Yabha Networks » Health

Vaccination of H1N1

Veron — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 16:37:29 +0000

The Greater Accra Regional Health Directorate on Wednesday announced an extension of the H1N1 vaccination for 2009 from Wednesday, June 30, to Friday, July 30. The exercise began in the Metropolis from the first week of June. Mr Ato Ashon, Greater Accra Regional Disease Control Officer, in an interview with Ghana News Agency in Accra on Tuesday, said the extension was due to the inability of the Directorate to meet its initial target of about 350,700 people.

“The first batch included health staff, pregnant women, security personnel, and high risk groups such as asthmatic, hypertensive, diabetic, HIV/AIDS and cancer patients,” he added.

Mr Ashon explained that the vaccination was to protect high risk people between the ages 18 to 60 to maintain high population immunity to the disease, as well as to prevent and control its spread. H1N1 is caused by a virus that affects the respiratory system and spreads through coughs and sneezes or by touching contaminated surfaces, The symptoms include common cold with cough, sore throat, fever, catarrh, general weakness, body ache, headache, and sometimes vomiting or diarrhoea. It may also lead to severe pneumonia with difficulty in breathing, rapid breathing and chest pain.

Mr Ashon said the symptoms could last up to a week, and that complications of the disease included pneumonia and difficulty in breathing, adding the disease was highly contagious with majority of cases presented as mild sickness, especially in younger people. He said regular hand washing with soap and water, hand rubbing with alcohol, keeping a distance from infected persons and wearing of protective clothing by those taking care of patients, were some of the measures to stop its spread. Ghana is among countries selected by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to receive influenza vaccines to control the spread of the virus.

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Malaria-Prevention Is Always Better Than Cure

Veron — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 03:11:39 +0000

Malaria is a leading cause of disease and death in most malaria endemic countries, especially in sub-Sahara Africa. It accounts for over 3 million out-patient visits and over 4000 deaths annually in the Ghana. It is reported that in the year 2008, 39.5% of all outpatient illnesses, 30.0% of all admissions and 33.4% of all deaths in children under-five years, was attributable to malaria in Ghana. It also accounted for 13.8% of all OPD attendances in pregnant women, 10.6% of admissions and 5.98% of deaths in pregnant women recorded in public health institutions. Children under five years are considered the most vulnerable and account for over a third (36-40%) of all outpatient malaria cases.

Malaria is transmitted through the bite of an infective female Anopheles mosquito and is caused by the Plasmodium parasite. Even though it is a potentially fatal disease, in majority of the cases, the disease can be prevented and death avoided if it is detected early and an appropriate, effective and prompt treatment is given. Symptoms of the uncomplicated malaria may include fever, chills, headache and diarrhoea among others. In Ghana malaria transmission is high throughout the year especially during the rainy seasons. Less commonly, malaria transmission may occur through accidental transfusion with infected blood. Unlike common cold or flu, one cannot get malaria from casual contact with malaria-infected persons neither is it a spiritual disease as some people still believe nor can it be caused by witchcraft. Of course like any other disease, preventing malaria is better than a cure. In Ghana where the risk of malaria is high, preventive strategies are recommended. Some of these strategies include avoiding mosquito bites especially at night by sleeping under insecticide treated bed nets (ITNs), which are especially effective; or by covering doors and windows with insecticide treated curtains to prevent mosquitoes from entering and hiding in rooms.

Pregnant women should attend the Antenatal Clinic for their Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPT) which is initiated after they feel the first movement of the baby (quickening).IPT is the administration of Sulphadoxine –Pyrimethamine (SP) to the pregnant woman at the antenatal clinic under direct observation therapy. This will help prevent the unborn baby and the mother from getting malaria.

However, should you get malaria; there is considerable hope of being cured if an immediate action is taken. In Ghana, the approved drugs for treating simple or uncomplicated malaria are Artesunate- Amodaiquine, Arthemeter Lumefantrine and Dihydroartemisinin Piperaquine.Before any of these drugs can be taken, doctors should have confirmed based on a demonstration of the Plasmodium falciparum parasites in the patient’s blood prior to treatment.

