Improving Public Health (in Africa)

Improving Public Health (in Africa)

1. Climate

   • 90% of tropical diseases occur in Africa
   • organisms that cause diseases thrive on tropical weather
   • insects that carry diseases thrive on tropical weather

2. Disease

   • malaria
     • carried by mosquitos
     • causes flu-like symptoms
     • began as an epidemic, then became a pandemic
     • can be treated
       • draining or treating water where insects breed
       • sleeping under mosquito nets treated with chemicals to kill insects
   • some are infectious (spread rapidly)

3. Poverty

   • contributes to the spread of disease
   • lack of money (cannot buy...)
     • mosquito nets
     • screened windows
     • technology for draining insect breeding grounds
   • raises the rates of other infections
     • overcrowding
     • poor sanitation
     • contaminated water

4. The Fight Against Disease

   • common diseases
     • malaria
     • HIV/AIDS
     • yellow fever
   • vaccines
     • treatments designed to increase immunity, or resistance, to a particular disease
   • organizations are helping to find cures for diiseases
     • non-profits
       • Malaria No More
       • World Health Center
       • Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation