A lack of donor support in Madagascar due to political instability has opened the door to serious health concerns in the country. Food insecurity and TB cases, as well as extreme poverty, are now on the rise throughout Madagascar.
The former president of Madagascar was deposed in a coup d’etat in early 2009. Leaders from many countries condemned the action; the US State Department called it “an undemocratic transfer of power.” As a result, international donor funding to Madagascar was significantly reduced. The country now faces a severe shortage of the resources necessary to keep its people healthy.
Food insecurity and TB create a vicious cycle in many parts of the world. Malnutrition compromises the body’s ability to fight disease, thereby increasing susceptibility to TB. Those with TB experience a reduced appetite, an impaired ability to absorb nutrients, and an altered metabolism, all of which further contribute to malnutrition.
As food insecurity has increased in Madagascar due to lack of donor funding for food aid, cases of TB are on the rise. In the first three months of 2012, 56 TB cases were reported for treatment in Madagascar’s southern capital city of Toliara. In the same period of 2013, 68 cases were reported. According to the head of the TB treatment center in Toliara, “Many people can come into contact with TB, but do not become sick if they are healthy enough to fight off the illness.”
Natural disasters and environmental hazards have only compounded the problems of food insecurity and TB in Madagascar. Cyclone Haruna struck the country in February 2013, affecting about 42,000 households. A locust plague in 2012 has affected food production in at least half of the country, as have erratic rains. Over half the population is thought to be at risk for food insecurity, and thus for the development of TB.
There are barriers to treating TB patients, even with aid that is available. 80 percent of Madagascar’s population lives in rural areas, and 65 percent live at least 6 miles from a medical center. While food used to be distributed at treatment centers, this is no longer the case in many places. Because of the need to work in order to eat, patients have left centers before completing treatment, which takes up to six months.
Extreme poverty is rampant in Madagascar, where over three-quarters of the population live on less than $1 USD per day. This is an increase from 68 percent poverty before the coup d’etat. If the coming July elections are judged to be “free and fair,” Madagascar has the potential to receive more donor support.
Xavier Poncin, head of the TB program at the UN World Food Program (WFP) in Madagascar, summed up the problem: “Despite an increasing number of people living below the poverty line, most international donors are still limiting their support due to the political situation. And this has direct consequences on WFP programs.”
–Kat Henrichs
Source:IRIN
Photo:The Fine Art Diner