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Hunger: The other way COVID will kill
Sep 14, 2020 04:33An outbreak of coronavirus pandemic-related nationalism — with countries blaming one another for the spread of the disease — has produced an escalating wave of trade barriers that has amplified the trouble on the roads. Rwanda has refused to allow Tanzanian truck drivers to haul goods into the country, forcing a time-consuming change of driver at the border.
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How to stop COVID-19 fuelling a resurgence of AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis
Sep 02, 2020 13:25AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis (TB), three of the deadliest infectious diseases, together kill 2.4 million people every year, with TB alone responsible for 1.5 million deaths. And deaths from these diseases could almost double over the next year, according to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, a consortium of donors that funds treatments. The reason: coronavirus. It’s a horrifying prospect, and calls for an urgent action plan.
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‘Mummified’ plants give glimpse of Earth’s future
Aug 24, 2020 11:27A study said fossil leaves from the remains of a 23 million-year-old forest suggest some plants may adapt to grow more quickly as CO2 levels rise. They have enabled the scientists to link for the first time the high temperatures of the period with high levels of atmospheric CO2. In their scientific paper, the team shows that some plants were able to harvest carbon dioxide more efficiently for photosynthesis — the biological process that harnesses light from the sun to produce food for the plant.
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New report reveals US special forces active in 22 African countries
Aug 14, 2020 14:31A new report published in South African newspaper The Mail and Guardian has shed light on the opaque world of the American military presence in Africa. The US has roughly 6,000 military personnel scattered throughout the continent with military attachés outnumbering diplomats in many embassies across Africa.
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Why African free trade area could be the game-changer for the continent’s economies
Aug 14, 2020 04:07Most economists see structural transformation as one of the main routes to Africa’s sustainable development. What it means is changing the share of agriculture, manufacturing and services in an economy. It is a central aim of the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
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World population in 2100 could be two billion below UN projections
Jul 20, 2020 13:54According to a major study published recently that foresees new global power alignments shaped by declining fertility rates and greying populations, the Earth will be home to 8.8 billion souls in 2100, two billion fewer than current UN projections.
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Save the insects, save the farmers, save ourselves: new global report calls for end of industrial agriculture
Jun 18, 2020 06:24A new report released on Tuesday draws attention to the worldwide decline in insects and calls for global policies to boost the conservation of both agriculture and the six-footed creatures. The report points to various studies documenting that loss, including 2018 research finding 41% of insect species are in decline and that one-third of all insect species are threatened by extinction.
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Heart failure: Poor health literacy raises death risk
Jun 05, 2020 04:01Lila J. Finney Rutten, Ph.D., professor of health services research at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota said “Our findings showed that an inadequate level of health literacy is associated with increased risks in mortality and hospitalization among patients with heart failure.”
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World health leaders urge green recovery from coronavirus crisis
May 29, 2020 04:18Studies have suggested that air pollution may play a role in worsening COVID-19 symptoms or increasing mortality, though scientists also say it is too early to draw hard conclusions about the full impacts. However, the clearing skies that have accompanied lockdown in many countries are under threat, as industrial activity resumes without new safeguards.
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China, West Asia, North Africa stick together, strengthen friendship amid pandemic
May 21, 2020 03:09Under the principle of building a community of shared future for mankind, the Chinese government, enterprises and organizations have assisted West Asian and North African countries through donations of medical supplies, while experts in China have either been fighting the virus on the frontline or sharing anti-pandemic formulas via video conference, helping locals treat diseases as well as giving people a boost of confidence.