Tackling the Health Crises in Africa

Problem Statement

Africa’s health challenges.

• Africa has the highest mortality rate in the World (World Bank Data, 2020).
• Africa has the lowest life expectancy rate of 63.82 as of 2022 (Macro Trends, 2022).
• Africa has the highest child (aged 0-5) mortality rate, accounting for 36.07% of the total mortality rate in the region (UNICEF)
• Mortality Rate in Africa is highest for children aged (0-5)
• Sub-Saharan Africa has an average health expenditure (% of GDP) of 5.35% which is low compared to other developed countries.

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Leading Causes of Death in Africa

Based on the data provided, Cardiovascular diseases and Neonatal Disorders are the leading cause of Death in Africa as of 2019. Both diseases are Age Specific with CVD common among elders 65+ and Neonatal Disorders specific to children within the first year of life.

Insights

Child Mortality Rate, (Africa) 1990-2019

Health Expenditure, (Sub-Saharan Africa), 2000- 2019

Cardiovascular Diseases, Worldwide (2019)

Malaria Cases, Africa (2019)

Neonatal Disorder, Worldwide (2019)

Population Size and Death Rate in Africa , 2019

Recommendations

1. Provision of better Child-Care & Delivery Services

About 34.06% of the deaths in Africa are from Children under the age of 5, majorly caused by birth Complications and Neonatal Disorders. Most women in Africa do not use healthcare facilities (Yaya et al., 2019). Upon this premise, it is important that more sensitization is made for delivery to be done by verified Obstetricians and there is a healthcare subsidy provided for pregnant women and infants.

2. Sensitization on the dangers of Smoking

The leading cause of death, in Africa, and worldwide are Cardiovascular Diseases. According to World Health Organization, 85% of these are attributable to Heart Attacks. In a report by (Lakier, 1992), it was established that smoking is a major cause of Cardiovascular diseases.

Hence, to reduce the rate of these diseases in Africa, it is imperative that people are aware of the dangers of smoking and those addicted are encouraged and helped to quit.

3. Governmental Laws on Birth Control Practices

Nigeria has the highest population in Africa of over 200,000 occupants (2019) and the highest death rate as well. Upon analysis, countries with high population tend to have a high death rate as well. Based on this, controlling birth rate would help to African countries properly cater for the the health needs of citizens .

Limitations

Health Expenditure

To tackle most of the health challenges in Africa, there is need for funds. As of 2019, the health expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa (%of GDP) was 4.97% which is quite low when compared to developed nations. In the USA, the health expenditure for 2019 was 17.6% of the GDP (World Bank, 2020).

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Illiteracy & Lack of Awareness

The world literacy rate stands at 87% as of 2020 with Sub-Saharan Africa at just 66% (Literacy Rate, Adults 15 and above - World Bank). For most of the populace, they are not educated on the dangers of health risks. To curb the problem of cardiovascular diseases and birth control, highlighted above, there is a need for awareness and health education to Africans.

References

References

• World Bank, 2020
• World Health Organization, 2022
• United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, 2022
• Yaya S, Bishwajit G, Utman el al. Why some women fail to give birth at facilities : A comparative study between Ethiopia and Nigeria.
• Lakier, J.B. (1992). Smoking and Cardiovascular disease. The American Journal of Medicine
• Logan, B. I. (1991). Overpopulation and poverty in Africa: rethinking the traditional relationship.

Thank You!