Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Kidney Failure in People with HIV-Infection in Africa: Current Status and a Call to Action

Introduction

The global prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection continues to place a significant burden on healthcare systems, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), with South Africa remaining the epicentre. In addition, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has seen an increase in annual HIV infections in many countries and a decline in targets for prevention and treatment.1 The introduction of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has resulted in a significant decline in the morbidity and mortality of people with HIV (PWH). With this increased life span, PWH are at risk of developing non-communicable chronic diseases, similar to those of the general population. The collision of the three pandemics, DM, HIV and kidney failure (KF) has significantly impacted on morbidity and mortality, as well as treatment costs. In areas where HIV infection is most prevalent, there is also restricted access to kidney replacement therapy (KRT). Therefore, this review seeks to address the epidemiology and pathophysiology of the interaction between HIV infection and DM and the impact that these diseases have on chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression. It also aims to discuss the implications for management, which stems from the growing burden of all three diseases.

Global Burden of Diabetes

Type 2 DM (T2DM) is one of the fastest growing global health emergencies of the 21st century. According to the International DM Federation (IDF), the global prevalence of DM in adults aged 20–79 was 10.5% in 2021, with an estimated 537 million adults living with DM. This is projected to increase to 783 million by 2045.2 Over the next 10–20 years the greatest increase in prevalence is expected to occur in Africa and, already, 80% of people with DM (PWD) are living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). DM is considered a leading cause of disability adjusted life years (DALYs), together with DM-related deaths estimated at 6.7 million worldwide in 2021. In LMICs, most of these deaths occur in people <60 years of age. The direct costs of managing DM are prohibitive for many economies. The global health expenditure due to DM has grown from USD 232 billion in 2007 to USD 966 billion in 2021 for adults aged 20–79 years.2 In many countries in Africa, especially South Africa, the financial burden of managing the morbidity from DM falls on a healthcare system already struggling with the burden of infectious diseases such as HIV and tuberculosis. A cost of illness study in the public sector in South Africa in 2018 showed the annual direct costs due to T2DM to be ZAR 2.7 billion if diagnosed and ZAR 21.8 billion if undiagnosed with an estimated increase in annual total costs to ZAR 35.1 billion by 2030.3 A major challenge in Africa is that over 1 in 2 (54%) PWD are undiagnosed on the continent.4 In addition, those who are diagnosed often do not receive adequate care due to poor access to healthcare services, lack of resources, and low awareness levels.

Global Burden of CKD

CKD contributes significantly to the annual global mortality. This is particularly concerning, given the lack of access to KRT in many LMICs.5 In 2017, there was an estimated 843.6 million people reported to have CKD worldwide.6 Between 1990 and 2017, CKD caused an increase in mortality of 41.5% globally, resulting in it becoming the 12th leading cause of death globally.7 A systematic review and meta-analysis (including 100 studies) revealed the global prevalence of CKD stages 1–5 to be 13.4% and 10.6% for CKD stages 3–5.8 In 2017, there were 35.8 million DALYs attributed to CKD, with almost 33% due to diabetic kidney disease (DKD). The CKD burden predominates in the three lowest quintiles of socio-demographic indices. Given their level of development, the burden of CKD was much higher than expected in Oceania, SSA, and Latin America.7 More effective and targeted preventative interventions to reduce the CKD burden particularly addressing risk factors including DM, are urgently needed.

Impact of DM on CKD

The global prevalence of T2DM is increasing due to the rapidly increased prevalence of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and westernization of lifestyle. DKD is a microvascular complication of both type 1 DM (T1DM) and T2DM. Approximately 40% of people with T2DM will develop DKD which is associated with a high mortality.9 Although CKD may be the most recognizable consequence of DKD, most patients actually die from cardiovascular diseases and infections before needing KRT.10 Early detection and adequate treatment of DM can slow DKD progression; however, it still accounts for approximately 50% of cases of KF in the developed world. There are limited epidemiological data on CKD in PWD living in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). A systematic review on studies from Africa showed the prevalence of CKD in people with T1DM and T2DM varied from 11% to 83.7%.11 Incident event rates were 34.7%, 94.9%, and 18.4% for KF at 5 years, proteinuria at 10 years and for mortality from nephropathy at 20 years of follow-up, respectively. These figures suggest a greater incidence of DKD in Africa. Common determinants of DKD were duration of DM, blood pressure (BP), increasing age, obesity and glucose control.11

Impact of HIV Infection on CKD

HIV was first deemed an epidemic in the 1980s and remains an important contributor to the burden of disease, particularly in Africa. In 2020, there were 37.7 million PWH globally with 1.5 million new cases during that year. East Africa and SSA had the highest disease burden.1 PWH have an increased risk of developing both acute kidney injury (AKI) and CKD.12 ART has significantly altered the spectrum of kidney disease seen in this population.13–15 There has been a steady decline in HIV-associated nephropathy (HIVAN) since the introduction of ART, without which there is a rapid decline to KF requiring KRT.16 A systematic review and meta-analysis showed the prevalence of CKD in PWH to be 6.4% globally but SSA had the highest prevalence at 7.9%.17

Impact of Both HIV Infection and DM on CKD

With the improved access to ART and increased life expectancy, PWH are now contributing to the global prevalence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including DM. In a systematic review and meta-analysis by Ekrikpo et al, sociodemographic and clinical factors such as gender, age, co-infections with hepatitis B and hepatitis C did not significantly affect the CKD estimates. However, CKD prevalence was significantly increased with comorbid hypertension (MDRD: 20.7% [95% CI 14.3–27.8%] vs not hypertensive 5.4% [95% confidence interval (CI) 3.4–7.9%]; p < 0.001) and DM (MDRD: 19.4% [95% CI 13.5–26.0%] vs non-DM 8.4% [95% CI 5.5–11.8%]; p < 0.001).17 In addition, the combination of HIV and DM led to an increased risk of progression compared to either alone.18 In South Africa, the HIV Directorate and HIV Clinician’s Society have made concerted efforts to upskill clinicians at primary level care to better manage NCDs within HIV clinics. Primary care guidelines have been developed to assist with this process coupled with a HIV/TB hotline to allow real-time conversations to assist with care. These initiatives could be adopted for other high burden regions on the continent.

Pathophysiology of DKD

The combination of hyperglycaemia, haemodynamic changes and ischaemia results in the activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), oxidative stress and ultimately fibrosis.19 The hallmark structural abnormalities include mesangial expansion, fewer podocytes, progressive thickening of the glomerular basement membrane and development of Kimmelstiel-Wilson nodules.20

Incipient DKD results from afferent arteriolar vasodilatation and an increase in efferent arteriolar resistance, thereby raising intra-glomerular pressure resulting in hyper-filtration.21 Angiotensin II, endothelin-1 and urotensin II cause vasoconstriction of the efferent arterioles, resulting in the production and release of pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic mediators. These haemodynamic alterations are important for the development of glomerulosclerosis and proteinuria.22

In view of the high-filtered glucose load, both sodium chloride and glucose are reabsorbed in the proximal tubules, through up-regulation of the sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2). As a result, there is decreased delivery of sodium to the macula densa, dilating the afferent arterioles. There is simultaneous vasoconstriction of the efferent arteriole, due to activation of RAAS and down-stream activation of angiotensin II, giving rise to glomerular hypertension.23

Both hyperglycaemia and hyperinsulinaemia are central to the development of endothelial dysfunction with a direct relationship between the extent of hyperglycaemia and tissue damage.24 A complex interplay between endothelial dysfunction, protein kinase C and the polyol pathway results in increased reactive oxygen species, stimulation of advanced glycation end products, pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines leading to an inflammatory cascade. This culminates in vasoconstriction and kidney ischaemia, oxidative stress, podocyte injury and apoptosis, and ultimately fibrosis.25–29

Activation of the RAAS is responsible for the progression of DKD. Angiotensin II and transforming growth factor β1 are intimately involved in kidney fibrosis and tubular dysfunction.30 Damage to the basement membrane in the glomerular wall of the kidney leads to abnormal excretion of albumin and it is also responsible for the deposition of extracellular matrix proteins, particularly type IV collagen.31

The Association Between HIV Infection and the Development of DM

Data showing a direct link between HIV infection and the development of DM are conflicting and dependent on the population studied.32,33 However, a systematic review and meta-analysis assessing the incidence and prevalence of T2DM with HIV infection in Africa showed no association between the prevalence of T2DM and HIV infection or ART.34 PWH are now living longer and are at risk of developing the metabolic sequelae associated with a westernised lifestyle and aging, similar to those without HIV infection. Since 2016, the World Health Organisation (WHO) have recommended the initiation of ART at diagnosis; therefore, it is now difficult to dissect the contribution of HIV infection itself to the development of DM in PWH. Since the prevalence of DM is increasing globally in all populations, it is likely that traditional risk factors such as high carbohydrate intake, obesity, aging and sedentary lifestyle will contribute more to the risk of developing DM than HIV infection itself.

