scholarly journals Genomic history of the seventh pandemic of cholera in Africa

Science ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 358 (6364) ◽  
pp. 785-789 ◽  
Author(s):  
François-Xavier Weill ◽  
Daryl Domman ◽  
Elisabeth Njamkepo ◽  
Cheryl Tarr ◽  
Jean Rauzier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Vibrio Cholerae ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Rational Design ◽  
Genomic Data ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
African Countries ◽  
History Of ◽  
Phylogenetic Framework

The seventh cholera pandemic has heavily affected Africa, although the origin and continental spread of the disease remain undefined. We used genomic data from 1070 Vibrio cholerae O1 isolates, across 45 African countries and over a 49-year period, to show that past epidemics were attributable to a single expanded lineage. This lineage was introduced at least 11 times since 1970, into two main regions, West Africa and East/Southern Africa, causing epidemics that lasted up to 28 years. The last five introductions into Africa, all from Asia, involved multidrug-resistant sublineages that replaced antibiotic-susceptible sublineages after 2000. This phylogenetic framework describes the periodicity of lineage introduction and the stable routes of cholera spread, which should inform the rational design of control measures for cholera in Africa.

Ebola Epidemic in Sierra Leone: on the Crisis Story of the Pre-COVID Era

Istoriya ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6 (104)) ◽  
pp. 0
Author(s):  
Dmitriy Mikhel
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Sierra Leone ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Humanitarian Organizations ◽  
System A ◽  
The People ◽  
State Administration ◽  
History Of ◽  
Health Institutions

This article examines the history of one of the most significant crises that occurred shortly before the current global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which lasted from February 2014 to December 2015, killed more than 11,000 people and sowed panic around the world. What started as a local phenomenon quickly became a major challenge to national health in West African countries such as Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, etc., as well as to global health institutions such as WHO and international humanitarian organizations. The most severe consequences of Ebola were felt in Sierra Leone — a country rich in natural resources, but with a poor state administration system and a dilapidated health care system. A complex set of factors — environmental, economic, political, social and cultural — was responsible for the spread of the Ebola virus among the people of West Africa. All of them are now more or less well understood, although a holistic picture of the events of the 2014—2015 Ebola epidemic in West Africa remains unclear. The aim of this article is to reconstruct the general history of the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone, as well as to characterize its causes and consequences.

scholarly journals History of ‘swine fever’ in Southern Africa

2013 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary-Louise Penrith
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
African Swine Fever ◽  
Classical Swine Fever ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
African Region ◽  
African Countries ◽  
The North ◽  
History Of

The histories of the two swine fevers in southern Africa differ widely. Classical swine fever (hog cholera) has been known in the northern hemisphere since 1830 and it is probable that early cases of ‘swine fever’ in European settlers’ pigs in southern Africa were accepted to be that disease. It was only in 1921 that the first description of African swine fever as an entity different from classical swine fever was published after the disease had been studied in settlers’ pigs in Kenya. Shortly after that, reports of African swine fever in settlers’ pigs emerged from South Africa and Angola. In South Africa, the report related to pigs in the north-eastern part of the country. Previously (in 1905 or earlier) a disease assumed to be classical swine fever caused high mortality among pigs in the Western Cape and was only eradicated in 1918. African swine fever was found over the following years to be endemic in most southern African countries. Classical swine fever, however, apart from an introduction with subsequent endemic establishment in Madagascar and a number of introductions into Mauritius, the last one in 2000, had apparently remained absent from the region until it was diagnosed in the Western and subsequently the Eastern Cape of South Africa in 2005. It was eradicated by 2007. The history of these diseases in the southern African region demonstrates their importance and their potential for spread over long distances, emphasising the need for improved management of both diseases wherever they occur.

An analysis of the orchid flora of Mt Mulanje, Malawi

Bothalia ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Kurzweil
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
East Africa ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Similar Increase ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Altitudinal Distribution ◽  
Terrestrial Species

The composition of the orchid flora of Mt Mulanje, Malawi, is analysed. The altitudinal distribution of the orchids, the distribution of the terrestrial and epiphytic species and the extralimital distribution of the species is assessed for both genera and subfamilies (after the systematic concept of Dressier 1981). The altitudinal distribution of species endemic to Malawi is also assessed. The terrestrial species show a significant increase with altitude whereas the epiphytic species are more dominant al the lower levels. A similar increase is also found in the species endemic to Malawi. An analysis of the distributions shared with other African countries reveals that most species also occur in Zambia, Zimbabwe and East Africa, whereas significantly fewer species are shared with Angola, southern Africa, Mocambique, Zaire and West Africa. Most species shared with tropical African countries are found on the lower slopes of Mt Mulanje.

scholarly journals China’s Security and Economic Engagement in West Africa: Constructive or Destructive?

2017 ◽  
Vol 03 (04) ◽  
pp. 575-596
Author(s):  
Richard Asante
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
West African ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Chinese Migrants ◽  
Intelligence Sharing ◽  
History Of ◽  
Economic Engagement ◽  
Violent Conflicts

Chinese officials tend to claim that Chinese economic and security activities in Africa are based on the principles of equality and mutual benefits (win-win), thus they are generally beneficial to the nation-building and development of African countries. Drawing on the case study of Ghana, this article argues that China’s commitment to enhancing the capacity of national security agencies, fighting against piracy, strengthening maritime security, and promoting intelligence sharing in West Africa have been, in general, constructive. However, anti-Chinese sentiments mainly triggered by the involvement of Chinese migrants in illegal gold mining activities in Ghana and other West African countries have been destructive, with serious security ramifications for not only Ghana, but also the entire region that has a history of violent conflicts closely related to extraction of natural resources.

Tony Allott, Pioneer of the Study of African Law: A Personal Memoir

1987 ◽  
Vol 31 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 15-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene Cotran
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
International Law ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Common Law ◽  
Financial Assistance ◽  
Customary Law ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Customary Laws ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Research Officer

In 1959 I had just completed my Diploma in International Law at Cambridge under the supervision of Eli Lauterpacht, who was assisting me in finding a post in the international law field. One day; he said that he had been approached by the School of Oriental and African Studies to find a Research Officer in “African Law”—would I be interested? I asked him what on earth “African Law” was. He wasn't sure, but suggested that I go and discuss things with a Dr. Allott at SOAS.Tony Allott was full of enthusiasm about a new comprehensive research scheme, the Restatement of African Law Project (RALP), set up at SOAS with substantial financial assistance from the Nuffield Foundation. The object was to facilitate, undertake and assist in the recording of customary laws in Commonwealth African countries in a systematic legal fashion (the choice of the term “restatement” having been influenced by the restatements of American common law). Tony said that two Research Officers had just been appointed: W. C. (Bill) Ekow Daniels of Ghana would deal with West Africa; Bill McClain (an American) would deal with Central/Southern Africa and, if I took the job, East Africa would be assigned to me.I told Tony that this sounded all very exciting, but I knew nothing about Africa or African law, let alone customary law. How could I begin to restate something of which I knew nothing? Tony was not deterred.

‘STEALING THE WAY’ TO MECCA: WEST AFRICAN PILGRIMS AND ILLICIT RED SEA PASSAGES, 1920s–50s

2015 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 389-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
JONATHAN MIRAN
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
West Africa ◽  
Red Sea ◽  
West African ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Colonial History ◽  
Multiple Factors ◽  
History Of ◽  
Regional History ◽  
And Control

AbstractWest African participation in the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj) grew considerably throughout the first half of the twentieth century. This article examines the causes and consequences of failed British and Saudi efforts to channel, regulate, and control the trans-Sahelian flow of pilgrims and enforce a regime of mobility along the Sahel and across the Red Sea. Focusing specifically on Red Sea ‘illicit’ passages, the study recovers the rampant and often harrowing crossings of dozens of thousands of West African pilgrims from the Eritrean to the Arabian coasts. It examines multiple factors that drove the circumvention of channeling and control measures and inscribes the experiences of West African historical actors on multiple historiographic fields that are seldom organically tied to West Africa: Northeast African regional history, the colonial history of Italian Eritrea, and the Red Sea as a maritime space connecting Africa with Arabia.

