Jennifer Jamila Abubakar
People who tune into their nightly newscasts encounter a dizzying array of news from around the world. One area of the planet that seldom receives the attention it needs, however, is sub-Saharan Africa. As a result, few people in the world understand the severe challenge that the health workers there face on a daily basis.
The problem stems from the colossal medical crisis that is facing that region. Sub-Saharan Africa’s population is besieged by nearly one-fourth of the world’s disease burden. This fact is made even more frightening when one considers that the region is home to only a tenth of the people on the globe.
That disproportionate share of mankind’s disease burden is worsened by the sad fact that the region is serviced by a relatively small number of medical professionals. In total, these doctors and nurses account for not even three percent of global health care providers. This small group of providers is charged with caring for millions of seriously ill people.
Their task includes dealing with simultaneous epidemics in malaria, HIV transmission, full-blown AIDS cases, tuberculosis, and malnutrition. That list of diseases doesn’t even include the other common ailments that besiege the area due to its lack of medical infrastructure. Even with global assistance, these workers have been hard-pressed to manage the situation.
Though international aid through private charities and government bodies has been a fairly reliable source of assistance, it has not been enough to turn the tide. As a result, many are now calling for corporate entities and others from the private sector to take part in the struggle.
If that occurs, the amount of aid available to these medical providers should increase substantially. That aid, and a continuing supply of volunteer aid workers to supplement the efforts of local doctors and nurses, will be critical as this troubled region continues its efforts to avoid a complete health care collapse.
