Africa Daily

Although Africa has been dealing with HIV/AIDS for more than thirty years, sometimes the statistics are still arresting. A report recently published by the United Nations suggests that a young woman is infected every two minutes on the continent. More than that, they are three times more likely than young men aged between 15-24 to acquire the virus.The world has come a long way over the decades in the battle against HIV, with more knowledge and tools to prevent its spread than ever before. So why are young women still so vulnerable? And what can be done to help them protect themselves? #AfricaDaily

Power cuts. They’re the bane of most South Africans’ lives… and a massive political headache due to their disruptive, ongoing and frustrating nature. The causes are myriad: including ageing infrastructure, faulty power plants and deliberate sabotage. But where there are challenges there are always entrepreneurs ready to take advantage, and many new businesses are springing up – providing solutions based on technologies like solar power and inverters, which store electricity the same way a mobile phone power bank does. For Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja takes a look at those finding light – and business opportunities – amongst the blackouts.

There’s a World Cup in Qatar. Yes, the one everybody already knows about – the FIFA World Cup. But there’s another one happening now with less known names and stars. The Street Child World Cup 2022. It happens every 4 years and takes place ahead of the FIFA World Cup, which this year kicks off in November in Doha. The Street Child World Cup aims to highlight the conditions of children living on the streets across the world, raising awareness of the dangers of sexual and physical violence they may face. This year there are 28 teams, representing 24 countries, among which seven are African; Burundi, Egypt, Mauritius, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. To understand more about the Street Child World Cup, Alan Kasujja has been chatting with Victoria Uwonkunda who’s been following this tournament and who’s spoken to two young people taking part in Doha. 17-year old Burundian Cedrick Iramboma and 15-year old Ruth Chantel James from Zimbabwe.

Burkina Faso has been in political turmoil in 2022, with two coups since the beginning of the year. But while attention has been on political manoeuvres in the capital, a crisis has been quietly building in the north of the country. The town of Djibo has become the focus of a jihadist insurgency that has been developing since 2015. People there have found their town blockaded and largely cut off from the rest of the country. When a convoy was attacked on route from the capital Ouagadougou recently, it cut off one of the only sources of food and supplies. Now more than 200,000 people are relying on air drops to keep going? But is enough support reaching them? #AfricaDaily

During the last election, 44 % of seats in Senegal’s parliament were occupied by women, making it the parliament with the largest percentage of women in West Africa. Amongst the countries with the lowest number of women represented- under 15%- are The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Benin and Sierra Leone. And according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Nigeria, has just 13 women amongst 360 members of its House of Representatives. So what’s stopping more women in West Africa from getting involved in politics? To understand the challenges, Alan Kasujja spoke to three women from Nigeria, Ghana and Liberia about their political careers.

Kenya has recently lifted a ban on the cultivation and import of genetically modified goods. The country is facing the worst droughts for 40 years and there are concerns that millions could be at risk of food insecurity. These GMO’s - genetically modified organisms - are species that have been scientifically altered in a lab to achieve a specific result…such as drought resistant maize. But they are currently only approved in eight countries on the continent. And some people have concerns that they might not be a sustainable solution for farmers.#AfricaDaily

In September the Ghana Medical and Dental Council (GMDC) told students who had been studying in Ukraine that their studies were at risk of being rejected. In the letter, the body said any medical and dental degrees from Ukraine from 2022 will “not be honoured forthwith by the Medical and Dental Council, Ghana, until when normal academic activities resume”. This sent waves among the hundreds of students who had been in Ukraine and who had stopped their normal schooling because of the Russian invasion. One of them is Nana Agyemang, whom we first spoke to in March on the day he landed back home in Ghana after fleeing the war. Seven months on, his and other students’ futures are in limbo as the GMDC reassesses their papers for possible reintegration into the Ghanaian system. Alan Kasujja has been speaking to Nana, his father Major Dr Ebenezer Kwakye Agyemang to hear how they feel about this decision. He’s also been hearing from Ghana Medical and Dental Council registrar, Dr Divine Banyubala to find out how they came to that decision.

For the best part of this year, the Kwacha, Zambia's currency has been doing exceptionally well. Some economists have described it as among the best performing currencies against the dollar. This might not be good news for exports, which will be more expensive to buy in other countries. But it has been welcomed by Zambians who are paying lower prices for food and services than this time last year. So, while many countries around the world are facing a cost of living crisis, is Zambia managing to buck the trend? #AfricaDaily

BaSotho are heading to the polls on Friday in an election that will choose the next prime minister. The country of just two million people will chose between more than 60 political parties hoping to gain power.It has been a rocky decade in Lesotho’s politics.The coalition government formed in 2012 was challenged when Prime Minister Tom Thabane fled the country claiming to be the target of a coup.The Southern Africa Development Community had to intervene when two law enforcement agencies were found to show favour to political parties. There have been multiple leaders since then.So, can Friday’s election help to restore political stability?#AfricaDaily

WARNING: This episode contains description of violence and death which some people may find distressing. “There could have been a dissenting voice saying no, no, no – don’t do that. Nigeria is a place where people don’t seem to have value for human life”. Ten years ago, the deaths of four young men – who became known as the ‘Aluu 4’ – shocked Nigeria, after they were viewed by thousands of people on a viral video. The men, in their late teens and early twenties, had been falsely accused of theft. After a mock trial they were brutally beaten and killed. The families of the men have been speaking to the BBC about their memories of that time – and their subsequent fight for justice. Despite mass calls for change at the time of the deaths, ten years on similar killings are still taking place - with more than 200 such deaths in the last three years. So can anything be done to change the culture? Presenter: Alan Kasujja (@Alan Kasujja) Reporter: Nduka Orjinmo (@ndukaorjinmo)