The Association Between ART and the Development of DM

Glucose dysregulation is a well-documented consequence of the treatment of HIV infection when using the initial types of ART, with a number of cross-sectional studies of variable size documenting a high prevalence of insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and overt DM amongst patients receiving these types of ART.35–38 Although protease inhibitors (PIs) have often been the main culprits, there is evidence also implicating the use of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs).33,38 The Multicenter Aids Cohort Study reported a 4 times greater incidence of DM in men with HIV on ART than that of men without HIV.39 However, a recent meta-analysis of 9 studies (n = 13,742 PWH) failed to show an association between PIs and the development of DM but did show an association with the development of the metabolic syndrome [(RR: 2.11; 95% CI 1.28–3.48; p-value 0.003)].40 The mechanisms of glucose dysregulation caused by the initial types of ART have been well studied in vitro. PIs, as a class, have been shown to selectively inhibit the transport function of Glut4, a major glucose transport molecule.41 Both PIs and NRTIs increase pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 from adipocytes, thereby causing insulin resistance.42,43 In addition, there is some evidence that stavudine decreases adiponectin, a peptide hormone secreted by adipocytes which correlates directly with insulin sensitivity.44

Contemporary ART is considered to be more “metabolically friendly” than the initial types of ART. The integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs), the first-choice ART recommended by the WHO, have been associated with weight gain.45 In the ADVANCE Study, Venter et al showed a significant increase in weight over 48 weeks in men and women using a dolutegravir (DTG)-based regimen when compared to those using a standard non-DTG-based regimen.46 Meta-analyses and systematic reviews have not shown an increased risk of developing DM when using an INSTI, despite the weight gain associated with their use. In a meta-analysis and systematic review by Kajogoo et al, that included 10 studies (n = 62,400 participants), participants on INSTI-based regimens were shown to have a similar incidence of DM to those on other ART regimens.47 In fact, Mulindwa et al showed in their meta-analysis of 13 pooled studies (n = 72,404) that there was a lower risk of incident DM with exposure to an INSTI than to any other ART (RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.96, I2 = 29%).48 However, they also showed that there was an increased risk of DM in PWH of African origin (RR 2.99, 95% CI 2.53 to 3.54, I2 = 0%).

HIV and the Presentation of DKD

In two early kidney biopsy series from adults with HIV in the United States (US), the prevalence of DM was found to be 5.4% and 6.7%, respectively. These two series were small, with 152 biopsies (1995–2004) in the one study and 89 biopsies (1995–2001) in the other.49,50 A more recent biopsy series (n = 437) from the US (2010–2018), noted that comorbidities of NCDs were more common. In this cohort, 57% had hypertension,31% had DM, obesity was observed in 11%, and cardiovascular disease in 9%.15

However, in contrast, a review of two large recent kidney biopsy cohorts of PWH from South Africa reported that neither had an increase in DM. Diana et al evaluated 690 biopsies (from 1989 to 2014) and found no change in the proportion of patients diagnosed with DKD (p = 0.810) or hypertensive nephropathy (p = 0.33), pre and post ART.13 Similar findings were observed by Wearne et al where no change in the proportion of those with DM was seen pre and post ART roll-out in 671 patients undergoing a kidney biopsy.14 In contrast to the studies from the USA, the two large studies from South Africa showed the prevalence of DM to range between 3.6% and 4%, and the trend did not change between 2005 and 2020. However, the cohorts from the two countries are different in that the South African studies included patients with more advanced disease with associated co-morbidities, such as tuberculosis, and who were ART-naïve or not adherent to treatment.13,14

When compared to other ethnicities, African-Americans have been shown to have a higher rate of KF. African-Americans have around a 3-fold increased incidence of treated KF compared to Caucasians.51 Part of this increased risk is at least in part due to the inheritance of an apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) gene variant. The protein apolipoprotein L1, encoded by this gene, has a historical role in conferring innate immunity against most strains of Trypanosoma brucei.52 Initially identified in individuals of African descent, two gain-of-function (APOL1) variants, G1 or G2 have been found to have a high prevalence particularly in West Africa.52,53 These coding variants have since spread widely throughout the African diaspora, with frequencies of 21% for G1 and 13% for G2 observed among African Americans.54

APOL1 risk variants have been associated with an increased risk and accelerated progression of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), HIVAN and hypertensive nephrosclerosis (OR 7.3).55,56 There have also been studies suggesting a role in progression of DKD.57

Both DM and APOL1-associated kidney diseases are common entities, as such, they are likely to occur synchronously. In addition, obesity, commonly associated with DM, on its own, can cause glomerular damage resulting in proteinuria and reduction in GFR. In Black individuals with DM who have no other complications and a marginally elevated HbA1c, kidney dysfunction should not be assumed to be due to DKD. In this setting, APOL1 genotyping may help the decision-making in whether a biopsy is required in selected individuals.58

The data on the mechanisms of the progression of CKD in people with HIV and DM are sparse, however, a study by Osafo et al did show that kidney damage is accelerated when there is co-existing hypertension, HIV, genetic predisposition, and DM.59 This is demonstrated by the earlier onset of KF in African populations compared to those in developed countries (40–45 years versus 63 years).59 Figure 1 shows the HIV-related and traditional risk factors influencing the development and progression of CKD in PWH.12 Examples of risk factors increasing CKD progression include: co-infection with hepatitis B and C (2–3 fold increase) and episodes of AKI (3.8–20-fold increase).12 Similarities and differences of clinical presentation and investigations of CKD in HIV and DKD are demonstrated in Table 1 and 2, respectively.10,12,16,60–62 Patients with combined HIV and DM should have more frequent screening and follow-up, and more intensive management of existing CKD and its risk factors.

Figure 1 HIV-related and traditional risk factors influencing the development and progression of CKD in PWH.

Abbreviations: APOL1, apolipoprotein L1; ABCC, ATP-binding cassette transporter proteins; ART, antiretroviral therapy; CKD, chronic kidney disease, FSGS (NOS) focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, not otherwise specified; GN, glomerulonephritis; HIVAN, HIV-associated nephropathy.

Notes: Reproduced with permission. Swanepoel CR, Atta MG, D’Agati et al Kidney disease in the setting of HIV infection: conclusions from a Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Controversies Conference. Kidney international. 2018;93(3):545–559. © 2017 International Society of Nephrology. Published by Elsevier Inc. Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-NDlicense.12

Table 1 Similarities and Differences in the Clinical Presentation of CKD in HIV and DKD

Table 2 Similarities and Differences in the Investigation of CKD in HIV and DKD

In a large cohort of 31,072 veterans with a baseline estimated GFR (eGFR) ≥45mL/min/1.73m2 in HIV-positive and matched HIV-negative individuals, there was a significant and graduated independent association between HIV and DM status and the risk of decline in eGFR. Co-existing HIV and DM had a greater effect on the relative risk of progression of CKD (HR 4.47, 95% CI 3.87–5,17), compared to either disease alone [HIV (2,8, 95% CI 2.50 −3,15) or DM (HR 2.48; 95% CI 2.19–2,80) only].18 Similar results were demonstrated in an earlier study by Choi et al who demonstrated a 4-fold increase in risk of KF in those with DM and a 7-fold increased risk in those with the combination of DM and HIV. However, a limitation of this study is that it only examined differences in ethnicity and did not adjust for other factors known to influence CKD progression.63 A single centre study reviewing PWH (n = 1494), comparing those with DM (n = 156) and those without, demonstrated a more frequent need for antihypertensives and lipid-lowering agents and a higher prevalence of kidney dysfunction (12.4% vs 7.1%, p = 0.030) in those with co-existing DM.64

A retrospective study of 653 PWD found that the majority of PWH on ART failed to achieve target glycaemic control, resulting in a greater incidence of neuropathy and nephropathy (when defined by overt proteinuria). Proteinuria was present in 25.7% of the HIV-positive patients and 15.4% of the HIV-negative patients. Obesity was also a concern; however, it was noted in both HIV negative and positive cohorts.65

Challenges in Calculating eGFR

Using the serum creatinine in the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation to estimate the GFR is the most practical and reliable way of determining the prevalence of CKD.66 This equation has recently been updated with the removal of the race- based correction factor for African Americans.67 To note, these equations were developed in the US and have not been validated against measured GFR (mGFR) in other regions. Whether this correction factor is applicable to patients of African descent living in Africa is controversial.

In a recent study by Fabian et al conducted in Uganda, Malawi and South Africa, 3025 subjects underwent determination of mGFR using the slope-intercept method for iohexol plasma clearance and this was compared to eGFR using a variety of creatinine and cystatin C-based equations (with or without the correction factor for African Americans). The principal findings of the study were that creatinine-based equations overestimated kidney function compared with mGFR, which was worsened by use of the inclusion of the race-based correction factor. The greatest bias occurred at low kidney function, such that the proportion with GFR < 60 mL/min/1·73 m² directly measured was more than double that estimated from creatinine. Cystatin C-based equations performed better than all creatinine-based equations. Using a model to impute kidney function based on mGFR, the estimated prevalence of impaired kidney function was more than two-times higher than creatinine-based estimates in populations across six countries in Africa.68 The authors speculate that the poor performance of creatinine-based eGFR equations is more likely due to non-GFR determinants of creatinine rather than ethnicity. These include lower muscle mass due to growth stunting, wasting or inflammation from chronic infection (eg tuberculosis and HIV), lower dietary protein ingestion, and undiagnosed liver disease.68

Over estimation of GFR with the resultant under estimation of CKD has major implications for health planning given the high costs of treating CKD and the high associated morbidity and mortality.

