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The State of Medical Development in Africa
The public health status of Africa is devastatingly behind that of the Western World. Major contributors are the burden of infectious disease, unhealthy environments, poor maternal, newborn and child health and the growing effects of noncommunicable diseases.
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Maternal, Newborn and Child Health
Millions of African mothers and babies needlessly die each year due to preventable or treatable causes. There has been minimal improvements in antenatal and obstetric care over the past decade.
Across the globe more than half of child deaths are related to undernourishment. In Sub-Saharan Africa more than one-quarter (28%) of children under five are underweight. Poverty, low levels of education, and poor access to health services are major contributors to childhood malnutrition.
Infectious Disease
It is estimated that 24.5 million Africans were infected with HIV during 2005 and more than 12 million children have been orphaned as a result of AIDS. Lack of prevention, treatment and care will see the death toll due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic continue to rise.
Approximately 80 percent of malaria cases and 90 to 95 percent of malaria-related deaths in the world are estimated to be in Africa. The escalating malaria epidemic has been contributed to by the spreading of resistance to antimalarial drugs, climate change and population growth.
To find out more about the state of medical development in Kenya, click here.
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