Africa has been a hub for many of the world’s deadliest diseases and epidemics. Diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/Aids are responsible for millions of deaths in Africa each and every year. A major contributing factor to this issue is the current healthcare system set in place. The lack of easy access, coupled with the high cost of medication and treatment makes it very difficult for African citizens to receive the medical help that they need. Africa’s extreme poverty and lack of basic infrastructure cause many citizens to be susceptible to a plethora of diseases. Crowded living conditions, contaminated water supplies and inadequate sanitation are all underling causes of these disease outbreaks. Africa, like any other nation faces the problems of maintaining and stopping the spreading of these diseases. However, what sets Africa apart is the drastic extent to which these diseases are affecting its people. The major diseases that are plaguing Africa and its people are malaria, low respiratory infections, tuberculosis, and HIV/Aids.
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To put the affects of these diseases into perspective, L.R Chetty (2010) writes more than 90% of the estimated 300–500 million clinical cases of malaria that occur across the world every year are in Africans, it kills one African child every 30 seconds. L.R Chetty (2010) goes on to write that of the estimated 2.4 million new tuberculosis cases, 24% of all notified cases worldwide, and half a million tuberculosis deaths are reported in Africa each year. And while many HIV/Aids programs have been set in place, the disease still continues to be a problem with AIDS claiming around one million lives each year in sub-Saharan Africa. When it comes to dealing with these diseases, one of the major issues with the healthcare system in Africa is the lack of accessibility. …show more content…
Simply, if you’re a sick African citizen in a small local village, finding a trained doctor to treat you is very difficult. Healthcare services are often only provided in urban areas, so undeveloped, rural or remote regions, which make up a large section of Africa, are often left without any clinics or treatments centers in close proximity. ILO (2015) writes the highest number of people in rural areas who are not covered by essential healthcare services is in Africa, where it amounts to 83%. This is one reason why many locals choose to visit traditional African healers in their village, instead of making the 3 or 4 hour ride into town to see the local doctor. ILO (2015) adds Zimbabwe has 45,000 traditional healers and only 1,400 medical doctors. A major issue that can arise from this is the fact that some of theses healers don’t have a professional background or proper training in the field of medicine. So some people that visit these healers may not be receiving the proper care that they actually need. Secondly, the cost of medicine and treatment is so high many citizens just cant afford it. One Reason being that pharmaceutical companies raise the prices of their medicine in order to turn a profit. Another reason being the fact that remedies for life-threatening diseases like TB or HIV/AIDS are imported, and therefore are much more expensive. Jimenez ( 2012) writes In Africa more than half the population lives on less than 1 United States Dollar a day. Well In order to receive medicine or treatment in Africa the patient often has to pay out off pocket. So this really limits the amount of Aid someone
To put the affects of these diseases into perspective, L.R Chetty (2010) writes more than 90% of the estimated 300–500 million clinical cases of malaria that occur across the world every year are in Africans, it kills one African child every 30 seconds. L.R Chetty (2010) goes on to write that of the estimated 2.4 million new tuberculosis cases, 24% of all notified cases worldwide, and half a million tuberculosis deaths are reported in Africa each year. And while many HIV/Aids programs have been set in place, the disease still continues to be a problem with AIDS claiming around one million lives each year in sub-Saharan Africa. When it comes to dealing with these diseases, one of the major issues with the healthcare system in Africa is the lack of accessibility. …show more content…
Simply, if you’re a sick African citizen in a small local village, finding a trained doctor to treat you is very difficult. Healthcare services are often only provided in urban areas, so undeveloped, rural or remote regions, which make up a large section of Africa, are often left without any clinics or treatments centers in close proximity. ILO (2015) writes the highest number of people in rural areas who are not covered by essential healthcare services is in Africa, where it amounts to 83%. This is one reason why many locals choose to visit traditional African healers in their village, instead of making the 3 or 4 hour ride into town to see the local doctor. ILO (2015) adds Zimbabwe has 45,000 traditional healers and only 1,400 medical doctors. A major issue that can arise from this is the fact that some of theses healers don’t have a professional background or proper training in the field of medicine. So some people that visit these healers may not be receiving the proper care that they actually need. Secondly, the cost of medicine and treatment is so high many citizens just cant afford it. One Reason being that pharmaceutical companies raise the prices of their medicine in order to turn a profit. Another reason being the fact that remedies for life-threatening diseases like TB or HIV/AIDS are imported, and therefore are much more expensive. Jimenez ( 2012) writes In Africa more than half the population lives on less than 1 United States Dollar a day. Well In order to receive medicine or treatment in Africa the patient often has to pay out off pocket. So this really limits the amount of Aid someone