Africa Finds New Solutions For Its Health Crisis

Submitted by Crystal Davis on Wed, 2006-11-29 16:25

African Regional Health ReportAfrica faces the world's most severe public health crisis. Africans account for 60% of the global population living with HIV/AIDS and over 90% of annual malaria cases. Millions of African mothers and children die every year from preventable and treatable diseases because they lack access to basic health care services. Yet a recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO) breaks from the typical pessimism surrounding African health issues and offers real success stories and practical solutions to some of Africa's greatest health challenges.


Key Health Challenges in Africa

The African Regional Health Report: The Health of the People provides an overview of the public health situation in 46 African countries and an analysis of six key public health challenges.


  • Health and development: Poverty is both a cause and effect of ill-health. Breaking this poverty trap requires investing in the underlying determinants of ill-health such as environment, education, women's empowerment, and governance.
  • Maternal, newborn and child health: 19 of the 20 countries with the highest maternal mortality ratios are in Africa. Proven solutions such as skilled birth attendance, immunization, family planning, and education for women must be scaled up and replicated.
  • Infectious diseases: HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria claim three million African lives each year. Climate, geography and parasites are great obstacles, but progress can be made by increasing financial and human resources in health care.
  • Noncommunicable diseases: These illnesses represent 27% of Africa's disease burden yet are often under-prioritized. Governments need to address risk factors of diseases like stroke, diabetes, cancer and heart disease and develop strategies to promote healthy lifestyles.
  • Health and the environment: Air pollution, unsafe water, and inadequate sanitation are widespread in Africa and are exacerbated by war and natural disasters. Africa needs sustainable technologies and community-based solutions to address these problems.
  • National health systems: Delivering essential health care requires skilled health workers, infrastructure and equipment, medicines and supplies, and health financing systems. Africa needs increased funding and coordination with international partners to achieve these goals.

    • Progress and Success Stories

    The WHO report highlights recent progress and success stories. The number of HIV-positive people receiving antiretroviral treatment has increased eight-fold since 2003. Similarly, almost 60% of children have been vaccinated for measles, which has reduced overall measles deaths in Africa by 50% since 1999. Other diseases such as river blindness, leprosy and polio have reached or are close to eradication.

    Many countries have developed uniquely African solutions to key health challenges. Mali has developed community cost-sharing programs to increase the availability of prenatal and antenatal care. A police-led road safety campaign in Rwanda has decreased traffic-related deaths by 25%. In South Africa, a health-care train transports doctors and medical students to remote rural areas. Africa must replicate and learn from these success stories and seek better coordination with international partners in order to make progress in the health sector.



    RELATED LINKS:

    Official Press Release

    WHO Regional Office for Africa

    Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS

    EarthTrends Searchable Database on Population, Health and Human Well-being