HIV/AIDS; WHO IS AT RISK?

This is one of the major important questions about HIV/AIDS, people seek an answer for. . .

WHO IS AT RISK? WHO IS SAFE? AND WHO IS NOT?

First, let me establish a very important fact here, and simultaneously debunk a myth (or more like a general presumption). . .

HIV DOES NOT jump on people !!!. . .

Some people are with the presumption and unrealistic fear that "HIV flies in the air". Very funny right. The assumption is real, but the fact is false.

HIV/AIDS is NOT an airborne disease, it DOES NOT fly in the air, and it DOES NOT jump on people.

LET'S TALK HIV/AIDS With MEDICALMATTAZ

Just recently, I read in an article released by the United Nations that millions of people still don't know about or are not aware of the HIV virus and AIDS, it left me dumbfounded, I was totally surprised.

I had some reservations, but I got even more shocked when I got to discover that even quite a lot of people, even some scholars, (YES! You heard right, S C H O L A R S), don't know what the term HIV/AIDS stands for.

Majorly and generally, HIV/AIDS is known by many to be a disease, a pandemic, and that's all they know about it. But that's not all about HIV/AIDS, and that's why we're doing this. Oya, let's talk HIV/AIDS (from the basics of course).

WHAT IS HIV/VIRUS?

HIV is an abbreviation for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, while AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.

IT'S ABOUT TIME

Globally there are an estimated 34 million people who are infected with the HIV virus. And since its discovery in the early 80's, more than 35 million people have died of HIV/AIDS, making it one of the most destructive pandemics in history.

According to the United Nations Special Sessions on HIV/AIDS, many of the 36 million people infected with HIV do not know they are carrying the virus. Nor do they know much about the disease. And as a result, more than 2 million people die each year of this disease.

It's not like nothing is being done about it; in fact, a lot of health organizations and foundations have risen up to the aid. But. . .

#ITSABOUTTIME we talked about it

LOWER-BACK PAIN

 by JOY OKON

You stand and it feels like your back is preparing for a werewolf transformation. For those that are not familiar with the 'vampire diaries' series, a werewolf transformation is excruciatingly painful. When you sit, you experience the same thing. Even when you lie in bed, same thing occurs. Welcome to the pleasures of lower-back pain.

According to the American Chiropractic Association, four out of five people endure lower-back pain at some point in their lives. It can hang around for a few days or months, and even years. Such fun times eh. Some culprits are involved.

Common culprits include:

·         Exercise mishaps

·         Muscle strains

·         Postural changes during pregnancy, and

·         Bulging or herniated discs says Dr Jennifer Solomon, MD, a board certified physiatrist at hospital for Special Surgery in NYC.

FACTORS THAT WORSEN AGEs

There are a number of factors that contribute to the development of Advanced Glycation End Products within the body. These factors include:

DIETARY FACTORS

As stated in AGEs, FOOD SUBSTANCES THAT ARE INVOLVED, dietary Advanced Glycation End Products (dAGEs) are present in some foods (particularly meat, also butter and so on).

Meats high in protein and fat are likely to form AGEs during cooking.

COOKING METHODS

Cooking methods that use high temperatures to brown or char foods, such as grilling, frying, roasting, baking, steaming, microwaving and broiling, have the largest impact on the amount of AGEs consumed.

FG Begins Measles Immunisation Campaign In 19 Northern States

                                                        By Winifred Ogbeb and Victor Okek

The federal government is to begin its measles immunisation campaign across the 19 northern states of the federation from the 21st to the 28th of this month.

Speaking to newsmen yesterday in Abuja, the executive secretary, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Mohammed Ado, also revealed that it will extend its follow-up campaign against measles to 96 Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps across the northern states.

He said some of the states include Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), while the second phase will commence on 28th January to 1st February, 2016 in the 17 southern states.

He also disclosed that the agency had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with private providers in 2012 to provide immunisation services to children, adding that 60 per cent of health care services in the country are provided by them.

WHO presents President Buhari with certificate delisting Nigeria from Polio endemic countries

WHO presents President Buhari with certificate delisting Nigeria from Polio endemic countries
 
It has been 15 consecutive months without any case of polio virus infection recorded in Nigeria. Consequently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has formally presented President Muhamnadu Buhari with a certificate delisting Nigeria from the list of polio-endemic countries and will completely delist Nigeria from among polio infected countries of the world if the current efforts were sustained till 2017. This was the condition attached prior to presentation of the certificate.

