Health care in the United State is very expensive and most people wonder why that is. I’ve learned that health care is not a drain on the economy but it is the economy that drains health care. Health Care needs help to grow just like other industries. Just as the postwar real estate industry rested on federally-subsidized loans, and the auto industry on free roadways and easy consumer credit, the health care industry sought stabilization and subsidy through government help, by a tax-exempt status, and through the steady growth of employer-paid health insurance.
Because of the help of the government, by 2000, health care was the largest industry in the United States, and it operating on a cost-plus basis, like military supply industries. I’ve learned that when the first health insurance started in the U.S. it was called “the disability insurance. It was because the insurance did not cover doctor visits, podiatrists, chiropractors, eyeglasses, or annual colonoscopies. The people who were covered were people with injuries, illnesses, and old age, they paid the hospital a certain amount. But after few years later some unions started complaining about getting health care benefits and it was because the health care cost was increasing, and they were getting new drugs and more treatments so people needed help with medical expenses.
I understand that health care is something that’s very important and people have to pay for it, so health care is expensive because someone will pay for it eventually. The economy depends on health care now because it is the largest, most stable, and one of the most profitable industries. Health care is expensive but it’s not that the hospitals are just keeping the money to themselves, but they have to pay the doctors, the nurses, and a few hospital administrators. They pay the salary for more than 14million workers and have to maintain the whole community.
It also provide like 13.5 million jobs. I believe that the problem that health care is facing is caused of the fact that it keeps growing and finding new treatments and that cause it to increase the cost of health care.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Health Care of U.S Troops in Iraq
The troops in Iraq face so many problems, and the most problem they are facing right now is health care. Reading from the international news, I’ve learned that those troops are not being taken care of the way they are supposed to be and that’s not right. President George Bush apologized to the U.S. wounded troops who were in Washington hospital when he found out about the situation. At the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, President Bush said that volunteer to wear the U.S. uniform and not get the best possible care is not right. He apologized for what they are going through, and he said that they are going to fix the problem.
I understand that this was the first visit for the President since the Washington Post detailed in February of how convalescing soldiers at Walter Reed were left to fend for themselves in a maze of bureaucracy. The Post also found severely wounded troops living in the building with mold on the walls, infestations of mice and reaches, and holes in the ceiling. I think this is not only hard to the troops but it is very hard to their families knowing that their siblings are not getting the best care they deserve. Most of those wounded troops might even suffer severe health problems because they are not getting the medical care they need. Other soldiers and families were talking about how the case managers lost track of the wounded soldiers because they became outpatients, and left them to navigate mountains of paperwork and other bureaucratic requirements to get discharged from the military with disability benefits. This was a disgraceful situation that caused the army secretary Francis Harvey and hospital commander Major General George Weightman to lose their jobs. People like Secretary Harvey and Commander Major General Weigtman deserve to get punished for what they are doing to troops who give up their lives to protect others.
President George W. Bush said that he was disturbed after talking to most of those soldiers who had been housed in the dilapidated building. He said: “the system failed you, and it failed our troops. And we’re going to fix it.” This is not something that the President supposed to find out about, this situation should’ve been taken care. These people risk their lives for others, and the least they can get is better health care.
I understand that this was the first visit for the President since the Washington Post detailed in February of how convalescing soldiers at Walter Reed were left to fend for themselves in a maze of bureaucracy. The Post also found severely wounded troops living in the building with mold on the walls, infestations of mice and reaches, and holes in the ceiling. I think this is not only hard to the troops but it is very hard to their families knowing that their siblings are not getting the best care they deserve. Most of those wounded troops might even suffer severe health problems because they are not getting the medical care they need. Other soldiers and families were talking about how the case managers lost track of the wounded soldiers because they became outpatients, and left them to navigate mountains of paperwork and other bureaucratic requirements to get discharged from the military with disability benefits. This was a disgraceful situation that caused the army secretary Francis Harvey and hospital commander Major General George Weightman to lose their jobs. People like Secretary Harvey and Commander Major General Weigtman deserve to get punished for what they are doing to troops who give up their lives to protect others.
