How technology is transforming Africa’s agricultural industry.

How technology is transforming Africa’s agricultural industry. The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (Agra) is reporting that close to 70% of the population is involved in agriculture as smallholder farmers working on parcels of land that are, on average, less than 2 hectares. Given those statistics, the importance of agriculture at the heart of conversations on Africa’s economy’s journey cannot be overemphasized. The World Bank estimates that Africa’s food market will be worth $1 trillion by 2030 up from the current $300 billion. In addition, the continent’s food import bill, the latest trends show, stands anywhere between $30–50 billion. How technology is transforming Africa’s agricultural industry.

Plateau State guns for potato export.

Plateau State guns for potato export.Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong has disclosed that the state will launch into the exportation of Irish potatoes in 2019 as a channel to increase its internal revenue.

We must support the government in agriculture – Traditional Rulers.

We must support the government in agriculture – Traditional Rulers.Traditional Rulers under the auspices of Royal Fathers in Agriculture (ROFINA) have flagged off the harvest of cassava in Imo State, South-East, Nigeria, to buoy up government’s campaign on agriculture. The President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ROFINA, His Royal Majesty, Eze Chidume Okoro, said the initiative was formulated out of the need for traditional rulers to support the government’s agricultural revolution. We must support the government in agriculture – Traditional Rulers.

Depression: a ‘serious public health hazard’ for people with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Depression: a ‘serious public health hazard’ for people with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa.Untreated depression could seriously compromise treatment outcomes for people living with HIV.Depression is one of the most common psychiatric disorders among people living with HIV. They are, according to statistics from western countries, two to three times more likely to develop symptoms compared to the general population. However, critics suggest that ‘insufficient attention’ is being placed on mental health issues in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where the majority of people living with HIV live and are in care. Published in the journal, PLoS ONE, a recent meta-analysis and review of studies investigating the link between HIV and depression has now revealed that prevalence ranges from a low of 3% among people on antiretroviral treatment (ART) to a high of 34% among treatment-naïve individuals across SSA countries.

Experimental vaccine to be used against Ebola outbreak in the DRC.

Experimental vaccine to be used against Ebola outbreak in the DRC.A campaign to vaccinate people at risk of developing Ebola in the latest outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo could begin by the end of this week, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director ofthe World Health Organization. Tedros said the government of the DRC has formally asked to use an experimental vaccine being developed by Merck. The WHO has a stockpile of 4,300 doses of the vaccine in Geneva; the company also has 300,000 doses of the vaccine stockpiled in the United States. Merck has given its permission for the vaccine to be used in this outbreak.

Why Ebola keeps coming back.

Why Ebola keeps coming back.The Ebola virus has reared its head again, this time in the Democratic Republic of Congo. While it is impossible to predict exactly where and when the next outbreak will occur, we now know much more about how to prevent a crisis. The news of an Ebola outbreak in the town of Bikoro in north-west DR Congo instantly brings to mind the horror of the epidemic that took 11,000 lives and infected 28,000 people in West Africa between 2014 and 2016. It is a nightmare no-one wants to relive - or should have to. Since 4 April in DR Congo, there have been more than 30 possible cases - involving 18 deaths - although only two incidents have so far been confirmed as Ebola. So why does Ebola keep coming back and what work is being done to prevent a repeat of the tragedy in West Africa? Ebola can spread rapidly, through contact with even small amounts of bodily fluid of those infected. Its early flu-like symptoms are not always obvious.

RESEARCH: Bitter kola controls stress better than kola nut.

RESEARCH: Bitter kola controls stress better than kola nut. Bitter kola controls stress better than kola nut. STEERING clear from stress is almost impossible in today’s high-pressure society. Before resorting to prescription drugs, bitter kola may be an option worth trying out. RESEARCH: Bitter kola controls stress better than kola nut.Interestingly, a study comparing the invigorating effect of bitter kola and kola nut found bitter kola a better option to reduce the feelings of stress and anxiety without having to visit the doctor’s clinic. RESEARCH: Bitter kola controls stress better than kola nut. Researchers found that both contain antioxidant and thus have the potential for scavenging free radicals, hence arresting oxidative stress. However, extracts of bitter kola were seen to be more potent than that of kola nut.