Malaria is responsible for one out of every four childhood deaths in Africa .These childhood deaths often occur within two days of developing symptoms. From this, we can see that mothers and caregivers of children especially less than five years should act very fast when their wards gets fever, cold or any of the symptoms of malaria.

Breast Cancer

Veron — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 02:54:49 +0000

Breast cancer has a big psychological impact. There are threats to survival and sexual relationships. One in eight women will develop breast CA during their lifetime. According to the American Cancer society it is 100 times more common in women than men. Less than 1% of breast cancers occur in men. Risk factors in men include exposure to radiation, heavy alcohol consumption and men with many female relatives who have breast CA. Symptoms in men include breast lumps, nipple discharge and pain in the breast. The idea that men have a worse prognosis may be because men are diagnosed at a later stage.
Certain conditions place a woman at high risk for breast CA. One whose mother, sister or daughter has breast CA. Women who have their first child after age thirty have a higher incidences of developing breast CA than younger women. Women who menstruate at an early age and those who have a late menopause, as well as those who never bore children. Monthly self-examination and mammogram can assist in the detection of breast CA in the early stages. Most malignant lumps (cancerous tumors) are painless and may feel firm with irregular shapes. No lump should be taken for granted. The risk of developing breast CA increases as the factors rise.
When cancer is confined to the breast, the five year survival rate is 97%. When it spreads to surrounding tissues, the five year survival rate is 76%. When the disease metastasizes, (spread to other areas in the body including the liver, lungs and brain) the rate drops to 21%. Screening methods for breast CA include physical examination, mammography, breast ultrasound and biopsy of suspicious tissues. Surgical options include lumpectomy (removal of the tumor) and mastectomy (removal of the breast). The patient may also receive chemotherapy, hormone replacement, radiation therapy or a combination of these.
People with breast CA now live longer due to advances in medicine and technology, although sometimes the cancer might return. Check your partners for lumps in the breasts and seek medical advice. Do not feel shy about it. You could save each other’s life by doing so. Stay fit.

Angolan

Veron — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 07:59:46 +0000

Angolans participate in the Kasseque fish market on the Atlantic ocean beach in Benguela on January 29, 2010 during the African Nations Cup football tournament which takes place in their country. A

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H1N1 still a threat

Veron — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:56:25 +0000

H1N1 infections are declining, but public health officials are urging consumers not to become complacent about the bug.The pandemic virus still is making people sick, health officials said, and could make a comeback by spring.

“It’s still out there. It’s still going to cause morbidity and mortality,” said Steven R. Katkowsky, director of the Northern Kentucky Health Department. “It’s definitely out there and we definitely need to be vigilant.”

Health officials Wednesday reported Northern Kentucky’s sixth fatality linked to H1N1 flu. The victim, identified only as a Kenton County woman in her 50s, died in November, but test results only recently became available showing she had H1N1. She also had “significant” underlying health problems, Katkowsky said.

“Swine flu is an unpredictable virus,” he said. “Thus, it is important to take steps to protect ourselves from the illness.”

That protection includes vaccination, he said, along with measures like frequent hand-washing and covering coughs and sneezes.

Northern Kentucky health officials Wednesday announced their first H1N1 vaccination initiative for the general public. Residents in Boone, Campbell, Grant and Kenton counties can call health centers in their county beginning Monday to schedule a vaccination. Health department staff will start giving the inoculations on Jan. 20.

Health departments serving Cincinnati, Norwood and Warren County are also offering H1N1 vaccine to the public.

When cases were at their highest, vaccine was in scarce supply, and available only to those at highest risk for complications from the flu strain.

Plenty of vaccine is available now through health departments, physician offices and pharmacies, including Walgreen’s and Kroger. But now that there are fewer H1N1 cases, some public health officials worry consumers won’t get vaccinated.

The vaccines are available free through health departments.

The vaccine is provided free to pharmacies and physicians’ offices, but they charge for administering the vaccine and for office visits.

Fees vary by pharmacy. Walgreen’s is offering the vaccine for $18, while the cost is $10 at Kroger.

H1N1 will likely still keep circulating for at least the next several weeks, Katkowsky said, and could remain active until April or May.

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