Assignment Sample on BIOL11021 Master of Public Health

Presentation

1. Introduction

• The present study will focus on discussing about the prevalence of diabetes in cancer patients in Africa.
• In order to represent the collected data in an effective way, this literature review has been written by segregating in several subsections.
• In the first section, a background of the literature review has been provided in order to represent the understanding of the key words and other variables of this study.

In addition, the part of this literature review has been segmented in various sections. Discussion regarding obesity and suicidal ideation will be delivered in the prior sections of the literature review. The next section will be included the discussion regarding prevalence of obesity among young adults in Africa followed by the discussion how the BMI can create impact on obesity prevalence. Then an effective discussion will be made on describing the way obesity among young adults leads them for committing suicide followed by the mention of the impact of prevalence rate of cancer and diabetes in the people of Africa.

2. Background

• Early 1980-1990’s time was not considered to think that obesity is a disease that needs to be cured or to be medicated.
• The patients who suffered from this disease were not given proper treatment as it was not according to medical rules.
• However, with a sudden increase from the late ’90s, the medical fraternity focused on the same and finds out that this is a source of many serious problems such as diabetes, high pressure, heart disease, and many types of cancer (Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, 2021).

This leads the medical fraternity to be focused on obesity and in the recent era, they provide medication for the patients suffering from obesity.

Figure 1: Obesity causes Diabetes

(Source: Eibl et al. 2018)

Based on this fact, it can be stated that the mortality rate of Africa, especially for Southern and Northern part of Saharan-Africa is has become the world’s highest one (Al-Hussainiet al. 2019). This phenomenon has showcased that the reason behind having high mortality rate has been the high rate of diabetes prevalence. This high prevalence of diabetic has appeared as the one of the main reasons of developing cancer cells within human body.

Figure 2: Distribution of cancer mortality rate in Africa

(Source: Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, 2021)

1. Overview and objectives

• The main objectives of the research are to identify the prevalence and care challenges of diabetic patients in Africa
• To innovate treatment of diabetes in a low resource setting in the countries of Africa
• To evaluate how worse the post-pandemic situation has made the medication of diabetic and cancer patients in Africa (Nonterahet al. 2021)

In several studies, it has come to the forefront that the countries of Africa have reached the top of the list of the countries that possess the potentiality of having the highest case of diabetes. It has been expected that the countries of Africa will have 55 million cases of diabetes by the year 2045 (Nonterahet al. 2021). The statistical predictions have showcased that the cases of diabetes will be increased at the rate of nearly 13.4% in comparison to the year 2021.

On the other hand, plenty of studies has evaluated that 70% of the population of Africa has not been acquainted with the fact that they have diabetes. This number has been considered as the world’s largest population who do not have proper knowledge regarding the health condition (Bamidele et al. 2019). Based on these statistical reports and researched databases, the present research has been aimed to identify the challenges faced by the caregivers to the diabetic and cancer patients in Africa. In addition, based on the rate of diabetes among cancer patients, this research has intended to find out how proper treatment can be provided in a low resource setting in Africa.

2. Main topic

• It has been seen in various researched journals that the main challenge of the diabetic and cancer patient of Africa is the diagnosis
• The lack of facilities regarding testing has been considered as another main challenge for prevailing diabetes in cancer patients in Africa (Diendéréet al. 2019)
• The high cost of the medication has created challenges to have access to proper care for the patients (Wood et al. 2021)

In accordance with the numerous statistical data, it can be stated that the rate of mortality has started increasing in Africa. Despite the increasing amount of mortality amongst Africans, the medication of diabetic and cancer patients has been given less priority.

In accordance with the other studies done previously on the behaviour of cancer patients, it can be proposed that the tendency of committing suicide remains high in the first three months of being diagnosed with cancer. This mentality increases the rate of life risk of cancer patients. Amongst the patient with cancer, 6% of the patient has possessed the possibility of developing feelings for committing suicide (Wood et al. 2021). Based on this particular statistical information, it can be stated that in Africa, the care needs to be improved for the cancer patient, especially those who have developed the feeling of depression and suicidal tendency at the same time. As per the record, each year over 46,000 new cases of cancer are recorded in the sub-Saharan continent of Africa (Fortes‐Lima et al. 2019)

Obesity is a disorder that increases body fat and risks the health of the patient into many serious problems. In recent reports, it has been seen that young adults are getting affected mostly by this disease. Young adults include the age group of 18 to 25 years who are experiencing many changes in their lifestyles. The changes may include leaving home for education or a job, developing relationships, getting pregnant, and many more (Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, 2021). However, this research study emphasised certain circumstances that are different from any other disease and the patients may continue in this disease for the lifelong. It is not a disease to be cured easily but if the patient takes care under proper medication or exercise then it does not affect other body parts.

Young adults mostly suffer from this disease after their new venture in their life starts and this may lead to gain weight which does not affect at the first but may accumulate to danger later. It is to note that young adults lose their senses for being alone in this stage and started to enjoy their life in the wrong manner. This is the critical time period in one’s life and both negative and positive behavioral changes may occur at this time period. As they face many biological, psychological, and social changes in this time frame, it is essential to look after their adolescent experience and constructive childhood.

