* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Rising stars: Young classical musicians surging on social media – Yahoo

    Meet the Next Generation of Classical Music Sensations Making Waves on Social Media!

    Devin Harjes Dies: ‘Manifest’ & ‘Boardwalk Empire’ Actor Was 41 – WyomingNews.com

    Tragic Loss: Devin Harjes, Star of ‘Manifest’ and ‘Boardwalk Empire,’ Passes Away at 41

    Why Starz Entertainment Stock Soared Today – The Motley Fool

    Unpacking the Surge: What Fueled Starz Entertainment’s Stock Explosion Today!

    Unveiling the Enigmatic: First Looks at Destruction and Puck in ‘The Sandman

    Jackie Chan Reveals This Family Member ‘Never Watched’ The Whole Of Any Of His Movies – Yahoo

    Jackie Chan Reveals This Family Member ‘Never Watched’ The Whole Of Any Of His Movies – Yahoo

    Mavs CEO holds firm on new arena, entertainment district in Dallas – Dallas News

    Mavs CEO Stands Strong on Vision for New Arena and Entertainment District in Dallas

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Prosecutors accuse men of exporting U.S. military technology to China – Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

    Men Charged with Illegally Exporting U.S. Military Technology to China

    ROLAND’S NEW WIRELESS TRIGGER TECHNOLOGY, PORTER & DAVIES ON TOUR, NEW 64 AUDIO ASPIRE UNIVERSAL IEM MODELS, WAVES FREE PLUGIN PACK – Modern Drummer Magazine

    ROLAND’S NEW WIRELESS TRIGGER TECHNOLOGY, PORTER & DAVIES ON TOUR, NEW 64 AUDIO ASPIRE UNIVERSAL IEM MODELS, WAVES FREE PLUGIN PACK – Modern Drummer Magazine

    This giant microwave may change the future of war – MIT Technology Review

    Revolutionizing Warfare: The Impact of a Game-Changing Giant Microwave

    Bajeed Pattan Joins Forbes Technology Council as Innovation Leader – PRWeb

    Bajeed Pattan Takes the Helm as Innovation Leader at Forbes Technology Council!

    Lafayette Regional Technology Council – Tech Leadership That’s Homegrown and Future-Focused – Discover Lafayette

    Lafayette Regional Technology Council – Tech Leadership That’s Homegrown and Future-Focused – Discover Lafayette

    Drone technology demo in Cambria County showcases future of lifesaving medical deliveries – local21news.com

    Revolutionizing Healthcare: Drone Technology Takes Flight for Lifesaving Medical Deliveries in Cambria County

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Rising stars: Young classical musicians surging on social media – Yahoo

    Meet the Next Generation of Classical Music Sensations Making Waves on Social Media!

    Devin Harjes Dies: ‘Manifest’ & ‘Boardwalk Empire’ Actor Was 41 – WyomingNews.com

    Tragic Loss: Devin Harjes, Star of ‘Manifest’ and ‘Boardwalk Empire,’ Passes Away at 41

    Why Starz Entertainment Stock Soared Today – The Motley Fool

    Unpacking the Surge: What Fueled Starz Entertainment’s Stock Explosion Today!

    Unveiling the Enigmatic: First Looks at Destruction and Puck in ‘The Sandman

    Jackie Chan Reveals This Family Member ‘Never Watched’ The Whole Of Any Of His Movies – Yahoo

    Jackie Chan Reveals This Family Member ‘Never Watched’ The Whole Of Any Of His Movies – Yahoo

    Mavs CEO holds firm on new arena, entertainment district in Dallas – Dallas News

    Mavs CEO Stands Strong on Vision for New Arena and Entertainment District in Dallas

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Prosecutors accuse men of exporting U.S. military technology to China – Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

    Men Charged with Illegally Exporting U.S. Military Technology to China

    ROLAND’S NEW WIRELESS TRIGGER TECHNOLOGY, PORTER & DAVIES ON TOUR, NEW 64 AUDIO ASPIRE UNIVERSAL IEM MODELS, WAVES FREE PLUGIN PACK – Modern Drummer Magazine

    ROLAND’S NEW WIRELESS TRIGGER TECHNOLOGY, PORTER & DAVIES ON TOUR, NEW 64 AUDIO ASPIRE UNIVERSAL IEM MODELS, WAVES FREE PLUGIN PACK – Modern Drummer Magazine

    This giant microwave may change the future of war – MIT Technology Review

    Revolutionizing Warfare: The Impact of a Game-Changing Giant Microwave

    Bajeed Pattan Joins Forbes Technology Council as Innovation Leader – PRWeb

    Bajeed Pattan Takes the Helm as Innovation Leader at Forbes Technology Council!

