In sub-Saharan Africa, biofuels have been touted as more sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels, wood and charcoal – but do they help alleviate poverty and improve well-being for farmers and end-users? This brief summarises insights from a three-country study in which an ecosystem services approach was to assess the trade-offs …
The kingdom of Swaziland has made a surprise proposal to legalise the trade in rhino horn in order to pay for anti-poaching measures. In a leaked document addressed to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), Swaziland’s anti-poaching body said it wanted to sell the country’s 330kg stockpile …
Swaziland’s Health Minister and her Mozambican counterpart on Monday staged sensitisation campaigns on malaria at the Mhlumeni border post between the two countries, APA reports on Tuesday. Minister Sibongile Simelane says the two countries have initiated collective commitment to fight both malaria and tuberculosis by using all channels for continued …
Africa: US Ratification of Accord Is Fresh Boost for Global Effort to Combat Rogue Fishing Thirty-four countries, including 27 in Africa, are currently in need of external assistance for food due to drought, flooding and civil conflicts, according to a new United Nations report released today. The figure has grown …
Swaziland has acquired a $1.4 million loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB) through the African Water Facility (AWF) for a feasibility study of a multipurpose dam, local media report here Wednesday. Jean Michael Ossete, the AWF acting Coordinator says the overall access rate to drinking water in Swaziland is …
About $3.13 million worth of maize covering 12 000 hectares all over the country has been destroyed by the persistent drought, local media reports here on Monday.Statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture reflect that about 12 000 hectares that have been planted so far by those who took chances, hoping …
Africa: South Africa Recognized for Progress in Malaria Fight Statistics indicate that annual malaria deaths in Africa have decreased from an estimated 764,000 in 2000 to 395,000 in 2015. According to a press statement issued yesterday by the Executive Secretary of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), Ms Johannah-Joy Phumaphi, …
The Swazi government requires more than US$300,000 for sanitation and water supply if schools are to continue operating, APA reports here on Wednesday. A budget of US$312,500 has been tabled by the Ministry of Education and Training for the purchase of 202 mobile toilets and for drilling boreholes. The schools …
Reduced crop and livestock production resultant from the prevailing worst El Nino weather phenomenon is set to extremely impact on Swaziland’s food security in 2016, APA reports on Thursday. Economist and University of Swaziland (UNISWA) lecturer Christopher Fakudze in his analysis said he is expecting the hunger situation to worsen …
Protracted drought in Swaziland is threatening about 80, 000 cattle valued $24 million, a senior veterinary officer has warned. In a public statement issued in Mbabane on Sunday, Dr Roland Dlamini, the Director of Veterinary and Livestock Services said thousands of cattle could perish because they had not been sold …
IN A dusty yard in Magagasi, a small village in eastern Swaziland, a man in surgical gloves draws Gugu Dlamini’s blood for the third time this year. The health worker lays a drop of it on a small plastic tray and adds a clear solution. The ritual is familiar. Every …
Power cuts in 15 Sub-Saharan African countries could become an "exception" rather than a norm in 10 years time, with private capital expected to play an increasingly bigger role, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) said in a survey on Thursday. Africa's installed power generation capacity is expected to quadruple to 380 gigawatts (GW) …
SOUTHERN African Development Community (SADC) member states have recorded a decline in new HIV infections which now stands at 26 per cent on average. Directorate of Social and Human Development and Special Programmes at the SADC secretariat Stephen Sianga said there was a decline in new HIV infections with 26 …
The level of hunger worldwide has dropped in recent years but 26 countries still face extremely dangerous food shortages and are threatened by rising prices, a major report said Tuesday. The Global Hunger Index, released by the Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), measures food insecurity. Its level has …
Adult deaths are a crucial priority for global health. Causes of adult death are important components of Millennium Development Goals 5 and 6. However, adult mortality has received little policy attention, resources, or monitoring efforts. This study aimed to estimate worldwide mortality in men and women aged 15
UK fund managers are selling investments in jatropha plantations as a wallet-swelling, planet-saving financial bonanza. But the reality for poor farmers is very different.
Invasion of alien vegetation is troubling the Swaziland government. In the second week of June, the government doled out Real 10 million (us $1.4 million) in its annual budget to combat proliferation of invasive species, particularly the triffid weed (Chromolaena odorata), which is also called sandanezwe in the Swazi language. …
Tigers and Asian big cats were at the centre stage of an important debate at the 14th meeting of the Conference of Parties of the CITES at the Hague, The Netherlands. Led by India and other range states like Nepal, China, Bhutan and Russia, the 14th CoP was able to …
globally, there are now 40 million adults and children suffering from aids, according to a new report by the World Health Organisation (who) and the Joint United Nations Programme on hiv/aids called unaids. The epidemic shows no signs of abating
