I ONLY KNEW IT WAS A RIBBON UNTIL I READ THIS

THE RED RIBBON FOR HIV AWARENESS

THE HIV RED RIBBON... How it all started

 

It all started in 1991 about 10 years after the emergence of HIV

• About 12 artists (photographers, painters, film makers, and costume designers) gathered to discuss a new project for a New York arts organisation that raises awareness of HIV called VISUAL AIDS.
• After a short brainstorm they come up with a simple idea – the red ribbon, worn to signify awareness and support for people living with HIV.
• When the artists sat down to work on this project, their aim was to get people talking about HIV. This was during a time where HIV was highly stigmatised and people living with the virus were suffering behind closed doors, some too scared to even tell their loved ones. The artists wanted to create a visual expression of compassion for people living with, and affected by, HIV.
• The artists were inspired by the yellow ribbons tied on trees to show support for the US military fighting in the Gulf War. Pink and rainbow stripes were rejected because they were too closely associated with the gay community, and they wanted to convey that HIV went beyond the gay community and was relevant to everyone.
• Red was chosen as it is bold and visible – symbolising passion, a heart and love. The shape was chosen simply because it was easy to make and replicate – anyone can make one by just cutting out a piece of ribbon, looping it around your finger and pinning it on themselves.
• Initially there was text that went with it, to explain why they were being worn, but eventually this was dropped as its symbolism no longer needed an explanation.
• Within weeks of the red ribbon idea being born, world-famous actors starting wearing it to high-profile award ceremonies such as the Oscars and talking about why it was important.
• The media also took notice, and within a short space of time the red ribbon symbol became universally recognised. At the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, held at London's Wembley Stadium on Easter Sunday, 1992, more than 100,000 red ribbons were distributed among the audience, with performers such as George Michael wearing one.
• The red ribbon continues to be a powerful force in the efforts to increase public awareness of HIV.

culled from www.worldaidsday.org

ENDEAVOUR TO WEAR A RED OUTFIT THIS TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2015 AND ON EVERY 1st December. Wearing the Red Ribbon does not identify you as HIV-positive but shows your solidarity against discrimination against persons living with HIV. Feel free to wear the RED RIBBON as we all join hands to fight the virus and not the Positives.

Pharma-Guide Digest is proud to be associated with the activities of the 2015 WORLD AIDS DAY... Follow us on facebook, we have a lot to share with you this December: www.facebook.com/pharma-guide-nigeria

FUEL SCARCITY – A NATIONAL HEALTH POISONPharm. Joseph O. Ebirim

We are at it again; what should have been a tale of the past still stares us in the face, an ugly sight to behold any day. What more can be scarier than the sight or sound of N400 per litre of Prime Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as fuel and more so, that of sky-rocketing and unaffordable cost of kerosene, the second-line energy source for cooking of the low income earner after firewood. What more can instill a feeling of frustration and sadness in the hearts of Nigerians than this unrelenting surge of high cost or fuel owing to scarcity?
Fuel scarcity as it is popularly referred to as, occurs for many reasons but it seems neither the populace nor the government seem to realize the ‘’poisonous nature’’of this menace. It is indeed hazardous owing to the health consequences of scarcity and scarcity-induced practices. When scarcity looms, hoarding of fuel is usually the first response by petroleum product dealers. Their agents and opportunists roll out their storage drums which they use to buy at pump prices and subsequently sell at hiked prices popularly known as black market prices. Many of these black market dealers store and sell these petroleum products in or near residential areas and it only takes one moment of a fire spark and lives and property are lost to the ensuing inferno. As usual, blames are traded, a cosmetic reaction that only spells medicine after death. In addition to this, scarcity also inspires some crooked minds to sell adulterated petroleum products as the real fuel and unsuspecting buyers purchase these materials and suffer grave consequences. In most cases, these adulterated petroleum products damage motor carburetors causing avoidable incidences of vehicular breakdown, while also contrihuting significantly to the emission of poisonous gaseous products in the atmosphere to the detriment of the health of the inhaling populace. Vehicular breakdown leads to fustration, unhappiness and financial stress and exposure to attacks usually on lonely roads by bandits often leading to loss of lives and properties of motorists.
Fuel scarcity typically leads to the emergence of long queues at petrol stations causing people to spend useful business hours on queues under the scotching heat of the sun, amidst roaring voices and from flaring tempers. This drains them emotionally and its very harmful and anxiety and depression prone individuals.  Furthermore during fuel scarcity,the negative effect of our networks of bad roads as it regards undesirable road traffic situations causes people to lose significant work hours on the road, to and from work, reducing thier sleep hours, while also frustrating thier ability to arrive work early and also reduces thier efficiency at work because they are already stressed out.Transport prices are hiked as well making average income earners pay more and gain less from their monthly pay. Goods and services are usually transported from point of origin to other commercial destinations and so their prices are affected by fuel scarcity. The poor masses find it harder to feed and are left to worry more and fall sick all the more thus increasing the disease burden of the society. Obviously, fuel scarcity increases the poverty level of the society and this directly increases crime rate in the society as well. These consequences are very unhealthy for the masses.
The Nigerian story of fuel scarcity is a very sad one given the fact that Nigeria is blessed with abundant resources, one of which is crude oil the precursor of the petroleum products especially PMS which we, every now and then cry out of its scarcity. This is an IRONY!!. This is as a result of corruption which has been nurtured and made chronic and systemically available by years of bad leadership by selfish and unrepentant leaders. From the sardonic blabs of failed and irreparable refineries through the periodic repugnant occasions of petroleum workers industrial action (strikes) to the disgusting tales of subsidy withdrawal, the effect is the same, the masses suffer from unwarranted lack of petroleum products and the hazardous consequences remain unavoidable. Other factors such as bad roads, terrorism and insecurity, epileptic power supply, failing educational systems, to mention but a few add to the national pain. The present administration ably led by President Muhammad Buhari has decided to chair the petroleum sector with the president assuming the role of the Petroleum Minister. It is the prayer of Nigerians that his change mission will provide antidotal therapy to the national poison called fuel scarcity ,quickly bringing to an irreversible end this age long menace; improve the rate of availability of petroleum products than what was obtained during immediate past administration. Most important is the urgent need for both the Nigerian masses and leaders to realize from the points and relationships marshaled out in this piece that fuel scarcity poses a threat to the public health of Nigeria and to recall that since health is wealth, an unhealthy nation is a poor nation. This is a fact that Nigerians must wake up to understand, speak about and task her leaders on, the latter who when faced with the slightest headache use tax payers money to fly abroad for medical treatment.
Finally, fuel scarcity must be seen as an endemic national poison which it is and all hands must be on deck to not just eliminate but subsequently prevent. Measures must be developed now, more than ever to immunize this great nation against incessant occasions of fuel scarcity as a step towards ensuring progress, and then ultimately the much desired peace and unity which are crucial to national development.