    Lafayette Regional Technology Council – Tech Leadership That’s Homegrown and Future-Focused – Discover Lafayette

    Lafayette Regional Technology Council – Tech Leadership That’s Homegrown and Future-Focused – Discover Lafayette

    Drone technology demo in Cambria County showcases future of lifesaving medical deliveries – local21news.com

    Revolutionizing Healthcare: Drone Technology Takes Flight for Lifesaving Medical Deliveries in Cambria County

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Africa: Africa’s Burden With Neurological Diseases

March 23, 2024
in News
Africa: Africa’s Burden With Neurological Diseases
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Around 43% of the population, or 3.4 billion people, live with a neurological disease worldwide. Why are rates highest in Africa, and how are nations tackling the issue?

The high prevalence of neurological diseases is having a devastating impact on local communities in Africa.

“Mental health and neurological diseases are often misunderstood in Kenya,” said Penny Wangari-Jones, founding member of Hidden Voices, a Kenya-based mental health charity. “People are often taken to churches and prayed for or told they are possessed. Patients are often neglected, locked in houses or left to die in institutes. It’s harrowing.”

Neurological conditions are now the leading cause of ill-health worldwide, with around 3.4 billion people living with neurological conditions. However, neurological diseases disproportionately affect sub-Saharan Africa compared to other parts of the world.

Around 50% of people who go to the emergency room in Africa have some sort of neurological complication, and neurological disease rates are often double those in higher-income regions. The prevalence of epilepsy, for example, is two to three times higher in sub-Saharan Africa than in Europe.

“Because there are often no health services or sources of help for people, local communities have no way to deal with caring for people with neurological or mental health conditions,” Wangari-Jones told DW.

Why does Africa have such a high prevalence of neurological diseases?

The biggest factors contributing to neurological health conditions are stroke, neonatal encephalopathy (brain injury), neuropathic (or nerve) pain, Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

One reason for the higher prevalence in Africa is infectious diseases like HIV, meningitis and malaria, which can cause neurological complications like encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain.

But the issues also stem from multiple socioeconomic and public health factors, according to Jo Wilmshurst, head of paediatric neurology at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa.

“You might have a child [with neurological conditions] who is more likely to be born in socioeconomically deprived settings where the mother might be HIV exposed. They might also have tuberculosis. And then you have all the access-to-care barriers,” said Wilmshurst.

Neurological issues often start before birth, she added, where complications or infections during birth can cause permanent neurological damage. The lack of neonatologists means the damage often isn’t diagnosed or treated in time to prevent permanent neurological damage.

“Then there’s maternal health. In Western Cape, we have pandemic-level proportions of toxin exposure from fetal alcohol syndrome, which causes neurological conditions in children,” Wilmshurst told DW.

Fixing Africa’s medical ‘brain drain’

Currently, there aren’t enough specialist doctors and other medical staff in Africa to deal with the scale of the burden of neurological disease.

“The main problem is that specialist medical training hasn’t caught a firm foothold in Africa. You can actually map the highest prevalence of neurological conditions in regions that lack neurologists,” said Wilmshurst.

There is a striking disparity in the number of neurologists between African nations and European ones — there are 0.03 neurologists per 100,000 people in Africa, compared to Europe’s 8.45 neurologists per 100,000.

Wilmshurst said things are improving. She’s been working to build neurological medical services around Africa from the ground up, and part of that is training specialist doctors.

“We take a clinician [from around Africa] for two years and do intensive training [in South Africa]. The first trainee to go back to Tanzania was the first child neurologist in the whole country,” she said.

While the program has trained only around 200 specialist doctors in the last 16 years, their impact is huge.

“We had one trainee who went back to Kenya, where they advocated and lobbied to get a vaccine rollout of rotavirus. We know that [after] implementing rotavirus vaccination … mortality rates from rotavirus complications plummeted. He saved a couple of million lives there,” Wilmshurst said.

Community support for neurological conditions

Wangari-Jones said that to tackle the burden of neurological diseases, it’s important that support programs integrate into local people’s communities.

