The Evolution of Infectious Disease in Sub-Saharan Africa
Infectious Disease in Africa
The earth has been evolving for billions of years, growing in population as well as
advancing technologically for thousands of years. Most places are up to speed with the latest
and greatest new technology. Africa, however, is struggling to get by without any of these
luxuries. They are plagued with disease, contaminated water, and starvation on top of
extreme poverty. But, if disease is everywhere--why has it hit Africa the hardest? Well,
without the funds necessary to supply medical help, disease in Africa is exponential , much
like a weed. Every creature has a natural defense mechanism, an immune system of sorts.
This is also true for earth itself; we as humans are like a weed growing on our planet. Our
population keeps rising, and we keep taking more and more of the earth’s natural resources:
land, oil, water, et cetera. We as humans continue to destroy the earth, so could it be that
disease is a retaliation against the virus that is human life? Should we continue on this path
of destruction, there will come a point where there will be nothing left to take, and what will
become of us then? Just as our bodies defend themselves when they are under attack, so does
the earth. It is throwing antibodies, or diseases, against us to try to contain the disease that is
One disease that has been causing trouble for hundreds of years in Africa is malaria.
There are 300-500 million cases of malaria each year, and more than one million people die
from it. Generally, malaria is transmitted from the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito
(Wellems, T. E.), but it can be passed from person to person via blood transfusions or
through pregnancy. This disease is completely curable with the right treatment, but without
treatment it can be deadly. What actually happens to a person who contracts malaria is that
the plasmodium parasite will enter the bloodstream and travel to
The earth has been evolving for billions of years, growing in population as well as
advancing technologically for thousands of years. Most places are up to speed with the latest
and greatest new technology. Africa, however, is struggling to get by without any of these
luxuries. They are plagued with disease, contaminated water, and starvation on top of
extreme poverty. But, if disease is everywhere--why has it hit Africa the hardest? Well,
without the funds necessary to supply medical help, disease in Africa is exponential , much
like a weed. Every creature has a natural defense mechanism, an immune system of sorts.
This is also true for earth itself; we as humans are like a weed growing on our planet. Our
population keeps rising, and we keep taking more and more of the earth’s natural resources:
land, oil, water, et cetera. We as humans continue to destroy the earth, so could it be that
disease is a retaliation against the virus that is human life? Should we continue on this path
of destruction, there will come a point where there will be nothing left to take, and what will
become of us then? Just as our bodies defend themselves when they are under attack, so does
the earth. It is throwing antibodies, or diseases, against us to try to contain the disease that is
One disease that has been causing trouble for hundreds of years in Africa is malaria.
There are 300-500 million cases of malaria each year, and more than one million people die
from it. Generally, malaria is transmitted from the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito
(Wellems, T. E.), but it can be passed from person to person via blood transfusions or
through pregnancy. This disease is completely curable with the right treatment, but without
treatment it can be deadly. What actually happens to a person who contracts malaria is that
the plasmodium parasite will enter the bloodstream and travel to
Cited: in South Africa. Rept. Washington DC: Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation, 2002. Print. This report will give me many statistics and information relating to a survey taken in The Impact of HIV & AIDS in Africa. Avert, n.d. Web. 9 Oct. 2012. . This website is also very useful for studying the impact of HIV and AIDS on the society, people (especially children and women), and the household