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Dangers of Leaving Children Alone in Cars

August 5, 2010 By

As children played on a nearby swing set, parents listened to community leaders at the Mercy Child Development Center about the dangers of leaving their children alone in cars during the hot summer months.

“What people need to know is that the heat will rise inside the car to a deadly level in a very short time and children can loose their lives if they are left in cars,” said Elena Acosta of Child Protective Services.

Organizers used thermometers to demonstrate how hot it can get inside a car. At the start of the demonstration the thermometer read 85 degrees inside the car, but within 15 minutes, the temperature soared to 115 degrees.

“The heat is deadly to their little bodies and these are child deaths that are totally preventable,” Acosta said. [Read more...]

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Today’s American Moms Older, More Educated

May 7, 2010 By

Just who falls into the category of “American mom” has changed quite a bit over the last 18 years, according to a new report by the Pew Research Center released today.

The report documents shifts in the population of mothers from 1990 to 2008 and is based on information from the National Center for Health Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau.

On the whole, mothers tend to be older and have more education today compared to two decades ago. Births to teen mothers are on the decline, while the opposite is true for women over 35. A growing percentage of mothers are not married, and single moms tend to be younger.

While the majority of U.S. mothers are white, this group has decreased from 65 percent in 1990 to 53 percent in 2008, and births to Hispanic women have seen a boost from 14 percent to 24 percent over that same period.

An accompanying Pew survey on parenthood found that most parents cite “the joy of having children” as among the reasons they became mothers and fathers, although almost half also answered “there wasn’t a reason; it just happened.”

Other notable stats:

* The percentage of teen moms and moms over 35 has just about flipped. In 1990, 13 percent of births were to teens while 9 percent were to women over 35. In 2008, the percentages were 10 percent to teens and 14 percent to women over 35.

* The percentage of single moms grew from 28 percent in 1990 to a record 41 percent in 2008.

* More than half of moms, 54 percent, had at least some college-level education in 2006, up from 41 percent in 1990.

* Birth rates for women aged 35 to 39 increased by 47 percent, and rates for women aged 40 to 44 increased by 80 percent over the time period.

* The overall number of babies born has remained relatively stable, rising from 4.2 million in 1990 to 4.3 million in 2008. The country saw a dip in the total number of births coinciding with the recent recession.

The changing demographics are likely influenced by a number of factors, the researchers write. For instance, the higher percentage of single moms could result from a rise in births to this group as well as a drop in overall marriages in the country and the fact that women are marrying later.

The rise in older mothers could be due to more women seeking higher education, which might delay both marriage and motherhood. Improvements in fertility treatments for older women, who in general experience a decreased fertility rate as they age, could also contribute to the rise.

“[With] the advent of assisted reproductive technologies, women feel that they have the option to be pregnant even with declining fertility, whereas prior to that, there would have been more of an incentive for them to have their family younger when they felt that they would not have that option,” said Dr. Diane Ashton, the deputy medical director at the March of Dimes in White Plains, N.Y., who was not involved in the current study.

Attitudes

So just how do Americans feel about these trends? More than half, 65 percent, say that the rising number of unmarried mothers is generally a “bad thing for society,” according to the Pew survey, which included about 1,000 American adults, both men and women.

However, results from the General Society Survey (GSS), funded by the National Science Foundation, present a slightly different picture of how attitudes toward single moms have changed over time. The number of people who agreed that a single parent “can bring up a child as well as two parents together,” has increased from 36 percent in 1994 to 42 percent in 2002, according to the GSS survey.

Pew found that most Americans don’t think the rise in births to older mothers matters either way, with 47 percent responding it “doesn’t make much difference,” while 33 percent say it’s a good thing and 13 percent say it’s a bad thing.

The topic of fertility treatment is more evenly split, with 39 percent saying it doesn’t make much of a difference whether people use the treatment to have children, 28 percent saying it’s a good thing, 23 percent replying it’s a bad thing, and 10 percent saying they don’t know or declined to respond.

Increased risk

Women who are over the age of 35 should be aware that they are at increased risk for a number of pregnancy complications, Ashton said. Many changes occur in the body around this time, including being at a higher risk for chronic diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, which can affect pregnancy outcomes.

Those over 40 have nearly double the risk of having a miscarriage than those 20 or younger. The mortality rate for older women is also 2.5 times higher than that of women in their 20s. And risk for having babies with certain chromosomal diseases, such as Down Syndrome, also goes up with age, as does the risk for having premature babies.

Women over 35 have a higher risk of giving birth to multiples, such as twins, either as the result of fertility treatment, or naturally as a consequence of changes in ovulation. The Pew data reflect this: From 1980 to 2004, there was a 70-percent increase in the birth rate of twins associated with an increase in older moms.

