I am a doctor from East Africa now living in WA.
I trained in a Medical School in Ethiopia, graduating in 1999.  Originally my parents were from Eritrea, a neighboring country to Ethiopia.  After I finished my training, I practiced for about 1 year in Ethiopia but then due to political unrest all members of my family were deported to Eritrea and most now live in Canada as refugees.  I managed to flee to Kenya instead with my wife, after the border conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea started.  I practiced as a doctor again in Kenya for about 4 years.  10 months ago, I was lucky enough to come to Australia under a UNHCR resettlement program along with my wife and 3 year old daughter.

As a doctor from East Africa, I’ve seen a lot of patients with polio.  Unfortunately access to immunization is low in my country not like you have here in Australia.  At this very moment there is an epidemic of polio in East Africa.  Almost all cases of polio in our clinical
set-up are patients under 30 years and most have weakness of lower limbs.  There are probably many more cases that we are unaware of because they don’t develop paralysis.

Since I started voluntary work at the Post Polio Network of WA, I’ve been struck by the age difference in polio survivors.  In East Africa most of them die before 40.  In comparison most of the polio survivors in WA are between 50 and 70.  The other interesting fact is the effects on some children and grandchildren of polio survivors.  Nobody has documented or given emphasis to this in East Africa, although I have seen this to be well documented in the carnitine pathology reports from PMH that I am dealing with here at the WA Polio Clinic.

In Africa we are still at the stage of polio eradication by vaccination.  In 2004 this suffered a hiccup with fears that the vaccines may be contaminated with anti-fertility hormones as reported in UN news reports -

“The debate over the safety of the polio vaccine has persuaded some parents in the north to refuse to allow their children to take the orally administ-ered vaccine, even in states where the local authorities have given the green light to immunisation.

Immunisation coverage is highest in the predominantly Christian south of Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country with more than 120 million people.  In the port city of Lagos, which has an estimated population of 15 million, 25,000 health officials were put to work in an effort to break a vital regional transmission link for the wild polio virus that resurfaced in some African countries in 2004. “

It has been interesting to compare the health situation in WA compared to East Africa.  At present I have a bit of free time to observe this as I am endeavouring to get my Australian registration to work here as a GP.

In East Africa the main problem in more than 90% of the people is acute and infectious diseases.  Chronic and degenerative illnesses, like arthritis, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and cancer, mostly only affects the more affluent members of society who have mainly shifted from the traditional diet and now consume the so called ‘modern Western diet’.  Our traditional African diet is unprocessed and organic compared to the Western diet which is processed, inorganic and full of artificial preservatives.

So working in WA as a doctor will be quite a change in perspective and disease pattern to my previous experience.  I have had time recently to contemplate this and realise the benefits presented by traditional diets.  Our main problem with traditional diets has been diseases of malnutrition due to insufficient food supply rather than foods that are nutritionally deficient as in the processed foods here.

I have recently seen and been impressed by the work done by the  dentist, Weston Price, in the 1930’s with indigenous populations where he states that the natural state is full of balance, wholeness and vitality.  I particularly like this quote from his more recently reprinted book : “Nutrition and Physical Degeneration” by Weston Price DDS, reprinted 50 years later by Keats Publishing Connecticut in 1989.

"Life in all its fullness is Mother Nature obeyed"

A shift from this natural state by abandoning ancient traditional eating habits or by adopting modern foodstuffs is causing physical degeneration and chronic illness.  This clearly shows us that what we eat determines our health.  The so called civilized diet, particularly the refined carbohydrates and devitalized fats and oils of the present Western style diet, spoils our God-given genetic inheritance of physical perfection and vibrant health.  Technology is a generous benefactor that has given us freedom from almost everything except nutritionally caused disease.

The food preservation method in East Africa is unique.  Almost all societies in East Africa, allow grains, milk products and often vegetables, fruits and meats to ferment or pickle by a process called Lacto - Fermentation.  This makes the nutrients in these foods more available and supplies the intestinal
tract with health-promoting lactic acid and lactic
acid producing bacteria.  On the contrary, modern preservation methods deaden and denature our foods.

Our traditional Ethiopian grain is called Teff.  It is one of the smallest grains in the world, measuring only about 1/32 of an inch in diameter.

Approximately 150 grains are needed to make the size of the kernel of wheat that is familiar to you.  But for us 1 cup of cooked teff provides more calcium than milk and twice as much iron as either wheat or barley provide.  Teff is also high in protein as well as fibre.  It is a rich source of boron, copper, phosphorous and zinc.

We grind teff into flour, ferment it for 3 days and make a flat bread that is used as a base to pour our stew of meat and vegetables onto for meals (sort of like pastry or pizza).  We also use teff to make a porridge-like meal and as an ingredient for our home-brewed alcoholic drinks.

The fermentation processes used give us more vitamins as well as being an excellent source of essential amino acids, minerals and fibre.  Teff provides 11% protein, 80% carbs and 3% fat.  It is also gluten free.  Unfortunately it is not available in Australia at the moment.

Spices are another important part of our diet.  Stews are usually very spicy, containing a variety of condiments including onions. garlic and berbere
(a hot chili powder with other spices like cardamon, white and black cumin, basil, ginger etc).
The usual method of eating Ethiopian and Eritrean food is with fingers, all sharing from a central dish.  We eat as family groups.  Silverware is used for some other types of food.

Other food preferences are chicken or beef soups, noodles, pasta and a traditional hot oat gruel with honey.  Most of our people do not like bland foods.
An African village diet would include unprocessed milk from cows, goats and camels.  These milks can be used for curds and whey as well as cheeses.  Green vegetables such as peas, beans and cereals would be steamed or boiled.  Starchy foods include cassava, yams and sweet potatoes.  Protein foods include cattle, sheep, goat, chicken, fish, eggs, beans and avocados.

Fruit and vegetables are not as commonly eaten except in the larger towns and during periods of religious fasting.  Drinks are preferred to be at room temperature and generally coffee and tea spiced with cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and plenty of sugar.

The table below shows the change in health priorities between 3rd World Countries and more affluent Modern Societies like WA.
 

Health Priority areas in East Africa	Health Priority areas in WA
1.  Malaria  2.  Child birth - maternal / foetal morbidity  3.  Pneumonia  4.  Diarrhoeal disease ie dehydration etc  5.  Injuries  6.  Anaemia and malnutrition  7.  Abortion (illegal types)  8.  TB and other infectious diseases  9.  HIV and AIDS	1.  Asthma  2.  Cancers – breast, cervix, colorectal,            lung, skin, prostate  3.  Cardiovascular disease - heart           disease, high blood pressure, strokes  4.  Diabetes  5.  Injury and poisoning  6.  Mental diseases

What is the solution for poor health?

The solution is to stick to positive dietary habits which are to eat whole, fresh and unprocessed foods and drinks.  Negative dietary habits will cause a decrease in vitality, unhealthy children, chronic illness and eventually degeneration of the human race.

Besides the health benefits, eating whole food tastes good and it is also good for the environment and the economy.  The choice is ours.  It is wise to choose the way of whole food which is the way of life and biological salvation.  It is folly to choose the way of processed food which can lead to chronic illness and human degeneration.

My own family continues to eat in our traditional African style.  And after reading the book by Weston Price and my own observations, I would urge you too to please think again about returning to the more traditional diets that your own ancestors used before processed foods changed food habits to those of today’s world that I see here in WA.