See if you can find the dog!
A quick search on most sites shows the preeminence of the Ebola outbreak and I brought an article about it last week. This week, I want to share something fun: Pictures!
The Turkana people live in the Ilemi Triangle, which is being fought over by South Sudan and Kenya, as an area both countries lay claim to. Meanwhile, the people living there, the Turkana, were photographed going about their lives.
Based on the pictures, I notice they rely heavily on the rivers of the area, for fishing and bathing. They seem to know what to do with a good day's catch, which is drying the carcasses. On a related note, being the granddaughter of an avid fisherman, those look like pretty big fish. The women decorate themselves with lots and lots of colorful beaded necklaces. Unfortunately, it seems like they also are used to defending themselves, given the large rifles they carry around casually.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2014/sep/29/turkana-people-east-africa-in-pictures
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Ebola Reaches 70% Death Rate
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29327741
Less than stellar news on the disease front in Western Africa. The World Heath Organization's newest total is that 70% of those infected with Ebola have died, which is obviously higher than the 50% death rate originally believed. They warn that without swift action to curb the spread, numbers could, at the worst reach 1.4 million infected by January. The organization expects 20,000 new cases will occur by November. Ebola has already killed 2,800 people.
Possible good news is that experimental drugs will begin being tested in Western Africa soon. Sierra Leone has closed its borders with Liberia and Guinea as a method of combating the viral disease. Britain is sending volunteers and building a medical facility to help curb the outbreak.
I don't think that's going to be enough but it's better than doing nothing. It's just sucks that the main reason it's going to be so bad is the lack of healthcare and services in the area.
Less than stellar news on the disease front in Western Africa. The World Heath Organization's newest total is that 70% of those infected with Ebola have died, which is obviously higher than the 50% death rate originally believed. They warn that without swift action to curb the spread, numbers could, at the worst reach 1.4 million infected by January. The organization expects 20,000 new cases will occur by November. Ebola has already killed 2,800 people.
Possible good news is that experimental drugs will begin being tested in Western Africa soon. Sierra Leone has closed its borders with Liberia and Guinea as a method of combating the viral disease. Britain is sending volunteers and building a medical facility to help curb the outbreak.
I don't think that's going to be enough but it's better than doing nothing. It's just sucks that the main reason it's going to be so bad is the lack of healthcare and services in the area.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
"Missing Chapter"
This is pretty cool. The first week of the semester, we discussed how African history was a new topic and that information about the continent was constantly being discovered. Well, Renee Mussai has found pictures from the Victorian Era of African Americans in the Hulton Archive, who had no idea they were there. I think that part of the story is fairly common. Historical archives have a lot of stuff and I've heard a couple different stories of people finding things that weren't even listed in the archive.
More importantly, this discovery and its subsequent display at the Rivington Palace in London is about showing the missing links in history. According to the article, the first time blacks were in Britain was in 1948 from Jamaica, but these photographs, taken in England, blow that idea out of the water.
Every photograph has a story behind it and that's what makes it so interesting. There are a couple shots of a group of female singers from South Africa, of an orphaned prince adopted by a British explorer, a rescued slave who was given as a 'gift' to Queen Victoria (I'm not sure how that worked as freedom, I'm hoping it was a symbolic sort of thing) and even a boxing champion. And all of this is from photographs taken around the time photographs were invented. http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/sep/15/black-chronicles-ii-victorians-photography-exhibition-rivington-place
More importantly, this discovery and its subsequent display at the Rivington Palace in London is about showing the missing links in history. According to the article, the first time blacks were in Britain was in 1948 from Jamaica, but these photographs, taken in England, blow that idea out of the water.
Every photograph has a story behind it and that's what makes it so interesting. There are a couple shots of a group of female singers from South Africa, of an orphaned prince adopted by a British explorer, a rescued slave who was given as a 'gift' to Queen Victoria (I'm not sure how that worked as freedom, I'm hoping it was a symbolic sort of thing) and even a boxing champion. And all of this is from photographs taken around the time photographs were invented. http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/sep/15/black-chronicles-ii-victorians-photography-exhibition-rivington-place
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Ebola outbreak into 2015
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-29060239
Pessimistic news for West Africa and its Ebola outbreak. The response to the outbreak has been poor. According to the article above, heath care workers are stretched thin with very limited supplies for dealing with the rising number of cases. They are now dealing with an estimated 500 new cases every week and they believe that number will rise to the thousands in about five weeks if the trend continues. Part of the reason they give for its sudden increase and spread beyond the original epicenter (it is now in Nigeria) is the inadequate response and its inability to contain the Ebola outbreak. With malaria season beginning, health officials are worried about treating malaria patients and decisions pregnant women will make in regards to birthing. Will they come to the hospital surrounded by malaria and Ebola victims, or will they stay at home and risk complications?
