Health
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Aegean International Health Federation (ESAFED) member six Turkish doctors are training Somali doctors who received medical education in Sudan but did not make any practice.
Turkish doctors are giving practical training to their Somali colleagues.
Aegean International Health Federation (ESAFED) member six Turkish doctors are training Somali doctors who received medical education in Sudan but did not make any practice.
ESAFED Somalia Coordinator Isa Sonmez told AA on Monday that federation's member doctors had been contributing in health services in Somalia for the past four months at a health center established by Turkish Kimse Yok Mu aid association.
Sonmez said that Somali doctors were helping Turkish doctors and improving their practices in the health center.
Sonmez added that they would also train 30 obstetricians and nurses as well as ten doctors in Turkey for six months.
Source: www.worldbulletin.net
Dec 22, 2011 - Turkish Health Ministry sent Turkish doctors to two field hospitals in Mogadishu, Somalia. Turkish doctors are examining patients, and operating on them when necessary.
Turkish doctors have started operating on Somali people in the capital, Mogadishu.
Turkish Health Ministry sent Turkish doctors to two field hospitals in Mogadishu, Somalia. Turkish doctors are examining patients, and operating on them when necessary.
So far, Turkish doctors have examined 70,000 Somali people and diagnosed child patients as suffering from diarrhea, skin inflection and flu, and adults with diabetics, tuberculosis and kidney problems.
"We mainly perform hernia and appendicitis surgery in Somalia," chief doctor of one of the field hospitals, Musa Temel, told AA correspondent.
Moreover, AA team watched a hernia surgery in the hospital.
Source: AA
Pharmaceuticals Fund and Supply Agency called on producers and importers of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment to coordinate themselves to attain the targets set in the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP).
Speaking at a consultative meeting with stakeholders here on Saturday, Agency Director General Hailesillasie Bihon said actors in the sector should work closely for better results.
As to the GTP, 50 percent of the national demand of pharmaceuticals and medical equipments would be produced locally, he said.
He said the agency is striving to provide the public safe and effective medicine with fair price.
Pharmaceuticals and medical equipments procurement director Mukemil Abdella on his part said the agency is preparing a package that would bridge the information gap among producers and importers.
Thus, the package would also help importers to identify their choice of import and stakeholders to work closely.
As part of the effort to increase the number of local manufacturers, the agency is facilitating for producers to get 70 percent bank loan, he said.
Producers and importers of pharmaceuticals and heads of pertinent offices from all regional states participated in the half-day meeting.
ENA
Ethiopia will successfully achieve health targets of the MDGs by controlling prevalence of tuberculosis (TB), Health Minister, Dr. Tedros Adhanom said.
Speaking at the launching of the Ethiopian National TB Prevalence Survey Dissemination workshop here on Thursday, Dr. Tedros said the prevalence of TB has declined below that of the World Health Organization’s (WHO's) estimated number.
The minister said the number of TB infected among 100,000 people decreased to 105 from 284 and the number of people caught by the disease reduced to 265 from 579.
The survey has been completed successfully as per the requirement of the WHO , Dr. Tedros said.
Deputy Director-General of the Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, Dr. Amha Kebede on his part said encouraging results have been registered in controlling prevalence of TB in Ethiopia .
The survey selected a total of 4,620 individuals aged 15 and above in 63 rural, 14 urban and eight pastoral clusters in the country, the director said.
Of the total, 39 percent of the respondents never heard about TB, whereas, the remaining have knowledge about it, Dr. Amha said.
In general, the respondents have given sufficient information about TB but they lack comprehensive knowledge to develop proper attitude to prevent TB and translate it to practice, he said.
In the efforts of controlling the disease, 84 percent of TB patients have got access to medical service, Dr. Amha said, adding, the country has already achieved 70 percent of WHO's health target goals in controlling prevalence of TB disease.
USAID and WHO cover the cost for efforts to control prevalence of TB in the country.
The overall objective of nationwide Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Survey on TB is to understand the awareness level, perception and health seeking behavior of the community towards TB.
The survey was organized along with the first national population based TB prevalence survey in Ethiopia from October 2010 to June 2011 with systematically selected 85 clusters in the country, according to information made available at the event.
ENA
By Tesfa-Alem Tekle
ADDIS ABABA — The Ethiopia government on Sunday dismissed an international rights group’s call for the arrest of former US President, George W. Bush for role in water boarding, which right group campaigners consider as torture.
