SciDev.Net is the world’s leading source of reliable and authoritative news, views and analysis about science and technology for global development.https://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.social/post/3ml4dol5src2aMalaria vaccines are now part of routine immunisation in 25 African countries, which is a major shift in disease control. But experts say success depends on delivery systems, not just availability. #SciComm #Malaria #Vaccines https://www.scidev.net/global/features/malaria-vaccine-no-magic-bullet-for-elimination/05 May 2026 13:56 +0000at://did:plc:x2qcbly6amciqvvvohdglpdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml4dol5src2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.social/post/3mkpziwnat22oThe global race for lithium, cobalt and rare earths is accelerating, but so are the risks. A UN report warns mining is polluting water sources and harming health in vulnerable communities. #SciComm https://www.scidev.net/global/news/rush-for-critical-minerals-harming-worlds-poorest/30 Apr 2026 16:22 +0000at://did:plc:x2qcbly6amciqvvvohdglpdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkpziwnat22ohttps://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.social/post/3mkmpoywp622wScientists warn conflict in the Middle East could slow efforts to contain fall armyworm, an invasive pest that can cut maize yields by up to 60%. #SciComm #Iran #Armyworm https://www.scidev.net/global/news/iran-faces-new-threat-as-fall-armyworm-targets-crops/29 Apr 2026 08:48 +0000at://did:plc:x2qcbly6amciqvvvohdglpdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkmpoywp622whttps://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.social/post/3mki2jty3vs2hFarmers across sub-Saharan Africa are dealing with erratic rainfall, longer dry spells and declining soil health. Climate-smart agriculture has been promoted as a solution, but adoption and impact remain uneven. What’s slowing progress? #SciComm Listen: https://www.scidev.net/global/podcast/turning-climate-science-into-advice-farmers-can-use/27 Apr 2026 12:19 +0000at://did:plc:x2qcbly6amciqvvvohdglpdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mki2jty3vs2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.social/post/3mk5lyi36ys2h“Produce more of what we consume locally and consume more of what is locally produced.” Experts are calling for a shift to agroecology as fertiliser shortages and rising costs threaten food security. #SciComm https://www.scidev.net/global/news/agroecology-mideast-food-insecurity/23 Apr 2026 08:32 +0000at://did:plc:x2qcbly6amciqvvvohdglpdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk5lyi36ys2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.social/post/3mk3ahqfoic2hAfrica accounted for over 270 million malaria cases in 2024, nearly the entire global burden. Despite proven tools, progress is stalling as health systems struggle to integrate care. #SciComm #Malaria https://www.scidev.net/global/opinions/africas-malaria-fight-needs-stronger-local-research/22 Apr 2026 10:00 +0000at://did:plc:x2qcbly6amciqvvvohdglpdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk3ahqfoic2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.social/post/3mjw6horrtc2hAlmost one million people in Argentina have signed a collective legal action to block reforms weakening glacier protections. Lawyer Fabián Maggi says the changes “remove minimum safeguards” and risk decisions shaped by mining interests. #SciComm https://www.scidev.net/global/news/one-million-defend-argentinas-glaciers-after-law-reform/20 Apr 2026 09:41 +0000at://did:plc:x2qcbly6amciqvvvohdglpdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjw6horrtc2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.social/post/3mjhru6jtfk2hIn Nigeria, herbal contraceptive rings rooted in traditional medicine are now being marketed widely on social media. Early-stage research suggests possible effects, but clinical evidence in humans is still lacking. #SciComm https://www.scidev.net/global/features/herbal-contraceptive-rings-pique-interest-in-nigeria/14 Apr 2026 16:18 +0000at://did:plc:x2qcbly6amciqvvvohdglpdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjhru6jtfk2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.social/post/3mj37nd25tc2nUrban wastewater in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai is carrying high levels of antibiotic resistance genes, researchers find. They say surveillance systems could detect outbreaks early, track spread and reshape how antimicrobial resistance is managed. #SciComm #AMR https://www.scidev.net/global/news/indian-wastewater-rife-with-drug-resistance-genes/09 Apr 2026 16:20 +0000at://did:plc:x2qcbly6amciqvvvohdglpdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mj37nd25tc2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.social/post/3mj2ylhnff22nJust 6% of cultivated land in Africa is irrigated, despite