25/07/2026
Focus on Africa: The Conversation hears from women living with alopecia, a medical condition that causes hair loss.
An in-depth weekly conversation focusing on a topical issue in Africa. In this episode, Focus on Africa: The Conversation explores alopecia, the medical term for hair loss, a condition that affects an estimated 160 million people worldwide.
Some forms of alopecia disproportionately affect Black women due to a combination of factors, including hairstyles that place tension on the hair, as well as genetic and hormonal influences.
Dermatologists say they are now seeing an increase in cases, particularly among younger people. Meanwhile, researchers in Japan have pointed to potential new treatments that could offer hope to those living with hair loss.
Focus on Africa podcast host Nkechi Ogbonna speaks to 23-year-old Sharon Chepkoech, known online as Kechi, from Kenya, and 47-year-old Mpume Dlamini from South Africa about their experiences of living with alopecia and how they are using social media to raise awareness of the condition.
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