Foreign Correspondent

Lawrence Kaggwa

Ugandan surgeon and hospital director. Born in Kiryasaka, Uganda, on April 9, 1948, he died after a series of heart complications in Kampala, Uganda, on Nov 10, 2017. Read more.

Kofi Annan

Former UN Secretary-General and Nobel Peace Prize recipient. Born in what is now Kumasi, Ghana, on April 8, 1938, he died in Bern, Switzerland, on Aug 18, 2018. Read more.

Ogobara Doumbo

Leading malaria researcher. Born in the Dogon region of Mali, Africa, on Jan 1, 1956, he died after complications from surgery in Marseille, France, on June 9, 2018. Read more.

South Africa unveils healthcare overhaul

South Africa’s health minister presented two bills last week that would substantially overhaul the country’s health-care system in a bid to move the country closer to universal health coverage. Under the new scheme, all accredited health facilities, whether public or private, will be required to provide a package of services at a price set by […]

Investigational research against the Ebola virus

With one investigational vaccine already deployed, officials are discussing the possibility of introducing as many as six other preventive and therapeutic interventions in the midst of the ongoing Ebola virus outbreak in DR Congo. Read more.

Lessons learned from Congolese Ebola outbreak

The quick response of the Congolese government and international partners to the outbreak of Ebola included enhancing surveillance in the affected areas, establishing case management facilities and mobile laboratories, and beginning the process of tracing every person who might have come into contact with a patient with the virus. Experts said this was a marked […]

Progress in influenza surveillance in Africa

Africa has seen substantial advances in influenza surveillance over the past decade. In 2006, fewer than ten countries had surveillance and laboratory capacity, according to WHO. That number has now risen to 30. But while rapid progress has been made, there is still limited surveillance capacity to assess the risk of epidemic. Read more.

Shila Kaur

Malaysian public health expert and advocate for access to medicines. Born in George Town, Malaysia, on March 13, 1962, she died of breast cancer in Los Angeles, on Nov 21, 2017. Read more.