President George W. Bush said that he was disturbed after talking to most of those soldiers who had been housed in the dilapidated building. He said: “the system failed you, and it failed our troops. And we’re going to fix it.” This is not something that the President supposed to find out about, this situation should’ve been taken care. These people risk their lives for others, and the least they can get is better health care.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
The West Nile Virus!
West Nile encephalitis is an infection of the brain that is caused by a virus known as the West Nile virus. It was first found in Uganda in 1937. It is also commonly found in Africa, West Asia, and the Middle East. It is commonly found in humans, birds, and other vertebrate animals in Africa, Eastern Europe, West Asia, and the Middle East. People get West Nile Virus from mosquitos’ bites, but those mosquitoes have to have the West Nile Virus. Those infected mosquitoes then transmit the virus when they bite and suck blood from people and animals, and in the process, inject the virus into their victim. It takes five to fifteen days from the time someone gets bitten to the time he/she starts showing the symptoms.
I’ve learned that West Nile Virus is not a disease that can spread from human to another. Even people who deal with birds that were infected won’t contract it. Symptoms for someone with West Nile Virus include fever, headache, body aches, skin rash, and swollen lymph glands. They are some severe symptoms which include stiff neck, sleepiness, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, and paralysis.
The West Nile Virus was first found in U.S. in 1999, when there was an outbreak in New York City. It came back to New York City in 2000 and was found in birds in upstate New York near the Canadian border. The disease first appeared in Nevada in 2003. In 2006, there were 3887 confirmed human cases of West Nile in the United States; 120 deaths were reported. This year, the health officials said that there are ominous signs that this year might be a big one for West Nile Virus. This is because this year’s weather has created good breeding grounds for the mosquitoes that spread the disease. People should learn how to protect themselves from this virus in any way possible.
During spring, most people usually wear shorts, short sleeves shirts, skirts, and other types of clothes that shows parts of the body that mosquitoes like to bite. I know that it is very comfortable, but they should make sure that when it’s getting dark outside they should put on something that will cover their body, because when it’s dark outside, there is a chance that you will get bitten and not even know about it. I understand that the mosquitoes develop quickly between the rainy and the warm season. In Santa Clara, when birds start dying people understand that the mosquitoes season has started. People in Santa Clara County believe that the West Nile Virus is going to be around every year because they have a hot and humid summer, and the virus can quickly grow every year because of that. Last summer, San Jose’s residents had problems with their pools and ponds. Santa Clara County found out those water resources were either infected with West Nile Virus mosquitoes, or were dirty and becoming dangerous breeding grounds.
I’ve learned that there were sixteen West Nile Virus-infected groups of mosquitoes and over 160 West Nile Virus-positive birds were found in the county. I understand that the number of West Nile Virus has dropped over the years, but I think if people would try to clean their pools and their ponds it would help a little bit more. The experts urged people to do that, and also to wear insect repellent outdoors to prevent it. People should understand that they not only need to wear the mosquitoes’ repellents at night, but during the day, too, because there are some mosquitoes that bite during the day, and some of them have been found to carry the West Nile Virus. I think this is a great way to fight the mosquitoes’ bites. I learned that mosquitoes are attracted to people by skin odors and carbon dioxide from breath; and I understand that people should use the repellent because the active ingredients that are in the repellent cause the person to be unattractive for feeding. The repellent doesn’t actually kill the mosquitoes, but they are only effective at a short distance. People are encouraged to use the repellents, but they are also warned to be careful of what type of repellents they should use because some of them don’t really work, and they might be bad for the skin.
I’ve learned that West Nile Virus is not a disease that can spread from human to another. Even people who deal with birds that were infected won’t contract it. Symptoms for someone with West Nile Virus include fever, headache, body aches, skin rash, and swollen lymph glands. They are some severe symptoms which include stiff neck, sleepiness, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, and paralysis.
