IMAGES OF AFRICA IN LITERATURE

AFRICA AS HOME OF DISEASES 1

Definition of disease
• The condition that affects a person, animal or plant:
that prevents the body or mind from working
normally and is typically manifested by distinguishing
signs and symptoms (Merriam-Webster)
• the pathological condition of the body system
resulting from various causes such as infection
genetic defect or environmental stress and
characterized by an identifiable group of signs and
symptoms (medical dictionary)

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Africa as home of diseases
• A number of diseases plague the African African Trypanosomiasis/
continent: Sleeping Sickness
 Malaria Schistosomiasis/ Biharzia
Tuberculosis Ebola
Diarrhoea / cholera Guinea worm
HIV/AIDS
 Lassa fever

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malaria
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Malaria: some facts
• By far the most widespread deadly disease in the world;
common in hot, tropical regions of the world
• Caused by plasmodium parasite from the female anopheles
mosquito
• 90% of all cases of malaria occur in sub-Saharan Africa and
affects mostly young children and pregnant women
• Malaria affects more than 500 million people annually, and
causes between 1 and 3 million deaths
• Malaria is both preventable and treatable

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Malaria: some facts 2
• Malaria in pregnancy increases the risk of: mental
anemia, stillbirth, spontaneous abortion, low birth
weight and neonatal death
• Malaria and HIV are two of the most devastating
health problems of Africa- together they cause more
than 4 million deaths a year. HIV patients are
particularly vulnerable to malaria
• Economic costs: the economic cost of malaria in Africa
is huge. Malaria is estimated to cost Africa more than
$12 billion every year in lost GDP
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Malaria: what is it?
• Malaria is caused by a
parasite known as
Plasmodium, injected into
the body (blood) by the
female Anopheles
mosquitoes
• Malaria is a disease of
poverty —
• It is also a cause of poverty –
families spend huge portions
of their income on cure for
malaria.
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Is there a vaccine for Malaria?

There has been intense research into finding a malaria vaccine,

but there has not been any available commercially.

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How can a person get malaria?
• the bite of the female Anopheles mosquitoes.
• transmitted through blood transfusion, organ
transplant, or the shared use of needles or syringes
contaminated with blood.
• It can also be passed on from mother to child during
child birth (called congenital malaria).

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What are the signs and symptoms of
malaria?

• The symptoms not specific and can be mistaken for other

diseases.
• The main symptoms include:
• A high temperature (fever) of 38°C (100.4°F) or above
(occurs at regular times)
Vomiting
• Sweating and shivers (also known as rigors)
• Body & Muscle pains
• Headaches
• diarrhoea
• In some cases, it can affect the brain or kidneys
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How to prevent malaria

• You can prevent malaria by following the A-B-C-D of malaria

prevention.
• A: Awareness of risk – be aware of what Malaria is, and
how you can be infected (just like you are learning now,
and share with friends and family)
• B: Bite avoidance – take steps to avoid getting bitten by
mosquitoes, especially between dusk and dawn.
• C: Check – if you need malaria prevention tablets
(especially if you live outside malaria prone regions)
• D: Diagnosis – see a doctor straightaway if you have any
symptoms while you’re abroad, or for a year after you
come back.
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The key to preventing malaria is to
avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.
To ensure that, you should………….

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Preventing malaria
• Sleep under an insecticide mosquito net over your bed at
night.
• Spray your room often with an insecticide before you go to
bed.
• Apply a reliable insect repellent to your skin and clothes.
• Cover bedroom doors and windows with fine mesh netting.
• Use air-conditioning or a fan in your room, as mosquitoes are
less active in cooler temperatures.

