Showing results for "Doctors" in Africa

One Sunday in 2001 ear, nose and throat specialist Dr Peter Friedland received an unexpected call from Nelson Mandela’s personal physician. The former president was struggling to hear. Could Peter visit him at home? Friedland discovered that Mandela was using antiquated hearing aids and was struggling to maintain them. Soon he became a regular visitor to Mandela’s home in Houghton where he experienced the elderly statesman, in the frailty of old age, away from the crowds. He was full of stories and always bearing a lesson.

Many of the patients at Mother of Mercy walk for days in order to arrive at the hospital's gates. Others are carried by friends, or survive the jarring ride over dirt paths in the back of the rare pickup that exists in the Nuba Mountain region of southern Sudan. Most are victims of the war that has been waged from the air against the people of Nuba by the Sudanese government for years. All Nubans know to seek refuge in a foxhole when they hear the drone of the bombers overhead; and they all know, in the aftermath, is to bring the maimed to Dr. Tom Catena, the only surgeon for thousands of square miles.

I meticulously outline the appalling extent to which the powerful few work behind the scenes to shamelessly plunder the resources of Nigeria. Up to eight billion dollars is lost annually to corruption, and no politician goes unexamined in this piercing review. From jungle justice to the corrupt kleptocracy that defines Nigeria’s ruling class today, I clearly give historical context to a modern but untenable problem. This important record speaks truth to power and documents the crushing consequences of political gaming.

Nigerian politicians are caught in an evil cycle, and the consequences are dire. The purpose of government should be to protect its people, but what is happening in a country where resources are so abundant yet so wasted? In this incisive look at years of corruption and project mismanagement, Dr. Darlington Akaiso clearly outlines the problems inherent in this vicious cycle.

The “Presidency” has developed into the most powerful institution in the world. These individuals can start and end wars, grow or destroy economies, leave their countries in a better or worse place. The impact of political leadership is felt more acutely in countries that are still developing. This is particularly true across Africa where political leaders are a strong determinant of a country’s sustainable growth trajectory, or lack thereof.