Uganda's Life Expectancy: Where's the Gray Hair?

In 2006 the average Ugandan’s life expectancy was set at 39 years. Today it is at 51. While that number shows great strides in health improvements over the last 3 years, the reality of living in a population where the average age is 15 is very different from living in a population where 40 is an acceptable time to have a “MID-life crisis.”
Last night I met an old man with white course hair, and even white hair growing out of his ears. It alarmed me because white hair is a very uncommon trait here in Uganda. It’s not because of the prevalence of hair dye or that Ugandan’s are blessed with good genes, it’s because old age is uncommon to reach.
Most women don’t even reach the age of menopause, and because of that the luxury of waiting to get married and have children late in life isn’t even an option. The biological clock is ticking much louder here, and in a more mortal way.
The diseases American’s worry about; i.e. cancer and heart disease, are not ailments Ugandans fear. Malaria is the most talked about illness although as all travelers know, it is highly preventable. Even though HIV/AIDS numbers have drastically dropped in recent years, 5 % of the population still lives with the virus. I interviewed Gertrude, a Suubi woman, yesterday who lives in fear of leaving her 6 children as orphans, victims of her HIV. Every day she tries to muster up enough strength to provide for them even though the virus is slowly attacks her immune system. SOME Americans have the burden of being the ones to blame for some of our diseases based on poor lifestyle choices. (Let me emphasize, SOME Americans, as we all know many diseases are hereditary). The number one disease causing death in America is Heart Disease, which is often linked with eating habits we have the luxury to choose. Most Ugandans don’t even know what cancer is, something else usually takes their life before they are old enough to receive such a diagnosis,
Uganda’s Social Security crisis? It doesn’t exist. The concept of a 401K or planning for retirement is a waste of time. If the average life span is around 50, most Ugandan’s work until death do them part. Main Street’s sidewalks don’t need to be wheelchair accessible. Nursing Homes don’t need to be built. And age-defying products don’t need to line the store shelves.
Because Uganda’s life expectancy is 27 years less than that of Americas; every phase of life here is also cut short. Infancy ends by the age of 1, when toddlers are expected to be potty trained and walking so their moms can get back to work. Childhood ends at 9, because another set of hands is more helpful than another mouth to feed. Marriages start as early as 16, especially in the poorer, uneducated villages. This means by the American way of thinking, Uganda’s kids are raising their own kids.
This is just the way it is. There are no other options when death steals the last 30 years that most Americans feel entitled to. There’s no planning for a retirement on the golf course or a senior’s travelling excursion. Even hot flashes and the aches and pains of growing older would be considered a blessing here. With a life expectancy at 40, life’s paradigm dramatically shifts.