Penguins are sensitive to ecosystem changes such as reduction of available prey, pollution and climate change. Their presence and abundance is indicative of a healthy and balanced ecosystem.
The HIV/AIDS response played out over a much longer trajectory than COVID-19. But it is, in some respects, a shining example of what can be achieved when countries and people work together.
Extreme heatwaves aren’t systematically monitored in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa. This leads to unnecessary and premature deaths which are often unrecorded.
Currently there is no specific antiviral drug to treat COVID-19 and no vaccine to prevent it. Most treatment strategies focus on symptomatic management and supportive therapy.
It is essential to add genomic data from all global populations - including Africa. This will ensure that everyone can benefit from the advances in health.
African countries have proven that they have the skills and expertise to provide local solutions to this global pandemic. They need to build on this success together to keep the pandemic at bay.
Digital contact tracing apps can successfully contribute to the management of viral outbreaks. These apps can even be designed to protect privacy rights and to work across borders.
Health surveillance assistants provide services in village clinics, mainly by assessing signs and symptoms in sick children. An electronic community case management app could make their job easier.
Smoke alarms are used extensively in formal buildings around the world to alert occupants to impending fires, but until recently they’ve not been used informal dwellings.
Interventions using apps show promise as they could improve care for patients with chronic conditions. But patients can’t benefit from innovations unless they accept them and use them effectively.
Dean Faculty of Health Sciences and Professor of Vaccinology at University of the Witwatersrand; and Director of the SAMRC Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand
Professor of Organic Chemistry, Neville Isdell Chair in African-centric Drug Discovery & Development, and Director of the Holistic Drug Discovery and Development (H3D) Centre, University of Cape Town
Professor of medicine and deputy director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre at the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town