These TEDx Talks Change The Way We View Healthcare Delivery In Africa

Healthcare in Africa and in many traditionally underserved regions around the world is gradually changing. From more effective community mobilization strategies to mobile health technologies, innovation is on the rise and individuals are addressing very important healthcare concerns that affect very different populations. In these TEDx talks, healthcare leaders on the continent and in the Diaspora give some insight into their work, and how we can all effect healthcare delivery practices among populations who?need them the most.

 

Bringing world-class healthcare to the poorest

It is interesting that in the United States, the most significant budget is healthcare, whether it is private or public. In Africa where it is a major killer, it is totally ignored. We must do something about it. The health status of a nation parallels development of that nation.

Dr. Ernest Madu, founder of the Heart Institute of the Caribbean, introduces us to his talk with very insightful statistics on the epidemiology of cardiovascular diseases in developing countries ? 85% of the global burden for cardiovascular disease is in developing countries, and yet, 90% of the resources are in the West. There is room for improvement, particularly where health systems are weak ? 50% of all cardiovascular cases will die within 24 hours if not treated. The link between poor health and poverty has been well proven, which is why finding?alternative solutions continues to remain important. Madu discusses potential solutions to this crippling epidemic.

Cherry Blossom – Indomitable in the Aftermath

Have you ever experienced a ?never again? moment? That single moment when you resolve to prevent an incident from ever happening again? Dr. Olamide Orekunrin did.? At the age of 12, Orekunrin?s sister became very sick and needed an air ambulance to transfer her to an appropriate health facility to treat and manage her health. The closest to Nigeria at the time was in Johannesburg, over six hours away, but it was too late; she died before the ambulance even landed in Lagos. Orekunrin describes her career in medicine, her journey to developing what is now recognized as the largest air ambulance service in West Africa and the importance of its role in building the region?s current healthcare infrastructure.

Leveraging ?mobile devices to improve healthcare

The most innovative thing you have to do is to keep things simple; sometimes the most simple things in life make the greatest impact.

What started as a growing trend is proving to be a viable way to address healthcare problems in Africa. South African physician Mohammed Dalwai advocates the use of mobile devices to address very preventable and treatable illnesses. Simple.

Empowerment through Wellness

In a talk that hits very close to home, Nangado Kauluma teaches us to explore the benefits of physical activity. In 2010, over a quarter of the African population was reportedly physically inactive, and in Namibia alone, more than half of the country’s population did not?meet the minimum?requirements for?physical activity.?Kauluma is the founder of?Pulse Health and Wellness, an?innovative, web-based company that offers African women fitness and nutrition solutions that are contextually relevant, yet highly accessible. In her talk, she offers tips on how to?start moving more and eating better.

My story for vaccines

Vaccines have been available for meningitis for decades. But it’s one thing to have a vaccine; it’s another thing entirely to get the vaccines to those that really need them.

Dr. Utibe Effiong?s dream to become a medical doctor surpassed his condition as a young boy growing up in the urban slums of Lagos. His dream was deferred after a brush with an illness that was?eventually diagnosed as?meningitis. In many African countries, conditions such as poverty, illiteracy, religious extremism, poor governance and lack of political will have stood in the way of effective healthcare service delivery, including vaccination and immunization services. Effiong shares his inspiring story as he draws from his experiences to teach us about the importance of relating to people about their health, and how best multisectoral?experts can do so effectively.

Grassroots creativity on Idjwi Island

?The island of Idjwi, which lies on the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a place of many limitations, including extreme poverty and illiteracy. But according to Dr. Jacques Sebisaho, an island native, it is a place where “the lesser known African creative minds are solving African problems”. Indeed, these are the same individuals who are solving the island’s problems, including the provision of greatly needed healthcare.

Image: TEDx

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