By Gary Martin 



It came with a snazzy new title, a salary rise big enough to starve off the impact of the spiraling cost of living, a corner office to die for and the promise of an engaging and supportive work environment.



Yet just one month into your new job, you realize you have been sold a pup as you come down with a bad case of “shift shock”. You desperately want to boomerang back to your old job but fear you might have slammed the office door shut a little too hard when walking out on your former employer.



As employees continue to jump from one job to the next to try to jag better pay and working conditions, more and more workers are discovering that the grass is not always greener on the other side.



Shift shock, also known as ‘quitter’s remorse’ or ‘new job regret’, is washing over those who have switched jobs only to find their new position is not living up to their expectations.



There is little doubt that plenty of workers are happy in their new jobs.



Yet for others, the grass on the other side is less green. Some job hoppers have discovered that the grass they have strayed onto is fake lawn. Despite assurances to the contrary, flexible work arrangements are rigid, the work environment frenetic rather than relaxed and open doors to managers are slammed shut.



Others have worked out that their fresh patch of lawn is exactly the same color as the old one. Their new role comes complete with the same feelings of dismay, disengagement, disappointment and disaffection that accompanied their old gig. Perhaps worse, some job switchers fast realize their new lawn requires even more water to maintain as their old patch – a metaphor for a new job that is even more demanding than the old one.



And many will be only too familiar with a scenario in which their new lawn starts out lush and well-manicured before slowly turning brown.



Under these circumstances, the rot sets in as they are drip-fed the harsh realities of a workplace culture beset by harassment, bullying and gossip. Those who job-hop can quickly find themselves sinking in quicksand rather than strolling across a patch of thriving, perfect-looking lawn.



No matter the depth of your due diligence or the length of an interview process, it will remain a gamble.



You will be spinning the roulette wheel on things like whether the new job makes adequate use of your existing skills, offers the development opportunities you have been seeking and provides the longer-term career path you had been hoping for.



While a little shift shock is to be expected until you find your feet in a new role, experts suggest the majority of those suffering from quitter’s remorse will last less than three months with a new employer.



For those who accept a new job only to find it is a poor personal fit or an oversold opportunity, three choices remain. You can stay with your new job and remain disillusioned indefinitely, look for another more suitable job or try to boomerang back to your former boss.



Boomeranging to an old position is increasingly attractive for those suffering from shift shock. This assumes, of course, they left their former employer on good terms and their old job or a similar role is available.



While asking for an old job back might be ego-bruising for some, capable former employees have little to fear.



Many former employees find themselves welcomed back with open arms. Some are even able to negotiate better employment conditions.



Employers acknowledge that where vacancies do exist, hiring a boomerang worker can save recruitment and on boarding costs because most former returning employees can hit the ground running.



There is a message in all of this for those workers contemplating a switch in jobs.



If there is something in your current role that you would like to change or improve, consider discussing it with your employer first before you exit the office door. It is a whole lot simpler than making a move and then hoping for a second chance when opportunities elsewhere do not turn out as planned.



So if you are thinking of jumping the fence to find a new and greener patch of grass, try watering the side you are on first before making the move.



– The writer is Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Institute of Management WA

Business colleagues in meeting discussing project

Op-Ed: Shift Shock Pushes Workers Back To Their Old Jobs

Angélique Kidjo, five-time Grammy award-winning Beninese artist and songwriter, has been announced as one of the three winners of the 2023 Polar Music Prize.



The Polar Music Prize, often called the Nobel Prize of Music, is a Swedish international award founded in 1989 by Stig Anderson, the manager of the band ABBA. The award ceremony will take place on Tuesday, May 23, in Stockholm.



“My passion for music has always been unwavering. Being on stage for me is like being in paradise – it’s my sanctuary. It’s my place to link and to connect with my fellow human beings. That is something that I’m grateful for every day,” said Angélique Kidjo in a statement on being awarded the prize.



“To be awarded the Polar Music Prize is humbling. I have no words to say how important this is for me. It comes with a sense of responsibility that is bestowed upon me as an artist to continue to do great work. I will do my best to be a proud recipient of the Prize through my work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, on behalf of the children, and as an ambassador of music, to help create a world in which we can all live in peace.Thank you so much for making me part of this prestigious Prize, in such prestigious company.”



Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records, one of the UK’s greatest independent record labels, and Estonian Arvo Pärt, known as the world’s most performed living composer, also won the award this year.



Previous recipients have included the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Miriam Makeba and Youssou N&#8217;Dour.



Each laureate will receive a prize money of 600,000 Swedish Kroner (approximately $57,384).



Since the inaugural ceremony in 1992, the Polar Music Prize has been renowned as music’s most prestigious honor. The awards committee that selects the laureates is an independent 11-member board. It receives nominations from the public as well as from the International Music Council.



Kidjo created the Batonga Foundation dedicated to supporting the education of young girls in Africa. She also travels the world advocating on behalf of children in her capacity as a UNICEF and OXFAM



Goodwill Ambassador.



She also made the 2023 50 Over 50 list on FORBES AFRICA in the February/March issue of the magazine.



She blends together jazz, hip-hop, zouk, Zairean rumba, samba, salsa, funk, gospel, Cameroonian makossa, and various Beninese traditions.

64th Annual GRAMMY Awards – Arrivals

African Sounds Reign: Angélique Kidjo Takes Home The 2023 Polar Music Prize

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



High blood pressure can damage the same regions of the brain that are linked to dementia and declines in mental processes, according to a study published Monday, directly tying the two serious medical conditions for the first time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



Prior to this study, researchers had causally linked high blood pressure with changes in the brain, but a paper published Monday in the&nbsp;European Heart Journal&nbsp;clarified how blood pressures damages the brain, connecting specific regions in the brain to both high blood pressure and decline in mental processes, researchers said.



Researchers used information from MRI brain scans, genetic analyses and observational data from thousands of patients to examine the effect of high blood pressure on cognitive function.



Nine parts of the brain saw changes related to higher blood pressure and worse cognitive function, including the part responsible for regulating movement and influencing certain types of learning, researchers said.



Other parts of the brain affected include those involved in executive functions—planning of simple and complex daily tasks—and the management of emotions and decision making, according to the study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



30%. That’s the percentage of people who have high blood pressure worldwide, researchers said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



For years, researchers have attempted to explain the link between high blood pressure and cognitive function. While multiple studies have suggested there is a link, Monday’s study shows the parts of the brain affected by both health problems. A 2019&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/9/1/34" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>&nbsp;published in the&nbsp;Journal of Clinical Medicine, for example, suggested blood pressure could be considered an early biomarker for measuring cognitive impairment in individuals without dementia or stroke. Another 2019&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2723256" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>&nbsp;published in the&nbsp;Journal of the American Medical Association&nbsp;(JAMA) found that lowering blood pressure lowers the impact of mild cognitive impairment, a known risk factor for dementia.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/elliekincaid/2018/07/25/blood-pressure-drugs-may-prevent-memory-problems-study-says/?sh=7f48cc006273">Blood Pressure Drugs May Prevent Memory Problems, Study Says</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/robinseatonjefferson/2019/02/13/major-clinical-trial-links-high-blood-pressure-and-dementia-in-new-way/?sh=21bef282245c">Major Clinical Trial Links High Blood Pressure And Mild Cognitive Impairment</a> (Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/"></a>By Ana Faguy, Forbes Staff

Measuring the pressure of senior woman

Study Finds Direct Links Between High Blood Pressure And Dementia

With increasing expectations and pressure to be at the top of their game, individual sportspeople are hit the hardest when it comes to mental health issues. Is there more support now than before?



By Nick Said



Mental health in sports has become a hot topic after some high-profile incidents in recent years in which competitors at the very top of their game have taken a step back in order to safeguard their own well-being.



It begs the question, are we putting sportspeople under increasing pressure with our demands as fans over their performance, or have these issues always been there and it is simply a case of individuals being more willing to talk about, and confront, their fears?



Rugby players Michael Hooper and Sbu Nkosi, swimmer Michael Phelps, gymnast Simone Biles, and tennis stars Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams, among many others, have all admitted to mental health issues in the last few years.



Their troubles are the tip of the iceberg, but instead of enduring their inner struggles, they have chosen to speak out and take a step back from their sport.



Dr Jannie Botha is a world-renowned psychologist who has worked with a number of sports teams and individuals to help them deal with the scrutiny of being in the public eye and always under pressure to perform.



