African Public Health Newsletter #4
Goodbye and Farewell! What a year it has been!
By: Jonta Kamara, Aisha Liman and Ukeme Essien
Editorial by Aisha
Hello again friends of APHN! We have had a busy and great first quarter of the year, thanks to our support system and partners as we hosted Faces of Africa in March. The week-long event pulled contributing speakers and participants from all over the world. We are elated to have such collaborations and looking forward to many more that we can do together for public health in Africa.
As we enter into the month of May, we would like to raise awareness on mental health issues as the rate of suicide is on the rise. Accoridng to the World Health Organisation, about 800,000 people take their own lives every year, which is one person every 40 seconds. There are indications that for each adult who died by suicide there may have been more than 20 others attempting suicide. Suicide attempts are highly frowned upon in various jurisdictions globally, with culprits facing punishments such as imprisonment. In Africa, several countries are struggling with high suicide rates, with depression often believed to be the major cause of these deaths. In the midst of the Covid-19 crisis, mental health is one of the greatest casualties of the universalisation of insecurity, uncertainty, hunger and hopelessness. Growing levels of depression have been one of the consistent findings of the NIDS-CRAM surveys.
In her novel, The Book of Not, Zimbabwean writer Tsitsi Dangarembga, explores the Shona philosophy of Unhu in the context of racism and colonialism in Rhodesia. It’s essential meaning, she says, is “I am well if you are too”. Now, as we struggle with Covid-19, as some people get vaccines and many don’t, it should seem obvious that Unhu/Ubuntu should be what guides our relationships in the time of Covid, too. It is time we saw the people around us again.
(Source: Daily Maverick)(1)
African Countries with highest suicide rates
Lesotho
Lesotho has the highest suicide rate, at 28.9 suicide rates per 100,000 people for the overall population. The southern African country also has a higher suicide rate among women on the continent and even globally — 32.6 deaths per 100,000 people while the figure for men is 22.7 per 100,000.
Cote d’Ivoire
The West African country has the second highest suicide rate, at 23 suicides per 100,000 people. Women recorded the lowest, at 13.0 deaths per 100,000 as compared to men — 32.0 deaths per 100,000.
Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea recorded 22.0 suicides per 100,000 people, making it the third highest on the continent. Like Cote d’Ivoire, men are more likely to commit suicide in Equatorial Guinea — at 31.3 deaths per 100,000 people as compared to a far lower 10.8 female deaths per 100,000 people.
Uganda
In Uganda where suicide attempts are illegal with culprits facing punishments, there is a low reported suicide rate. According to the most recent WHO data, the country recorded 20.0 suicides per 100,000 people for the overall population. Its men are more likely to commit suicide, at 21.2 deaths per 100,000, while the figure for women is 18.7 deaths per 100,000. Nevertheless, women in the country are more likely to commit suicide than others globally.
Cameroon
The country recorded 19.5 suicides per 100,000 people. Men had the highest figure, at 26.9 deaths per 100,000 while women had a far lower figure, at 12.5 deaths per 100,000 people.
Zimbabwe
The recent data puts the country amongst the top 10 with the highest suicide rates; 19.1 suicides per 100,000 people were recorded. Women recorded the lowest amount of suicides, at 11.1 deaths per 100,000 people while men reported 29.1 deaths per 100,000 people.
Nigeria
The West African country has 17.3 suicides per 100,000 people of the overall population. There is no much difference between the rate at which both sexes commit suicide. Males recorded 17.5 deaths per 100,000 people while females had 17.1 deaths per 100,000 people.
(Source: face2face) (2)
Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa
This Protocol is also known as The Maputo Protocol. It is a Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa signed in Maputo, Mozambique. This charter was adopted on July 01, 2003. The Protocol entered into force on November 25, 2005. 49 AU member states have signed this charter as of October 16, 2019.
Article I - Definitions
”Discrimination against women” means any distinction, exclusion or restriction or any differential treatment based on sex and whose objectives or effects compromise or destroy the recognition, enjoyment or the exercise by 4women, regardless of their marital status, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in all spheres of life;”
“Harmful Practices” means all behaviour, attitudes and/or practices which negatively affect the fundamental rights of women and girls, such as their right to life, health, dignity, education and physical integrity;”
Article II - Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
Article III - Right to Dignity
Article IV - Right to Life, Integrity and Security of the Person
Article V - Elimination of Harmful Practices
Article XXIII - Special Protection of Women with Disabilities
Article XIV - Health and Reproductive Rights
Article XVII I- Right to a Healthy and Sustainable Environment
To learn more about the articles of this charter, visit: https://au.int/en/treaties/protocol-african-charter-human-and-peoples-rights-rights-women-africa
Highlights on Reproductive health, and gender equality issues on the continent
Definitions on Sexual and Reproductive health
Sex: “Sex refers to the biological characteristics that define humans as female or male. “
Sexual Health: “…a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality; it is notmerely the absence of disease, dysfunction or infirmity.” Important to understand within specific social, economic and political contexts.
