LAST week we celebrated Africa Freedom day. It was a leisurely Wednesday and a tempting time to get into long-winded arguments.
I found myself in one of those philosophical discussions on whether Africa was in fact free. The argument rose in its tempo and tempers flared.
Finally the ‘warring’ parties squared off on a truce, agreeing only that Africa was still not emancipated economically.
I was eager not to revive the arguments which had dissipated among the comrades generated by the consensus.
However,I had this niggling, irrepressible question, why? When I throw it on the table the argument restarted.
The table around us shook as the fists came crushing on the hapless dinner table that separated the ‘warring’ parties.
It was clear to everyone that Africa has all the key natural resources which are essential ingredients to wealth. However, it was equally clear that it had little of the capacity that converts these natural assets to wealth.
The reason, however, is what exercised my mind and my colleagues that leisurely Wednesday freedom day.
My thoughts settled naturally on the possibility that health and wealth are related.
Many studies have shown that the richer a country is, the lower its birth and death rates are.
It also appears that countries with a lower average birth rate (the number of children per woman in the population), the higher the gross domestic product (the wealthier the country).
So in the wake of Africa Freedom day, the question is asked: What are health risks in Africa and what can I do to be healthier so that we can all strive towards greater economic freedom in Africa?
1. What are the main health risks in Africa (Zambia)?
2. Why do we have these health risks?
3. What can I do about them?
1. What are the main health risks in Zambia?
One of the first things that occur to tourists coming to Africa or Zambia is to ask what health risks they will face.
When we had a visiting overseas student at our institution, she explained that her parents were so worried about her health that they phoned her every day, the whole time she was in Zambia.
There are two major things that put us at risk for disease in Zambia, and these are:
1. Infection related Diseases (germs)
2. Lifestyle Diseases (habits)
The main leading causes of ill health in Zambia are infections or germs. The main ones in order of how common they are, are malaria, HIV, tuberculosis, chest infections and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
By far the most common problem is malaria, which leads to more death and illness of children under five years than probably all the other diseases combined. The lifestyle diseases are related to rapid changes in habits, diets and sedentary lifestyles.
These have become common with urbanisation and the adoption of western lifestyles and diets. One of the areas of “development” for Zambia has been shopping malls.
There is an almost furious race towards developing these malls. They are coming up in all or most provincial capital cities.
Lusaka as the capital city has borne the biggest brunt of the shopping complex craze. It looks like there are shopping centres  being built on existing shopping malls. The city of Kitwe is a clear example. The old Freedom Park has given birth to two shopping malls encroaching on each other from the west and east end and eating away the old Kitwe Zoo on the one side and the old leisurely Freedom park on the other end.
Someone pointed out that we are eating all the playing area and making ourselves more and more unhealthy under the guise of development. The change of diet has led to a rise in High Blood Pressure (Hypertension), sugar disease (Diabetes), heart disease, kidney disease and cancers of various types.
Some of the common cancers related to diet are cancer of the prostate, cancer of the breast and cancer of the food passage.
2. Why do we have these health risks?
Several reasons may be given for these health risks, among them poverty, overcrowding, poor sanitation, poor hygiene and malnutrition.
These are social reasons and probably as individuals we may be unable to do anything about them. However, several personal issues as well may put us at risk for disease. These include multiple concurrent sexual partners, unsafe sexual practices, low condom usage, low male circumcision rates, unhealthy traditional practices, excessive alcohol intake, smoking and migratory occupations (fishing, long-distance drivers, uniformed services, etc).
We are, unfortunately, faced with a misunderstanding between health and wealth. True wealth lies first of all in being in good health.
However, with the wholesome adoption of Western lifestyles in Zambia and many African countries, we have fallen prey to the myths of advertising. This story is perpetrated by fast food; their food is claimed to be desirable for health, wealth and success.
The wholesale moving away from African foods which are natural, unprocessed and healthy to fast foods, which are artificial, processed and unhealthy, is saddening.
It is disheartening to see the decline of African foods and culinary skills under the unfair and ferocious assault of Western foods. Unfortunately, there are few, if any, African food giants pushing African foods to the communities.
You might ask the question; what is the harm in French fries, or what is the harm in a couple of beers with some friends over the weekend?
The answer would obviously have to be none. However, when this becomes a pattern of life, and becomes the mainstay of your diet, then clearly your health will be put at risk. The obvious question is how? How does this lifestyle pose a risk to my health?
Well, in the first instance, infections such as HIV reduce the body’s self-defence systems. Once this system is overrun, the body becomes susceptible to all manner of normally mild germs that lurk around in the body and in the environment.
On the other hand, diets that are rich in animal fats, food additives, animal proteins and carbohydrates (starchy foods, for example cakes, pastries, bread, etc) cause damage to the blood vessels of the body.
They clog them up the way an electric kettle gets covered at its base with calcium. In very much the same way that the electric kettle stops heating effectively, the blood vessels stop transporting blood effectively.
This leads to poor blood supply to the vital organs of the body such as the brain, the heart, the kidney and the lungs. The result is an increase in strokes, heart disease, kidney diseases, and lung disease.
In addition, the narrowed blood vessels force the heart to pump blood with more force in an attempt to force blood through the vessels to these vital organs.
This in turn leads to high blood pressure, and worsening damage to the blood vessels. The excess fats increase the size of the body and outstrip the demand of the body for sugar which leads to sugar disease or diabetes Mellitus, when the transporter of sugar (insulin) becomes insufficient to meet the body demands.
3. What can I do about this?
Looking at it from the community perspective it looks, like a very big problem, requiring a lot of money, political and social will. However, when you look at it from an individual perspective, it takes just a few changes in our mindset, priorities and thinking to produce quite significant changes in our health. Things that will probably cost us no money and may even save us some money.
Some of these include moderation of:
1. Habits (smoking and drinking)
2. Healthy eating
2. Healthy sexual practices
3. Regular exercise
4. Healthy occupation
If we were to reduce the number of sexual partners, we would reduce markedly our risk of acquiring any of the common infections.
If we were to invest in mosquito nets, which are given free of charge, we would reduce significantly the risk of malaria to our under-five children and our pregnant women.
It has been observed that in Zambia, many families accept treated mosquitoes nets, but use them for fishing instead of malaria prevention.
If we exercise regularly every day for at least 20 minutes, we would improve our health and increase our lifespan. If we eat more African type food and reduced on fast foods, animal fats and carbohydrates, we would be healthier.
White meat found in fish and chicken is recommended instead of red meat. Taking a low dose aspirin tablet of 75mgs once a day will help clean up our blood vessels which are clogged with fat.
Reducing the level of alcohol to the recommended levels of four bottles a week will greatly improve our health. Cutting down on smoking will also reduce our overall risk of cancer, heart and lung diseases.
When we choose our careers, we should consider health and safety in that choice. In an atmosphere where jobs are scarce, this can be a major challenge.
Jobs that involve lots of travel put us at risk for infectious diseases, in particular HIV. Sedentary office jobs put us at risk for heart disease, hypertension and diabetes.
So as we reflect on Africa Freedom day, let us also resolve to do what we can to make ourselves free of diseases and ill health
Let us make sure we are doing our bit to make Africa truly free, by promoting personal good health.