🔅 Africa is The Future of Medical Research
The Farmers Ditching Guesswork with AI & Kigali is Bursting at the Seams
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Africa: The Future of Medical Research
This one is a story of untapped potential, scientific breakthroughs, and a continent that's been seriously underestimated.
Yes, we’re talking about Africa, because it might just be the key to unlocking the future of medicine.
The continent is home to the most genetically diverse population on the planet. We're talking about a diversity of genes – a veritable United Nations of DNA – yet, only 3% of clinical trials take place on the continent, mostly concentrated in just two countries: South Africa and Egypt.
Meanwhile, 18% of the world's population calls Africa home, and the continent shoulders 20% of the global disease burden. Clearly, the world's been sleeping on Africa's potential. But Professor Kelly Chibale, a leading scientist from the University of Cape Town, is determined to wake everyone up.
Professor Chibale believes that Africa's genetic diversity is an opportunity waiting to be seized. His argument is simple: if a drug works in Africa's genetically varied population, chances are it'll work pretty much anywhere. By testing drugs on a wider range of genes, we can fine-tune dosages for everyone before releasing them into the wild.
But it's not all smooth sailing. There are obstacles to overcome, like convincing more Africans to volunteer for research (thanks, colonial past and dubious experiments, for the trust issues) and getting governments to roll out the red carpet for clinical trials.
And then there's the "afro-pessimism" – the belief that scientific success just isn't in the cards for Africa. But Professor Chibale is having none of that. He thinks it's high time for African scientists to take the reins and tackle the problems that affect Africans the most.
Why wait for the "global north" to ride in on a white horse with ready-made solutions when Africa can saddle up and blaze its own trail?
That's exactly what Professor Chibale's research center, H3D, is doing. They're cooking up drugs to fight diseases like malaria and tuberculosis that disproportionately affect people in Africa. And they've grown from a humble team of 5 to a powerhouse of 75, most of whom have PhDs.
That's 70 brilliant minds who could be chasing their fortunes abroad but are instead choosing to stay and make a difference in their own backyard. If that's not a recipe for a success story, we don't know what is.
The Kenyan Farmers Ditching Guesswork with AI
Imagine you're a small-scale farmer in Kenya, trying to grow the perfect crop. You've got pests, diseases, and a severe lack of technical know-how standing in your way. What do you do? Call up your local agricultural extension officer?
Ha! Good luck with that.
These days, you're more likely to get ghosted by your extension officer than get any actual help. But fear not, dream farmers, because AI is supposedly here to save your crops.
Sammy Selim, a coffee farmer in Sorwot village, has been using an AI-powered tool called Virtual Agronomist. This chatbot is like having a pocket-sized soil scientist at your fingertips. All Selim has to do is send his farm's coordinates to the WhatsApp conversation, answer a few questions, and boom! He gets a personalized fertilizer recommendation.
And then there’s Musau Mutisya, a farmer from Kwa Mwaura village, who has been using PlantVillage, an AI-powered app that diagnoses pests and diseases. No more guesswork for Mutisya. He just points his phone camera at a ragged, torn leaf, and the app's voice assistant is like, "Yep, that's fall armyworm. Here's how you deal with it."
Now, some scientists are warning about the dangers of relying too heavily on AI tools in agriculture. Angeline Wairegi, a researcher, says that most AI training datasets exclude indigenous knowledge, which could lead to the erosion of long-held, tested agricultural practices.
But try telling that to Boniface Nzivo, a cucumber farmer in Mua village. He's using a system called FarmShield to monitor temperature, humidity, and soil moisture, and he's loving it. "I don't waste time trying to figure out how much water to use," he says. "It's a great technology."
So there you have it. AI has the potential to change the game for small-scale farmers in Africa. Interesting to see where we end up under its guidance.
The Great Kigali Housing Squeeze: A City Bursting at the Seams
Kigali, Rwanda's capital city, is facing a housing crisis of epic proportions. The city's population has roughly doubled in the last two decades, and it's set to double again in the next 2 1/2 decades. That's right – Kigali is growing faster than a teenager in a growth spurt.
Why the sudden influx? Rural citizens are flocking to urban centers in search of opportunities, and Kigali is the hottest destination in the country.
But where will all these people live?
Rwanda is already the most densely populated African country after Mauritius: The situation has developers and planning authorities scratching their heads. In a culture that values standalone homes, they're building apartments in double- and triple-story blocks to maximize space. But convincing Rwandans to live in these integrated communities is like trying to convince a cat to take a bath.
Alphonse Rukaburandekwe, the director general of the Rwanda Housing Authority, put it bluntly: "Our culture needs to change to understand that you can actually live in an integrated community."
The challenges don't stop there. Kigali needs about 25,000 affordable units annually to accommodate everyone, but in the past decade, they've only managed to build 2,600 spaces in total.
Developers are also struggling with the mismatch in supply and demand. Almost a third of Kigali's households earn less than $200 monthly, while the cheapest single-bedroom unit sells for $15,000. To qualify for a mortgage, a household would need to prove earnings of at least $700, locking many people out of affordable housing.
The Rwandan government has taken steps to address the issue, like partnering with the World Bank and private sector to build homes and offering incentives like tax breaks.
But the housing crisis remains a tough nut to crack. Kigali has gone back to the drawing board with a new master plan called Kigali Yacu, which means "our Kigali." The plan aims to accommodate 3.8 million people and create 1.8 million jobs by 2050.
Food for Thought
“If someone accompanies you in darkness, accompany them in the moonlight”
— Sudanese Proverb