Medical Management of T2DM in PWH

There are only a few observational studies and no RCTs specifically assessing the use of any of the treatment options for managing T2DM in PWH. Han et al conducted a longitudinal cohort study in HIV-positive and HIV-negative veterans who were new users of oral DM medication (mostly metformin, sulphonylureas and thiazolidinediones). They found that the glycaemic response was independent of the initial class of medication and was not influenced by HIV infection.69 Interestingly, in their multivariable model, Black race and Hispanic ethnicity were associated with a poorer response to these DM medications. Since there are no robust data to guide treatment options for T2DM, most guidelines recommend that local guidelines for the pharmacologic management of T2DM are followed for PWH. However, there is an extra caution regarding the use of metformin. Metformin is often a good initial choice for the management of T2DM in PWH as insulin resistance is often one of the dominant pathophysiological mechanisms. No dosage adjustment is required when using metformin with non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, PIs or NRTIs. However, when metformin is used with INSTIs (eg dolutegravir), the area under the curve of metformin is increased, therefore, by consensus, the maximum daily dose of metformin when used with dolutegravir should be limited to 1000 mg daily.70 Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists have been shown to prevent progression of DKD in HIV-negative people with DM; however, this has not yet been studied in PWH. Tables 3–5 reflect the dose adjustments that are required for DM medications with CKD stage 3–5 and those on KRT.71–75

Table 3 Adjustment of Diabetes Treatment in Chronic Kidney Disease

Table 4 Adjustment of Incretin Treatment in Chronic Kidney Disease

Table 5 Adjustment of Diabetes Treatment for Kidney Failure-Dialysis Requiring

In terms of DKD management, identification of additional risk factors for CKD is essential. In PWH, this includes a suppressed HIV viral load, early identification of hepatitis B and/or C virus coinfection, exclusion of nephrotoxins as well as managing episodes of AKI. All PWH should be on ART, including those with DKD. A baseline eGFR and assessment for microalbuminuria should be performed. However, a change in type of ART is required when the eGFR falls to <50 mL/min/1.73m2. Tenofovir, atazanavir and lopinavir should be avoided in those individuals with established CKD.76 Unfortunately, there are limited data concerning recommendations for the concurrent management of DKD in PWH. However, data from large RCTs in people without HIV-infection have shown the importance of DM and BP control in preventing and decreasing the progression of DKD.77,78 Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) have an important role in slowing the GFR decline in DKD with albuminuria.79–81 In addition, ACE inhibitors and ARBs have been shown to prevent the progression of HIVAN.82

Additionally, a multi-faceted approach in the management of DKD in PWH should include intensive lipid management being careful with the concomitant use of simvastatin with PIs due to the increased risk of rhabdomyolysis. Comprehensive lifestyle interventions including a low protein and salt diet, moderate intensity physical activity, cessation of smoking, alcohol reduction and weight management.

Challenges in KRT with HIV and DM

The KDIGO controversies in HIV state that HIV status should not influence candidacy for KRT. The survival on KRT is similar for those patients on ART with viral suppression compared with HIV-negative patients.12,83,84 However, the survival of people with DM on KRT is significantly worse than those without DM.85–92 The outcome of PWH and DM on KRT is currently unknown.

The choice of dialysis for PWH and KF should be based on patient preference and resources.12,93 Both peritoneal dialysis (PD) and haemodialysis (HD) have disadvantages in the setting of DM. This includes vascular access complications due to accelerated atherosclerotic disease. In addition, the glucose load in PD may accelerate atherosclerosis and worsen DM control. Meta-analyses have demonstrated a superior survival for people with DM on HD compared to PD. This is thought to be due to the increased rate of infection, inadequate dialysis and volume control for patients on PD.94,95 In a cohort of 401 PD patients, followed up for 10 years, DM was shown to be an independent predictor for increased mortality and technique failure, but not for peritonitis-free survival.96

Both DM and HIV, cause marked vascular damage. “Inflamm-aging” describes the increased age-related co-morbidities which occur at a younger age in PWH.97 This accelerated aging may relate to chronic ART usage, immune activation and inflammation.98,99 This is evidenced by a high degree of vascular stiffening and “non-dipping” on ABPM.100 Similarly, endothelial dysfunction and inflammation is also demonstrated in DM.101

Numerous reports have reviewed the adverse effects of HIV and DM on arteriovenous fistula (AVF) creation, but as far as we are aware none have looked at the additive effect. In PWH, AVFs are preferable to dialysis catheters due to the increased risk of infection and stenosis.12,102 On review of 25,711 AVF creations, HIV did not increase the risk of reintervention, occlusion or mortality. In this cohort, 42% had a combination of DM and HIV, however a direct comparison between PWH with or without DM was not performed.103 PD catheter failure rates are similar to HIV negative patients. In addition, PD consumables must be discarded with appropriate infection control measures, as HIV persists in PD fluid.12

The combination of HIV and DM, or each as separate entities, poses an increased risk for cardiovascular disease which is a major cause of death in patients on KRT.104 Once again, there are no recommendations for which modality poses the lowest risk for those with a combination of HIV and DM. However, a meta-analysis and a comparative study comparing PD and HD have shown that PD had a lower incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, than HD.105,106

Stock et al first described successful outcomes in HIV-positive transplant recipients from HIV-negative donors.107 Following these results, a crisis for dialysis slots in South Africa prompted clinicians to take a more liberal approach to donor selection. Consequently, a pivotal programme to use kidneys from HIV-positive donors for HIV-positive recipients was initiated in September 2008.108 In the setting of transplantation, HIV-positive recipients have excellent allograft survival at 1 and 3 years. In addition, the safety of transplantation in PWH is well-established.107–109 However, there is still significant bias toward transplantation access for PWH, with longer waiting times for referral, evaluation and waitlisting.110 In contrast, it is well known that DM can adversely affect kidney allograft and patient survival.111 Up to a two-fold higher mortality and graft loss has been described in transplant patients with pre-existing DM and those developing post-transplant DM.112,113

Little is known about the outcomes of PWH and DM post transplantation or the development of new onset DM post transplantation. Of the cohorts described, only Locke et al reported on prevalence of DM in the HIV transplant cohort, with DM being prevalent in 13.3% (57/113) of living and 11.7% (50/426) of deceased donor recipients, respectively. However, no comparison of the combination of HIV and DM was performed.109 There is an increased risk of rejection in PWH.107,108 The higher doses and type of immunosuppression needed to treat this increases the risk of developing DM post-transplant. In a study conducted by Barday et al in HIV-positive transplant recipients, there was an association between increased rate of rejection and use of PIs,12% of the cohort were on PIs at baseline.114 Furthermore, immunosuppression drug-level management is complex in transplanted PWH due to the drug interactions.115

Although the prevalence of KF is increasing worldwide, major global inequalities exist with the largest treatment gaps occurring in LMICs.116,117 Access to lifesaving KRT remains limited or non-existent in many LMICs. It is reported that only 16% of patients requiring KRT on the African continent receive it.116 This means that chronic dialysis and transplantation are either not offered, are unaffordable or rationed resulting in the demise of many patients. The lack of access removes any element of “choice” for KRT (Figure 2). There has been considerable attention drawn to the importance of kidney supportive, conservative and palliative care by the International Society of Nephrology.118 However, in LMICs, there are limited resources to integrate palliative care into all levels of care despite it being demonstrated to be cost-effective.119 The cost of palliative care programs will vary by region and continent depending on access and infrastructure. Therefore, there needs to be greater emphasis on preventative measures to prevent CKD progression as well as improved palliative and conservative management for patients when KRT is limited or not available.120

Figure 2 Choice restricted conservative kidney management.

Abbreviations: CKD, chronic kidney disease; UTI, urinary tract infection; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; KRT, kidney replacement therapy; NGO, non-government organisation; NSAIDs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

In a resource-limited setting, when dialysis is rationed, often PWD and PWH who are not virally suppressed, are excluded from KRT programmes.120 The concept of conservative kidney management is directly aligned with the Universal Health Coverage.118 It is crucial that in low resources settings there is early identification and management of kidney disease at all levels of care, this is particularly important in regions where KRT is limited.

Conclusion

Limited data exist on the burden of CKD, in patients with comorbid HIV and DM. Given the growing prevalence of HIV and DM, individually and in combination, this review highlights the need for a call to action to improve care as well as identify areas in which research is required. Future research should focus on the following: a better understanding of the molecular targets and genetic factors (APOL-1) that alter the trajectory of DKD, RCTs to show the efficacy of DM drugs in PWH, a better understanding of the long term metabolic sequelae of the use of INSTIs, especially in Black Africans where there is a possible early signal that they may be at increased risk of developing DM and, lastly, identify the impact of both DM and HIV on KRT. In Africa and other areas with limited access to KRT, strict blood pressure control, good diabetes management, viral suppression with ART and awareness of the multiple drug interactions/toxicity/dosing remain the foundation of therapy to prevent CKD. There is an urgent need to establish or upscale palliative care programs in areas with restricted access to KRT and high burden of disease as these have shown to be cost-effective in the long term.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest related to this work.

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An Open Letter to Malawi’s President, Reverend Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera

Lazarus Chakwera, President of Malawi

“Leadership is about solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.” – Colin Powell, the first African-American Secretary of State

Mr President

On behalf of my fellow patriotic Malawians, I feel privileged to address Your Excellency on pertinent issues that affect our lives.

I am aware that you acknowledge your role as the legitimate President of the Republic of Malawi until another Malawian possibly assumes your position in 2025. You also understand that it was the people who put you in this position. They didn’t just want you to ascend to the presidency but to lead Malawi so that their lives could be transformed for the better. Unfortunately, life on the ground under your leadership has become increasingly challenging. If this trend continues, you may risk losing the forthcoming elections. Immediate action is needed.