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EBOLA

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Ebola statistics

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Ebola statistics

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Ebola: Africa's bloody disease
• The Ebola virus was named after the Ebola river in the Congo.
• The Ebola virus was first associated with an outbreak of 318
cases of a hemorrhagic disease in Zaire. Of the 318 cases, 280
of them died.
• That same year, 1976, Ebola killed 156 out of 284 infected
people in Sudan
• The Zaire strain of Ebola virus has a mortality rate of 88%
• Countries affected so far are Congo, Sudan, Ivory coast and
Uganda, Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone

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How is Ebola spread?
• Body fluids (blood, vomit, sweat, or sputum) from a
person who is sick with or has died from Ebola.
• Contaminated sharp objects like needles
• Infected animals (blood or meat)

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Ebola’s frightening symptoms
• The incubation period is 4 to 16 days.
• The onset of the disease is sudden, with fever, chills, headache,
anorexia, and muscle pain
• As the disease progresses, nausea, vomiting, sore throat, stomach
pain, and diarrhea are common
• Most patients develop hemorrhages, usually between days 5 and
7.
• Bleeding occurs from multiple sites, including digestive tract,
lungs and gums.
• Death occurs within 7 to 16 days

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Treatment of Ebola

• There are no approved treatments available for EVD.

• Clinical management focus - supportive care of
complications
• Recommended care includes:
• maintenance of blood pressure
• maintenance of oxygenation
• pain control
• nutritional support
• treating secondary bacterial infections and pre-
existing comorbidities

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Treatment of Ebola
• Use of intravenous fluids to correct dehydration due to diarrhea and
vomiting.

• The most effective way to reduce or prevent transmission in an

outbreak is through the proper use of barrier protection for doctors
and nurses.

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Hiv/aids

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Hiv/aids: facts
• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)is the virus that causes Acquired
Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
• AIDS attacks the immune system causing its progressive failure and allowing
opportunistic infections
• HIV/AIDS is among the ten most widespread diseases in Africa yet it is one of
the most preventable.
• In Africa, there is no region that is exempt from HIV/AIDS

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Hiv/aids: facts 2
• There are more than 33million people infected with the
HIV/AIDS.
• 65% of these live in sub-Saharan Africa
• The progression from initial infection with HIV to end-
stage AIDS varies from person to person and can take
more than 10 years
• Risk of HIV transmission from mother-to-child can be
greatly reduced through effective management
programs

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TRANSMISSION OF HIV/AIDS

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HIV is not transmitted by

• Public baths
• Coughing, sneezing
• Handshakes
• Insect bites • Work or school
contact
• Touching, hugging
• Using telephones
• Water, food • Sharing cups,
glasses, plates, or
other utensils
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HIV/AIDS IS CONTRACTED THROUGH

• Unprotected sexual intercourse

• Deep kissing
• Sharing needle, syringes, or unsterilized
instruments
• Babies born to infected mothers during
pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding
• Direct contact with semen or vaginal and
cervical secretions
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Mother-to-child
blood transfusion

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Prevention of HIV Transmission

•Strategies to prevent HIV transmission

• Personal strategies

• Public health strategies

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Prevention of HIV Transmission

Public health strategies

• Screen all blood and blood products
• Follow universal precautions
• Educate about safer sex practices
• Identify and treat STIs/other infections
• Provide referral for treatment of drug dependence

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SCHISTOSOMIASIS/bilharzia

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SCHISTOSOMIASIS/bilharzia

• The parasite that causes schistosomiasis/bilharzia lives

in freshwater snails and is called Schistosoma.
• The infectious form of the parasite, known as
Cercariae, emerge from the snail, hence contaminating
water (Adeoye, 2010).
• One can be infected when the skin comes into contact
with contaminated freshwater.
• It can usually be successfully treated with a medication
called praziquantel. This kills the parasites, which are
the passed out of the body.
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African trypanosomiasis/ sleeping sickness

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AFRICAN TRYPANOSOMIASIS
• The disease is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa. The disease is
caused by infection with the Rhodesians subspecies of the
extracellular parasite Trypanosoma brucei and is transmitted to
humans by bites of infected tsetse flies.
• Symptoms tend to include; headache, intermittent fever, facial
oedema, urticarial and pruritus,
• Preventive methods include; wearing of protective clothing of dull
colours and use bed nets in areas with tsetse flies.
• Avoid areas where African trypanosomiasis is endemic.
• Only four drugs are registered for the treatment of human African
trypanosomiasis: pentamidine, suramin, melarsoprol and
eflornithine
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You don’t want to get infected with any of
these …….

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You don’t want to get infected with any of
these …….

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Mother-to-child infection

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You don’t want to get infected with any of
these …….

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