Brazil to Introduce Initiative to Curb HIV Cases

The Government of Brazil have made another plans of curbing the increasing rate of HIV cases among its people especially among men who have sex with men.

The campaign is focused on sexually active men with age ranging from 13 to 24 and educate them on safe sex and encourage them in using preventive methods in contracting sexually transmitted diseases, especially HIV/AIDS.

It shows that more than 40 percent (41.1% to be exact) of HIV cases in 2006 are from the above age group and the number continuously rises. A study conducted by Brazil's Ministry of Health also shows that there were around 226 HIV cases per 100,000 men in Brazil to date.

Please click here for more information.

US Ban on HIV-Positive Individuals Under Scrutiny

The US is under fire due to the recent incident which happened due to a custom official refusing the entry of a Canadian Citizen named Martin Rooney for the sole reason that he is infected with HIV, a virus that causes AIDS.

Existing US law inhibits the entry of individuals with debilitating diseases including HIV/AIDS for entry into the United States. Mr Rooney was on his way to the United States to spend his weekend and attend the Remembrance Day last November (2007). Though honest about his intentions and transparent about his current condition, he was refused entry into the US due to that same reason and was required to secure a visa waiver and was sent back to Canada on that same date.

Democrat Senator John Kerry is now proposing a bill that would ratify the existing Immigration and Nationality Act that is preventing HIV-positive individuals from travelling to the United States for various reasons. Read more at GlobeandMail.com.

Rapid HIV Tests to be Offered by New York Hospitals

Hospitals in New York will start conducting HIV tests where results can be given after 20 minutes. Orasure Technologies have entered into an agreement with New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn to provide the tehcnology needed to conduct such tests which can provide quick result.

Orasure Technolgies will allow New York Hospitals to use its OraQuick Advance Rapid HIV 1/2 Antibody technology for free and is done by gently scrapping their gums with swabs and placing them in a holder afterwards. The technology works like pregnancy kits, where the appearance of line indicates negative results while two lines would mean that the individual is infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

The New York City hospitals are expecting to test around 150,000 individuals this year and 160,000 next year for purpose of identifying individuals who are infected with HIV and provide them with education and enroll them on an individualized treatment program. New York is also one of the US states that is experiencing an increased rate of HIV cases ever year where 2006 was shown to have a 6% increased compared to HIV cases in previous years.

Canadian Hepa B Treatment Program

The Canadian government has unveiled a health program that benefits individuals suffering from chronic hepatitis b. According to Canada's British Columbian government, there are around 300,000 to 600,000 individuals living with such condition and such numbers continue to rise and that Asian Pacific Islanders covers the highest percentage of the pie.

The provincial governmetn supports two drug treatment programs namely adefovir (marketed under the Brand name Hepsera) and entecavir (marketed as Baraclude). The estimated budget allocation is around $3 Million annually.

Each treatment program has corresponding treatment guide and each drug has its own program that deals with any incidence of virus drug resistance. The Vancouver Sun has more.

Vietnam to Provide 5-in-one Vaccine by 2009

Vietnam is doing a great job in setting up a plan to provide free 5-in-one vaccine that would provide immunization to 5 of the known debilitating diseases namely: polio, whooping cough, tetanus, Haemophilus Influenzae type B (Hib) and Hepatitis B.

Vietnam's National Expanded Programme of Immunisation (EPI) sought the help of Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) to support the said program by coming up with ways on how to produce the said consolidated vaccine. Vietnam is considering vaccinating 1.5 million children under the said program (EPI).

Health-Risk for Travellers: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B and Tyhpoid Fever

Travel is exciting since you get to see places and enjoy the pleasure of meeting new people, and experiencing the joy of making new friends. Well, inspite of the good things that travelling gives people, there are also risk associated with it.

Yes, diseases. As people,from all walks of life travel from place to place, the movement of diseases increases proportionately. A person who appears healthy and was never diagnosed for any diseases before he begins travelling might manifest diseases along the course of his/her stay on a certain place and any contact that that person does will affect, on a larger part, the overall health of the people around him/her. If that person is infected by a communicable disease/s chances are there lies the risk of infecting, the immediate people around him/her (if not all).

