JOHANNESBURG, 18 March 2010 (IRIN) - West Africa can meet its food needs through regional trade, most agricultural experts say, if countries keep their borders open for the free flow of staple grains, especially in times of heightened stress, whether climatic, economic, or brought on by conflict.

JOHANNESBURG, 18 March 2010 (IRIN) - True to its word, the African Union (AU) has announced the imposition of sanctions against Madagascar's "de facto authorities" – exactly a year after Andry Rajoelina, backed by the military, ousted former President Marc Ravalomanana.

DAKAR, 18 March 2010 (IRIN) - Women with gum disease are almost three times more likely to give birth prematurely than those with healthy gums, according to more than a decade of research. But scientists are still uncertain how significant a risk dental bacteria is to healthy pregnancies – or how to save foetuses from potentially deadly exposure.

NAIROBI, 18 March 2010 (IRIN) - Nicodemus Manyala knows he is HIV-positive and needs life-prolonging antiretroviral therapy (ART) to remain healthy, but fear of treatment interruptions has made him reluctant to start on the drugs.

YANGON, 18 March 2010 (IRIN) - A failure to repair crucial flood embankments damaged by Cyclone Nargis could undo recovery efforts and lead to more loss of life if another major storm hits, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization warns.

NAKIVALE, 18 March 2010 (IRIN) - A farming ban imposed on Rwandan refugees in southwestern Uganda is raising concerns for their food security, while proposed cash transfers could boost both food prices and theft, warn aid workers and local officials, who are urging the government to rescind the directive.

BAGHDAD, 18 March 2010 (IRIN) - A housing project in Diyala Province, sandwiched between Baghdad and the Iranian border, could raise tension between Arabs and Kurds, observers say.

JOHANNESBURG, 17 March 2010 (IRIN) - As more HIV-positive people access treatment and live longer, the number of people suffering from HIV-related mental disorders is growing, but mental health remains an ethical, legal and clinical minefield, where many doctors and nurses fear to tread – and fear to test.

NAIROBI, 17 March 2010 (IRIN) - God, not global emissions, is to blame for climate change, according to a survey conducted in 10 African countries. A close second, however, came deforestation, underlining the argument that there is information available – just not sufficient or effective enough to help people understand the reasons behind environmental issues.

DAKAR, 17 March 2010 (IRIN) - Mali is hoping to eradicate guinea-worm in the next two years, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

JOHANNESBURG, 17 March 2010 (IRIN) - Madagascar's history is marked by a struggle for political control. The country gained independence from France in 1960, but since then it has been plagued by assassinations, military coups and disputed elections. Here is a timeline of the major events in the island's turbulent history.

TESO, 17 March 2010 (IRIN) - While the public response to Kenya's national HIV testing drive has been enormous, many women are not keen to be tested, knowing that a positive result could mean the breakdown of their marriages, loss of home and more.

YANGON, 17 March 2010 (IRIN) - A lack of capacity on several levels is likely to hamper Myanmar's bid to change its political structure, diplomats and analysts say.

NAIROBI, 17 March 2010 (IRIN) - An acute water shortage after a prolonged drought in central Galgadud region of Somalia has forced thousands of people to abandon their villages, say officials. "A prolonged drought, coupled with a drying-up of wells and barkads [water pans], is forcing many people to leave their homes," said Abdirahman Mohamed Adawe, the district commissioner of Adado, one of the areas hardest hit.

KABUL, 17 March 2010 (IRIN) - Armed hostilities have boosted the number of internally displaced persons to over 296,000 but an effective humanitarian response is being hampered by insecurity, the UN Secretary-General says in a new report to the UN Security Council.

JOHANNESBURG, 17 March 2010 (IRIN) - Ethembeni Enrichment Centre, a school in a run-down part of Port Elizabeth, the largest city in Eastern Cape, South Africa's poorest province, has achieved a remarkable 100 percent pass rate for a dozen years. But officials from the education department, sent on a fact-finding mission to learn from the school's success, are running more than two hours late.

SANAA, 17 March 2010 (IRIN) - What mechanisms are in place to ensure that international aid reaches its intended recipients in Yemen rather than corrupt officials? How effective has aid delivery been hitherto?

ANTANANARIVO, 16 March 2010 (IRIN) - Madagascar's political deadlock masks an increasingly fragile humanitarian situation that will keep deteriorating if no solution to the ongoing crisis is found.

GAZA CITY, 16 March 2010 (IRIN) - Nahla*, aged 30, from Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, said she was physically and mentally abused for more than 10 years by her husband before being granted a divorce three months ago.

NAIROBI/DAR ES SALAAM, 16 March 2010 (IRIN) - New maps pin-pointing the exact location of "wellness centres" in sub-Saharan Africa are improving truck drivers' access to treatment and care for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).