small farms producing most of the region’s food. As rainfall becomes less reliable, this gap is turning into a missed opportunity, writes Richard Colback. #SciComm #Irrigation https://www.scidev.net/global/opinions/irrigation-a-must-for-smallholders-in-changing-climate/09 Apr 2026 14:14 +0000at://did:plc:x2qcbly6amciqvvvohdglpdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mj2ylhnff22nhttps://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.social/post/3miy3a3ka4c2nDemand for minerals used in clean technologies could double by 2030 or quadruple by 2040. In the Amazon, that demand is already translating into growing mining pressure across conservation areas. #SciComm #CleanEnergy https://www.scidev.net/global/news/amazon-at-risk-from-mineral-extraction-for-clean-energy/08 Apr 2026 10:23 +0000at://did:plc:x2qcbly6amciqvvvohdglpdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3miy3a3ka4c2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.social/post/3milceocgh22fA twice-yearly HIV prevention injection is being rolled out in Zimbabwe, but funding uncertainty now threatens access. Experts warn missed doses could expose patients to #HIV at sub-protective drug levels, raising the risk of resistance. #SciComm https://www.scidev.net/global/features/zimbabwes-new-hiv-drug-at-risk-as-us-funding-retreats/03 Apr 2026 08:27 +0000at://did:plc:x2qcbly6amciqvvvohdglpdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3milceocgh22fhttps://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.social/post/3miiwni7xjs2fKerala has declared Bacillus subtilis its official “state microbe” in India. The aim is to bring microbes into the centre of policy conversations around health. #SciComm https://www.scidev.net/global/opinions/qa-kerala-taps-microbe-for-health-farming-gains/02 Apr 2026 09:52 +0000at://did:plc:x2qcbly6amciqvvvohdglpdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3miiwni7xjs2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.social/post/3migkc3lik22fAcross Africa, communities are already adapting to climate change, from shifting planting seasons to reinforcing coastlines. But funding rarely reaches them. #SciComm https://www.scidev.net/global/supported-content/qa-why-climate-adaptation-funds-miss-africas-frontlines/01 Apr 2026 11:05 +0000at://did:plc:x2qcbly6amciqvvvohdglpdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3migkc3lik22fhttps://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.social/post/3mhxorgqoxc2pBenin is quietly reshaping climate adaptation financing. Through a performance-based model, local governments receive funding tied to transparency and leading to real outcomes like reduced flood losses and stronger crop yields. #SciComm https://www.scidev.net/global/supported-content/african-climate-adaptation-finance-bolsters-defences/26 Mar 2026 13:15 +0000at://did:plc:x2qcbly6amciqvvvohdglpdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhxorgqoxc2phttps://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.social/post/3mhuut6ycys2mA new #AI-powered tool is tackling one of global health’s biggest blind spots: unknown causes of death. In low-income countries, only 8% of deaths are documented with a cause. #SciComm https://www.scidev.net/global/news/ai-tool-targets-death-data-gaps-in-poor-regions/25 Mar 2026 10:26 +0000at://did:plc:x2qcbly6amciqvvvohdglpdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhuut6ycys2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.social/post/3mhuqyzalsk2mExposure to temperatures above 20°C during early pregnancy is linked to increased miscarriage risk in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly affecting male fetuses. #SciComm #Maternity https://www.scidev.net/global/news/heat-linked-to-fewer-male-births-in-africa-study-finds/25 Mar 2026 09:17 +0000at://did:plc:x2qcbly6amciqvvvohdglpdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhuqyzalsk2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.social/post/3mhsa6jju2s2mEnvironmental damage from war doesn’t stay local. Experts warn pollution from Gulf conflict zones could spread across the Eastern Mediterranean, affecting air, water, and ecosystems. #SciComm https://www.scidev.net/global/news/toxic-fallout-from-gulf-war-could-last-decades/24 Mar 2026 09:11 +0000at://did:plc:x2qcbly6amciqvvvohdglpdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhsa6jju2s2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.social/post/3mhbeoujssk2lDengue is now endemic in over 100 countries, putting half the global population at risk. But delayed reporting means outbreaks are often understood too late. A new global observatory aims to track trends monthly across 88 countries. #SciComm #Dengue https://www.scidev.net/global/news/dengue-observatory-eyes-global-disease-surveillance/17 Mar 2026 16:16 +0000at://did:plc:x2qcbly6amciqvvvohdglpdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhbeoujssk2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.social/post/3mhbdz6qqac2lA new drug could change how sleeping sickness is treated across Africa. Acoziborole is a single-dose oral treatment that allows health workers to test and treat patients in one visit. #SciComm https://www.scidev.net/global/explainer/why-sleeping-sickness-pill-is-raising-hopes-in-africa/17 Mar 2026 16:04 +0000at://did:plc:x2qcbly6amciqvvvohdglpdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhbdz6qqac2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.social/post/3mgs3kpnrcs2wAntibiotic development by major pharmaceutical companies has fallen 35% since 2021, even as antimicrobial resistance contributes to more than four million deaths a year. Experts warn shrinking pipelines could leave poorer countries exposed to harder-to-treat infections. #SciComm https://www.scidev.net/global/news/few-new-antibiotics-for-children-report-warns/11 Mar 2026 14:23 +0000at://did:plc:x2qcbly6amciqvvvohdglpdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgs3kpnrcs2whttps://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.social/post/3mgrqncresc2wAfrica could face warming of 2–6°C by 2025, making climate adaptation a “survival imperative”, according to new analysis. Yet many programmes still rely on external models. AU adviser Emmanuel Siakilo warns against “copy-paste interventions” that fail local realities. #SciComm https://www.scidev.net/global/news/africa-urged-to-mainstream-homegrown-climate-adaptation/11 Mar 2026 11:08 +0000at://did:plc:x2qcbly6amciqvvvohdglpdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgrqncresc2whttps://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.social/post/3mgfnbzooos2wChronic obstructive pulmonary disease kills 3.5 million people each year, yet receives far less attention than many other global health threats. “When diseases are invisible in public discourse, they are invisible where funding decisions are made,” warns WHO envoy José Luis Castro. #SciComm #COPD https://www.scidev.net/global/opinions/qa-chronic-lung-disease-an-invisible-global-crisis/06 Mar 2026 15:36 +0000at://did:plc:x2qcbly6amciqvvvohdglpdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgfnbzooos2whttps://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.social/post/3mgacy5aok22gPublished in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, a 13-year study from southwest China offers a data-driven roadmap for schistosomiasis elimination. Researchers merged AI algorithms with longitudinal field data to detect transmission at household scale. #SciComm #schistosomiasis https://www.scidev.net/global/news/last-mile-surveillance-can-end-neglected-diseases-study/04 Mar 2026 12:48 +0000at://did:plc:x2qcbly6amciqvvvohdglpdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgacy5aok22ghttps://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.social/post/3mftxduxmac2zInnovation in agriculture is not neutral. It’s political. A new @ipes-food.org report argues that Big Tech’s expansion into AI-driven farming risks deepening smallholder dependency through costly, subscription-based platforms. #SciComm #AI https://www.scidev.net/global/news/big-tech-leave-poor-farmers-sidelined-in-ai-revolution/27 Feb 2026 14:48 +0000at://did:plc:x2qcbly6amciqvvvohdglpdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mftxduxmac2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.social/post/3mfoqgdpbqc2y“For Africa, gene therapy treatment currently exists only on paper.” Nigeria sees 150,000 babies born with sickle cell disease each year, the highest burden globally. Yet CRISPR-based cures remain financially out of reach. #SciComm #Sicklecell #geneediting https://www.scidev.net/global/news/breakthrough-sickle-cell-gene-therapy-a-distant-hope-in-africa/25 Feb 2026 13:01 +0000at://did:plc:x2qcbly6amciqvvvohdglpdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfoqgdpbqc2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.social/post/3mfjptqgaak2cThe debate over #fracking is intensifying across Latin America. While Argentina expands Vaca Muerta, Brazil’s Paraná and Santa Catarina prohibit it. Mexico signals support. Colombia’s ban bills failed. #SciComm https://www.scidev.net/global/news/fracking-in-argentina-linked-to-hundreds-of-tremors/23 Feb 2026 13:07 +0000at://did:plc:x2qcbly6amciqvvvohdglpdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfjptqgaak2chttps://bsky.app/profile/scidevnet.bsky.social/post/3mf2m4kqwg22bUK aid reductions have left health systems in fragile states dangerously exposed. Now, with aid reduced to 0.3% of national income, global health faces a moment of reckoning. #SciComm #Aidcuts #globalhealth https://www.scidev.net/global/opinions/uk-aid-cuts-demand-repair-not-retreat-to-save-lives/17 Feb 2026 12:50 +0000at://did:plc:x2qcbly6amciqvvvohdglpdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mf2m4kqwg22b