The Logistics involved in saving lives in Africa

We’ve all heard that there is a horrific situation in Africa revolving around the spread of AIDS. But, did you know that one of the greatest barriers to halting the disease is transportation? It’s true. According to Architecture for Humanity, “It is estimated that three-quarters of the world’s AIDS population lives in Sub-Saharan Africa; most have no access to lifesaving drugs, testing facilities or even basic preventative health care. One of the major factors inhibiting medical professionals in Africa from treating this disease is the inability to access vast areas of the continent with adequately equipped medical facilities.”

Africa is just as we imagine. It is filled with people who are starving, people who have no clean water to drink, children who are growing up without parents because AIDS has ripped them away from them. There is no doubt that Africa’s people live in survival mode, each and every day. I never really understood the depth and breadth of the situation there however until I watched a program last weekend called “Where have all the Parents Gone?. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s an in-your-face look at the problem facing Africa’s children. While watching the film, I gained a new appreciation for my comfortable life here in the U.S.

In the film, Christine Amanpour, a former refugee of Iran who escaped her country during the Islamic Revolution in 1979, tells it like it is in Africa. Two of the problems facing African citizens is a lack of sophisticated medical equipment and transportation.

Medical Equipment 

American philanthropist Ann Lurie, who is also a pediatric nurse planned and paid for clinics, and labs, and all the high-tech medical equipment that the poor in Africa can only dream of. One of the doctors benefitting from the good works of Ann Lurie, Dr. Oidamae Tobiko of the Aid Village Clinics says, “I never thought you could have such a thing in the middle of nowhere.” His clinic now diagnoses, treats, and gives follow-up care for free to all who can make it to the clinic and word, according to the film, is spreading like wildfire. 

The logistical problem 

In a country filled with rough terrain, getting help to those who need it takes some creative thinking. In America, it’s as easy as driving ourselves to the doctor, our nearest pharmacy, or dialing 911. In Africa, it’s a totally different story. Villages lie in remote areas with no roads leading up to them, yet they need medicine and medical treatment. What’s the solution? “Riders for Health” is providing Africa’s citizens with motorcyles and teaching them how to fix them.

I think that most Americans are only concerned with logistics when their UPS, FedEx, DHL, Post Office delivery, or other delivery services don’t get them what they want when they want it. Particularly, when they are waiting for something vital like medicine. Typically, people get frustrated when they have a delivery that is late for less essential items; orders from HSN and QVC come to mind. The situation in Africa serves as a reminder to us that the logistics industry serves a much more important role in the quality of life for people at home and abroad.

More about CNN’s Christine Amanpour

Watch Clips from the CNN Broadcast “Where have all the Parents Gone”

Orphans of Aids

Why is Daddy Sick? 

A Continent of Orphans 

Dawn Turner
Blog Managment & Development
The SearchLogix Group