Last week, Amnesty International appealed on Ethiopia, Tanzania and Zambia to arrest and bring Bush to justice during his visit to the African countries.
Amnesty argued that "there is enough evidence in the public domain" for the African countries to arrest president Bush, who is responsible for authorizing to the use of water boarding as interrogation technique against terror suspected prisoners in Guantanamo bay, Iraq and in other detention facilities.
Ethiopian government spokesperson, Shimeles Kemal, dismissed Amnesty calls as Bush arrives in Addis Ababa on Sunday to attend the16th International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA 2011).
"Amnesty has neither the jurisdiction nor the mandate to issue arrest warrants," said the Ethiopian official.
Amnesty has often accused the horn of Africa’s country of intensifying crack down on government critics and abusing foreign aid and argues foreign aid must stop. Ethiopia has in the past rejected Amnesty and other right group’s accusations as defamatory.
"And from our own bitter experience with Amnesty, its agenda is not justified. No one takes it seriously," Kemal further said.
The five-day conference on AIDS and STIs (ICASA) in Africa has kicked of last night in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
Bush said at the opening ceremony that despite the tremendous achievement a lot remains to be done in arresting the development of AIDS further urging African leaders for more commitment.
"PEPFAR also relies on African leaders to take responsibility for the success of programs," he said.
"The developing world must set priorities and there is no greater priority than saving a human life," he added.
During the occasion, President Bush was honored an award in recognition for his support in the HIV and AIDS response to the continent. President Bush received his award from Ethiopian Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi.
Bush along his family is in a three nation African tour since December 1, 2011 to promote and raise awareness to efforts on fight to cervical and breast cancer in the continent.
Zambia has on Saturday dismissed similar calls to arrest Bush.
"On what basis does Amnesty International want us to arrest President Bush?" State media quoted Zambian Foreign Affairs Minister Chishimba Kambwili as saying.
(ST)
Peter Heinlein | Addid Ababa VOA
An international conference on AIDS in Africa opens in Addis Ababa with an address by former U.S. president George W. Bush. He is being honored for his role in creating PEPFAR, the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief, the largest ever health initiative dedicated to fighting a disease.
Former president Bush received a hero's welcome Sunday during a brief stopover in Ethiopia. Amnesty International may be calling for his arrest, but in Ethiopia and many other AIDS afflicted developing countries, Mr. Bush is remembered for PEPFAR, which has pumped $39 billion into bilateral programs to fight HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.
Bush, his wife Laura Bush and daughters Jenna and Barbara visited St Paul's Hospital and Medical College in Addis Ababa, where mothers living with HIV told how PEPFAR-funded programs had helped them deliver healthy babies.
A woman, who gave her name as Belatech, said she was pregnant and already taking antiretroviral drugs when she came to St. Paul's. The baby she delivered is HIV-free.
Belatech says she is so grateful that she now works with other HIV-infected women to ensure that their children are born healthy.
Bush is credited with the initiative that created PEPFAR. Ethiopia is one of its biggest beneficiaries, having received $1.4 billion. The program currently funds anti-AIDS, TB and malaria programs in all of Ethiopia's 140 hospitals.
The former president told VOA he and his family are visiting PEPFAR facilities so American taxpayers will know how their taxpayer dollars are being spent.
"The way I look at it, it's one of the great acts of compassion by the American people. It is important for the American people to understand that their generosity saves a lot of lives," Bush said. "It's also important for the American people to know that if we do not support people who have HIV/AIDS or who are dying because of mosquito bites, more and more people will die."
The former president said it is important that the United States remains committed to effective health programs in the developing world.
"It is essential our country not retreat from the world. It is essential that we continue to show our compassion by funding programs that work. PEPFAR works, the malaria program works," Bush stated.
PEPFAR currently funds antiretroviral treatment for nearly a quarter of the estimated 1.1-million Ethiopians living with HIV. It also pays for training of 4,500 medical professionals.
Ethiopia's Health Minister Tewodros Adhanom says the program is still growing. "It is still under construction, we're seeing some really positive results, so we need to finalize based on the design we had started. But so far we are getting already encouraging results, HIV is declining, malaria declining significantly, and under five mortality is down, so there are really encouraging results," Adhanom explained.
Former President Bush was in Ethiopia for the opening of ICASA, the International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa. The five-day conference has drawn more than 5,000 experts and activists from around the world for an exchange of ideas and best practices in the fight against AIDS.
Ethiopia here on Sunday launched a National Accelerated Plan for Scaling up Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) Services.