Fortunately, all hope is not lost; you still have a chance for a second term, but only if you heed the issues I will address. I will strive to be concise to respect your valuable time.

Firstly, many Malawians are disillusioned with your leadership because most of your campaign promises remain unfulfilled. They feel they have been deceived. For instance, despite promises of affordable fertilizer, many agricultural inputs, including fertilizer, are beyond the reach of local farmers. Some cannot even access the so-called subsidized fertilizer, leading to the looming threat of hunger.

Furthermore, our local currency, the Kwacha, continues to weaken against the dollar daily, resulting in soaring inflation rates. This has led to skyrocketing prices of goods and services and a significantly higher cost of living. It’s no surprise that your popularity is waning among my fellow Malawians, which could impact your votes in the upcoming general elections.

It is distressing to observe the widening gap between the rich and the poor. The poor are becoming even more impoverished while the rich are accumulating wealth. Mr. President, you seem to have abandoned your promise of being a servant leader. You appear quick to please a select few Tonse Alliance supporters while neglecting the plight of local people in remote areas. Did you know that these marginalized, impoverished, and often overlooked Malawians make up a significant portion of voters during general elections?

Mr. President, are you aware that nepotism, tribalism, regionalism, and cronyism have reached unprecedented levels during your tenure? Just as you employed your daughter, Ms. Violet Chakwera, and Chiiima’s mother-in-law, Ms. Margaret Makoto, in the government, it has become exceedingly difficult to secure employment in government departments and agencies unless one has connections to recruiters or high-ranking officials.

Public service delivery during your administration has been disappointingly inadequate. For instance, processing passports and driver’s licenses takes an exorbitant amount of time. Urgently needed services often require bribes to expedite the process, making them unaffordable for many Malawians like us.

Regrettably, some of those who voted for you in the 2020 fresh presidential elections have died due to preventable diseases. Essential drugs are often unavailable in our public hospitals, where service delivery is extremely poor. Imagine a patient traveling long distances to a health facility only to be told that they must purchase prescribed medication from a pharmacy because public hospitals lack essential drugs, which many Malawians cannot afford.

Mr. President, corruption has reached an alarming level in virtually every ministry, department, or agency. You, yourself, have been seen as promoting corruption by recently pardoning corruption suspect Dr. Bakili Muluzi and corruption convict Mr. Uladi Mussa. There are also allegations that you are personally interfering with the Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) to shield MCP loyalists like Mr. Eisenhower Mkaka, the Secretary General of MCP. This is why the Director General of ACB, Ms. Martha Chizuma, seems reluctant to issue an official statement on Mkaka’s alleged involvement in a Mercedes Benz bribery case with a business tycoon, Mr. Zuneth Sattar. It is disheartening that ACB appears toothless in pursuing corruption cases involving MCP and some Tonse Alliance members like Kezzie Msukwa, George Kainja, Newton Kambala, and many others.

Additionally, why has it been so challenging to release the Public Sector Reform report that your Vice, Dr. Saulos Chilima, submitted to your office two years ago? What is in that report that you are hesitant to share with Malawians? It is crucial to remember that Malawians have the right to access that report since taxpayers’ money funded its production.

Regarding the education sector, I commend your administration for achieving two years of examination leak-free exams. However, illiteracy levels remain high, and there seem to be no deliberate plans to address this issue. Why hasn’t your government implemented compulsory primary school education for children of a certain age? What progress has been made in constructing secondary schools in each constituency with funding from the American government? Mr. President, provide solutions for jobless university graduates and consider helping deserving students who drop out of school due to high fees in our universities and secondary schools. Is Malawi’s education only for the elite?

During your reign, corruption in the judiciary has reached an unprecedented level. Mr. President, you must take action. Why should the court shield a corruption suspect from being interrogated by an institution constitutionally mandated to investigate and prosecute corruption suspects? My Reverend, Mr. President, did you not vow to defend the Malawi Constitution?

Under your leadership, the Speaker of the National Assembly appears to participate in the election of the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Kondwani Nankhumwa. It seems as though your government has gained control over every institution, including the National Assembly. How can your party obstruct the confirmation of Ms. Martha Chizuma as the Director General of ACB in parliament? It is, therefore, not surprising that Ms. Martha Chizuma appears unable to prosecute Tonse Alliance corruption suspects effectively.

In conclusion, as the Head of State and Government of Malawi, you have the full responsibility to uphold, defend, and respect the Malawi Constitution as the supreme law of the land and to promote the unity of the Malawi nation at home and abroad. In other words, you are the driver of this country, and you cannot evade this constitutional mandate. All the people you appoint are there to assist you in leading this country. Their failure is your failure, and their success is your success. I agree with the first African-American Secretary of State, Colin Powell, that leadership is about solving problems.

Yours Sincerely,

Rick Dzida

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Caribbean Matters: Get to know the red, black, and green Pan-African flag

Red-, black-, and green-striped flags are ubiquitous at Black protests in the U.S. Those three colors are also found at Black-centered celebrations like Juneteenth. They are also the colors chosen for the flags of many African nations after they freed themselves from European colonialism. These colors represent the movement of Pan-Africanism.

What isn’t as familiar is the history of how those colors were chosen, and the background behind the flags that bear them. Many people with an interest in Black history may be unaware of the backstory. It’s unlikely this history will be taught in the states that are upping their attacks against the teaching of Black history. 

RELATED STORY: Caribbean Matters: Hey DeSantis, by attacking Black history you’re attacking Caribbean Floridians

Caribbean Matters is a weekly series from Daily Kos. If you are unfamiliar with the region, check out Caribbean Matters: Getting to know the countries of the Caribbean.

On Aug. 13, 1920, the Pan-American flag was adopted by Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association, commonly referred to as the UNIA. Thursday also marks Garvey’s 136th birthday: He was born on Aug. 17, 1887 in Saint Ann’s Bay, Jamaica.

RELATED STORY: Caribbean Matters: The powerful legacy of Marcus Garvey and the movement to have him pardoned

Before diving into the Pan-American flag’s history, check out this five-minute video biography reviewing Garvey’s history and impact from YouTuber Andscape’s “And the Know” series.

In this episode we look at the impact that Marcus Garvey had as the first international pan-African leader with a militant response against white supremacy. The early 1900s were an era of racial terror for African Americans, but Garvey had the courage to stand toe-to-toe against anyone in the way of Black liberation.

NPR’s “Code Switch” editor Leah Donnella wrote an in-depth story on the Pan-African flag’s history for Flag Day 2017. 

Garvey and the UNIA framed the need for a flag in a political context, [historian and Marcus Garvey scholar Dr. Robert] Hill explains. “Everybody immediately seeing that flag would recognize that this is a manifestation of black aspirations, black resistance to oppression.”

Some years earlier, white minstrel singers were expressing the importance of flags as a matter of racial pride: In 1900, Will A. Heelan and J. Fred Helf composed a popular song called “Every Race Has a Flag But the Coon.”

The refrain was:

“Bonny Scotland loves a thistle,
Turkey has her crescent moon,
and what won’t Yankees do for the old red, white and blue?
Every race has a flag but the coon.”
 

The lyrics suggest that at the time, four decades after emancipation, many white people still didn’t consider black people full citizens of the United States — or any country, for that matter.

The creation of a flag, then, was a step for black people around the world to claim an identity in their own right. Michael Hanchard, a professor of Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, says that flags are important because they symbolize the union of governance, people and territory. For black people, the flag means “that they have some way of identifying themselves in the world. And… to also project to those people who are not members of this particular national community that they too belong, that they have membership in a world of communities, a world of nations.”

“Coons?” Oh, hell no! If I’d heard that racist ditty I’d also have instantly been thinking about why we needed a flag of our own.

Tulane University graduate student Sydney Clark wrote last year about the flag’s global symbolism for Best Colleges.

Why the Pan-African Flag Matters to Black History

Today, the Pan-African flag is still a symbol of political activism. Its deep history as a marker of Black liberation and its use throughout prior civil rights movements lend power to people who wave the flag in 2022. Used in countless movements intended to end the Black American struggle, the flag is simultaneously an indication of the advancements made and the work we still need to do to achieve justice.

The Pan-African flag is also recognized outside the U.S. During the late 20th century, many newly liberated countries on the African continent used the Pan-African colors as a basis for their own newly minted flags, including Kenya, Libya, and Malawi. Kwanzaa, Juneteenth, and other Black American celebrations also use the colors of the flag within their paraphernalia and symbology.

Iconography is an important part of many cultures. The Pan-African flag has established a precedent for how Black Americans can identify their specific traditions and history. For many in the Black community, the flag is a symbol of pride, unification, and changemaking.

The red in the flag stands for the blood that we share as African peoples, and for the blood we have shed fighting to be free. Black represents Black people in both Africa and the global diaspora. Finally, the green symbolizes both growth and fertility.

In 1973 musician and composer Roy Ayers paid tribute to the colors and flag with “Red, Black & Green.”

