On Africa Day, as we celebrate the rich diversity of cultures, landscapes, and people that make Africa so vibrant and unique, we must also acknowledge the significant health challenges the continent faces, from food insecurity and infectious diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV, to the growing burden of non-communicable diseases. Health For Mzansi spoke to African healthcare workers about pressing health issues and potential solutions.
Health issues in South Africa
Dr Madaliso Phiri, who heads up the #Keready mobile clinics in the King Cetshwayo District in KwaZulu-Natal, says some of the pressing health issues in Mzansi are mental health issues, HIV, reproductive health, drug and alcohol abuse, and lifestyle diseases.
He says one in five households doesn’t have enough food on the table, 30 children are dying daily from malnutrition-related causes, and a quarter of children under the age of five are stunted.
“Food insecurity doesn’t just affect the body; it can impact mental health too. The stress and worry of not knowing where your next meal will come from can lead to anxiety and depression.”
Dr Madaliso Phiri
Mental health and food security
There’s often a stigma attached to being food insecure, which can make young people feel embarrassed or ashamed, affecting their self-esteem and social interactions.
Some might pull away from friends and activities because they feel different or can’t participate in the same way, like going out for meals or having snacks at get-togethers, explains Phiri.
“Key strategies include educational programmes, school feeding initiatives, community gardening, public-private partnerships, and leveraging digital platforms.”
Dr Madaliso Phiri
Phiri says mental health needs attention. Addressing mental health issues, particularly anxiety and depression among South African youth, he calls for a comprehensive, multi-level strategy that involves communities, schools, healthcare systems, and policymakers.
“The examples and programmes one can implement are endless. Tackling mental health is a collective effort that requires commitment from all sectors of society.”
Sustainable solutions
David Harrison, the director of GD Murray Trust (DGMT) says, “We need collaboration on issues of local food production and supply, as well as access to and affordability of nutritious foods. The private sector is also a critical player, and we must have three-way collaboration between government, the private sector, and communities.”
DGMT proposed a collaboration to address the food insecurity issue in South Africa.
“DGMT has proposed the double discounting of ten highly nutritious foods – double discounting meaning that the food industry does not take profit on one food label, and that waived profit gets matched by a retail subsidy from the government.”
David Harrison
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Key challenges in Kenya
Omwenga Gichana, a social advocate, social worker, and lecturing assistant at Kenya’s Masinde Muliro University, Kakuma Campus, says the supply of medication to far-flung areas is a challenge. Staffing concerns persist, rural areas still live in marginalised situations, and funds allocation to hospitals in rural areas is the biggest challenge in Kenya, he explains.
Gichana says other issues are with health insurance including fraud and limited coverage, the absence of vital medications in public facilities, a low patient-to-doctor ratio, and a striking workforce – noting a prolonged strike recently in Kenya.
He adds that the lack of food has detrimental effects.
“It takes an emotional toll when people have to constantly worry about where their next meal is going to come from, particularly the breadwinners,” Gichana says.
“Both physical and mental health are worse in arid and semi-arid areas, as they constantly battle with finding food that is scarce and costly.”
Critical health conditions in Nigeria
Infectious diseases constitute a significant burden on the Nigerian health system. Some health facilities are sometimes overwhelmed by these conditions, says Dr Bassey Etim, a medical practitioner and associate professor in the faculty of clinical sciences at the University of Calabar, Nigeria.
Malaria is endemic and continues to be a burden, especially with resistant strains of malaria parasites increasing by the day, he adds.
Etim explains that Nigeria has the highest global burden of malaria, leading the government and health sector to channel more resources and personnel into the prevention, control, and treatment of malaria at the expense of other health problems.
He further notes that the pressing health issues include malaria, HIV/Aids, maternal mortality, high infant and under-five mortality rates, re-emerging communicable and non-communicable diseases, and occasional epidemic outbreaks of conditions like Lassa fever, meningitis, and cholera in Nigeria.
“It’s worth noting that blindness from glaucoma is also becoming a significant health burden in Nigeria.”
Etim states that the primary causes remain a lack of a robust and efficient health care system with effective preventive and therapeutic strategies to cover the entire country.
He says, “Motivated healthcare workers are in short supply, with a very poor distribution between urban and rural areas.”
“Food insecurity tends to be more prevalent in the north-eastern part of Nigeria, with attendant public health issues like malnutrition and lowered immune systems resulting in disease development.”
Dr Bassey Etim
“The causes of food insecurity in Nigeria include persistent conflict, poor government policies, lack of support for village farmers such as grants, modern farm equipment, loans, and the provision of security on farmlands,” says Etim.
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