The West Nile Virus was first found in U.S. in 1999, when there was an outbreak in New York City. It came back to New York City in 2000 and was found in birds in upstate New York near the Canadian border. The disease first appeared in Nevada in 2003. In 2006, there were 3887 confirmed human cases of West Nile in the United States; 120 deaths were reported. This year, the health officials said that there are ominous signs that this year might be a big one for West Nile Virus. This is because this year’s weather has created good breeding grounds for the mosquitoes that spread the disease. People should learn how to protect themselves from this virus in any way possible.
During spring, most people usually wear shorts, short sleeves shirts, skirts, and other types of clothes that shows parts of the body that mosquitoes like to bite. I know that it is very comfortable, but they should make sure that when it’s getting dark outside they should put on something that will cover their body, because when it’s dark outside, there is a chance that you will get bitten and not even know about it. I understand that the mosquitoes develop quickly between the rainy and the warm season. In Santa Clara, when birds start dying people understand that the mosquitoes season has started. People in Santa Clara County believe that the West Nile Virus is going to be around every year because they have a hot and humid summer, and the virus can quickly grow every year because of that. Last summer, San Jose’s residents had problems with their pools and ponds. Santa Clara County found out those water resources were either infected with West Nile Virus mosquitoes, or were dirty and becoming dangerous breeding grounds.
I’ve learned that there were sixteen West Nile Virus-infected groups of mosquitoes and over 160 West Nile Virus-positive birds were found in the county. I understand that the number of West Nile Virus has dropped over the years, but I think if people would try to clean their pools and their ponds it would help a little bit more. The experts urged people to do that, and also to wear insect repellent outdoors to prevent it. People should understand that they not only need to wear the mosquitoes’ repellents at night, but during the day, too, because there are some mosquitoes that bite during the day, and some of them have been found to carry the West Nile Virus. I think this is a great way to fight the mosquitoes’ bites. I learned that mosquitoes are attracted to people by skin odors and carbon dioxide from breath; and I understand that people should use the repellent because the active ingredients that are in the repellent cause the person to be unattractive for feeding. The repellent doesn’t actually kill the mosquitoes, but they are only effective at a short distance. People are encouraged to use the repellents, but they are also warned to be careful of what type of repellents they should use because some of them don’t really work, and they might be bad for the skin.
Friday, March 9, 2007
Doctors Without Borders
Doctors without Borders is an international medical humanitarian organization composed of doctors, nurses, and other medical and nonmedical professions who work to provide health care to patients in regions facing wars. The group also helps set up programs to help stop the spread of infectious diseases in those countries.
According to the University of Florida’s news, the president of the board of directors of doctors without borders in the United States, Dr. Darin Portnoy, has opened a clinic in Liberia to help Chechen refugees get emergency health care in Georgia and coordinated primary care programs in the Sudan so that they can help form programs to control tuberculosis in Uzbekistan and measles in Nigeria. Dr. Portnoy spoke at the University of Florida’s performing arts center; he wanted people to know what he and his group are doing so that people can help with money. One of the students, Heidi Nagel, who organized this play said that he wishes that the community will be made aware of what those doctors without borders are doing and help to contribute so that they can make a different in those places that need help. He said: “This to me is the primary altruistic example of what I believe in as a doctor.” Medical students and public health students from the College of Public Health and Health Professions have spent the past year planning and raising money to bring Dr. Portnoy to the University of Florida so that he can let people know what his organization does. The students are planning on selling photos, too, just to give donations to the organization. This is a great thing that those doctors are doing. I understand that they are not doing it for money, but just to help patients.
Knowing that they don’t get pay doing it, I think it’s an amazing thing that they are willing to do. Like Heidi Nigel said, I think this is what it really means to be a doctor, just having a heart to save someone’s life without putting money first. Knowing how dangerous certain places that those doctors go to, they still go anyways knowing that they are risking their lives everyday. They do it for the love of people, and they are willing to risk everything they have. They depend on other people for food and places to stay. I think everyone who can help in any way should do so. Knowing how much money doctors actually make a year, it is very amazing knowing that they would give up that and just volunteer to help people from other countries for free. People should do everything they can to help the doctors Without Borders organization afford all the supplies they are going to need to help those patients. I’ve learned that some of the Doctors do die doing this job. In Somalia, the Doctors Without Borders were attacked, but they were able to escape. I think places like Somalia make it hard for those doctors to provide help for them. I understand that when those doctors decide to volunteer they know where they are going and how dangerous it is, but the country’s government should be able to provide security for organizations like Doctors Without Borders. I think that’s the least they can do for them, knowing that they are helping their people. I understand that Somalia and mostly other countries in Africa are dealing with a lot of problems, and it is hard for those countries to provide security for their people, but I think they should do everything they can to secure organizations like Doctors Without Borders.