Lyrics:

Red black and green
If you think about it you know what I mean

Red black and green
If you think about it you know what I mean

Red black and green
If you think about it you know what I mean

Red black and green
If you think about it you know what I mean

Red is for the eastern side
Red is for the blood we share
Red is for our thousands dead
Red is for our liberty
We fight for our own nation yeah

Red black and green
If you think about it you know what I mean

Black is for the mother land
Black is for the proud black man
Black is for the beautiful face
Of a proud and beautiful place
Black is for the soil we need
So a nation we can feed

Red black and green
If you think about it you know what I mean

Green is for the seed of freedom planted in our minds
Green is for that seed to grow free from all the fires
Green is for the earth to feel –

Red black and green
If you think about it you know what I mean

Red black and green
If you think about it you know what I mean

Red black and green
If you think about it you know what I mean

Red black and green
If you think about it you know what I mean

Red black and green
If you think about it you know what I mean

If you think about it you know what I mean
If you think about it you know what I mean
If you think about it you know what I mean

Pan-Africanism ties the Black peoples of the diaspora to countries in Africa historically, culturally, and politically. It has been interesting to watch increased dialogue and cooperation between the diaspora and the continent. For example, consider the progress and partnership between and among CARICOM members and the heads of African states.

As always, I was uplifted listening to Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley addressing the Afreximbank 30th Anniversary Annual Meetings in Accra, Ghana, in June. She celebrated the historical Pan-African ties between the Caribbean and Black Africa.

I’d love to hear where you learned about the history of the flag (or if you hadn’t before reading this story). Join me in the comments to discuss further, and for the weekly Caribbean News Roundup.

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The Baptist preacher on Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth

John Chilembwe on a Malawi bank note.(Photo: Getty/iStock)

The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews reminds Christians that they are surrounded by a great “cloud of witnesses.” (NRSV) That “cloud” has continued to grow in size since then. In this monthly column we will be thinking about some of the people and events, over the past 2000 years, that have helped make up this “cloud.” People and events that have helped build the community of the Christian church as it exists today.

The history of European colonisation, de-colonisation, and its aftermath, continues to prompt heated debate. In September 2022, a new temporary statue was placed on the Fourth Plinth in London’s historic Trafalgar Square, the fourteenth commission in the Mayor of London’s Fourth Plinth Programme.

Since 2003, the Fourth Plinth has showcased different pieces of artwork every two years. The plinth itself was originally intended to display a statue of King William IV, who reigned from 1830 to 37, but remained empty due to insufficient funds. Today it exhibits temporary artworks which are selected through public consultation and a commissioning group. Its past examples have included artworks as varied as: a dollop of whipped cream with an assortment of toppings; a recreation of a statue destroyed by ISIS; a child on a rocking horse; and a depiction of Nelson’s ship, HMS Victory, inside a large glass bottle stopped with a cork.

However, the installation which was placed there in 2022 (and which will remain there until 2024) provides an insight into an oft-forgotten period of British imperial history. It is entitled “Antelope,” and is the work of Samson Kambalu. The dramatic sculpture restages a photograph of two men which dates from 1914. The two men are Baptist preacher and pan-Africanist John Chilembwe and a European missionary named John Chorley. The photograph was taken outside Chilembwe’s church in Mbombwe village, in what is today southern Malawi.

As in the photograph, Chilembwe is wearing a hat. In so doing, he was defying the colonial convention that Africans should not wear hats in front of white people. It was a fashion convention which embodied political and social expectations that deference should be shown to whites.

There is, though, something more striking about the modern sculpture. This is that Chilembwe is depicted much larger than life, while Chorley is life-size. In fact, his statue stands at five metres, and towers over that of Chorley’s. The disparity is explained on the Mayor of London’s website: “By increasing his scale, the artist elevates Chilembwe and his story, revealing the hidden narratives of underrepresented peoples in the history of the British Empire in Africa, and beyond.”

Most people in the UK today will not previously have heard of John Chilembwe, but his history is intimately intertwined with that of British colonial rule in Africa and, also, with the impact of the First World War on that continent and its peoples.

The impact of the First World War on sub-Saharan Africa

In the popular shared memory of the First World War (1914-18) in the UK, it is largely remembered as a European conflict. The war on the Eastern Front usually only gets attention once we think of the Russian Revolution(s) of 1917. The fronts in Italy, and in the Balkans (where it started), are rarely mentioned. If attention moves beyond the Western Front, it rarely moves further than Gallipoli, with perhaps an excursion into the Middle East via memories of Lawrence of Arabia or imperial forces capturing Jerusalem from the Turks.

When it comes to sub-Saharan Africa, the conflict there rarely makes it onto the popular mental map of the war. And yet the impact of the war there was enormous, as the rival colonial powers fought out localised versions of the conflict which was tearing the European continent apart.

It has been estimated that over 250,000 African soldiers and porters, as well as approximately 750,000 African civilians, died in African campaigns that are largely unknown today outside of Africa. To get some idea of the scale of these casualties, it should be remembered that about 994,000 UK citizens (soldiers and civilians) died in that war.

As an aside, about 25% of the soldiers fighting for the British Crown in the First World War were Indians. But that is another – also often forgotten or sidelined – aspect of the war.

But to return to Africa. As well as the huge human cost, the war dislocated economies and societies in those areas on which it impacted. It also raised questions over the permanence of white European rule, since it was white European nations which were tearing each other apart; and whose attention was now occupied with fighting the conflict. For those within colonial populations already restless under colonial rule and economic exploitation, the war triggered anti-colonial activities. It was one of these that was led by John Chilembwe.

The Chilembwe uprising, 1915

Chilembwe was born sometime in the early 1870s (exact date unknown) and grew up in southern Malawi’s Chiradzulu District. There he was greatly influenced by the work and teaching of Christian missionaries. Among these was a radical missionary named Joseph Booth, whose outlook was summed up as: “Africa for Africans.”

With Booth, Chilembwe travelled to the US where he studied theology and saw, first hand, the struggle of black people for basic rights following the end of slavery. It was a struggle against white-controlled systems that were designed to keep them in a subservient place. This energised him to confront comparable colonial injustices in his homeland.

As an ordained Baptist minister, he established his own church within a context of black African agriculturalists being forced off their ancestral land in order to make room for white farmers. The poorly paid labour on these white-owned farms was carried out by landless black people. It was a land-rights issue replicated across the colonised world.

Chilembwe preached black advancement through hard work and education and was influenced by the ideas of the black American educator Booker T Washington. During the First World War there was huge recruitment of Africans to support the British forces in East Africa.

In Chilembwe’s region, large numbers of black Africans were taken to fight against the German army in what is now Tanzania. Others were employed as porters. Large numbers died of disease. Chilembwe opposed this recruitment and the conditions experienced by fellow Africans. He had earlier been shocked at the British colonial authorities’ lack of care for African refugees who had arrived in Malawi from neighbouring Mozambique, following a famine there which had occurred in 1913.

At the same time as he was beginning to agitate against the latest manifestation of colonial rule. African Christian millenarians in the region – encouraged by what appeared to be an apocalyptic conflict – were preaching that the war would lead to the end of white colonial rule.

Earlier, his mentor Booth had predicted that by 1914 European colonialism would end in Africa; following this, independent black nations would unite with black people in America in common cause against injustice. This was not, strictly speaking, an eschatological vision but it complemented it. However, Booth was a pacifist.

Taken together, it was a powerful mixture of suffering and hope. And the hope was deeply influenced by both gospel principles of the equality of all before God (a belief promoted, but with its social implications often defused, by missionary activity) and Christian end-times beliefs. After Chilembwe was defeated, the British colonial authorities accused him of wanting to create a theocratic state in the Malawian highlands, which suggests they read some millenarian aspirations in his actions.

In January 1915, Chilembwe and his followers rose up against the colonists. The uprising occurred in Nyasaland (modern Malawi). There were relatively few casualties among those attacked by his followers; but a number of white colonists were killed, even if (as some historians argue) Chilembwe was not directly involved in the killings.

Although Chilembwe was a member of the Chewa ethnic group, the brief rebellion pulled in support from several other ethnic groups, including the Yao, Lomwe, Nyanja, Chikunda, Ngoni and Tonga. This was consistent with other pan-African aspects of his life and ideology.

In response, the colonial forces rapidly mobilized. Facing defeat at the hands of the British, Chilembwe and a number of his followers tried to escape into Portuguese East Africa (modern Mozambique). However, many were captured. Following this, forty rebels were executed and 300 imprisoned. Chilembwe himself was shot dead by a police patrol (of fellow Africans, employed by the British) near the border.

The legacy of John Chilembwe

The placing of “Antelope” on the Fourth Plinth has triggered much debate, including explicit opposition. However, it is a fair guess that some of those who oppose its placing there accept the continued existence of statues of white colonists responsible for the subjection of black populations. It is likely that many of those who oppose the erecting of this statue would probably also resist the taking down of other statues. We live in contested times and history and commemoration are at the heart of this turbulence, as they are at the heart of much national myth-making.

Chilembwe was one of the first to lead opposition to colonial rule in Africa. While his revolt was short-lived, its impact reverberated across the continent and among those of African descent living elsewhere under white colonial rule. Today, Chilembwe’s legacy can be seen across the modern state of Malawi. Several roads are named after him and his picture appears on the country’s currency (the kwacha), as well as on stamps. He even has an annual commemorative day and is seen, by many, as a founding figure in the fight for Malawian independence. However, some modern commentators – though recognising his importance – have argued that his uprising was premature and lacked the necessary groundwork of political activism required for resistance to colonial power.

Chilembwe is also considered by many commentators and historians to have influenced a number of later figures involved in black liberation. These include the Jamaican political activist Marcus Garvey and John Langalibalele Dube, who was the founding president of what later became the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa.

What seems clear is that we should not separate Chilembwe’s political activism from his Christian background as a church leader and preacher. This clearly energised him, since he considered his actions expressed Christian opposition to racially-organised oppressive rule.

