Malaria

Malaria is the leading cause of death in Benin. And a big part of the problem are drug vendors like the lady in the picture. The following paragraph came from a blog on how the Benin government are dealing with the crisis.

In the markets of west Africa, malaria drugs are on sale as openly as oranges and bananas. Trader Simone Adechinan claims to know her stuff. "With these," she says, producing a beige box marked Chloroquine Phosphate, "you want to take six tablets a day for a week, then pause for a week and take paracetamol, then start again." She issues the dubious advice without seeing the patient or referring to a doctor's prescription. And she sells the box of 100 tablets – which has no manufacturer's name – for 1,000 CFA francs ($2).

Kudos to the Benin for trying to find solutions. They have opened free malaria clinics all over with real treatments. Also, they are training regular people in first aid and allowing them to distribute real drugs for simple problems. These people aren't paid much, but it's a job worthy of respect and they can still do their other jobs. What struck me is that sometimes this lay person is the ONLY medical contact a pregnant woman might have. It makes me feel incredibly grateful for the priviledges I have.