Where are all the men in the fight against HIV/AIDS
November 16, 2008
By Royston King
I AM not talking about those few men who appear in television advertisements, or the very few who volunteer to do community work. I am talking about the men in our local communities who are supposed to be making a big difference in the lives of our children; our young men and women and their partners; men who have a responsibility to provide the moral and spiritual rudder, for families, communities and our society. Where are these men? Read more
China 2008 Milk-poisoning Incident Is Scaring Everyone.
October 25, 2008
On 17 September 2008, Health Minister Chen Zhu stated that tainted milk formula ‘ MELAMINE’ had sickened more than 6,200 children, and more than 1,300 newborns remain hospitalised with 158 suffering from acute kidney failure. On 23 September 2008, 54,000 children were reported to be sick and 4 had died. Read more
Heartbreaking Baby pictures….
October 22, 2008
If you think that life has been unfair to you and that you have all the problems in the world, kindly take a look at this little baby picture and imagine what the mother and her baby is going through, especially with no hope and no money for a better future. Sometimes, we think that life is “all about us” - what we eat, wear and do but we hardly stop and think about others around us and what they are going through. Please keep fowarding this blog across the globe and you have made your contribution. May the Lord Bless You!!!
Outrageous Medical Findings
October 13, 2008
We often read about outrageous medical findings in the news but how many of us would stop and consider the following. Who is telling us this information and why? Is it a paid celebrity, a huge pharamceutical group or a government agency? Is it a one time isolated study? Is it a study on mice and other animals but not people? Who is funding the study and why?
[1] The Claim: Dark chocolate prevents heart disease. Small short-term-studies virtually all of them funded by the chocolate-candy industry suggest dark chocolate which contains antioxidants known as flavanols which may have some beneficial effects on your cardiovascular system when consumed in large quantities. This doesn’t mean that you are less likely to have a heart attack 10 or 20 years down the line. The bottom Line: There’s no evidence a little chocolate now and then is bad for you; remember chocolate is viewed as candy and not medicine.
[2] The Claim: Blueberries will prevent Alzheimer’s. Blueberries have antioxidants. They are perfectly good to eat one of the many fruits we should eat, but there is no basis to suggest that blueberries are better for you than strawberries or watermelon or that it will prevent watermelon. The bottom Line: Stop fixating on one fruit and focus on your overall diet and getting a variety of fruits and vegetables.
[3] The Claim: Red wine is good for your heart. There is some evidence that a glass of wine every night may be good for your heart, but the risk of drinking too much is far greater than drinking just the right amount. The bottom Line: If you want to drink a glass or two of wine, that is fine and it may be beneficial, but any more is probably not a good idea.
[4] The Claim: Sunscreen prevents cancer. Sunscreen prevents sunburn and can prevent squamous skin cancer, but there is no strong evidence that it prevents the very serious melanoma. The bottom line: avoiding sun, staying in the shade and wearing a wide-brimmed hats are more effective measures. sunscreen should not be a first defense.
[5] The Claim: High cholestrol is bad for you. There is much more to your health than cholestrol. Only half of people who have had heart attacks had high cholestrol levels. The bottom line: You should know your number but not be obsessed with it. If you have high cholestrol it does not mean you will drop dead from a heart attack. And if you have low cholestrol, it does not mean you can eat whatever you want.
If a study suggests one particular food has miraculous powers , do not believe it!!!!!
