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December is AIDS Awareness Month
Ttimes News
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Not everyone in Missouri knows somebody with AIDS, but that doesn’t mean AIDS has vanished.
AIDS is not an African disease, or a gay disease, according to a press release from Health Literacy Missouri. It is a disease that affects the immune systems of all kinds of people from New York City to Kansas City. And for those living with the disease, hurtful stigmas continue to persist, causing additional, unneeded suffering.
In Missouri in 2009, there were slightly more than 5,000 adults living with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and more than 6,000 people living with AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).
When people learn of their HIV status, it frequently causes a tremendous shift in how they view their health. However, advocates and people living with HIV/AIDS say it’s just as important to remember the person at the heart of the diagnosis.
This understanding is important as December is AIDS Awareness Month, a time to remember those who have died of the disease and think about those living with it. Although modern medicine has vastly improved treatment outcomes, there still is no cure for AIDS. The disease claims more than 17,000 lives every year in the United States, but access to better treatment can extend the lives of those who have the disease.
Between 1982 and 2009, 17,000 plus Missourians were diagnosed with HIV. That’s enough people to fill nearly half the seats in Kaufmann Stadium. Of these people, almost 70 percent were diagnosed with AIDS, the final stage of HIV, which occurs when the person’s immune system is incapable of fighting even routine infections such as the common cold.
In 2009 alone, in the Kansas City region, which includes Clay County, 114 people were diagnosed with HIV and 51 were diagnosed with AIDS. These new cases join the 1,375 people who are already living with HIV and the 1,860 people already living with AIDS in the same region.
Health experts also say that some Missourians bear more of the burden and are more at risk of contracting the disease.
According to a Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services report, the rate of newly diagnosed HIV disease cases was nearly 10 times greater among African Americans than whites.
Among Hispanics, the rate of new diagnoses was nearly three times that of whites. At a national level, African Americans make up 13 percent of the population but account for half of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses. According to a 2006 report by the National Minority AIDS Council, a significant factor is the lack of secure housing due to higher rates of poverty and higher rates of incarceration. These two problems lead people to sacrifice their own medical care and other basic necessities; and, in the case of correctional facilities HIV risk behavior, such as unprotected sex and injection drug use, exacerbates the problem.
Advocates and health officials say that the solutions to these disturbing problems need to focus on action at the community level, instead of individuals alone. Strategies include increasing access to affordable housing, better education on HIV and AIDS prevention, as well as confidential testing can all help. Above all, advocates say that the key to preventing new infections may lie in eliminating the stigma and discrimination associated with the disease, including those who are gay or living with AIDS.
On an individual level, learning more about HIV/AIDS, getting tested and being a responsible sexual partner are the three most important ways of stopping the spread of HIV.
“The biggest problem is addressing a complacent attitude,” said David Schlomer, executive director of the Good Samaritan Project, which, for 25 years has been helping prevent and treat the disease in the Kansas City Area. Some people “have a perception that medicine and drugs can fix it,” he said. “There still is no cure.”
WHO Okays New Rapid Test For Tuberculosis
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THE World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday approved a rapid test for tuberculosis (TB) that will provide an exact and instant diagnosis within minutes.
According to a statement by the organisation, “the test could revolutionise TB care and control by providing an accurate diagnosis for many patients in about 100 minutes, compared to current tests that can take up to three months to have results.”
Director of WHO’s Stop TB Department, Dr. Mario Raviglione, said the new test represents a major milestone for global TB diagnosis and care. And that it also epitomises new hope for the millions of people who are at the highest risk of TB and drug-resistant diseases.
“We have the scientific evidence, we have defined the policy, and now we aim to support implementation for impact in countries,” he added.
The statement further revealed that WHO’s endorsement of the rapid test, which is a fully automated NAAT (nucleic acid amplification test) follows 18 months of rigorous assessment of its field effectiveness in the early diagnosis of TB, as well as multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and TB complicated by HIV infection, which are more difficult to diagnose.
