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Afua Emika is an African woman who lives in the country of Niger. She was the mother of two boys, Rafiki and Obi, before malaria claimed Rafiki while he was three. Now she faces a difficult task: Obi has sickle cell anemia and requires a bone marrow transplant, but there is nowhere to go. Afua’s only option is to travel to India and hope to receive a treatment that will thrust her deep into poverty. Her hopes for a future become collateral damage in exchange for her son’s life. Afua is not a real person, but her story is. Millions of Africans have no access to any sort of healthcare, whether vaccines for their children, or common pharmaceuticals for curable diseases. Healthcare in Africa needs to be developed in order to accommodate the needs of the many. Without improvements, millions will go without access to primary healthcare or standard pharmaceuticals that could save their lives.
Africa is a hub for disease. Ailments such as, Ebola, HIV, Pneumonia, Malaria, and even Leprosy ravage the inhabitants of the continents. Although Africa only contains twenty five percent of the global population, it bears eighty-eight percent of the global burden for malaria (“Malaria”). This widespread epidemic feeds off billions of dollars annually, crippling Africa’s economy. Other communicable diseases, although less prevalent, also cause major issues within the continent. HIV and AIDS have made a major recession since 2013 but HIV is still prevalent. There were 380,000 people in Africa infected with HIV last year which accounts for around nineteen percent of the global total (“HIV and AIDS”). Unless steps are taken to eliminate the many communicable diseases, Africa will suffer both economically and physically. Not many people can reach healthcare. There are few options within the continent of Africa for high quality primary healthcare. This fact forces many Africans to outsource to places like India. India has seen a thirty two percent growth in African patients in the past year (“For Africans, India is healthcare destination”). This statistic is largely due to the poor amount of regional healthcare available to African citizens. For every 1000 Africans there are a total of 2.3 healthcare workers, and in the vast landscape of Africa this is highly insufficient (“The World Medicines Situation”). Forty seven percent of Africans (267 million) have no access to simple pharmaceuticals for easily curable diseases (“The World Medicines Situation”). This poor access to medicine leads to a multitude of repercussions. Each day thirty thousand children die of curable diseases and one out of twenty two women are expected to die in childbirth (Scholten). If health worker prevalence is increased these statistics would certainly improve, but until then, tragedies will continue to occur daily. Unless interventions are made, Africa will continue to suffer from disease and inadequate healthcare. Millions are without access to primary healthcare and many feel the problems associated with this. The journey to equitable healthcare in Africa is a troublesome path, but unless it is trekked, millions will be isolated from its benefits. "For Africans, India is healthcare destination (Health Feature)." IANS, 30 Mar. 2014. Health Reference Center Academic, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do? p=GPS&sw=w&u=5166pchs&v =2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA363216391&asid=b6a2f21868c4a8bc14155637c9d2e351. Accessed 1 Mar. 2017. “HIV and AIDS in South Africa.” AVERT, AVERT, 1 Dec. 2016, www.avert.org/professionals/hiv-around-world/sub-saharan-africa/south-africa. Accessed 2 Mar. 2017. “Malaria.” WHO | Regional Office for Africa, World Health Organization, 2015, www.afro.who.int/en/malaria.html. Accessed 2 Mar. 2017. Scholten, Bruce. "Riders for health: delivering healthcare in Africa." Geography Review, Feb. 2011, p. 10+. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do? p=GPS&sw=w&u=5166pchs&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA248827665&asid=1f41a3440d46a5290e58305ad39a2835. Accessed 1 Mar. 2017. “The World Medicines Situation: Chapter 7. Access to Essential Medicines.” The World Medicines Situation: Chapter 7. Access to Essential Medicines, World Health Organization, 2016, apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/d/Js6160e/9.html. Accessed 2 Mar. 2017.
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