Africa Daily

When fighting broke out between the Sudanese army and Rapid Support Forces in mid April, there were just over 360 children - including many infants - living in the Mygoma orphanage in Khartoum. Like most of the population, they were trapped. In the time since, 67 of the children have died of malnourishment or illness. Those caring for them couldn’t get enough food. Some of their regular carers couldn’t reach them. And hospitals were destroyed or inaccessible. But now, all these weeks later, a coordinated effort by a number of agencies has finally got them out to safety. So what’s the story of the children of the Mygoma orphanage? For #africadaily, Alan Kasujja speaks to Unicef’s child protection expert in Sudan, Osman Abu Fatima, who was in charge of setting up their new home.

* After this episode was recorded, mobile internet was reinstated in Senegal, although access to some social media platforms may still be restricted.Last week, protesters took to the streets in Senegal after opposition leader Ousmane Sonko was sentenced to two years in prison. The sentence could rule him out of running for president in next year’s elections. At the same time, suggestions that President Macky Sall could run for a third term has also caused anger. There have been more demonstrations amid political tensions in previous weeks. So, what’s behind it all? Alan Kasujja speaks to one of Sonko’s supporters, a government minister who wants President Sall to run again and one of the president’s former closest allies…who is now one of his harshest critics. #AfricaDaily

Some people may find the issues discussed in this episode upsetting. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Official estimates suggest that around 1,500 people took their own lives in Ghana last year… but actual deaths may be much higher – because many people will try to cover up a suicide in the family. And experts say that for every suicide there are likely to be around 20 failed attempts. In April, Ghana’s parliament changed the law so that attempting suicide would no longer be a criminal offence – allowing people to ask for help without risking jail time. But will this have any impact without a change in attitudes to mental health? For Africa Daily, Alan @Kasujja hears from the doctor who set up Ghana’s first toll-free mental health helpline, a mental health nurse and a man who attempted to take his own life.

“The level of crime in our province is completely unacceptable. It can’t even be compared to the warzone in Ukraine. We have to stop this. If we don’t, it will swallow all of us. We can’t have so many people being murdered” Violent crime has long been a problem in South Africa. Statistics released by the police recently show that over 6 200 people were murdered in the country in just three months. In an attempt to push back against lawlessness, the government of Gauteng, a province seriously affected by crime, established a unit known as the Crime Prevention Wardens. These are young men and women who’ve been trained to support the police who are overstretched. But security experts are questioning this move saying the government of South Africa should rather focus on strengthening the mainstream police force. Presenter: Alan Kasujja Guests: Panyaza Lesufi, Paul Mente and Gareth Newham

A week ago, Bola Tinubu was sworn in as President of Nigeria.Amid his inauguration ceremony he announced that the country's 'fuel subsidy is gone'. His statement caught people’s attention and many people headed to gas stations to stock up on fuel. People waited for hours in queues, often finding filling stations closed or charging much higher prices.The decades-long subsidy has kept down the price of petroleum products, hence the rush to the pumps.So, are people right to be concerned about the implications of the announcement? What might the upsides be? And how can it be that Nigeria is so oil rich, and yet has problems producing its own fuel?#AfricaDaily

“I just have love for my people… I put myself in their shoes and I’m like, 'let me reach those people'. I feel their pain.” This week Africa Daily has been looking at what it means to be a nurse in Africa. We’ve heard from those who want to leave to find work – but have been banned from working abroad by their governments. We’ve also heard from those who’ve left the continent with high hopes – only for some to fall prey to unscrupulous agencies who take a cut of their wages. But today we’re looking at what life is like for those still working in Africa – concentrating on the story of Agnes Nambozo, the nurse captured on video clambering up a rickety wooden ladder attached to the side of a mountain in order to conduct health and vaccination programmes for villagers who couldn’t otherwise access them. The video led Uganda’s health minister to label her “nurse of the year”. But many questioned why the minister wasn't rewarding nurses like Agnes - and making their working conditions safer. Presenter: Alan Kasujja @kasujja Guests: Agnes Nambozo and Justus Cherop Kiplangat, President of the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union.

In March this year, the W-H-O identified 55 countries as facing the “most pressing health workforce challenges”. Basically, nations where there are less than 49 doctors, nurses and midwives per 10,000 people – the global average. Forty-one of them are in Africa. In response, some of the main destinations for emigrating heath workers – like the UK’s National Health Service – said they had stopped active recruitments from those countries. But that hasn’t quite reined in the exodus from the so-called Red List countries. Many are being approached by recruiters to work abroad in care homes. For some, it’s a path that has exposed them to abuse. Africa Daily hears from concerned players in the sector. Presenter: Alan Kasujja @kasujjaGuests: Justine Carter, Director of UK Charity, Unseen; Kojo Sosu, former carehome manager; Perpetual Ofori, President of the Ghana Registered Nurses Association.

“If people die in hospitals because there are no nurses and doctors and somebody who has been so irresponsible for not training their own nationals, but wanting poor countries to train for them, it’s a crime that must be taken seriously” Zimbabwe’s Vice President Constantino Chiwenga wants to make it a criminal offense for recruitment agencies to poach health workers from Zimbabwe. He says his country should not be subjected to training doctors and nurses for the benefit of other nations. However, his proposed legislation has been met with anger and frustration, with health professionals describing it as “unconstitutional”. Since 2021, about 4 000 nurses have left Zimbabwe and are scattered around the world. This is the first of three podcasts looking at challenges facing health workers across Africa and how governments are responding to the brain drain. Guests: Douglas Chikobvu and Dr. Norman Matara Presenter: @mpholakaje

The price of sugar is on the rise in Kenya and it’s really hitting people’s pockets.It’s partly due to a shortage of sugarcane in the country.In April, it was reported that some sugar mills were closing their operations, due to the lack of the raw material. Amid a dispute with millers, some farmers are moving away from sugar to other crops.So, what’s behind it all? And why are Kenyan’s paying more for their sugar? #AfricaDaily

Bola Tinubu was declared the winner of the 2023 election back in March by the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission. It was an election marred by technical glitches in the electronic polling system, delays which saw some voters queuing through the night, some cases of armed men attacking polling stations and voter intimidation. But it’s unclear whether these problems were enough to affect the election’s outcome. The list of challenges for his presidency is long– insecurity, economic turmoil and youth unemployment are among the many things Nigerians want dealt with. Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja has been speaking to the BBC’s Chris Ewokor about what Nigeria can expect to see from Bola Tinubu and the legal challenges from those who say the election result should be overturned.