The report read in part: “Evidence to date indicates that implementation of this test could result in a three-fold increase in the diagnosis of patients with drug-resistant TB and a doubling in the number of HIV-associated TB cases diagnosed in areas with high rates of TB and HIV.
“Many countries still rely principally on sputum smear microscopy, a diagnostic method that was developed over a century ago. But this new ‘while you wait’ test incorporates modern DNA technology that can be used outside of conventional laboratories. It also benefits from being fully automated and therefore easy and safe to use,” WHO disclosed.
Danjuma Donates $1M for River Blindness
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Abuja, Nigeria - The 16th session of the World Health Organisation African Programme for Onchocerciasis (River blindness) Control (WHO/APOC) opened in Abuja, Nigeria, Tuesday with a donation of US$1 million to the programme’s Trust Fund by a Nigerian philanthropist and a survivor of the blinding disease, retired Army General T.Y. Danjuma.
President Goodluck Jonathan also pledged Nigeria's continued support to the disease control programme and called for its extension beyond the pre-set exit date of 2015, to ensure complete elimination of the disease.
'I have had a personal experience with this disease and live with relatives and friends who are victims,' Gen. Danjuma told health ministers, donors, UN agencies, Non-governmental Development Organizations (NGDO) partners and private sector representatives gathered for the JAF session at the Transport Hilton, Abuja.
Danjuma hails from the northern state of Taraba, one of the 31 states in Nigeria that are affected by river blindness, a parasitic worm disease transmitted to humans by the black fly, usually in the remote communities.
Speaking as special guest, he said he suffered and survived the disease as a young military officer and had since 1996 supported a local NGDO, MITOSATH, as its grand patron in the fight against the disease.
'Today, I am happy to note that MITOSATH has expanded to include other health interventions to improve maternal and child health,' said Gen. Danjuma, a former Chief of Army Staff.
Gov. Oshiomhole Loses Wife
The wife Edo state governor Mrs Clara Oshiomhole has passed away at theage of 54 at the Abuja clinic, Maitama.
A statement signed by Pally Iriase the secretary to the Edo state government said"Until her death, she was a solid pillar behind her husband, through his days as a frontline labour activist and through the struggle to reclaim his mandate freely given to him by the good people of Edo State,"
Reports say she died of cancer.
She is survived by five children, Cyril, Winnie, Jane, Steve and Adams Jnr.
Nigeria Donates N1.5b to Global Fund
WHO Will Provide Technical Support For Countries To Implement The Guidelines
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NIGERIA has donated N1.5 billion ($10 million) to the Global Fund for women, children and the fight against Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Tuberculosis and Malaria (ATM) and other health-related matters.
Also, the nation is among six nations the United Nations health agency, the World Health Organisation (WHO) will provide technical support for the treatment of mental disorders, epilepsy and other illnesses.
Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu announced Nigeria’s contribution at the recently concluded Global Fund Third Voluntary Replenishment 2011 to 2013.
He said: “The GFTVR is an opportunity for the government to restate its commitment to the health and well-being of its citizens in furtherance of Nigeria’s endorsement and commitment in support of UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon’s new initiative - the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health.”
In a statement by the Special Assistant on Communications to the Minister, Rakiya Zubairu, Chukwu confirmed Nigeria’s total contribution since the establishment of the fund in 2002 to be $30 million.
He noted that the country had benefited enormously from the support of the Fund for the rapid scale-up of interventions in its response to ATM, as well as in strengthening health systems.
The minister also noted progress made in the achievement of the health-related Millennium Development Goals. He said “a total of 107,122 People Living With HIV/AIDS are on Anti-Retroviral Therapy, 90,078 new smear-positive Tuberculosis cases have been detected and treated; while 7,452,173 insecticide treated long lasting nets have been distributed with Global Fund support.”
Other pledges made to the fund include the United States with the highest donation of $4 billion, and China with $14 million. Only two other African countries made pledges – South Africa, $2.1 million and Tunisia-$2 million.
According to a United Nations statement, WHO had recently unveiled new guidelines, an intervention guide-designed to facilitate the management of depression, alcohol use disorders, epilepsy and other common mental disorders in the primary health-care setting and selected few countries, including Nigeria where it would help with the implementation of the guide.