However we assess the rights and wrongs of his actions – and of the commemoration of him on the Fourth Plinth – Christian attitudes towards injustice must play a part within the assessment. This raises the very difficult question of what is an appropriate way to express opposition to systemic and powerful forces which subjugate and exploit people. This can make for uncomfortable discussions in our present age. But that these discussions need to take place seems indisputable. Perhaps we can reflect on that – whatever conclusions we reach – as we gaze at those two contrasting figures in Trafalgar Square.

Martyn Whittock is an evangelical historian and a Licensed Lay Minister in the Church of England. As an historian and author, or co-author, of fifty-five books, his work covers a wide range of historical and theological themes. In addition, as a commentator and columnist, he has written for several print and online news platforms; has been interviewed on TV and radio shows exploring the interaction of faith and politics; and appeared on Sky News discussing political events in the USA. Recently, he has been interviewed on several news platforms concerning faith and the Crown in the UK, and the war in Ukraine. His most recent books include: Trump and the Puritans (2020), The Secret History of Soviet Russia’s Police State (2020), Daughters of Eve (2021), Jesus the Unauthorized Biography (2021), The End Times, Again? (2021) and The Story of the Cross (2021). His latest book, Apocalyptic Politics (2022), explores the connection between end-times beliefs and radicalised politics across religions, time, and cultures.

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Drought, sweat and hellish heat: 20 great movies with searing temperatures

As the summer heat intensifies, we look at 20 famous movies, where drought, sweat and sweltering conditions play leading roles.

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Mad Max. An epic saga about a post-apocalyptic and water-scarce world. In each Mad Max movie, water takes on more and more importance. In Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), George Miller turns water — or rather the lack of water — into another character. A spinoff of Mad Max called Furiosa is now in post-production. It follows a younger version of Charlize Theron’s character, with Anya Taylor-Joy in the lead role. Available on HBO Max.

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The Hunt (1966). In this drama, Spanish director Carlos Saura combines the dryness of the landscape with the dryness of the characters’ souls. There is only a small flash of water: a tiny reservoir created for entertainment by Emilio Gutiérrez Caba’s character. The movie is a portrait of Francoism and its moral decay. Available on FlixOlé.

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Do the Right Thing (1989). Summer in New York. It’s hot and humid. As the temperature rises, Spike Lee explores racial conflicts until the situation reaches boiling point. Lee likes movies that take place in the summer, such as Crooklyn and Summer of Sam, because he understands that heat unnerves even the most indolent spirit. Available at Peacock Premium.

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The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019). This movie is the directorial debut of Chiwetel Ejiofor, who expertly produces the remarkable true story. It follows the struggle of a Malawian boy as he tries to find a solution to overcome the drought that is devastating his village and pushing his family to emigrate. Available on Netflix.

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The Book of Eli (2010). Mad Max + Denzel Washington + biblical messianism = The Book of Eli. A lonely guy crosses a devastated United States, carrying precious cargo: a book that could save humanity. Whoever tries to get in the way, pays for it deeply. Available on Netflix.

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Dune (2021-2023). A science fiction classic of worlds without water, of wastelands where every drop is a treasure. A difficult novel to adapt. Denis Villeneuve delivered the first part in 2021 and the sequel will arrive in November. Available on HBO Max.

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Barton Fink (1991). A New York playwright moves to Hollywood to pursue a career in film… and discovers the worst side of the industry, while dealing with a horrifying heat wave. A fast-moving movie directed by the Coen brothers. Available at Amazon Video.

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Law of Desire (1987). “Hose me down. Come on, don’t stop. Hose me! Oh that’s hot.” A movie with a phrase like that had to be included in the list. Carmen Maura asks a street sweeper to wet her with his hose in the middle of a heat wave in Madrid, during a summer of heartbreak and passion. And, like Barton Fink, it also has a critical look at the cinema industry, at least at its creative process. Available on Netflix.

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The Wages of Fear (1953). A classic from French director Henri-Geroges Clouzot. In deep South America, four men transport a shipment of nitroglycerin by road. Every pore of this film oozes sweat and fear. The film was going to be shot in Spain, but its protagonist, Yves Montand, refused in protest of the Franco dictatorship. The Camargue region in France was used instead to present the rugged landscapes of South America. Available on Prime Video and Filmin.

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Falling Down (1993). In the late 1980s, many industries closed in California. That is the breeding ground of Falling Down, or how someone overcomes the threshold of endurance in a big city. Its protagonist, Michael Douglas, is splendid. And it is, incidentally, one of the favorite movies of white supremacists. Available on Apple TV.

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In the Heat of the Night (1967). In the American South, the heat never seems to let up. Racism and high temperatures combine to form a concoction that sticks to the skin of its inhabitants. So much so that this thriller about the investigation of an African-American police officer in a southern city was shot in Illinois because Sidney Poitier refused to travel south, where he had been attacked by the Ku Klux Klan. Fact and fiction went hand in hand. Available at Amazon Video.

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Chinatown (1974). This movie looks at the water business on the outskirts of California. What begins as an adultery investigation ends as a tour of the most corrupt face of the 1930s. A classic of detective film where the investigator is trampled by life. Available on Amazon Video.

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God Forgive Us (2016). It was the summer of 2011, and Pope Benedict XVI was visiting Madrid. As the temperature rises, in this film, two policemen search against time for a serial killer through the center of Madrid, a city at boiling point due to the economic crisis. Available on Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max and Movistar+.

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Rango (2011). Animated movies also address water scarcity. This is the case for Rango, which follows a chameleon that has been named sheriff of the town of Dirt. Johnny Depp does a great job voicing the lead. Available on SkyShowtime.

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The Seven Year Itch (1955). Summer, heat, seven-year-long marriages. And a character played by Marilyn Monroe as a neighbor. Director Billy Wilder makes the most of the set-up, but the restrictive Hays code (Hollywood’s self-censorship system) stopped him from going all the way. The movie contains the iconic image of Monroe standing on a subway grate as her dress is blown up. For rent on Amazon.

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Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958). Richard Brooks directs this adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ play of the same name. Starring Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman, the southern drama explores themes of sexual and family tension, issues Williams often returned to. Available on Apple TV.

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Walkabout (1971). Director Nicolas Roeg had a fascinating career, focused on edgy movies. In this one, two brothers from the city end up in the middle of the Australian desert and manage to survive with the help of an Aboriginal kid. Available on Amazon Video.

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Body Heat (1981). A film about sweat and sex. The movie takes place amid a searing heat wave in Florida, and follows a torrid story of lust, adultery and murder. It was Kathleen Turner’s debut as an actress, and also stars William Hurt. Available for rent on Apple TV and Amazon Video.

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A Streetcar Named Desire (1951). A classic about desire amid the unbearable heat. It contains the famous scene of Marlon Brando screaming “Stella” mad with despair. The movie takes place in New Orleans and is based on a play by Tennessee Williams. Available for rent on Amazon Video and Apple TV.

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12 Angry Men (1957). It’s very hot in the courtroom, where a jury is about to sentence a guy to death. Eleven jurors are convinced, but one wants to talk a little more, to reflect on what they are going to do. A masterpiece about suffocation and manipulation, about half-truths and about the tendency of human beings to disdain their fellow men. Available on Fubo TV.

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Happy World Africa Day! Learn About The 54 Countries of Africa

Black America Web Featured Video

Africa Day. Happy African Freedom Day and Liberation Day. Celebrate annual on the African continent and around the world. African pattern. Poster, card, banner and background. Vector illustration

Source: Iuliia Pilipeichenko / Getty

May 25th is World Africa Day! Did you know there are 54 countries that make up the continent of Africa? Yes, each of these countries have their own history and culture that continue to change the world everyday.

 Text “DCnews” to 52140 For Local & National News Sent Directly To You!

Below you will see a brief overview of each country and link to learn more about the entertainment, languages, food and so much!

Countries of Africa Landing Page and Graphics_RD Washington DC WOL-AM_August 2022

Countries of Africa Landing Page and Graphics_RD Washington DC WOL-AM_August 2022

Cabo Verde

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Cabo Verde aka Cape Verde is pronounced kaa·bow vehr·day” and is one of the 6 island nations in Western Africa. The name Cabo Verde means “green cape.” This country consists of 10 islands and gained its independence on July 5, 1975 from Portugal.

CLICK HERE To Learn More About Cabo Verde’s Music, Food, Languages, Places To Visit and More!

Comoros

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Comoros is pronounced kaa·mur·owz” and is one of the island nations of Africa. The name Comoros is derived from the Arab word ‘kamar’ which means the moon. This country gained it’s independence on July 6, 1975 from France. This country is known as the perfume island.

CLICK HERE To Learn More About Cabo Verde’s Music, Food, Languages, Places To Visit and More!

Madagascar

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Madagascar is pronounced ma·duh·ga·skaar” and is one of the 6 island nations of Africa. This country gained it’s independence on June 26, 1960 from France. This country is known for their lemurs which are primitive relatives of monkeys. Continue reading below to learn more about the beautiful African country, Madagascar.

CLICK HERE To Learn More About Madagascar’s Music, Food, Languages, Places To Visit and More!

Mauritius

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Mauritius is pronounced mur·i·shuhs” and is one of the 6 island nations of Africa. This country gained its independence on March 12, 1968 from Britain. Mauritius is a island nation known for it’s beaches, lagoons and reefs with over 700 species of indigenous plants. This country is ranked as one of the best beach and honeymoon locations in the world.

