Malaria, Africa's Greatest Killer

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), a child dies of malaria every 30 seconds. Malaria is a mosquito- born life threatening disease caused by parasites and it kills about 350–500 million people worldwide each year mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. The phrase “prevention is better than cure” is so widely known yet African governments seem to find it hard to understand what this clearly explanatory phrase really means. I don’t think it requires a genius to figure out that the prevention of malaria is perhaps more cost-effective than treatment of the disease hence, so many deaths of innocent children would reduce if African governments educate the people vigorously on the benefits of clean environment.

Also, the construction of a proper system of draining of wetland which are breeding grounds for mosquitoes, the total prevention of stagnant water or oiling of stagnant water and in all better sanitation in the sub-Sahara African countries who are mostly victim to malaria would just be enough in combating the parasites. Well, my view is that a little bit of common sense approach will go along way in reducing the spread of malaria rather than the well publicized used of Bed nets by footballers and politicians and yet I have not seen a campaign on good sanitation. Malaria was once common in most of Europe and North America where it is no longer endemic and I doubt that they achieved this by using mosquito nets.

Ernesto Bartolomeu....

O jornalista da Televisão Pública de Angola (TPA), Ernesto Bartolomeu, é um potencial vencedor do Prémio Africano de Jornalismo, cuja cerimónia de entrega será realizada sábado, em Durban, na África do Sul.

O adido de imprensa da representação diplomática angolana naquele país, António do Nascimento, disse que os organizadores do galardão, a Cadeia de Televisão Americana "CNN" e a Multichoice procederam, ontem (quarta-feira), à apresentação dos 21 candidatos concorrentes ao prémio. Ernesto Bartolomeu concorre com uma reportagem sobre o Kuito Kuanavale, um dos municípios da província do Kuando Kubango, que foi palco de combates entre os exércitos angolano e sul-africano, na era do Apartheid, cujo desfecho marcou uma viragem nos acontecimentos de Angola e da região Austral. De acordo com António do Nascimento, nesta reportagem são revelados factos que comovem toda a sociedade sul-africana, como a morte de muitos compatriotas e outras informações inéditas ligadas ao envolvimento do regime do Apartheid na guerra contra Angola. A peça jornalística encerra também uma entrevista ao actual presidente sul-africano, Jacob Zuma, na qual espelha a situação vigente na altura, acerca do relacionamento entre os dois países. Todos esses aspectos, na opinião de António do Nascimento, conferem ao trabalho do jornalista angolano todo o favorecimento na disputa deste prémio.

Article published on Angonoticias.

Obama has no vision for Africa….

I watched President Obama’s interview with allafrica with dismay and soreness. Barack Obama for the first time looks like he had no clue of what he was saying and appears like he was reading a script with no understanding of the African Continent and its people. When he spoke with Middle East people he had a precise idea and message he wanted to send out but sadly the same can not be said about Africa in his interview. It was so bizarre to the extent that the journalist who interviewed him had to keep on asking about his aim and legacy for the continent but he had no concrete responds. More insulting he kept on referring to the Continent as “the African people”. President Obama wants more aid and a partnership with Africa yet failed to underline what sort of partnership and worst of all he showed he does not care about the detriment aid causes to the continent. Evidently, aid to Africa has made the poor poorer and has contributed significantly to corruption as well as hampering the development of the continent. In the era where many are calling for less aid and more investments I would have thought that Obama would make the idea of investment as the main purpose and vision for Africa. He said he is not a believer in excuses and the Zimbabwe economy was not destroyed by the west: again depicting his lack of knowledge or disregard for Zimbabwean people who just wants a piece of their land which rightly belong to them.

This is sad coming from a man who call’s himself African American and yet he refers to Africans as “the African people”. Obama totally ignores and snubs the pain that Africa has been put through by the west without any acknowledgement of the fact that most African dictators are supported by the West. He completely rejected the undeniable unwavering support by the West to leaders such as Mwai Kibaki, late President Bongo and Mugabe (that is before he wanted his land) which has contributed to the lack of democratic governance in Africa. He portrays Africa in the darkest light as if I’m watching Joe Biden or Sarah Palin talk about Africa. Obama’s interview has embolden the West who preys and keep preying on the continent. Nonetheless, I’m hopeful that the new generation of African would see the West for what they really are whether they come as a wolf covered in the sheep’s skin or as a vulture painted white looking like a dove. President George W. Bush is the true friend of Africa as weird as it may sound it is the fact. African should weep and not rejoice for Obama visit to Africa. His visit to Africa is just a symbolic visit lacking respect, dignity, friendship or vision for the continent. President Obama spat on Mother Africa just to put it mildly. May God have mercy on Africa the Beautiful and the riches continent in God’s universe and save it from the illusory aim of the West.