My Week in Review: On Nigeria’s Health Care and Africa Losing her Young

This week has been a lot in my life and in Africa, in general. But as the Gen Zs say, “we move!” However, that would be with a caveat to feel and to heal. Right here, we heal. So, before we proceed, take a deep breath. Just, be.

This week, I learnt about the re-election of the former Malawian president, President Peter Mutharika at 85 years old. He had initially ruled between 2014 to 2020, before being succeeded by Lazarus Chakwera. Some people describe Lazarus Chakwera’s presidency as devastating, bearing in mind the current state of the Malawian economy.

When I heard this, I thought to myself, “so, the Nigerian economy is not the most depressing thing ever? Even Malawi is suffering from economical crises too?” Many times, when we focus on one problem, or on our problems, we find it so hard to see other problems and other’s problems. Today, my Malawian kinsmen, please know that I see you and I empathize with you.

Also, this week, I got to hear about the Nigerian women pushing for more female members of parliament. An interviewee on the BBC Africa Podcast believed that reserving seats for females in the parliament could help.

For me, I think that could help, initially, but may not be sustainable in the long run. I believe in meritocracy. Women should work and earn their seats on the table. Yes, I acknowledge that women’s rights are peculiar, but women must work and they must earn. The important thing is that they are given an environment to thrive.

Furthermore, I got struck by the news of the Namibian fires. These fires have ravaged a third of the key nature reserve in Namibia. This is calamitous, to say the least. To think of the biodiversity lost in these fires or the money to be spent to restore the ruins. Times like this, I wonder, what more I could do to preserve our planet. Recently, I made a resolve to reduce my plastic usage. That would mean, buying things in glass or metal containers, as opposed to plastic. That said, my heart goes out to the Namibian people. Apologies for the loss.

Moreover, it was sad to hear about a young Nigerian woman who almost lost her life to a heart attack. Cardiovascular diseases, like heart attack and high blood pressure, are quite prevalent. They are also silent killers. As adult humans, one must ensure that they are on the up and up, by check their vitals regularly. I flunk at this too, but we could all try to be better.

A food for thought, though: is the Nigerian health care system truly above board? Heaven knows, I have my grievances. I have my hurts, my allegations. Nevertheless, in what ways could we ensure health reforms?

Lastly, in this past week in Nigeria, we witnessed the passing of Somtochukwu Christelle Maduagwu, an Arise TV presenter. The details of her passing are so graphic, I cannot share. I am also touched by the news of the passing of Ernest Akushey, a Ghanaian boxer and Jane Goodall, an English anthropologist.

In the face of death, I remind myself that, in spite of the circumstances surrounding the said death, no matter how peaceful or graphic, these people lived. They loved. They are not mere statistics. Today, I celebrate their lives.