Health

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Paysage habité de l’Himalaya népalais.

Atypical leishmaniasis cases in Nepal defy science and medicine

IRD scientists and their Nepalese and Indian partners are working to address a new and atypical form of leishmaniasis that is raising concerns. The cases raise questions about the ecology of the Leishmania parasite responsible for this pathology, its vector, the immunity of newly affected...
Femme népalaise devant étagères pleines de bocaux remplis de diverses graines

Preserving local and indigenous knowledge to protect biodiversity

In an unprecedented context of declining biodiversity, a team of scientists has just published a paper calling for the preservation of local and indigenous knowledge of biodiversity, alongside that of plants.

Small-scale family farming, an age-old model and sustainable solution for the Global South

Family farming, an age-old way of working the land, also embodies a tangible future for sustainable farming in the Global South. It a crucial and promising sector, in light of the number of farmers involved, production volumes, surface areas cultivated, well-established growing practices and...

Can we defeat malaria?

After seventy years of commitment and some very significant results since the early 21st century, the combat against malaria has reached a crossroads. Progress has slowed down in recent years, but new research tools, strategies and avenues have come to light. In addition, global health stakeholders...

Water management, a sustainable development issue

As the source of all life, water is essential to our health, well-being and dignity as well as to the functioning of our ecosystems and societies. Access to water is therefore synonymous with development. However, around the world, water is being overexploited, wasted, and contaminated at...

Genetic variation in chickpeas revealed

An international team of researchers has studied the genome of 3,366 chickpea varieties from different parts of the world. Their work provided a clearer picture of the chickpea’s evolutionary history and the effects of domestication on the genome, while also highlighting interesting genetic...
Close-up on the head of a snake (with different shades of beige), with vertical pupils.

Snakes, scorpions and envenomation: a tropical health challenge

Experts on venomous animals, envenomation and treatment, and the related cultural aspects are working to reduce the disastrous effects of these accidents on communities in tropical regions in general and in sub-Saharan Africa in particular. Scientists and practitioners from IRD, the African Society...

Biodiversity: between fragility and sustainability

All the indicators agree: erosion of biodiversity has now reached a level not seen in hundreds of thousands of years. Human activity is to blame, and its impact is not just being felt by such emblematic species and ecosystems as the polar bear or Great Barrier Reef. The major health, social and...
Native American women and children, dressed in traditional clothing, at a market.

Tracking the first indigenous cancer in Peru

IRD scientists and their partners are fighting on all fronts–decoding the molecular signature, exposing the pathological mechanisms, even identifying possible treatment–to stave off a rare form of liver cancer in Peru.

Covid-19, women take the lead

In India, Senegal and Brazil, women in lockdown are involved in solidarity initiatives. Preparing and distributing meals, transporting medicines to the most vulnerable, making and donating masks, they mobilized throughout the health crisis by managing to adapt to the restriction measures.

Development: the place of gender

At school, in their family relationships, in hospital or in court, women in the Global South face inequalities on a daily basis. Despite the significant progress observed in the areas of education, healthcare and legislation, they are fewer in number than boys in universities and salaried employment...

Uganda may hold the key to the future of robusta coffee!

Hit by climate change, coffee production is seriously under threat. To combat this risk, international teams, including the IRD team led by Valérie Poncet, went in search of wild coffee plants such as robusta in the forests of Uganda. They thus identified previously unknown and drought-resistant...
a whitish caterpillar in an open corn stalk held by a hand

The fall armyworm in Africa: a new insect pest in corn crops

In Kenya, the survey of pest insects in corn crops has revealed that a recently-arrived pest, Spodoptera frugiperda, has not replaced existing pests. The various species of pests are co-inhabiting in fields and calling into question the pest control strategies currently in use to preserve the yields...
Deux visons noirs au fond d'une cage

Origin of the Covid-19 virus: the trail of mink farming

The keys to preventing future pandemics

As India urbanises, access to services is uneven

In her new book, Marie-Helène Zérah, Research Director at IRD and member of the Centre for Social Science Studies on the African, American and Asian Worlds (CESSMA), examines the great disparities in India in terms of access to water, sanitation and electricity services. In this country that has...

Changing the way we conduct research: Advocating for Sustainability Science

Coronavirus

Covid-19: the need for a One Health strategy

If the pandemic continues, the risk that other animal species may be infected by Sars-Cov-2 will increase, thereby multiplying the possibilities of virus mutation and the likelihood of animals ultimately helping to spread the virus. It is therefore necessary to adopt an approach incorporating the...

India and coronavirus: lack of access to handwashing facilities among poor makes fight even harder

Covid-19: The Social Sciences Join the Battle

When epidemics first emerge, all eyes tend to turn to the epidemiologists, virologists and clinical trials. The humanities and social sciences also have an important role to play, both in studying the phenomenon and providing a response to it. Two of the IRD’s health anthropologists talk about their...