Dr. Richard Heinzl, one of the founders of Doctors Without Borders in Canada, said that we all have to make a difference in this world. When Dr. Heinzl came to visit Denver, he told them stories about the Doctors Without Borders experiences in places like Iraq, Cambodia, and Mozambique and how he related to them. Dr. Heinzl is currently CEO of Cardio View, an information technology company in the field of cardiology. His presentations have been called "a life-affirming celebration of the ability we all have to make a difference in this world, and a how-to guide for organizations that want to inject more energy and commitment into their culture, and become more global in their outlook."
According to the University of Florida’s news, the president of the board of directors of doctors without borders in the United States, Dr. Darin Portnoy, has opened a clinic in Liberia to help Chechen refugees get emergency health care in Georgia and coordinated primary care programs in the Sudan so that they can help form programs to control tuberculosis in Uzbekistan and measles in Nigeria. Dr. Portnoy spoke at the University of Florida’s performing arts center; he wanted people to know what he and his group are doing so that people can help with money. One of the students, Heidi Nagel, who organized this play said that he wishes that the community will be made aware of what those doctors without borders are doing and help to contribute so that they can make a different in those places that need help. He said: “This to me is the primary altruistic example of what I believe in as a doctor.” Medical students and public health students from the College of Public Health and Health Professions have spent the past year planning and raising money to bring Dr. Portnoy to the University of Florida so that he can let people know what his organization does. The students are planning on selling photos, too, just to give donations to the organization. This is a great thing that those doctors are doing. I understand that they are not doing it for money, but just to help patients.
Knowing that they don’t get pay doing it, I think it’s an amazing thing that they are willing to do. Like Heidi Nigel said, I think this is what it really means to be a doctor, just having a heart to save someone’s life without putting money first. Knowing how dangerous certain places that those doctors go to, they still go anyways knowing that they are risking their lives everyday. They do it for the love of people, and they are willing to risk everything they have. They depend on other people for food and places to stay. I think everyone who can help in any way should do so. Knowing how much money doctors actually make a year, it is very amazing knowing that they would give up that and just volunteer to help people from other countries for free. People should do everything they can to help the doctors Without Borders organization afford all the supplies they are going to need to help those patients. I’ve learned that some of the Doctors do die doing this job. In Somalia, the Doctors Without Borders were attacked, but they were able to escape. I think places like Somalia make it hard for those doctors to provide help for them. I understand that when those doctors decide to volunteer they know where they are going and how dangerous it is, but the country’s government should be able to provide security for organizations like Doctors Without Borders. I think that’s the least they can do for them, knowing that they are helping their people. I understand that Somalia and mostly other countries in Africa are dealing with a lot of problems, and it is hard for those countries to provide security for their people, but I think they should do everything they can to secure organizations like Doctors Without Borders.
Dr. Richard Heinzl, one of the founders of Doctors Without Borders in Canada, said that we all have to make a difference in this world. When Dr. Heinzl came to visit Denver, he told them stories about the Doctors Without Borders experiences in places like Iraq, Cambodia, and Mozambique and how he related to them. Dr. Heinzl is currently CEO of Cardio View, an information technology company in the field of cardiology. His presentations have been called "a life-affirming celebration of the ability we all have to make a difference in this world, and a how-to guide for organizations that want to inject more energy and commitment into their culture, and become more global in their outlook."
Saturday, March 3, 2007
The end of Polio!
