The Healthcare Crisis: Equatorial Guinea
Healthcare in Equatorial Guinea is extremely limited. Facilities and trained staff are scarce, and reliable medications even more so. Healthcare facilities seem to be chronically underfunded and even the local population advises against going to these facilities, as it is assumed their lack of supplies make them an unusable asset. There is a lack of reliable data concerning healthcare in Equatorial Guinea, in addition to a lack of training facilities for in-country health professionals.
Emergency care is not available, and those with money are advised to fly out of the country to seek assistance. It is common for families to pool their money in order to send a sick relative to Spain, where illnesses can be better treated and mitigated. Basic health supplies are impossible to purchase in Malabo, the main city, or elsewhere on Bioko Island (constituting approximately half of the country's area). Even for individuals with money, a simple check up at Malabo's best clinic can cost upwards of 100 USD. With the average Equatoguinean earning 250 USD per year, and city-based professionals earning the equivalent of approximately 600 USD per month, this is clearly not an option for the majority of Equatorial Guinea's residents. Finally, many of the clinics rely on international aid and medical supply donations. However, this aid is often given without pre-consultation, and the results can be devastating. For example, a clinic in the small village of Moka, Equatorial Guinea was gifted several thousand dollars worth of medicine, however, the clinic had no electricity, water, or storage capabilities and so much of the medicine succumbed to mold and rats. | The Healthcare Crisis: GhanaThe Ladybug Project works in partnership with the Bediako YouthAid Foundation in Ghana to undertake HIV/AIDS prevention work in the Jasikan region of the country. In this area, and specific to HIV/AIDS, there are significant hurdles to overcome in the healthcare field.
Stigma towards HIV/AIDS remains high; less than 20% of people have an accepting view towards HIV positive individuals. As a consequence, individuals with known HIV positive status are often unable to live life normally (frequenting regular stores, bank, and churches). This leads to a higher rate of undisclosed status to partners and family members, lower rates of testing, lower rates of contraceptive use, and decreased use of HIV medical treatment. In the past, a significant portion of HIV programs in Ghana have focused on the medical aspects of HIV/AIDS and have more or less ignored the mental and psychological effects of living with HIV. As a result, The Ladybug Project will be launching the first volunteer-match program in the Jasikan area, which aims to decrease the stigma of living with HIV and allow HIV positive individuals to have a support network. |
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