AT LAST, NIGERIA WELCOMES A BREAKTHROUGH THAT WILL SAVE MILLIONS OF LIVES!

Africa is a blessed continent rich in natural resources and a vast array of socio-cultural heritage. However, poverty amidst corruption have continued to drag it back in terms of development. Africa's health care system has been challenged by a vast array of disease outbreaks, the worst being the Ebola outbreak last year. However, HIV/AIDS and malaria are also diseases of concern among the highly populated continent and Nigeria in particular.

According to UNICEF, every year, Malaria affects about 300 million to 600 million people around the world and about 580,000 annual deaths due to malaria have been recorded. 90% of this figure is attributed to Sub-Saharan Africa. Nigeria accounts for 18% of global infections.

Malaria treatment in Nigeria seems to be poorly executed and this has over the years frustrated the eradication of the disease as well as led to the difficulty in proper management of the disease. The gold standard diagnostic test for malaria has been through blood smears. This has not enjoyed widespread acceptance and practice among community based health facilities. However, the efforts of  Fyodor, a US based biotechnology firm founded by Nigerian Eddy Agbo, has led to the discovery of the Urine Mmalaria Test (UMT) which provides a point-of-need diagnosis of the Plasmodium parasite using dipstick technology just the same way pregnancy test strips work. The urine malaria test is already in some pharmacies in Nigeria. This test can be done within 25minutes prior to initiation of therapy and it does not require special skills in order to perform it. A publication in a malaria journal has upheld the sensitivity of the tests strip and reliability of this technique calling for more improvements however.

The benefit offered by this rapid test kit is that accurate malaria treatment can now be initiated on time especially in rural areas and ultimately reduce deaths due to malaria.

Back here in Nigeria, this great innovation has won the inaugural 2015 Health Innovation Challenge Awards backed by the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PHN). The award comes with a grant of $100,000 and support for PHN from backers including Bill Gates; Africa’s wealthiest man, Aliko Dangote; and former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan.

Sources: Quartz Africa, http://www.malariajournal.com/content/13/1/403

[WOMEN'S HEALTH] EVER EXPERIENCED SCANTY MENSTRUAL FLOW? WORRY LESS, KNOW THE FACTS!

An abnormally light menstrual blood flow. It is also known as hypomenorrhoea. It can occur normally especially if the experience runs through genetic lines.

Pregnancy is not prevented by this kind of flow

Causes:

• Genetics
• Side effects of hormonal contraception methods like oral pills, IUDs, hormonal implants -  the relatively low estrogen in this contraceptives reduces the growth of endometrium hence there is little to shed during menstruation
• Age: early in puberty and just before menopause – endometrial lining isn’t developing normally
•  Low thyroid hormone level, high prolactin level, high insulin level, high androgen level and problems with some hormones can cause anovulation and also lead to scanty flow.
• Asherman’s syndrome (intrauterine adhesions)
•  Plastic operation of the uterine or myomectomy
• Emotional and Nervous factors such as stressful periods and excitement and anxiety over some expectations and events can lead to low production of estrogen and progesterone
• Low body fat due to excessive exercise and crash dieting

Diagnostic approaches include:

• Blood tests to ascertain levels of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Leutinizing Hormone (LH), estrogen, insulin, prolactin. Insulin and androgen levels are high in polycystic ovarian syndrome
• Ultra sonogram (also known as scan) – to ascertain the thickness of the endometrium, size of the ovaries, growth of follicles, to determine ovulation as well as other abnormalities.
• Dilation and Curretage (D & C) and MRI scans may sometimes be needed to help detect other possible causes of scanty flow

 TREATMENT: 

See your Doctor for proper assessment and diagnosis.