Growing up in Africa I’ve learned that people deal with a lot different diseases, and polio was one of them that a lot of people were facing in Burundi and some other countries in the world are dealing with, too. Polio is an infectious disease that is caused by a subgroup of viruses. Polio actually comes from the term poliomyelitis which is Greek. Polio was first found in 1789, and the first outbreaks occurred in Europe and the United States in the early nineteenth centuries. By then it was spreading in a lot of different places, and by 1952 more than 21,000 people in the U.S. were paralyzed.
Polio attacks children under the age of five more than anybody else and only humans can carry it. People get polio from direct exposure to an infected individual and, more rarely, by eating foods contaminated with waste products from the intestines and/or droplets of moisture (saliva) from an infected person. The symptoms of someone with polio are fever, fatigue, headache, sore throat, and vomiting which will develop three to five days after exposure. When you recover from the minor illnesses, which take about 24-72 hours, the symptoms of the major illnesses appear without a previous minor illness and it usually affects older children and adults.
The head of WHO said if the wealthy donor countries contribute $1.2 billion the world has a chance of stamping out polio in two years. The WHO Director –General Margaret Chan said in the meeting in Geneva that if they don’t meet this virus with immediate commitment that this virus might win. She said that this is a great opportunity, and they shouldn't miss it.
If polio is not treated early, it causes paralysis, deformed limbs and, in the most severe cases, death by asphyxiation. The number of people who were infected by the polio virus have dropped to 30, 000 a year in 1980 to 2,000 today. This is very good and it shows that if those rich countries would donate money they can get rid of it for good in this world. If the world works together they can actually do something and not have to deal with this disease again. Some countries like India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria are facing the outbreak of polio. Nigeria has two-thirds of the almost 1,800 new cases of polio worldwide each year, but the people said that it is because the polio vaccine was tainted with HIV/AIDS. People are not sure if this is true of not, but some people believe it.
Some of the countries like Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Bangladesh have been clear of polio. Kenya has been free from polio for about 22 years before two children were found infected by the border of Somalia in 2006. The country responded with the national three- week vaccination campaign for children under five years old. Kenyan Frederick Ouko was struck with polio when he was 18 months old and suffered shame and stigma from a highly superstitious society growing up. He talks about how people face health problems because of this disease but they face problems with society, too. He said that when he was young, people would make fun of him, stare at him, and make him feel like he did something wrong and they didn’t understand why he was disabled. These countries are having problems with getting vaccinations. I understand that countries such as Somalia and Afghanistan are facing warfare and weak governments which is why they can’t afford to provide vaccination campaigns, and that’s why the WHO decided to have a meeting in Geneva so that they can do something about it. If they come up with the money they can help everyone fight this virus. This is a virus that has affected the world; they can’t just leave it to each country to do its part because polio is a virus that can be imported from one country to another. Dr. Mohammed Duale of WHO in Kenya said polio was not an indigenous virus in Kenya, it was imported from Somalia, and the virus from Somalia came from Yemen. Which means that if one country wants to be safe it has to help other countries to fight against polio.
Polio attacks children under the age of five more than anybody else and only humans can carry it. People get polio from direct exposure to an infected individual and, more rarely, by eating foods contaminated with waste products from the intestines and/or droplets of moisture (saliva) from an infected person. The symptoms of someone with polio are fever, fatigue, headache, sore throat, and vomiting which will develop three to five days after exposure. When you recover from the minor illnesses, which take about 24-72 hours, the symptoms of the major illnesses appear without a previous minor illness and it usually affects older children and adults.
The head of WHO said if the wealthy donor countries contribute $1.2 billion the world has a chance of stamping out polio in two years. The WHO Director –General Margaret Chan said in the meeting in Geneva that if they don’t meet this virus with immediate commitment that this virus might win. She said that this is a great opportunity, and they shouldn't miss it.
