The continent of Africa is often associated with disease and a lack of health care. Robert Collins focuses on this issue by selecting authors that discus both the historical, geographical, and economic explanation for the prevalence of disease in Africa as well as discussing external factors, such as colonialism, which have severely impacted health care on the continent. Africa has always struggled with certain diseases, such as malaria and sleeping sickness, but when much of the continent was colonized, new disease, such as small pox and more sexually transmitted diseases were introduced to the African people. Colonization did bring with it a few advances in the medical field like new treatments for old diseases as well as modern medical …show more content…
The continent as a whole still faces many problems relating to health care and epidemics that it did during colonization, even though certain practices and health care systems vary regionally and according to government structure. Collin’s presents the first article, which focuses on medical expertise on the African continent. Its author, Una Maclean, states that the reason Africa is currently facing issues with disease and epidemics is due to the misuse of medical knowledge and poor distribution of resources (Collins 83). An example that shows the misdistribution of resource can be seen when delving into many African countries health budget. Numerous African countries have a low life expectancy in comparison to the rest of the world, which is mostly due to the high levels of infant mortality. Many African children die at a young age because of issues like malnutrition, …show more content…
They first define the three major types of health policies, then they mention factors that influence which health policy is used by a country, and finally health care policies in different African states are discussed. The colonial health model prioritizes social control, having funds to cover administration costs, and generating a surplus of wealth to support trade and production (87). This type of policy focused first on Europeans and then slowly spread to urban elite, neglecting much of the rural African population. A basic health services model works to expand health care in rural and urban areas with an emphasis on preventative medicine (88). The last type of health policy is primary health care and its purpose is to reflect the needs of the community, which often entail promotive, preventative, and rehabilitative care. The two main determinants of health policies are the contemporary African states, which makes decisions based on ideology, and practice constraints such as poverty, declining trade, and a shortage of medical workers (90). There does appear to be a correlation between the type of government a country has and their health policy. For example, capitalist states, such as Kenya and the Ivory Coast, place an emphasis on teaching hospitals and want health care equivalent to international standards (91). These states often have
Before discussing how disease has shaped history and altered cultures, it is important to understand how they themselves have developed and changed throughout history. Disease, in the broadest definition of the word, has been present since the beginning of humanity. Even ...
Because of geographic isolation, human societies develop either genetic or cultural defenses against certain types of disease, an adaptation that keeps them free from major endemic devastation (Patterson 3). K. David Patterson, Associate Professor of History, describes the African environment as “extremely dangerous for outsiders” and goes on to say that Europeans “generally found Africa’s ‘fevers’ and ‘fluxes’ deadly until the beginning of tropical medicine in the late nineteenth century” (7). Similarly, once the geographic and cultural barriers between West and East Africa were broken down, they became extremely vulnerable to the other’s infectious diseases (Azevedo 121).
Africa has had a long and tumultuous road of colonization and decolonization the rush to colonize Africa started in the 17th century with the discovery of the vast amounts of gold, diamonds, and rubber with colonization hitting a fever pitch during World War I. However, the repercussions of colonization have left deep wounds that still remain unhealed in the 21st century. Early on, European nations such as Britain, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany and Belgium scrambled for territories. Countries wanted land so they could harvest the resources, increase trade, and gain power. The European colonization of Africa brought racism, civil unrest, and insatiable greed; all of which have had lasting impacts on Africa.
There are major diseases that affect men and women all over the world today. The country, that I will be talking about is affected daily by many different deadly diseases such as, lower respiratory infections, HIV/AIDS, measles, whooping cough, malaria, pneumonia and many more. The residents of Africa are suffering from preventable, treatable, and fatal diseases everyday at a higher rate compared to other developed countries. The World Organization (WHO) projects that over the next ten years the continent will experience the largest increase in death rates from cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease, and diabetes.
In a poem written by Rudyard Kipling, “Take up a White Man’s Burden… The savage wars of peace… Fill full the mouth of Famine… And bid the sickness cease,” (Doc. F). This poem illustrates that the European powers intended to aid Africa and be a cure to their issues. At the same time, judging from the words above, Europe also saw it as an obstacle, perhaps even a hindrance. Whether that is true or not, the article Technology and Imperialism quantifies, “Method of getting quinine from cinchona tree bark,” as well as evidence portraying the making of revolutionary weapons such as machine guns (Doc. C). With such technological advancements including a cure for a deadly disease, Europe had it’s opportunity to colonize Africa, and took it. They were ahead in every way possible, and therefore inhabited Africa, even if meant to support
In the modern day, Africa is seen by the world around it as a relatively underprivileged continent. Since its independence from colonial rule, Africa 's economic performance has been less than stellar and its advancement has been slow, which could be argued through a myriad of different ideologies. Nathan Nunn, the author of “Historical Legacies: A model linking Africa’s past to its current underdevelopment” believes that the slave trade and colonial rule, brought on by the Europeans in the past, is the reason for Africa’s economic hardships, that are still lingering to this day. What he sets out to answer in this academic paper is an interesting question, “Why do these events, which ended years ago, continue to matter today?” Through the
- - -. “The Third and Final Continent.” Interpreter of Maladies. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1999. 173-198. Print.