And now, perhaps for some possible good news. Virologists (people who study viruses) think that it may have mutated to become easier to spread. I know that sounds bad, but they also think that because it has mutated to be easier to spread, that also means it is less likely to kill you. One virologist thinks the death rate will sink down to 5% but the Ebola outbreak will never actually end. I assume the fact that it's mutable will make it more like cold and flu season. Not something that's likely to kill you, but something you may get every year.
Pessimistic news for West Africa and its Ebola outbreak. The response to the outbreak has been poor. According to the article above, heath care workers are stretched thin with very limited supplies for dealing with the rising number of cases. They are now dealing with an estimated 500 new cases every week and they believe that number will rise to the thousands in about five weeks if the trend continues. Part of the reason they give for its sudden increase and spread beyond the original epicenter (it is now in Nigeria) is the inadequate response and its inability to contain the Ebola outbreak. With malaria season beginning, health officials are worried about treating malaria patients and decisions pregnant women will make in regards to birthing. Will they come to the hospital surrounded by malaria and Ebola victims, or will they stay at home and risk complications?
And now, perhaps for some possible good news. Virologists (people who study viruses) think that it may have mutated to become easier to spread. I know that sounds bad, but they also think that because it has mutated to be easier to spread, that also means it is less likely to kill you. One virologist thinks the death rate will sink down to 5% but the Ebola outbreak will never actually end. I assume the fact that it's mutable will make it more like cold and flu season. Not something that's likely to kill you, but something you may get every year.
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Lesotho and Latin America
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29045113
Above is the link to Prime Minister Thabane re-entering Lesotho after fleeing from an attempted coup d'état. It seems like the article is hesitant to call it a coup, since it used quotation marks around the word. Which makes sense, considering it seems to be unsuccessful.
What struck me about the article, which is short and quickly explains the situation, is how similar it is to a lot of what I learned in my Latin American History class. Following independence from Spain, (Portugal for Brazil, though they had it easy) Latin American countries were, and to an extent still are, unstable politically. Mainly from the same cause early on: imperialism by European powers. Sound familiar?
In addition, the usual cause for that instability was continual coups by a caudillo (military leader) with the backing of the army. Technically during the 20th century, the United States also had a hand in backing those coups after our chosen dictator won the support of the military in order to overthrow what was usually a democratically elected leader, but back to Africa.
It is essentially the same as far as I can tell. As I said, the article is short and this seems to be a developing situation. According to the article, the Deputy Prime Minister, who is at odd with PM Thabane, has the support of the military. Anyway, Thabane returned with an escort of South African police who are now guarding the state house and homes of both Thabane and his Deputy Prime Minister. Lesotho is completely surrounded by South Africa but I think it will be very interesting to see where this goes.
Is there still some bitterness between the two countries following independence? Will Thabane have to deal with backlash by bringing in foreign troops to restore order? Why did South Africa decide to assist Thabane? Does it still eye Lesotho? I do not know, but this could be an explosion waiting to happen.
Above is the link to Prime Minister Thabane re-entering Lesotho after fleeing from an attempted coup d'état. It seems like the article is hesitant to call it a coup, since it used quotation marks around the word. Which makes sense, considering it seems to be unsuccessful.
What struck me about the article, which is short and quickly explains the situation, is how similar it is to a lot of what I learned in my Latin American History class. Following independence from Spain, (Portugal for Brazil, though they had it easy) Latin American countries were, and to an extent still are, unstable politically. Mainly from the same cause early on: imperialism by European powers. Sound familiar?
In addition, the usual cause for that instability was continual coups by a caudillo (military leader) with the backing of the army. Technically during the 20th century, the United States also had a hand in backing those coups after our chosen dictator won the support of the military in order to overthrow what was usually a democratically elected leader, but back to Africa.
It is essentially the same as far as I can tell. As I said, the article is short and this seems to be a developing situation. According to the article, the Deputy Prime Minister, who is at odd with PM Thabane, has the support of the military. Anyway, Thabane returned with an escort of South African police who are now guarding the state house and homes of both Thabane and his Deputy Prime Minister. Lesotho is completely surrounded by South Africa but I think it will be very interesting to see where this goes.
Is there still some bitterness between the two countries following independence? Will Thabane have to deal with backlash by bringing in foreign troops to restore order? Why did South Africa decide to assist Thabane? Does it still eye Lesotho? I do not know, but this could be an explosion waiting to happen.
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