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 16 Oct 2002 @ 23:03, by ashanti. Medicine, Healthcare
* AIDS is a subject that looms large over Africa. In South Africa alone, it is estimated that if the current rate of infection continues, in a mere five years' time, 45% of households will be headed by children whose parents have died of AIDS. That means they have no parental nurturing, no schooling, and have to scramble to eke out a living. Government social grants are not even going to touch the tip of the iceberg. In addition, to gain access to government grants, they have to supply their identity numbers, and many of these children have no identity numbers. Aids in Africa requires intelligent strategy to deal with it.
* Personally, I have lost two friends and one work colleague to this cruel disease. Another two work colleagues are infected. There are so many theories about AIDS, HIV, and what caused it. One is that the virus was artificially manufactured by the CIA, to target black people specifically.
(This was reinforced when South Africas' Dr Wouter Basson, nicknamed "Dr Death" because he was considered to be responsible for working on biochemical weapons aimed specifically at black people, was testifying at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings. The United States and British governments immediately put pressure on the South African government to seal Dr. Bassons' testimony.As a result of this, many Africans believe that the USA and UK were assisting with the programme.)
* This explains the African governments' (South Africa in particular) resistance to providing access to anti-retroviral treatment (western solutions imposed on Africans again). The politics over AIDS has delayed the formulation of effective strategy to manage and address the issue, and has resulted in a number of civic organizations, such as the Treatment Action Campaign, forming to rally and pressure government to allow its HIV-infected citizens to be treated with what is currently available. Government has been influenced by a school of thought that denies that HIV is the cause AIDS, and this has led to years of court-wrangling and battling, while people die daily.
* Traditional solutions, such as awareness campaigns, education, promotion of safe sex and monogamy have not yet proven effective. In cases where safe sex and monogamy have been practiced, the infection rate has reduced. However, monogamy is not a culturally accepted norm in Africa, and it is unlikely that the majority will start practicing what is again, another Western concept. Strategies for managing two aspects need to be developed - 1) the management and treatment of the disease for people currently infected 2) the prevention of the futher spread of the disease. Denying that the disease exists, has not helped.
* On the brighter side, the awareness that AIDS is a problem that needs to be confronted, has increased. Some creative solutions and strategies are emerging. More >
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 7 Jun 2002 @ 01:19, by ming. Medicine, Healthcare
I've been concerned about my own health recently. Which is in part why I'm going and taking different kinds of tests. Maybe I'm just going through an emotional experience, maybe I'm a hypochondriac, but it is probably a good idea to get a checkup once in a while. So, today I went and got a full body CT scan. That's where pictures are taken of 1 mm slices through the body, and a computer then puts it all back together into a set of 3D pictures. Rather fascinating. For example, on the picture to the right you see my heart, in the middle, with all the arteries going out from it. It is sort of seen from above and behind. In the lower part of the picture you see my back. The yellowish part is fat, and the reddish part is muscle. They could rotate that picture around in 3D space. And there was another, animated one, showing the heart beating, with the two major aorta valves opening and closing. Don't mean to gross you out. I found it very interesting. Particularly since they couldn't see anything wrong. More >
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8 May 2002 @ 18:40, by finny. Medicine, Healthcare
A Lament for Finny's Finger....
It happened so fast.... I hadn't concidered that my good friend Warwick would miss with a ten pound sledge hammer by so much (ten inches). There was a shearing pain, then by the time I laid eyes on it nothing, numbness, shock. It was a sight, the end of my left hand index finger was a salad of bone, nail, skin tissue and flesh. What was also a sight was me after looking at the mess holding my hand and staggering over Warwick's front lawn swearing. Warwick in the meantime had both his hands afixed to the sides of his head and was apoligising profusely as he wandered trance-like around the lawn. What a Monty Pythonesque scene.
In a blur of controlled panic and shock induced serenity, I was within 30 minutes at the A&E of Middlemore Hospital. Middlemore serves South Auckland which contains the lowest social economic grouping of people in Auckland and the largest population of Polonesians anywhere. Pushed out by the Yuppie developments in the inner city. Over the next fourty hours I had the wound washed and was given pain killers but nothing else. For eight hours I was in a gown awaiting surgery. At the last moment the surgeon was called away and I was told to come back the next day. Hardly anybody was interested in my analysis of the current health system in New Zealand. A lone fourth year medical student politely heard me out and agreed on every point I made and that I should write to the Minister of Health. He lamely offered that they do what they can. I felt sad, knowing that what he said was right. With private heath taking the cream, leaving Public Health under staffed and under resoursed. Christ, Finny it's only a finger and not even all of it! More >
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 1 Dec 2001 @ 17:52, by ming. Medicine, Healthcare
Not particularly a news item, but an ongoing issue. Circumcision is practiced in some cultures for religious reasons. But, particularly in the United States, it is practiced routinely, and for reasons that most people have forgotten. It was introduced in the Victorian era by a few doctors who wanted to stop young boys from masturbating. Later on other reasons were made up, and by now it is mainly happening out of inertia, and from parents figuring that what was good enough for the father is fitting for the son as well. Anyway, here is an article about the medical reason for avoiding circumcision. Foreskin is obviously there from nature's hand for a reason. Also, look at Mothers against Circumcision. Personally I find it a barbaric and violent tradition that has no place in a civilized society. More >
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28 Nov 2001 @ 13:16, by sharie. Medicine, Healthcare
Animal fat is the number one killer in America.
Someone you love will probably die from it.
And many people you know certainly will.
Slaughtered somewhat like the cows and pigs.
Read this inside report of the propaganda hoisted upon us by the advertising industry/vultures/parasisites - I'm angry:
[link]
Are you questioning what you've been taught all your life. Guess who gets to go on luxury vacations while you're on your deathbed:
[link]
(Sorry, I'm still angry)
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 26 Nov 2001 @ 15:55, by ming. Medicine, Healthcare
U.S. scientists have succeeded in cloning the first human embryo. Meaning, they managed to put the full DNA of an existing person into an egg cell and stimulate it to continue growing as an embryo. The point doesn't seem for this to grow into a baby that will be born, but to be a source of stem cells, cells that have not yet become specialized, and that therefore potentially could be used anywhere in the body. Of course this is all VERY controversial. Article here More >
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