If polio is not treated early, it causes paralysis, deformed limbs and, in the most severe cases, death by asphyxiation. The number of people who were infected by the polio virus have dropped to 30, 000 a year in 1980 to 2,000 today. This is very good and it shows that if those rich countries would donate money they can get rid of it for good in this world. If the world works together they can actually do something and not have to deal with this disease again. Some countries like India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria are facing the outbreak of polio. Nigeria has two-thirds of the almost 1,800 new cases of polio worldwide each year, but the people said that it is because the polio vaccine was tainted with HIV/AIDS. People are not sure if this is true of not, but some people believe it.
Some of the countries like Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Bangladesh have been clear of polio. Kenya has been free from polio for about 22 years before two children were found infected by the border of Somalia in 2006. The country responded with the national three- week vaccination campaign for children under five years old. Kenyan Frederick Ouko was struck with polio when he was 18 months old and suffered shame and stigma from a highly superstitious society growing up. He talks about how people face health problems because of this disease but they face problems with society, too. He said that when he was young, people would make fun of him, stare at him, and make him feel like he did something wrong and they didn’t understand why he was disabled. These countries are having problems with getting vaccinations. I understand that countries such as Somalia and Afghanistan are facing warfare and weak governments which is why they can’t afford to provide vaccination campaigns, and that’s why the WHO decided to have a meeting in Geneva so that they can do something about it. If they come up with the money they can help everyone fight this virus. This is a virus that has affected the world; they can’t just leave it to each country to do its part because polio is a virus that can be imported from one country to another. Dr. Mohammed Duale of WHO in Kenya said polio was not an indigenous virus in Kenya, it was imported from Somalia, and the virus from Somalia came from Yemen. Which means that if one country wants to be safe it has to help other countries to fight against polio.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Cholera in Africa!
The people in Ethiopia have been attacked by Cholera. This is a disease caused by drinking contaminated water and eating fish that are not cooked property which have the bacteria. When someone has cholera they will show these symptoms: diarrhea, vomiting, high fever, ramps, and dehydration. The person loses weigh everyday if they are diagnosed with cholera. If the person doesn’t get treatment as soon as possible cholera will kill that person in about three days and it is most likely due to dehydration. It is easily treated with fluids and antibiotics, and when someone can’t get the antibiotics he or she can drink a simple mixture of water and glucose to stop the dehydration which is like saving the life of that person since dehydration is mostly the cause of death when someone has cholera.
In Ethiopia more than 680 people have died and people suspect that it was because of cholera and it has also affected the neighboring countries. The Health Ministry has denied getting help from the UN because they don’t think it’s a big deal that this disease is increasing. The UN worries about it because the disease is spreading to other countries like Kenya and in Uganda more than a 1000 people have been infected by cholera, and seventeen people from Kenya have died because of cholera.
When a disease hits a place and the Health Ministry doesn't do anything about it early, the UN believes that it is very difficult to eliminate it. The Health Ministry of Ethiopia is not making it easy either, because they are still denying that it is cholera. They are saying that this is an acute watery diarrhea and they are not sharing the test with anybody else so that they can help them. This outbreak of cholera is not being addressed on the scale it needs to be targeted in order to have an impact, says Paul Herbert, head of the UN office for the co-ordination of humanitarian affairs in Ethiopia, but they can really convince the local officials so it’s hard for them to do anything without the permission of the local officials.
Cholera has attacked other countries in Southern Africa. In Namibia the health authority confirmed the outbreak of cholera on February 13th of this year when six people from the northern villages along the border with Angola were taken to the hospital very ill with cholera. Growing up in Burundi I’ve heard about Cholera and I don’t remember very well but I know that some people from the village that I grew up in were killed because of it. It was not very bad in my country because they tried to protect people as soon as possible but there were some places that they didn’t reach and those people lost their lives because they couldn’t afford the medicine. I remember people talking about cholera and that it was very severe in Angola.