Health Minister Dr. Tewodros Adhanom on the occasion said the plan helps to step up ongoing efforts to reach many more millions of mothers and babies with PMTCT services in the coming four years to ensure an HIV-free generation in the country.
Ethiopia is one of 22 sub-Saharan African countries that succeeded in reducing their national rate of new HIV infections by 25 per cent between 2001 and 2009.
According to a study conducted in 2010, nearly 1.2 million people were living with HIV in Ethiopia including about 90,000 expectant women.
Despite progress in the national HIV response, only 9.3 per cent of pregnant women are currently receiving HIV counseling and testing services.
In June 2011 Ethiopia signed on to the Global Plan towards the elimination of new HIV Infections among children by 2015 and keeping their mothers alive. As part of this effort, the national plan aims to boost both the rapid expansion and delivery of integrated quality maternal and child health and PMTCT services.
UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé on his part expressed belief that Ethiopia will be successful in reducing the number of HIV positive children and keeping their mothers alive.
The overall aim is to ensure that all pregnant women living with HIV have access to HIV prevention and treatment services, and that new HIV infections among children are eliminated by 2015.
The national accelerated emergency plan includes three targeted objectives including reaching 90 per cent of pregnant women with access to antenatal care services, ensuring that all pregnant women have access to delivery by a skilled attendant and providing antiretroviral prophylaxis to at least 80 per cent of HIV-positive pregnant women.
ENA
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said as in many countries in Africa, Ethiopia has made great strides in expanding access to HIV prevention, treatment and in providing care and support to those affected by HIV and AIDS.
Speaking at the opening of the 16th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA 2011) here on Sunday, PM Meles said new HIV infections have declined by 25 percent in many Sub-Saharan African countries including Ethiopia.
Achieving the MDG targets will require even more aggressive and innovative ways for addressing the social, cultural and economic factors that make people individually and collectively vulnerable to HIV infection, Meles said.
PM Meles said ICASA 2011 will provide a unique platform for talking stock of best practices and lessons learned in African countries to defeat the source of the epidemic once and for all.
He said the Conference will also create good opportunity for African countries to develop innovative and sustainable strategies for mobilizing resources including human, intellectual and material with a view to fortifying and sustaining the response to the epidemic over the coming years.
The Premier on the occasion expressed hope that the Conference will yield tangible outcomes on the issue and also lauded international donors including the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in their efforts towards decline in the epidemic .
Former President of U.S. Government and Founder of the PEPFAR, George W.Bush on his part said in 2003, despite the availability of antiretroviral therapy, very few people with HIV/AIDS were receiving treatment for HIV in the poorer parts of the world.
The U.S. government has committed nearly 39 billion USD to funding for the AIDS epidemic, he said.
He said PEPFAR continues to represent the largest financial commitment by a single country to responding to HIV and AIDS worldwide.
Bush on the occasion appreciated commitment of African leaders to the efforts of combating HIV and AIDS.
He also stressed the need for the U.S. Government and African countries to set priorities to prevent the diseases together.
PEPFAR is America's initiative to combat the global HIV/AIDS epidemic and is now part of the Global Health Initiative, according to a document made available at the event.
President of the Society for AIDS in Africa, Prof. Robert Soudre on the occasion said ICASA 2011 is organized 30 years after the first cases of what was later identified to be HIV were reported.
Africa must be prepared to harness new and emerging preventive and treatment strategies being investigated including test and treatment, Prof. Soudre said.
ICASA 2011 President, Dr. Yigeremu Abebe on his part said the high level leadership sessions will seek to engage Africa leaders at the highest level to commit to strategies that ensure home grown responses to the HIV pandemic.
Backed by sound scientific evidence, the forum promises to come up with resolutions that should move the responsibilities in Africa to an even higher level, Dr. Yigeremu said.
PM Meles on the occasion awarded President Bush in recognition of his great contribution and commitment towards combating the disease worldwide in general and particularly in Africa.
The conference scheduled from 4 to 8 December 2011, is organized under the theme: OWN, SCALE-UP and SUSTAIN.
ENA
Hilary Heuler | Kampala
December 01, 2011
After a wildly successful campaign against AIDS in the 1990s, Uganda is now the only country in East Africa where the AIDS rate is actually rising. Some people attribute this to a Bush-era abstinence-only approach to AIDS prevention, a policy at odds with patterns of sexual behavior in Uganda.