There is an enduring unequal distribution of the wealth that is produced by the economic growth as demonstrated by the Gini coefficient of 38.9 in 2013, in addition to the fact that at least 9.56% of the population lives below the poverty threshold of less than $US 1 per day [9]. These inequalities may contribute to alarming health consequences. According to Echuffo-Tchegui and Kengne, the recent years have seen a considerable increase in the burden of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which “accounted for 43% of all deaths in 2002” [10]. Increasing urbanization is exposing the Cameroonian population to highly processed foods (usually high in fat, salt, and sugar) and increasingly sedentary lifestyles [10]. Currently, 53% individuals live in urban areas [1]. It has been shown that that these socio-economic changes could now lead Cameroon to face “the double burden of infectious and chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs)” [10]. The burden of infectious diseases is mainly driven by HIV/AIDS, malaria, and lower respiratory infections [11]. In 2012, the prevalence of HIV among Cameroonian adults was 2217 per 100 000 population [1]. The incidence of malaria was 16877 per 100 000 population [1]. Yet at the same time, the country experiences an increase in the burden of NCDs, displaying elements of an
A true saying is “Colonization often does more damage than contribution.” Colonialism encouraged Africa’s development in some areas, but in many others it severely damaged the natural progress of the continent. If colonialism was never imposed on Africa, Africa’s developments would be significantly different and many of the problems that the continent faces now would not exist today. In conclusion, at first it seems that colonialism has both positive and negative effects, but the truth is it only damages the colonized nation.
In the early 1880’s, the powers of Europe started to take control of regions in Africa and set up colonies there. In the beginning, colonization caused the Africans little harm, but before long, the Europeans started to take complete control of wherever they went. The Europeans used their advanced knowledge and technology to easily maneuver through the vast African landscape and used advanced weapons to take control of the African people and their land. The countries that claimed the most land and had the most significant effect on Africa were France, England, Belgium, and Germany. There were many reasons for the European countries to be competing against each other to gain colonies in Africa. One of the main reasons was that the Europeans believed that the more territory a country was able to control, the more powerful it could become and the more powerful it would be seen as by other countries. Other reasons for the desire to control African land included the many natural resources that could only be found in Africa, such as diamonds, gold, and as time progressed, rubber. It also provided new markets in surrounding places so that manufactured goods could be sold for a larger profit. The Europeans had many motives for imperialism in Africa. Yet the true motives were often shielded as they tried tom present themselves as humanitarians when in reality they were making Africa a terrible place to live with brutality and harsh treatment of the African natives. The ways of the Europeans had many physical and emotional costs for the people of Africa. The imperialism process also took a toll on the people of Europe. The European imperialistic colonization in Africa was motivated by the desire to control the abundant natural resources an...
The imposition of colonialism on Africa drastically reconstructed the continent. All over, European powers attempted to “assimilate” countries into their own, all the while exploiting and victimizing their people, culture, and resources. However, if there was one aspect of colonialism that provided a fertile ground for conflict, it was the unknowingly insidious method of introducing religion, specifically Christianity, into African families. This is particularly exemplified in the novels Things Fall Apart, Houseboy, and Weep Not, Child. Throughout these novels, the assimilation of Christianity within the protagonists’ not only results in a destruction of their sacred and traditional values, but also their well-being and those around them.
Dr. S.M. Shamim ul Moula, “Fighting Disease” May 9, 2001 African Networks for health research and development; retrieved Dec. 9, 2003 http://www.afronets.org/archive/200105/msg00035.php
Although Apartheid was abolished and a constitutional democracy was established, it’s tremendous impact on the people of South Africa remained, mostly noticeable in their health challenges. Racial segregation was replaced by economic standing, which had the same impact in health care: the wealthy, who were mostly white, were able to obtain treatment, while the impoverished, the majority of which were blacks, continued to fall victim to diseases. While Post-Apartheid initiated “free primary health care for all” (Coovadia 820), three-fourths of doctors worked in private sectors, where they were paid more by the wealthy. Although these doctors became more wealthy, the impoverished continued to die due to the decrease in the doctor to patient ratio in urban services, which lead to the swift spread of diseases, such as HIV.
According to the current status of medical geography, the two major traditions focus on 1) the studies of health services delivery and 2) the studies of disease patterns, including disease ecology. This symbolizes how the relations between people and the environment are closely linked with cultural ecology. Yet, as previously mentioned, both cultural and political ecology define the political ecology of disease. All of these factors interconnect because of the microscopic aspects within an individual’s life. The same factors that affect the health of an individual, affect the probability of them being at risk of being at risk of diseases. In my perspective, the relationships between the political, economic and social characteristics and relations, the environment, need to be confined to capitalism and colonialism. To be more specific, throughout history, both capitalism and colonialism have influenced an immense affect on the societies who are suffering from health disparities and dying from diseases. A great example of how environment, economy, politics and human behavior, but yet capitalism and colonialism have primarily contributed to the development and increase of diseases is through Dr. Mayer’s example of malaria in Trinidad. When the country was in stage of development and transition from agriculture to
There is no doubt that European colonialism has left a grave impact on Africa. Many of Africa’s current and recent issues can trace their roots back to the poor decisions made during the European colonial era. Some good has resulted however, like modern medicine, education, and infrastructure. Africa’s history and culture have also been transformed. It will take many years for the scars left by colonization to fade, but some things may never truly disappear. The fate of the continent may be unclear, but its past provides us with information on why the present is the way it is.