He has been contracted by South African Rugby and the Blue Bulls, local soccer sides Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns, as well golfers, and Olympic medal-winning athletes and swimmers.



“People are now more open when it comes to speaking about how they feel,” Botha tells FORBES AFRICA.



“In the past they had to simply survive in their ‘bubble’ and the environment they were in, where they were mentally not well but couldn’t do anything about it.



“They were seen as such heroes that they felt they couldn’t show emotion. A ‘cowboys don’t cry’ kind of thing. But that was the past, it has changed a lot.”



Dr Botha believes individual sportspeople are hit the hardest, often without the support around them to see them through the tough times.



In a team environment there is often a shoulder to cry on.



“There is a difference. In an individual sport, my mental capacity is my own support. In a team environment, my mental capacity is my teammates’ support,” he says.



“You can hide it much longer in a team situation and endure it for much longer with teammates around you.



“You can function much longer in a team sport because your team carries you, but for individuals, there is not that support, so it is more severe.”



Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka has been one of the most high-profile individuals to speak out in recent times, saying she struggled with constantly being in the media glare.



“I have suffered long bouts of depression since the US Open in 2018 and have had a really hard time coping with that,” she said last year.



“It was important to me to be public because I think it gives me clarity. Just saying out loud that I’ll take a break and I’ll come back when I am truly in love with the sport and I know what I want to do here; it gave me time to reset myself.”



Hooper, one of the leading stars in rugby and long time captain of the Australian national team, quit the side abruptly while on tour in Argentina last year, saying he needed a break from the sport just hours before he was due to play.



“I’ve been playing the game for a long time, had some great changes in my life and there were a lot of things running through my head showing up in Argentina, and Argentina wasn’t the place where I needed to (be to) sort these things out,” Hooper later said.



“I wanted to be around family. I wanted to be in a place where I could put the time in to those things that I needed to put in. As a younger man, I viewed asking for help as, I guess, a bit of a weakness. You want to feel like you have it all worked out and I certainly didn’t.”



Hooper returned to the side months later, but Dr Botha says the player’s feelings are typical.



“The problem is that because in a sense they believe they live in a bubble, which the media creates for them, they struggle to function in normal life. That bubble gives them a bit of security, even if it is false.”



Dr Botha adds that with players expected to perform weekly in what has turned into a 12-month season, both in individual and team sports, that pressure builds.



“The expectations (from fans) have not changed, even though the seasons have got longer,” he says. “They are playing all year round now and the public does not see that, they just want performance week after week. It has changed the dynamics completely.”



South Africa had its own recent case of a player withdrawing from the public eye when Bulls wing Sbu Nkosi went missing for three weeks, leading to such alarm that a missing person case was opened with the police.



He was eventually found at the home of his father in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province and said it had been a build-up of mental pressure over time that saw him take his leave of absence and cut himself off from the world.



“It’s just been a whole lot of mental pressure. It’s been building up for a couple of years now,” he told Sport24. “I was just trying to keep myself calm. That’s been a battle. I’m at a point where I need to prioritize the person before the rugby player.



“I just needed time. I’ve basically been curled up in a ball with my dad, and he’s been managing my mental state daily. 



“I’ve had plenty teammates and I can tell you, not everyone is okay. It’s a tough environment.” But Dr Botha does believe that sportspeople are at least receiving more support than a decade ago. “There is much more awareness, I can see that in the last 10 years,” he says. “Especially in team sports, there is much more focus on helping people in need. Most of the big teams have psychologists working for them now and that is a big positive.”

Shot of a muscular young man wearing headphones while exercising outdoors

Off-Field Battles: How Do African Sports Stars Handle Mental Health Issues

Despite worries that the artificial intelligence program could make cheating easier, half of K-12 teachers report using it. Edtech companies are scrambling to release their own tools.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Diego Marin used to work late into the night at the end of each trimester submitting grades and comments for his 70 eighth grade math students at a Chicago public school. No more. Now he has a virtual assistant, ChatGPT, that cuts the time he spends on report card comments to an hour, by rapidly putting his individualized comments on each student into smooth, clean prose.



“As teachers, it feels like we’re short on time for everything,” Marin says. “I’ve had some nights where I’ve stayed up until midnight submitting comments.” He also uses the free artificial intelligence chatbot to help draft emails to parents, complete Individualized Education Programs for some students (such as those with learning disabilities) and even as a teaching tool.



Admittedly, Marin, 30, is into social media and the latest tech—he has 1.4 million followers on TikTok. But his embrace of AI isn’t unusual among teachers. Despite immediate fears after ChatGPT’s release to the public last November that the service would upend education by making cheating easier, more teachers seem to be using it to their advantage than worrying about that risk.



In a February survey of 1,000 kindergarten through 12th grade teachers nationwide, 51% said they had used ChatGPT, with 40% reporting they used it weekly and 10% using it daily. (ChatGPT is free, as long as users create an account with OpenAI. To access the latest version of the bot, built atop a more advanced version of AI—<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/cyrusfarivar/2023/03/14/gpt-4-can-ace-standardized-tests-do-your-taxes-and-more-says-openai/">GPT-4, instead of GPT-3.5</a>—users must pay $20 a month for a ChatGPT Plus subscription.)



About a third of teachers in the survey,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.waltonfamilyfoundation.org/learning/teachers-and-students-embrace-chatgpt-for-education" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">commissioned by the Walton Family Foundation</a>, said they use ChatGPT for lesson planning and coming up with creative ideas for classes.



Middle school and high school teachers were more likely than those teaching lower grades to say they use the AI. Twenty-two percent said they use it to communicate with parents, students and colleagues. It’s easy to see the appeal of the tool, particularly for out-of-classroom tasks: a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/how-teachers-spend-their-time-a-breakdown/2022/04" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2022 EdWeek survey</a>&nbsp;found the typical teacher works 54 hours per week, with five hours spent on planning and prep, three hours on administrative work and two hours communicating with parents.



Of those teachers who have used ChapGPT, 88% said it’s having a positive impact on education. Even teachers who haven’t tried it themselves are more likely to say it has had no impact than a negative one—44% to 10%, respectively. But just 9% of nonusers ascribed a positive impact to the tool.



Moreover, only one in ten teachers reported catching a student using the chatbot without their permission. It’s unclear whether that’s because cheating is fairly rare or because teachers are missing the signs of students inclined to cheat (or more charitably, cut corners) using ChatGPT. But overall, students have actually been slower than teachers to adopt the tool, according to a February survey of 1,000 students aged 12 to 17 also commissioned by the foundation, funded by members of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/walton-1/?sh=5fa2b45c6f3f">billionaire Walton family</a>. Only a third of surveyed students said they had tried ChatGPT at all, with younger students in the sample actually reporting more use than older ones.



Not all school systems have embraced the AI tool. In January, the New York City education department, which oversees the nation’s largest school district with more than 1 million students, blocked the use of ChatGPT by both students and teachers, citing concerns about safety, accuracy and negative impacts to student learning. The Los Angeles Unified School District, Seattle Public Schools, the Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia, and Montgomery County schools in Alabama have also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/01/18/chatgpt-in-schools-heres-where-its-banned-and-how-it-could-potentially-help-students/?sh=3dffde086e2c">blocked access to the AI</a>.



In addition, another smaller survey shows more teacher skepticism—at least among those working at private schools. The National Association of Independent Schools (an association for private schools) recently surveyed about 200 teachers from its member schools and found 37% of them thought that AI in schools was a negative development, compared with only 33% who said it was positive. Another 30% of teachers said they thought it was neutral.



But some private school teachers, too, are in the vanguard of experimenting with the chatbot. Phillips Academy Andover in Massachusetts, one of the nation’s fanciest college-prep schools, does not have any blanket policies about using ChatGPT. “Andover is a really big private school, and we have plenty of faculty members that are excited by this, and there are many other people that are very nervous about it,” says Nick Zufelt, a computer science and math teacher.



Zufelt is in the excited category. He first introduced ChatGPT to his students as subject material. “I was having conversations with my students about what it was doing and why it’s doing what it’s doing,” Zufelt says.



Now he’s beginning to use it as a tool in a new computer science seminar he’s teaching, that includes both students who have never written a line of code before and some with several years of coding experience. Zufelt is allowing students to have ChatGPT write a first draft of the code they’re working on. “I’m more interested that students end up with an understanding of the code than an ability to write it from first principles,” he explains. “Learning to think like a programmer is a lot harder than learning to program.”



