HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF WAR AND VIOLENCE ON WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN AFRICA

By: Sunday O. Ajeigbe
SLT Dept., Federal Polytechnic,
PMB 55 Bida, Niger State. Nigeria.
E-mail: sunchem2002@yahoo.com

Abstract
Women and children are high-risk groups as far as war is concerned in the world today. War is wasteful and degrading by making the former active persons helplessly degenerate into poverty and sickness due to inactiveness. Therefore African women and children face a lot of health problems whenever there is an outbreak of war or violence. This paper therefore examines the health implications of war and violence on women and children in Africa as it affects their emotional and intellectual development, physical growth development, stress-related diseases and physical incapacity resulting from injury. The paper concludes by suggesting the intervention and coping strategies developed within the framework of African culture.