Exodus of African Crisis
Africa has had it hard and one would describe this as a hurricane that swiped’ the continent to a certain degree. It has not been easy for the world to control this hurricane instantly and has therefore taken its own course to swipe, destroy the human nature.
If you consider the issues of HIV & AIDS as well as the issue of Ebola in the African continent, you will really understand that these are the African exodus that has traumatized the human nature though the other parts of the globe have been affected.
The first west scenario was considered to be the HIV and AIDS epidemic which has affected the world economically, socially and whatever that you can think of. This has really engaged and drained the resources that were not budgeted for to be channeled to a different direction hence dragging for sometimes. This affected the effectiveness and efficiency of skilled manpower towards service provision as it rapidly spread across the continent.
Countries come up with measures to combat and mitigate the epidemic but still need global support hence provision of skilled manpower, other resources including medication more especially Antiretroviral drugs (ARVs).
In most cases this impacted negatively on the new generation being children across ages. They were left as orphans, children in need of care, needy children and the most west scenario being their vulnerability towards their way of living hence affecting their educational standard, general behavior and lack of parental care, love and support. There are those in the remotest rural areas and hard to reach areas left with an old granny’s as care givers who do not have access to any resources at times including access to health care services. This therefore becomes crisis which affects their general behavior and their livelihoods.
This has also resulted with HIV positive children whom disclosure has been an issue of concern to their caregivers or even their biological parents if still alive. The issue of concern has been when and how should the disclosure been done. At which stage should it be? As early as pre- school at five or when exactly since when they grow up without knowing their HIV sero status they do not adhere to treatment hence leading to drug resistance. At teenage and adolescent stage they inquire very much about the issue of taking drugs and why them since they also want to live drugs free life hence intentions of having their own families.However this has impacted negatively on the global goal of having zero HIV infection by 2016. My concern is will the world be able to reach its goal of zero infections by 2016 since we are just around the corner? Are we saying that we will achieve this if disclosure is not handled accordingly? What measures should be put on place to cub and mitigate this situation including drug resistance and behavioural change, and what should be the way-ford including the remotest and the hard to reach areas where TB and HIV co-infection issues have increased.
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I believe only God has the answers for Africa's problems and is the leaders and the citizens turn to Him for help, He will create miracles in the healing and restoration especially of the children. God bless Africa!!!
To a degree, Phyllis, I agree, but God made man stewards over the earth and gave him the tools he needed. He does not stop leaders from being greedy, incompetent or corrupt. It's not His way. Government, in many ways, is a punishment for man's being unable to govern his nature, so even bad governments serve a purpose.
Excellent article mkobo. I agree to some extent but Africa s problems are multi-faceted in nature and scope.There s no clear answer to Africa s problems really. For instance the west has its share of blame just as the current and former leaders do also have a share. Cultures, traditions and attitude of the people equally have a share in the situation.Solutions? Well well
william
It is very well written; however, from an economist's standpoint, I really do not believe Western powers are really trying to mitigate Africa's problems. Conflict and chaos breed easy exploitation. Moreover, part of the issue is Africa itself. When you have leaders such as Mbeki saying the epidemic can be cured with fruit juice, there is really not much that can be done.
Hi tradert this is not necessarily about the Western powers the situation this topic is meant for us to also come up with strategies of how should these issues be handled and what is the way forward? The other concern like you mentioned is our leaders informed and conversant enough to handle certain issues??
Very well written article and comments. I thought there was a UN action plan in place but it's a world problem that must be solved.
Thank you for bring this pressing issue to the forum. I am from Africa and shares the same feeling as you have diligently expressed here. The problem facing us Africans in Africa and ones that leave in foreign countries are in monumental proportion, that if care is not taken it might be too late to save some of our children. We as a people must be able to help out before seeking from the so called rich nations, it is vital for us to understand that handout comes with some conditions. That which made us Africans, one entity, one blessed culture, admired allover the world might not be admired any more because we refused to take care of our people. Ebola case should be and eye opener to every one of us, Africans has refused to know their main major problems, every body wants to be rich the western way relegating our culture of nurturing each other being brothers and sisters keeper, the bond that holds our family together might through this process of selfish interest disintegrate our culture to irreparable.
