Blog 7- Natalia Alexander

In northern Syria snipers are targeting pregnant women, unborn babies and young children. In one instance a pregnant mother was shot in the stomach and the bullet went through and pierced through the baby’s head. The mother survived but the baby didn’t.  David Nott, a British volunteer surgeon says the snipers are playing a “targeting game” when it comes to the victims and heavily pregnant women are on the hit list. When saying heavily pregnant women it would be women who were seven, eight, nine month’s gestation so you anyone could tell that they were pregnant. In pictures provided by Syria Relief there are young kids with head wounds from the snipers looking no older than five. Nott, states that while working in the hospital 90 percent of the surgeries would be sniper shots and some days out of 10 or 15 gunshots wounds eight or nine of them would be targeted in one spot. One day it would be in the left groin only and the following day it would be in the right, almost as if it was a game between the snipers. In a video obtained by CNN from Aleppo, women, men and children are seen tying to outrun the snipers bullets. Many would try to outrun because of the food sources would be in the rebel-held areas while they stayed in the regime-controlled side. Not everyone made it through.

This is a serious issue but the crime rate there is insane and the fact the people can’t walk around freely without worrying about getting shot is ridiculous. Pregnant women and young children shouldn’t have to deal with this. Being a woman now and planning on becoming pregnant in the future this is a scary thing to think about. Innocent people being killed in never a good deal and these snipers need to be brought to justice.

 

Natalia Alexander

10/25/2013

 

Atika Shubert , Bharati Naik, ed. N.p.. Web. 25 Oct 2013. <http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/22/world/meast/syria-snipers-pregnant-women/index.html?iid=article_sidebar>.

 

UTHERN AFRICA: Focus on sex education - an antidote to HIV/AIDS

      This article discusses issues with HIV/AIDS, young pregnancy and general sexual health in Africa. The age of sexual encounters is getting young and younger each year and this raises an alarm in an area where the lack of widespread information on these issues is causing a high rate of young people with HIV who may not seek access to become aware of this. They then go on to reproduce children who are born with the disease.
     Talking about sex has been a taboo in the African culture, women are shamed for menstruating and parents do not feel comfortable warning their children about the dangers of being sexually active. Teachers are taking the opportunity to discuss this with their students and have been known to give out condoms. This conflicted with the values of some local community and government members and was banned. Even so, teachers are providing students with hard-core facts and "debunking the myths" to ensure that the students are not misinformed by their peers. This is important in raising awareness. One girl states that her boyfriend told her there was no way he could have HIV because he was circumcised.  We all know that school children talk and gossip, this is a subject where all parties need to be accurately informed. This is a big step in the journey away from the raising rates of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases plaguing the continent.


http://www.irinnews.org/Report/50422/SOUTHERN-AFRICA-Focus-on-sex-education-an-antidote-to-HIV-AIDS
4/19/12

blog 12 African Hallucinogen found to cure addiction

The selected article explores a new hallucinogen called ibogaine, which is derived from an African plant and believed the help drug addicts. Studies show that the plant "in some cases seems to obliterate withdrawal symptoms from heroin, cocaine and alcohol." But why isn't this treatment being widely used? Thillen Naidoo is one example of a success story resulting from ibogaine. After a 15 year long cocaine addiction Thillen was offered the treatment in pill form by his doctor after taking several medical tests. He then began hallucinating, seeing fish swirling above his head, he felt and saw flashes of childhood moments. The room buzzed. The effects wore off overnight and Thillen was left in a haze for the next several days. Six months after the event along with group therapy,he is cocaine free.  Thillen's doctor, Jeewa has treated over 1,000 patients with ibogaine but the drug still remains under the radar. "The drug, derived from the root of a central African plant called iboga, had been used for centuries by the Bwiti people of Gabon and Cameroon, as part of a tribal initiation ceremony." It creates a protein that blocks receptors in the brain that trigger cravings, stopping the symptoms of withdrawal.  Although it can take months, ibogaine removes withdrawals completely and brings addicts back to their pre-addiction self. "It seems to inspire a dream-like state that is intensely introspective, allowing addicts to address issues in their life that they use alcohol or drugs to suppress." Although the treatment is highly effective, Ibogaine was banned in the U.S. along with several other hallucinogens in 1967. In most countries the drug is unregulated and unlicensed, meaning doctors are not prescribing it to their patients. Rather it can be used for illegal recreational use.  There have been 10 known deaths related to this drug mainly because of illegal administration without medical support. One issue is that pharmacists make money off prescribed chemicals but this treatment is naturally occurring, causing it to be extremely expensive and difficult to patent. Of course all patients need to accompany this treatment with psycho-therapy before and after as well as medical support during the trip. Scientists are striving to get this treatment into the mainstream and make it affordable.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17666589
4/13/12

