Welcome to our weekly Health Diaries column, where we explore a variety of disease-related topics and simplify complex concepts for our readers. As a medical doctor, I frequently encounter patients who believe in certain health “facts” that are simply not true. Unfortunately, these myths—often passed down through generations or spread via social media—can prevent people…
An umbilical hernia is a common condition in infants and young children. It occurs when a small portion of the intestine or fatty tissue protrudes through the abdominal muscles near the belly button (umbilicus). While this may sound concerning to parents, umbilical hernias are usually harmless and resolve on their own as the child grows….
Africa’s dinner plate is a colorful tapestry woven with grains, roots, pulses, vegetables, and fruits—some native to the continent, others brought in from distant lands over centuries. Understanding where our food staples come from helps us appreciate its role in health, culture, and history. Many of Africa’s current food staples are indigenous, meaning they were…
My conversation this week marks a radical departure from the usual topics I write about— economic and business matters. Today, I am writing about carbon markets. Many rural communities in Tanzania are now earning millions of shillings through the “sale” of carbon dioxide. Yes, business in carbon dioxide. However, this business is unlike conventional enterprises…
Imagine you have a tonne of dangerous chemical waste or radioactive material in your backyard. It certainly poses potential risk and danger to the health, safety and security of your own family and probably neighbours. To stem that, you arrange to have the material dumped in the backyard of a “third-family” and go back to…
I was driving slowly along the road when I spotted a tawny eagle flying low, almost hovering above a carcass. As I drew closer, I saw what had caught its attention – a dead honey badger (Nyegere in Swahili) lying by the roadside, evidently the victim of a speeding vehicle. It was a disheartening sight….
With its new AI-powered search feature,With its new AI-powered search feature, Google just turned Gmail into a psychic assistant Forget endless scrolling; now, your inbox can magically surface that email about Aunt Gertrude’s legendary machalari recipe—assuming AI knows what “machalari” even is. Is Gmail a smarter Inbox or Nosy Neighbor as it now uses AI…
The resumption of direct flights between Somalia and Tanzania, together with the reopening of the Somali embassy in Dar es Salaam, might seem like routine diplomatic matters. In truth, these developments signal something much bigger – a new, more practical way to build East African unity. Somalia is often seen as the Sick Man of…
Some 25 years ago, a group of Committee Members of the Media Council of Tanzania (MCT) – mainly scribes – and I flew to Stockholm, Sweden, at the invitation of our counterparts, the Media Council of Sweden. We were warmly received by our hosts and accommodated at the centrally located Kungs Hotel in Stockholm. We…
Story telling is as old as the mountains and valleys.Our ancestors, of every nation and culture, have always told stories to give a certain message, normally a moral or ethical one. Although telling stories has often been a source of entertainment and laughter, the main aim of these stories has been to give a moral…