CLICK HERE To Learn More About Mauritius’ Music, Food, Languages, Places To Visit and More!

São Tomé and Príncipe

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The Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe is pronounced sow toe·may and prin·see·pay” and and is one of the 6 island nations of Africa. This country is made of 2 islands; São Tomé received its name after being discovered by Portuguese explorers on St Thomas Day and Príncipe received its name as a shorter version of the original Portuguese name of “Ilha do Principe” which means Isle of the Prince. São Tomé and Príncipe gained its independence on July 12, 1975 from Portugal. This country is 2nd smallest African country and home to the world’s smallest bird, the ibis. It’s known as “The Africa Galápagos”.

CLICK HERE To Learn More About São Tomé and Príncipe’s Music, Food, Languages, Places To Visit and More!

Seychelles

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Seychelles is pronounced say·shelz” and is one of the 6 island nations of Africa. This country is made up of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Seychelles was named after Jean Moreau de Séchelles, Louis XV‘s Minister of Finance, in 1756 when the French set a Stone of Possession on the islands Mahé. This country gained its independence on June 29, 1976 from the British and is known as “the land of perpetual summer.”

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Countries of Africa Landing Page and Graphics_RD Washington DC WOL-AM_August 2022

Countries of Africa Landing Page and Graphics_RD Washington DC WOL-AM_August 2022

Algeria

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Algeria is pronounced al·jee·ree·uh” and is one of the 6 countries located in North Africa. Algeria is the largest country in Africa and its name derived from the name of the city of Algiers. This country gained its independence on July 5, 1962.

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Egypt

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Egypt is pronounced “ee·juhpt” and is one of the 6 countries located in North Africa. Egypt’s name means ‘Temple Of The Soul Of Ptah’ (Ptah is the creative god associated with Memphis, the ancient city of Egypt). This country gained its independence on February 28, 1922 from Britain. This country is known for having the oldest of all the pyramids, the Great Pyramid of Giza which is known for being one of the giant pyramids in the world.

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Libya

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Libya is pronounced li·bee·uh” and is one of the 6 countries located in North Africa. The name Libya derived from the Egyptian term Libu. This country gained its independence on December 24, 1951 from Italy. This country is known for containing some of the world’s most well-preserved ruins from ancient civilizations.

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Morocco

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Morocco is pronounced “mur·aa·co” and is one of the 6 countries located in North Africa. Morocco gained its independence on April 7, 1956 from France. This country was originally named Marrakesh from the Berber which means “land of God” or “sacred land”. This country is the home of the Sahara desert which is the world’s largest desert. Continue reading below to learn more about the beautiful African country, Morocco.

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Sudan

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Sudan aka North Sudan is pronounced “sue·dan” and is one of the 6 countries located in North Africa. Sudan’s name derives from the Arabic bilad al-sudan, which means “land of the blacks.” This country gained its independence on January 1, 1956 from the United Kingdom and Egypt.  As of 2012, according to the American Community Survey, there are 48,763 people of Sudan decent living in the United States. Continue reading below to learn more about the beautiful African country, Sudan.

CLICK HERE To Learn More About Sudan’s Music, Food, Languages, Places To Visit and More!

Tunisia

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Tunisia is pronounced too·nee·zhuh” and is one of the 6 countries located in North Africa. The name Tunisia means “to lay down” or “encampment”. This country gained its independence on March 20, 1956 from France and is known for its unique blend of Arab and Berber cultures and influence. According the 2022 census there are 24,735 Tunisian Americans in the United States.

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Countries of Africa Landing Page and Graphics_RD Washington DC WOL-AM_August 2022

Countries of Africa Landing Page and Graphics_RD Washington DC WOL-AM_August 2022

Burundi

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Burundi is pronounced buh·roon·dee” and is one of the 10 countries located in East Africa. Burundi is named after the King of Burundi, who ruled the region starting in the 16th century This country gained it’s independence on July 1, 1962. This country is known as “The Heart of Africa”.

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Djibouti

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Djibouti is pronounced juh·boo·tee” and is one of the 10 countries located in East Africa. Djibouti means “boiling pot” in the Afar language based off its dry and hot weather all year. This country gained its independence on June 27, 1977 from France.

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Eritrea

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Eritrea is pronounced “air·uh·tree·uh” and is one of the 10 countries located in East Africa. The name Eritrea derives from the Greek term Sinus Erythraeus, which means Red Sea.This country gained its independence on May 24, 1991 from Ethiopia. This country is known for having one of the oldest port cities in Africa.

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Ethiopia

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Ethiopia is pronounced ee·thee·ow·pee·uh” and and is one of the 10 countries located in East Africa. It is said that the name Ethiopia derived from the Greek Αἰθιοπία Aithiopia which means “of burnt ( αιθ-) visage (ὄψ)”. Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world. This country is birth place of coffee.

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Kenya

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Kenya is pronounced ken·yuh” and is one of the 10 countries located in East Africa. This country is named after Mount Kenya or ‘Kirinyaga‘, the ‘Mountain of Whiteness’. Kenya gained its independence on December 12, 1963 from Britain. This country is known for being the world’s best safari destination.

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Rwanda

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Rwanda is pronounced ruh·waan·duh” and is one of the 10 countries located in East Africa. This country gained it’s independence on July 1, 1962. This country is known as ‘The Land of a Thousand Hills‘. Continue reading below to learn more about the beautiful African country, Rwanda.

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Somalia

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Somalia is pronounced sow·maa·lee·uh” and is one of the 10 countries located in East Africa. The name Somalia comes from the indigenous Somali people. This country gained its independence on July 1, 1960 and is known as the ‘Horn of Africa’. As of 2022, there are about 300,000 people from Somalia that live in the United States according to VOA.

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South Sudan

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South Sudan is pronounced sowth soo·dan” and is one of the 10 countries located in East Africa. It is one of the newest countries of Africa receiving it’s name after it’s independence from Sudan. The name Sudan means derives from the Arabic bilad al-sudan, which means “land of the blacks.” This country gained its independence on July 9, 2011 from Sudan. As of 2007, according to former Ambassador Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, there are over 100,000 people of South Sudan decent living in the United States. Continue reading below to learn more about the beautiful African country, South Sudan.

CLICK HERE To Learn More About South Sudan’s Music, Food, Languages, Places To Visit and More!

Tanzania

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Tanzania is pronounced tan·zuh·nee·uh” or “tan·zawn·yuh and is one of the 10 countries located in East Africa. This country’s name is a combination of the first letters of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, which are the two states that merged to form Tanzania in 1964. This country gained its independence on December 9, 1961. As of 2020, there are about 73,000 people of Tanzanian decent that live in the United States.

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Uganda

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Uganda is pronounced you·gaan·duh” and and is one of the 10 countries located in East Africa. Uganda got it’s name from the Buganda kingdom. This country gained its independence on October 9, 1962 from England and is known as ‘The Pearl of Africa’. As of 2014, there are 20,248 Ugandan Americans in the United States.

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Countries of Africa Landing Page and Graphics_RD Washington DC WOL-AM_August 2022

Countries of Africa Landing Page and Graphics_RD Washington DC WOL-AM_August 2022

Angola

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Angola is pronounced ang·gow·luh” and and is one of the 9 countries located in Central Africa. This country gained its independence on November 11, 1975 from Portugal.

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Cameroon

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Cameroon is pronounced ka·mur·oon” and is one of the 9 countries located in Central Africa. Has the longest ruling leader, Paul Biya. Cameroon was named by Portuguese explorers for the Rio dos Camarões (‘River of Prawns’). This country gained it’s independence on October 1, 1961 from France.

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Central African Republic

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Central African Republic is pronounced sen·truhl a·fruh·kuhn ruh·puh·bluhk” and is one of the 9 countries located in Central Africa. This country gained it’s independence on August 13, 1960. This country is known to have the world’s 2nd largest rainforest, The Congo Basin and home to the ethnic group of the PeeWee People. The PeeWee People are known for their short stature typically under 5 feet tall.

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Chad

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Chad is pronounced “ch·ad” and and is one of the 9 countries located in Central AfricaThe largest landlocked country in Africa. This country gained its independence on August 11, 1960. This country was named after Lake Chad.

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Republic of the Congo

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Republic of the Congo aka Congo is pronounced kaang·gow” and and is one of the 9 countries located in Central Africa. The name Congo is from the Congo River which derived from Kongo, a Bantu kingdom that got its name from its people, the Bakongo (hunters). This country gained its independence in 1960 from France. This country is also known as Middle Congo, Congo-Brazzaville, and Congo.

CLICK HERE To Learn More About Republic of the Congo’s Music, Food, Languages, Places To Visit and More!

Democratic Republic of the Congo

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Democratic Republic of the Congo aka DR Congo is pronounced kaang·gow” and and is one of the 9 countries located in Central Africa. DR Congo is the 2nd largest country in Africa after Algeria. The name Congo is from the Congo River which derived from Kongo, a Bantu kingdom that got its name from its people, the Bakongo (hunters). This country gained it’s independence on June 30, 1960 from Belgium.

CLICK HERE To Learn More About Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Music, Food, Languages, Places To Visit and More!

Equatorial Guinea

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Equatorial Guinea is pronounced eh·kwuh·taw·ree·uhl gi·nee” and is one of the 9 countries located in Central Africa. Equatorial Guinea was formally the Spanish Guinea. This country is along the Gulf of Guinea in the Guinea region of West Africa and lies right above the Equator, which is what “equatorial” refers to. This country gained its independence on October 12, 1968 from Spain. Equatorial Guinea is the only African country with Spanish as its official language.