Noting that millions of people with common, but untreated, mental, neurological and substance use disorders would benefit from the new simplified diagnosis and treatment guidelines, WHO added that evidence-based guidelines in the intervention guide were presented as flow charts to simplify the process of providing care in the primary health-care setting by non-mental health specialists, including doctors, nurses and other health providers.
“In a key achievement, the Intervention Guide transforms a world of expertise and clinical experience, contributed by hundreds of experts, into less than 100 pages of clinical wisdom and succinct practical advice,” says Margaret Chan, the WHO Director-General.
WHO, in collaboration with partners, will provide technical support for countries to implement the guidelines and has already initiated the programme for scaling up care in six countries including Nigeria, Ethiopia, Jordan, Panama, Sierra Leone and Solomon Islands.
“The programme will lead to nurses in Ethiopia recognising people suffering with depression in their day-to-day work and providing psychosocial assistance. Similarly, doctors in Jordan and medical assistants in Nigeria will be able to treat children with epilepsy,” said Dr. Shekhar Saxena, Director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse at WHO.
“Both conditions are commonly encountered in primary care, but neither identified nor treated due to lack of knowledge and skills of the health care providers,” the WHO official added.
WHO estimates that more than 75 per cent of people with mental, neurological and substance use disorders, including nearly 95 million people with depression and more than 25 million people with epilepsy, living in developing countries do not receive any treatment or care.
Placing the ability to diagnose and treat them into the primary health care system will significantly increase the number of people who can access care.
“Improvement in mental health services doesn’t require sophisticated and expensive technologies. What is required is increasing the capacity of the primary health care system for delivery of an integrated package of care,” said Ala Alwan, Assistant Director-General for Non-communicable Diseases and Mental Health at WHO.
An estimated one in four people globally will experience a mental health condition in their lifetime. People with mental, neurological and substance use disorders are often stigmatised and subject to neglect and abuse.
Too Posh To Push Myth
Exposed, Say Researchers
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It is "unlikely" that women undergo caesarean sections to avoid the pain of childbirth, research suggests.
Most caesareans were carried out for medical reasons, the review of 620,000 births in England in 2008 found.
Large variations were found from hospital to hospital, but these were down to differences in practice, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists team said.
Caesarean rates have more than doubled since the 1980s.
Far from being an "easy alternative" to traditional labour, it is still regarded as major surgery, despite increases in safety over the past two decades which have reduced the need for general anaesthetics.
Like any major operation, it carries the risk of bleeding and infection, and the wound can also make it harder for a new mother to cope in the first few weeks following birth.
As such, it is generally reserved for cases in which the risks of delivering clearly outweigh the risks of a Caesarean.
Sharp rise
However, the reason for the sharp rise in caesareans is not entirely clear, with some suspicion some low-risk women were being offered it for non-medical reasons.
The study published in the British Medical Journal looked at data for more than 620,000 single baby births in England in 2008 at 146 NHS Trusts.
Of these, 147,726 were delivered by caesarean, and the reasons for this choice were analysed.
Medical reasons were the most common - nine out of 10 women with a breech baby had one, and 71% of women who had previously had a Caesarean opted to have another.
A clear majority of women with serious medical complications in labour also had the operation.
There was no evidence low-risk women were being given caesareans inappropriately.
Caesarean rates varied widely between hospital trusts, with 14.9% at the lowest and 32.1% at the highest.
They concluded the reason for this was probably the different points at which doctors decided problems in labour were severe enough to merit a caesarean.
The lack of a precise medical definition for either "foetal distress" or for abnormal or difficult labour in general, could be responsible as some doctors and midwives may be less prepared to allow labour to continue naturally as potential problems are spotted.
And writing in the BMJ, the researchers said: "It seems unlikely that maternal request in the absence of any clinical indication contributes substantially to the rates."
The researchers called on individual hospitals and NHS regions to look closely at the reasons for high caesarean rates in their area.
Researcher Dr Tahir Mahmood said: "It was often thought that there was a north-south divide in the rates.
