For many people especially those in the western world, Africa is synonymous with diseases, wars, conflicts and famine. While Africa cannot agree to be synonymous with such claims, the continent cannot escape the fact that within the confines of its territory lies some of the most deadly diseases that have claimed more lives in history than war and famine put together. Every continent has diseases that are predominant in them and is the same for Africa. Most of the diseases in Africa are such that can be completely prevented by simple measures starting with proper education and personal hygiene. In most cases, these diseases in Africa affect women and children which form the most vulnerable demographic class. In this article, we explore the 10 most deadly diseases in Africa which has claimed the lives of many.
10 Most Deadly Diseases in Africa
Syphilis is arguably one of the most killer diseases in Africa. The rash/boil causing plague is responsible for the infection of up to 12.2 million people in the world every year with a quarter of these cases occurring in Africa due to poor sexual health education. On the average, there 157,000 people lose their life to syphilis every year and according to World Health Organization, infection rates in major African cities of Zambia; an east African country and Cameroon; a country in the Central Africa were reported to be as high as 10% and 6% in both genders respectively and studies done in Madagascar suggested that infection rates may be up to 30%. The diseases is transmitted through contact with body fluids, blood and blood products. It is also known to be transmitted from mother to child. Apart from Africa, Syphilis is also prevalent in Southeast Asia and south America.