Blog 9 'Kony 2012' director suffered 'reactive psychosis,' family says

By now we all know who Joseph Kony is through the rapidly spreading video directed by a man named Jason Russell. The thirty minute video depicting the life of young Ugandan children who are threatened or forced to join the Lords Resistance Army lead by the infamous man, Kony. He has been operating in Uganda for two decades and Russell has finally taken the burden of raising awareness. He has received much criticism on the video, some say "too little too late".  The video was very personal to Jason Russell in that his very young son was shown in it many times in order to touch the hearts of the audience as well as show the family's activism in saving the children of Uganda. There is also a good portion focusing on the life of one specific Ugandan boy who lost his brother to the warlord and his child army. The intense criticism and rapid fame/lifestyle change caused Jason to experience reactive psychosis from malnutrition, exhaustion and dehydration. Jason was seen running in the street with only his underwear on screaming. He even received a lot of criticism for the result of his movie, some even feel that this event discredits all of his efforts. I think that is completely wrong. Jason Russell is obviously a very courageous and compassionate man who should be seen as a role model to the world community. He has successfully taken it upon himself to get this story out in the public which is more than what any other middle class average people are doing with their lives. He is now suffering from health issues from the overwhelming media attention, criticism, and general stress. His story should be inspirational to the entire global community, many countries need to come together to find this man who has killed and brainwashed so many people only to gain power and control. Kony is wanted by the International Criminal Court meaning the world needs to be involved.




http://edition.cnn.com/2012/03/21/world/africa/uganda-viral-video/index.html
3/23/12

Blog 7 Reflections on menstrual management among schoolgirls in rural Kenya

  The onset of menstruation is a defining moment in a young woman's life. "Yet the complications and challenges that can accompany such an event have been understudied, specifically in resource-poor settings". In this study, six schools in Nyanza Province of Western Kenya were observed, interviewed and data were collected. "Menstruation is managed differently according to cultural, social and economic contexts. For young girls in poor, rural settings who often receive minimal instruction on what menstruation is and how it can be managed, the experience has been described as frightening, confusing and shame-inducing".  It is important to understand how young girls and their mentors cope with menstruation in an environment where access to clean water and sanitary products are limited and discussing the topic is considered inappropriate or forbidden. For girls in developing countries, menstruation can prevent them from attending school during these days each month.  "A pilot intervention in Ghana found that after six months of free sanitary pad provision, girls missed significantly less school, and they reported an improved ability to concentrate in school, higher confidence levels and increased participation in a range of activities despite menstruating".  Teachers, classmates, especially males will make comments to a girl who is menstruating causing shame and fear.  Making the matter worse, girls often do not have sanitary napkins available and if the onset of a period happens in class she will no be able to do anything about it.  This is an upsetting situation to me. Girls should never feel ashamed about something that is so natural and a sign of good health. Teachers and adults should know that this is a normal human bodily function and should never single someone out about their period. Raising awareness and availability of sanitary napkins in these areas should easily fix the issue of women missing school or work and being victims of shaming.



http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-698X/11/7
3/2/12

Blog 4 2/10 Could mysterious nodding disease in Africa have global implications?

Thousands of people in Africa, more specifically in Kitgum, Pader and Gulu areas of Uganda, are effected by a mysterious nodding disease. The disease affects mostly children and adolescents to nod violently as if seizing multiple time throughout each day. It effects children ages 5-15, symptoms dont normally show until age 5. These patients seem disoriented and unaware of surroundings when experiencing these episodes and is 40-100 times more common than epilepsy. Researchers know that the illness in linked to river blindness witch also effects about 18 million people of this area. It is unknown how the nodding disease is caused or how it is transmitted making the situation dangerous on a global level.  I think that this is an important issue because it is most likely caused by a water related bacteria which is threatening to all connected bodies of water. Also, the disease is so mysterious and unknown while still so extreme which is a reason to be alarmed. There is no known treatment or cause and the disease is currently being treated as malnutrition and river blindness. This nodding syndrome needs to be addressed and taken care of  before it spreads and becomes a pandemic.


http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1121730--could-mysterious-nodding-disease-in-africa-have-global-implications?bn=1
2.9.12