"Because it appeared that more women in the south had them, it was then assumed that these women had a preference for elective caesarean.
"Our research has shown that the north-south divide is mostly due to clinical reasons."
Mary Newburn, from the National Childbirth Trust, said: "This research scotches the myth there is a large group of women clamouring for caesarean on demand.
"Most women want to avoid major surgery if they have a good chance of a safe, straightforward birth, as is the case for the large majority of mothers."
Mervi Jokinen, from the Royal College of Midwives, said it was good women's choices were no longer being blamed for increasing caesarean rates.
She said: "The massive driving force in the rise of caesarean sections is the threat of litigation faced by hospitals and clinical teams."
Youths Most Vulnerable to Drug Abuse
Think Haelth not Drug was The Theme
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Very striking was the revelation by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Alhaji Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN) at the just concluded International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking; that about twenty-five percent (25%) of people arrested for drug trafficking and are being treated for various drug related illnesses are youths.
This disclosure by the Attorney General, statistically shows that young people start engaging in drug abuse as early as the age of eleven (11). He described the trend as unbelievable, and pointed out that. It is responsible for the spiraling number of insanity, waywardness and rascality among young men and women, and those spending their days serving jail terms,in other continents on the account of their involvement in drug trafficking.
This however, explains the reason why the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has beamed its searchlight on both primary, secondary and tertiary institutions with the aim of enlightening youths on the adverse effects of drug abuse and early indulgence as well as its corresponding threat on both health, security, social, political and economic development.
Addressing stake holders during the summit, Alhaji Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN) observed that, it is able bodied youths who ought to be contributing their quota to the socio-economic development of our father land that are into drugs. "This gives cause for worry because if any nation should grow, special attention must be given to the youth and school population.
By extension, drug is a big threat to our national security. What security can a nation that has no youth boast of?" he asked. There is, therefore, no doubt that this year's International Day against drug with the theme: "Think Health, Not Drugs" is a step in the right direction; Which will reawaken the consciousness of all citizens to the consequences of drugs to the health of individuals, families, and the nation's economy.
The theme: "Think Health, Not Drugs," is suggestive of the need for all to critically examine the causes and effects of the menace, and work out result oriented modalities to keep the problem off the shores of this nation. Notable is the threat of drug abuse whether physical, psychological or social, which has proved to ruin individuals and family lives.
It also attracts criminal activities that disrupt the activities of government and businesses and causes premature death. Based on these, the Attorney General said that the government is putting in place all necessary strategies to ensure that the country's drug rating is improved, especially, among youths who are described as the leaders of tomorrow.
"The present administration is not oblivious of the devastating consequences of drugs. We cannot attain the enviable position being anticipated by our re-branding drive, if criminal activities thrive, if we are perceived as a hub for drugs and human trafficking, firearms, counterfeit drugs and civil strife.
"As intractable as these vices seem, government has remained unrelenting and determined to bring the situation under control. Already on ground is the revised 'National Drug Control Master Plan for 2008 - 2011, signed and approved by the President", he assured Nigerians.
The drug control agency, NDLEA through its Boss, Alhaji Ahmadu Giade said:
"Drug use among young people is more than twice as high as that among the general population. At this age, peer pressure to experiment with illicit drugs can be strong and self-esteem is often low. Also, those who take drugs stand to be either misinformed or insufficiently aware of the health risks involved," Giade said.
Proper understanding by the youths is that living a healthy lifestyle requires making choices that are respectful both to the body and mind. And to make these choices, young people need guidance from role models and needs to get the facts about drug use right. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has provided the needed platform to bridge the gap through its international campaign to sensitise young people.
The Agency provided young people and others with tools to educate themselves about the health risks associated with illicit drug use. The highlight of the summit featured former addicts, that were on ground to enlighten the youths themselves. As the saying goes; 'Hear it from the horses mouth'.
The NDLEA should go back to the drawing board and put up an aggressive fight against drug abuse like in the days of late General Musa Bamaiyi. The Agency should be proactive and daring in battling every known drug baron, raiding all peddlers as well as confiscating belongings of the culprits; if they are serious about ridding drugs off the streets of this nation.
