Blog 10: Car Mechanic Dreams Up a Tool to Ease Births

Car Mechanic Dreams Up a Tool to Ease Births

Jorge Odon basically came to realize that the same knowledge about pulling a cork out of a wine bottle could be used to pull a baby out that was stuck in the birth canal. He built a prototype in the kitchen, using a glass jar to symbolize the womb, his daughters barbie doll to symbolize the trapped baby, and a fabric bag with a sleeve sewn by his wife, which symbolized the lifesaving device. As stated in the article, "With the Odón Device, an attendant slips a plastic bag inside a lubricated plastic sleeve around the head, inflates it to grip the head and pulls the bag until the baby emerges." Many doctors are saying that this has potential to save babies in poor countries, or even reduce cesarean sections in others. 

There are so many complications going on with births, so many children dying shortly after being born, and many women dying in childbirth. Sometimes the child's head is too large and the mother's contractions can stop. If they aren't in one of the richer countries, the the mother is on her own and they can't rush her to the operating room. In some situations like this, they will use large rounded pliers, which can crush the baby's head or twist its spine if its used the wrong way. Dr. Merialdi thought the idea was fantastic and wanted to arrange more testing. This device will only take $50 to make and could be beneficial to many future births. My first thoughts when hearing about this creation, was that it was very dangerous and could be harmful. I thought about all soft points in the baby's skull and it scared me at first. However, now I personally think its a great idea, only if its tested many times and proven not to do any harm to the baby. I was born by a cesarean section myself, so an invention like this could've prevented my mom and I from going through that experience. 

Quarshona Collins

November 14, 2013 

10:37 am

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/14/health/new-tool-to-ease-difficult-births-a-plastic-bag.html?ref=health&_r=0

Cut in Food Stamps Forces Hard Choices on Poor

Cut in Food Stamps Forces Hard Choices on Poor

The cut in food stamps this past month is going to go unnoticed by some but it's also going to be a big issue for some people in America. Many are now having to go without fresh fruit and vegetables, some are having to go without snack for their children to take to school, and lastly, some are having to cut back on the amount of milk they buy for the household. With these people not having the amount of food they need to make it from one week to the next. they are having to result to food pantries by the end of the month, some are having to result to that within two weeks. The reduction has affected over 47 million people. Many people are having to cut meat out of their diets because they are the highest thing and not affordable for some people who are trying to make their food stamps last them all month. Christopher Bean, who is the executive director of a Bronx food pantry, stated that 60 new families visited the pantry in the past week because they have clearly been affected by this situation; their food stamps have been cut. As stated in the article, "In 2009, people started getting as much as 13.6 percent more in food stamps as part of the federal economic stimulus package, but that increase has expired. The reduction will save the government about $5 billion next year."

It is very clear that the action taken are going to be very beneficial to the United States, but what about the young children that parents can't afford to feed. In 2012 the food stamp program cost 78.4 billion dollars to the U.S. To conclude, more and more people are going to be filing papers for foods stamps because the economy is so bad. The more people that receive benefits, the smaller amount people will receive.

Quarshona Collins

November 8, 2013 

4:31 pm

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/08/us/cut-in-food-stamps-forces-hard-choices-on-poor.html?ref=health&_r=0

Blog 8:NEW YORK RAISING AGE TO BUY CIGARETTES T0 21

NEW YORK RAISING AGE TO BUY CIGARETTES T0 21

Buying cigarettes is now going to be much harder to purchase in New York City because the lawmakers are trying to adopt stricter limits on tobacco purchases. You legally only have to be 18 to purchase tobacco in the United States, however they are trying get Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to sign a bill. The bill will allow the new minimum to take affect 6 months after signing it. People are retaliating, saying that if you can vote, fight in wars, and drive at the age of 18 then you should also be able to decide if you want to smoke cigarettes or not. They think that raising the age limit will eventually stop people from getting addicted to them. City officials say that the earlier people begin smoking, the more they are likely to become addicted. Along with this proposal, they gave also tried to ban smoking in public places. 

The smoking age is 18 in the country but there are some states have raised the age to at least 19. These people aren't even approving of the electrical cigarettes. There was a person interviewed about this whole ordeal and her name was Nicole. She began smoking when she was 13 and she stated that she never had any problem buying them. She would buy them from people or bum them from people. She also said that over half of her high school friends smoked also. Basically Nicole thought 18 was a reasonable legal age to make their over decisions, and she doesn't think it's going to work. 

