JonesandTang1

HeatherJonesandKristaTang
Ms.Agar
EnglishIIHonors
22March2016
TheDeadlySystem
Imagine,afamilytakestheirfatallyillchildtoahospitalexpectingtofindsomeanswers.
Thechildisincompleteagony,cryingtohismotherforrelief.However,withherdailysalaryof
twodollars,thelackofproperhealthcare,andnoprofessionaldoctorsavailable,thereisnothing
shecando.ThecurrentstateofhealthcareinsubSaharanAfricaisslowlydeterioratingas
diseasesbecomemoreprominent.Atthisrate,ifhealthcaredoesntimprove,notonlywillthe
populationbeaffected,butalsothesocialandeconomicaspects.
ThehealthcaresysteminsubSaharanAfricalacksmanyqualitiesthattheaveragefamily
isinneedof.Inmanycountries,ifpeoplearesickandinneedoftreatments,thefirstthingthey
doisgotoadoctor.HoweverinsubSaharanAfrica,peoplearentabletogetthehelpthatthey
needbecauseitseitherabsentorunaffordable.AsspecifiedbyHealthmagazine,Thelackof
easyaccesstohealthclinicsandthecostsofcertaintreatmentsorpreventionmethodscanput
helpoutofthereachofmanyfamilies("Health").Thistakesawaytheopportunityforpeopleto
gettreatmentthattheyneed,andcanincreasetheirchancesofdyingfromaseriousdisease.
TherearentenoughsuppliestotreatdiseasesandotherhealthissuesinAfrica,includingthe
foodsupply,whichleadstootherdiseases.AccordingtoNancyComstock,Thislackhasledto
widespreadmalnutritionandpoorhealthinsomecountries,whichdirectlyimpactsemployment,
productivity,andhealthcarecosts(Comstock).Malnutritioncanintroduceotherobstaclesto

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manypeople.Ifsomeonedoesntgetthenecessarynutrientstheirbodyrequires,theycan
contractdiseasesthatcantberelievedwithoutpropermedicalcare.Also,itweakenstheir
immunesystemwhichmakesthemmoresusceptibletodiseases.LeeAnneGelletlysaid,In
muchofAfrica,cleandrinkingwaterandsanitaryfacilitiesdonotexist(Gelletly68).Theonly
sourceofwaterthatisavailabletosubSaharanAfricasinhabitantsiscontaminated.Thisunsafe
watercancausediseasestobewidespreadthroughouttheareaofsubSaharanAfrica.This
deficiencyofsanitaryfacilitiesincreasesthechancesforahealthypersontobeplaguedwitha
disease,suchasPolio,adiseasespreadbycontaminatedwater.Manyconditionsleadtothe
spreadingofharmfulanddeadlydiseases,buttheconditionsinsubSaharanAfricaareso
extreme,thecircumstancesaremadeworse.
DiseaseisatthecenterofsubSaharanAfricashealthcareplightandisspreading
rapidly.Thereisalargevarietyofdiseasesthatarebeingtransferredbetweenindividualsvia
theirsurroundings.AsstatedbyLaurenPloch,Withjustoverhalfofprimaryschoolaged
childreninschoolandthelargenumberofHIV/AIDSinfectedadults,Nigeriafacesserious
challengesandsignificantobstaclesintheeducationandhealthcaresectors(Ploch).Duetothe
lackofeducationonHIV/AIDSprevention,thereareabout6,000deathsadayfromthisdisease,
whichkillsmorepeoplethananaturaldisasterwould("Diseases").Diseasescanbespreadeasily
withtheterribleconditionsoftheenvironment,theamountofdiseasepresent,andalongwiththe
deathtoll,itwillcontinuetoincreasedaily.AIDScontinuestokillpeopleeverydayandifthe
peopleinAfricahadtheproperhealthcare,theycouldlowerthenumberofdeaths.Improper
healthcareis,mostofthetime,duetotheinabilitytosupplyfundsforappropriatetools.
AccordingtoLaurenPloch,TheWorldHealthOrganizationlinkedtheriseinpoliocasesin