They also said that though drug trafficking does not yet carry death penalty in Nigeria, it is recommended that the current leadership of this nation and the NDLEA, should reflect on the grave danger drugs pose to the society, many lives which have been wasted and young people whose lives have been ruined, in order to treat the ugly phenomena appropriately because Nigeria cannot afford to become another dump site for drugs.
Ovarian Cancer A Silent Women Killer
Earlier Diagnoses is Key To Survival
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Monday, December 28, 2009
Ovarian cancer: A silent women's killer
THAT the disease is rising in profile is no longer news. What is perhaps worrisome is that most hospitals lack the capacity to diagnose the disease before the damage is grave.
"It is bad enough that cancer is a terminal disease. It is, however, made worse by the fact that most hospitals and medical centres in Nigeria lack diagnostic capacity for early detection and treatment of cancer infections," lamented Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Adamu Aliero recently.
Giving statistics of the havoc the disease has wreaked on the country, the minister disclosed that in 2005 alone, 89,000 Nigerians lost their lives to cancer.
"This number has, unfortunately, grown with the years. It is feared today, no less than a million more are probably suffering from the scourge,"
Aliero explained that on the global level, over seven million people lost their lives to cancer in 2007 alone, while it is expected that by 2020, the death rate will rise more than five times in low- and middle-income countries.
Obesity on the Rise in Africa
A New Problem Africa Now Faces
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Obesity has long been seen as a challenge for affluent Western nations, but according to a new study the epidemic appears to be spreading through the African continent - particularly among the poor. Obesity is becoming an endemic problem on a new continent - as poor urban dwellers throughout Africa succumb to the epidemic that has long been considered a matter of abundance and hedonism in rich Western societies.
A new study from the African Population and Health Research Centre in Nairobi was released on Tuesday, reflecting the challenges that African cities now face. The findings reveal a broad access to cheap foods that are high in fat and in sugar - and that are readily consumed by the poorest populations living in Africa's growing cities. "Despite being the least urbanised continent, Africa's population is becoming increasingly urban and its cities are growing at unprecedented rates," said Abdhalah Ziraba, a researcher with the African Population and Health Research Center, according to Reuters. The assumption has long been that obesity is an epidemic of wealthy nations, but the African Population and Health Research Centre report offers new perspective. The World Health Organization contends that there are 1 billion overweight adults in the world - and that 300 million of them are obese. The global economic downturn and the inexpensive nature of these high-fat, high-sugar foods will likely only compound the problem.
Cignet Health HMO Starts Registration For MDG Program in Yobe Nigeria
US Based HMO Company Starts NHIS Registration for Children in Yobe State
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Cignet Health HMO Corp. a US based Health Care Organization with operations in Nigeria and one of the operating Nigerian National Health Insurance Scheme HMO have announced the Commencement of registration of the MDG program for Pregnant women and children less than 5 years old in Yobe State of Nigeria for health care services. This pilot program was announced by the National Director for Marketing in Nigeria, Mr. Alali Oraumbo while attending the NHIS HMO Executive Meeting in Abuja, Nigeria this week. Cignet Health the only USA based parent company to provide health services in Nigeria, is optimistic that their participation in the government sponsored program for this pilot state, will begin to upgraded health care services for Nigerians by introducing their vast technological operational skills and access to US health care services.
Up to now, Cignet Health had only been involved in providing international health services to top Nigerian Corporation staffs who seek health services abroad in the USA and selected Nigerian Providers. Speaking on the assignment of Cignet Health to Yobe State, at the event conducted by NHIS Executive Director Dr. Dogo Mohammed in Abuja, Mr. Oraumbo said Cignet Health HMO intends to provide similar services which our current members enjoy to our State registered patients, which include our international Cignet Card membership registration in our world wide Database, access to our local Nigeria network of Providers nation wide, our international provider network, electronic prescription processing with our Pharmacy network, as well as our specialized Laboratory and diagnostic network, which are all presently been developed in Nigeria. Cignet hopes to extended these services to other States in Nigeria as soon as possible.
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