Well, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Tyhpoid Fever are just some of the few diseases that are rapidly moving around the planet. But the good thing is, all of these diseases are vaccine-preventable. Health is always our best resource for a good life. One may realize that money is meaningless once we get sick. But then again, we need money to support our hospitalization if in case we fall ill to any of the diseases around. =)

According to my readings, travellers abroad are always advised to take on a vaccine program that would immunize a person from the notorious diseases plaguing humanity, especially if a person is travelling to Asia where all the diseases mentioned above (Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Tyhpoid Fever) are endemic (prevalent).

I am not sure if the Philippines has it. I mean, if the appropriate government agency in the Philippines is becoming effective of their mandated task to inform people about the health dangers there is in travelling and advise them to undergo appropriate vaccination programs against the diseaess endemic to the place they will visit. I have never been out of the country though. Do all travel agencies here in the Philippines provide health advisories to their clients when they schedule them for a flight and advise them to take on a vaccination program that will protect them against all possible diseases endemic to that place? Well, what say you? :)

US Government Approved $50 Billion HIV/AIDS Program

The US House of Representative have just approved the passage of the budget for the current US program on HIV/AIDS including the treatment and prevention of Malaria and Tuberculosis. The $50 Billion USD approved budget will help support the 5 year US International program in combatting the spread of HIV and other communicable diseases mentioned above.

Originally, the budget was set to $30 Million USD under George W. Bush's President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief or PEPFAR until after tough negotiations the budget rose to $50 Billion USD. This is an important step for the US government to help the world in combating the spread of HIV and provide aid for HIV positive individuals who needs treatment, to improve the quality of their lives and prevent the early onset of AIDS. Read more at VOA News.

Setting aside my personal biases against the United States, I personally believe that the US should be given proper commendation on their commitment in eradicating HIV/AIDS in the world and lending a helping hand to individuals and countries around the world who are being pulled down economically by the HIV/AIDS menace.

Cory Aquino on Colon Cancer

I'm not a big fan of the Aquinos nor any other politicians in particular but I am saddened everytime I hear about people getting cancer. It more sounds like there might be some sort of bad spirit going on inside a person's body everytime you hear that cancer has metastasized (spread) to other parts or things like that. Discussion about death is always discouraged in Philippine society.

Taking care of our health should always be our top priority. But more often than not, we fall to taking risk because of lack of discipline or because of our way of thinking that we are too young to even think about these diseases which are often seen among the elderly people.

Well think about it. People are starting to show early signs of symptoms for diseases that usually show up late in people's lives. Well, thanks to our lifestyles. =(

You Are What You Eat (And What You Do?)

I forgot to mention in this blog that I have like 4 blogs that I currently maintain. Although the 3 of them (this one included) are particularly focused on health, the other one, Soloden is personal in tone. I mean, I can post any topics that I want so I find it difficult sometimes to what blog shall I post a specific post I made. LOL.

I posted a entry in Soloden with the title above. Just recently, I am beginning to develop this hobby where I take pictures of whatever things that catches my attention and post it in my blog and discuss something about it. Sounds pretty weird but I am liking it. :) Hehehe. Thanks to all who visited my blog and please feel free to visit again. Ciao!

Expensive Medicines

I have no idea until my mom was hospitalized that a single dose of a certain medicine can cause as much as PhP 5,000! And such medicine usually are administered on daily basis for a week or two! How could someone, earning, say the minimum salary of PhP 250 a day, afford that!
The ridiculous prices pharmaceutical companies commands with their medicines is enough to drive all people crazy. No wonder that a lot of people are dying because of this culture.

The passage of the Cheap Medicine Bill in the Philippine congress champions the poor's right to purchase medicine brands according to their purchasing ability. Even the middle class somehow share the burden of buying expensive medicines that cripples their savings and budget as well so this bill will empower everybody to extend the lives of our loved ones suffering from diseases. I just hope that our government officials will see the light and support the passage of this bill and finally make it a law.

Thank You!

I am sorry if i wasn't able to update this blog for quite a while. I must inform my readers that everything went fine and my mom is now out of danger. Thanks for all your prayers! =)

This incident, I must say, has totally renewed my faith and commitment to my family. I really cannot forget all the sufferings that my family have experienced with this tragedy and I am glad its now over and we are starting all over from all the financial stress that this incident has caused us.

I would like to thank all my friends and all the people who have offered moral support and financial assistance during the time when we were like "down" and can't even figure out where to get money to buy my mom her needed medicine when my savings were already depleted.