The rise in older mothers “lends itself to women having some information about what the risks are, and thinking about developing a reproductive health plan early on,” Ashton told LiveSicence. But she notes that the chances of having complications in pregnancy also depend on the health of the mother in general.

“If she has chronic medical conditions and is in poor physical health, there’s a greater risk she’s going to have these complications, versus if she has a very active physical life and is in good health otherwise.” By Rachael Rettner, Yahoo Daily News

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Expand Your Skill

May 1, 2010 By

As in any industry, many individuals want to recession-proof their jobs. But which are the best types of jobs to have? Well, different sources will tell you different things. However, if you are still looking for a job there are a few high paying jobs where employers are looking for some good people get their businesses going again. Remember that although these opportunities may not be something you want to do for the rest of your life, they could help you expand your skill set and provide better opportunities once you’ll get back into your preferred field of work. So, take a look, and think about it. And by then, think if any of those jobs can make you more profitable to your future employer.

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Kuwait To Hire Maids Through Manpower Agents

February 13, 2010 By

Kuwait has changed the procedure to hire housemaids under pressure from Sri Lanka, Philippine, Cambodia, Vietnam and Nepal. Nepal sends housemaids to Kuwait illegally, as Kuwait is yet to open its doors for Nepalis.

Kuwait’s immigration has made it mandatory for its citizens to hire housemaids only through outsourcing agencies. Kuwaitis used to send the visa and the plane ticket to the recruited helper without seeking the help of a manpower agent. Kuwait’s immigration bureau has directed to bar entry to maids unless their sponsors used local outsourcer, Arab Times reported.

Kuwaiti government has also made it compulsory for the employer to submit a police report on their character and income before demanding housemaids from foreign employment agencies. “No domestic helper should be allowed to enter Kuwait without proper documents from a local manpower agency proving that they have endorsed him or her,” the newspaper reported, citing an immigration source.

Up to seven lakh women, mainly from Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and the Philippines, are employed in Kuwait as full-time live-in domestic workers. Abuse of housemaids is common in Kuwait and Kuwaiti authorities have been under pressure from outsourcing countries to guarantee safety of their nationals for years.

Mohan Krishna Sapkota, Director General of Department of Foreign Employment, says Kuwait’s move is positive but Nepal cannot encourage Nepali women to go there till Kuwait signs an International Labour Organisation convention on migrant rights.

He put three additional conditions — government guarantee of safety of the housemaids, distribution of worker identity cards and a fixed minimum salary— before Nepali government agreed to send maids to Kuwait. “DoFE has set conditions for Saudi Arabia. So should be the case with Kuwait,” he added. Saudi Arabia had proposed to hire one lakh housemaids from Nepal last year.

Nepali women go to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia through illegal channels via New Delhi and Mumbai when they don’t find opportunities at home. According to an estimate, around 20,000 Nepali women are working in Kuwait illegally while over 30,000 Nepali women are working in Saudi Arabia as domestic helpers.

In October 2009, Indonesia had stopped sending domestic helpers to Kuwait, citing “concern over abuse.” By Yadav Raj Joshi, The Himalayan

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An Honest Measure Of Poverty

December 14, 2009 By

an honest measure of poverty_The growing inequalities between urban and rural India are clearly spelt in the poverty estimates drawn up by the Suresh Tendulkar Committee, which has found a new and more robust method to measure poverty. If it is accepted by the government, the below poverty line population would jump by nearly 10 crore from 27.5% to 37.2%.

The committee, chaired by renowned economist Suresh Tendulkar, was set up to make a more realistic assessment of poverty after the government faced criticism about its official estimates, which experts believe suppressed rural poverty.

According to the Tendulkar committee, 41.8% of people in rural areas live below the poverty line as against 25.7% of urban residents. The officially accepted level for rural poverty was 28.3%. It hasn’t changed for urban areas.

The committee has also revised the poverty line in terms of money spent per person per month. From Rs356.30 a month, this has increased to Rs446.68 in rural areas. In urban areas it has risen from Rs538.60 to Rs578.8.

At present, the Centre measures poverty by measuring calorie intake. But the Tendulkar committee has moved away from that to a broader definition that includes spending on food as well as education, health, and clothing. It has also proposed the abolition of different criteria for rural and urban India.

The Tendulkar committee report says the National Sample Survey Organisation, which estimates the minimum household consumption, would move to a mixed reference period for its surveys in future — meaning 365 days for low-frequency items such as clothing, footwear, durables, education, and health; and 30 days for the rest.

