African Health Issues

Poor Environmental Quality in Africa

Poor Environmental Quality in Africa

Introduction

Development goals of the millennium, in Africa, cannot be achieved by the current rate of progress and development. The current health care situation of the continent is deteriorating, and no substantial progress has been experienced since 1990. Africa has severely suffered during the dark ages, and in spite of modern reforms, external aids, and technological development, there is still a long way to go. There are numerous issued associated with the health crises of the continent, issues that may be related to poverty, food crisis, water contamination and diseases that sums up to deteriorate overall health in Africa. In this paper, we will discuss these crucial issues in different parts of the continent and analyze prospected solutions to these problems. We will also consider the prospects and approaches that are supported by the international communities in increasing progress of the healthcare system and analyzed reforms of the health sector, foreign aids, initiatives by global health programs and other approaches that provide foundations for improving the overall health situation in Africa.

If we analyze the overall current situation, the continent we can clearly identify four sectors that sum up to current health crisis. The biggest contributing factor in worsening the situation is economical instability and extreme poverty. Monetary assistance for healthcare, provided by a number of foreign countries, the United Nations and the World Bank is, however, not entirely utilized for the purpose it was provided. Poverty leads to a number of corruption issues, social chaos and constitutional disorder. Apart from these there are other issues relating to common health standards in Africa. Issues like availability of insufficient clean drinking water; water contamination is perpetually raising the issue in the continent and shares a significant portion over overall health adversity. Likewise, food shortage is a similar issue that leads to health issues. Both of these majors concerns builds up the cumulative rate of diseases, when hygienic food and water is unavailable, it undoubtedly leads to increase in the rate of ailments and diseases. HIV/ AIDs is the biggest and most devastating issue in Africa, which accounts for 1 in every 14 adults of the population. However, in this paper we will discuss various other diseases and their implications for the health system and standards in Africa.

Hunger and Food crises

Africa, affected with the shortage of food and availability of nutritious food to meet the demand of its people. Financial and economic instability results in limiting natural production and agriculture in various regions of the continent. However, these food crises are dominant in East African regions, more than 13 million people in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia are in need of relief. Children are severely affected by these shortfalls, and endangered of malnutrition, and without immediate assistance, these conditions may jeopardize their existence. In the southern region if Somalia hundreds of people is dying everyday and the majority of them are children. In three different health camps in Kenya more than 13,000 malnourished children, been admitted ...