I really am so thankful for receiving financial help from people I don't even know or whom I have never met before. I will never forget you. And to my friends who were always there for me - thank you so much!

I can now resume my normal posting here. :) Will update you more on health-related issues and all the things that's making me busy lately. Thanks again and God bless you all!

Hypochondria

I guess the right word to which I'm gonna start my blog with is hypochondriac. Well, I always think of diseases coming over me and I need to do something in order to get myself at least immune to such diseases.

I got myself a vaccine for flu, rabies, hepatitis B and all that. I am planning to get myself a Hepa A shot as well. This paranoia is taking over the whole me! :) Mind over matters, really. But sometimes, the more you protect yourself, the more that you get yourself more susceptible to various illnesses. :( But at least, what's important is that we never wane on doing everything to protect ourselves from a rather vaccine-preventable diseases.

Blogsites

Some of my friends who happened to know Healthlines as my primary blogsite didn't know that I do have other blogsites which I manage to maintain frequently.

I now have A Writer's Den as my primary blogsite for I can write almost everything in there. Perhaps my problem has something to do with categorizing the subject of my blog entry. If I think my entry sounds more personal, I usually put that at the A Writer's Den blogsite which makes that blogsite more popular now with my other blogfriends. :)

Almost everyday, a new idea spawn from my head and motivates me to create another blog of different genre. If I only have the luxury of time to update all of my blogs, you will surely see a daily update. =) Argh, I'm struck by guilt. =D

I am Sick...

I just don't feel like working today. I feel like I have a flue or something although all the symptoms are not evident as of this time. I guess my not getting enough sleep for the past few weeks took toll on my health already and its just now that I am reaping all the consequences.

That's the price that we have to pay sometimes for pushing ourselves against the limit. =(
Perhaps, I should start another sleep regimen where I follow a regular schedule of sleeping and waking up. I hope I will be able to make up for all those "lost" sleep. :) LOL.

Call center agents like me are overly deprived of sleep. Whew, if I can only get another job that pays well...But dont' get me wrong. I am thankful for having this job its just that, its hitting me sometimes...

Flu Vaccination

I just had a shot of flu vaccine 2 days ago (morning of June 4) and surprisingly, it didn't make me ill. ;) Its been a challenge for me to get a flu shot for everytime I get one, its making me sick (like feeling all the symptoms of a cold or influenza and will keep me in bed for several days). I must say that its working well now and my body started getting used to all those painful vaccinations. :) At least those vaccines confers me some sort of protection.

Life is really unpredictable, most people who appear healthy and are health-conscious usually dies earlier than those people who smoke and abuse themselves a lot. Kind of unfair. =( Without a doubt, no one really knows when will be your last breath...

CANCEROUS FOODS / PRODUCTS

Just got this forwarded email from a friend about cancerous food products which all of us usually take as snacks or sometimes even as "meals" when we don't have something to eat at home OR are just too tired, lazy and even literally have no time at all!

Well, I read through it and although some have typo errors, still, we can't dismiss the fact that most, if not, all of them are true. I just hope that we people have good choices. In fact, most of what we eat right now are either processed or loaded with preservatives, pesticides, and harmful trace elements.

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CANCEROUS FOODS / PRODUCTS

INSTANT NOODLES
Dear instant noodle lovers,
Make sure you break for at least 3 days after one session of instant noodles before you eat your next packet! Please read the info shared to me by a doctor. My family stopped eating instant noodles more than 5 years ago after hearing about the wax coating the noodles - the wax is not just in the Styrofoam containers but it coats the noodles. This is why the instant noodles do not stick to each other when cooking.

If one were to examine the ordinary Chinese yellow noodles in the market, one will notice that, in their uncooked state the noodles are oily. This layer of oil prevents the noodles from sticking together.

Wanton noodles in their uncooked state have been dusted with flour to prevent them sticking together. When the hawker cooks the noodles, notice he cooks them in hot water and then rinses them in cold water before cooking them in hot water again. This process is repeated several times before the noodles are ready to be served. The cooking and rinsing process prevents noodles from sticking together.

The hawker then "lowers the noodles in oil and sauce to prevent the noodles from sticking if they are to be served dry. Cooking instructions for spaghetti require oil or butter to be added in the water when boiling the spaghetti to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Otherwise, one gets a big clump of spaghetti!