Patrick Powers, an English teacher at Navo Middle School in Denton, Texas, has also proactively introduced ChatGPT to students; he’s encouraged them to use it to practice for debate assignments, develop business proposal templates for a “Shark Tank”-like pitching simulation and gather information about historical figures. “[Students] appreciate it being an interactive tool instead of just using Google or instead of using the lesson plan,” Powers says. “They’re just more engaged with the lesson and content itself.” He also touts ChatGPT’s clean writing as a “strong work example” that his eighth graders can learn from.



Like Marin, Powers finds ChatGPT’s writing strong enough to use when reaching out to families and says it enables him to increase the frequency of those communications, even while saving hours of email writing time a week. “Instead of being reactive and saying, ‘Hey, Johnny had a bad day in class,’’’ Powers says, he now uses the chatbot to draft regular emails to parents about what’s going on in class and how students are succeeding.



Cheating on essays has been one of the biggest concerns for educators, but Powers isn’t too worried about it. “I had a good feel for the voice of my students, so I knew the type of work to expect from them,” Powers says. “And before I introduced it, I sent out a letter to parents letting them know about the expectations in the classroom and how this tool could help us learn greater content in an innovative way.” (For those wondering, he drafted the letter in his own voice, without ChatGPT.) That said, Powers does believe a program that detects AI-written work would be useful. (GPTZero is so far the most well-known service that can identify ChatGPT-generated text).



As teachers experiment on their own, edtech providers (like those in other industries) are racing to build services on top of GPT-4. Online learning nonprofit Khan Academy debuted a closed beta version of its new AI tutor, Khanmigo, earlier this month. While students can use the older version of ChatGPT to write essays or solve problems for them, Khanmigo will act only as a coach, says Sal Khan, founder and CEO of the operation that carries his name.



“If you could go to two different tutors, and one tutor says ‘Gimme your homework, I&#8217;ll just do it for you. Here—turn this in,’ and the other tutor says, ‘Okay, let’s think about this together. How would you approach that?’ The second tutor is going to be far better for the student,” Khan says. Notably, Khanmigo&nbsp;won’t&nbsp;just give students the answer, even if they ask.



Khanmigo is also better at math than the free version of ChatGPT. One of the well-known limitations of that free version built on GPT-3.5 is that it very often gives incorrect answers to basic math problems, even if it accurately explains the concepts behind the solution. Because Khanmigo is built using GPT-4, its math skills are much improved.



Marin has occasionally witnessed GPT-3.5’s math fails during class and now uses them as a learning opportunity. “When I introduced ChatGPT to my students … we had ChatGPT open on the projector and it was going through a sequence of how to solve a system and it actually came up with the wrong answer,” Marin says. “For a second I thought my kids were just pulling my leg to be honest—because that’s what they like to do—but they said ‘No, Mr. Marin, it’s telling us that this is the answer, but it’s not.’ So that’s where we went back and found a mistake.” Now, he routinely asks ChatGPT to solve problems incorrectly and asks students to point out where the bot went wrong and why.



Teachers interested in piloting Khanmigo can sign up for a waitlist, and once selected, are asked to donate $20 monthly to use the service. Running Khanmigo is expensive—it costs Khan Academy about $0.05 for every 600-700 words that Khanmigo generates, and Khan anticipates that the AI will cost about $10 to $15 per student per month to run. The nonprofit has spent millions to build Khanmigo and hopes to secure extra philanthropic support for the project.



“Right now, it’s not cheap to be running this stuff,” Khan says. “The reason why we’re moving so aggressively on this, but in a safe way, is we think those costs are going to come down dramatically. And so we’re going to make it a lot more accessible in the coming months.”



Journalists, bloggers and other users have revealed how easy it can be to get around GPT’s guardrails. A&nbsp;NewYork Times&nbsp;tech columnist&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/16/technology/bing-chatbot-microsoft-chatgpt.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">published a disturbing conversation</a>&nbsp;with Microsoft’s Bing chatbot—also built using GPT-4—that showed the AI, which called itself Sydney, fantasizing about hacking computers, spreading misinformation, and harming humans, despite guardrails that are supposed to prevent Bing from talking about such topics. (Additional guardrails&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattnovak/2023/02/18/microsoft-puts-new-limits-on-bings-ai-chatbot-after-it-expressed-desire-to-steal-nuclear-secrets/?sh=3bf6fc90685c">have since been added</a>.)



Khan is well aware of this, and has built additional safety measures into Khanmigo to keep students from straying into questionable, non-educational conversations with the chatbot. All Khanmigo chats are logged, and if a student runs up against one of Khanmigo’s guardrails, teachers are notified.



ChatGPT also has a tendency to make things up—called hallucinations in AI-speak. Joe Welch, a history teacher at North Hills Middle School in Pittsburgh, saw this first hand, when he was seeking specific information on a niche topic.



A student working on a report shared that he had found conflicting information from different data sources about the extent of damage and casualties caused by a series of tornadoes that hit Western Pennsylvania in 1985. “I asked ChatGPT for a table of casualties, towns, time of the tornado, and monetary value of damage and the table came back with extremely inaccurate numbers,” says Welch. In other words, while a middle-schooler recognized the numbers he was finding were in conflict, the chatbot admitted to no such uncertainty, producing a definitive (but wrong) table.



Despite this, ChatGPT has saved Welch tons of time. He uses the chatbot, among other things, to create tables for student study guides, which would have previously used up at least an hour of prep time.



“It’s just cleaning up a lot of tasks that would’ve been arduous for me to complete,” he says.



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmawhitford/"></a>By Emma Whitford, Forbes Staff

Microsoft Built GPT-4 Into Office

How ChatGPT Is Fast Becoming The Teacher’s Pet

The latest in automotive technology that’s rolling out, even cars with facial expressions and that you can talk to.



By Nafisa Akabor



Imagine a car that can speak to you, express moods and emotions, change its color, display your avatar on the window and automatically open the door when you approach?



We are not talking about a science fiction movie; this is what we experienced first-hand at the CES 2023 tech event and consumer technology show in Las Vegas in the first week of the new year. This is how it is inside BMW’s new retro futuristic i Vision Dee concept electric car that was unveiled at CES, where CEO Oliver Zipse explained: “It is our vision of pushing the boundaries between physical and digital perception.” “Dee embodies the next level of human machine interaction, a concept that cannot be simply dismissed as science fiction because it will inspire our neue klasse,” said Zipse, referring to BMW’s new class of vehicles coming in 2025.



Despite its retro look, the EV highlighted the technology inside the car. Its name Dee refers to a ‘digital emotional experience’.



It seeks to be your companion by talking to you in natural language; expressing moods like joy, approval, or astonishment; and displaying nine facial expressions through the closed-off kidney grille.



Other cutting-edge tech experienced was as an advanced head-up display that takes over the entire windshield; a mixed reality slider that goes through a range of analogue and digital experiences; and an on-demand color changing E Ink exterior that supports 32 colors. 



Once inside, it feels like you have entered another dimension. Experiencing the metaverse shuts you out from reality – the windows dim to transform into a magical world taking up most of the front of the vehicle. It will be interesting to see how BMW translates it into real world usage.



EVs took center-stage at CES 2023 and manufacturers were given considerably more floor space than before.



Another brand hoping to tap into our emotions is Sony Honda Mobility, with its ‘Afeela’ concept. CEO Yasuhide Mizuno explains:



“Afeela represents our concept of an interactive relationship where people feel the sensation of interactive mobility and where mobility can detect and understand people and society by utilizing sensing and AI technologies.



It has a unique “media bar” on the front bumper that displays vehicle name, and other information like the weather or the car’s charging status. Its purpose is to connect with people outside the car.



The Afeela leverages Snapdragon’s digital chassis for key features like telematics, advanced driver assistance system and infotainment. It is kitted with 45 sensors and cameras and will have 800 TOPS (tera operations per second) of maximum computing power for its self-driving technology.



Inside is a full width dash screen from side to side, and screens for back passengers. There will be a huge focus on entertainment thanks to its partnership with Fortnite creator Epic Games.



There were also hints that it could support PlayStation games.



The joint venture between two of the largest Japanese tech and auto companies promises the vehicle will make it to production and go on sale in North America in 2026. Meanwhile, Peugeot went all out with its Inception concept EV that has a feline-like stance with sharp angles and straight lines.