In my opinion, this would be a good idea. It would help to minimize lung cancer and keep people from getting addicted to cigarettes at such an early age. I think its going to be really hard for this to be established and of course underage people are still going to find a way around the law. However, its really worth a try and I think it would benefit everyone in the long run. 

Quarshona Collins

November 1, 2013 

2:32 am

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/31/nyregion/new-york-approves-law-to-raise-tobacco-purchasing-age-to-21.html?ref=health&_r=1&gwh=E9CAEF0A50F3A99E793E02750BDA3DF5&

Blog 7 :CASE EXPLORE RIGHTD OF FETUS VERSUS MOTHER

CASE EXPLORE RIGHTD OF FETUS VERSUS MOTHER

This woman Alicia Beltran was basically arrested for refusing to take an anti-addiction drug. She had a pill addiction the previous year before she got pregnant and she put an end to that habit herself, she thought she did the right thing. She was arrested and taken to court and the court had already appointed a legal guardian for the fetus. Her reaction to this was, "I didn't know unborn children had lawyers." They established that her situation was under the a Wisconsin law known as the "cocaine mom" act, which was adopted in 1998. The law stated that, welfare authorities can forcibly confine a pregnant woman who uses illegal drugs or alcohol "to a severe degree", and who refuses to accept treatment. 

As stated in the article, "The Wisconsin law… deprives women of physical liberty, medical privacy, due process and other constitutional rights. " The law is suppose to help the woman and the baby but the woman should have the right to make a choice about her body. The fetus is clearly still inside the mothers body and it apart of her, so she should be the only one making decisions for her and her baby. As stated, "Many medical experts say that these laws are based on exaggerated perceptions of the risks to newborns and are medically counterproductive." I feel like when they took Alicia to court, it was very exaggerated.  It was exaggerated and they were out of line just because she had stopped taking the drugs way before conceiving a child and she even pasted a drug test to clarify that. The doctor said that the child's life depended on the action of the case, he insisted that it was a mandatory impatient drug treatment program or incarceration. Alicia lost her job and is currently looking for a temporary job until her due date on January. She is scared that they are going to come back for her baby after the fact and that's really not fair to her. In life, everyone has a choice, especially when it comes to their own body; they are trying to deprive Alicia from that. 

Quarshona Collins

October 25, 2013 

11:58 pm

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/24/us/case-explores-rights-of-fetus-versus-mother.html?ref=health

Blog 6 : POUNDING PAVEMENT BY HEEL OR TOE

POUNDING PAVEMENT BY HEEL OR TOE

Each style of running has its advantages and disadvantages; whether your form involves your heel touching the ground first or your toes. There was a test going on at the Tampere Research Center of Sports Medicine in Tampere, Finland. Here they used motion capture technology to test the running form of 286 people who played sports. The test showed that 19 of the women and 4 of the men struck the ground with their forefeet in their stride. It helped to show that whether male or female, slow or not, majority of runners strike the ground with the heel first. Also 2,000 runners that participated in the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon were filmed in the middle of the event, to have their form analyzed; 94 percent of this group were heel strikers. That group included some of the fastest runners. Lastly there was another marathon where they filmed them six miles into the event; here they found that almost 90 percent were heel strikers. Mostly of the other 10 percent had shifted to a heel-strike form near the end of the race, as they got tired. 

It was also found that landing on your heel form, more force moved through their knee joint. These people that landed on their heels, mostly jarred their knees. On the other hand, the people that landed on their forefoot were just affected differently. They had 20 percent more force moving through their ankles and achilles' tendon. So apparently there is no way to escape the cumulative impact that running will have on your ankles or legs. I think that switching up your form every now and then would probably be the best thing for runners to keep yourself from always putting pressure on the same area. I also think that running on your heels would be more effective, especially if you plan to run a great distance, just so you can keep a good pace and not get tired so fast. People that run a lot should take these facts into consideration; it could be very beneficial to their health. 