REFERENCES

1. everydayhealth.com (image)
2. gynaeonline.com
3. wikipedia.com

JUST IN CASE YOU DID NOT GET THE HARD COPY, HERE IT IS - PHARMA-GUIDE DIGEST 1

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PUTTING TITLES TO BED, LET VALUE SPEAK... House officer vs Intern Nomenclature

I had just finished reading the notice attached when it suddenly dawned on me that it was even meant for doctors and nowhere did I find the compound word, "house officer".
It reminded me of a scenario that played out earlier in the year while on night shift, a young doctor came around my unit to pick up infusions. Being someone i knew quite well, i tried to assist her in making sure she obtained what she wanted quite fast and when for some procedural reasons, my superior asked her if she was an "intern", she paused and with a look of disgust, replied "No, I am a House officer" and I felt so sorry for her immediately, yeah at her ignorance.

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To my fellow young practitioners, I will not ask how long we shall continue to biquer and argue as to who is who but I hold the view that the better question to ask ourselves and meditate upon is "what have I to render? What value can I add to the system?"
If we decide to play politics with our profession because we are in the all-things-can-go-Nigeria, so that Doctors can be the "Lord and Masters of the hospitals", the patient-oriented gains of interprofessional collaborative efforts will be lost and the dignity of our profession as envisioned in our respective creed cum oaths will be lost also. The patients who can be any one of us or our loved ones will suffer.

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There must be mutual respect for the traditional and emerging roles of all stakeholders in the clinical team as obtained in more developed systems. Real professionals put titles to sleep and let their values and contribution to humanity speak for them - this should be our lot in our quest to enshrine positive change and consolidate on the new era of our lives as a nation. Posterity will hold us to judgment if we fail to do the right things. Let us usher in a paradigm shift from pockets concerned service to value and impact-driven services; this will bring monumental, unprecedented and joyous progress to our health sector.

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WHEN PARACETAMOL TURNS FOE...

When it comes to drugs, Paracetamol is a house hold name. It is an analgesic (pain-killer) and an antipyretic (reduces elevated body temperature/fever) and with very weak anti-inflammatory activity. It is an over-the-counter medicine meaning it can be bought without need of a prescription. It comes mainly in 500mg round or oval tablets sold as paracetamol by Emzor, May & Baker, and as Panadol by Glaxo Smithkline (GSK). Other companies market this drug with other brand names. To know what a drug contains, check the park or the blister sachets for a section where you see an inscription about contents.
Paracetamol is generally safe for use in most people. Even in pregnancy, no causal relationship has linked paracetamol to any foetal danger. It does not cause or worsen stomach ulcers as with some Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen, Diclofenac, Naproxen, Piroxicam, etc neither does it contain substances such as misoprostol which can hurt the unborn being in the womb (foetus) but protects the stomach from irritations when combined with diclofenac (as in Misoprostol).
An average adult takes about 1000mg three to four times daily for treatment of headache and fever and children may take less. An adult must not take more than 4grams (4000mg) in 24 hours. Your doctor will tell you how much of paracetamol to take. It is wise and advisable to report back to your doctor or pharmacist if you feel paracetamol isn’t good for you as two people do not always respond to a medicine the same way. Also should you have any questions about your medications, a pharmacist is professionally trained to and will be ready to attend to you. At Pharma-Guide Digest, we are always willing to attend to your queries.

As a rule, do not obtain drug information from friends and hear say and do not broadcast messages about health and medicines without personally verifying about such from professionals.

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POSIONING THROUGH OVER-DOSAGE

When paracetamol is taken, it is metabolized into toxic and non-toxic by products but the toxic product is usually produced in small amounts and detoxified (neutralized) by the liver almost immediately too. However, in the case of overdose, the liver becomes overwhelmed and, the toxic by-product, N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI) causes severe damage to the liver. This effect is seen within 3-4days and may lead to very serious liver failure within days after the overdose. The liver organ is very crucial and plays important roles in the well-being of the human system and when it fails, the kidney doesn’t last so long thereafter.

PARACETAMOL AND ALCOHOL

Although, there are conflicting reports about alcohol inducing microsomal enzymes which may cause the production of toxic by-products of paracetamol when consumed together, it is advisable not to combine both products in order to be on the safe side.

CREDITS:
Wikipedia.com
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Emdex (2014-2015 Edition)