Early 1980-1990’s time was not considered to think that obesity is a disease that needs to be cured or to be medicated. The patients who suffered from this disease were not given proper treatment as it was not according to medical rules. However, with a sudden increase from the late ’90s, the medical fraternity focused on the same and finds out that this is a source of many serious problems such as diabetes, high pressure, heart disease, and many types of cancer (Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, 2021). This leads the medical fraternity to be focused on obesity and in the recent era, they provide medication for the patients suffering from obesity.

Undernutrition, diarrhea, and TB are disease that is still affecting many lives of patients especially in developing countries and obesity is an addition for them. This epidemic has created a significant fuss in the infrastructure of many countries’ medical departments. Developing countries are on concerning factors to maintain the growth in their medical facilities by the introduction of certain epidemiological transitions of the country. The present situation of the countries’ medical facilities is in anticipated tripling that in the near future obesity may take place in a significant way that may take the medical fraternity in the ground (Nagata et al. 2018). Therefore, it is to state that young adults are facing more problems due to obesity and the reasons for capturing this disease are also enumerated in the above that needs to be taken proper care of.

• It has been seen that the highest cases of this particular liver cancer have been recorded in “Mozambique” (Hamdi et al. 2021)
• Lack of awareness and prevention strategies have increased the rate of cancer patients at the amount of 5.7% amongst Africans (Waglandet al. 2020)

On the other hand, this high rate of obesity has represented the cause of having a high mortality rate as well. This has been stated because plenty of studies have proven that a person has been able to develop the possibility of being depressed. This high feeling of depression can be considered as one of the core reasons for having this much higher rate of mortality in the countries of Africa as well (Nonterah et al. 2021). Therefore, it can be stated that due to lack of a proper process of diagnosis, diseases like obesity, diabetes, cancer remain undiagnosed which has led the young adults of Africa to commit suicide which has contributed to increasing the rate of mortality in Africa.

There is a controversy amongst the psychiatrists and medical practitioners of different fields along with the researchers on the connection between suicide and obesity. It has been reported in many reports that suicidal attempts are decreasing among young adults and this does not carry on the obesity disease. While other reports show that obesity is increasing suicidal attempts among young adults (Khan et al. 2018). Therefore, it is a concerning factor to determine the actual reason for the growth of suicidal ideation among young adults.

It is also reported in several reports that suicidal ideation mainly concerns female patients to a significant extent whereas men adults do not occur a sense of suicide in their minds. Mostly, the major factor of depression occurs when young adults are bullied or cursed by others for their body weight.

• Different reported surveys have disclosed that the prevalence rate of type1 diabetes in Africa is nearly 0.95% per 1000 people (Alloh, 2018)
• Studies have confirmed that the rate of having type1 diabetes is high among females in comparison to males (Fekaduet al. 2019)
• On the contrary, the prevalence of type2 diabetes is nearly 12% to 13%

In accordance with the represented figures of the prevalence of both types of diabetes, it can be stated that the regional prevalence rate of Diabetes malignant is 3.1%. This ratio has confirmed that the populations of southern and northern Africa have a lack of diagnosis and other medicative features as well. Therefore, for the continents of Africa, bearing the high cost of the diagnosing process have appeared as an acute challenge (Murthy et al. 2018). The previous studies have evaluated that the best-equipped countries for proper diagnosis in Africa are “Seychelles”, “Mauritius”, “Tunisia”. On the other hand, countries such as Mozambique, Liberia are having less equipment for providing proper diagnostic facilities to the patients.

In addition, it has come to the forefront in various studies that the obesity rate of the African continent is the highest recorded worldwide. This recorded obesity rate has been one of the causes of developing the possibility of having type2 diabetes among the people of African continents (Hamdi et al. 2021).

Based on the already mentioned facts regarding developing possibilities for having type2 diabetes among the Africans, it can be stated that the highest rate of overweight has been recorded from the statistical data of obesity amongst the Africans. As per the conformations of the dictators, the increased amount of inflammation and fatty acids caused by obesity can lead the patient to “insulin resistance” (Hamdi et al. 2021). This phenomenon can increase the rate of possibilities of having type2 diabetes. Therefore, the represented rate of developing tendency of type2 diabetes among the Africans reveals that the populations of the African continent have a high risk of being obese.

• Several journals have proclaimed that obesity can be the reason for having type2 diabetes (Bare et al. 2018)
• T2DM caused by obesity can be considered as one of the main reasons for developing cancer cells within the body
• The current statistics have showcased that the rate of obesity amongst men and women in Africa are 8% and 18.4% in a respective order (Bamidele et al. 2019)

It has been discovered by going through several journals that the country named “Libya” of Africa has the highest rate of obesity that is 32.5% in the worldwide estimate. Based on this situation, it can be stated that the population of Africa has the highest prevalence rate of developing cancer cells due to having type2 Diabetes Malignant disease. Doctors have ensured that a human body can develop the possibility of having 13 types of cancer for increasing body weight (Murthy et al. 2018). In the African urban cities, controlling obesity among adults has become an acute health challenge for the people of Africa. Along with the social, environmental and biological factors, energy imbalance from increasing chronic intake has been considered by doctors as the main driver of obesity among Africans. The rate of obesity among the children of the urban continent is higher in comparison to the sub-urban continent of Africa.