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Nigeriaandelsewhereonthecontinenttotheinterruptioninvaccinations(Ploch).The
vaccinationswerehelpingpeoplerestrainthespreadofpolio,butoncetheycouldnolonger
affordthem,thediseasegrew.Withoutthesupplyoftheselifesavingtreatments,morepeople
willdie,whichwillonlyleadthehealthcaresystemintofurtherfailure.Whiledeathistheworst
consequenceoftheflawedhealthcaresystem,itsnottheonlyfieldaffected.InAmanda
Rosalynsopinion,Beyondthedeathtoll,thesediseasesdamagethesocial,economicand
educationalinfrastructuresthroughouttheregion,furtherperpetuatingthepublichealthcrisis
(Rosalyn).Ifhealthcareisnttakenseriouslythepopulationnumberwouldntbetheonlything
affecteditsachainreaction.Oncethepopulationbecomesimpacted,socialrolesareaffected.
Thisleadstoachangeintheeconomy,andfinally,italtersjobs,suchaseducation.Diseaseisa
chainreaction,whichtakesdownmanythingsinitspath.Theamountofdiseaseanddeathin
subSaharanAfricawillcontinuetogrowifthehealthcaresystemisnotchanged,whichitcan
be,withthehelpofotherresources.
ImprovementwithinAfricashealthcaresystemwillsavemanylives,aswellaseducate
peopleusingnewtechnologyandmethods.WithallthecurrentissuesinsubSaharanAfrica,
therearemanysignsofimprovement.Onestepinthepreventionofspreadingdiseaseisthe
actionofamelioratingthewatersupply.AccordingtoLeeAnneGelletly,Programshave
providedsuppliesandtrainingfortheinstallationofstandpipesandpumps,andthediggingof
wellsandboreholestoaccesscleanwaterdeepbelowtheearthssurface
(Gelletly69).With
thisprogram,peoplearegoingtohavetheabilitytoacquirecleandrinkingwater,comparedto
thediseaseinfestedandcontaminatedwaterpreviouslyavailable.Forthosewhostillcontractsa
disease,whetherthroughunsanitaryfacilitiesoranothersource,therewillbeadvancementswith

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paperworkandtechnology,allowingdocumentstobefoundquickerthantheoldsystemofpaper
files.AsrecordedbyBiancaWright,HavingthePDAswiththem,theyhadaccesstodrug
cataloguesandmedicaltextsatthetouchofabuttonandwereabletochecktheinformationin
realtimewhiletheywerewiththepatient(Wright).Theenhancementoftechnologycould
allowdoctorstocareforeveryonetotheirbestabilityandpulluptheirinformationquicker,
ratherthantheoldsystemwheresomepatientswellbeingwassacrificedduetoanotherpatient.
Inadditiontotheaugmentationoftechnology,thereisalsoimprovementwithmedication.With
abouteightmillionpeopleinfectedwithAIDS/HIVinsubSaharanAfrica,therewasa
medicationinvolvedtodecreasethesenumbers
(Gelletly53).AsstatedbyLeeAnneGelletly,

Bythelate1990s,antiretroviralsweretheusualmethodoftreatmentforAIDSpatientsin
industrializedcountries,andtheirusegreatlyimprovedthesurvivalrateofHIVpositive
individuals(Gelletly26).Justonenewtreatmentintroducedtothecontinenthelpedsavemany
livesandincreasedsurvivalratesforpatientswiththisdisease.Ifnewmedicationsare
introducedtherearemorepossibilitiesforsuccessfultreatments,whichleadtoalowerdeath
rate.Improvementsintechnology,medicationandotherareascanallcontributetotheneedfora
strongerhealthcaresysteminsubSaharanAfrica.
Thehealthcaresystemisinneedofimprovementinallaspects.Ifconditionsremainin
theircurrentstate,withminimaldoctors,noupdatedmedicationsorvaccinations,andunsafe
resources,thesystemwillonlyworsen.Withdeathratesincreasinganddiseasebecomingmore
widespreadeveryday,Africaneedsaidfromothercontinents,suchastheUnitedStates.
ExtendingahelpinghandtothesecountrieswillonlyhelptheUnitedStateswithresearchon
diseasesthatarepresentathome.Thedeathofinnocentciviliansattheexpenseofdiseaseis

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unacceptable,especiallywhenthisdiseasecanbetreatedwithtechnologythatacountrycannot
afford.Healthcareisimportantineverycountryontheearth,particularlythosethatdonthave
theadvancedknowledgeofmoderntimes.Itstimethattheseplacesbeincludedinsavinglives.

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WorksCited
Comstock,Nancy."FoodSecurity."SalemPressEncyclopedia(2015):TopicOverviews612.
Web.8Mar.2016.
"Diseases".OurAfrica.N.p.,2016.Web.7Mar.2016.
Gelletly,LeeAnne.AIDSandHealthIssuesinAfrica.Philadelphia:MasonCrest,2014.PDF.
"Health".
OurAfrica
.N.p.,2016.Web.6Mar.2016.
Ploch,Lauren."Nigeria."CongressionalResearchService(CRS)ReportsandIssueBriefs.
Washington,DC:CongressionalResearchService,2010.StudentEdition.Web.8Mar.
2016.
Rosalyn,Amanda,andWildingCarsonDewitt."PublicHealthAssistanceToSubSaharan
Africa."SalemPressEncyclopedia(2016):TopicOverviews612.Web.7Mar.2016.
Wright,Bianca."TechnologyDelivering'Amazing'Results:ApplyingNewTechnologies,Even
AsBasicAsHandHeldComputerSystems,IsChangingTheFaceOfHealthCareIn
Africa.TheResults,AsBiancaWrightReports,HaveBeenAmazing."AfricanBusiness
June2004:44+.StudentEdition.Web.7Mar.2016.

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TheDeadlySystem
I.Introduction

II.Issues
A. Absenceofhealthcare
B. Whatlackofhealthcareleadsto

III.Diseases
A. Typesofdiseases
B. Vaccinations

IV.Improvement
A. Watersupply
B. Technology
C. Medications

V.Conclusion