Final answer:
We should care about the impact of disease on the African continent due to its global health implications, the devastating economic and social effects within affected communities, and because reducing disease there requires a coordinated global effort.
Step-by-step explanation:
We should care about the impact of disease on the African continent because the health challenges faced there have significant global implications. The AIDS epidemic, for example, has had a devastating impact, with numerous AIDS patients in Africa unable to access the same effective drugs that are used in the United States and Europe, primarily due to a lack of resources. This has repercussions not only in health but also in social and economic structures across communities. As diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis continue to affect millions, they exacerbate poverty, reduce workforce productivity, and strain healthcare systems.
The history of disease in Africa also highlights the consequences of imperialism and colonization, where European and U.S. visitors brought infectious diseases, such as measles to Fiji or smallpox to India, causing significant indigenous population losses and further societal disruption. Moreover, the conditions that foster diseases, like the irrigation canals in Egypt that became breeding grounds for malaria, are often the result of foreign economic interests.
However, it is also crucial to recognize successes, like the decline in epidemic extent due to strategies like increasing condom use and public information campaigns. Understanding the significance of epidemiology and the social aspects of health in Africa can guide us towards better disease prevention and health policies. These challenges call for a global response to aid those in need and protect the world's population health by controlling disease spread.