🔅 Let’s Get High: The Latest Strategy Against Malaria

Jan 18, 2023

Plus: The rich get richer, Congo’s deep dive for gas, Burkina Faso’s Jihadists’ new strategy, And much more… ☕

Photo of the day: Dakar, Senegal

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Markets:

🔺 Nigerian SE: 52,701.31 (+0.67%)

🔺 Johannesburg SE: 79,415.68 (+0.31%)

— Ghana SE: 2,438.74 (0.00%)

🔻 Nairobi SE: 120.67 (-1.06%)

🔻 US S&P 500: 3,993.35 (-0.14%)

🔻 Shanghai Composite: 3,224.24 (-0.10%)

The Rich Get Richer: According to Oxfam’s “Survival of the Richest” report, the world’s top 1% have pocketed nearly two-thirds of the $42 trillion in new wealth created since 2020. That’s almost twice as much money as the 99% got. Billionaire fortunes are growing by $2.7bn a day, while 1.7 billion workers live in countries where inflation is outpacing wages. Half of the world’s billionaires live in countries with no inheritance tax for direct descendants so that they can pass on a whopping $5 trillion to their heirs. Oxfam’s Executive Director Gabriela Bucher called the findings “shocking” and suggested a 5% tax on the world’s multi-millionaires and billionaires could raise $1.7 trillion a year. That’s enough to lift 2 billion people out of poverty.
Nigeria’s Inflation: The country’s inflation rate dropped slightly in December, but before you do a happy dance, know it’s still at a whopping 21.34%. The dip is thanks to a drop in food prices, which were pretty much sky-high all year. The central bank is meeting next week to decide whether or not to raise rates, but it looks like Nigeria’s inflation crisis isn’t going away anytime soon. Not a great time for Nigeria, especially as the country is gearing up for elections next month.

*Data accurate as of the close of markets across the continent

HEALTH

Let’s Get High: A New Strategy to Combat Malaria

brown mosquito — Photo by Егор Камелев on Unsplash

There’s a novel solution to the problem of malaria-carrying mosquitos: raise the huts — literally.

A new study from Durham University and Royal Danish Academy suggests that building homes on stilts may significantly reduce the risk of being bitten by malaria-causing mosquitos.

What did they do?

The team built four experimental huts in The Gambia, with two men sleeping under separate mosquito nets in each hut. One hut was left on the ground, while the other three were raised by 1, 2, and 3 meters (3.3, 6.6, and 9.9 ft). Every week, the height of the huts was changed, so each one had a chance to be at each height.

And what did they find?

The huts raised by 3 meters had 84 per cent fewer mosquitos than the huts on the ground. The researchers think this is because the malaria mosquitos have evolved to find humans on the ground, and higher heights disperse carbon dioxide odours, making it harder for the mosquitos to find people to bite.

Will it work in the long run?

The team admits mosquitos may eventually adapt and fly higher, but they still think it’s worth a shot. And a bonus is that the higher huts are likely to be cooler, making residents more likely to use insecticide-treated nets.

The four adjustable-height huts utilized in the study — The study’s raised huts — Photo by Steve Lindsay

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OTHER HEADLINES

Across the Continent

photo of brown island — Lake Kivu — Photo by Serrah Galos on Unsplash

🇨🇩 Congo’s Gas: A Deep Dive Into Lake Kivu | Who said you couldn’t find a gold mine at the bottom of a lake? The Democratic Republic of Congo has just awarded three natural gas blocks in Lake Kivu, with production expected to begin as early as next year. Companies from the US and Canada will be involved in the extraction, with the local subsidiary of Symbion Power—RED—grabbing the Makelele block. The Congolese government hopes to use the gas to generate electricity and power cement and fertilizer manufacturing. Plus, the methane could also be used for household cooking. It’s not going to be easy, though—the gas is 400 metres below the surface, and tapping it requires quite a deep dive.

🇸🇴 Al Shabaab Strikes Back | Al Shabaab, the al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamist group in Somalia, is fighting back after being forced from a key base on the Indian Ocean on Monday. The following day, the group launched an attack on a base in central Somalia, killing seven soldiers, including the base commander. In a statement, al-Shabaab claimed to have killed “many apostate soldiers and their commander”. The group has been fighting since 2007 to topple the Somali government and impose its strict interpretation of Islamic law. But their fight has contributed to an acute food crisis in the country, with over 200,000 people suffering catastrophic food shortages.

🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea Dissident’s Death in Prison | A prominent dissident, Julio Obama Mefuman, died while serving a 60-year jail sentence. Mefuman was also a Spanish citizen and was taken from South Sudan in a suspected kidnapping in 2019. The opposition said Mefuman died in prison, with the country’s Foreign Minister confirming the death, saying it was due to illness. But the opposition is calling for an investigation into Mefuman’s death, claiming it was due to torture. Amnesty International has also called on President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo to investigate Mefuman’s death. Mefuman’s death comes less than two weeks after Spain’s High Court announced an investigation into his suspected kidnapping and torture.

empty prisoner cell — Photo by Emiliano Bar on Unsplash

🇧🇫 Jihadis’ New Move: Abducting Women in Burkina Faso | The West African nation of Burkina Faso is no stranger to the Islamic State group and al-Qaida’s terror tactics. But last week, 50 women were out picking wild fruit when they were taken from the town of Arbinda in Soum province, which has been under jihadi blockade for years. According to Laith Alkhouri, CEO of Intelonyx Intelligence Advisory, the jihadists are changing up their tactics. He says the abductions are “meant to add pressure on the government to provide concessions” and to create fear and distrust between the public and the government. Meanwhile, Ousmane Diallo of Amnesty International called the kidnappings “a very concerning and serious development” and said more attention should be paid to protecting civilians, particularly women and girls.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Proverb of the Day

“You must attend to your business with the vendor in the market, and not to the noise of the market.”

— Beninese Proverb.

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