Health And FuN -- The Playpump

The Playpump – innovation and inspiration conspire to solve myriad problems

In Africa several play ground merry go rounds ,known as play pumps, have been installed at schools which not only bring recreation , and joy to several children but also help them provide safe drinking water. It is basically a windmill , using energy of children rather than wind.

"PlayPumps International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and their families by providing access to clean drinking water, enhancing public health, and offering play equipment to millions across Africa."

This helpful innovative idea can be used in villages and cities of every country, installing these playpumps not only in schools but in parks and public playgrounds can help more people.

For more details : http://www.gizmag.com/the-playpump--innovation-and-inspiration-conspire-to-solve-myriad-problems/10854/

Water-Borne diseases

Water-Borne diseases :-

Water borne or faecal-oral diseases are caused by micro-organisms present in human and animal waste , when they enter human body via mouth. So it can be due to contaminated water, or through dirty hands, clothes (or towels) ,food or materials or things used for cooking (e.g. unclean utensils or plates ) , eating or drinking.

Rarely, but they can also enter human vody through eyes, nose or open wounds. Even uncovered food or drinking water can cause it. Contaminated soil, or by insects (like flies) and animals or improper sewage system. These diseases are infectious , meaning they can spread from person to person. Proper hygiene and sanitation can stop them.

Diseases common in Nepal:-

In Nepal the most common water borne disease include

1. Typhoid fever
2. Giardia
3. Dysentery
4. Cholera
5. Diarrhoea
6. Hepatitis
7. Polio
8. Worms

Hazards:-

1. Lowers body resistance to infection and disease.
2. Causes fatal ilnesses.
3. Lowers body's intake of nourishment causing Malnutrition.
4. Increases Health expenditure.
5. Hampers individual and social education and development.

Prevention:-

1. improving quality of water
2. water chlorination
3. improving access to clean water and safe sanitation
4. promoting hygiene education
5. exclusive breast-feeding
6. improved weaning practices
7. immunizing all children; especially against measles
8. proper maintainence of water pumps and wells
9. proper use latrines
10. proper/sanitary disposal of human and animal waste
11. keeping food and water clean by covering and using clean hands and utensils
12. washing hands with soap (the baby's as well) before touching food

Source :- http://www.irc.nl/page/8904

Health & Water

Do you know ?

1. March 22nd is "World Water Day"
2. Dirty water causes Cholera, Diarrhea, Dysentery, Parasites, Typhoid
3. These Diarrhoeal diseases kill around 2 million children each year- 5,000 per day, and million more to fall ill. Because children are particularly vulnerable to the dangers of dirty water in emergencies such as natural disasters and conflicts. [UNICEF]
4. Dirty water kills 4000 children a day
5. Water-borne diseases are one of the major cases of under-5 mortality, along with pneumonia, malaria, and measles [UNICEF]
6. 5 million people are killed each year due to water related diseases = 10 times the people killed in wars
7. The greatest developmental failure of 20th century = failure of safe water provision

Adverse Human Health Effects due polluted water are divided into 4 major groups;

[Source : http://www.wateryear2003.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=1600&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html ]

Water-borne diseases

cholera, typhoid, bacillary disentry, polio, meningitis, hepatitis A and E and diarrhoea, among others. These are caused by contamination of water by human, animal, or chemical wastes.

Water-based diseases

Guinea worm disease, filariasis (also a vector disease), paragonimiasis, clonorchiasis and schistosomiasis. These diseases are caused by a variety of flukes, tapeworms, roundworms and tissue nematodes, often referred to as helminths, that infect humans

Water-related vector diseases

Malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever, sleeping sickness and filariasis. These are caused by vectors such as Mosquitoes and tsetse flies

Water-scarce diseases

Trachoma and tuberculosis. These are caused when freshwater is scarce and sanitation is poor.

Watch : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEnlrE4iMBU

Women Health Volunteers (WHV) of Iran

In Tehran lowcost basic health care is delivered by women volunteers, which is as tonic for Iran's economy. These Lady Health Workers are part of a vast network, comprising of 100,000 women known as "Women Health Volunteers"(WHV) since 1991 and has been supported by WHO and UNICEF

They help government in spreading the word of health and hygiene. With the help and support of these women, Tehran has been able to show excellent primary care and sanitation results.

To share a few statistics

Vaccination rate is 100%, proper access to clean water , and 80 % of pregnant women are examined 3 times during their pregnancy.

According to Dr. Hossein Malek-Afzali, there has been not a single polio case in Iran for over 8 years.

More over the women participating in the WHVs were simple ladies from neighbourhood trained for a weekin health centers and sent out to educate 50 families, mostly their own and neighbors.

These WHVs have alao been successful in educating the families about various health and hygiene issues needed there such as the importance of use of iodized salt and family planning, bringing birth rate from 6 to 2 children.