“The expert group decided to adopt the MRP based estimates of consumption expenditure as the basis for future poverty lines as against the previous practice of using uniform reference period estimates of consumption expenditure,” the report says.
The present official poverty line baskets (PLB) were defined in terms of per capita total consumer expenditure at 1973-74 market prices and adjusted over time and across states. The government had drawn out separate PLBs for urban and rural areas, tied to the calorie intake — 2,400 per capita calories for rural areas and 2,100 calories for urban areas. Meaning this was the calorie standard for a typical individual. The cost of food to attain this calorie level is calculated, and poverty line is estimated in rupees. According to the official data, this was Rs356.30 in rural areas and Rs538.60 in urban areas in 2004-05. Experts said that consumption patterns used to define PLBs were formed in 1973-74 and are dated.

In 1993-94 rural India had 50.1% people living below poverty and urban areas had 31.8%. The country as a whole had 45.3% people below the poverty line. The report points out that the flawed official method helped the government suppress the real picture by projecting just 37.2% poverty in India.

Today, 37.2% of people, that is over 37 crore, live below the poverty line. If the report is accepted, the government’s poverty estimates would be closer to those made by the World Bank, which said 42% of Indians lived below poverty line in 2005. The bank’s poverty line is pegged at $1.25 a day, or at India’s PPP rate Rs21.6 a day in urban areas and Rs14.3 a day in rural areas.

According to the Tendulkar committee, the poverty line for rural India would work out to Rs446.68, while for urban areas it would be Rs578.8. By Josy Joseph, DNA India

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Get Your Resume Out There Again

December 3, 2009 By

careers_Yuletide season is now in the air and typically, different companies slow down as Christmas approaches. However, December is traditionally one of the busiest months for hiring. And what people are going to do, especially to individuals who are seeking for employment? Most likely, now is the time to respond to the job ads and get your resume out there again because there really is an increment in the number of careers listing recently compared to the last six months. So what are you now waiting for, if you are one of those job-seekers then be sure to visit one network with thousands of sites and hundreds of channels.

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Herbal Medicine And HIV/AIDS Related Skin Diseases

November 27, 2009 By

herbal medicine & hiv aids_It is evident that the campaign about the dreadful disease HIV/AIDS has reduced drastically, as it is rarely aired on the radios, televisions and published in newspapers. Maybe its immense former campaign which has brought about a decline in its prevalence rate in the country, according to statistics, has brought about the decline in its campaign presently. Previous campaigns have brought about a great impact in the sex lives of Ghanaians, and reduced the daily rate of infection, which was about 200 people per day.

It is true people are very vigilant about their sex life, but the lack of frequent campaigns and education about the disease’s existence, will make people forget about it, hence living reckless lives. The sustenance of the lives affected people through antiretroviral treatment has gone a long way to give people the assurance that acquiring the virus is definitely not the end of one’s life as it was earlier on assumed. The introduction of the antiretroviral treatment is a good thing, but the question is, how many people living with the virus are able to afford going through the antiretroviral treatment, since it is very expensive.

It is very sad that those who are not able afford the treatment, do not only go through the travails of losing weight, but as well go through the trauma of being exposed to various kinds of skin diseases. According to medical experts, HIV weakens the immune system, and as a result people with the infection suffer health problems, which include various kinds of skin diseases. In Ghana, and in many parts of the world, the use of herbal medicines to cure diseases is something that has been trusted for ages, and its use to treat HIV skin diseases is one thing that cannot be over emphasised. According to studies, about 90% of people living with HIV develop skin changes which are mostly as a result of the virus. Their weakened immune system makes them venerable to all kinds of skin diseases. Herbal medicine experts have thought it wise that the involvement herbal medicine in the treatment of HIV/AIDS related skin diseases will be of help to people living with the virus.

HIV/AIDS in Africa

According to statistics, people living with HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa are about 22,000,000, and out of this figure, 12,000,000 are women and 1,800,000 children. In Ghana, about 260,000 are living with HIV/AIDS, 150,000 are women and 17,000. According to the statistics, Sub-Saharan Africa is more heavily affected by HIV and AIDS than any other region of the world. In 2007, around 1.5 million people died from AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa, and 1.9 million people became infected with HIV. Since the beginning of the epidemic, more than eleven million children have been orphaned by AIDS. In the absence of massively expanded prevention, treatment and care efforts, it is expected that the AIDS death toll in Sub-Saharan Africa will continue to rise. This means the impact of the AIDS epidemic on societies will be felt most strongly in the course of the next ten years and beyond. The AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa threatens to devastate whole communities, rolling back decades of development progress.

Skin Conditions Linked to AIDS

According to webMD, psoriasis is one of the skin conditions associated with AIDS. It is a common skin disorder that produces thick, pink-to-red, itchy patches of skin, covered with silvery scales. The rash usually occurs on the scalp, elbows, knees and lower back, and in the same place on both sides of the body. It can also occur in fingernails. Psoriasis cannot be cured, but treatment greatly reduces the signs, even in severe cases. Common treatments include steroid creams, vitamin D derivatives, and topical retinoids. These may also be used with ultraviolet light therapy for severe cases. For severe diseases, there are a number of effective therapies taken in pill form or by injection.

