A pandemic of inequality: reflections on AIDS and COVID-19 in the southern African context

In 2020, COVID-19 started spreading from Wuhan in China to the USA, the UK and Europe and then to the rest of the world. In Africa, the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Egypt on 14 February, while South Africa's first case was identified on 5 March. On 11 March, the World Health Organization declared a pandemic. At the time, it was said that COVID-19 would become the great equaliser because the virus made no distinction between first and third world countries, between the rich and the poor, and nor was it influenced by gender, sexual orientation or race. When someone contracted SARS-CoV-2, no guarantee could be given that the patient would survive, regardless of who they were or their status in the community.This stood in contrast to the early experience of AIDS before antiretrovirals existed and when HIV was spreading like wildfire in sub-Saharan Africa and other countries with low or lower-middle-income status. It seemed as if these countries were doubly cursed ­ by poverty and the AIDS pandemic that was causing as many as 6 000 mortalities per day in sub-Saharan Africa. This led to the South African president at the time, Thabo Mbeki, to assert that poverty was an even greater problem than HIV and AIDS.It did not take long to see that COVID-19 was not the anticipated equaliser. As lockdowns were enforced within most countries across the globe and resulting in economic slumps, differences between rich and poorer countries and their respective citizens were thrown into sharp relief once again. This article reports how both AIDS and COVID-19 adversely affected women, the impoverished and those without access to sustainable souces of food and medicine.

Contextual factors in premature non-communicable disease mortality in selected African countries within the sustainable development goals framework: the implication of voice and accountability

Sustainable Development Goal number 3, target 4 (SDG 3.4), seeks a 30% reduction in premature Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) mortality from 2015 levels by 2030. Africa United Nations (UN) Member States continue to experience increasing NCD mortality significantly, with the highest proportion of diabetes mortality among the working-age group. Past efforts to address this burden have been centered primarily on individual risk modifications evident by the NCDs Cluster Program at the World Health Organization (WHO) Africa Regional Office. To achieve a progressive reduction, a comprehensive premature NCD reduction approach which includes a consideration of contexts within which premature NCD, such diabetes mortality arises is necessary. The aim was to examine the relationship between contextual factors and diabetes-related deaths as premature NCD mortality and to enable an improved contextualized evidence-based approach to premature NCD mortality reduction. Country-level data was retrieved for post SDG initiative years (2016-2019) from multiple publicly available data sources for 32 selected Africa UN Member States in the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) East and West Africa Region. Multiple linear regression was employed to examine the relationship between diabetes-related deaths in individuals 20-79 years and contextual factors identified within the SDG framework. Weighted data analysis showed that voice and accountability as a contextual factor explained approximately 47% variability in diabetes-related deaths across the selected Africa UN Member Sates in IDF East and West Region (n=32). Civil society engagement is vital to develop effective premature NCD mortality reduction policies, and strategies and stakeholders' accountabilities are necessary to ensure adherence to obligations.

A Bioética global e os direitos humanos para o desenvolvimento sustentável / Global Bioethics and human rights for sustainable development

Tomar decisões criticamente fundamentadas entre o que podemos fazer e o que devemos evitar, ou o que é melhor fazer quando surgem alguns dilemas,é crucial para o discernimento ético e político. A legitimidade das decisões humanas sobre as aplicações da ciência e da tecnologia para promover a vida, a saúde e o bem-estar dos povos é possível graças à cooperação internacional e à protecção do direitocomo instrumento de protecção e garantia do bem comum, da dignidade e bens fundamentais da pessoa, isto é, o que chamamos de direitos humanos. A Bioética Global propõe uma articulação adequada entre as questões bioéticas e os direitos humanos como paradigma ético universal que deve ser levado em consideração nas decisões, públicas e privadas, no campo das ciências da vida e da saúde. O desafio ético e político é saber como equilibrar ointeresse legítimo da indústria por lucros e o desenvolvimento econômico com inovação científica e tecnológica prudente e para o bem das pessoas e comunidades. O reconhecimento mútuo está na base da relaçãoque nos permite dar a cada um o que é seu e promover a convivência pacífica na nossa casa comum. Se realizada de acordo com os imperativos morais de solidariedade e justiça, atentando para a minimização das distâncias entre pobres e ricos e entre as regiões Norte e Sul Global, a ciência e a tecnologia contribuirão para o desenvolvimento humano de forma eficaz e eticamentesustentável.

Making critically informed decisions between what we can do and what we should avoid, or what is best to do when some dilemmas arise, is crucial for ethical and political discernment. The legitimacy of human decisions on the applications of science and technology to promote life, health and people's well-being is possible thanks to international cooperation and the protection of law as an instrument toprotect and guarantee the common good, dignity and fundamental goods of the person, that is, what we call human rights. Global Bioethics proposes an appropriate articulation between bioethical issues and humanrights as a universal ethical paradigm that should be taken into consideration in decisions, public and private, in the field of life and health sciences. The ethical and political challenge is how to balance the legitimate interest of industry for profits and economic development with prudent scientific and technological innovation for the good of people and communities. Mutual recognition is at the basis of the relationship that allows us to give each his due and to promote peaceful coexistence in our common home. If carried out in accordance with the moral imperatives of solidarity and justice, paying attention to minimizing the gaps between the poor and the rich and between the Global North and South, science and technology will contribute to human development in an effective and ethically sustainable manner

Atlas des statistiques sanitaires africaines 2022: analyse de la situation sanitaire de la Région africaine ­ rapport de synthèse

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Gender perspectives and health literacy proficiencies of In-school adolescents in Osun State, Nigeria

Health literacy proficiency has been linked with positive adolescent health outcomes. Strategies aimed towards improving health literacy have been suggested as a major way of achieving adolescent health and wellbeing. Previous research has identified a nexus between socio-demographics, education and health literacy proficiency. This study therefore, explores existing relationships between gender, socio-economic class and the health literacy proficiency levels of in-school adolescents in Osun State.Mixed method involving questionnaire survey and Focus group discussion were used to obtain data from 1,200 randomly selected in-school adolescents from 12 high schools in Osun State, Nigeria. The survey instrument was an adaptation of the electronic health literacy scale (eHEALS). Results show only 1,186 (98.8%) questionnaire were found analysable. Mean age of respondents was 15 + 0.6 with 616(51.1%) being female. Overall health literacy proficiency was low with only 447(37.7%) having a high level of health literacy proficiency. Quantitative survey shows that both gender and socio-economic background have negative statistically significant relationship with health literacy proficiency. Similarly, FGD revealed that females generally have lower health literacy proficiency when compared with males. The study concludes that gender based interventions for female adolescents could reduce health and educational disparities which will contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4 and 5.

Population dynamics and infrastructure: meeting the millennium development goals in Ondo State; Nigeria

Population has become an important research issue because its consideration has significant implications for change; development and quality of life in the society. Infrastructure such as water; transport; drainage and sanitation on the other hand have been recognized on the other hand as critical to ensure the quality of living and sustainable urban development in contemporary times. This paper examines the change in population growth of Ondo state with a view to determining the extent at which infrastructure in the study area has been improved on and what will be required to meet the MDGs for infrastructural development. The paper discusses the consequences of inadequate infrastructure in Ondo state as well as identifies how the MDGs targets can be achieved to reduced urban poverty in Africa. Data utilized in the study were derived systematic survey of household characteristics; indicators of accessibility to basic infrastructure in the city. Population figures were obtained from National Population Commission and distribution of regular households by main characteristics of infrastructure during the last census (2006) in Ondo State. The study showed that as typical of a Nigerian State; majority of the residents of Ondo state do not have access to basic infrastructure