Chronic Disease Brief For Africa (March 2018) By Dara Oloyede
Nigeria: 1 In 5 Nigerians Live With Chronic Depression
Nigeria: NCD Alliance Calls For Cigarette Taxes
Kenya: NCD’s Leading Cause Of Deaths In Kenya
Ethiopia: Kidney Disease Prevention
Rwanda: Nutrition Guidelines
Nigeria: 1 In 5 Nigerians Live With Chronic Depression
According to WHO data from 2015, 20.3 per 100,000 people commit suicide each year in Nigeria (Adegoke, 2018). Depression is one of the factors that influences suicide. Research from the World Bank found that 1 in 5 adults in Nigeria live with chronic depression. The report also showed that 2 out of 5 Nigerians experience the adverse consequences of chronic depression such as “shocks, deaths or conflicts.” In addition, they are less likely to work and be able to pay for their child’s education. The report also highlighted the income disparities in the prevalence of this condition—those at the bottom 30% of income earners were most likely to experience chronic depression. Adegoke notes that there is a lot misinformation about mental health conditions due to shame and stigma. The availability and affordability of mental health care plays a large role in this issue. There are 0.028 beds in outpatient mental health facilities per 100,000, and 0.07 psychiatrists per 100,000 (Adegoke, 2018). This WHO data shows an interesting contrast to Nigeria’s rank as the 6th happiest nation in Africa, and 95th in the world (World Happiness Report).
For more information check out this article at guardian.ng: One in five Nigerians suffer chronic depression
See the World Happiness Report for more information about how Nigeria or other nations rank.
Further reading from the World Bank on Depression and its links to conflict and welfare in Nigeria
Nigeria: NCD Alliance Calls For Cigarette Taxes
The Non-Communicable Disease Alliance works to create a global network of diverse stakeholders dedicated to drive changes in NCD Prevention and Control (guardian.ng). The NCD Alliance of Nigeria has called for the Nigerian government to implement a tax system on cigarettes. This includes an excise duty on cigarettes which follows the WHO recommendations for Tobacco Control. They call for the government to fully enact the National Tobacco Control Act of 2015 in additional to other tobacco control legislations (guardian.ng).
For more information check out this article at guardian.ng: NCD Alliance Urges FG to Incorporate Tax Structures on Cigarettes has called for the government.
For more information about the NCD Alliance visit their website.
To view the 2015 National Tobacco Control Act, click here.
Kenya: NCD’s Leading Cause Of Deaths In Kenya
According to the Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki, NCDs account for 55% of deaths in Kenya (WHO, 2012). The secretary also said that NCDs account for over 50% of hospital admissions. The government has implemented strategies to achieve Universal Health Care. These strategies include increasing health insurance and coverage for the elderly and people with disabilities. Additionally, this includes engaging community health workers to increase services and awareness of NCDs. The Ministry of Health is also leading partnerships and coordination efforts to address NCDs. This move has resulted in screenings for over 100,000 people for hypertension and also enrollment for over 1,500 children to receive insulin (Mwangi, 2018).
For more information check out this article at nation.co.ke: Government in new drive to beat non-communicable diseases
For further reading, read the WHO report on Kenya National Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases
Ethiopia: Kidney Disease Prevention
Reports from the Ethiopian Kidney Association show that around the world more than 1.4 million people received dialysis or have had a kidney transplant (Bedlu, 2018). They also note that the cost of Rental Replacement Therapy (RRT) consumes a large piece of the budget for healthcare. For World Kidney day on March 8th, Ethiopia’s theme was ‘Kidneys and Women’s Health: Include, Value, Empower’. The Ethiopian Kidney Association President, Dr. Lissane Seifu, said that chronic kidney disease is a serious health problem and women and people above 30 are most at risk in Ethiopia. Further, he said that people with a history of kidney disease, diabetes, blood pressure in their family and who are overweight are also more at risk for kidney failure. Women are more at risk due to pregnancy related complications that can lead to pre-eclampsia which can result in kidney disease. This highlights a need for more awareness, early diagnosis and follow up for women who may experience pregnancy complications that can increase their risk for kidney related diseases (Bedlu, 2018).
For more information check out this article at ethpress.gov.et: More concern for kidney disease prevention
Rwanda: Nutrition Guidelines
In collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization, the government is creating guidelines in Kinyarwanda to inform the public about nutrition. In addition to translating the guidelines, these guidelines were created to be easy to understand and practical. Officials say that these Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDG), will help inform and encourage people to have a more nutritious, diverse and balanced diet. This guideline was created at a workshop which invited experts and stakeholders from various sectors, agencies, and academies around the nation. The workshop was conducted to not only develop the guidelines but also to set up a Multi-sectorial Technical Task Team (MTTT) to improve nutrition across the nation. Alex Mucumbitsi, who is the head of the nutrition and hygiene department at National Early Childhood Care and Development Programme (NECDP) said that it is important to have strong coordination, monitor and evaluate the programs, and report about implementation results and budget allocations.
For more information check out this article at newtimes.co.rw: Nutrition: Govt, FAO to roll out new guidelines
Dara Oloyede is the African News Correspondent for Engage Africa Foundation, and she is pursuing her Masters of Public Health. During her free time she likes to read books, spend time with friends, go to the movies, concerts, as well as events that celebrate different cultures.
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