Help on the Way for Women in the Congo

In a country like Congo, where there tends to be so many problems involving health, education, and governmental issues, there is times when important problems are overlooked.  This could never be more true in the case of the mistreatment of women and girls in the Congo, where are unprecedented number of women and girls are raped every year.  Since in many regions of the Congo war runs rampant and authority is either nonexistent on unfair towards women, there is no one to protect women from crimes such as rape.  That is way countries from all over the world have come together to try to make sure that life is safe for everyone.   “The Declaration on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, endorsed by the G8 nations -- Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, Britain and the United States -- commits them to taking greater steps to help the victims of sexual violence in war, prevent further attacks and hold perpetrators to account”.  The G8 nations are looking to eliminate the side effects of war that young girls and women throughout countries like the Congo feel.  This article is similar to the article that we read earlier in the semester about how violence towards women in the Congo has become essentially unregulated and is let happen because there is no authority to stop it.  Backed by celebrities and major countries, the G8 is looking to change that.  Angelina Jolie had this to say regarding the need to implement authority so that women in the Congo do not have to worry about their safety.  "For too long, they have been the forgotten victims of war, responsible for none of the blame but bearing the worst of the pain," she said.  "Foreign ministers: Millions of people have been waiting for the commitments you've just made, and they will be watching to see them implemented”.

  With the G8 implementing policies on how to best eliminate the chance of women being raped in poor countries, it should be a step in the right direction according to the article that we read earlier in the semester.  “Not only is sexual violence more generalized than previously thought, but our findings suggest that future policies and programs should focus on abuse within families and eliminate the acceptance of and impunity surrounding sexual violence nationwide while also maintaining and enhancing efforts to stop militias from perpetrating rape”.  Since it doesn’t appear that there will be any authority that will help decreasing the rates at which women in the Congo are being assaulted, it appears necessary that a group like the G8 steps in to help out.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/11/world/uk-g8-sexual-violence/index.html?iref=allsearch
https://uab-bblearn.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/pid-1487963-dt-content-rid-8108319_1/courses/Sp.2013_1_.HE.404.QL.32775/Volence%20and%20the%20congo.pdf

New Bird Flu

As we learned throughout this semester, when a pandemic or virus hits China, it tends to hit the country hard.  Although the country is very well up to date on its health resources and facilities, there are a few reasons why the viruses are able to multiply so fast.  One of the main reasons is that the main cities in China tend to be extremely populated, which makes the spread of communicable diseases that much easier for the viruses.  The latest virus to hit China is called H7N9 or better known as the bird flu.  So far the reported number of cases is 44, with 11 of those cases being lethal.  One of the dangerous elements of this virus is that it is relatively new to humans, so scientists can not accurately predict the side effects of it.  “The strain is normally found in birds, and until last month was never known to infect people."The H7N9 situation is evolving very quickly," said Nancy Cox, director of the Influenza Division at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "One thing of concern is the pace at which we are seeing the identification of cases."  So far scientists have been able attribute most of the blame on poultry as most of the people who have become infected have had some sort of contact with it.  The fact that humans are likely to have picked the virus up from poultry is reassuring to scientists as they hope that the H7N9 cannot be passed from person to person.  “On a more reassuring note, investigators have found no evidence that the virus has passed directly from person to person. More than a thousand "close contacts" of the patients are being monitored by Chinese health officials, according to the World Health Organization”.  Currently experts are not worried about the spread of this virus becoming an epidemic mainly because it has only effected such as small percent of the population but they are still working on a shot and vaccine just in the case the virus does break out into a pandemic.

Could Health Pandemics be on Their Last Legs?

Throughout the semester we have learned about numerous lethal diseases that can spread without warning, leaving thousands if not millions of people sick or dead.  Some of these diseases include HIV/AIDS, Influenza, Malaria, and Tuberculosis.  These diseases have an impact on countries all over the world but tend to hit the hardest in poorer regions where the health facilities and knowledge is not as up to date as the rest of the world.  Not having proper vaccines or medical facilities to treat those who have contracted the disease only leaves the door open for more people to get the disease, starting a snowball effect that once started is extremely difficult to stop.  However, there scientists who believe they may be closing in on a way to stop some of the current pandemics.  With these viruses affecting so many people throughout the world they can seem very intimidating, but according to health experts that may not actually be the case.  “Viruses are much more fragile than you think," he said. "H7N9, now circulating in China, doesn't go person to person -- it has to go from birds or pigs to people. That makes it more complicated to spread. So things have to go just right for a virus to become a pandemic. That's why it's important to contain it in one country."  However, just because scientists feel like it is possible to contain and possibly eradicate a virus, it doesn’t mean that the virus should be taken lightly.  “"A pandemic would have not just deaths and medical consequences, but also -- social disruption. There would be global recession and depression. Millions would lose their jobs. There would be no Internet and no flights," explains Brilliant. "Would you get on an airplane with 250 people coughing and sneezing, when you knew some of them might carry a disease that could kill you? It would be apocalyptic”.  With such drastic side effects it is crucial that we find a way to contain such viruses and if possible eradicate the pandemics before they can spread too far.  An example of a pandemic that has nearly been labeled as eradicated is Polio.  Since being a pandemic, the amount of Polio cases has continue to drop for the last decade.

  With previous diseases being able to have been eradicated along with the fact that scientists to continue to develop new technology to combat pandemics the future is looking bright when it comes to trying to eradicate pandemics.

Could they be equally as dangerous? 

