Filth, physical inactivity & Africa’s curse

Calabash in one hand, a bank card in the other and keys to luxurious mansions and a fleet of high end cars in pocket. Does this picture look familiar? Our leaders over the years go begging for AID and even before they leave the airport to return home part of the money has found its way into personal accounts. How can an individual who has been voted into power to make life better for his or her own countrymen be far richer than the country itself? It does not matter if his people scream for food, shelter and clothing. Healthcare, water and electricity are a luxury even in African countries blessed with many minerals and even black gold. People who call themselves our leaders and are fighting on our behalf pat themselves on the back and scream from the top of the roof when they make erratic water and electricity supply available? Is Africa CURSED?
Why will a leader put the lives of others at risk by being inactive about a looming disaster and when it is too close for comfort, begin to make assurances that do not exist? Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) available, professionals trained at our entry points and health professionals also trained to be the first line to combat a killing machine such as Ebola. Why should we gamble with lives and preach that there are designated health facilities to manage Ebola cases when at the time even those designated to manage such cases were not aware? If a hospital has been designated to see Ebola cases shouldn’t even the cleaner there be aware? I do not think such knowledge should be the preserve of only the chief executive and the chosen few at a Ministry. Why is screening at the airport more intense than at the entry points by road? Yes disease is no respecter of persons but at least more people come into our countries by road, and who is protecting these officials who are assaulted daily? Should everything be said or done just to score political points?
Cholera has been with us for ages and yet people die because there is no space in “designated” health facilities to take care of them. Even for a disease that has been around for so long, health facilities that have make-shift structures to manage such cases are not common knowledge to most of the citizenry. We all know that the filthy surroundings we live in will lead to loss of lives every year. Yes loss of precious productive lives. But again who cares? It is better to spend millions of dollars on indisciplined sportsmen, politicians and people supposed to be managing a system. Take a look at our public places of convenience, venture into areas where drains have been turned into toilets and garbage pits. People still sell food near gutters that are laden with the obvious and we are all happy to patronize the food. Someone must definitely be responsible for checking these things and I am sure the one still receives a salary just like those in charge of our pot-holes with a semblance of roads in between. Can we count the presidential advisors even in the smallest of countries? We all know what some of these ridiculous salaries and fuel for gas-guzzling SUVs could do: proper places of convenience with hopefully a disciplined person to keep it clean, proper education and setting up of facilities (within current health centres) to take care of infectious diseases such as Cholera and Ebola. Is Africa CURSED?
We always wait for far too long before we take any steps. We are unable to battle infectious diseases because we prefer to put money elsewhere. The effects of Ebola and Cholera are instant but have we wondered what the scourge of lifestyle diseases is doing to us? Conditions such as high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and the like kill and will continue to kill more of us yearly than Cholera or Ebola can ever do in our lifetime. Yet we sit unconcerned because we don’t see it play right in front of us. We need to have community and work-based programmes to keep us physically active, manage our meals as well as have some form of screening. We should not wait for another decade when we have still not managed to control infectious diseases and the disability and deaths caused by these lifestyle diseases have brought us to our knees. Dear African leaders you do not need too much money to live comfortably. Kindly make some of the country’s wealth available to your citizens to keep them healthy and alive so that they can be more productive. No matter what wonderful ideas you get from Senchi or irrespective of the support the IMF may propose or offer, if your citizens are dying then it will all come to naught. Is Africa really CURSED?
If greed and indiscipline is a CURSE then we certainly are but if like me you think they are not then let us all eschew these two from our lives. Start with your little corner, demand (peacefully) accountability from leaders and please do not assume that the litter or filth you create will cause no harm; little drops of water ………..
From today let us all make a conscious effort to get answers as to where to direct suspected cases of Cholera and Ebola. Find out if the people there are properly trained and have the right protective gear. Avoid unnecessary body contact. Enquire whether there is a hotline you can call for directions etc.
But don’t forget to wash your hands with soap and water frequently, watch what you eat and where you eat. Remember to eat your meals while warm. Becareful of the water you drink as well. Dear readers start exercising today and watch your intake of salt, oils and sugar. Clean your surroundings and please drivers don’t speed while you dodge potholes; you are only increasing the toll of preventable deaths. Finally I can assure you that Africa is not CURSED but even if our leaders are not prepared to set the right examples know that: YOUR HEALTH IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. TAKE CONTROL!!!

AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)

Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Moms’ Health Club
(dressel@healthclubsgh.com)


*Dr Essel is a medical doctor, holds an MBA and is ISSA certified in exercise therapy and fitness nutrition.

Thought for the week – “This outbreak (Ebola) is moving faster than our efforts to control it.” – Margaret Chan (WHO)