MALARIA, DISEASE OF AND CAUSE OF POVERTY
26/04/2008
By Moki Edwin Kindzeka, CRTV Yaounde
Hawadak is a 21-year old mother of three in a polygamous family. Her husband, 60 abandoned subsistent illegal importation of fuel (zoa zoa) from neighbouring Nigeria two years ago because of old age and his four wives had to feign for themselves, their children and bedridden husband. Hawadak who is the youngest wife has an additional task of preparing food for the entire family and taking their youngest kids to a village primary school situated some seven kilometres to the East of Mokolo, Mayo Tsanaga Division of the Far north province of Cameroon. That is how they have been surviving for the past years before the head of the family suffered and got bedridden.
Early this month, precisely last April 7, she was rushed to a village marabout, name given traditional health attendants, after complaining of headache, fever and vomiting. She had physical signs of a pregnancy and had not gone for prenatal consultation because she did not have money. Speculations were rife she was suffering from malaria and she was administered traditional portions for treatment. She had no money to go to a conventional health centre and neither her husbands nor his other wives could help.
Mayo Tsanaga Division is an area malaria thrives as a result of a favourable breeding space for Anopheles mosquito which need blood to nurture her eggs. From all indications the 21-year old had found herself in the situation of many other pregnant women and their unborn children vulnerable to malaria.
Besides human pain and suffering the disease causes, besides the untold number of deaths like those dying every 30 seconds in Africa, malaria and poverty are intimately connected. The world’s poorest countries are the highest hit, and poorest zones in poorest countries suffer most. Hawadak’s example is like a tree in the forest since figures are hardly available to evaluate the disturbing situation.
Her children could no longer go to school because malaria stopped her from feigning on a day-to-day basis. Their family was no longer able to feed and she was at the mercy of destiny. Her innocent unborn baby had to subdue the consequences of malaria attack.
What families struggle to save is exhausted for treatment. Some people end up heavily indebted and poor with effects on the economic growth of individuals, families, the society and nations.
Statistics at the Mokolo and Koza District Hospitals in Mayo Tsananga Division indicate that 60 percent of cases attended to in the first three months of 2008 had to do with malaria. The figures can not reflect the actual situation because only 20 percent of the population of that part of the country visit hospitals. Many either stay at home and die silently or go to marabouts.
The senior divisional officer for Mayo Tsanaga, Mamadou Balla, while launching one of isolated efforts to fight against malaria said he was afraid malaria is one root cause of poverty hence economic hardship and increasing number of children not going to school. He said the battle to roll back malaria, should be the concern of every individual, groups of individuals, associations and the government.
Besides the distribution of treated mosquito nets, government announced free care of patients but most people who already live below the poverty line of one dollar (1$) a day lack transport fares to go to hospital let alone money to buy drugs.
Malaria can rightly be referred to as a disease of poverty (since some people construct and live in malaria-prone zones because they lack a means to go elsewhere) and a cause of poverty (because when one person is attacked the whole family suffers from a drain of resources)
