment for COVID-19
April 29, 2020 15:26 - 9 minutes - 8.91 MBshutterstock With COVID-19 cases continuing to rise in South Africa, health professionals will have to make important decisions on who gets what treatment. But how do these decisions get made? In today’s episode of Pasha, Kevin Behrens, director of the Steve Biko Centre for Bioethics, and Christopher Wareham, a senior lecturer at the same centre, discuss the ethics surrounding coronavirus topics. Photo: Medical Ethics Concept. By SK Design/Shutterstock Music: “Happy African Village”...
Pasha 62: Will South Africa run out of food during the coronavirus lockdown?
April 15, 2020 14:04 - 7 minutes - 6.59 MBshutterstock Since South Africa has been placed in lockdown to limit the spread of COVID-19, many people have been panic buying and stockpiling groceries. As a result, many of the grocery stores in the country have some empty shelves. Questions about whether South Africa will run out of food have been doing the rounds. To address these questions, Professor Johann Kirsten, director of the Bureau for Economic Research at Stellenbosch University, chats to Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist of...
Politics with Michelle Grattan: MPs Tim Watts, Fiona Martin, Clare O'Neil and Helen Haines talk about serving their electorates during the coronavirus crisis
April 09, 2020 09:15 - 26 minutes - 36.3 MBMichelle Grattan talks with MPs Tim Watts (Gellibrand, Victoria), Fiona Martin (Reid, NSW), Clare O'Neil (Hotham, Victoria) and Helen Haines (Indi, Victoria) about how they do their job during the pandemic. They discuss the operation of their electorate offices in light of isolation requirements, and recount how the crisis is affecting their constituents. New to podcasts? Podcasts are often best enjoyed using a podcast app. All iPhones come with the Apple Podcasts app already installed, ...
Pasha 61: The latest on Nigeria and COVID-19
April 08, 2020 15:07 - 6 minutes - 6.38 MBGettyImages Nigeria has seen a rise in cases of COVID-19 as more tests are done. But the way this information is presented is important. If it’s not balanced it can lead to the spread of panic and fear. The public needs to focus instead on instructions given by leaders. These include washing hands, social distancing and abiding by lockdown rules. In today’s episode of Pasha, Doyin Odubanjo, executive secretary at the Nigerian Academy of Science, discusses COVID-19 in Nigeria. Photo: C...
What does the coronavirus pandemic sound like? The voices of people struggling, secluding and surviving around the world
April 03, 2020 03:30 - 31 minutes - 42.7 MBAAP/EPA/ANDY RAIN What does the COVID-19 pandemic sound like? For this episode, Dallas Rogers – a senior lecturer in the School of Architecture, Design and Planning at the University of Sydney – asked academic colleagues from all over the world to open up the voice recorder on their phones and record a two minute report from the field about their city. Many of those who responded to the call are struggling, just like us, to make sense of their experience in the COVID-19 city...
Democracy 2025 - How does Australia compare: what makes a leading democracy? With Michelle Grattan, Mark Evans and Ian Chubb
April 02, 2020 07:34 - 1 hour - 57.6 MBAuthor provided (No reuse) In this special hour long podcast presented by Mark Evans, professor of governance and director of Democracy 2025, the panel discusses Australian democracy with Emeritus Professor Ian Chubb and Michelle Grattan. The panel dissects the Australian trust in government, compared with other modern democracies around the world. Drawing on the world values survey, the report notes the sharp focus on the quality of democratic governance, especially in the time of globa...
Pasha 60: The challenges facing African countries testing for COVID-19
April 01, 2020 14:40 - 11 minutes - 10.3 MBGettyImages Testing for COVID-19 is crucial in understanding how many people have the disease and how fast and far it’s spreading. But testing comes with challenges, including test kit production and logistics constraints, and how best to protect healthcare workers. There are testing initiatives under way in many African countries, including a drive-through concept in Kenya. In today’s episode of Pasha, Ahmed Kalebi, chief consultant pathologist at Lancet Kenya and honorary lecturer at t...
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Nobel Laureate Professor Peter Doherty on the coronavirus crisis and the timeline for a vaccine
March 26, 2020 05:08 - 23 minutes - 31.7 MBDave Hunt/AAP The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes the disease COVID-19, has infected nearly half a million people and taken the lives of more than 21,200. No person in Australia is more qualified to speak on the science of this global pandemic than Professor Peter Doherty. Professor Doherty was awarded the Nobel prize for medicine in 1996 for his work studying the immune system. The Doherty Institute, now at the forefront of Australian research on the coronavirus, bears...
Pasha 59: Let's talk about a COVID-19 vaccine
March 25, 2020 14:32 - 5 minutes - 4.75 MBf a o COVID-19 has taken the world by storm. So many countries are affected by the disease, with many lives lost and many people infected. Many countries and organisations are frantically searching for a vaccine or treatment. But how far away from this are we? In today’s episode of Pasha, Yap Boum, a professor in the Faculty of Medicine at Mbarara University of Science and Technology in Uganda, discusses what it takes to find a vaccine and realistically how far we are from one. Photo: ...
Pasha 58: South Africa's fruit industry and the opportunities it presents
March 18, 2020 14:32 - 6 minutes - 6.36 MBshutterstock South Africa’s fruit industry has tremendous potential. The industry is already a global player, thanks to its citrus exports. But there is scope for other fruit such as berries and avocados. It’s important to tap into this potential, given that fruit exports have the ability to create jobs. To do this, a few things need to be addressed, such as bottlenecks at the ports and an increase in research and development. In today’s episode of Pasha, Shingie Chisoro-Dube, economist...
Coronavirus and COVID-19: your questions answered by virus experts
March 13, 2020 23:14 - 39 minutes - 90.3 MBWhat do you need to know about COVID-19 and coronavirus? We asked our readers for their top questions and sought answers from two of Australia’s leading virus and vaccine experts. Today’s podcast episode features Professor Michael Wallach and Dr Lisa Sedger – both from the School of Life Sciences at the University of Technology, Sydney – answering questions from you, our readers. An edited transcript is below. And if you have any questions yourself, please add them to the comments below. ...