Santé et Médecine en Afrique Tropicale: edited by P. Pene, L. J. André, A. Rougemont, A. Bourgeade, and P. Barabé. Two volumes. Volume 1, ix + 260 pages, illustrated; Volume 2, vi + 645 pages, illustrated. Doin Éditeurs, 8 Place de l'Odéon, 75006 Paris, France. 1980. No price

Abstract

“Santé et Médecine en Afrique Tropicale” comes in two volumes, the first dealing with various aspects of public health, and the second with individual illnesses frequently encountered in Africa.The title of the book could not have been better chosen. It reflects the authors' view that health must come before medicine, particularly with regard to developing countries such as those in Africa, and also implies that the book is not simply a publication of tropical medicine, but a rather complete reference of daily health-related problems in tropical Africa.As the authors point out, Africans are, by no means, exempt from many cosmopolitan disorders in addition to tropical diseases. The reader will find a wide range of illnesses making up the topics of discussion in volume two of the book. While infectious diseases constitute the main focus of this volume and 48 chapters are devoted to them, commonly seen maladies in the field of general medicine also receive appropriate attention and are treated in ten chapters.