Boasting 500kW of power, the Inception has a 100kWh battery with dual electric motors that promises 800km of range from a single charge. It will support 225kW charging speeds and is equipped for wireless induction charging. It will go from 0-100km/h in less than three seconds. 



Inside is its next-gen i-Cockpit with a ‘Hypersquare’ steering wheel that has touch controls on its four corners.



Without removing your hands from the wheel, you can access climate, navigation, multimedia, etc. It supports level 4 autonomous driving and when activated, the Hypersquare retracts into the dashboard and a screen slides up from the floor. All very futuristic, and again, it will be interesting to see what makes it to production on Peugeot’s upcoming EVs.



While Mercedes-Benz didn’t unveil any new vehicles, it displayed its Vision EQXX EV concept that promises over 1,200km of range from a single charge. It is also regarded as the most efficient EV, consuming 8.3kWh per 100km. It demoed the car on the streets of Las Vegas and made a bunch of announcements about where it’s headed.



It is the first company in the US to receive regulatory approval for level 3 autonomous driving, coming to Nevada and California in 2023.



Level 3 allows the vehicle to drive on its own for up to 60km/h speeds. Mercedes will also roll out EV charging stations at ultra-high speeds of 350kW, starting in the US, with other markets to follow. Its plan is to have over 10 000 high-powered chargers rolled out globally by the end of the decade.



For an improved in-car sound experience, it partnered with Apple Music and Universal Music Group to offer spatial audio with Dolby Atmos, the first non-Apple device to do so.



Volkswagen showed off the electric ID.7, which has been rebranded from a previous ID.Aero concept revealed in China. It is the company’s first electric sedan, following a hatchback, three SUVs and a van.



The ID.7 has a smart camouflage exterior that lights up and changes color to match the rhythm from a sound system. It features 40 layers of paint and has 22 areas that can be controlled individually. The vehicle promises up to 700km of range from a single charge and will be one of 10 EVs that VW will launch by 2026.



Other features include a 15-inch screen, an augmented reality headup display, smart air vents and the ability to talk to the car. If you say, “hello Volkswagen, my hands are cold”, it will switch on the heated steering wheel and direct warm air to your hands.



CES remains a playground for prototypes that may or may not make it to production, but the emphasis on EVs was hard to miss. It’s only a matter of time before we see some of these technologies come to life, with some already showing promise.

Red Black Fitness & Gym Presentation Template

Cars With Feelings: Forbes Africa In The Driving Seat

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



Societal inequities and politicians’ differing responses were among the reasons why the Covid-19 pandemic played out in different ways across the U.S., according to a new state-by-state&nbsp;<a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)00461-0/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">analysis</a>&nbsp;examining the driving forces behind variations in health, education and economic performance during the pandemic.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



Despite the U.S. having the highest number of recorded Covid deaths and one of the highest fatality rates from Covid per capita globally, researchers found individual states had vastly different Covid experiences, with Hawaii and New Hampshire seeing the lowest cumulative Covid death rates and Arizona and Washington D.C. seeing the highest, according to the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)00461-0/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>, published Thursday in the&nbsp;Lancet.



Researchers used state-level data from January 2020 to July 2022 to compare government policy responses and population behaviors like vaccination and mask use, to evaluate states’ efforts to limit Covid infections and deaths.



The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)00461-0/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>&nbsp;found that Covid exacerbated existing inequities: States with less access to quality health care, higher poverty rates and lower rates of educational attainment saw disproportionately high rates of Covid infections and death.



Rates of Covid infection and death were not impacted by how much money a state spent on public health or how many public health personnel a state had per capita, according to the research.



Among the state-imposed protective mandates—mask use, vaccines and mobility restrictions—researchers found only vaccine coverage was strongly associated with a state’s variation of Covid deaths.



Overall, local economies across the U.S. were neither “hindered nor helped” by different politices aimed at slowing the spread of the virus or cutting death rates, the study found—though higher employment rates did correlate with higher rates of Covid.



Restaurants were one exception: Researchers found mandatory restaurant closures and mask requirements were associated with larger falls in states’ employment rates.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-fact">SURPRISING FACT</h2>



Researchers also examined how political orientation impacted infection and death rates, and found that the share of the state that voted Republican in the 2020 presidential election was a key predictor of Covid infections and deaths. The research echoed findings from a 2022 study, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2022/06/06/people-living-in-pro-trump-counties-more-likely-to-die-from-covid-study-finds/?sh=60e2c55142bd">found</a>&nbsp;people living in U.S. counties that voted for former President Donald Trump in 2020 were more likely to die from Covid than people who lived in counties that voted Democrat in the 2020 presidential election. However, Thursday’s study found there was no association between the political affiliation of states’ governors and Covid death rates.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



In recent months the federal government and most state governments have significantly rolled back Covid restrictions initially instituted to reduce infection and death rates. None of 569 U.S. counties that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dol.gov/coronavirus/masking#TX" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">provide</a>&nbsp;information about masking requirements to the U.S. Labor Department currently have a mask mandate in place. While Covid infections continue to plague the U.S.—an average of 20,771 new cases per day were reported in the week ending Thursday, according to the&nbsp;New York Times—test positivity and hospitalizations have fallen in the past few weeks, and infections and deaths are well below peak levels.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2022/06/06/people-living-in-pro-trump-counties-more-likely-to-die-from-covid-study-finds/?sh=60e2c55142bd">People Living In Pro-Trump Counties More Likely To Die From Covid, Study Finds</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/01/20/covid-still-killing-hundreds-of-americans-every-day-as-pandemic-enters-fourth-year/?sh=d85fa8d3c5f5">Covid Still Killing Hundreds Of Americans Every Day As Pandemic Enters Fourth Year</a> (Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/"></a>



By Ana Faguy, Forbes Staff

Shanghai Lockdown Continues as First Covid Deaths Reported

Covid Rates Hit States Differently Based On Political And Social Inequities, Study Finds

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



Deutsche Bank’s stock plunged Friday as the market hones in on the German firm as the next major bank at risk in the wake of long-time rival Credit Suisse’s collapse and similar events stateside.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



Frankfurt-listed shares of Deutsche Bank dropped 7.5%, now down more than 25% since March 8, when confidence in the international banking system began to crumble.



The collapse in share prices came as investors holding Deutsche Bank-issued debt securities stoked panic, with the rate of Deutsche Bank’s five-year credit default swaps surging to its highest level since 2019 (credit default swaps serve as a proxy for bond holders’ belief in the health of the issuing institutions).



&#8220;We are still on edge waiting for another domino to fall, and Deutsche is clearly the next one on everyone&#8217;s minds (fairly or unfairly),” IG Group analyst Chris Beauchamp&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/financial-stocks-drag-european-markets-lower-2023-03-24/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a>&nbsp;Reuters.



The spillover effects of the confidence shakeup were felt in European and American markets.



Shares of UBS, the Swiss bank which rescued Credit Suisse on Sunday, fell 5%, while British and French giants HSBC and BNP Paribas slipped 3% and 5%, respectively; the five largest U.S. banks each slid more than 1%, while shares of First Republic, the American bank most often floated as the next institution at serious risk, fell 5%.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



Deutsche Bank, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/deutsche-bank-agrees-pay-72-billion-misleading-investors-its-sale-residential-mortgage-backed" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">agreed</a>&nbsp;in 2017 to pay a $7.2 billion fine to the U.S. for its “irresponsible lending practices” in 2006 and 2007 that partially caused the Great Recession, managed to navigate through that controversy by dramatically cutting costs, cutting roughly 20% of its global workforce in a single day in 2018 and successfully turning a profit in its last 10 quarters. The unexpected failures of mid-sized American banks Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank earlier this month sent shockwaves throughout the global financial system, eventually leading to the last-second rescue of Credit Suisse. Holders of $17 billion in risky Credit Suisse bonds were not a part of the rescue deal and were left empty-handed, contributing to the rise in Deutsche Bank credit default swap rates as investors hope to avoid similarly finding themselves out of luck. Rising interest rates worldwide greatly contributed to the ongoing crisis, as banks took unrealized losses on longer-term bonds declining value and struggled to keep up proper liquidity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



“It is a clear case of the market selling first and asking questions later,” FlowBank analyst Paul de la Baume&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-24/europe-s-banks-erase-weekly-gains-as-us-probe-adds-to-concerns" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a>&nbsp;Bloomberg.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



Smaller U.S. banks lost about $1.1 trillion in deposits over the last year, according to a recent J.P. Morgan analysis, with money moving into larger banks and cash investments. About half of the outflows came in the weeks following Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse, according to J.P. Morgan.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/credit-suisse-bond-wipeout-threatens-250-billion-market-10be7d04" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Credit Suisse Bond-Wipeout Threatens $250 Billion Market</a> (Wall Street Journal)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/"></a>By Derek Saul, Forbes Staff

Deutsche Bank Restructuring Plan Costs 18,000 Jobs

What’s Happening With Deutsche Bank As Shares Slide 7%

Focus is now quickly switching to the African nations taking part in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Key to Banyana Banyana’s chances is livewire goalkeeper Andile Dlamini.



