Africa Daily

President George Weah left Liberia on November 1 and was meant to return this month, but has since extended his return to December 18. In his travels, President Weah’s visited a number of countries; including Morocco, Egypt, France and in early December he’s planned a trip to the US. Along the way the former footballer and Ballon d’Or winner stopped in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup, where he’s been since the start of the tournament and had the chance to see his son, Timothy Weah, play for the United States. These trips have got many Liberians talking and saying the president shouldn’t be flying and leaving the country at a difficult time. Alan Kasujja spoke to Liberian journalist Jonathan Paye-Layleh, politician Karishma Pelham-Raad, as well as the President’s press secretary, Isaac Solo Kelgbeh.

For children across Uganda, Friday is the last day in school this year. They are closing their doors two weeks early in an effort to stop the spread of Ebola. The latest outbreak of the virus was identified late September and has become the deadliest in the country for more than a decade. But there are signs that the number of cases may be declining. So, is Uganda bringing its Ebola outbreak under control?#AfricaDaily

In August this year, Cameroon’s Minister of Public Health announced that there would be a ban on harmful skin lightening products. Many of them contain harmful ingredients which alter skin pigmentation and cause other health risks like skin cancer. Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja has been looking at whether bans on skin lightening products actually work.

Earlier this year, cases of malaria began to rapidly increase in the Ethiopian city of Dire Dawa. There were ten times the number of cases in the first half of the year, than the whole of 2019. And unlike usual, the spike was happening outside the rainy season which allows the disease to flourish. It was also spreading in urban areas, rather than mainly in the countryside. Scientists have since uncovered it was due to an invasive species of malaria-carrying mosquito from Asia. So far it’s been found in Ethiopia, Djibouti and all the way over in Nigeria, putting millions of people at risk. So, how can we respond to this new medical threat? #AfricaDaily

Whether or not a child gets treated for clubfoot – when a baby is born with twisted feet - varies across Africa. In some countries, like Senegal, only a minority of cases get treated – about 20% - though the authorities are now making a push to change this. In others countries, like South Africa, the majority of children with clubfoot will be treated.But campaigners say the ‘gold standard’ treatment is actually relatively simple and low cost – no longer involving surgery. It’s named the Ponseti method after the Italian doctor who devised it.Now the first ever African conference on the condition is being held in South Africa – organised by a long term campaigner whose own son was diagnosed with clubfoot 20 years ago – and treated by Doctor Ponseti himself. Alan Kasujja reports for Africa Daily.Presenter: Alan Kasujja @kasujja Guest: Karen Mara Moss @Steps_SA

There was weary applause at the close of COP27– as the environment conference was FINALLY wrapped up in Sharm el-Sheikh with a deal at 4.15am on Sunday morning. The global agreement was meant to have been signed on Friday. African delegates had lobbied heavily for a ‘loss and damage’ fund – to compensate countries suffering climate related disasters - and this did make the final text. But efforts to set tougher targets for cutting fossil fuels failed. So was this a victory for Africa – on paper at least?For Africa Daily, Mpho Lakaje gets the thoughts of leading African environmentalist Wanjira Mathai.Presenter: @mpholakaje. Guest: @MathaiWanjira

The football World Cup is set to kick off in Qatar on Sunday. Africa will be represented by teams from five countries – Cameroon, Tunisia, Morocco, Senegal and Ghana. On Thursday it was confirmed that Sadio Mane, Senegal’s star forward, would miss the tournament due to injury. It’s a blow to their chances in Qatar. But what about the rest of the African teams? Can they triumph at the 2022 World Cup? #AfricaDaily

Health experts recommend vasectomy as one of the approved family planning methods. The surgical procedure permanently seals the tubes carrying a man’s sperm – making conception impossible. Around the world, vasectomy is much less common than surgical procedures to prevent women from having children. And whereas as many as 21% of men have had a vasectomy in some countries – across Africa that figure stands at less than 1%. So, why do so few men see vasectomy as an option?#AfricaDaily

Today Africa Daily meets the peace-makers:Betty Bigombe walked alone into the jungle to meet the notorious warlord Joseph Kony of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) – who had a reputation for cutting off the limbs or lips of his victims. Paul Nantulya worked alongside Nelson Mandela on the Arusha process – which ended the civil war in the country. He describes watching the South African president berate both leaders and rebels for being an ‘embarrassment to Africa’. So with ongoing talks happening in Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo – Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja asks them: what are the key ingredients for finding, and keeping, peace?Presenter: Alan Kasujja (@kasujja)With thanks to: She Stands for Peace podcast

In 2009, Morgan Tsvangirai was inaugurated as Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister, following a controversial election. Robert Mugabe remained president. Their parties, the MDC and Zanu-PF formed what came to be known as the Government of National Unity. Although it brought a sense of stability to the troubled nation, it never lasted long. South Africa is another country that has, in recent years, been testing coalition governments in various cities nationwide. But these political arrangements don’t appear to work. The mayors of two metropolitan areas, including Johannesburg, were sacked through a vote of no confidence, only to be reinstated a few days later. Even president Cyril Ramaphosa recently acknowledged that power sharing leads to instability. Presenter: Alan Kasujja (@kasujja). Guests: Tendai Biti, Zimbabwe’s former Finance Minister and Boniface Dulani, Associate Professor at the University of Malawi.