In developing countries, and around the world, there are millions of girls who could right now be learning from home – if only they were connected. On International Girls in ICT Day, we urge governments not to leave these girls behind. Almost half the world’s population is still offline; with girls, women and other marginalized...
Abigail*, a young woman who lives in Zimbabwe’s capital Harare became pregnant by a much older married man when she was 14. She had left school because her mother couldn’t afford to pay for her fees, books and other school supplies. Her mother was also struggling to buy food and other basics for the family....
An international team of scientists studying lifespans of wild mammals have found that, just like humans, females tend to live significantly longer than their male counterparts. The researchers looked at the lifespans of 101 different species, from sheep to elephants, and found that females lived an average of 18% longer than males for more than...
A new approach to studying the effects of two common chemicals used in cosmetics and sunscreens found they can cause DNA damage in breast cells at surprisingly low concentrations, while the same dose did not harm cells without estrogen receptors. The research, published Jan. 15 in Environmental Health Perspectives, identifies a new mechanism by which...
Nurses and midwives are the backbone of health systems globally. Of the world’s 43.5 million healthcare professionals, more than 20 million are nurses and midwives. They play a critical role, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, as quite often they are the first and only healthcare professionals people will see. Because nurses and midwives respond to the...
African countries need to do more to upgrade the continent’s fragile health delivery systems if they are to cope with pandemics such as the coronavirus which within weeks, has infected 10,662 people in 52 countries with 533 deaths and 1174 recoveries recorded as of this writing. The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), in a new...
As African countries impose measures to prevent the spread of highly contagious Covid-19, sexual and reproductive health workers are finding their work increasingly difficult, from transportation bans to rules that could put a pregnant woman’s life in jeopardy, according to an international sexual health group. “The Covid-19 pandemic is a health crisis across every setting,...
“You were born yesterday, and you are the one who wants to talk to us about female genital mutilation? This is what parents say when we try to talk to them about it,” says 25-year-old Coulibaly who is youth activist working with Plan International to end the practice of FGM in his community in Mali....
United Nations -A little over half of women across the globe are able to freely make choices about their sexual and reproductive health, according to a latest report based on data from 57 countries. However, as much of the world has gone into lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic, with countries implementing social distancing and...
A new story book that aims to help children understand and come to terms with COVID-19 has been produced by a collaboration of more than 50 organizations working in the humanitarian sector, including the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Federation of Red Cross...