By Nick Said



The recent World Cup in Qatar has been a massive boost for African football and provided a newfound respect for the game on the continent from a skeptical watching world. Morocco’s historic run to the semifinals was coupled with victory for Tunisia over France, and Cameroon against Brazil, results that stunned fans across the globe. Focus will quickly now switch to the African nations who will take part in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup that will be staged in Australia and New Zealand, where South Africa, Zambia, Nigeria and Morocco will carry the hopes of the continent. 



For Banyana Banyana, it is a second successive visit to the global showpiece competition, having debuted in France in 2019, where they were placed on a steep learning curve but will have taken much from that experience into this latest edition.



They have a bit of a horror draw in the group stage though. Sweden were runners-up at the 2003 World Cup and have won bronze on three other occasions, including last time out in France.



They have also won the silver medal at the last two Olympic Games.



Italy are ranked number 17 in the world and were quarterfinalists four years ago, though perhaps Banyana midfielder Refiloe Jane, who has been based in that country for the last few years, will be able to add some insight.



Argentina are appearing at a fourth World Cup but have yet to get past the group stages, so may be the team Banyana should target. They are ranked 29 in the world, still well ahead of South Africa’s 54.



Key to Banyana’s chances is livewire goalkeeper Andile Dlamini, 30, now a veteran of the side having made her debut back in 2011.



“Our group is a very tough one, but we are also a tough team to beat,” she tells FORBES AFRICA confidently. “We are fighting for women’s football in Africa.”



Dlamini was a star as South Africa won the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, a maiden continental gold medal, and says this is a team very much on the up.



“We told ourselves we wanted to win the Afcon and we did that. We are in a good space mentally, even if we know it is going to be a tough World Cup. Those three teams have a whole lot more experience in their squad with players who play professionally day in and day out.



“We haven’t had a professional league in our country, but our mentality is in the right space and we do the extra work needed to pick up a little bit [more quality]. One thing I can promise, it is not going to be easy for anyone in the group.”



Dlamini understands that it is not just about competing for a trophy at the World Cup. Especially in Africa, it means so much more.



“We will perform to the best of our abilities because we know there is that girl child watching and saying, ‘I want to be a Banyana player one day’. We are going to the World Cup to show that child what is possible.



“We know this is true, because being at the World Cup in 2019 changed not only how aspiring soccer players saw us, but also brands. We saw sponsors come forward and want to be involved in women’s football.



“Being seen there encourages that young girl or boy from the hood to say, ‘it is possible.



If Andile has done it, then so can I. Even without the best facilities or equipment, I can do it’. We want to show those young children that football can change your life.”



Banyana will be based in Wellington in New Zealand during the pool phase and open their campaign against Sweden on July 23.



“Performing at that huge stage encourages you as a footballer,” Dlamini says. “You don’t want to disappoint those people who have always supported you. I take motivation from that.”

Women’s International Friendly: South Africa v Brazil

All Set To Goal: Africa At Women’s World Cup

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



Swiss pharma giant Roche on Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.roche.com/media/releases/med-cor-2023-03-22" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced</a>&nbsp;plans to jointly develop a blood test for Alzheimer’s disease with American heavyweight Eli Lilly, eying swift U.S. approval as companies race to create and sell the very first drugs aimed at slowing the progressive cognitive decline brought on by the incurable illness.



Roche and Lilly are working on an Alzheimer&#8217;s test.&nbsp;THE WASHINGTON POST VIA GETTY IMAGES



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



Eli Lilly will work with Roche to develop a blood test to detect the early stages of Alzheimer’s, the Swiss firm said in a statement on Wednesday.



The test, called the Elecsys Amyloid Plasma Panel, measures the levels of a particular protein in the blood that has been linked to the onset of Alzheimer’s.



While not intended as a standalone test—further confirmatory tests for Alzheimer’s would be needed—Roche said it speeds up the diagnostic process and helps direct people to the most appropriate resources.



As Alzheimer’s has a similar set of symptoms to other causes of dementia, a negative test is also useful and could help many people avoid the expensive and invasive tests used to confirm Alzheimer’s.



Roche Diagnostics chief executive Matt Sause said the firm is excited to be working with Lilly on “such an important area of unmet medical need.”



The test “has the potential to streamline a person&#8217;s journey to diagnosis” and, therefore, speed up access to future treatments, Sause added.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-news-peg">NEWS PEG</h2>



There is no cure for Alzheimer’s and, until recently, there was no treatment to slow the disease’s progression. The FDA controversially approved Biogen’s aducanumab, sold as Aduhelm, in 2021. The clinical data supporting the decision has been heavily criticized, as was the FDA’s adherence to protocol in approving it. The agency greenlit lecanemab, sold as Leqembi and produced by Biogen and Japan’s Eisai, on an expedited basis in January, though access is limited. The agency is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/06/alzheimers-disease-fda-decision-on-biogen-eisai-treatment-lecanemab.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">expected</a>&nbsp;to make a complete decision on the drug in July. Both treatments are monoclonal antibodies that target a type of protein that builds up in the brain of people with Alzheimer’s. As they are aimed at slowing progression, early detection can be key and help preserve as much of the brain’s functioning as possible. While certainly medical breakthroughs, they are eye-wateringly expensive, require frequent intravenous administration and, at best, appear to only modestly slow mental decline. Future Alzheimer’s drugs with similar targets—Lilly is in the&nbsp;<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/20/health/alzheimers-drug-donanemab-fda-eli-lilly/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">final</a>&nbsp;stages of clinical trials for one—are likely to also benefit from earlier intervention.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



Roche and Lilly are eying U.S. regulatory approval for the test. They are aiming to file clinical trial data with U.S. regulators in 2025, Bruce Jordan, leader of personalized healthcare solutions at Roche Diagnostics&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/roche-teams-up-with-lilly-validate-alzheimers-blood-test-2023-03-22/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a>&nbsp;Reuters. Between now and then, Roche said it will recruit several hundred volunteers with early signs of dementia to trial the treatment and gather data.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/aging/aginginfo/alzheimers.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alzheimer’s Disease</a>&nbsp;is a progressive brain disorder marked by the slow erosion of cognitive abilities and memory. It is the most common type of dementia, a broad category used to describe conditions linked to cognitive decline, and is primarily, though not exclusively, a condition affecting older adults. There are as many as 5.8 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s, the CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/aging/aginginfo/alzheimers.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">estimates</a>, and it is the sixth leading cause of death among U.S. adults. That figure is projected to grow to 14 million people by 2060 and the costs associated with the disease are expected to reach up to $500 billion annually by 2040 in the U.S. alone. Though strides have been made in recent years, there is a great deal we do not know about Alzheimer’s. Scientists are still not settled on what causes it—a matter of heated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/feb/19/could-alzheimers-be-caused-by-an-infection" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">debate</a>—or why it appears more often as we grow older.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/feb/19/could-alzheimers-be-caused-by-an-infection" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Could Alzheimer’s be caused by an infection?</a>&nbsp;(The Observer)



<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/20/health/alzheimers-drug-donanemab-fda-eli-lilly/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FDA declines to grant accelerated approval for Eli Lilly’s experimental Alzheimer’s treatment</a>&nbsp;(CNN)



By Robert Hart, Forbes Staff<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/"></a>

Close up of young nurse holding old man’s hands and encourage him.

Alzheimer’s Blood Test That Could Help Diagnose Disease Earlier Is Being Developed By Eli Lilly And Roche

Kene Okwuosa and Moses Babatope set out to deliver world-class movie-going experiences to the Nigerian public and 10 years later, that vision is still going strong.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
“We were so passionate about cinema and so passionate about film that not figuring it out was not an option.”
</blockquote>



When Kene Okwuosa and Moses Babatope met for the first time at Odeon Surrey Quays Cinema in London, they had no idea that in just a couple of years they would be redefining the movie-going experience in Nigeria. In October 2002, Babatope was looking for a part-time job while studying at Middlesex University and Okwuosa was the manager in charge of recruiting the new batch of young hopefuls to join the Odeon Cinema universe.