Shingles is another infection caused by the chicken pox virus. This virus remains dormant in the nerve cells of people who have had chicken pox, and can reactivate in the body later on, resulting in illness. Although shingles, like all other viral diseases, cannot be cured, it usually will go away on its own, and may not require any treatment, except to control te symptoms. Doctors can prescribe antiviral medications to control the infection, and reduce the severity and duration of the disease.

Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) is a form of cancer that occurs on the skin, and in mucous membranes. It occurs among people who have HIV/AIDS. KS appears as purplish lesions on the skin. Because of the weakened immune system caused by AIDS, KS can spread quickly to other parts of the body, including organs. KS can be treated with surgery. Chemotherapy is a treatment that kills the cancerous cells using the body’s own resources to boost the immune system.

Herbal medicine and HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS, which is considered an incurable disease, has compelled many herbal medicine healers to try their possible best to come out with a treatment/cure for the disease. The frequent claim by people of having a herbal cure for the disease resulted in an assessment of herbal remedies from chosen healers on some individuals with HIV/AIDS in 1999 by the Ministry of Health (MOH) the Center for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine (CSRPM) Noguchi Memorial Research Institute, the Komfo Anokye Hospital and the St. Dominic Hospital, which in the end proved some herbal curatives to be of good quality, which have helped people with the virus to improve their health conditions.

Challenges of herbal medicine healers

According to Mr. Kojo Odum Eduful, First Vice President of the Ghana Federation of Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association (GHAFRAM), herbal medicine healers/practitioners are willing to help people living with the virus, which has resulted in all kinds of skin diseases. So far healers are knowledgeable about the fact that herbs such as aloe vera, phyllanthus officinalis, allium sativum,garcinia kola, xylopia aethipica, cryptolepis sanguinolenta, azdiracta indica, cola nitida, cassia alata, fruits and vegetable of high nutritional value are some of the useful medicinal plants in the management of HIV/AIDS. These plants according, to him, have anti-viral and anti-microbial activities which help in fighting HIV skin diseases.

He said these healers were knowledgeable about herbal medicines that can help treat skin diseases of people with the virus, but the present situation at hand does not allow them to progress in the introduction of these herbal medicines to the public. The challenges they are facing, in terms of finance, prevent them from doing research work to go the extra mile to produce results. The initiative of these herbal healers/practitioners to help people with the virus, will come to a reality, if they are given financial support, either from philanthropists, non-governmental organisations (NGO), or even the government, then the financial crises they are facing will be resolved.

Moreover, healers find it very heartbreaking that people with the virus who have benefited from their herbal medicine in the treatment of their skin diseases, fail to report back to the traditional medicine clinics/centers for follow-ups. Most people living with the virus will even find it difficult to talk about the experience with the treatment of the herbs, as they don’t want people to know their status, due to stigmatisation by society. If the education of the public on how to treat people with HIV/AIDS will be intensified, then people living with it will not hesitate to talk publicly about their lives

The African continent and many parts of the world have relied on the use of herbs to cure their diseases, however modernisation has brought about people shifting their attention to the scientific way of curing diseases, hence brushing aside herbal medicines. This situation has resulted into people losing trust in the efficiency, quality, and the hygienic manner of herbal medicines.

The Way forward

It has come to the realisation that in order to make people living with the virus, especially those who cannot afford the antiretroviral treatment for skin diseases, be go in for traditional herbal treatment. In this case, the President of the GHAFRAM has indicated those herbal medicine healers/practitioners are currently receiving training from NGOs and government institutions to build their capabilities. This will expose them to all kinds of herbs and broaden their horizons in their field of research, in order to intensify the quality and efficiency of their medicines. Additionally, trained healers/practitioners are engaged in the fight against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)/HIV/AIDS in their communities. As two heads are better than one, healers are on the verge of collaborating with scientists and orthodox medical practitioners, as they both sometimes need each other’s service.

Conclusion The initiative of giving herbal medicine the chance to help in the treatment of HIV/AIDS skin diseases, is a good step towards the eradication of the virus, and will not only be of benefit to people living with the virus in Ghana, but the world as a whole. It is about time the public as well, give herbal medicine a chance to prove itself. Society must support these initiatives of these herbal medicine healers and practitioners, so as to boost their moral for more research.

This would encourage people with the diseases not to lose hope, and that their dreams and aspirations in life are still on the verge of accomplishment. There is therefore the need for increased education to create more awareness, for the people to become cautious about sexual practices, which would help minimise the spread of the pandemic. Modern Ghana

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