Chronic Disease Brief For Africa (May 2016) By Dara Oloyede
Chronic Disease Brief For Africa (May 2016) By Dara Oloyede
Rwanda: Health Ministry Urges Early Diabetes Screening
Gambia Launches Three-Year National Tobacco Cessation Clinical Guideline
Nigeria Has The Lowest Health Budget In Africa
Media Experts in East Africa Warn That Non-communicable Diseases Are A Ticking Time Bomb
Ethiopia: The Case of Cancer
Rwanda: Health Ministry Urges Early Diabetes Screening
In Rwanda a 2013 survey done by the Ministry of Health “estimated that 175,575 people (between the ages of 15-64) are living with diabetes” (allafrica.com). Also, they found that half of Rwandans living with diabetes are undiagnosed (allafrica.com). The Ministry of Health is now promoting screenings for the early detection of diabetes (allafrica.com). Already in place is an annual check up for men over 40 and women over 35 that is covered by all health insurances, however, Nathan Mugume who is the Director of Communications at Rwanda Biomedical Center says that more preventative initiatives need to be put in place (allafrica.com).
For more information check out this article at allafrica.com: Rwanda: Health Ministry Urges Early Diabetes Screening
Gambia Launches Three-Year National Tobacco Cessation Clinical Guideline
The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the World Health Organization have launched a 3-year national tobacco cessation clinical guideline (allafrica.com). This guideline was created to make standardized and accurate information about evidence based treatment for tobacco use more accessible to health care professionals (allafrica.com). Saffie Lowe-Ceesay who is the secretary at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, said that in Gambia tobacco use creates the most significant risk for Non-Communicable Diseases (allafrica.com). She also said that “most healthcare providers are not well trained nor equipped to manage this problem effectively, and also do not seem to understand that treating tobacco dependence is more cost-effective than treating tobacco related disease” (allafrica.com). Dr. Ahmed E. Ogwell Ouma who is a WHO regional advisor, said that Gambia is the first African country to implement the guideline (allfrica.com).
For more information check out this article at allafrica.com: Gambia Launches Three-Year National Tobacco Cessation Clinical Guideline
Nigeria Has The Lowest Health Budget In Africa
Nigeria’s Minster of Health Professor Isaac Adewole says that the country “has one of the lowest health budgets in Africa” (punchng.com). He says that underfunding in the health sector is one of the major challenges that the country has been facing. Adewole also said that the ministry of health will meet with executives from the World Bank to address underfunding and also improve the primary healthcare system in Nigeria (punchng.com). According to the minster, “only 20% of over 30,000 Primary Health Care facilities in the country were functioning” (punchng.com). With help, the ministry wants to make 10,000 out of the 30,000 facilities functioning within 2 years (punchng.com).
For more information check out this article at punchng.com: Nigeria has lowest health budget in Africa —Adewole
Medial Experts in East Africa Warn That Non-communicable Diseases Are A Ticking Time Bomb
“Medical experts from the East African Community (EAC) have warned that by 2025, Kenya and her neighbors will be losing as many lives to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as to infectious diseases” (thesyandardmedia.co.ke). Every year about 150,000 people die in Kenya because of Non-Communicable Diseases, and a large portion of these deaths are due to cardiovascular disease. About 24% of Kenyans have high blood pressure, of the 24%, 22% are aware, and only 8% have access to treatment (standardmedia.co.ke).
For more information check out this article at standardmedia.co.ke: Non-communicable diseases a time bomb, East Africa warned
Ethiopia: The Case of Cancer
Cancer has been a low priority for many health care facilities in Africa. This is because the challenges that communicable diseases pose often overshadow non-communicable diseases like cancer. In addtion, the lack of health professionals, facilities, and resources also makes the fight against cancer difficult. Ethiopia has established a national Cancer committee, and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has been working to create a regional Cancer center for the past 6 years (allafrica.com). This center is being created to find collective solutions to this health issue. The center will have resources that will be used to provide cancer screenings, treatment, train health professionals, and collect data (alllafrica.com). Dr. Melaku, who is an associate professor at the University of Alberta says “it is only with the creation of global and regional entities’ alliance that countries will truly be able to improve Cancer care in LMICs and slash down the high mortality rates in these regions” (allafrica.com).
For more information check out this article at allafrica.com: Ethiopia: A Stitch in Time Saves Nine, the Case of Cancer
Dara Oloyede is the African News Correspondent for Engage Africa Foundation. She is pursuing her MPH in Public Health with a focus in Maternal and Child Health and Health Policy. During her free time she likes to read books, hang out with friends, go to the movies, concerts, as well as events that celebrate different cultures.
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