My first two years living in Angola were in the midst of this nation’s civil war, which started in 1961 and escalated in 1974. A prototypical “Blood Diamonds War,” it was financed primarily by sale of oil and gems. A durable peace finally came in 2002. And what of these natural resources? Angola today is busy making money instead of war. While commercialism carries its own detraction, Angola today is on the upswing. Check up this scene at a market in Lubango from where I’m writing tonight.
Nevertheless the diseases of poverty continue to take a very heavy toll. Just in the 5 days I’ve been here I’ve lost two patients to malaria – one a child of just fifteen months. What’s more Coartem – the first line treatment for malaria – is not presently available. So I’m back to treating malaria with quinine, the same way it was treated in the 1950s.
What’s the hope for progress against such diseases of poverty? The most potent antidote is economic progress. As jobs and income increase, Angolan homes will have tight doors and windows to prevent entry of mosquitoes. Bed nets will be more available and popularized. Health centers will have more available and effective medications, and staff better equipped to diagnose and treat. The result will be that as this economy grows, no parent or physician must morn the death of a fifteen-month old.