Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0024530 (malaria)
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This discussion identifies some of the health problems experienced by rural women in Africa. The first of these health problems is malaria, which is not exclusively reserved for rural women. Yet, it is they who are most exposed to bites by the mosquitoes which abound more particularly in that country. So involved are they in their daily tasks, they often do not even feel these bites, and negligence and/or lack of information prevents them from taking antimalarial drugs. Only when fever or tenacious headaches occur do they decide to take a few nivaquine pills. Often they simply drink medicinal herb teas said to be "diuretic." Next on the list is malnutrition, with anemia as its corollary. It is caused by ignorance, or lack of information on what food should be eaten; dietary customs and taboos deeply anchored in some families and which deprive women of the nutrients required by their bodies, especially after childbirth; lack of time; and financial difficulties. The problems of malaria and malnutrition affect men and children as well as women, but others are specific to women. Closely spaced pregnancies, which used to be rare in villages, are now increasingly frequent in rural areas. Since planned parenthood is "unknown" in rural areas, most women bear a great many children -- 8-10 or more. Placenta previa is a frequent condition in such women, and often results in the mother's death, sinc the delivery was done in a poorly equipped center and the diagnosis was only made at the beginning of labor. Since women are constantly concerned with doing the most for their family and satisfying all of their needs, they never rest during the day, are excessively tired, and only sleep 5-6 hours a night. In addition to their own specific health problems, mothers often are obliged to spend their nights watching, alone, over 1 or more sick children. In sum, these are some of the everyday problems encountered in rural areas: the lack of information on health matters; the distance from health centers; limited financial resources in the rural population; and the precariousness of means of transportation, and the absence of an emergency transferral system.
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PMID:Health problems facing rural women. 1234 Jul 16