Whitehall, the French Community and the Year of Africa: negotiating post-independence diplomacy in West Africa

2013 ◽  
pp. 155-170
Author(s):  
Mélanie Torrent
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Sierra Leone ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
The Gambia ◽  
Sharp Contrast ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Community Initiative ◽  
Eastern And Southern Africa ◽  
Colonial Office

Melanie Torrent highlights the perspective of British officials, who had to make sense of a process regarded as entirely different from their own experiences. The British impression was that, while they had efficiently planned their own retreat over a longer period, and guaranteed the survival of the Commonwealth, this stood in sharp contrast with the imperfections and the lack of vision inherent in the short-lived French ‘Community’ initiative (1958) from Paris. Torrent holds that the British believed their pattern of decolonization produced very different, more challenging but overall more equal and better relations between the former metropole and the newly independent African countries. There never was any suggestion to regard French policies as a model. Even so, according to Torrent’s interpretation, the French retreat from its former colonies internally put pressure on British officials, given that the Colonial Office was still in charge of affairs in Sierra Leone and the Gambia, and that the conflict-ridden situation in large parts of the territories of Eastern and Southern Africa was still unresolved.

African Smoking and Pipes

1983 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Edward Philips
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
West Africa ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Eastern North America ◽  
Water Pipes ◽  
History Of ◽  
Eastern And Southern Africa

This article first explains the importance of the history of smoking pipes for other historical questions, especially in West Africa, where pipe styles are used to date archaeological levels. A survey of the major theories about African smoking and pipes is presented. This is followed by a review of the published archaeological literature pertaining to smoking pipes found at various sites from around the continent. The various controversies surrounding African smoking customs are then looked at in the light of the available evidence. The most likely hypothesis is that cannabis was smoked in water pipes in eastern and southern Africa before the introduction of tobacco. Further research is called for to prove or disprove this hypothesis. Tobacco is shown to have been introduced to West Africa from eastern North America, most likely by the French coming to Senegambia, though possibly by Moroccans coming to Timbuktu.

scholarly journals Emerging potato pathogens affecting food security in southern Africa: Recent research

2020 ◽  
Vol 116 (11/12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacquie E. van der Waals ◽  
Kerstin Krüger
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Soft Rot ◽  
Developing Nations ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Management Options

Potato is a staple crop that contributes to food security and poverty alleviation in developing nations. Despite this, yields in developing nations are often unsustainably low, due to various biotic and abiotic factors that negatively affect production. Some of the most important biotic constraints are pathogens, many of which are disseminated by seed tubers. The lack of functional or formal seed certification systems in many southern African countries results in a continual increase in pathogen pressure. Short rotation cycles, poor plant nutrition and inefficient control measures exacerbate the crop production challenges faced by resource poor growers. In this review, we discuss five of the most important diseases on potatoes in southern Africa, namely late blight, bacterial wilt, soft rot / blackleg, powdery scab and zebra chip. Management options for small-scale growers are provided.

The Burden of Tribalism: The Social Context of Southern African Iron Age Studies (1984)

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Hall
Keyword(s):  
Social Context ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Political Activity ◽  
Social Environments ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Farming Communities ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Social ◽  
History Of

The study of the archaeology of farming communities in southern Africa is an inherently political activity but there has been little critical analysis of the role of social context in forming problems and in shaping answers. It is argued in this chapter that the history of Iron Age research south of the Zambezi shows the prevalent influence of colonial ideologies, both in the earliest speculations about the nature of the African past and in the adaptations that have been made to contemporary archaeological methodologies in their application to the subcontinent. Concepts such as ethnicity have acquired specific meanings in southern Africa that contrast with the use of similar ideas in other contexts such as Australasia. Such relativity reinforces the view that specific, detailed critiques of archaeological practice in differing social environments are necessary for an understanding of the manner in which the present shapes the past. In those countries where descendants of the colonizers mostly practise the archaeology of those colonized, the study of the past must have a political dimension. This has become overt in Australasia where, as one Aboriginal representative has put it, the colonizers ‘have tried to destroy our culture, you have built your fortunes upon the lands and bodies of our people and now, having said sorry, want a share in picking out the bones of what you regard as a dead past’ (Langford 1983: 2). In African countries, such opinions have been less explicit and consequently archaeologists have not frequently been faced with political accountability. Schmidt (1983) points out that there is some awareness that the intellectual constructs of Western archaeologists may have little meaning to African communities, but current literature describing research south of the Zambezi River of precolonial farming societies (by convention, termed the Iron Age) shows little acknowledgement that the social environment of the investigator may play a part in defining issues and colouring interpretations, or indeed, that the results themselves may have diverse political implications.

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