Life
Poor countries developing diseases of the rich
More than one-third of African women and a quarter of African men are estimated to be overweight, and the World Health Organization predicts that will rise to 41 percent and 30 percent respectively in the next 10 years.
Not too long ago, many people in Africa were too hungry and hardworking to be obese, many could not afford cigarettes and mostly died before the ailments of ripe middle age kicked in.
Non-communicable diseases were a rich world problem. This is changing rapidly. Affluence and urbanization means new kinds of unhealthy lifestyles. Developing countries already bear more than 80% of the burden of chronic illnesses.
In Uganda, 95% of cancer patients do not get to see a doctor or health professional, the country’s health-care system was designed to treat infectious diseases: the institute’s neighbour is a big tuberculosis unit. Diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart and respiratory ailments have never been priorities.
The growing urbanization in Africa has led to less walking and other forms of exercise, and the spread of television has led to a generation of couch potatoes rather than athletes.
In Uganda and throughout Africa, it is considered rude and in very bad taste to refuse food.
The World Health Organization (WHO) expects deaths from non-communicable diseases to rise by 12% between 2010 and 2020, however, with a spike of over 20% in Africa.
Chronic illnesses are likely to surpass maternal, child and infectious diseases as the biggest killer by 2030. Most of them stem from high sugar and fat diets, and sedentary lifestyles.
African countries are completely unprepared for these “new diseases”. Their health-care systems are designed for acute problems – traditional illnesses like malaria, tuberculoises (TB) and other ‘tropical illnesses’.
