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Human Impact on the Environment of Africa

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Human Impact on the Environment of Africa

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Africa is facing many widespread problems of large proportions. Poaching and the spread of disease throughout the continent threaten the health and welfare of humans and animals. As we have learned, the continent is rich with resources, but using these resources wisely is another struggle. Additionally, many people question the benefit of constant foreign intervention in the form of international aid organizations to help solve the problems of the continent. In this unit, we will explore all of these topics and listen to a few well-known people speak about some of these pressing issues.

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The issue of poaching is one that many people thought had been solved in Africa. Unfortunately, that is far from the case. Illegal poaching and trade of endangered animals has been a huge issue in Africa for many years. As you learned in an earlier unit, poaching is the illegal killing of wild animals. The increasingly organized and commercialized bushmeat market in recent years is threatening the survival of wildlife in Central Africa. Bushmeat is the term used to describe animals deep in the jungles and forests of Africa. Experts say the wildlife in Central Africa's forests and savannahs may not be able to survive if the current poaching practices continue unabated! Poaching grew more destructive as the market for bushmeat was commercialized, then militarized. It is now common to see poachers armed with weapons better than local police and military – and they will kill anything in their path – including humans.

Until recently, Central African hunters killed only enough wildlife to feed their own families. Now heavily armed gangs head into forests to make mass kills and sell the meat in markets. Conservation groups fear that the rise in poaching is a result of a UN decision to allow the first ivory auction in a decade in 2008, an event that yielded more than a million U.S. dollars from Chinese and Japanese bidders. Poachers are even getting more strategic about their kills. Poachers on the hunt for ivory have stepped up their use of poison arrows and spears to kill elephants in southern Kenya, according to conservationists who say the techniques are harder to trace than gun attacks.

African countries have banded together with the help of international organizations to combat the militarization of poaching. Small scale efforts are no longer effective. Countries must work together to combat this growing problem.

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nother growing problem in Africa is the spread of disease. Malaria, AIDS, and drug-resistant tuberculosis are a few of the major diseases threatening the health and welfare of the people of Africa. Although many people think that AIDS is the most serious disease facing the continent, many scientists and doctors would disagree.

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Can you guess which disease kills far more people than AIDS?

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Can you guess which disease kills far more people than AIDS?

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Did you say MALARIA? Good job! Malaria kills in one year what AIDS kills in 5 years.

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Malaria kills millions of people a year. Malaria is a life-threatening parasitic disease transmitted by mosquitoes. The World Health Organization estimates that each year 300-500 million cases of malaria occur and more than 1 million people die of malaria, especially in developing countries. Most deaths occur in young children - it is estimated that a child with malaria dies every 30 seconds. However, malaria kills people all over the world, not just Africa – about 1300 cases of malaria are diagnosed every year in the United States. The vast majority of cases in the United States are in travelers and immigrants returning from malaria-risk areas, many from sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Since many countries with malaria are already among the poorer nations, the disease maintains a vicious cycle of disease and poverty. Additionally, in Africa south of the Sahara, the principal malaria mosquito transmits malaria very efficiently. The type of malaria parasite most often found in the region causes severe, potentially fatal disease. Lack of resources and political instability can prevent the building of solid malaria control programs. In addition, malaria parasites are increasingly resistant to anti-malarial drugs, presenting one more barrier to malaria control in that continent. Because other methods of fighting malaria, including drugs, insecticides, and bed nets, have not succeeded in eliminating the disease, the search for a vaccine is considered to be one of the most important research projects in public health. Malaria is becoming a more widespread problem possibly due to climate change. Climate change is creating droughts and floods where they were not common before, and that is also altering patterns and flows of disease. In warming temperatures, mosquitoes are migrating to new areas, carrying diseases once confined to the tropics.

Although malaria is a deadly disease, there are ways to limit your exposure. The United States Center for Disease Control lists the following strategies for Americans traveling to Africa:

Keeping mosquitoes from biting you, especially at night.

Taking antimalarial drugs to kill the parasites.

Spraying insecticides on your home's walls to kill adult mosquitoes that come inside.

Sleeping under bed nets - especially effective if they have been treated with insecticide.

Using insect repellent and wearing long-sleeved clothing if out of doors at night.

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Other Diseases in Africa … HIV, AIDS, and Ebola

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Other Diseases in Africa … HIV, AIDS, and Ebola

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Unlike malaria, a virus that is confined to Africa is the Ebola virus. Ebola viruses are found in Central Africa. Ebola virus was discovered in 1976 and named for a river in Zaire, Africa, where it was first detected – and, in fact, has only been known to infect humans in Africa. The source of the viruses in nature remains unknown. Monkeys, like humans, appear to be susceptible to infection and might serve as a source of virus if infected. The concern among scientists is that more diseases like Ebola might surface throughout Africa and spread to other countries.