Generally when people think of contaminated water, they picture people in third world countries having water at their disposal but not being able to drink it because it is not sanitary.  Lacking the proper sanitation and filtration systems it is true that many of the poorer regions of the world run into problems when trying to find water that is sanitary to drink, however, there are also places in the United States that are drinking contaminated water without even knowing it.  In Wake Forrest, North Carolina, city officials knew that the water the public was drinking possibly contained chemicals that could be dangerous and potentially lethal, however, they continued to let the residents know without warning them for six years.  Exposure to the water they were drinking can cause serious health side effects such as Parkinson’s disease.  “The EPA called families in the community this past summer, saying their water is contaminated with a cancer-causing chemical called trichloroethylene, or TCE, and to not drink, bathe or cook with the water”.  Being unknowingly exposed to water which contains dangerous chemical such as TCE is potentially more dangerous than those who are knowingly drinking contaminated water.  Earlier in the semester we looked at how countries like Bangladesh struggled with problems related to the consumption of contaminated water.  “The characteristic health effects that result from ingestion of arsenic-contaminated drinking-water are slowly manifested, and the diagnosis is usually straightforward. Skin lesions, i.e. diffuse melanosis followed by spotted melanosis, hyperpigmentation, and keratosis, are common and are the first recognized health effects”.  The side effects from the contaminated water were different than those in North Carolina but they were equally as dangerous  

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/51584373

https://uab-bblearn.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/pid-1487961-dt-content-rid-8108308_1/courses/Sp.2013_1_.HE.404.QL.32775/Contaminated%20Water.pdf

The Rates of Diabetes in the Ethnic Groups of the United Kingdom

                The rates of diabetes in countries seems to have a direct correlation to the numbers on the weight scales, if the average weight in a country goes up it is a near certainty that the rates of diabetes will be on the rise as well.  However, weight may not be the only predictor that we can use when trying to determine the odds that someone is likely to develop diabetes.  A recent study has shown that ethnic minorities are more likely to get diabetes by the age of 80 then those who are native to the United Kingdom.  “The study, which tracked 5,000 Londoners for more than 20 years, found that by age 80, twice as many South Asian, African and African Caribbean men and women had developed diabetes compared with Europeans of the same age. This means that approximately half of all South Asians, Africans and African Caribbean’s in Britain will develop the disease by age 80 compared with only one in five of European descent, the researchers said”.  One of the main reasons why scientists believe the rates for minorities in the United Kingdom is that they are just getting accustomed to the western lifestyle, while those who are originally from the United Kingdom have had time to adapt to the Western lifestyle, which generally includes the lack of proper diet and exercise. 

Like many other countries throughout the world diabetes has become a major health concern for the United Kingdom both financially and health wise.  “In the UK, an estimated 11.9 billion pounds ($19.1 billion) a year is spent on treating diabetes and its complications which include heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease and blindness”.  Looking to find a way to curb the rates of diabetes throughout the United Kingdom is one of their government’s top goals as it puts the rest of its health care system into a bind by forcing so much of its resources and dollars into one health problem.
http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/10/13783957-astonishingly-high-diabetes-rates-found-in-ethnic-groups-in-uk?lite

Deadly TB Vaccine?

In a place like South Africa where HIV and Tuberculosis is very prevalent throughout the country, the need and want to find a way to protect and treat those with the virus is high.  But what if my trying to treat one of the problems we are actually increasing the chances of the other becoming lethal?  This could be the case according to scientists who have been studying the effects of the Tuberculosis vaccine on young children in South Africa. “The World Health Organization says a

three-year study in South Africa found babies born with HIV had a higher risk of contracting a deadly form of TB if given the widely used BCG vaccine.  The study recommends not vaccinating babies with HIV and delaying vaccination for those babies whose HIV status is unknown”.  With a high rate of both the diseases inside its borders, South Africa is faced with a tough choice, vaccinate the babies and protect them against Tuberculosis or don’t vaccinate the baby so that the risks of HIV don’t increase but leave the babies susceptible for tuberculosis. 

Throughout the course we have learned how HIV is extremely prevalent in many of the countries throughout Africa, especially places like Nigeria.  South Africa could possibly look into finding a different vaccination that would both treat for tuberculosis while not increasing the side effects of HIV.  It is vital that South Africa decides on a solution quick because over the last decade the prevlance rate of HIV infections in the country continue to hover around 30 percent while the rates of Tuberculosis have increased at alraming rates.    
http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/04/16837950-new-tb-vaccine-fails-doesnt-protect-infants?lite

McDonald's Adds Calorie Information to their Menus

When obesity is mentioned in the United States it is not uncommon for people to point a finger at the fast food chains.  One of the restaurants that take the most heat for the responsibility of the increasing obesity rates in the United States is McDonalds.  However, it appears that McDonalds may be trying to change the way that they are perceived in the public eye.  The chain best known for their Big Mac sandwiches are now putting the nutrition facts on both the drive thru and in store menus.  The nutrition facts will include data such as the calorie, fat, protein, and carbohydrate count.  With a possibility of a law being passed in the near future requiring fast food chains to list the nutritional value of their food on their menus, McDonalds decided to take initiative and do it before it became a law.  That means that all of the nearly 14,000 restaurants in the United States alone will have to show the nutritional facts on their menus.  

The article states how nutritional experts believe this could be a step in the right direction when trying to fight obesity within the United States.  “The posting of calorie information isn't a magic bullet in fighting obesity but could have a big effect over time, says Margo Wootan, director of nutrition at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which advocates on nutrition and food safety issues  “Obesity isn't the kind of thing where one day you wake up and you're fat. We gradually and slowly gain weight over time," she said.  So even if only some people are swayed to make slightly better choices, Wootan thinks there's a big benefit to providing calorie information”.  As we have learned in class, many of the well developed countries today struggle with obesity or some health related disease that could be linked to obesity such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57511270-10391704/mcdonalds-to-post-calorie-counts-at-restaurants-nationwide/