Africa’s Health Challenges

For years, combating diseases in Africa has been perceived as being primarily the battle against
HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; but the continent is home of nine of the most prevalent of the so-
called ‘Neglected Tropical Diseases’ (NTDs), and in recent years what is referred to as the ‘diseases of
affluence’.
5 Africa’s rapidly growing urban conurbations now face a major health challenge – the onset of
ever-greater numbers of cases of chronic diseases. The improvements we have made in health are
allowing many people to live into their 50s and 60s, but we are not doing anything about serious diseases
like diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and stroke.
In fact, rather than infectious diseases, it is the so-called ‘lifestyle diseases’ that are now
10 beginning to take their role in Africa. The paradox is that Africa’s recent economic growth has created an
emerging middle-class that has adopted many of the West’s most damaging lifestyle choices. As well as
smoking and the excessive drinking of alcohol, a sedentary lifestyle has been encouraged with wider car
ownership and leisure hours spent watching computer screens and TVs. In addition, well-heeled Africans
are eating Western-type fast-food diets, heavy and saturated fats, salt and sugar.
15 In cities such as Nairobi, Johannesburg, Accra or Cairo, fast-food chains are proliferating. It is
frequent to see office workers grabbing a quick lunchtime meal. Many will, on their way home from
work, also buy takeaway for their evening meal in front of the TV, forsaking traditional African diets that
tend to be more nutritionally balanced.
Consequently, although accurate data is difficult to find, the available evidence suggests that in
20 Africa’s urban areas obesity is an ever more serious problem, and the incidence of respiratory diseases,
diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and other chronic diseases is increasing rapidly. Public
information campaigns are perhaps the most effective means of confronting the problem of chronic
diseases of affluence. In the West, these campaigns have at least slowed the incidence of cardiovascular
disease even if the incidence of diabetes is increasing rapidly.

Adapted from Stephen Williams, New Africa, May 2009, p. 75-76

Conurbations: agglomérations urbaines

Inspection d’académie de Dakar Mr DIOP
First semester test Year: Tle L’ & L2
I. COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS (8 marks)
A. What or who do these words refer to in the text? (1 mark)
That (line 9): _________________________________________________________________________
These campaigns (line 23): ______________________________________________________________
B. Find in the text correct information to complete this passage (3 marks)
The causes of health problems in Africa are:
1. __________________________________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________________________________________
4. __________________________________________________________________________________
5. __________________________________________________________________________________
One aspect of Africans’ change of lifestyle is:
6. __________________________________________________________________________________
C. Say whether these statements are True or False. Justify with a quotation from the text (1 mark)
1. African’s main concern is to combat lifestyle diseases. _______
____________________________________________________________________________________

2. Up to now, no improvement has been made on the health level. _______

____________________________________________________________________________________

D. Complete the sentences meaningfully referring to the text (3 marks)

1. Growing urbanization makes people _____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

2. In Africa, an emerging middle-class has been born thanks to _________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

3. If some Africans had not abandoned their traditional African diets, they ________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
II. COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE (7 marks)
E. Use the verbs in brackets in the correct tense and form (3 marks)
They (1) ___________________ (try) to combat these diseases for years now. (2)
___________________ (cure) some diseases is not an easy task. But, in the coming years, some
progresses (3) ___________________ (make) by scientists. Today, some scientists (4)
___________________ (do) their best to find out efficient vaccines and cures. They would like (5)
___________________ (give) the appropriate treatment by (6) ___________________ (explore) all
ways and means.

F. Two friends are discussing health issues in Africa. Complete their dialog meaningfully (2 marks)
Karim: Health turns to be one Africa’s challenges, __________________?
Abdou: Of course. _________________ there _________________ any progress so far?
Karim: No progress has been made yet.
Abdou: _____________________________ is that?
Karim: I think it is because the government focuses more on other matters.
Abdou: ______________________________ they waiting for?
Karim: Western donor countries, maybe.

G. Complete each gap with one of the connectors on the list

LIST: So – Unlike – however – after – before – besides
___________________ building so many fast-food restaurants along the streets of Yoff, Mor wants to
attract clientele. ___________________, he decided to sell good quality meals at a low price. Then,
clients began to flock at the restaurant. __________________, many of them would spend the day there
ordering two meals __________________ going back home. Finally, Mor became a rich business man
thanks to the new diet of his fellow citizens.

III. Essay Writing (5 marks)

Choose one topic and write about 150 and 200 words

Topic1: As a health officer, you deliver a speech to the population in your area to sensitize them on the
precaution to take to have a good lifestyle.
Topic 2: Why do people living in urban areas tend to be more vulnerable to diseases than those living in
rural areas? Support your view with examples.