Issued as part of book collections on Project MUSE.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Preface / by Joel Netshitenzhe -- section one. Epidemics and syndemics in Africa : disease in context. Introduction : epidemics and health systems in Africa / Zamanzima Mazibuko -- Syndemics, food security, health, and local environments : chronic undernutrition in Zimbabwe / Bill H. Kinsey -- section two. Contending with epidemics and health systems in Africa. Cholera in Africa in the 21st century : questions of justice and human rights / Sunanda Ray, Farai D. Madzimbamuto, and David Sanders -- Outbreaks and epidemics of malaria in SADC : cycles of frustration in preventive action / Kaka Mudambo -- Containing Ebola in Nigeria : an African success story / Nathaniel Umukoro -- section three. Contending with chronic conditions in African health systems. Non-communicable disease epidemics : approaches to prevention and control in sub-Saharan Africa / Pamela A. Juma, Kenneth Juma, and Gerald Yonga -- Care, context, and chronic illness : lessons from HIV-positive adolescents and their families in South Africa's Eastern Cape / Beth Vale -- Knowledge, power and the role of frontline health workers for South Africa's epidemic preparedness / Miriam Di Paola and Beth Vale -- section four. The future of health systems in Africa. The potential of technological innovation in health care in Africa : lessons from nanotechnology / Zamanzima Mazibuko and Steven Mufamadi -- From present African health care systems to the future : health financing in Ghana and Rwanda / Samuel Adu-Gyamfi -- Preparedness for epidemics in South Africa : The health system and proposals for national health insurance / Alex van den Heever -- Conclusion / Zamanzima Mazibuko.

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News footage of disease in Africa is a familiar sight. Yet these outbreaks are often presented out of context, with no reference to the conditions that have triggered them. MISTRA's new book, Epidemics and the Health of African Nations, aims to redress that. Researchers and practitioners from within the continent explore why Africa is so vulnerable to disease, and show how this vulnerability is closely linked to political and economic factors. They demonstrate how these same factors determine the way epidemics are treated. Authors extract lessons from case studies in different parts of Africa; challenge conventional frameworks about disease to argue for a 'syndemics' approach that takes into account the interrelationship between disease and political and socio-economic contexts; explore challenges of Africa's future. They argue that a well-functioning health system is at the core of a country's capacity to counter an epidemic. This volume brings African experts together to probe possible solutions to the continent's heavy burden of disease. The insights offered will be helpful in devising policy for the control of disease and the combatting of epidemics in Africa.

Description based on print version record.