Quarshona Collins

October 17, 2013 

10:30 am

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/16/pounding-pavement-by-heel-or-toe/?ref=health&_r=0

Blog 5: Fat and Thin Find Common Ground

Fat and Thin Find Common Ground

Summary

In today’s society, health is considered to be a hot topic. Whether someone is too thin, or overweight it is still an issue that must be solved. In this article the common factors between one being excessively thin and overweight are being discussed. The anti obesity activists are worried that the eating disorder community undermines the medical risk of obesity; and it has actually just recently been classified as a disease in June. Many people recognize anorexia and bulimia as eating disorders, but binge eating is considered to be the same thing. Obesity was dealt with in the medical professions, and eating disorders such as anorexia were dealt with in psychology professions. Binge eating is consuming large portions of foods in a two hour window without purging at least once a week for three months. The stereotype is that only thin people have eating disorders.

Once they finally tried to bring obese people and underweight people in the same facility for treatment, it had its positives, and negatives. In some sense, people felt very comfortable and understood that even being thin one can still be miserable. The negatives consisted of some people looking at others as if their problems were miniature, and not as complicated. However the concept is now acknowledged and understood that the weight of a person should not be the focus, it should be the persons behavior. A healthier food environment could benefit in both worlds.

Analysis

This article is beginning to inform people how obesity and underweight people are both experiencing the same type of issues which are behavior. For years many people felt as though people experiencing underweight issues have a problem with controlling their behavior; however that is the same issue that people who are overweight experience. This article does a great job with advocating the voice for people with health issues. It lets you know that although someone is very skinny, that does not mean that they are extremely happy or comfortable with their body; and seeing one that is overweight can show a person that is suffering from underweight issues that they are by no means fat. Both are health issues consisting of one being able to control their eating habits. We as a society must work together, and a healthier food environment will definitely be beneficial.

Courtney Brown

October 11, 2013

12:40 pm

 http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/10/can-the-fat-and-thin-just-get-along/?hpw

HOW WALKING MAY LOWER BREAST CANCER RISK

HOW WALKING MAY LOWER BREAST CANCER RISK

Physical activity changes the female body and how it deals with estrogen. Walking is a physical activity that has been considered to help reduce the risk for breast cancer. It has always been a proven fact that exercise reduces all types of cancer, but we just haven't been sure what kinds and what amount would provide a sure protection. So there has been two different test that took place to provide evidence. These tests included a detailed health and medical information from more than 73,600 postmenopausal women. The women were in between the age of 50 and 73; and for two decades they completed follow-up questionaries every two years. As stated in the article, "The questionnaires asked, among other things, for detailed descriptions of how the women spent their leisure time and in particular whether and how they exercised. About 9 percent reported never exercising. A few said that they exercised vigorously and often, typically by running, swimming or playing singles tennis. But most walked, usually at a pleasant pace of about 3 miles per hour. About half of the group reported that such strolling was their only form of exercise."  Unfortunately over the course of the study, 4,760 women still developed breast cancer. So when the doctors went back and looked at regimens and medical records again, they found that the women who walked at least 7 hours per week, had 14 percent less risk of developing breast cancer than those who walked fewer than 3 hours a week. Meanwhile, the most active women who worked out vigorously for 10 hours a week, had better benefits, with 25 percent less risk of developing breast cancer than those who exercised less. 

Another study looked at younger women. This study divided several sedentary premenopausal women into two groups. One group remained sedentary, while the other began a moderate exercise program that met 5 times a week for 16 weeks. At the start and end, the researchers collected urine and tested for levels of estrogen and estrogen metabolites. It is known that a ratio amount of metabolites in a woman's urine indicates a heightened risk of breast cancer. The volunteers who remained sedentary showed no changes in the ratios. However, the group that exercised, levels of metabolites fell and another rose. The shifting ratios indicate a less chance of breast cancer. I believe exercise will help reduce the chances of women getting breast cancer and I think more women should take this into consideration and start exercising regularly. 

Quarshona Collins

October 11, 2013 

12: 40 pm

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/09/how-walking-may-lower-breast-cancer-risk/?ref=health

Blog 4: YOGA HAS LIMITED MENOPAUSE BENEFITS

YOGA  HAS LIMITED MENOPAUSE BENEFITS

Basically there was a study going on where researchers were randomly assigning women to yoga sessions or the usual activities of yoga, to see how it would affect the symptoms they were going through with menopause. The goal for some women is to seek natural alternatives instead of resulting to hormone replacement therapy. The study that took place basically showed that the benefits the women are receiving from yoga is very limited. 

