Kenya: Malaria Outbreak Kills Hundreds
Although reported on in 2002, there was an outbreak of highland malaria in Kenya. Apparently, malaria isn't common in the mountainous areas due to low temperatures, but when it does happen, large numbers of people die because they have a lower level of immunity to it when compared to people who live at lower altitudes. In this outbreak, over 300 people died within the first month and over 158,000 people were infected with the disease.
Malaria is a disease spread between humans by mosquitos. Although treatable, untreated cases can lead to coma, or death. Malaria is not common in the states, but is well-known and basically a normal part of life in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world where mosquitoes thrive off of the warm temperatures and constant rain.
Apparently, the highland malaria outbreak in Kenya has been so deadly because people who are normally not affected by the disease (people in mountainous regions) are now being affected. According to this article, the outbreak could have been prevented. A Kenyan doctor thinks the governments lack of alacrity to act is criminal: an outbreak of malaria is “predictable, preventable, treatable and curable—but lack of preparedness by health personnel is our crime.” The article goes on to talk about how clinics and hospitals are overwhelmed, don't have the necessary medication, or can't even offer the proper medication due to the cost.
Doctors Without Borders is quoted near the end of the article providing statistics about Malaria. Apparently, 1.2-1.8 million children die in Africa each year due to the illness, and that 8.2 million new cases of malaria happen each year in Kenya, out of a total population of 30 million. If that ratio held true in America, that means 100 million people out of 350 million would be infected with the disease. That's over 1/4 of the population infected. If that happened here, people would go crazy. However, this is everyday life in Kenya.
Although this is only one example of an outbreak, it is clearly a situation where outside help is needed. The Kenyan Government and medical system do not have the resources to handle such a situation, and that's where Doctors Without Borders comes in. During such crises, DWB will fly-in not only supplies, but also healthcare workers to help deal with the situation. On top of that, DWB actively advocates for addressing such issues on a more long-term basis, advocating for long-lasting change that will improve conditions such as access to medical care in Kenya.
It's interesting that different climates can change the rate of malaria and the way it effects a population. I wonder how the Kenyan doctor said that it could have been predicted and prevented? It's scary to think that nobody would prevent it if they could. And if malaria is not usually found in mountainous areas and is now causing so much devastation, I wonder if it would cause a similar effect in America if it were ever to spread here. Although, our resources allow so much medical care, perhaps we would be able to prevent such an outbreak. It's good to know there are organizations that are working towards helping these countries that don't have the resources we do.
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