In accordance with the estimated statistics, South Africa has been considered as one of the fattest nations amongst the Sub-Saharan African nations. Apart from this, South Africa has been labelled as the third fattest country on the continent as well. In various studies, it has been seen that the “age-standardized BMI” has been increased from the rate of 21.0 to 23.0 amongst the men in the African continent (Johnston et al. 2021). On the other hand, the “age-standardized BMI” among women has been increased from 21.9 to 24.9.

• Among the urban school children, the prevalence of Obesity is 12.0% and the prevalence of obesity is 4.36% (Agalliu et al. 2021)
• For men, the rate of suicide in South Africa is 37 per 100,000
• The rate of suicide in women remains just below the number 10 (Baradaran et al. 2020)
• Studies have proven that the obese person can develop a feeling of being depressed that will lead to committing suicide as well (Burgess et al. 2018)

As per the data accumulated from the previous studies, it has been discovered that obesity has been able to increase the possibility of developing the feeling of being depressed at the rate of 55%. This particular statistical data has showcased the reason for having the highest mortality rate in the continents of Africa. Based on the collected information, it can be stated that the suicidal tendency amongst the young adults of the population of Africa is higher as the rate of obesity has been recorded the highest among the other countries of the world (Pisa et al. 2021). The highest amount of suicide cases has been recorded in the South African continent in the precious year 2021, in the month of September. In accordance with the report, the estimated number of recorded suicides in the continents of South Africa is nearly 13,774 in the year 2019.

Based on the above-mentioned number of suicidal cases that have been recorded in South-African continents, it can be stated that South Africa has been recorded with the third-highest rate of suicide in the entire world. This phenomenon has stated that, in the African countries, mostly in South Africa, as the rate of obesity has started growing, the cases of suicides have started emerging more among the adults (Burgess et al. 2018). The previous studies have showcased that the increasing rate of intake of various fast food has been the main cause of obesity. In addition, less activity in this post-pandemic situation has become another main reason for increasing the rate of depression among people.

3. Conclusion and future directions

• It can be concluded by stating that the continents of Africa are in need of having developed processes of diagnosing critical diseases along with communicable diseases as well
• The governments of Africa need to take initiatives and increases the investment of money in developing the process of treatment of the previously mentioned diseases
• It is important to innovate possible treatments of the diseases in the countries of Africa that have comparatively low resource setting

In accordance with the previously discussed diseases and the prevalence rate of those diseases in the continents of Africa, it can be stated that in the present situation Africa possesses a great need for a developed process of diagnosis. In addition, it can be stated that the cost of diagnosis in the Southern and Northern continents of Africa needs to be decreased in accordance with the economic conditions of the state and people of the African continent as well. These recommended steps will allow the government of Africa to develop the infrastructure of the medications required for the diseases mentioned in this presentation previously. The present situation of post-pandemic scenarios has increased the rate of risks of the people who already have type2 diabetes in Africa. Based on this discussion it can be stated that in order to improve the infrastructure of the medication process of Africa, the amount spent for improving the healthcare of the people of Africa needs to be increased from 1% of the “total global expenditure on diabetes”.

As per the evaluated information, it can be stated that in the present situation of post-pandemic scenario, It has become difficult to cure diseases like type 2 diabetes, depression, obesity and many more. The situational isolation faced by the people of Africa can increase the suicidal tendency among the young adults who have already suffered from gaining overweight. Therefore, in a primary manner, it has become important to take action for finding the way how this highly increased amount of depression can be decreased and the rate of suicide can be lowered as well. On the basis of this entire discussion, it can be concluded by stating that several healthcare organizations need to shift concentration from other diseases to diagnose and treat the patients of the previously mentioned diseases in a proper manner.

References

Presentation

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Bare, Y., Marhendra, A.P.W., Sasase, T. and Fatchiyah, F., 2018. Differential expression of IL-10 gene and protein in target tissues of Rattus norvegicus Strain Wistar model type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). Acta Informatica Medica, 26(2), p.87.

Burgess, P.I., Harding, S.P., Kayange, P.C., van Oosterhout, J., García-Fiñana, M., Msukwa, G. and Allain, T.J., 2018. High mortality in subjects with both diabetes and HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. Aids, 32(14), pp.2083-2084.

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Websites

Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, 2020, Obesity Among Young Adults in Developing Countries: A Systematic Overview, Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4796326/ [Accessed on: 25th January 2022]

Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, 2021, Diabetes and Cancer, Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2890380/ [Accessed on: 25th January 2022]

Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, 2021, Insulin Resistance is Associated with Gut Permeability Without the Direct Influence of Obesity in Young Adults, Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7457818/ [Accessed on: 25th January 2022]

Pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, 2020, Extreme obesity is associated with suicidal behavior and suicide attempts in adults: results of a population-based representative sample, Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23576272/ [Accessed on: 25th January 2022]

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