“There’s a lot of fear and anxiety around medication or modern medicine, often due to past trauma from colonial times. One of the challenges is not over-medicalizing neurological conditions so they alienate how local communities have traditionally approached care,” she said.

Wangari-Jones works with Hidden Voices to reduce stigma and fear around neurological and mental health conditions, often by talking in local church groups and schools in Kenya.

Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters

Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox

“People often come forward in these talks with their issues and incidents with family members. It’s a way of reaching people in the local community and helping them access sources of health and social care,” she said.

Community health is also a key target for Wilmshurst, who organizes “critical mass” training programs. Community health and care workers are trained to recognize and manage neurological diseases. Often this training is piggybacked onto existing programs to treat diseases like HIV or tuberculosis.

“People are busy in Africa. The workload is huge, and people have a lot of commitments. The only way to change the situation is to have solutions that are viable and adaptable in the setting they’re working in,” said Wilmshurst.

The hope is to alleviate Africa’s burden with neurological diseases by working both top-down with public health programs and bottom-up with local communities.

Edited by: Carla Bleiker

Source: Nervous System Disorders Collaborators (2024). Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990-2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. Lancet Neurology. DOI: 10.1016/S1474-4422(24)00038-3

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : AllAfrica – https://allafrica.com/stories/202403220252.html

Tags: AfricaAfrica’snews
Previous Post

Congo-Kinshasa: DR Congo, Rwanda Foreign Ministers Meet in Angola

Next Post

Sudan: Special Online Briefing with Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello

LeBron James details his gripes with the current state of youth sports: ‘A lot of kids burn the hell out’ – CBS Sports

LeBron James Opens Up About the Challenges Facing Youth Sports: “So Many Kids Are Burning Out

June 2, 2025
Restoration cannot be scaled up globally to save reefs from loss and degradation – Nature

Reviving Our Reefs: The Challenge of Scaling Up Restoration Efforts Globally

June 2, 2025
Attorney General Bonta Sues to Stop Termination, Withholding of National Science Foundation Grants – State of California – Department of Justice (.gov)

Attorney General Bonta Takes Action to Protect National Science Foundation Grants

June 2, 2025
Exclusive: US veterans agency orders scientists not to publish in journals without clearance – The Guardian

US Veterans Agency Imposes New Restrictions on Scientific Publishing

June 2, 2025
Upper Allen Township launches new initiative to encourage a more active lifestyle – fox43.com

Upper Allen Township launches new initiative to encourage a more active lifestyle – fox43.com

June 2, 2025
Lionel Messi rejoins Argentina for two World Cup qualifiers before Club World Cup – USA Today

Lionel Messi rejoins Argentina for two World Cup qualifiers before Club World Cup – USA Today

June 2, 2025
Jobs Report Could Be Early Sign of Tariffs Cost – U.S. News & World Report

Jobs Report Could Be Early Sign of Tariffs Cost – U.S. News & World Report

June 2, 2025
Mark Tremonti Headlines Belmont Stakes Day Entertainment – Thoroughbred Daily News

Mark Tremonti Takes Center Stage at Belmont Stakes Day Celebration!

June 2, 2025
Black Book Research: Health Plans Double Down on AI-Powered Fraud and Claims Integrity Solutions Amid Rising Audit Pressures – Newswire :) Press Release Distribution

Health Plans Embrace AI to Combat Fraud and Enhance Claims Integrity Amid Growing Audit Challenges

June 2, 2025
Opinion | The Politics and Perils of Pornography – The New York Times

Navigating the Complex Landscape of Pornography: Politics, Perils, and Perspectives

June 2, 2025

Categories

Archives

June 2025
MTWTFSS
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
30 
« May    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (660)
  • Economy (674)
  • Entertainment (21,580)
  • General (15,258)
  • Health (9,717)
  • Lifestyle (677)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (676)
  • Politics (683)
  • Science (15,895)
  • Sports (21,180)
  • Technology (15,661)
  • World (662)

Recent News

LeBron James details his gripes with the current state of youth sports: ‘A lot of kids burn the hell out’ – CBS Sports

LeBron James Opens Up About the Challenges Facing Youth Sports: “So Many Kids Are Burning Out

June 2, 2025
Restoration cannot be scaled up globally to save reefs from loss and degradation – Nature

Reviving Our Reefs: The Challenge of Scaling Up Restoration Efforts Globally

June 2, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version