Health

5 results

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...

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...
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...

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...