The African continent is comprised of 53 independent countries,and due to the tropical climate of Sub-Saharan Africa (the region of Africa south of the Saharan desert) and the lack of available health-related education and resources, there are certain diseases that are commonly found in these countries. These diseases are mostly spread due to hygiene issues in rural communities, porous borders that allow for nomadic movement from one region to another, and poverty. Several diseases that affect African people include human immunodeficiency virus/ acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), malaria, and tuberculosis.
HIV/AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an infectious virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is spread through blood, body fluids such breast feeding and through sexual contact, such as with semen and vaginal fluids. According to AVERT, an international AIDS organization, sub-Saharan Africa is the region most affected by HIV and AIDS globally, with 22.4 million people infected with HIV in this region. It also estimates that in 2008, approximately 1.4 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa died due to causes related to AIDS. There is no known cure for HIV/AIDS, but the challenge exists in Africa to provide access to adequate treatment.
Malaria
Malaria is caused by a parasite carried via female mosquitoes, and is passed onto humans when bitten by one of these insects. As the mosquito bites the individual, it injects its saliva, which contains the malaria parasite. According to the Roll Back Malaria program of the World Health Organization (WHO), while malaria affects at least 300 million people in the world, 90 percent of the deaths occur in Africa. It also states that malaria is the leading cause of death in children under age five in Africa. A major reason for the spread of malaria throughout the continent is due to drug resistance. The malaria parasites have developed a resistance to most of the major common and inexpensive medications that have been developed. Also mosquitoes are commonly found in pools of dirty stagnant water, which makes it prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa during the rainy seasons. According to the WHO, the provision of mosquito nets to protect people from being bitten is an effective way to fight malaria in Africa.
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that primarily affects the lungs, but can spread to other parts of the body, such as the bones. It is caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis and is spread through the inhalation of airborne droplets. Due to the rising number of HIV/AIDS cases in Africa, there are more people with weak immune systems, which makes them very susceptible to contracting tuberculosis. According to the WHO, tuberculosis affects 2.4 million people in Africa annually.
