When we discuss health issues in African countries the usual conversation revolves around HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria, and the issues around treatment and cure. Rarely do we discuss the repercussions of war and political unrest on African health issues. However, recent political developments in the Ivory Coast illustrate the deadly intersection of political unrest and access to health care.

You may know of the current political situation in the Ivory Coast. After a presidential election took place nearly one month ago, Laurent Gbagbo took control of the presidency. The problem is that he did not actually win the election. According to the popular vote his opponent, former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara actually won the election, fair and square. Unfortunately, internal and international pleas to relinquish control of the country and give the presidency back to its rightful winner Ouattara, have been ignored by Gbagbo. Obviously this situation has caused political tension, unrest and, inevitably, violence in the country.

According to a report released by Amnesty International,  participants of a peaceful protest against Gbagbo were fired on by “security forces” in the capital city, Abidjan. Sources have approximated that thirty peaceful protestors were killed by security forces. Ten injured protestors were denied medical attention at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU), a local hospital in the capital, though the resources to save their lives were readily available there.

An eyewitness told Amnesty International that “The Ivorian security forces continue to behave deplorably, firing on unarmed protesters, denying them medical care and threatening medical personnel.”  Gbagbo’s regime ordered that injured protestors not be admitted to the hospital. As a result, they were denied life-saving medical attention. One doctor at CHU explained the situation saying, “Medical personnel at CHU said they were instructed to send wounded demonstrators to Abidjan’s military hospital…Medical staff protested saying it was tantamount to sending them to death.”

Although illness caused by typical disease processes (HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria viruses and bacteria) are attributable to the majority of deaths on the African continent, political forces are also contributing factors to increased health problems and mortality rates. The situation in the Ivory Coast is only the latest example of systematic and violent denial of health care to African people.

Unlike disease epidemics, this problem doesn’t require the call for changes in health infrastructure, bed nets, vaccinations or health education. This calls for a cooperative effort between politicians, health officials and ordinary citizens to raise awareness of the consequences of political unrest and war on the health and mortality of African people. Can’t we all just get along?

In an increasingly globalized world that allows people to connect to each other around the world in seconds, this is a problem. Earth is quickly becoming a singular planetary community rather than hundreds of smaller, national societies. As a result, understanding and education about places not currently understood is absolutely vital.

The United States has been and will likely continue to be involved in the situation in Israel and Pakistan largely for our own interests in the Middle East. Therefore, people need to know what’s going on there for as long as we’re implicated in the situation. Conversely, besides any minimal foreign aid the US sends to places like the DRC and Sierra Leone, we have little vested interests in those areas (excluding the diamond-rich Sierra Leone countryside) that would make the American public want to become educated on affairs in these places. The major interest in these areas is, of course, consumer-driven, since the DRC is very rich in Coltan, an ore used to make myriad electronics so vital to our everyday lives. Unfortunately, this western business interest that has the potential to better the lives of the inhabitants, mainly serves to fuel pre-existing problems in the region.
Many Americans are sadly and disturbingly under the impression that Africa is a mysterious place that just naturally and inherently produces conflict, and that there’s really just nothing we can do about it. This is wrong.

Africa is a beautiful place with a history of peace and conflict resolution much longer than ours. Still, because of the discourse produced by those in power over the course of our history, people simply don’t realize this and never will unless something changes in people’s attitudes regarding the world around them.

Furthermore, western media has little to no interest in reporting on Africa, be it good or bad news, due to the historical implications surrounding it. Much of the problems that have arisen in war-torn countries came from severe cultural, economic, and social oppression inflicted during colonialism. Similarly to here in the US, people would just rather forget that dark period in history and not recognize the seemingly irreparable damage it has done to innocent peoples’ lives.

Now, this entire ordeal might seem hopeless and anyone reading this might be under the impression that there is nothing they can do. Well I am pleased to tell you that you are mistaken. The best solution to this problem? Education. Education leads to understanding; understanding leads to tolerance and acceptance. The latter both lead to compassion and desire to help, which is where groups like SCOUT BANANA and other international philanthropic organizations that want to help those who need it help themselves come in.

So next time you sit down to read the paper or watch the news on TV I’m presenting you with this challenge: for every story you read or watch about domestic affairs, read or watch at least one about Africa, or any other region of the world not typically covered on CNN, ABC, CBS, or in USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post, or any other major news source. You might be surprised how much you have to learn.