Daily Archives: May 27, 2009
Wet South-North corridors through the Sahara desert 120,000 years ago
Route out of sub-Saharan Africa for early modern humans
A new study challenges the idea that the Nile valley was the only or even the most likely route out of
The leading author of the paper published in the prestigious journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is Anne Osborne whose PhD research is supervised by Dr Derek Vance of Bristol University and co-supervised by Professor Eelco Rohling of the University of Southampton‘s School of Ocean and Earth Science, based at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton.
Via Fossil Science
Suggested Books (US)
- Droughts, Food and Culture: Ecological Change and Food Security in Africa’s Later Prehistory
- Sahara : A Natural History
Language Policy in Rwanda
Change to English in Rwanda
An interesting article in The New Times (Rwanda) comments on the new language policy in Rwanda which emphasises the use of English as the medium of instruction in schools.
When the Government of Rwanda announced the new language policy, emphasizing the use of the English language as a medium of instruction in schools, some observers were quick to associate the decision with the soured diplomatic relations between Rwanda and France that stem from France’s prominent role in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
Suggested Books
The effects of AIDS in South Africa
South Africa AIDS graph
There is an excellent article on The Southern Tip which shows in graphs the effects of AIDS in South Africa.
Compared to fifteen years ago, the average South African can expect to live about twelve years less than his/her counterpart from the early 1990s. This is compounded by the fact that during the preceding ten years the average wealth of South Africans reduced as a result of sanctions, boycotts, etc.
While you’re there check out other articles on this thoughtful opinionated blog.
HIV and AIDS in Africa
If you want a broad view of HIV and AIDS in Africa then PlusNews is the place to go. Plus News is a specialist service from IRIN NEWS. You can search country profiles for AIDS programmes and organisations and there are also in-depth articles. The site is available in English, French, Portuguese and Arabic.
Here are a few links you might like to follow through:
Hear our Voices – personal stories
Some current news stories:
GLOBAL: Basic healthcare crucial to beating HIV, study 
NAIROBI, 27 May 2009 (PlusNews) – Providing HIV prevention, care and treatment services at well-equipped local clinics could be the key to success in fighting the pandemic in the developing world, a new report by the international anti-poverty NGO, ActionAid, has said.
full report
AFRICA: Pregnant, HIV-positive and falling through the PMTCT cracks 
NAIROBI, 25 May 2009 (PlusNews) – An estimated 900 babies in the developing world are infected with HIV every day because governments fail to reach pregnant women with prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services.
full report
AFRICA: Governments must step up HIV funding, activists 
NAIROBI, 20 May 2009 (PlusNews) – A disappointing allocation for global AIDS programmes in the United States budget means African governments will have to step up their own funding, say activists.
full report
GLOBAL: Obama expands health agenda, but not funding 
JOHANNESBURG, 8 May 2009 (PlusNews) – At a time when many Americans are preoccupied with the economic crisis on their doorsteps, President Barack Obama has asked Congress to approve US$63 billion for global health over the next six years.
full report
GLOBAL: Economic downturn puts treatment of millions at risk 
JOHANNESBURG, 29 April 2009 (PlusNews) – After months of speculation about how the global economic downturn might affect HIV/AIDS programmes, a new World Bank report details the projected aftermath of the crisis and how it could place the treatment of more than 1.7 million at risk by year’s end.
full report
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