The WHO Regional Director in Nigeria, Matshidiso Rebecca Moeti, presented the certificate to Buhari on behalf of the Director-General, Margaret Chan, at the State House Abuja yesterday reported Guardian News.

FOCAL SEGMENTAL GLOMERULOSCLEROSIS

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a disease in which scar tissue develops on the glomeruli of the kidney.

To allow for better understanding, it is best to breakdown these words:

Focal: means that only some of the kidneys’ glomeruli have been damaged, while some are still normal.

Glomerulo: A structure in the kidney. The glomeruli refers to the clusters of tiny blood vessels in the kidneys that filter waste and harmful substances from the blood. Each kidney has thousands of glomeruli.

Sclerosis: refers to scarring.

FSGS is most often idiopathic (of unknown cause), but can be caused by a variety of conditions such as the use of heroin or other drugs, HIV infection, obesity, sickle cell disease, atheroembolic disease, nephron loss, inherited genetic problems, and some medicines.

WHAT HEALTH RISK(S) AM I EXPOSED TO, BEING BITTEN BY BED BUGS?

Bed bugs can cause a number of health effects including skin rashes, psychological effects, and allergic symptoms. We already discussed that in our  previous post.

They are able to be infected by more than 28 human pathogens (including viruses, bacteria, protozoa,

and parasitic worms), such as those causing anthrax, plague, hepatitis, HIV, the virus that causes AIDS and typhus, and have been found naturally infected with many of these disease agents (especially hepatitis B virus).

PROTECTING YOURSELF FROM THE MERS DISEASE

It is important that you know some things first, before we move on to the preventive measures. The question that should first come to your mind here is WHY SHOULD I PROTECT MYSELF?

#1: It is not yet fully understood how people become infected with the MERS‐CoV.

#2: The source of the MERS-CoV is not yet fully clear. Only a few animals (e.g camels) have been suspected to be possible reservoirs.

#3: No vaccine or specific treatment is currently available.

The MERS-CoV can be transmitted from animals to humans (though this is not yet fully understood). However, the virus does not appear to pass easily from person to person unless there is close contact, such as providing unprotected care to an infected patient.

MERS , THE NEWEST PLAGUE IN TOWN

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) as it is called, is a viral respiratory disease that is new to humans, caused by a coronavirus (MERS‐CoV) that was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012. MERS affects the respiratory system (lungs and breathing tubes).

According to the WHO, only 26 countries have been affected so far. These countries are:

From the Middle East: Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen;

Europe: Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Turkey, and the United Kingdom (UK);

CHARITIES FEAR EBOLA RESURGENCE AFTER SPIKE IN CASES

Ebola cases have increased in Sierra Leone and Guinea, with charities afraid they are ‘back to square one’. Photograph: Michael Duff/AP
More people diagnosed with deadly virus in Sierra Leone and Guinea weeks after WHO reports 10-month low in new infections

A rise in Ebola cases on the border of Sierra Leone and Guinea has sparked fears that efforts to rid the countries of the deadly virus are “back to square one”.

The spike in infections comes weeks after the World Health Organisation reported a 10-month low, with just nine cases in both countries in the week ending 10 May.

But, since then, the WHO has said: “Both the intensity and the geographical area of Ebola virus disease transmission have increased.”

In its latest situation report, it said 31 confirmed cases of the virus had been reported in the week ending 7 June -16 cases in Guinea and 15 in Sierra Leone.

“This is the second consecutive weekly increase in case incidence, and the highest weekly total number of cases reported from Sierra Leone since late March,” it said.

NEW INDICATOR FOR STROKE DETECTION

During a BBQ, a woman stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics). . .she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, she went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.

Her husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital, where she later passed away. SHE HAD SUFFERED A STROKE at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps she would still be alive today.

Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

According to a neurologist, a stroke victim can totally be restored back to good health and the effects of a stroke can be totally reversed if the victim is taken proper care of within 3 hours of attack.

THE HEALTH IMPACTS OF WORMS ON OUR SYSTEM

From the previous post, WORMS; WHEN DO THEY FALL IN OUR SYSTEM? ,, we talked about worms, and how they get into our system. But here we'll be talking on the impacts, and the dangers worms can pose on our general well-being.