According to the World Health Organization, cholera has killed more than 1,200 people in Angola over the past three years and 35,000 people are affected. Permanent secretary for the Ministry of Health and Social Service in Namibia Kalumbi Shangula said that five of six cases of cholera have been contracted in Angola. I know that when I was in Burundi people believed that, too. Shangula said: “It seems that the epicenter is situated in Angola spreading from there to Congo, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and now Namibia.” In Zambia they have registered 5,500 cases of cholera and in Congo 90 people died from cholera, with 2,700 others infected. Mozambique has 700 cases of cholera so far. The outbreak has been caused by the contaminated water from the Ruacana River from Angola, and with the floods that happend in the same month. Knowing that the people of Angola don’t have good water, some of them get it from the Ruacana River and it's not good water for a human being to drink. Shangula said the health officials have been distributing water treatment pills and have set up medical treatment centers in the area along the border so that they can try to prevent the two epidemics spreading. This is a good idea and it will help both Southern countries in Africa and other countries in Africa. If Ethiopia's local officials would do the same thing they would be able to protect their people from cholera.
In Ethiopia more than 680 people have died and people suspect that it was because of cholera and it has also affected the neighboring countries. The Health Ministry has denied getting help from the UN because they don’t think it’s a big deal that this disease is increasing. The UN worries about it because the disease is spreading to other countries like Kenya and in Uganda more than a 1000 people have been infected by cholera, and seventeen people from Kenya have died because of cholera.
When a disease hits a place and the Health Ministry doesn't do anything about it early, the UN believes that it is very difficult to eliminate it. The Health Ministry of Ethiopia is not making it easy either, because they are still denying that it is cholera. They are saying that this is an acute watery diarrhea and they are not sharing the test with anybody else so that they can help them. This outbreak of cholera is not being addressed on the scale it needs to be targeted in order to have an impact, says Paul Herbert, head of the UN office for the co-ordination of humanitarian affairs in Ethiopia, but they can really convince the local officials so it’s hard for them to do anything without the permission of the local officials.
Cholera has attacked other countries in Southern Africa. In Namibia the health authority confirmed the outbreak of cholera on February 13th of this year when six people from the northern villages along the border with Angola were taken to the hospital very ill with cholera. Growing up in Burundi I’ve heard about Cholera and I don’t remember very well but I know that some people from the village that I grew up in were killed because of it. It was not very bad in my country because they tried to protect people as soon as possible but there were some places that they didn’t reach and those people lost their lives because they couldn’t afford the medicine. I remember people talking about cholera and that it was very severe in Angola.
According to the World Health Organization, cholera has killed more than 1,200 people in Angola over the past three years and 35,000 people are affected. Permanent secretary for the Ministry of Health and Social Service in Namibia Kalumbi Shangula said that five of six cases of cholera have been contracted in Angola. I know that when I was in Burundi people believed that, too. Shangula said: “It seems that the epicenter is situated in Angola spreading from there to Congo, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and now Namibia.” In Zambia they have registered 5,500 cases of cholera and in Congo 90 people died from cholera, with 2,700 others infected. Mozambique has 700 cases of cholera so far. The outbreak has been caused by the contaminated water from the Ruacana River from Angola, and with the floods that happend in the same month. Knowing that the people of Angola don’t have good water, some of them get it from the Ruacana River and it's not good water for a human being to drink. Shangula said the health officials have been distributing water treatment pills and have set up medical treatment centers in the area along the border so that they can try to prevent the two epidemics spreading. This is a good idea and it will help both Southern countries in Africa and other countries in Africa. If Ethiopia's local officials would do the same thing they would be able to protect their people from cholera.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Dengue Fever!
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is an organization that was established in 1902 as the world oldest’s public the health organization. The experts from this organization are working with health authority from Paraguay to help control dengue fever in the community. This has affected a lot of people in the communities and has been a concern around the nation and the neighboring countries like South America. Dengue fever is a disease caused by a virus transmitted by mosquitoes. It only takes one mosquito bite in order to get the disease, and it takes from three to fifteen days to start getting the symptoms of dengue. When you get dengue fever you will have a high fever, a rash, a headache, and severe muscle joint pain.
If you found out about it as soon as possible and go see the doctor you will get better in two to three days. They actually haven’t found the treatment of dengue fever, but they can give you medications to lower the fever, decrease the pain of muscle aches, and stop headaches. They would give you fluids through a needle in a vein to protect you from dehydration. Some people recover fully from dengue, but if you just had it for the first time you might feel weak and fatigued for a few weeks; sometimes people who had it before might develop the virus again. When you were infected by dengue fever your immune system keeps producing cells that will prevent your body from getting infected again for about a year. If severe hemorrhaging occurs it might be necessary to do blood transfusions.