Reproductive Health: health of the reproductive system
(Source:WHO.int)(3)
Statistics from the WHO Africa Region
· There are 525 maternal deaths per 100,000 births
· The neonatal mortality rate is 27 neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births
· The modern contraceptive use in the region is 23% and only about 1 in 2 women have their contraceptive needs met
(Source:Afro WHO) (4)
Countries with Highest Africa Gender Equality Index
South Africa: One of the highest gender parity rates for wage employment outside agriculture.
Namibia: Uses gender-neutral language and the constitution guarantees equality before the law.
Rwanda: First and only country in the world that has more than half the parliamentarians that are female.
(Source:afdb.org)(5)
Gender Inequity
Pre-colonial Societies: In many West African societies, women were in “high places” and were “queen mothers, queen sisters, princesses, chief” and highly involved in the economic life of their societies. Women were also involved in politics. Men and women had their own respective roles. Women had a significant amount of power in some of these societies. (6)
Colonialism: Led to the development of private property in which males and females were viewed as hierarchically related unitary statuses. Men were given the opportunity to access education allowing them to enter public life while women did not have this opportunity and were left in domestic work. This has contributed to gender inequities that are present today. (7)
Recent Campaigns
World Tuberculosis Day — March 24, 2021
World Tuberculosis (TB) Day was March 24, 2021. Tuberculosis is an airborne disease spread by inhaling infected air by cough, sneezing, spit. Current treatment includes 4 antibacterial drugs with a standard 6-month regimen, drugs depend on the strain of TB. The African continent accounts for over 417,000 deaths due to TB, which is over 25% of global TB deaths. People infected with HIV are 18 times more likely to develop TB. Froom 2000 to 2013, diagnosis and treatment has saved 10 million lives.
Source: https://africacdc.org/disease/tuberculosis/
World Malaria Day — April 25, 2021
World Malaria was April 25, 2021. The WHO Africa Regions accounts for 94% of all malaria cases and deaths in the world. RTS,S is a vaccine candidate that has shown to reduce malaria in children. More than 1.7 million doses have been launched in a pilot program. Hopefully this will help be a solution. More promising results have recently been released from a malaria candidate vaccine by University of Oxford conducting trials with Unité de Recherche Clinique de Nanoro, Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Nanoro, Burkina Faso . This vaccine candidate has a 77% efficacy which is the first jab to pass the 75% efficacy goals set by the WHO.
Source: WHOAFRO statistic and to learn more about malaria, click here. To learn more about the RTS,S vaccine, click here.
Read the pre-print of the article on the newly effective malaria vaccine click here and to read a news article published on the vaccine, click here.
New Podcast Episode Alert — This Wednesday
APHN Podcast Interview with Ayo Sogunro, African Human Rights Activist & Lawyer
We discussed:
Human Rights in Africa
- Why human rights is such an important topic in public health.
- The Effect of COVID — 19 on Human rights
- What were some African human rights wins we saw in 2020?
Elements of Advocacy
- Incorporating Advocacy into our Educational system
- How do we transition from just Dialogue and discourse to Action
- How to get started with Advocacy
#Endsars and BokoHaram
Stories from the field
Meet Favour Anyanwu
A few years ago, I was just a regular public health student at the federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) who wanted to get my grades and get out of school but little did I know that a year and a half ago my life would take the turn it took now. Growing up as the only girl in a family of five, I’ve always loved the medical profession as I envied the prestige associated with the profession but I settled to studying public health at FUTO after 2 failed attempts to study medicine at the University of Ibadan.
My understanding of my course of study begun in my 2nd year after a research (influenced by one of my lecturers, Dr Greg during one of his classes). Right after that, I decided to join the administrative arm of my Department (as the vice president) with the aim of using the platform to bring enlightenment especially to those who are naive as I was. It was during the while working towards fufilling that ambition that I discovered how much gender bias existed even amongst the so called educated ones and I immediately wished I had a better platform to create change.