These Health workers also test water and inspect hygiene at places like schools, bakeries, hair salons and grocery stores. Although primary and secondary care is available ,but the major challenges that remain are ; provision of surgical and inpatient care, cardiovascular diseases due to polluted air and smoking among men, drug addiction is another major problem.

Source : The TIME , Annual Special Issue [23 March, 2009] [Tehran's Health Patrol]

Home Fitness Gadgets

With gadgets like Bodybugg and iNewLeaf people are willing to sweat and pay high prices for them , to avoid the fatigue of joining gyms and fitness clubs.

Bodybugg measures your calorie expenditure, while comapring consumed vs. expended. It uses a set of sensors that give you a 90% accurate calorie estimate by following an algorithm, which uses quantities [body heat , motion and sweat ] measured 32 times/sec .

iNewLeaf works with Smheart Link , a cigratte lighter sized gadget. It uses many fitness routines pegged your heart rate.

Source : The TIMES [March 9, 2009][time.com/fitnessgadgets]

BioBanks

In the latest The TIME Magazine Annual Special Issue , in the article " 10 ideas that are changing the world Right Now" , idea number eight was "BioBanks". Unlike many of you assuming it to be place to store your organs like kidneys , which obviously can't be done with present technology, for future use or saving money to get a organ translpant in the future, it is basically a research institute. So "Relax --it's not your MONEY they are after. It's your BLOOD" More spooky , I presume.

Well, according to the article -- not at all! Its more like an organic bank account. National Cancer Institute (NCI) are heading up an effort to establish the U.S.'s first national biobank . They aim to store tissue samples, tumor cells, DNA and even blood for the purpose of research for finding new remedies and cures for diseases. By comparing the DNA's of both affected and unaffected people , researchers can track and hunt down that problematic gene profile .

Since you put in your biomaterial, the reward is also in the form of knowledge and therapies that grow out of that deposit -- hence no monetary reward . But the potential benefit from the accumulated data at some later stage, which not only help u but many other affected with the same disease.

However , the key challenges in this idea are ; firstly maintaining account holders' privacy and limited access with individual's consent and secondly, the ease or comfort with which an individual will share its bio-info , like DNA for instance ,with an organization.

4 ways to becoming a world-class Medical Destination

Source : TheTIME [Annual Special Issue March 23, 2009]

1. First, collect really good doctors preferably trained in the best centers around the world.[I think other than technical skills they should also be adaptable tothe needs of different cultures with deep understading of medical ethics and respectable to the norms and traditions of local community, and are supported by competent and hardworking staff and healthcare professionals]
2. Then, put them into slick heath care facilities, or even better , into a superb healthcare network. [With cutting-edge technology , new tools and methods and good infrastructure ... which i think can be accomplished with hiring a doctor with some prior work experience. But fresh doctors should also be welcomed. I think 50-50 fresh and experienced mixture would do good]
3. Third, connect the above two to a wonderful health care system [Finding reliable suppliers and partners, adding excellent health care research community and a regional medical educationcal hub would do]
4. After that, put them all into an accessible, convinient and safe country , with welcoming people, good accomodation, and great amenities , low crime rate and high secutrity measures .... [here, i differ if we keep putting all good doctors to good places ... where would the hopes and lives of the poor , rural and remote people would end ...] So I think fifth point should also be added
5. Put these best doctors of best hospitals for an agreed specified time , to areas where there are no doctors or medical professionals to help the local community, with a junior doctor to learn and carry out the duties after these best doctors are returned to their hospitals. But the one thing still needed remains to be usable equipment and medical facilities.... Then I think another thing is important ...
6. Train other staff, like nurses, health care professionals like wise. So that they are able to help and support these 'best doctors' effectively.

Samaa TV Talks about our Tele-healthcare Project

Recently, Samaa TV covered our healthcare project in their program named, “Innovation”. The accompanying video is a short highlight of the documentary that they made during their visit to NUST and our UM Healthcare facility in Mardan. With permission from Samaa TV, we are now sharing the video clip of the program online with our well wishers.



This innovative healthcare project that uses the power of mobile phones, and implemented with the support of Lady Health Workers (LHW) is now moving from pilot phase into full deployment. In the first phase, the project has treated over treated over 12,500 patients in rural Mardan since August 2008. We have also held numerous specialized medical camps including one focusing on “Eye Care” this past weekend.

The project is a joint effort of NUST (SEECS), UM Healthcare Trust and APPNA. It is funded through generous donations by people like you and partially supported by USAID, HEC and ISIF Foundation.

Gold for bread documentary

A touching documentary about a village in Zimbabwe, where currency is almost in no use anymore , people even have to buy basic necessities like bread, cooking oil, soaps with gold at a price four times the actual price . People driven with hunger and despair have no other alternative but to dig for GOLD. Those who can mine can earn a loaf of bread but what about the old and sick ?

With such differences in the world we live in, sometimes I doubt has the world made any progress so far ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ubJp6rmUYM