Chaos in Africa

[OFSO]

Report on Sky News this morning: an attempt to get Kenyan mothers to use a sterilising gell on the cuts ends of the umbilical cord after birth, rather than what they use now, which is (and I quote from Sky News) a mixture of gecko dung and dust from the floor. Seemingly this results in a high newborn death rate due to infection. Who'd have thought it ?

Sky News says this will increase the baby's survival chances by some huge factor. No mention of improving the African infrastructure to support all those extra new babies.

[Capetonian]

When I read 'sterilising gel' I thought you meant something to make them sterile and thus prevent further breeding.
That would be a solution. No such wisdom prevails in Africa.

[obgraham]

I spent a bit of time in Malawi on a medical trip, considerable part of which was a bit of basic maternal/child education. I gave several classes for "traditional birth attendants", and found that though they were completely untrained and tribalistic in their practices, they really did want to learn how to help their women safely.

The main point of my class was "there is no reason at all -- ever -- to stuff any concoction of any sort into the reproductive parts of any woman." It was incredible what they would stuff in during and after the childbirth process. Probably the big reason why the Central Hospital there had a "Tetanus Ward", something not seen in western places for 150 years.

[Slasher]

Interesting aspect as to why Africa is fuct.

[Rwy in Sight]

Slasher, thanks for the clip, rather interesting to see. And it may be useful on the immigration threads.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Too many laws and too complex a tax code does not distinguish African countries from the rest of the World.

[Slasher]

I think it does Fox if you throw endemic corruption into the mix laced with cultural tribality.