During the study, researchers chose 249 woman and randomly assigned them to 12 weekly sessions of yoga, which were 90 minutes a piece; the average age of these women was 54. There was also a group that performed usual activity. During these yoga sessions, the women did 11 to 13 poses, deep relaxation, and even practiced a breathing exercise while doing this. 

At the end of the study, the yoga group actually had improvements in the insomnia symptoms, which was a very common complain of menopause. However, the other symptoms showed no statistically significant improvements. As stated in the article, "While hot flashes and night sweats declined in the yoga group, to 4.6 at the end of the study from 7.4 per day at its start, there were similar declines in the usual activity group, to 5.4 from 8." ; this showed that there was no big difference between the two groups in depression, anxiety, hot flashes, or night sweats. Author Katherine M. Newton basically states that many women have hot flashes. some women do have hot flashes, that aren't even going through menopause. Even though insomnia worked with the yoga, the other symptoms may take more than that. I personally think this was a helpful study. I believe most women will do whatever they can to make menopause less stressful for them. This is why they result in the therapy, if they are bothered by many symptoms that won't go away by using natural alternatives. More studies like this should take place and they should find more alternatives for woman to turn to.

Quarshona Collins

October 4, 2013 

4:01 pm

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/04/yoga-found-to-have-limited-effect-on-menopause/?ref=health

Blog 3 : THE ARSENIC IN OUR DRINKING WATER.

THE ARSENIC IN OUR DRINKING WATER.

Scientist are starting to think that respiratory infections in small children and many more severe infections are linked to a toxic element, called arsenic, that has been contaminating drinking water. Arsenic swirls in a dark, metalloid shimmer in soil and rocks in the United States and other countries. Arsenic seeps into the groundwater, therefore contaminating it. When this was discovered, it was noted and dismissed by public health researchers because it was considered a minor problem.

Bangladesh is a country that has been highly exposed to arsenic; they are now becoming the "living laboratory for the health effects of arsenic." Residents of this country that were highly exposed to arsenic showed signs of reduced lung function. Dr. Ahsan is a native of Bangladesh and he states in the article that we need to take arsenic exposure very seriously. In the article it stated that, "In 2010 this doctor reported that 24 percent of all deaths from chronic disease in his study population could be attributed to drinking arsenic contaminated well water."

Every since then researchers have begun reevaluating arsenic as a threat in water and also food supply. They are now setting a limit to the arsenic allowed in apple juice and also focusing on the risks that foods like rice cause. The E.P.A's safety standard of 10 p.p.b for arsenic in drinking water may be set but there isn't a regulation on private well water; about 13 million people get their drinking water from private wells. One study of private wells in Michigan found increased morality rates linked to a range of things, from diabetes to heart disease. Another study found that the higher the arsenic exposure in the mother, the greater the number of respiratory infections in infants. I think that everyone should take precaution to the contamination of arsenic in what they drink and eat. If we aren't able to completely eliminate arsenic in our water and food, then we should at least expose ourselves to it as least as possible.

 

 

 

Quarshona Collins

September 26, 2013

11:36 am

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/20/the-arsenic-in-our-drinking-water/?ref=health

Blog 2 : HOW PHYSICAL FITNESS MAY PROMOTE SCHOOL SUCCESS!

HOW PHYSICAL FITNESS MAY PROMOTE SCHOOL SUCCESS!

In this article they basically talked about how the students who did some type of physical activity, were able to retain information better than someone who didn't. There was also a study at the American College of Sports Medicine that found that students that exercised vigorously for ten minutes before a test, scored higher than the student who sat quietly before the exam. Better fitness was overall found to link to higher achievement scores. As stated in the article, "Students who were overweight but relatively fit had higher test scores than lighter, less-fit children." These numerous test had a large part in helping the legitimacy of the results.