Uganda was once a shining example of successful AIDS prevention, when, in the 1990s and early 2000s, it managed to slash its infection rate from around 15 percent to 6 percent. But for the past five years, infections have once again been on the rise, leading many people to question what went wrong.
Exact statistics on mounting infection rates are not due to be published until next year. But on December 1, World AIDS Day, the Ugandan government launched a new HIV Prevention Strategy to address the worrying trend.
Changing sexual behaviors
Zainab Akol of the Ministry of Health says that one of the reasons for the rise is complacency, but she admits that attempts to change people’s sexual behavior were not very successful. She says that in the future, Uganda intends to focus more on medical and educational methods to prevent transmission and treat those who are already infected.
“We are talking about scaling up anti-retroviral treatment, we are talking about male circumcision, we are talking about scaling up HIV counseling and testing. We now understand that it’s very difficult to deal with sexual behavior," Akol explained. "We hadn’t understood. We thought people would just hear the threat and develop fear, but we now see that fear doesn’t work all the time.â€
Abstinence-only backfires
Many experts blame the rising infection rate on a communication strategy that promoted abstinence only until marriage, without encouraging the use of condoms. This was the message of the American-funded PEPFAR, which stands for President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
Established in 2003 under former U.S. President George W. Bush, PEPFAR has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for Uganda’s AIDS programs. Its focus on abstinence was eagerly adopted here, where the message fit in well with a culture of conservative Christianity.
But now, with the rate of new HIV infections rising fastest among married couples, this strategy seems to have backfired. Asia Russell, of the advocacy organization Health GAP, says that PEPFAR’s approach has expanded in recent years to include encouraging condom use. But, she adds, the U.S. government still funds programs focusing on abstinence.
“About 46 percent of new infections in this country are between married, co-habitating people in stable relationships. And yet, if you drive around Kampala you see many billboards that communicate that marriage protects people. That’s false information," Russell said. "It’s wasteful, and it’s harmful. Meanwhile, we all know of facilities where people can’t get free condoms. We’re concerned that some of these messages still find their way into the community, and still receive investments from the U.S. government.â€
Moralistic approach not a solution
Leonard Okello, of the International HIV/AIDS Alliance in Uganda, says the problem is that using moral values such as marriage to fight the spread of HIV has given married people a false sense of security. With Uganda’s widespread culture of marital infidelity, he says, abstaining can still put you at risk.
“If you adopt a more moralistic approach, you get these problems. I think we need to recognize that it is not just about morals. Even abstinence has its limitations, because not everybody is abstaining. They go to church, wed this one and only wife and one and only husband, and then lead a traditional polygamous life. It seems to be an acceptable norm,†Okello stated.
But, Okello explains, even being faithful is not always safe. He was married for eight years to a woman who was HIV positive, a situation, he says, that the abstinence-only message fails to address.
“My wife was HIV positive, and I was HIV negative. I was faithful to my wife. She got HIV infected earlier, but we didn’t know. By remaining faithful, I was actually at risk. So it doesn’t necessarily mean being faithful is safe," he noted. "Those are the realities we did not know then. When PEPFAR was pushing very much the abstinence agenda, we forgot that the epidemic was changing rapidly.â€
AIDS activist Rukia Nansubuga, who is HIV positive herself, says that one of the main obstacles to controlling the virus among married couples is simple fear of disclosing your status to your spouse.
“When a woman comes out to be tested, she fears to disclose to her partner. Once the woman declares that 'I’m HIV positive,' then that’s the end of the marriage," Nansubuga said. "When I disclosed and my husband knew my status, he abandoned me. Now I’m a single mother living with HIV/AIDS, with seven children.â€
More resources needed
Increasing medical interventions and treatments in Uganda just became more difficult, as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced last month that no new funding would be available until 2014.
Russell says that in order to bring infection rates down, Uganda will have to commit more of its own resources to the struggle. She also hopes the current crisis will re-galvanize the country’s leadership, including President Yoweri Museveni, because over the past several years, she says, political will has begun to slip.
“One feature that distinguished the response in this country is Museveni and other high-profile leaders speaking in an extraordinarily committed way to the fight against HIV. That changed over the last few years. I think people noticed a silence, and noticed more stigmatizing language about people with HIV coming out of statehouse,†Russell noted.
Both Russell and Okello agree that with the treatments available and enough information, an HIV-free generation is within reach. But it remains to be seen whether Uganda can summon the political commitment and resources to make it happen.
Source:VOANews