Nno, Welcome, Ola,

I visited Nigeria in 2006 and was bitten by a bug called High Infant Mortality Rate. I read about the issue in a local news paper in Abuja. This information was buttressed while on holidays in my father's village (Nnewi); an elderly woman informed my cousin and I of 2 infant deaths that Christmas week from childhood preventable illnesses. I was aghast. I sat down, dumfounded, then a flashback of I (as a child), at the end of civil war, women carrying their dying babies of kwashiorkor to my father's compound seeking relief; food, water, medicine anything to help their infants. In 2007 I returned to finish my graduate school in Public Health and my community health class provided a platform to research infant mortality rate. Hence, I wrote a paper on it, and proposed a three year strategic pyramid solution.

This blog is about being part of the solution:
(a) bringing the issue to bear
(b) envisioning seamless integrated strategies
(c) visualizing adapting innovative, sustainable solutions to mitigate variables that give rise to high infant deaths.

At issue is the continent of Africa. Some may say I gave money to Africa, yes you did but in reality you gave money for a project in Mali, or Sierra Leone or Liberia. That is 3 countries out of 50. From my research, high infant morality rate in SSA is attracting international, national and individual researchers seeking effective methods in implementing sustainable measures or solutions towards reversing the numbers. I am suggesting that more man power is needed to combat the problem at least in Nigeria.

http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/MDG_FS_4_EN.pdf



Monday, November 8, 2010

Africa Rules the 41st New York City Marathon

Despite all that ails the continent of Africa (war, disease, famine, ethnic strife, corruption, poor governance, low life expectancy and high infant mortality rate), it was pleasing to see runners from the eastern part of the continent sweep the New York City Marathon.  Gebre Gebremariam (Ethiopia) first in 2:08:14, Emmanuel Mutai (Kenya) second in 2:09:14,  Moses Kigen Kipkosgei (Kenya) third in 2:10:39,  Abderrahim Goumri (Morocco-north africa) fourth in 2:10:51, James Kwamabi (Kenya) fifth in 2:11:31, and Abel Kirui (Kenya) finished ninth in 2:13:01.  For the women Edna Kiplagat (Kenya) first in 2:28:20, Mary Keitany (Kenya) third in 2:29:01, Caroline Rotich (Kenya) eighth in 2:29:46, and Buzunesh Deba (Ethiopia) finished tenth in 2:29:55.  However, my main man of the event is none other than Mr. Chile himself; Edison Pena, who finished in 5:40:51.  What a remarkable human being.  What a determined individual, not to speak of his perseverance. He was the highlight of the race for me.   My take-away listen is to de determined and persevere and believe that in not so distance future high infant mortality deaths in Nigeria- SSA would be reversed. I do not mean to persevere in a believing system without action, but in my determination in call to action.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)