Ethiopian region ravaged by HIV, malaria and TB
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Loading... - Seidu Musah
- 08 Aug 2022
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Gambela, a regional centre located in western Ethiopia that borders South Sudan, has been found to be a hotspot of all three key infectious diseases in Africa -- HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.
The new research’s lead author, Dr Kefyalew Alene, said it was concerning to find one region reporting large numbers of all three diseases.
“This study identified that the Ethiopian region of Gambela, which is home to more than 330,000 people, was a hotspot for high cases of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. The high prevalence of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria in this region may be due to inadequate case management and weaker health systems along the border.”
“The three are the most serious infectious diseases in the world, causing high morbidity and mortality rates especially in low and middle-income countries,” said Dr Alene, a researcher from the Curtin School of Population Health and the Telethon Kids Institute, in the research published Monday in BMJ (British Medical Journal) Global Health.
High prevalence
The research co-authored by other experts from Curtin and the Telethon Kids Institute, as well as Ethiopia’s University of Gondar and the National Tuberculosis Control Programme, found a high prevalence of all three infectious diseases in the region, prompting researchers to call for targeted health support rather than a national response. Read More...