“We had two or three stages in the recruitment process where you speak to a full auditorium and play out an emergency situation. If you do well, then you go to the interview and after your interview, you were told whether you were successful or not. I didn’t have a good session when it came to the scenario part of the interview so I was going to walk myself out when a gentleman called me and said I should do better next time and I am okay to proceed to the next phase. That gentleman was Kene,” recalls Babatope.



A bond was immediately formed between the two gentlemen. Today, they are co-founders of one of the biggest cinema chains, Filmhouse Cinemas, in Nigeria. They are also best friends married to two sisters.



Okwuosa, the group CEO and Babatope, who doubles as the group deputy CEO, offer advanced cinema experiences to the average Nigerian with the official rights to IMAX for the West African region.



In hindsight, the duo never saw their entrepreneurial journey unfolding this way. In fact, there was a time not too long ago that their dream almost didn’t take off.



The duo initially experimented by offering Nigerian movie producers an opportunity to premiere Nollywood movies in the United Kingdom for the first time.



“That was a game-changer. We got real insights about people’s experiences and how they felt during the cinema experience. In all of that, we never thought to ourselves that we can find capital and start our own. Our scenario was ‘let’s go, show our experience and see what happens’,” says Babatope.



Then, they became more audacious.



“The vision started in Nigeria. When we came, we joined a new cinema at the time called Genesis which didn’t go as planned. Our vision was not aligned and we ended up parting ways. But we knew we had to build this thing one way or the other. We were so passionate about cinema and so passionate about film that not figuring it out was not an option. It was an opportunity to step back and say we can do this on our own,” says Okwuosa.



But to have a dream is one thing and finding money to back that dream is another thing entirely.



“We understood that we did not have the last names that would open doors in Nigeria for us to get investment but we were convinced that if we could just get started and figure it out, we would learn and figure it out on the way,” says Okwuosa.



Okwuosa and Babatope spent two years knocking on every conceivable door they could find in Nigeria trying to raise capital and convince investors to bet on them. As luck would have it, the Goodluck Jonathan administration in 2011 had established a creative industry fund, which was being managed by the Bank of Industry, a development finance institution in Nigeria.



“At this time, we just came from London and we assumed we would fill out a form and wait for the call. We did that and no one called us back. We got as far as being invited to pitch properly for a loan for one million dollars. They were impressed. We had no security or collateral but they were taken by the passion and management expertise we had to set up cinemas,” says Okwuosa.



They became the first company to access the fund and with that injection, they opened their first Filmhouse Cinemas, which was a three-seat cinema in Surulere in December 2012. Okwuosa and Babatope set out to deliver world-class cinema experiences to the Nigerian public and 10 years later, that vision is still going strong.



But Covid-19 was by far the biggest singular challenge they faced as a business and the biggest one they faced professionally.



“Within a period of three months, it looked like everything we had worked hard for during the seven years prior was going to evaporate and this was the reality. I was really depressed,” recalls Babatope.



The company had to close its doors to the public for seven months effectively cutting off all revenue.



“On the one hand, we were not generating anything and on the other hand we had stock that was wasting away. We also had equipment and machinery that needed some access to be maintained so they would be in good working condition when we opened. Also, the government didn’t understand the importance of our sector or prioritized it at all,” says Babatope.



But as they say, every cloud has a silver lining. For the budding entrepreneurs at Filmhouse, this came in the form of multimillion blockbuster Nollywood releases as well as the highest-grossing film of all time, Spider-man: No Way Home, when the lockdown ended.



“These were all released in the [peak] of the Omicron [wave] in 2021 and we just hosted the official premiere of Black Panther Wakanda Forever during the Covid era and it’s looking to be the number one film of all time and we are hopeful it will be the first billion-naira film out of our country,” says Babatope.



Another way the company survived was with the help of global streaming platforms that were hungry for quality Nollywood movies. Filmhouse had expanded their offering to also include FilmOne, a content production and distribution business, with a host of blockbuster hits under its belt.



“Back then everything was going to streaming so the catalogue we had built over the years, we were able to monetize that and that was able to help sustain things while the cinema revenue took a hit. As the largest supplier of content to our streaming partners, Netflix and Amazon, everyone wanted content so we were able to boost supply and through that we also strengthened our studio relationships as well,” says Okwuosa.



The company currently stands at 400 employees strong. The key to their continued success they say is their ability to build a sense of community.



“It was a huge part of my growing up so I always understood the power of community. In our time in Odeon, that was the core of everything that drove us passionately. When you think about cinema it is a communal experience as well and that has been at the center of a lot of decisions going forward,” says Okwuosa.

Moses Babatope and Kene Okwuosa

Redefining The Cinema Experience In Nigeria

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



The monumental failure of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank earlier this month have raised concerns of system-wide contagion that could spread to other regional and local banks, and though experts say Americans’ money in those banks is safe, they also suggest people should diversify their assets and cash to help mitigate the risk.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



Americans with less than $250,000 in the bank are guaranteed their money is safe by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fdic.gov/resources/resolutions/bank-failures/failed-bank-list/silicon-valley-faq.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced</a>&nbsp;it would make SVB customers whole, even if they had more than $250,000 in the bank.



For customers with more than $250,000 in a bank, Haydar Haba, managing partner of venture capital firm Andra Capital, advises diversifying money into two or three other banks or to put some of that money in federal bonds, which earn interest.



Matthew Goldberg, an analyst at Bankrate, called the collapse of SVB and Signature Bank a “wake-up call” for Americans to make sure their money is at an&nbsp;<a href="https://banks.data.fdic.gov/bankfind-suite/bankfind" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FDIC-insured bank</a>, saying: “Even during times when there are no bank failures or few bank failures, you always have to make sure your money is safe and within FDIC limits and rules.”



Preferably, Haba said to choose a bank with a “Prime-1” rating from Moody’s Analytics, which considers a bank to be Prime-1 if it “reflects a superior ability to repay short-term obligations.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



“There is a feeling of a contagion going on, and the only thing the Fed can do in that case is what they did with SVB and Signature Bank, which is making customers whole,” Haba said. “The key is diversification. You can’t put all your eggs in one basket. It doesn’t make sense.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



Santa Clara, California-based Silicon Valley Bank’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2023/03/13/what-to-know-about-silicon-valley-banks-collapse-the-biggest-bank-failure-since-2008/?sh=27737df4c279">abrupt collapse</a>&nbsp;earlier this month sparked fears that banks had not been prepared for the effects of rising inflation and the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes designed to curb inflation. The bank’s collapse has been linked to multiple rounds of interest rate hikes over the past year, which caused customers’ assets to lose value, prompting depositors at SVB, which catered to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonytellez/2023/03/13/coinbase-circle-paxos-here-are-the-major-firms-with-funds-tied-up-in-svb-and-signature-bank/?sh=707957d84574">large tech companies</a>&nbsp;like Circle, Roblox and Roku, to withdraw their money in a swift bank run. Even though the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2023/03/12/fdic-will-protect-all-silicon-valley-bank-deposits-after-sudden-collapse-treasury-says/?sh=388abdf5216c">FDIC announced</a>&nbsp;last week it would make all SVB customers whole regardless of how much they had deposited in the bank, the bank’s failure alarmed Americans that their money might not be safe in other regional banks if those banks are jeopardized in a phenomenon called&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/03/17/these-regional-banks-stocks-are-falling-as-contagion-fears-loom-following-svb-collapse/?sh=29bae1e23814">contagion</a>, in which the turmoil of one bank spreads to others. The same day the FDIC announced it would make SVB customers whole, New York’s state regulatory body took over&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/03/13/what-happened-to-signature-bank-the-latest-bank-failure-marks-third-largest-in-history/?sh=716970c090ff">Signature Bank</a>, after a similar bank run and a sharp drop in its stock (the FDIC announced Sunday that banking giant Bancorp had&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewalsh/2023/03/19/signature-bank-deposits-bought-by-new-york-community-bancorp-after-sudden-collapse/?sh=405940e75d34">taken over</a>&nbsp;Signature Bank and assumed its deposits).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-contra">CONTRA</h2>



