Latest News Releases from Africa
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 27-Jan-2026 13:11 ET (27-Jan-2026 18:11 GMT/UTC)
Virtual attendance of the World Conference of Science Journalists 2025 now possible
World Conference of Science Journalists 2025Meeting Announcement
For science journalists worldwide who can't make it to South Africa this December, the World Conference of Science Journalists (WCSJ 2025) is breaking barriers by launching virtual participation. The opportunity provides them with access to innovative storytelling approaches and discussions on important journalism topics, including artificial intelligence, misinformation, environmental challenges, and mental health within the newsroom, all accessible from the comfort of their homes or offices.
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- Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, Science Diplomacy Capital of Africa, Gauteng Tourism, City of Tshwane, South African National Convention Bureau, South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, EurekAlert!, SciDev.Net, Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), Springer Nature
- Meeting
- The 13th World Conference of Science Journalists 2025
Is malaria messaging working? African biostatisticians have the data
University of the WitwatersrandPeer-Reviewed Publication
- Journal
- Malaria Journal
Low-platinum catalyst could make hydrogen production cheaper
University of the WitwatersrandPeer-Reviewed Publication
- Journal
- ACS Applied Energy Materials
Dinosaur eggshells unlock a new way to tell time in the fossil record
Stellenbosch UniversityPeer-Reviewed Publication
Eggshell calcite gives us a new way to date fossil sites where volcanic layers are missing, a challenge that has limited paleontology for decades.
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- Nature Communications
Scientists reveal another piece in Long COVID puzzle
Stellenbosch UniversityPeer-Reviewed Publication
In patients with Long COVID, a new study has revealed structural association between circulating microclots and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). This finding suggests the existence of underlying physiological interactions between microclots and NETS that, when dysregulated, may become pathogenic.
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- Journal of Medical Virology
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- SIRIC Montpellier Cancer Grant, South African National Research Foundation, Novo Nordisk Fonden, Balvi Foundation
Wits launches the Earth Observatory and CORES
University of the WitwatersrandBusiness Announcement
World Conference of Science Journalists 2025 to tackle misinformation and fake news crisis
World Conference of Science Journalists 2025Meeting Announcement
Misinformation and disinformation remain the top-ranked global risks for 2025, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report. As the world continues to face extreme weather disasters, geopolitical tensions, and societal fragmentation. This alarming trend amplifies other crises and threatens public trust in science and democratic governance. Against this backdrop, the 13th World Conference of Science Journalists (WCSJ) 2025, to be held in Africa for the first time, will focus on combating misinformation and fake news, a critical and escalating challenge globally undermining science communication and public health. The conference will be at the CSIR in Pretoria, South Africa, and will run from 1 - 5 December 2025.
Breathing new life into TB treatment with inhalable nanomedicine
University of the WitwatersrandA new inhalable nanomedicine developed at the Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform (WADDP) could help outwit one of humanity’s oldest diseases—tuberculosis (TB).
Dr Lindokuhle Ngema, a postdoctoral researcher at WADDP, has engineered a nanosystem capable of delivering all four standard TB drugs directly into the lungs, where the bacteria that cause the disease—Mycobacterium tuberculosis—hide and persist. The formulation aims to bypass the liver and bloodstream, reduce drug loss, and concentrate medication precisely at the site of infection.
“TB is clever—it hides in lung pockets where oral drugs can’t reach. Our system is designed to be smarter and to go exactly where it’s needed,” says Ngema.
TB remains a leading cause of death worldwide, claiming more than 56,000 lives in South Africa alone in 2023. Current treatments require months of daily pills and can cause severe side effects, fuelling poor adherence and the emergence of drug-resistant TB.
By transforming TB therapy into an inhalable treatment, WADDP researchers hope to improve patient adherence, shorten treatment duration, and reduce resistance. The nanosystem’s movement through the lungs will be tracked in collaboration with the Nuclear Medicine Research Institute (NuMeRI), using nuclear imaging to confirm delivery to “hidden” infection sites.
How HIV disrupts sleep across Africa
University of the WitwatersrandPeer-Reviewed Publication
HIV can throw the body clock off balance, leaving many people living with the virus in a constant state of “jet lag,” according to a new study in The Lancet HIV involving Wits University researchers.
The study—co-authored by Professors Xavier Gómez-Olivé and Karine Scheuermaier—found that people living with HIV (PLWHIV) experience higher rates of fragmented, non-restorative sleep even when their virus is well controlled. These disruptions are linked to increased risks of heart disease, depression, and cognitive decline. The study identifies biological and social contributors—from immune activation and treatment side effects to stress, stigma, and unsafe environments—and proposes a four-step clinical pathway that any healthcare provider can apply.
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- The Lancet HIV