My wish came true when I found out about the UN foundation, Girl Up through a platform (Today for Tomorrow Foundation TFT) that my friend, Goodness had introduced me to. Beginning the Girl Up Owerri chapter wasn’t very easy as I was labelled “feminist”(I don’t mind, but you know the stereotypes associated with it) but likeminded friends like Chizaram, Vivian and Amarachi were a helping hand. So far we’ve been able to go on community sensitisation school projects organised training programmes discussion sessions offline and online all in a bid to correct cultural norms there is that hinders girls from reaching their full potentials. It’s funny how people selectively use tradition to justify these things then the joint love for public health and gender issues.
There has been satisfaction from seeing the impact of my service, time, knowledge and energy in the community and school. Besides that, the women in global health platform has given me access to mentors, colleagues and team mates. I have also learned the act of time management and setting priorities. My advice to younger ones and students like me is to make the right choice of friends as your friends can either fall or fly your ambitions.
Final Reflections
As I sit here at my desk wondering what to write; struggling to capture the year I have had in words, both on a personal and a professional level. Even now as I care for a family member with covid while juggling finals week. I think this scenario in itself is a synopsis of what the year has felt like.
After gaining my admission last year into Hopkins, I struggled about whether to enroll or wait a year. The thought of doing my classes virtually was not appealing and it dampened my excitement about attending Hopkins. How will I network, make new friends, find mentors, partake in research I wondered? Friends, I am glad to say I took the plunge and was able to do it all.
I started the academic year by running for the position of President of African Public Health Network in summer. After gaining the position we went on to recruit the rest of the APHN e-board. And I am so glad I met these wonderful people. APHN gave me a sense of community, and a safe space to relax with friends. The year has been challenging, last year there were so many large scale protests and killings on the African continent. In my home country of Nigeria, people were killed while protesting injustice. In Namibia, women were jailed for protesting against genderbased violence. At times I felt so powerless, safely away from the chaos and not being able to do much to help.
This is why the our yearly conference — Faces of Africa was so important. The year the theme was Advancing Equity for Women in Africa: A Practical Approach. Our keynote was Her Excellency Amira Elfadil Mohammed Elfadil, the Commissioner for Social Affairs at African Union. We had the chance to bring key stakeholders together on our platform and hear more about their work in Africa and what students and other people could do to contribute to the efforts. We were able to put this event together with the financial sponsorship of the Chair of the International Health Department, Dr. David Peters, the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association, and the Johns Hopkins Student Assembly. Please visit faces of Africa site for the recording (Here).
And I would like to thank my fellow e-board members for their hardwork and continued participation , and for bravely learning all the new tech skills and platforms I threw at them (lol). We created a website, started a podcast, really great looking IG page(@aphn_hopkins) and a Newsletter, all in one year!
I would also like to thank our general members for continuously being supportive, and attending our game nights, movie nights, and the other twenty-something events we had (whew!). And to other student groups that collaborated with us to create amazing virtual events, thank you! And finally to advisor Dr. William Brieger, the wonderful chair of the MPH program, Dr. Marie Diener-West thank you!
Congratulations everyone on completing the academic year and for those of you graduating this May, I wish you continued success in your endeavors.
Happy finals week and farewell friends!
From Ukeme Essien M.D. — African Public Health Network President
Footnotes
- Suicide Nation: We Are Humans, Not Numbers. www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-04-06-suicide-nation-we-are-humans-not-numbers/.
- Here are the to 4 African Countries with the highest suicide rates in the world. https://face2faceafrica.com/article/here-are-the-top-7-african-countries-with-the-highest-suicide-rates-in-the-world/8
- Defining Sexual health. https://www.who.int/teams/sexual-and-reproductive-health-and-research/key-areas-of-work/sexual-health/defining-sexual-health
- Sexual and Reproductive Health. https://www.afro.who.int/health-topics/sexual-and-reproductive-health
- Gender equality index. https://www.afdb.org/en/topics-and-sectors/topics/quality-assurance-results/gender-equality-index
- Sudarkasa, N. (1986). “The Status of Women” in Indigenous African Societies. Feminist Studies, 12(1), 91–94 doi:10.2307/3177985; https://www.jstor.org/stable/3177985?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
- Meier zu Selhausen, F., & Weisdorf, J. (2016). A colonial legacy of African gender inequality? Evidence from Christian Kampala, 1895–2011. The Economic History Review, 69(1), 229–257; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ehr.12120