In one study they found that higher levels of fitness had great impact in the most challenging situations that children face intellectually. In this study, they gave the children two different learning styles. The first one quizzed the children as they were learning the information and the other one was just straight memorization. They provided the children with iPads that had marked maps on them. During the first session, the children were shown the names in place for six seconds. Then names showed up on the map in the right place six times while the kids tried to memorize them. In a different learning session, the names showed up on a different map in their right location, then all went to the side. next, the children then has to match the names with the right place, which tested them as they memorized it. The next day, when all the children were tested it showed that the children performed the same when their memorization was reinforced by testing. However, with the children who weren't tested at the same time of memorization, the more conditioned group performed better than the less-fit children. So it is now more suggested that children should engage in a vigorous physical activity at least an hour a day. Charles Hillman insisted this and he also insisted that they should get such exercise at school since they are there for so many hours.

I personally can understand why the student would perform better after working out or being physical because you are so carefree while playing or being active. It's also a chance to wake your brain up. After physical activity, your brain should function better and be able to retain information better.

Quarshona Collins
September 20, 2013
4:37 pm

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/18/how-physical-fitness-may-promote-school-success/?ref=health

HOW EXCERSICE CAN HELP US EAT LESS

HOW EXCERSICE CAN HELP US EAT LESS

New studies are showing that a more intense exercise can have more unique benefits than a normal or gentle work out. Since these intense workouts are becoming popular and people are starting to believe that the shorter workouts are just as effective as the longer sessions of moderate exercise, a study came about. The study would compare the effects of easy versus exhausting exercise to a person's desire to eat. It was very clear that these more vigorous exercises were effective with things such as aerobic fitness, blood pressure, and insulin sensitivity; However, they weren't sure how it would or if it would effect weight control. 

So with the study they recruited 17 overweight but healthy men who would show up at the University's exercise lab on 4 different days. "One of these sessions was spent idly reading or otherwise resting for 30 minutes", next day  "the men rode an exercise bike continuously for 30 minutes at a moderate pace". Then the  "third session was more demanding, with the men completing 30 minutes of intervals, riding first for one minute at 100 percent of their endurance capacity, then spinning gently for 4 minutes." Moreover, "The final session was the toughest, as the men strained through 15 seconds of pedaling at 170 percent of their normal endurance capacity, then pedaled at barely 30 percent of their maximum capacity for a minute, with the entire sequence repeated over the course of 30 minutes." 

So they compared this by drawing blood before and after exercise and rest to check for levels of a particular substance that's know to influence appetite. So after the most intensive exercise, food was supplied, and the men consumed less than they did after the more moderate exercise. The results of this study was parallel to another study done on appetite and exercise intensity which made the results more valid. This helps display how exercise and eating can go hand-in-hand when it comes to remaining healthy and not being overweight.

Quarshona Collins

September 13, 2013 

3:57pm

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/11/how-exercise-can-help-us-eat-less/?ref=health

CNN's Dana Ford reported Wednesday April 3rd that nearly 1,200 cancer patients in 4 Canadian hospitals received weak doses of chemo therapy medication. This issue was discovered late last month when a physician tested the medicines strength to find that dosages were between 3-20 less than the expected or labeled dosage. There is no way of telling exactly how long patients have been receiving these low doses but there is an estimate that some have receiving the wrong dosage for up to a year. It is also very difficult to see what if any damage this may cause to patients health as they fight cancer. There are many questions as to how this could have happened. Apparently the hospital supplier, Marchese Hospital Solutions, mislabeled the drugs. Although the spokesperson says "Our preliminary investigation of this issue leads us to be confident that we have met the quality specifications of the contract we are honored to have been awarded." But in contrast the Ontario hospital have been mixing their own chemo medications and are no longer using Marchese Hospital Solutions as a suppliers.

I feel as though this a major social issue because innocent people who are suffering from a terminal illness are the victims of, in some ways, neglect. My question is how are you going to convince these people that there was  no harm done? How are you going to prevent a uprising of grieving families? What happens when lawsuits rise? These are factors that can lead to a social movement. Now that this has happened there will be questions in policies of the hospitals and the company. Investigations into procedures and protocol. I foresee repercussions for both the hospitals and the company. Families are going to have demands and when you drop a ball like that you are responsible for their answers.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/02/health/canada-patients-under-dosed/index.html?hpt=he_c2

Blog 5, Prosthetic Arm and Connection with the Nerves

   As the world, the people, and the problems change so does finding ways to work it out. Technology plays a big role in helping the world change in both good and bad ways, but lets focus on the good changes. Dr. Silvestro Micera a researcher from Switzerland developed a prosthetic arm that connects to the median and ulnar nerves in your body and makes you feel the sensation of a real arm. There are sensors placed at the finger tips, palm, and the wrist to send the signals to the nerves. This process also requires an implant that needs regular maintenance every month. Though this is quite new, there are plans to making it more efficient and would take a least a couple more years to test it safely. In doing so Micera's team is working together with the Italian Ministry of Health to further test this new prosthetic arm.

