When songs beat diarrhoea in kids

An art project with songs and plays cut diarrhoea and pneumonia cases by 60 per cent in rural Gambia.

R&D gaps on infectious diseases

As research into COVID-19 swells, R&D on other infectious diseases is seriously lacking, report finds.

Concern over India’s Covaxin

India’s approval for indigenous COVID-19 vaccine, still undergoing clinical trials, draws experts’ ire.

Is there a better alternative to palm oil?

More lands are needed to grow palm oil alternatives such as soybean and rapeseed oil — study.

Himalayas act as a vast ‘aerosol factory’

Aerosols influence the balance between solar energy absorbed by the Earth and what is reflected back.

Megatrends that shape world’s forests

Changing demographics, rise of the middle class, infrastructure, digital tech shape the future of forests.

‘Evolving’ malaria mosquitoes getting harder to control

Anopheles malaria mosquitoes in Africa and Latin America are evolving in response to human activity, studies in both continents have found.

Vaccine doubters’ COVID risk

Vaccine fears mean world risks falling short of COVID immunity levels – study.

Venezuela suffers science ’brain drain’

Study shows high percentage of Venezuelan migrants are scientists

Laws that look good on paper

UN’s first global report of environmental laws finds worrying gaps

Iraq in water crisis

Water resources minister, Hassan Janabi, on poisoning in Basra and a water system under pressure.

Severe malaria dealt massive blow

Drug given as suppository cuts deaths by 96 per cent in rural Zambia.

A blind spot for HIV research

Infections are rising in young women, a group scientists find difficult to study.

Crop insurance in a snap

After India, a photo-based insurance system is planned for trial in Kenya

Chronic disease in indigenous groups

Communities in Brazil and Ecuador grapple with rising risks

Leprosy spread by armadillo

Villagers in Brazilian state get exposed by hunting and eating the animal

Intensified agriculture benefits probed

Few cases boost wellbeing while also protecting the environment.

African science principles

Working document to guide research on the continent risks having little impact, meeting hears.

Algiers ‘smart city’ launch on hold

Construction delays push back completion by three years.

Software tackles methane from cattle

Tool developed in India reduces emissions and increases milk output.

Thousands at risk in Rio

Brazilian city has 155,000 at risk from floods or landslides

Uranium risk for India

Data from 16 states show ‘emerging and widespread’ contamination.

Diversity in research

Including a gender focus in research will enrich people’s lives and strengthen science, says Julia Tagüeña.

Vested protection

Wearable kit designed for ‘intuitive’ decontamination in a chemical attack

Weak links in research fairness

First report from Senegal points to gaps in capacity for ethical and fair research.

Egypt’s solar ambitions

New power plant sets its sights at regional leadership in renewable energy.

Cancer rising in Brazil

Trends in obesity are driving up the number of related cancers.

Vitamin D3 key in child malnutrition cases

Treating childhood malnutrition calls for doses of vitamin D3 and micronutrients over the standard regimen.

Adrift in acidified oceans

Fish larvae to lose their way, face survival risk as carbon dioxide rises.

Stomach bug gene discovery

Brazilian finding could lead to new control measures.

African research threatened

African countries’ low funding for R&D is making it difficult for researchers to contribute more to development.

Foresters out of the forest

Experts need to share more — tools exist to speed up progress and restore global forests.

SciDev.Net top-ten stories of 2017

Refugee scientists, killer robots and Egyptian inventions — take a look at our most-read articles of 2017.

Refugee scientists, killer robots and Egyptian inventions — take a look at our most-read articles of 2017.

Zika or Dengue? New test can tell

Paper strip similar to pregnancy test identifies cause of infection in minutes.

Faster test to spot anaemia in the field

Diagnostic method up for WHO review needs just a few drops of blood and no lab facilities.

Eat less meat to cut drug resistance

Limiting meat consumption to 40 grams per day could result in 66 per cent cut in farm animal antimicrobial use.

Mapping against the clock

A tool helps pinpoint the vulnerable in emergencies.

Medical marijuana legislation in South America

Approval to use and sell cannabis in three countries is backed by scientific evidence, but disagreements persist.

Malaria down in a single dose?

A single-dose treatment could boost malaria eradication when used in combination with other preventative measures.

Vehicle exhaust contributes to heart disease

Inhaled nanoparticles from car pollution can spend up to three months in the body contributing to vascular disease.

Bird flu is back

A new strain of avian influenza has high pathogenicity in poultry, which can be deadly for humans, has resurfaced in China with pandemic potential.