This global phenomenon undermines the physical and mental health of those subjected to it wherever it occurs. In some low-resource countries, many in Africa, already afflicted by humanitarian emergencies and conflicts, gender-based violence takes on even more critical levels, aggravated by surrounding socio-cultural, behavioral, and environmental factors.
Thoughts on a tendency to a certain fanaticism of ideas – creeping but no less damaging – in some of our “Western world.” This is an invitation, especially for doctors, to not lose sight of the moral necessity that people are always more important than absolute ideas and health is a right for everyone, without exception.
The situation for civilians in Gaza is worsening by the day. The level of conflict with Israel is rising, and international institutions seem unable to act decisively to bring a resolution to the conflict.
How can research in the field be best integrated with health planning in developing countries? How can we bring the different actors in this area into dialogue? CUAMM talked about these questions with its international partners at an event on the occasion of CPHIA 2023, the International Conference on Public Health in Africa.
The spread of non-communicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa has reached levels similar to those in higher-income countries. However, the amount of resources allocated to health in these two different worlds – the poor and rich – are still vastly unequal, which has major health, socio-economic, and political consequences.
The WHO defines health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. Gender-based violence deeply damages all of these aspects. Gender-based violence is a widespread phenomenon whose levels are still dire, especially in low-resource countries where they often intertwine with conflicts and social situations that aggravate its severity and spread.
The rise of NCDs (Non-Communicable Diseases) is a new phenomenon with a growing impact in Africa, as well as the number of patients and premature deaths. In Tanzania, CUAMM manages health centers that treat patients with chronic diseases, acting both on clinical and structural aspects and improving the population's awareness of NCDs.
In the province of Cabo Delgado in Mozambique, which is beset by conflict and persistent humanitarian and structural crises, a CUAMM experience combines operational research and field actions to provide psychological support (MHPSS) and integrated clinical and legal assistance to victims of gender-based violence (GBV).
Between June and December 2022, CUAMM assisted Ukrainian refugees in Moldova, working in two refugee centers in the city of Chișinău. It helped over 1,000 patients in this period, most of whom came with health needs due to chronic non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular and neoplastic diseases.
Thirty CUAMM volunteers – from diverse backgrounds with diverse aspirations – tell us about their experiences in Africa in the form of letters. “Africa andata e ritorno”is a book that shines a light on many facets of Africa through genuine, vivid stories of volunteers who worked and lived in Africa to improve health.