All posts by : Felistas

Taking a statin medication is an effective, safe, and low-cost way to lower cholesterol and reduce risk of cardiovascular events. Despite clinicians recommending that many patients with diabetes take statins, nearly one-fifth of them opt to delay treatment.

BUUMBA CHIMBULU

AS Africa marks Africa Day 2025, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) from across the continent have renewed calls for the cancellation of unsustainable and illegitimate debts to enable African nations to prioritise development and invest in their people and economies.

The African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD), together with partner organisations from various African countries, commemorated this year’s Africa Day under the theme: “Dignity, Unity, and Justice.”

The observance aligned with the African Union’s 2025 theme, “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations.”

During commemorative events, CSOs urged reforms to global financial institutions, accusing them of perpetuating colonial-era debt systems and deepening economic inequalities.

In a joint statement, the organisations voiced support for the establishment of an African Credit Rating Agency, aimed at providing fairer assessments of African economies and reducing the inflated risk premiums imposed by international credit rating agencies.

“We support the establishment of the African Credit Rating Agency to create sustainable solutions for Africa’s access to affordable capital, currently burdened by high-risk premiums placed by international agencies,” the statement read.

The CSOs also championed the development of a United Nations Framework Convention on Sovereign Debt during the upcoming Fourth Financing for Development Conference in Seville, Spain, proposing it as a viable alternative to the existing international financial and debt systems.

While acknowledging Africa’s significant strides in political, economic, health, education, environmental, innovation, and cultural sectors, the organisations emphasised that the fight for genuine debt and economic freedom remained ongoing.

According to AFRODAD, Africa’s total public debt had now surpassed US$1.8 trillion, with at least 34 African countries spending more on external debt repayments than on healthcare and education.

The statement noted that private creditors, often motivated by profit and harsh credit ratings, lend to African nations at significantly higher rates than official creditors — driving debt servicing costs to approximately US$90 billion annually.

“The continent faces a substantial development financing gap, averaging US$200 billion per year, which threatens the successful attainment of both the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 and Agenda 2063,” the CSOs noted.

They further criticised the global debt and financial system, describing it as one shaped by market liberalism, creditor dominance, and resource extraction — calling for structural reforms to better serve Africa’s development needs.

NATION REPORTER IN a bizarre and unsettling incident that has left residents of Kanyama Township stunned, a toddler was left nursing a deep head wound after being attacked by a rooster. The unusual encounter took place in Lusaka’s Kanyama on the morning of May 25, 2025, and has since drawn the attention of both law […]

NATION REPORTER POLITICAL commentator and academician  Dr Lawrence Mwelwa has issued a passionate and blistering critique of the UPND government’s perceived authoritarian tendencies, declaring that freedom is an inalienable right and not a privilege dispensed at the discretion of those in power. Reflecting on Africa Freedom Day, which fell on Sunday, Dr Mwelwa accused the […]

NATION REPORTER THE Patriotic Front (PF) has refuted social media reports suggesting that it plans to boycott the 2026 general election, asserting that the former ruling party is not retreating, but rising, like the proverbial Phoenix from the ashes. In a statement issued by Edwin Lifwekelo, the media director, the party declared: “We are not […]

GRACE CHAILE

FORMER Agriculture and Livestock Deputy Minister Richard Kazabu has urged government to place national food security at the as its priority by ensuring sufficient maize reserves for at least up to the next two farming seasons before considering any exports of surplus grain.

Speaking in an interview, Mr Kazabu said while exporting excess maize could generate much-needed foreign exchange for the country, this should only be done after domestic food needs were fully secured.

He emphasised the importance of strategic planning in light of changing weather patterns and other uncertainties affecting agriculture. “There is no point in us sitting on lots and lots of maize. All we need to do is secure our food needs by keeping sufficient reserves to take us through the next two years, even if the Almighty God does not bless us with good rainfall. Once that is done, what remains as surplus can be sold,” he said.

He described the anticipated bumper harvest as a welcome development, attributing it largely to the timely distribution of farming inputs during the last farming season.

He urged government to maintain this momentum and to further improve efficiency in the delivery of agricultural support to farmers.

Mr Kazabu underlined the broader economic implications of the harvest, particularly for mealie meal production and pricing.

He said the availability of maize at a consistent and reasonable price should allow millers to operate at full capacity and reduce the cost of production.

“Every Zambian will be elated by the expected bumper harvest. We expect mealie meal prices to drop, and we can only appeal to the millers that the benefits of this bumper harvest should trickle down to the people,” he said.

He also noted that with more maize available locally, it was reasonable to expect a reduction in retail mealie meal prices, giving relief to citizens.

Mr Kazabu also urged government to set a fair and attractive floor price for maize to ensure that small-scale farmers were adequately rewarded for their efforts. He stressed that agriculture must be treated as a business if farmers are to be motivated to increase production.

He also raised concerns about the limited reach of agricultural extension services, noting that productivity levels among smallholder farmers remained low due to a lack of technical support and guidance. “When I was at the ministry, one agricultural assistant was serving more than a thousand farmers,” he recalled.

“That ratio is far too high. Farmers need regular access to camp officers if they are to adopt modern methods and increase productivity. Without that, their yields will remain low, and they won’t realise the full benefits of their work,” he added.

Mr Kazabu estimated that current productivity levels among small-scale farmers averaged between 1.5 and 2 metric tonnes per hectare, figures he described as too low to guarantee profitability, especially in the face of rising input costs such as fertiliser and seed. He argued that with better support and access to expert advice, smallholder farmers could significantly boost their output.

He stated that once domestic needs were met, maize exports could provide a major economic boost by generating foreign currency and supporting the value of the Kwacha.

“When you export, you raise a lot of money in the form of dollars. That will help to enhance the value of the Kwacha. That is how this bumper harvest can positively impact the economy, by selling what we truly consider as excess stock,” he said.

A research team at the University of Würzburg has gained new insights into the development of kidney tumors in young children. These enable a better risk assessment and could form the basis for targeted screening and improved early detection.

A new study suggests that boys who become overweight in their early teens risk damaging the genes of their future children, increasing their chances of developing asthma, obesity and low lung function.

In a world first, Canadian scientists at the CRCHUM, the hospital research center affiliated with Université de Montréal, have identified microRNA able to protect small blood vessels and support kidney function after severe injury.

Women age differently from men when it comes to health—particularly in conditions like cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative disorders such as dementia and Parkinson’s.