Why Is Africa "Failing"?

Over at Cappuccino Soul There is a post on the racist reaction to Cecile Kyenge's appointment to the Italian cabinet

Kyenge, 48, was born in Congo and moved to Italy three decades ago to study medicine. An eye surgeon, she lives in Modena with her Italian husband and two children. She was active in local center-left politics before winning a seat in the lower Chamber of Deputies in February elections.

Premier Enrico Letta tapped Kyenge to be minister of integration in his hybrid center-left and center-right government that won its second vote of confidence Tuesday. In his introductory speech to Parliament, Letta touted Kyenge’s appointment as a “new concept about the confines of barriers giving way to hope, of unsurpassable limits giving way to a bridge between diverse communities.”

She has been called a number of names and there is a great deal of controversy. However that is not what I'm here to discuss. I'm concerned about this part:

Kyenge, 48, was born in Congo and moved to Italy three decades ago to study medicine. An eye surgeon, she lives in Modena with her Italian husband and two children.

I believe the above to be a bigger problem. Italy is not lacking for doctors of any kind. According to the US Global Health Policy website Italy has 35 Physicians per 10,000 persons. It has a ranking of 25 out of 145* putting it at the 82 percentile. Not bad at all. Where does the Congo place? 127 of 145*. That's the 12 percentile. Now you tell me, Who would be better served by Kyenge's considerable skills? Italy or the Congo?

This is not an irrelevant point here. It's pretty easy and probably more socially acceptable to kick the Italians for being racists. It is far harder to ask why the talent of Africa finds itself just about everywhere except the places that need African talent the most.

A few weeks ago I had to sit through a 60 Minutes piece on "Hospital of Hope" Where mostly (if not all) white doctors went to areas of Africa with NO FUCKING DOCTORS

Waiting for a doctor. How's your wait time?

And I'm supposed to be overly concerned with some racist pricks in Italy. I beg to differ.

Back in 2006 I noted the very real costs of brain drain on Africa. Many researchers look at the most educated but my concern is not only the doctors but those persons with "hands on skills" such as nurses and tradesmen. When these persons leave then the prospects for local manufacturing and the like go down. How many nursing homes are full of African and/or Caribbean people? They leave their countries (for a variety of reasons) to take care of sick and old folks. Meanwhile the people back "home" who are more in need of services get the big "fuck you".

I know that sounds harsh. But seriously. Did you see the lines for the "Hospital of Hope"? Are you not insulted by the very notion that in 2013 there are people in Africa that actually have to wait for such things when there are thousands of black doctors who are FROM Africa who could be serving these people?

No?

Maybe it's just me then. Me and Garvey.

*Note that the number is actually more than 145. There are a number of countries tied for 145 because there is no data available. I question some of that because I do not understand how a place like Jamaica, South Africa or Puerto Rico don't have data. Needless to say though, African (or majority black) countries fall to the bottom of the list.