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Gabon

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Gabon is pronounced ga·bone” and and is one of the 9 countries located in Central Africa. Gabon was named after the Portuguese word gabão and this country’s official name is the Gabonese Republic. This country gained its independence on August 17, 1960 from France. In 2021 there were only 131 people from Gabon in the United States.

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Countries of Africa Landing Page and Graphics_RD Washington DC WOL-AM_August 2022

Countries of Africa Landing Page and Graphics_RD Washington DC WOL-AM_August 2022

Botswana

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Botswana is pronounced “baat·swaa·nuh” and is one of the 9 countries located in Southern Africa. Botswana means “Land of the Tswana.” This country gained its independence on September 30, 1966. Botswana is known for being the home to the world’s largest concentration of African Elephants plus the world’s second largest gem quality diamond was discovered here in 2021.

CLICK HERE To Learn More About Botswana’s Music, Food, Languages, Places To Visit and More!

Eswatini

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Eswatini aka Swaziland is pronounced eh·swaa·tea·nee” and is one of the 9 countries located in Southern Africa. This country gained its independence on September 6, 1968 from Britain. The Kingdom of Eswatini is one of the three remaining kingdoms in the continent of Africa. This country is landlocked inside the country of South Africa.

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Lesotho

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Lesotho is pronounced “luh·sue·too” and landlocked in South Africa. Lesotho’s name means “land of the Sotho.” The Sotho people are a Bantu nation native to southern Africa, they are also known as the Basuto or Basotho. Lesotho gained its independence on October 4, 1966 from Great Britain. This country is one of the three remaining Kingdoms on the continent of Africa and is one of 3 enclaved countries in the world (Enclaved countries are those completely surrounded by another country’s land).

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Malawi

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Malawi is pronounced muh·laa·wee” and is one of the 13 countries located in Southern Africa. The name Malawi means “flaming waters” and was taken from a tribal word that described how rays of sun glinted off Lake Nyasa. This country gained its independence on July 6, 1964 from Britain. This country is known for Lake Malawi which is the home to the largest number of fish species of any lake in the world.

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Mozambique

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Mozambique is pronounced mow·zam·beek” and is one of the 9 countries located in Southern Africa. This countries original name by the Portuguese was Moçambique after the Island of Mozambique. It derived from Mussa Bin Bique or Mussa Ibn Malik who was an Arab trader who allegedly first visited the island. This country gained its independence on June 25, 1975 from Portugal.

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Namibia

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Namibia is pronounced nuh·mi·bee·uh” and is one of the 9 countries located in Southern Africa. This country gained its independence on March 21, 1990 from South Africa. This country is known for one of the world’s most extensive meteorite showers. The Gibeon Meteorite Shower is the largest known meteorite shower on Earth. Continue reading below to learn more about the beautiful African country, Namibia.

CLICK HERE To Learn More About Namibia’s Music, Food, Languages, Places To Visit and More!

South Africa

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South Africa is pronounced sowth a·fruh·kuh” and is one of the 9 countries located in Southern Africa. This country got its name because of it’s location at the southern tip of Africa. This country is known for its abundant wildlife. According to the American Community Survey, as of 2021 there are 123,461 people from South Africa that live in the United States.

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Zambia

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Zambia is pronounced zam·bee·uh” and is one of the 9 countries located in Southern Africa. The name Zambia derived from the Zambezi river which means “River of God.” This country gained its independence on October 24, 1964 from Britain.

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Zimbabwe

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Zimbabwe is pronounced zim·baab·way” and is one of the 9 countries located in Southern Africa. The name Zimbabwe means Great House of Stone. This country gained its independence on April 18, 1980 from Great Britain and is known as the “Jewel of Africa”. As of 2017, there are about 30,000 Zimbabweans that live in the United States.

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Countries of Africa Landing Page and Graphics_RD Washington DC WOL-AM_August 2022

Countries of Africa Landing Page and Graphics_RD Washington DC WOL-AM_August 2022

Benin

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Benin is pronounced buh·neen” and is one of the 16 countries located in West Africa. This country gained its independence on August 1, 1960.

CLICK HERE To Learn More About Benin’s Music, Food, Languages, Places To Visit and More!

Burkina Faso

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Burkina Faso is pronounced bur·kee·nuh faa·sow” and is one of the 16 countries located in West Africa. The name Burkina Faso means “Land of Incorruptible People”. This country gained its independence on August 5, 1960.

CLICK HERE To Learn More About The Burkina Faso’s Music, Food, Languages, Places To Visit and More!

Côte d’Ivoire

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Côte d’Ivoire aka Ivory Coast is pronounced “coat duh·vwaar” and is one of the 16 countries located in West Africa. This country gained it’s independence on August 7, 1960 from France. This country is known for being the world’s top exporter of cocoa and raw cashew nuts.

CLICK HERE To Learn More About The Côte d’Ivoire’s Music, Food, Languages, Places To Visit and More!

The Gambia

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The Gambia is pronounced “gam·bee·uh” and is one of the 16 countries located in West Africa. The Gambia was named after ‘The River Gambia.’ This country gained its independence on February 18, 1965 from Britain. This country is known as a birdwatcher’s paradise with over 500 species of birds who call The Gambia home.

CLICK HERE To Learn More About The Gambia’s Music, Food, Languages, Places To Visit and More!

Ghana

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Ghana is pronounced gaa·nuh” and is one of the 16 countries located in West Africa. The name Ghana means “king.” This country gained its independence on March 6, 1957 from Britain. Ghana was the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence from colonial rule. As of 2015, there are more than 235,000 people of Ghanian decent that live in the United States.

CLICK HERE To Learn More About Ghana’s Music, Food, Languages, Places To Visit and More!

Guinea

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Guinea is pronounced gi·nee” and is one of the 16 countries located in West Africa. Guinea means “land of the blacks.” This country gained its independence on October 2, 1958 from France.

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Guinea-Bissau

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Guinea-Bissau is pronounced gi·nee buh·sau” and is one of the 16 countries located in West Africa. The name Guinea means “the land of the blacks” and “Bissau” is the name of the capital. Guinea-Bissau gained its independence on September 24, 1973 from Portugal. This country is known as being one of the top cashew producers in the world.

CLICK HERE To Learn More About Guinea-Bissau’s Music, Food, Languages, Places To Visit and More!

Liberia

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Liberia is pronounced “lai·bee·ree·uh and is one of the 16 countries located in West Africa. This country gained its independence on July 26, 1847 from the American Colonization Society. Liberia has never subjected to colonial rule and is Africa’s oldest republic. Its name means “land of freedom” referring to its settlement in the early 1800s by freeborn and former enslaved Black Americans.

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Mali

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Mali is pronounced maa·lee” and is one of the 16 countries located in West Africa. Mali is named after the Mali Empire and means “the place where the king lives.” This country gained it’s independence on September 22, 1960 from France.

CLICK HERE To Learn More About Mali’s Music, Food, Languages, Places To Visit and More!

Mauritania

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Mauritania is pronounced more·uh·tay·nee·uh” and is one of the 16 countries located in West Africa. This country gained its independence on November 28, 1960 from France. Mauritania was the last country in the world to abolish slavery in 1981. The name Mauritania derived from the Latin word Mauretania which means “west.” .

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Niger

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Niger is pronounced n·eye·jer” and is one of the 16 countries located in West Africa. Niger was named after the Niger River that flows through the country and means ‘flowing water’ in Tuareg n’eghirren. This country gained its independence on August 3, 1960 from France. Niger is home to the largest protected area in Africa.

CLICK HERE To Learn More About Niger’s Music, Food, Languages, Places To Visit and More!

Nigeria

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Nigeria is pronounced nai·jee·ree·uh” and is one of the 16 countries located in West Africa. The name Nigeria is taken from the Niger River running through the country. This country gained its independence on Oct 1, 1960 from Britain. This country is known as the “Giant of Africa”. As of 2016, according to the American Community Survey there were about 380,785 people of Nigerian decent that live in the United States.

CLICK HERE To Learn More About Nigeria’s Music, Food, Languages, Places To Visit and More!

Senegal

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Sengal/Sénégal is pronounced seh·nuh·gaal” and is one of the 16 countries located in West Africa. Sénégal’s Independence Day is August 20, 1960. As of 2019, there are 18,091 people from Senegal that live in the United States.

CLICK HERE To Learn More About Senegal’s Music, Food, Languages, Places To Visit and More!

Sierra Leone

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Sierra Leone is pronounced see·eh·ruh lee·own” and is one of the 16 countries located in West Africa. The name Sierra Leone means “lion mountains”This country gained it’s independence on April 27, 1961 from Britain. According to American Community Survey, there are 34,161 people from Sierra Leone that live in the United States.

CLICK HERE To Learn More About Sierra Leone’s Music, Food, Languages, Places To Visit and More!

Togo

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Togo is pronounced toe·go” and is one of the 16 countries located in West Africa. The name Togo is translated from the Ewe language as “behind the river”. This country gained its independence on April 27, 1960 from France and is known as “land where lagoons lie”. According to the 2021 census there are around 16,000 Togolese-born individualsthat live in the United States.

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Happy World Africa Day! Learn About The 54 Countries of Africa  was originally published on woldcnews.com

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