Immunizations: The importance of getting your Child Vaccinated
September 2, 2008
Many of us have the immense and awesome responsibility of getting our children ready for school being that Autumn is about to grace us. Anyway, I would like to remind all those who are young moms and dads of the importance of getting their children the proper immunizations they need for school. It is of immense importance that children’s immunizations are up to date in accordance with state laws and recommendations. In doing so we are protecting our children, our families and our communities in general. Vaccine preventable diseases can and do occur. In New York State some of the mandated vaccinations for a child entering kindergarten include measles, mumps, rubella (German measles), polio, diphtheria, chicken pox (varicella), among others. Recent data has indicated that New York State has had the second highest number of cases of measles thus far this year. (Most occurring in children under 15 years of age) . Let us not grow complacent and forget that not so many years ago these diseases could make one severely and even lead to death, they still can. Our communities in general have been eradicated of these diseases, because of massive, aggressive vaccination programs initiated by public health authorities. We now need to do our part and keep it up. While some vaccines are mandated by New York State, some are strongly recommended, such as the meningococcal vaccine for certain age groups. Please discuss with a health care provider as to what is best for your child and pass the message on to anyone who might have a school age child and needs to know.
Anyway, have a safe and productive semester, good luck with the homework!! (What I actually mean is good luck to the parents who have to deal with the homework agony…you’re not finished with school just yet). Maybe now I can finally stroll the aisles of Wal-Mart and Target without being bombarded with everyone and their offspring scouring for pencils, crayons and paper on sale.
Molly… MPH
The Woman I am
July 19, 2008
hello dear friend….dear fellow…
I am boldly being heard today. i don’t know how to take it. i promised to not delete. but then again deleting makes thing better. i don’t have the courage to do it right the first time around… maybe because secretly, I know that i can… and that scares me more than failing. weird. Read more
Does Circumcision Reduce HIV Contraction?
March 31, 2008
In March 2007 the WHO and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) stated that male circumcision is an effective intervention for HIV prevention, but also stated that male circumcision only provides partial protection and should not replace other interventions to prevent the hete rosexual transmission of HIV. Read more
Childhood Obesity in The U.S
March 30, 2008
The problem of childhood obesity in the U.S has grown considerably in recent years. Unhealthy weight gains, due to poor diet and lack of exercise is responsible for over 300,000 deaths each year. Read more
Western Ideals and Female Body Image
March 27, 2008
Women in the U.S, U.K and greater western countries aspire to have a thin and ideal body, placing excessive importance on the ideal that being skinny is sexy and experiencing trepidation of being fat. Women value their experiences and emotions on body image and their eating habits. However, in the Caribbean, a curvy woman is regarded as sexy and healthy. Read more
First Mitral Valve Replacement in Guyana (video)
March 26, 2008
How many Guyanese and Trinidadians have come to the U.S. for surgery? Almost everyone is trying to. Before either countries had neither the skill nor the ability to perform such operations like “mitral valve replacement”. Things are changing. Read more
Germany Pledges Eight Million Euros to Fight HIV/AIDS in the Caricom, Guyana not included
February 28, 2008
According to a editorial publish in the Kaieteur News, Germany will grant eight million Euros to Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV/AIDS. Countries that will benefit from this grant are Haiti, Dominican Republic, Barbados, Belize, Jamaica, Eastern Caribbean Islands and St Marten. Where is Guyana mentioned in all of this? It is not as if Guyana is devoid of the disease. Read more
SUPERBUG IN THE MEDIA
December 21, 2007
Given all the recent media attention on the “superbug” otherwise known as MRSA, I decided to share on what I think is appropriate in light of the situation. Read more
Update: Rectal Exams at Caribbean Airlines
November 21, 2007
Well, the press might have gotten it all wrong. Read more
Medical Care in Guyana: A desperate Outcry for Help.
November 21, 2007
As I journeyed from Themeri into Georgetown, a topic all too familiar to me took center stage between my cabdriver, my relatives and myself. Read more
Males Also Suffer From Eating Disorders
November 18, 2007
Recognition of the pathways and influential factors in the development of eating disorders in females has long been explored. While eating disorders are commonly believed to be a disorder only affecting women, the original description of eating disorders in 1694, as well as the first contemporary case study of eating disorders in 1874, included males (Andersen, 1997). Although women consist of the majority of all eating disorder cases, the fact that men account for 10% of all eating disorder cases is substantial enough reason to investigate the prevalence of males developing eating disorders (Andersen, 1999). Read more