Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Africa’s AI ambitions face structural tests, Nairobi summit concludes

AI Everything Kenya concluded with warnings on patent gaps, declining public trust, and the challenge of scaling African startups
A presenter speaks before a room of conference goers at the AI Everything Kenya x GITEX Kenya Conference in Nairobi, held between 19 and 21 May 2026
Science & Technology

Nairobi hosts East Africa’s largest AI policy gathering as region eyes digital sovereignty

Senior policymakers and global tech leaders convene in Nairobi to shape East Africa's AI strategy and advance digital sovereignty
Close-up of a smartphone screen showing a folder labelled "AI" with icons for ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Claude, Copilot, Gemini, Mistral AI, and Poe.
HealthScience & Technology

Pandemic treaty deadline nears as disputes over pathogen-sharing rules persist

Disputes over pathogen-sharing rules risk delaying the WHO pandemic treaty ahead of a May 2026 deadline
Three-dimensional renditions of three respiratory viruses: (left: SARS-CoV-2; centre: RSV; right: influenza virus).
Science & Technology

Why the US is returning to the Moon: Artemis II and the case for a lasting presence

The US is heading back to the Moon with Artemis II, seeking leadership in space and testing whether a lasting human presence is viable
A wide shot of the Artemis SLS rocket launching from Kennedy Space Center. The orange core stage and twin white solid rocket boosters emit a bright white glare and thick clouds of exhaust. Three tall metal lightning towers frame the launch pad against a clear, pale blue horizon.
HealthPolitics & PolicyScience & Technology

US health deals offer Africa money — and take something far more valuable

Eighteen African countries have signed bilateral health deals with the US — but experts flag serious conditions in the fine print
A laboratory technician in white protective gear and a face mask holds a rack of test tubes in a bright, modern molecular biology lab in Mozambique. In the background, another technician works at a large diagnostic machine.
EducationScience & Technology

Measuring what matters: rethinking research excellence in Africa

Conventional citation metrics create structural bias against African scholarship, penalising locally relevant work whilst rewarding research with limited community impact
HealthScience & Technology

How does Marburg virus spread between species? Photos taken by young Ugandan scientist provide important clues

Scientists have known that major outbreaks often originate in wildlife – swine flu, avian flu and even SARS-CoV-2 all started with animals. Often missing is direct observation of spillover interfaces – this may be the first large-scale visual record of such an interface in nature
Bats in a cave in Maramagambo Forest in the Queen Elizabeth National Park; a python can also be seen in a crevice in the cave.
OpinionScience & Technology

What do we know about the Boeing 787 Dreamliner involved in the Air India crash? Expert Q&A

An Air India plane bound for London Gatwick Airport crashed shortly after take-off on 12 January in Ahmedabad, western India. Flight AI171 was carrying 242 passengers
AEROMEXICO BOEING 787-9 XA-ADG
CompaniesScience & Technology

Quality Chemicals secures $36mn funding from Stanbic Bank to expand production

Quality Chemical Industries Limited, the pharmaceutical company, has secured a $36mn debt facility from Stanbic Bank Uganda for the construction of a second manufacturing facility
Two men signing a host of financing documents
HealthScience & Technology

HIV breakthrough: trial shows twice-yearly injection 100% effective against infection

Current HIV prevention tools, such as PrEP, have failed to stop new infections, especially among young people; scientists believe the new drug could remove unpredictability and barriers
The Central African Republic has one of the highest HIV infection rates in the region. To help stop the spread of the disease, humanitarian and development organisations are teaching young people — like the scout in this September 2007 photo — about risks and prevention.
12 Next