HEALTH PROBLEMS IN SUBSAHARAN AFRICA

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HEALTH PROBLEMS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

• A REGION IN CRISIS

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CAUSES OF HEALTH PROBLEMS

• LIMITED ARABLE LAND
• CIVIL WARS
• LACK OF CLEAN WATER
• TROPICAL INSECTS
• LACK OF EDUCATION
• LACK OF MONEY
• LACK OF DOCTORS AND UP-TO-DATE EQUIPMENT

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EXAMPLES OF VARIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS INCLUDE
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FAMINE AND MALNUTRITION

• AREAS IN THE SAHEL REGION ARE EXPERIENCING
  DESERTIFICATION LEADING TO FAMINE
• COUNTRIES SUCH AS SUDAN, SIERRA LEONE, RWANDA,
  AND CONGO ARE IN THE MIDST OF CIVIL WARS
• MANY AFRICANS SUFFER MALNUTRITION BECAUSE A LACK
  OF MONEY LEADS TO A POOR DIET

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MALARIA

• 1993 ALMOST HALF OF THE COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD
  CONSIDERED MALARIOUS WERE IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
• 90 OF THE CLINICAL CASES OF MALARIA ARE IN
  SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
• ONLY 7 OF SUB-SAHARAN AFRICANS LIVE IN AREAS
  WITH NO OR NEGLIGIBLE RISK OF MALARIA
• MORE THAN 1 MILLLION CHILDREN UNDER FIVE DIE EACH
  YEAR

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SLEEPING SICKNESS

• ALSO KNOWN AS HUMAN AFRICAN TRYPANOSOMIASIS
• A PARASITIC DISEASE TRANSMITTED BY THE TSETSE FLY
• THREATENS 60 MILLION PEOPLE IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
• ONLY 3-4 MILLION PEOPLE AT RISK ARE UNDER
  SURVEILLANCE
• WITHOUT TREATMENT IT IS FATAL

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DIARRHEA

• LEADING CAUSE OF MORTALITY IN CHILDREN UNDER 5
  YEARS OF AGE
• ESTIMATED THAT EACH CHILD HAS 5 EPISODES PER YEAR
• RESULTS FROM LACK OF CLEAN WATER
• 800,000 DIE EACH YEAR FROM DIARRHEA AND
  DEHYDRATION

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HEPATITIS B

• HIGHLY ENDEMIC IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
• EVIDENCE OF PRIOR HEPATITIS B INFECTION IS
  PRESENT IN 70-90 OF POPULATION
• HEPATITIS B ACCOUNTS FOR 200,000 DEATHS PER YEAR

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TUBERCULOSIS

• TUBERCULOSIS IS AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE THAT
  PRIMARILY AFFECTS THE LUNGS
• TB IS SPREAD THROUGH THE AIR
• PEOPLE WITH THE HIV VIRUS ARE HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE
  TO TB
• MILLIONS OF AFRICANS HAVE COME IN CONTACT WITH
  TUBERCULOSIS

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HIV/AIDS

• 70,000 PEOPLE ARE BORN HIV POSITIVE IN SOUTH
  AFRICA PER YEAR
• SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA ACCOUNTS FOR 70 OF THE
  WORLDWIDE POPULATION OF HIV/AIDS, 80 OF THE
  CHILDREN, AND ¾ OF THE 20 MILLION WHO HAVE DIED
• SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA HAS THE TOP 21 COUNTRIES WITH
  THE HIGHEST PREVALENCE OF HIV/AIDS
• lt ½ OF 1 OF AFRICANS WITH AIDS RECEIVE SOME FORM
  OF DRUG THERAPY
• THE U.S. SPENDS 52 BILLION ON OBESITY. THIS IS
  15 TIMES THE AMOUNT NEEDED TO TREAT AIDS IN
  AFRICA

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SOLUTIONS TO THE HEALTH CRISIS

• EFFORTS TO MAINTAIN PEACE
• IMPROVED AGRICULTURAL METHODS
• EDUCATION
• WATER PURIFICATION
• AVAILABILITY OF DRUGS
• MORE DOCTORS AND HEALTH CLINICS

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WORKS CITED

• http//www.aed.org/sara/
• http//www.aegis.com/
• http//www.hivnet.ch8000/africa/
• http//allafrica.com/health
• http//www.who.int
• http//aids.about.com/health/aids

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WORKS CITED (CONTINUED)

• http//allafrica.com/stories
• http//news.bbc.co.uk
• http//www.cnn.com/2001
• http//africancultures.about.com/culture/africancu
  ltures/
• http//www.time.com/time/photoessays
• Microsoft Encarta CD
• Boehm, Richard. World Geography. Glencoe
  Publishing New York, 1995.