Stories about Development
24 April 2020
COVID-19 in the Middle East: Is this pandemic a health crisis or a war?
War-like rhetoric around COVID-19 has allowed governments in the Middle East and North Africa to execute emergency powers and impose draconian measures that would otherwise be unacceptable.
22 April 2020
Malaria vaccine may offer respite from Africa’s greatest health scourge
After three decades of research, the RTS,S malaria vaccine backed by the WHO is getting piloted at a health centre in Kenya for the first time.
21 April 2020
Liberia's President George Weah sings his fight against COVID-19
Despite a message and movement solidarity in the fight against COVID-19 in Liberia, President George Weah still faces critique over a tanking economy and restricted media.
19 April 2020
For Nepal's migrant and daily wage workers, lockdown is more dangerous than the coronavirus
Domestic daily wage labourers and migrant workers are among those hardest hit by the COVID-19 restrictions imposed in Nepal.
11 April 2020
COVID-19 revives grim history of medical experimentation in Africa
Africa 'is not a testing lab' for a COVID-19 vaccine. The debate over human testing in clinical trials speaks to a grim history of medical experimentation and exploitation in Africa.
10 April 2020
Ahead of contentious elections, Burundi faces its first COVID-19 cases
The upcoming election in Burundi has been surrounded by concerns over security and transparency. Now, the COVID-19 pandemic poses another public safety concern.
8 April 2020
COVID-19 on the frontline: Insights from an Australian humanitarian nurse
"there are areas around the world where people cannot buy soap and do not have access to running water. It is these countries that will suffer the most..."
5 April 2020
Bangladeshis turn to video sites during COVID-19 lockdown
Affordable access to 4G services in Bangladesh over the last two years caused YouTube viewership to skyrocket; now, the COVID-19 lockdown will spur further growth.
2 April 2020
Nigeria’s elite ‘above the law’ as the poor struggle with COVID-19 measures
The majority of Nigeria's poor live by the day in overcrowded and squalid shanties, without running water and modern toilet facilities. They cannot and will not survive a lockdown.
28 March 2020
Market mayhem in Uganda as COVID-19 measures upend women’s lives
In Uganda, sudden COVID-19 restrictions have led to increased violence against women in the informal sector, who continue to work as vendors to feed their families.
27 March 2020
Musicians in East Africa rush to produce ‘corona’ songs — even as the industry falters
As COVID-19 sweeps through Africa, musicians have taken a hit with canceled concerts, festivals, tours and interrupted studio time. Yet, they have risen to the challenge by composing catchy tunes.
22 March 2020
As Ebola outbreak ends, coronavirus begins in DR Congo
While DR Congo has proclaimed the end of Ebola, it now faces its first cases of COVID-19. Will lessons learned from Ebola help combat the novel coronavirus?
21 March 2020
Quarantine woes in Bangladesh amid coronavirus fears
The government has ordered Bangladeshis who are returning from affected COVID-19 countries to home-quarantine. But a lack of monitoring has led to concerns that the disease may spread rapidly.
19 March 2020
Refugees in Ethiopia's camps raise privacy and exclusion concerns over UNHCR’s new digital registration
Biometric registration enables refugees to secure a digital ID that gives them access to aid. Their use has raised serious concerns about privacy and exclusion among refugees in Ethiopia.
‘Protecting forests is crucial to cure pandemics,’ indigenous leaders say
"If the forests are cut down, where are we going to get medicine?"
14 March 2020
COVID-19 in Africa: ‘Unprecedented levels of mobilization’ as nations brace for pandemic
With at least 19 African countries facing COVID-19, several African governments have taken critical steps toward managing the outbreak, including travel restrictions, health screenings, rapid testing and social distancing measures.
10 March 2020
This chief hopes Yorùbá speakers adopt his newly invented ‘talking alphabet’
Writing Yorùbá in Latin script may soon become a thing of the past as one Yorùbá man, Chief Tolúlàṣẹ Ògúntósìn, has invented a writing system to encode the Yorùbá language.
9 March 2020
A ‘sweet’ deal: Sugar war ends between Tanzania and Uganda after years-long embargo
After a years-long ban on sugar imports from Uganda, Tanzania announced that it would open up trade on a government-to-government basis, strengthening ties within the East African Community.
3 March 2020
Lost in translation: Why Google Translate often gets Yorùbá — and other languages — wrong
As more tech companies attempt to provide translation and access to multiple languages online, controversies and challenges arise — especially when it comes to accuracy and cultural nuance.
2 March 2020
Internet shutdowns in 2019: India continued to top list of worst offenders
In 2019, access to the internet was disrupted 121 times in India alone, says Access Now in a new report.
