THE BREAKFAST BURNING IN AFRICA

 

SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS COMMUNITY HEALTH

THE BREAKFAST BURNING IN AFRICA

Introduction

Africa is the second-largest continent on Earth, with a total area of approximately 30.3 million square kilometers. It is located in the eastern hemisphere, to the south of Europe and the west of Asia. Africa is home to a diverse range of cultures, languages, and people, and is home to over 1.3 billion people, (Africa — Google Arts & Culture, n.d.).The continent is rich in natural resources and is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including many species found nowhere else in the world. Some of the most well-known features of Africa include the Sahara desert, the Nile River, and the great Mount Kilimanjaro. Africa has a high burden of infectious diseases, many of which disproportionately affect children and young adults (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d.)

Interesting Health statistics   about African countries:

According to the World Health Organization  (World Health Statistics 2022, n.d.)

• Life expectancy at birth in Africa is approximately 64 years.
•  The infant mortality rate in Africa is approximately 44 deaths per 1,000 live births.
• The top causes of death in Africa are infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis.
•  Non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes, are also major causes of death in Africa.
•  The WHO estimates that there is a shortage of about 2.4 million healthcare workers in Africa.
•   Poor sanitation and a lack of clean water contribute to the high rates of infectious diseases in Africa
•   Malnutrition is also a major problem in Africa, with approximately 37% of children under the age of five being stunted.
•  The WHO estimates that the cost of addressing the health needs of Africa could be as much as $66 billion per year.

 

EPIDEMIOLOGY BACKGROUND

The epidemiology of the disease in Africa is complex and varied, with a range of infectious and non-infectious diseases affecting the region. Some of the major epidemics and public health challenges facing Africa include:

·         HIV/AIDS: Rests a significant health threat in Africa, with an estimated 24.9 million people living with HIV in the region in 2020. However, the availability and use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) have increased significantly in recent years, leading to a decline in HIV-related deaths.  (Caldwell, 1997)

·         Malaria: A major public health problem in Africa, with the highest burden of disease in the region. It is estimated that around 60% of the world's malaria cases and 75% of malaria deaths occur in Africa. Insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) and other interventions have had a major impact on reducing malaria transmission and morbidity in Africa.

·        Tuberculosis (TB): The leading cause of death in Africa, and the region has the highest burden of TB in the world. Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) is also a major problem in Africa, and the region has the highest proportion of MDR-TB cases globally.

·         Non-communicable diseases (NCDs):  such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, are also major public health challenges in Africa, and the burden of these diseases is increasing in the region. Risk factors for NCDs include unhealthy diets, tobacco use, and physical inactivity.

·     Emerging and re-emerging diseases: Africa is also prone to outbreaks of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, such as Ebola, Lassa fever, and Zika virus. These outbreaks can have a significant impact on public health and can be difficult to control due to a lack of infrastructure and other challenges.,(Health Promotion, n.d.)

 

Efforts to combat these and other infectious diseases in Africa include the use:-

Immunization: The effective and cost-effective way to prevent and control infectious diseases. Expanding access to vaccines and improving vaccination coverage in Africa can help prevent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.

Case detection and treatment: Early detection and treatment of cases can help prevent the spread of infectious diseases and reduce morbidity and mortality. Strategies such as active case finding, contact tracing, and the use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) can be effective in preventing the spread of diseases such as HIV/AIDS and TB.

Surveillance: The systems are critical for detecting outbreaks and tracking the spread of infectious diseases. Strengthening surveillance systems in Africa can help improve the early detection and response to outbreaks.

Prevention and control measures: A range of prevention and control measures can be used to reduce the transmission of infectious diseases. These measures may include the use of insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) to prevent malaria, the implementation of safe water and sanitation systems to reduce the risk of waterborne diseases, and the promotion of healthy behaviors, such as handwashing and the use of condoms, to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections.

Investment in health systems: Investing in strong and resilient health systems is critical for preventing and controlling epidemics in Africa. This includes investing in health infrastructure, training and retaining health workers, and ensuring that essential medicines and supplies are available.

Responding, SOHIOHE by 2030 ;

Southern Highlands Community Health is a non-governmental organization that works in partnership with the Tanzanian government, the Ministries of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly, and Children (MoHCDGEC), the President's Office Regional Administration Local Government Authority (PORALG) on the mainland, and the Ministry of Health in Zanzibar to support their efforts in improving the health and well-being of the society. By working together, we aim to contribute to the development of Tanzania through the promotion of healthy communities.

The goal of the organization is to improve the health of populations through a variety of methods, including population health assessments, health surveillance systems, and active community participation in resolving environmental health concerns. These efforts focus on transparency, accountability, and cultural sensitivity. By empowering people with positive attitudes toward health and self-efficacy skills, and involving the community in population health assessment, community health diagnosis, and environmental health problem-solving, the organization aims to promote behavioral and social change. Technology is used to engage with rural areas and address environmental challenges through epidemic control initiatives.

The organization plans to launch several programs in the Southern Regions and partner with other organizations by 2030. These programs include a survey on community health diagnosis, a program to reduce the antimicrobial resistance of treatable sexually transmitted infections in antenatal care, antimicrobial stewardship programs in healthcare facilities, inequality monitoring for HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria, school waste management, an e-waste hub, and community empowerment projects such as mobile outreach clinics, sports health events, and library construction. These programs aim to improve the health and well-being of the community through a variety of interventions and initiatives.

 

 

REFERENCE

Africa—Google Arts & Culture. (n.d.). Retrieved December 29, 2022, from https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/africa/m0dg3n1?hl=en

Best practices for an insecticide-treated bed net distribution program in sub-Saharan eastern Africa | Malaria Journal | Full Text. (n.d.). Retrieved December 29, 2022, from https://malariajournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1475-2875-10-157

Caldwell, J. C. (1997). The impact of the African AIDS epidemic. Health Transition Review, 7, 169–188.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Retrieved December 29, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/

Concurrent sexual partnerships do not explain the HIV epidemics in Africa: A systematic review of the evidence | SpringerLink. (n.d.). Retrieved December 29, 2022, from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1758-2652-13-34

Costs of insecticide-treated bed net distribution systems in sub-Saharan Africa | SpringerLink. (n.d.). Retrieved December 29, 2022, from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12936-020-03164-1

The COVID-19 pandemic fuels the largest continued to backslide in vaccinations in three decades. (n.d.). Retrieved October 3, 2022, from https://www.who.int/news/item/15-07-2022-covid-19-pandemic-fuels-largest-continued-backslide-in-vaccinations-in-three-decades

World Health Statistics 2022. (n.d.). Retrieved December 29, 2022, from https://www.who.int/news/item/20-05-2022-world-health-statistics-2022