The tropics and subtropics are the areas of high risk for dengue fever, places like the Caribbean and Puerto Rico. They have found the case of this disease in South Asia, too. In Thailand 31 people were killed because of dengue fever in 1998, and last year it killed three times that. People are scared of this disease in Thailand. I’ve learned that dengue fever is severe in Vietnam, too. More than 3, 880 people have been infected just this month, and about 39 people have died just this year.
The mosquitoes must be eliminated in order to prevent dengue fever. People have to eliminate any source of standing water, such as buckets and vases. It would help, too, if people who are already infected by dengue fever were placed in the mosquitoes nets so that the mosquitoes won’t bite them and go bite someone else.
The people in Paraguay have been warned that this year might be the dangerous year because of dengue fever. In the middle of January, Paraguay has declared an epidemiological alert to let people know that dengue has emerged. The first two deaths that were reported in January 20th were caused by dengue fever. The PAHO original advisor of dengue Dr. Josй Luis San Martнn said that they main goal for this year is to treat people who are affected so that they can prevent more deaths. This organization has sent a team of experts to Paraguay to start assisting people and providing technical help in medical treatment, social communication, and health services organization. Countries like Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, and Bolivia have stepped up to prevent dengue fever and take control it. Paraguay has taken this very seriously and their health authority has understood all the strategies they need to prevent dengue fever and they have the ability to respond to it if it increases in any way.
If you found out about it as soon as possible and go see the doctor you will get better in two to three days. They actually haven’t found the treatment of dengue fever, but they can give you medications to lower the fever, decrease the pain of muscle aches, and stop headaches. They would give you fluids through a needle in a vein to protect you from dehydration. Some people recover fully from dengue, but if you just had it for the first time you might feel weak and fatigued for a few weeks; sometimes people who had it before might develop the virus again. When you were infected by dengue fever your immune system keeps producing cells that will prevent your body from getting infected again for about a year. If severe hemorrhaging occurs it might be necessary to do blood transfusions.
The tropics and subtropics are the areas of high risk for dengue fever, places like the Caribbean and Puerto Rico. They have found the case of this disease in South Asia, too. In Thailand 31 people were killed because of dengue fever in 1998, and last year it killed three times that. People are scared of this disease in Thailand. I’ve learned that dengue fever is severe in Vietnam, too. More than 3, 880 people have been infected just this month, and about 39 people have died just this year.
The mosquitoes must be eliminated in order to prevent dengue fever. People have to eliminate any source of standing water, such as buckets and vases. It would help, too, if people who are already infected by dengue fever were placed in the mosquitoes nets so that the mosquitoes won’t bite them and go bite someone else.
The people in Paraguay have been warned that this year might be the dangerous year because of dengue fever. In the middle of January, Paraguay has declared an epidemiological alert to let people know that dengue has emerged. The first two deaths that were reported in January 20th were caused by dengue fever. The PAHO original advisor of dengue Dr. Josй Luis San Martнn said that they main goal for this year is to treat people who are affected so that they can prevent more deaths. This organization has sent a team of experts to Paraguay to start assisting people and providing technical help in medical treatment, social communication, and health services organization. Countries like Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, and Bolivia have stepped up to prevent dengue fever and take control it. Paraguay has taken this very seriously and their health authority has understood all the strategies they need to prevent dengue fever and they have the ability to respond to it if it increases in any way.
Dengue’s major outbreaks tend to be separated every period of five years, and it increases intensively every time. Dr. Martin said that this year it’s going to be very difficulty and it’s not going to take just the health sector but they will need the participation of every other sectors and the people. He said that the community efforts are the principle to preventing and decreasing outbreaks of dengue. If the people get together and work together, I believe that this will make a big difference in the society. I know that there’s no cure or vaccination for this disease, and all that people can do is try to protect their communities.
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