Shares of multiple regional banks fell over the past week, including San Francisco-based First Republic Bank, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/03/17/these-regional-banks-stocks-are-falling-as-contagion-fears-loom-following-svb-collapse/?sh=5aa8653814bd">sank by 36%</a>&nbsp;Thursday morning. Its shares later rebounded following the announcement of a $30 billion&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2023/03/16/first-republic-stock-crashes-but-bounces-back-as-big-banks-unveil-30-billion-rescue-plan/?sh=111a57ac21ce">rescue plan</a>&nbsp;through uninsured deposits from 11 of the country’s biggest banks. Some investors, however, criticized the move, including billionaire Bill Ackman, who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2023/03/17/billionaire-ackman-extremely-concerned-30-billion-bank-rescue-plan-risks-financial-contagion-spiraling-out-of-control/?sh=3fe11176e899">warned</a>&nbsp;the rescue plan creates a “false sense of confidence.” Other economists, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2023/03/15/dow-drops-nearly-300-points-as-blackrock-chief-warns-svb-collapse-merely-first-domino-to-drop/?sh=2d3a40c459ba">Blackrock CEO Larry Fink</a>, caution the collapse of SVB could be just the “first domino to drop” before a “cascade throughout the U.S. regional banking sector.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-we-don-t-know">WHAT WE DON’T KNOW</h2>



Whether a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/03/14/warren-drafts-bill-to-reverse-trump-era-bank-deregulations-after-svb-collapse-report-says/?sh=20e749266926">bill proposed</a>&nbsp;in the wake of SVB’s collapse by Democratic lawmakers to enhance regulations on small and medium banks will pass the Republican-controlled House. The bill, introduced by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) would reintroduce provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act that had been limited in 2018, including stress tests and enhanced risk-management practices. It faces&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2023/03/13/democrats-blame-svb-collapse-on-trump-era-regulatory-rollbacks-but-gop-opposes-stricter-rules/">opposition</a>&nbsp;from a group of Senate Democrats who said they had&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2023/03/15/senate-democrats-who-voted-for-2018-bank-deregulations-say-they-have-no-regrets/?sh=1a772253797e">no regrets</a>&nbsp;about supporting the 2018 deregulations, as well as congressional Republicans, including Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), who argued the bill would not prevent banks from relying on the federal government to cover “excessive risks.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse’s stock&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/03/20/credit-suisse-shares-plunge-60-and-european-bank-stocks-slide-after-ubs-rescue/?sh=681913de245d">plummeted by more than 60%</a>&nbsp;Monday morning, hitting a record low of 91 cents, one day after its rival&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2023/03/19/ubs-agrees-to-buy-embattled-bank-credit-suisse-central-bank-says/?sh=405d7baa3e66">UBS announced</a>&nbsp;plans to buy all of its shares in a $3.2 billion rescue plan. Shares of Credit Suisse, which had been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/isabeltogoh/2021/11/04/credit-suisse-burned-by-archegos-and-greensill-scandals-shifts-focus-to-wealth-management-in-overhaul/?sh=42f371f42488">mired by controversies</a>&nbsp;over charges of money laundering, tax evasion and links to collapsed hedge fund Archegos and financial services firm Greensill Capital, fell after the bank&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2023/03/14/credit-suisse-finds-material-weaknesses-in-its-financial-reporting-process/?sh=33633463419e">admitted</a>&nbsp;last week to “material weaknesses” in its financial reporting, becoming the latest bank to be affected by recent turmoil in the banking system.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/03/20/credit-suisse-shares-plunge-60-and-european-bank-stocks-slide-after-ubs-rescue/?sh=681913de245d">Credit Suisse Shares Plunge 60% And European Bank Stocks Slide After UBS Rescue</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2023/03/19/ubs-agrees-to-buy-embattled-bank-credit-suisse-central-bank-says/?sh=f01225a3e662">UBS Buying Rival Credit Suisse In $3.2 Billion Rescue Deal</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/03/17/these-regional-banks-stocks-are-falling-as-contagion-fears-loom-following-svb-collapse/?sh=29bae1e23814">These Regional Banks’ Stocks Are Falling As Contagion Fears Loom Following SVB Collapse</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/petercohan/2023/03/20/why-186-other-banks-could-go-the-way-of-silicon-valley-bank/?sh=7e89cdf158ee">Why 186 Other Banks Could Go The Way Of Silicon Valley Bank</a> (Forbes)



By Brian Bushard, Forbes Staff<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/"></a>

South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago Interview

Is Your Cash Safe In The Bank? Experts Offer Advice Amid Concerns Of Systemic Market Risk

Monitoring populations of the great ape in the thick equatorial rain forests of Gabon, one of the most carbon-positive countries in the world. 



By Ramdas Iyer 



Walking behind four machete-wielding villagers in the thick of equatorial rain forest in Gabon, I was participating in the unusual experience of preparing for a western lowland gorilla habituation project. Here we were creating multiple transect lines running over four kilometers through the forest; a well-established scientific methodology for estimating ape population size. 



“Monitoring populations of gorillas is a necessary protocol prior to establishing a habituation program. Camera traps and GPS locators along the transects will eventually give us an idea of the group density in the area,” says Antonio Anoro of Gabon Untouched, a conservation and eco-tourism organization, who, alongside researchers from the Research Institute for Tropical Ecology (IRET), is spearheading the habituation of wild lowland gorillas in the buffer zone next to the Moukalaba-Doudou National Park which covers an area of 1,700 square miles.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Large expanses of tropical rainforest in western Africa have been cleared, logged, and overhunted in recent decades. In contrast, extensive forest in Gabon has survived in an intact condition because the country has a sparse population and substantial petroleum and mineral deposits that have reduced the economic pressure on forests.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The Gabonese government is eager to consider alternative strategies to augment economic development, including promotion of an ecotourism industry. This commitment is evidenced by the government&#8217;s designation of 13 national parks that comprise over a tenth of the country&#8217;s land area. Gabonese forests have among the highest levels of species diversity and endemism in tropical Africa and are likely to play a critical future role in biodiversity conservation.&nbsp;



Gabon Untouched supports sustainable tourism by bringing eco-tourists into deep jungle to observe first-hand, lowland gorillas in their natural habitat. Gorillas were first habituated for human observation and scientific research by Kyoto University scientists 20 years ago at Moukalaba-Doudou National Park.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The steady influx of tourist funds has helped economically sustain the local village of Doussala and gorilla research activities. By habituating a second group of gorillas, we not only protect the forest, home for great apes, but also provide a sustainable livelihood for the locals,” says Anoro, who has worked tirelessly for eight years in Gabon for conservation efforts.&nbsp;



This month, in March, Gabon hosted the ‘One Forest’ Summit attended by Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba, French President Emmanuel Macron and other heads of state, to highlight the environmental role and value of rain forests.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Forests potentially represent 20-30 percent of the solution to climate change,&#8221; Gabon&#8217;s Minister of Water and Forestry and conservationist Lee White, said in opening remarks. The host nation, Gabon, became the first African nation to be recompensed through carbon credits for protecting its forests.&nbsp;



Gabon &#8220;absorbs around 100 million tons of CO2 per year&#8230;three tons every second,&#8221; White told reporters on the sidelines of the meeting. &#8220;We are well on the way to becoming a sustainable economy.&#8221;&nbsp;

Gorilla conservation in Gabon; photo by Ramdas Iyer

Gorillas, Conservation And Climate Change In Gabon

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



UBS Group AG has struck a deal to buy Credit Suisse—a rival Swiss bank rocked by financial turmoil—for over $3 billion, the <a href="https://www.ubs.com/global/en/media/display-page-ndp/en-20230319-tree.html?caasID=CAAS-ActivityStream" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">two</a> <a href="https://www.credit-suisse.com/about-us-news/en/articles/media-releases/credit-suisse-and-ubs-to-merge-202303.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">banks</a> announced Sunday, as bank executives and Swiss officials sprint to contain a crisis sparked in part by the collapse of two major U.S. banks last week.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



UBS ultimately agreed to pay $3.2 billion (or 3 billion Swiss Francs) in an all-share deal, with Credit Suisse investors receiving one UBS share for every 22.48 Credit Suisse shares held, up from a $1 billion initial offer that Credit Suisse&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-19/credit-suisse-said-to-push-back-against-ubs-s-1-billion-offer?srnd=premium&amp;sref=h6OFVeND" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reportedly</a>&nbsp;viewed as too low.



The deal represents a large discount compared to Credit Suisse’s market capitalization just two days ago: UBS says the acquisition will cost the equivalent of $0.82 (or 0.76 Swiss Francs) per share, less than half Credit Suisse’s $2.01 share price when markets closed Friday.



