Vulnerability

With Ebola crippling the health system, Liberians die of routine medical problems

Sat, 2014-09-20 15:21 — Norea

By Lenny Bernstein - Sep 20 2014 - washingtonpost.com

MONROVIA, Liberia — While the terrifying spread of Ebola has captured the world’s attention, it also has produced a lesser-known crisis: the near-collapse of the already fragile health-care system here, a development that may be as dangerous — for now — as the virus for the average Liberian.

Western experts said that people here are dying of preventable or treatable conditions such as malaria, diarrhea, pneumonia and the effects of high blood pressure and diabetes, such as strokes. Where services do exist, Ebola has complicated the effort to provide them by stoking fear among health-care workers, who sometimes turn away sick people or women in labor if they can’t determine whether the patient is infected. And some people, health-care workers said, will not seek care, fearful that they will become infected with Ebola at a clinic or hospital.

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Ebola outbreak 'could top 20,000'

Thu, 2014-08-28 17:49 — Elhadj Drame

Published on Aug. 28, 2014

An outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa could amount to 20,000 cases, the World Health organisation says (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention/PA)

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Safe burial to reduce Ebola spread

Fri, 2014-08-01 15:37 — JSole

Another challenge in trying to contain Ebola is the very strong cultural beliefs in that area of Africa.

The No. 1 contamination risk is touching the body around the time someone has died from Ebola.

"They do rituals before they bury the body that involves washing the bodies and even, sometimes, sleeping with them, the dead person."

So after someone dies at a treatment centre, the Doctors Without Borders staff bring the family to the centre and do what they call a safe burial.

"We wash the body and we put them in a body bag, but with the zipper open so they can see the face, and we bring the body to the village," in conjunction with the Guinea Red Cross, Forget says.

"People can still do a burial process but in a safe way so they don't touch the body … they can still pray and perform ceremonies but without touching the body.

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West African experts call for drugs decriminalisation

Tue, 2014-06-17 02:11 — Elhadj Drame

A panel of experts called Thursday for minor drugs offences to be decriminalised in west Africa, where trafficking, consumption and production is undermining development and causing a public health crisis.

The West Africa Commission on Drugs (WACD) said current policies were fuelling corruption in a region where the cocaine trade alone, estimated at $1.25 billion (920 million euros) a year, dwarfs the combined budgets of several countries.

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Médicaments contrefaits : un problème de santé en Afrique

Thu, 2014-05-08 18:59 — Elhadj Drame

Certains individus mal intentionnés n’ont aucun mal à transformer un morceau de craie, un peu de farine ou d’amidon en un comprimé ou une pilule. Difficile de dire à l’œil nu s’il s’agit d’un « faux ». L’étiquetage et l’emballage sont souvent imités à la perfection. Le commerce mondial de médicaments de contrefaçon, qui pèse un milliard de dollars, se porte bien en Afrique. Les médicaments contrefaits et de mauvaise qualité inondent les marchés. Se rendre à la pharmacie, c’est un peu jouer à la roulette russe. Choisir la mauvaise boîte peut vous coûter la vie.

En Afrique, selon l’Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS), près de 100 000 décès par...

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West African Agriculture and Climate Change: A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS — GUINEA

Mon, 2013-11-18 08:20 — Elhadj Drame

CURRENT CONDITIONS Guinea has a tropical climate with two alternating seasons, a November–March dry season and an April–October rainy season. In general, rainfall increases from north to south. Average annual rainfall is 1,988 mm. Rice is the staple crop, and other important food crops are corn, fonio groundnuts, and cassava. Most of the population is rural, and the agricultural sector is the major employer. Urbanization is a growing phenomenon in Guinea. Agricultural GDP remained at about 20 percent of total GDP between the mid-1980s and 2005. By 2009, that share declined to less than 10 percent, reflecting a stagnation in agricultural productivity and the growth of other sectors like mining and the service sector.

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CNN Reports: Super Typhoon Haiyan, perhaps strongest ever, plows across Philippines

Fri, 2013-11-08 15:57 — Elhadj Drame

Super Typhoon Haiyan -- perhaps the strongest storm ever -- plowed Friday across the central Philippines, leaving widespread devastation in its wake.

It roared onto Samar at 4:30 a.m., flooding streets and knocking out power and communications networks in many areas of the hilly island in the region of Eastern Visayas, and then continued its march, barreling into four other Philippine islands as it moved across the archipelago.

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These Countries Face The Biggest Threats From Climate Change

Thu, 2013-10-31 02:31 — Elhadj Drame

In its sixth annual Climate Change Vulnerability Index, risk consultancy firm Maplecroft revealed the countries most likely to suffer from the effects of warming climates by 2025. Please click here to read more.

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Guinea: Poverty Reduction Strategy (2013-2015)

Wed, 2013-09-25 05:29 — Elhadj Drame

On July 2013, the International Monetary Fund leased the poverty reduction strategy (2013-2015) for Guinea. The document is divided into three chapter. The first chapter presents the most recent socio-economic situation, the second, the strategic framework for the alleviation of poverty and the third, the framework for implementation of the strategy. The document elaborated extensivelly among other topics, on health and human security, eduction, as well as climate change. Please click here to read more.

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Terre des hommes targets Health Centers in Conakry for Sanitation Improvement

Fri, 2013-09-20 00:13 — Elhadj Drame

Organizations such as Terre des homme make tremendous efforts to improve sanitation and promote health in Conakry. On January of last year, Terre des hommes launched a project to improve the conditions of hygiene in seven health centres in Conakry. The organization is hoping that the intervention will greatly improve the quality of the healthcare given to 262,000 mothers and children. Click here to read more.

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