Your Africa Health News Bites For August by Dara Oloyede

Headlines

• Kenya Joins HIV DREAMS Project

• Africa: Shortage of Meningitis C Vaccines

• Nigeria Marks A Year Without Polio

• Sierra Leone: Attention on Ebola Supersedes Efforts Towards Maternal Health

• Non-communicable Diseases and the Need for a Different Health Care Model

• NCD Alliance: Transforming Our World-The 2030 Agenda For Sustainable Development

 

Kenya Joins HIV DREAMS Project

“Kenya will be getting new support to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS among adolescent girls” (voanews.com). They will be included in the DREAMS Project, which is supported by the U.S., Nike Foundation, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and will recieve "$30 million in funding"  (voanews.com). HIV and AIDS impact young girls the most. It is reported, “seven thousand die every year from the disease, and they account for 74% of new infections among adolescents” (voanews.com). Being that young women and girls are most at risk, this program is focused on addressing their needs as well as issues that increase HIV infections risks in their communities.

For more information check out this article at voanews.com: Kenya Joins HIV Dreams Project

 

Africa: Shortage of Meningitis C Vaccines

“The WHO warns that thousands of people in Africa could die of Meningitis next year if drug companies do not increase production of life saving meningitis C vaccines” (voanews.com). According to the WHO, Africa could face a huge meningitis outbreak next year in “Africa’s meningitis belt” (voanews.com). The U.N. is asking that the production of vaccines be increased. William Perea, an officer with the WHO, says that the appeal has not been followed by much action. “The WHO plans to convene an expert meeting in October in Geneva to try to understand why meningitis C is reappearing in Africa after an absence of nearly 40 years” (voanews.com).

For more information check out this article at voanews.com: Africa Faces Acute Shortage of Meningitis C Vaccines

 

Nigeria marks a year without polio

On July 24th, 2015 Nigeria reached its first year polio free since July 24th, 2014. Although many predicted that internal conflicts would prevent successful eradication of the disease, Nigeria has successfully remained polio free. “The director of Rotary International Polio program, says that, ‘it’s an extraordinary achievement, and it really shows the value of government leadership and taking ownership of the program’” (theguardian.com). Others say that having emergency centers to organize vaccination campaigns, and also involving traditional and religious leaders, polio survivors, as well as many volunteers helped to build trust in the communities they worked in.

For more Information check out this article at thegaurdian.com: Nigeria marks a year without polio, with hopes high for eradication from Africa

 

Sierra Leone: Attention on Ebola Supersedes Efforts Towards Maternal Health

In the wake of Ebola in Sierra Leone, pregnant women were pushed back into traditional and more risky birthing techniques because of the focus of attention and resources on treating people with Ebola. Maternal health care was put on the back burner, and pregnant women were forced to take their healthcare into their own hands. “Up to 30% fewer Sierra Leonean women sought reproductive health services in the latter half of 2014, according to the UN’s lead agency on maternal health, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA)” (theguardian.com). They also noted a rise in “maternal deaths and pregnancy-related disabilities” (theguardian.com). With the loss of doctors, nurses, midwives and other health professionals, “the World Bank estimated that more than 4,000 women could die from complications during pregnancy and childbirth in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea” (theguardian.com).

For more information check out this article at the guardian.com: Ebola casts a shadow over maternal health in Sierra Leone

 

Non-communicable Diseases and the Need for a Different Health Care model

The increase in GDP and urbanization in Sub-sharan Africa, has introduced many investors such as fast food, alcohol, and cigarette companies. “Burger King is due to open in Angola and Zimbabwe, KFC in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia, [as well as]  global brewers like Heineken, SABMiller and Diageo, and cigarette [industries]” (qz.com). Ernest Darkoh from Broadreach Healthcare, says that the current healthcare systems in Africa are based on an “in-crisis model,” which means that  it address problems as they come. This current model is not equipped to handle non-communicable diseases that is a result of urbanization in Africa. “New, high-consumption, sedentary lifestyles, combined with greater life expectancy, have led to a building wave of non-communicable diseases” (qz.com). Darkoh says that Non-communicable diseases need a different approach that is not based on “crisis mode” but is based on a “broader understanding of a patient’s lifestyle, wellbeing and ongoing needs" (qz.com). 

For more information check out this article at qz.com: A whole new set of deadly diseases could hit Africa as it gets richer

 

NCD Alliance: Transforming Our World-The 2030 Agenda For Sustainable Development

The Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Alliance have put out a post 2015 development agenda that emphasizes the inclusion of NCDs as an area that needs attention. The Member States in New York have agreed to the agenda, and this means that more resources will be dedicated to their prevention and management needs. The next goal is for the Heads of state and Government to adopt the agenda of the NCD Alliance at the UN Summit.

To access this document go to: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015  OR http://ncdalliance.org/sites/default/files/resource_files/7891TRANSFORMING%20OUR%20WORLD_1%20Aug.pdf

 

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Dara Oloyede is the African News Correspondent for Engage Africa Foundation. She is currently a Sociology and Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder in Colorado. She was born in Nigeria, and currently is involved in the African Students Association. She currently works at Community Health on her campus as a student coordinator and gives presentations centered on promoting student wellness through education and support. She hopes to pursue Graduate studies in Public Health after graduating with her Bachelors degree. 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.