The combined company will have over $5 trillion in total invested assets, and UBS expects to make $8 billion in cost cuts over the next four years, UBS said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ubs.com/global/en/media/display-page-ndp/en-20230319-tree.html?caasID=CAAS-ActivityStream" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a>&nbsp;late Sunday.



The Swiss government helped broker the deal, with an apparent goal of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/ubs-offers-1-billion-to-take-over-credit-suisse-bfac51fa" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">completing the merger</a>&nbsp;before Asian markets open Monday morning.



As part of the agreement, the Swiss National Bank—the country’s central bank—offered Credit Suisse and UBS up to $108 billion in liquidity assistance loans, it said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.snb.ch/en/mmr/reference/pre_20230319/source/pre_20230319.en.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a>.



The Swiss government is also expected to speed the deal up by waiving the six-week waiting period normally required before a merger, according to the&nbsp;New York Times, and Swiss authorities are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ubs.com/global/en/media/display-page-ndp/en-20230319-tree.html?caasID=CAAS-ActivityStream" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">not requiring UBS</a>&nbsp;to get shareholder approval.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



“With the takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS, a solution has been found to secure financial stability and protect the Swiss economy in this exceptional situation,” the Swiss National Bank said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



$54 billion. That’s how much Credit Suisse borrowed from the Swiss National Bank on Thursday. The central bank&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/03/15/credit-suisse-turmoil-swiss-central-bank-will-support-troubled-bank-if-necessary/?sh=28fe408b7619">offered to provide liquidity</a>&nbsp;to Credit Suisse “if necessary” hours earlier, but the bank’s share price still slid almost 7% the following day.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



Shares of Credit Suisse have plummeted in recent weeks, and trading was halted Wednesday after the share price&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/03/15/credit-suisse-stock-plunges-to-record-low-as-bank-concerns-grow/#:~:text=Trading%20in%20Credit%20Suisse%20shares,weaknesses%E2%80%9D%20in%20its%20financial%20reporting.">fell up to 21%</a>. On Tuesday, the bank said it had found “material weaknesses” in its 2021 and 2022 financial reporting processes. In response, its biggest backer, the Saudi National Bank, said it wouldn’t buy any more shares in Credit Suisse. The recent collapses of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in the U.S., triggered partially by rising interest rates, caused uncertainty about wider vulnerabilities in the banking system worldwide—concerns that intensified after warning signs appeared at Credit Suisse. But the bank’s downfall wasn’t directly caused by SVB and Signature, and its problems predate the current crisis, as it ended the 2022 fiscal year with a loss of nearly $8 billion. The bank itself and some executives and advisors have also recently been linked to scandals, including alleged fraud and failing to prevent money laundering.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/03/16/whats-happening-with-credit-suisse-explained-embattled-bank-rattles-stock-market-as-banking-crisis-deepens/?sh=68b78b3f35a2">What&#8217;s Happening With Credit Suisse, Explained: Embattled Bank Rattles Stock Market As Banking Crisis Deepens</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/ec4be743-052a-4381-a923-c2fbd7ea9cfd" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UBS offers to buy Credit Suisse for up to $1bn | Financial Times</a>&nbsp;(Financial Times)



<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/19/business/ubs-credit-suisse.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UBS Nears Deal to Buy Credit Suisse &#8211; The New York Times</a>&nbsp;(New York Times)



<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-19/credit-suisse-said-to-push-back-against-ubs-s-1-billion-offer?srnd=premium&amp;sref=h6OFVeND" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Credit Suisse Said to Push Back Against UBS’s $1 Billion Offer</a>&nbsp;(Bloomberg)



<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/ubs-offers-1-billion-to-take-over-credit-suisse-bfac51fa?st=xgxhbro7darct8y&amp;reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UBS Offers $1 Billion to Buy Credit Suisse</a> (Wall Street Journal)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/"></a>By Marisa Dellatto, Forbes Staff

Deutsche Bank AG Headquarters As Lender To Shrink Workforce By About 26,000

UBS Buying Rival Credit Suisse In $3.2 Billion Rescue Deal

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Topline</h2>



A woman appears to have been cured of HIV after receiving a transplant of stem cells from umbilical cord blood, scientists announced Thursday, joining only a handful of people cured from the virus following a novel procedure that increases the odds of making a cure available to a more racially diverse group of people than would be possible using other treatments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



A middle-aged, mixed-race woman—called the “New York patient” to protect privacy—appears to have been cured from HIV after receiving a stem cell transplant to treat leukemia, researchers wrote in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00173-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">medical case report&nbsp;</a>published in&nbsp;Cell.



The patient, who has been living without HIV since 2017 and is no longer taking drugs to suppress the virus, could be the first woman to be cured of the virus, though the researchers conservatively describe her case as one of long-term remission.



Just&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00479-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">three</a>&nbsp;people have been confirmed clear of HIV—another in long-term&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jul/28/hiv-aids-stem-cell-transplant-oldest-patient-cured" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">remission</a>&nbsp;is expected to join this group—all of whom beat the virus after receiving bone marrow transplants from donors naturally resistant to HIV.



As the mutation conferring HIV resistance is rare—though less so among white people—and stem cell donors must be carefully matched to patients, including by race and ethnicity, researchers said it is very difficult finding suitable, HIV-resistant donors for patients of color.



Stem cells from umbilical cord blood are both more readily available and do not need to be matched as closely as adult cells do, which “broadens the opportunities” for people of all racial backgrounds living with HIV to be cured, said study coleader Yvonne Bryson, a professor of pediatrics at UCLA.



Though certainly a game changer for people who need a transplant already, the researchers stressed that stem cell transplants are not a realistic cure for HIV on their own given the procedure’s risky, highly invasive nature and brutal side effects.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



Barring the unique circumstances of a very small number of people, there is no cure for HIV. Historically, an HIV diagnosis was a death sentence, but today those living with the virus can expect to live long, healthy lives on par with their HIV-negative peers if they receive prompt treatment with antiviral drugs. Such treatment, inevitably lifelong, can reduce the virus to undetectable levels in the body, keeping it in check and preventing it from being passed on to others. These drugs can also prevent infection if taken by someone without HIV—a technique called PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis)—which has been hailed as a major public health breakthrough in efforts to combat the virus. Unfortunately, drugs used to treat or prevent HIV are often beyond the reach of many people in poorer countries who are at risk of infection or living with the virus, and it is still a major contributor to death and disease worldwide.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



Experts are working hard to develop ways of curing, treating and preventing HIV infection, but it is a uniquely challenging virus to fight. Its biology means scientists have to approach it differently than other pathogens like measles, polio and influenza. It mutates rapidly, can hide from the immune system and sets up viral reservoirs during the earliest stages of infection that can activate years later, all of which complicate efforts to treat or prevent infection. The virus also targets the immune cells normally responsible for fighting invaders, weakening and destroying immune defenses over time, which can progress to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS. Additionally, and unlike many other viruses, HIV is not naturally cleared by the body once established, meaning any vaccine must meet a higher bar of preventing it from gaining a foothold in the body.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



Scientists have been trying to create an HIV vaccine for decades. Efforts have not panned out so far, most recently when a promising candidate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/18/health/hiv-vaccine-janssen.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">failed</a>&nbsp;in late-stage clinical trials this year. One candidate tested in the 2000s even&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature.2013.13971" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">appeared</a>&nbsp;to increase the risk of contracting the virus. Despite the setbacks, experts are still trying to develop one and are pushing ahead with new approaches, such as using the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-launches-clinical-trial-three-mrna-hiv-vaccines" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mRNA</a>&nbsp;technology behind Moderna and Pfizer’s successful Covid vaccines.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



40.1 million. That’s how many people have died from AIDS-related illnesses since the start of the HIV epidemic,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/fact-sheet" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to UNAIDS.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/hiv-aids" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">According</a>&nbsp;to the World Health Organization, some 38.4 million people were living with the virus in 2021. An estimated 1.5 million people acquired HIV that year and some 650,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses, the agency said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/14/health/pepfar-hiv.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The U.S. Program That Brought H.I.V. Treatment to 20 Million People</a>&nbsp;(NYT)



<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/18/health/hiv-vaccine-janssen.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Only H.I.V. Vaccine in Advanced Trials Has Failed. What Now?</a> (NYT)



By Robert Hart, Forbes Staff

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