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Sifelani Tsiko Agric, Environment & Innovations Editor

Two young Zimbabwean scientists, Celia Matyanga, a doctoral candidate at the University of Zimbabwe; and Georgina NyAawo, a doctoral candidate at StellenboschA University in South Africa, have won Young Talent Sub-Saharan Africa 2019 Awards of the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Programme.

The two were among the 20 women at the 10th edition of the Regional Programme for Women in Science held in Dakar, Senegal, recently.

A medical researcher,Matyanga  was honoured for her research focusing on the interactions between herbal traditional medicine and first line treatment of HIV/Aids. Her research placed greater emphasis on analysing herbal medications and determining the components that could be useful in the first line treatment of HIV and Aids.

Nyawo’s research assessed the microbiome (bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses that live on and inside the human body) in patients with tuberculosis to develop novel diagnostic interventions and curing of the disease.

Her study sought to create innovative, accurate and cheap methodologies to cure tuberculosis.

“The number of women in science is not yet significant — only 2,4 percent of the world’s researchers are African scientists, of whom 30 percent are women.

“Through the Young Talent Award for Sub-Saharan Africa, we promote and support the continent’s remarkable female researchers. They play a key role to develop inclusive research in Africa, for Africa and conducted by Africans,” said Alexandra Palt, executive director of the L’Oréal Foundation.

Over the past 21 years, more than 3 400 women researchers from 118 countries have been honoured.

Created in 1998, the For Women in Science programme, led by the L’Oréal Foundation in partnership with UNESCO, aims to promote women in the field of scientific research, where the glass ceiling remains a reality.

Over the past 21 years, more than 3 400 women researchers from 118 countries have been highlighted.

Through the regional Young Talents Sub-Saharan Africa programme, the L’Oréal Foundation and UNESCO have already supported 129 doctoral and post-doctoral students.

The Young Talents received financial support for their scientific work, with allocations of €10 000 for doctoral students and €15 000 for post-doctoral students.