HIV and AIDS continue to be a pressing public health problem in Africa. HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) are now being tackled on a global scale. In 1998, HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa account for 70 percent of infections worldwide. In the past decade, the United States and other international organizations have made an incredible effort to combat the AIDS epidemic and the problems stemming from AIDS, such as AIDS orphans and the growing number of children with AIDS. The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, also known as PEPFAR, is America's initiative to combat the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. Although PEPFAR has made great strides combating AIDS in Africa, it is not without its critics. The requirement that at least half of all money directed towards preventing sexual HIV transmission should be for activities promoting abstinence, monogamy and partner reduction is sometimes seen as a major downfall of PEPFAR funding. Critics say the required focus on monogamy has actually caused the numbers of AIDS cases to increase in many countries.

What can be done to combat the spread of these diseases? Education and international funding is not enough. Africa simply does not have enough health workers! Africa faces a crisis in terms of health care delivery. Although Africa has 14 percent of the world population and 25 percent of the global disease burden - it has only 1.3 percent of global health workers. This is a problem that remains to be addressed in the region.

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The spread of disease is an interesting phenomenon. Medical anthropologists study human health and disease. The field combines medicine and the study of cultures. Medical anthropologists track disease in Africa and other countries. Research has shown that most major diseases originated in animals and systematic monitoring of animals and their exposure to humans can reveal patterns that can lead to stopping a pandemic before it starts. Dr. Nathan Wolfe developed the Global Viral Forecasting Initiative (GVFI) to monitor the transmission of infectious disease and prevent pandemics with an early warning system.

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As we have learned, the continent of Africa is rich with natural resources. The poaching of animals and the spread of debilitating diseases are phenomena of recent years – Africa has not always been an underdeveloped continent. The gold and salt trade of centuries ago laid a foundation for the development of the continent that was, unfortunately, never fully realized. As you have learned, the European colonization of the region was a significant cause for this underdevelopment.

Historically, the gold and salt trade was incredibly important to the people of Northern Africa. The people in the southern Niger River area demanded a greater supply of salt to flavor food and stay healthy, so they were happy to trade their large supply of gold found in gold fields with people across the Sahara Desert in northern Africa who had a large supply of salt. An elaborate trade system was developed that used the Niger River as a highway to transport goods. A large trans-Saharan trade route grew, transporting salt to the people of Western Africa and gold to the Mediterranean area.

Even countries that did not actually have gold and salt mines still benefited from the resources in the region. The Ghana empire, for example, controlled the trade routes and facilitated the trade between North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. Gold was the main commodity of the trans-Saharan trade. These Saharan trade routes were instrumental to the success of many empires of the region. Other countries such as Angola, Botswana, and South Africa flourished due to the presence of diamond mines. In more recent times, countries such as Nigeria have garnered attention and money due to the discovery of oil.

It is due to this rich history of valuable natural resources that many people are perplexed about how this vast continent remains so underdeveloped with some of the worst health statistics in the world. On the next page, we will explore the downside to foreign intervention and look at international aid itself as a possible cause for the continued underdevelopment of the region.

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The Role of International Organizations in Africa

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The Role of International Organizations in Africa

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"Why do we get these mountains of clothes? No one is freezing here. Instead, our tailors lose their livelihoods. They're in the same position as our farmers. No one in the low-wage world of Africa can be cost-efficient enough to keep pace with donated products. In 1997, 137,000 workers were employed in Nigeria's textile industry. By 2003, the figure had dropped to 57,000. The results are the same in all other areas where overwhelming helpfulness and fragile African markets collide."

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Can you guess how much money is sent to Africa each year to combat poverty?

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Can you guess how much money is sent to Africa each year to combat poverty?

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a. $1 million
b. $5 million
c. $50 million
d. $50 billion

If you guessed d. $50 billion, you are correct! More than $50 billion of foreign aid is given to African countries every year to address poverty on the continent

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Were you surprised to learn that malaria kills more people than AIDS? Which disease do you think should be getting more international attention? Why do you think AIDS is promoted as more of a health care disaster than malaria?It has been said that AIDS is big business – perhaps Africa’s biggest business. Nothing else is as heart-wrenching as a photo of AIDS orphans or shocking AIDS statistics. Some people see AIDS as a political disease here – a way for corrupt African government officials to get more money out of international organizations and governments.Many people believe the current aid to Africa situation is doing more harm than good for a variety of reasons. One major concern is that most foreign government aid has been pocketed by corrupt politicians. Some would suggest that trade, foreign investments and microfinance opportunities can provide a better future for Africans than simply handing over money to solve widespread problems. Already today there are increasing numbers of Africans who call for an end to this sort of support. Critics cite the following problems with international aid:

Creates a paternalistic economy,

Supports corruption,

Weakens trade, and

Places Africans into a degrading position of having to accept charity

"Just stop this terrible aid," says the Kenyan economic expert James Shikwati.

On the next page, you will have the opportunity to voice your opinion on this topic. What do you think? Can international aid be doing more harm than good?