Hi actioncenter, I am speechless, you have said it all but like Katie said education is the core towards behavior change. Thanks for your well articulate comment. Stay blessed
The circumstances of many countries throughout the world is indeed cause for concern as well as trying to eradicate the infections etc education is also need to help people understand certain steps to take to protect themselves to, and sadly the governments of some of these countries do not serve the people who look to them and depend on them for even the basic of needs, yet they fail them we can all only do so much to help one another but people also need to help themselves where they can to.. I always have a prayer in my heart for peace and the end of poverty in this world we live in, it also saddens me even in the western world of plenty many suffer
Hi Katie, that is very true indeed, The gaps you have identified and stated are actually what is happening in some of these countries and like you stated we need prayer for these kind of situations. Thank you for your informed comment Katie. One Day Africa will ........... Be blessed dear.
You are more more than right, these governing apparatus as I call then are careless about the people under them. Nigeria for example has generals that has banking accounts that are in billions of dollars in foreign countries, but refused to help out. How much do we need to live on, that we can't help each other?. Vanity upon vanity is all vanity. My we be blessed.
I do hope so it is a beautiful country and good do so much more for the people who live there if everyone could work together
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Hi mkobo, read with interest your blog, but, while there are outside influences that exploit Africa for political or financial gain, I believe that many of the problems that exist can only be solved within Africa itself.
Despite the billions of dollars, pounds, euros, etc, in aid that pour into the continent, the majority of its people suffer disease and abject poverty. Why is this so?
How is it that, although Africa has some of the poorest countries in the world, the leaders of many of these African countries live an extremely luxurious lifestyle that is indefensible, even by western standards, while their subjects suffer poverty and life-threatening disease? Many of these dictators and despots employ an army of highly paid mercenaries to impose their will on the people by whatever means necessary and at the same time funding their luxurious lifestyle. Where does this money come from?
Another problem internally is the conflict that goes on between warring tribes. For instance, as far as I am aware, the civil war in Southern Sudan between the Dinka and Nuer tribes still goes on despite the thousands who have already died. How many other tribal wars are going on in some of the remotest parts of Africa that go unreported?. These, I believe, will only be resolved through dialogue between governments and tribal leaders.
Then you have the problem of the nomadic tribes like the Mundari, who have roamed the plains of Central Equatoria for centuries, handing down their traditions and way of life from one generation to he next. How do you persuade these people to lead a more stable way of life with access to better nutrition, education and health care while still maintaining many of their traditions?
This, I would think, could be better achieved by people who know and respect these tribes and their traditions rather than some outsider completely alien to them. I know I wouldn't like some complete stranger telling me I should change my lifestyle when they know nothing about me.
You mention HIV, AIDS, TB and the Ebola virus in your blog. Unfortunately there are many unwanted children in Africa born with HIV and AIDS, although it's sad when any child is unwanted wherever they are born. Is there an answer? Yes, there is: Explaining that unprotected sex can result in many unwanted pregnancies and educating both men and women in the use of contraceptives, explaining that men can use condoms to help prevent contracting or spreading the AIDS virus.
With regards to TB, it has been virtually eradicated in many countries in the western world by better nutrition and living conditions without the need for drugs, although drugs are still used to treat sufferers who may have contracted the disease through bovine TB. Apart from poor nutrition and lifestyle could there be a link between TB and people like the Mundari who raise cattle and rely on them to survive?
Unfortunately it seems only mass vaccination or inoculation against the Ebola virus is the answer if one comes available. Although researchers have identified some small mammals, such as the fruit bat, as carriers of the Ebola virus there is no concrete evidence that there is an animal-to-human link in the spread of the disease, and even if there was a link you can't go around exterminating every species of small mammal that you believe carries the disease.
I hope you don't think I'm being critical of Africa and its inhabitants, I'm not. Africa, the birthplace and cradle of humanity, deserves better and more power to the people instead of corrupt individuals would be a major step forward in improving their lot