Dr. Shahi mentioned ORS in class today and it brought a whole bunch of memories to me. While I do not reach for my salt and sugar when trying to find a remedy for diarrhoea, I remember that we all had to learn about ORS especially during outbreaks of cholera. This solution has saved many many lives and proven to be simple enough for almost everyone to be able to make. A country like Ghana, where cholera is still a major risk for members of her population has included simple remedies like ORS into their primary school curricula.
From the video for class today, we learned that every 14s, a child is orphaned as a result of AIDS. This is a very devastating statistic and the truth is that most of us cannot grasp exactly what that means. I know I certainly can't really comprehend the problem. I mean, in the time it's taking me to complete this entry, the number of people that would have died from AIDS is alarming. To top it off, the percentage of those who would be leaving children behind creates major distress in my mind.
As a part of rebuilding, Africa will, at some point, have to figure out what do with all these children that have no parents. The wars and other major problems have already caused enough trauma to a lot of children. AIDS has only exacerbated the situation. It would be very pertinent for nations to set aside funds and resources for her future. It would be interesting to see how Africa shapes up in terms of her youth, because they are so many distractions (child soldiers, child trafficking etc) that can cause so much more turmoil on the continent.
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