Again, I'll like to remind you, especially parents, that worms are NOT an integral part of the human system. Your child having worms IS NOT a normal thing, as most parents have been made to believe. This is the more reason you need to take fast action if your child is infected or to prevent an imminent infection.

WORMS DON'T COME TO PLAY OR KEEP WARM, THEY HAVE COME TO HARM; THAT'S THEIR MEANS OF SURVIVAL. . .

To start with, worms can impair nutritional status by causing:

• Internal bleeding which can lead to loss of iron and anaemia.

WORMS; WHERE DO THEY FALL IN OUR SYSTEM?

In my early years on earth, growing up, the issue of worms and deworming was a common thing. Virtually every child in the neighbourhood had his/her own issue to deal with. We were almost all affected.

But after my first and second year in Med school, in all my basic anatomy and physiology classes, it was just as if the word 'worms' was missing in every lecturer's dictionary, nobody mentioned it, not even once.

I began to wonder; then where do those worms belong? Where have they come from? These questions are what have led to putting down this write-up.

First of all, especially for parents, it is pertinent to know that worms are NOT an integral part of the human system. This fact needs to be established before we proceed. Your child having worms IS NOT a normal thing, as most parents have been made to believe.

EBOLA; NOT OVER UNTIL WE WIN

What should have been poured into this writing is a congratulatory note, to us. Yes, it is true that the human race (and affected countries) is gaining triumph in the fight against the epidemic, Ebola, that suddenly struck our space. Yet, more is still to be done.

With the help of world's giant health bodies like the WHO, CDC, International Red Cross Society, UNMEER, Medecins Sans Frontieres, and so on, we have been able to attain substantial level of success. Yet, this is not the time to relax and fold our arms people.

Something surprising (at the same time, baffling) should strike our minds. Despite this disease already being kicked out of major affected countries (DR Congo, Senegal, and Nigeria), the death toll and reported cases are still on the rise. This is a real need for us to be more careful. It's a cause for cautious alarm.

PAPER AND PHONES COULD SOON DIAGNOSE EBOLA AND HIV FOR$1

Diseases such as HIV and Ebola are on the verge of being diagnosed almost instantly using paper-based technology costing less than $1.

The devices, known as biosensing platforms, are made from cheap materials including plastic film and cellulose paper. Results are captured using a smartphone camera and sent back to hospitals or clinics for immediate diagnosis.

Current HIV diagnosis can cost up $48 (45) for a negative test and $64 (60) for a positive test. Checks for Ebola cost some $100 (95), take up to six hours to produce a result and require sophisticated diagnostic equipment, the type of which is often unavailable in western Africa where the disease is especially prevalent.

Experimental Ebola Shot Shows Good Response

An experimental Ebola vaccine appears to safely protect people against infection and without causing feared side-effects such as arthritis, researchers reported Wednesday. 

The vaccine, which has already been shipped to West Africa for more testing, uses an animal virus called vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) to carry tiny pieces of the Ebola virus to help train the immune system to recognize it. 

"The most common side effects were injection site pain and transient fever that appeared and resolved within 12 to 36 hours after vaccination," the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which helped test the vaccine, said in a statement.

CASSAVA A 'POSSIBLE' TOOL IN THE TREATMENT OF CANCER

The cassava plant is a staple crop in Africa, Asia, and South America. Different parts of the plant such as the root, leaves, and sometimes the whole plant, are used in herbal remedies.

There is NO convincing scientific evidence that cassava is effective in preventing or treating cancer. However, some researchers have proposed an idea that might eventually lead to treatments that use an enzyme from the cassava plant. This approach has not been scientifically tested.

              HOW IS IT PROMOTED FOR USE?

In folk medicine, the cassava plant is promoted for treating snakebites, boils, diarrhea, flu, hernia, inflammation, conjunctivitis, sores, and several other problems including cancer.

PARACETAMOL 'NO GOOD FOR BACK PAIN'

Paracetamol is ineffective at treating back pain and osteoarthritis despite being a recommended treatment, a group of Australian researchers has warned.

Their review of 13 clinical trials, published in the British Medical Journal, said the drug did not reduce disability or improve quality of life. 

Instead, the group warned, it increased the odds of liver problems.

The NHS is to review its guidelines. Experts say patients should consult a doctor before changing medicines.

Back pain is a leading cause of disability and in the UK alone it is estimated to affect 26 million people each year.