   I believe that with newer advances in technology comes better and safer treatment to today physical problems. However these solutions to our physical problems aren't one hundred percent curable, these replacements help comfort and bring joy back to the lives of people with disabilities. We as human beings will always strive in finding happiness, or a sense of comfort. What Dr. Selvestro is doing is providing people with another chance to finding that happiness in life again. With every new solution, there will always be a new problem afterwards. I have a feeling that this prosthetic arm is helpful, but also might lead to a nervous problem for those using it, since its directly connected to the median and ulnar nerves. This might be a sacrifice that many will make for that happiness or comfort they seek. All in all I support this new technology in making people feel and function with a prosthetic arm, but they need to be careful of the process of doing this. 

Devin Coldewey, NBCNews.com,3/1/13

   http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/futureoftech/bionic-arm-lets-user-feel-their-mechanical-fingertips-1C8435298

Dao Lee

3/1/13 

2:35pm

Blog Delilah Kelly: Oil from Deepwater Horizon Disaster Entered Food Chain in the Gulf of Mexico

          Since the debut of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 scientist have been steadily evaluating the effects of this happening. Approximately 53,000 barrels were released into the oceans daily from April 2010 to July 2010. Despite the fact that the oil was capped in July effects from the spill are still seen in today’s ecosystems. Scientists believe this has caused a detrimental effect on the ocean’s food chains from plants to sea animals. Zooplankton is one of the most popular plants used to track the prevalence of oil in the ocean. The oil left behind can be fingerprinted from these very plants. The fingerprints discovered by scientist today show large amount of oil even at very low sea levels. Levels of the oil found in our oceans zooplankton vary greatly from area to area with no consistent pattern. Scientists believe this is having a trickle effect into the different ecosystems that are drastically affecting our food chains today. Studies continue to show gradual increase in the amount of ecosystems that are contaminating our food chains and believe that further contamination will continue to take place.

          Ironically when then oil spill took place many citizens were more concerned about financial stabilityand high gas prices more so than their own wellbeing. Being that the oceans supply us with water into our local city water plants you would imagine, we would first be concerned about our healthy eating habits and our specific intake of sea animals like shrimp, fish, lobsters, crab etc. Although this issue was brought to light through info-mericials on rescuing our damaged sea life, we have lost sight of the fact that sea life are still drastically affected by this spill and we are continuing to take in foods that can be harmful to our well-being.

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (2012, March 20). Oil from Deepwater Horizon disaster entered food chain in the Gulf of Mexico. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 25, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2012/03/120320142100.htm

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 2 War, Drought, Malnutrition, Measles — A Report from Somalia

In the past 2 decades, the African country of Somalia has been going through a major catastrophe brought on by war and a drought.  Hundreds of thousands of Somalians have been displaced, looking to bordering countries for safety and healthcare.  "The near-total absence of an effective epidemiologic monitoring system within Somalia limits data on mortality and morbidity." These people are extremely malnourished and at risk of measles.  Since 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended mass vaccination campaigns even after an outbreak has begun.  Although hospitalization for malnutrition is only available for those with other medical conditions, severe malnutrition can be treated by care givers in the home as well as food supplements by The World Food Program.  "We have developed better means for treating people and preventing illness in emergencies over the past 20 years, but it is more difficult in Somalia than in many other countries to reach the people in need. Moreover, these advances are always at the mercy of politics, and continued fighting as well as the mistrust or misuse of aid will make it difficult to meet even a fraction of the enormous needs."
    The people of Somalia are in great danger and are not being properly treated by their government. This is why they are seeking help from neighboring countries, which is not necessarily fare in my opinion. Their country needs to be dealing with these problems rather than putting them onto their neighbors which could very well further and expand the epidemic. With so many displaced citizens, the government should be very concerned with finding solutions to the issues of malnutrition, drought, measles,etc.

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1111238
1/26/12 7:30 pm