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Africa’s transportation systems are both frustrating and risky, which means people spend more money using them. One study by the United Nations Trade and Development (Unctad) last year found that poor transport infrastructure in Africa significantly hinders trade by increasing costs, reduces competitiveness, and limits market access, all contributing to povertyPoor connectivity means road transport costs account for about 29 percent of the price of goods traded within Africa, compared to just 7 percent for those traded outside the continent,” the UNCTAD report observed. Another report by the Africa Export-Import Bank (Afrexim), looking into 54 African countries, said paving a kilometre of road had a direct proportional improvement in trade.“The analysis on the 54 African states over the period 2003-2020 shows that transport infrastructure development has a positive and significant effect on intra-African trade. A 1-point improvement in transport infrastructure development is assoc...

Artificial intelligence (AI) and data science have positioned Africa at the forefront of global health, the Science for Africa Foundation (SFA) has said. This was revealed in a report that examines national-level perspectives across Africa on AI and data science for global health. The report, titled Governance of Artificial Intelligence for Global Health in Africa , presented a view into the potential to improve AI governance in Africa to reduce the risk and stop the perpetuation of inequity. The report by SFA is a culmination of a year-long effort involving convenings across Africa’s five regions, policy analysis and extensive surveys to identify policy gaps and opportunities in AI and data science for global health. Grounded in consultations across 43 African countries, the report incorporates insights from over 300 stakeholders, ensuring a comprehensive and inclusive approach to ...

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Africa's health sector is facing an unprecedented financing crisis, driven by a sharp decline of 70% in Official Development Assistance (ODA) from 2021 to 2025 and deep-rooted structural vulnerabilities. This collapse is placing immense pressure on Africa's already fragile health systems as ODA is seen as the backbone of critical health programs: pandemic preparedness, maternal and child health services, disease control programs are all at risk, threatening Sustainable Development Goal 3 and Universal Health Coverage. Compounding this is Africa's spiraling debt, with countries expected to service USD 81 billion by 2025--surpassing anticipated external financing inflows--further eroding fiscal space for health investments. Level of domestic resources is low. The Abuja Declaration of 2001, a pivotal commitment made by African Union (AU) member states, aimed to reverse this trend by pledging to allocate at least 15% of national bu...

US funding cuts will lead to an additional 2,000 new HIV infections each day and over six million further deaths over the next four years, the UNAids chief has warned. It would mark a stark reversal in the global fight against HIV, which has seen the number of deaths from the disease decrease from more than two million in 2004 to 600,000 in 2023, the most recent year for which figures are available. UNAids Executive Director Winnie Byanyima said the US government's decision to pause foreign aid - which included funding for HIV programmes - was already having devastating consequences. She called on the US to reverse the cuts immediately, warning women and girls were being hit particularly hard. US President Donald Trump announced the pause on foreign aid, for an initial 90 days, on his first day in office in January as part of a review into government spending. The majority of the US Agency for International Development's (USAID) programmes have since been termina...