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The sad reality of African affairs

The passing of president of Zambia Michael Sata (may his soul rest in peace) has made me sad, I think even more sad than the passing of Senzo Meyiwa.

My condolences go out to president Sata’s loved ones and the people of Zambia as well as to Senzo’s loved ones. I do not personally know president Sata, I’m not Zambian, have never been to Zambia and not related to any Zambian except as Africans.

This article is not about the politics of president Sata or the politics of Zambia, but about the questions I have and the sadness I feel about the status quo of African health care.

The passing of president Sata once again highlights one of the problems we have on the continent, lack adequate health care.

Sata died in a hospital in England, bringing the number of African presidents dying in foreign hospitals to nine. Open Society Foundation for South Africa, noted that since 2008, ten African presidents have died of natural causes and only two died in their own countries.

President Muhammed Egal of Somaliland and Bingu wa Mutharika of Malawi died in South Africa, Gnassingbe Eyadema of Togo died in Tunisia, Pascal Yoadimnaj Of Chad, Levy Mwanawasa of Zambia, Mala Bacai Sanha of Guinea Bissau died in France, Lansana Conte of Guinea after returning from a treatment in Switzerland, John Atta Mills of Ghana after returning from a treatment in USA, Omar Bongo of Gabon in Spain, Umaru Yar’Adua of Nigeria in Saudi Arabia, Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia in Belgium and now Michael Sata in England.

This number, as much as it’s dismal, is not considering the ones that did not die, but received treatments from hospitals in foreign countries. Another interesting statistic is that since 2008, 13 African leaders have died in office with only two (Muammar Gaddafi of Libya and JB Vieira of Guinea Bissau) being killed.

I acknowledge that some countries on the continent have been ravaged by wars and instability which others argue that it is a result of colonialism, the imperialist west and greedy capitalists.

Be it as it may, the countries I mentioned above have had independence for over 40 years, yet they run back to the proverbial master in times of need.

What independence are we talking about as Africans if can’t even provide the most basic needs to Africa and its people?

This to me is far more a crisis compared to whether Kelly khumalo should attend a funeral or which car she should drive.

If we dissect this issue further, our own Nelson Mandela received treatment from a private hospital and died at a military hospital which is not public by the way.

How different is that to others flying to Paris or London? These past leaders had power to change the status quo and realize the independence we claim to have, others chose not to change the system and some simply ignored the problem because they knew they could privately jet to the former colonial countries to receive the basic human right which they should’ve provided for their people.

Many of us in SA continue to buy this constitutional right perhaps out of the fear or reservation the Mandela family had over our public health care and not as a status class gadget like buying a cigar over Ntsu.

Perhaps there’s a broader problem, the problem of brain drain.

  1. Ghana lost 60% of its doctors in the 80’s to foreign countries.
  2. Ethiopia has only one economics professor
  3. There are only eight registered accountants in Mozambique,
  4. Nigerians have the highest level of education in the US,
  5. More 30 000 Nigerian doctors practice in foreign countries
  6. Zambia only retains 50 of its 600 doctors trained in the country
  7. Kenya loses on average 20 doctors per year on year.

About 17 sub-Sharan countries have less than 50 nurses per 100 000 citizens compared with WHO (World Health Org) minimum standard of 100 nurses per 100 000 citizens.

I cannot offer solutions, but my two cents is that if we cannot protect our democracy, work hard to break the shackle of colonialism, cannot educated and provide employment for our own educated professionals will continue to leave the continent for better prospects and our presidents will continue to die in foreign lands while we continue to buy health.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Sowetan Live

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