RESUMO
The detrimental effects of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) have called for several approaches in the fight against it in West Africa, where telemedicine is still in its infancy. In West Africa, self-medication is prevalent because the majority of these medications are easily accessible due to insufficient regulatory structures that control their production, distribution, and consumption. Also, access to healthcare facilities and professionals is limited. All of these and other inadequacies consequently result in the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant organisms. AMR, which is now a major global health crisis according to the WHO, may cause the deaths of about 10 million people before 2050, and Africa may make up 41% of these deaths, with the Western part of this continent affected the most. While several approaches have been adopted, unlike in other regions of the world, the use of telemedicine in West Africa to fight AMR has rarely been studied or considered and where it is now in partial use, its efficacy is constrained by several factors. This paper discusses the roles of telemedicine, the limitations to its application in the fight against AMR, and suggests remedies for these limitations.
RESUMO
Children in detention in Africa are part of the vulnerable population exposed to the COVID-19 pandemic due to factors such as overcrowding, poor healthcare of inmates, and lousy state of the facilities. The number of children in detention was estimated to be about one million in 2010, and this has further increased threat to global health. The fall in operating criminal justice systems, from the aspect of rehabilitation and reform in Africa, to its being plagued with crisis, overpopulation, and inability to conform to fundamental human rights and health standards. It was noted that children in detention in Africa end up in prison mainly because they are either given birth to by incarcerated mothers or sentenced to jail based on their alleged criminal activity. Also, certain limitations in some African countries to track the prevalence of COVID-19 and other diseases include inaccessible data, non-specificity of data, and unreliable information regarding the current prison situation. Sometimes, these data could be insufficient and hard to comprehend, primarily if written in the local language. The efforts to resolve the untreated wounds of children in detention during COVID-19 are somewhat tricky. However, this paper identifies these limitations and proffers recommendations such as; the identification and implementation of strategies that support the continuity of child-centered services, prioritizing children for immediate release, and ensuring adequate protection of their health and well-being, among others.