There was an SBC (now TCS) actor some years ago, who at a busy time of his career had no time to cook, resorted to eating instant noodles everyday. He got cancer later on. His doctor told him about the wax in instant noodles. The doctor told him that our body will need up to 2 days to clear the wax. There was also an SIA steward who after moving out from his mother's house into his own house, did not cook but ate instant noodles almost every meal. He had cancer, and has since died from it.

Nowadays the instant noodles are referred as " cancer noodles ".

SATAY LOVERS (BARBECUE)
If you all eat Satay, don't ever forget to eat the cucumber, because eating Satay together with carbon after barbequing can cause cancer.
But we have a cure for that... Cucumber should be eaten after we eat the Satay because Satay has carcinogen (a cancer causing element) but cucumber is anti-carcinogenic. So don't forget to eat the cucumber the next time you have Satay's.


PRAWNS (SUGPO) & VIT C
DO NOT eat shrimp / prawn if you have just taken VITAMIN C pills!!
This will cause you to DIE in ARSENIC (As) toxication within HOURS!!


PORK AWARENESS
Try this and see whether the pork you bought has worms. There goes with your "Bak Kut Teh" for those who love it. Most men love to eat this so watch out before it's too late. If you pour Coke (yes, the soda) on a slab of pork, wait a little while, you will SEE WORMS crawl out of it. A message from the Health Corporation of Singapore about the bad effects of pork consumption. Pig's bodies contain MANY TOXINS, WORM and LATENT DISEASES.

Although some of these infestations are harboured in other animals, modern veterinarians say that pigs are far MORE PREDISPOSED to these illnesses than other animals. This could be because PIGS like to SCAVENGE and will eat ANY kind of food, INCLUDING dead insects, worms, rotting carcasses, excreta including their own, garbage, and other pigs. INFLUENZA (flu) is one of the MOST famous illnesses which pigs share with humans. This illness is harboured in the LUNGS of pigs during the summer months and tends to affect pigs and human in the cooler months.

Sausage contains bits of pigs' lungs, so those who EAT pork sausage tend to SUFFER MORE during EPIDEMICS of INFLUENZA. Pig meat contains EXCESSIVE quantities of HISTAMINE and IMIDAZOLE compounds, which can lead to ITCHING and INFLAMMATION; GROWTH HORMONE which PROMOTES INFLAMMATION and growth; sulphur containing mesenchymal mucus which leads to SWELLING and deposits of MUCUS in tendons and cartilage, resulting in ATHRITIS, RHEUMATISM, etc.
Sulphur helps cause FIRM human tendons and ligaments to be replaced by the pig's soft mesenchymal tissues, and degeneration of human cartilage.

Eating pork can also lead to GALLSTONES and OBESITY, probably due to its HIGH CHOLESTEROL and SATURATED FAT content. The pig is the MAIN CARRIER of the TAENIE SOLIUM WORM, which is found in its flesh. These tapeworms are found in human intestines with greater frequency in nations where pigs are eaten. This type of tapeworm can pass through the intestines and affect many other organs, and is incurable once it reaches beyond a certain stage One in six people in the US and Canada has RICHINOSIS from eating trichina worms, which are found in pork.

Many people have NO SYMPTOMS to warm them of this, and when they do, they resemble symptoms of many other illnesses. These worms are NOT noticed during meat inspections.


SHAMPOO
Cancer-causing substance in shampoos. Go home and check your shampoo. Change before it's too late... Check the ingredients listed on your shampoo bottle, and see they have a substance by the name of Sodium Laureth Sulfate, or simply SLS. This substance is found in most shampoos; manufacturers use it because it produces a lot of foam and it is cheap. BUT the fact is, SLS is used to scrub garage floors, and it is very strong!!! It is also proven that it can cause cancer in the long run, and this is no joke. Shampoos that contains SLS: Vo5, Palmolive, Paul Mit chel l, L'Oreal, the new Hemp Shampoo from Body Shop etc. contain this substance.

The first ingredient listed (which means it is the single most prevalent ingredient) in Clairol's Herbal Essences is Sodium Laureth Sulfate. Therefore, I called one company, and I told them their product contains a substance that will cause people to have cancer. They said, Yeah we knew about it but there is nothing we can do about it because we need that substance to produce foam. By the way Colgate toothpaste also contains the same substance to produce the "bubbles". They said they are going to send me some information.

Research has shown that in the 1980s, the chance of getting cancer is 1 out of 8000 and now, in the 1990s, the chances of getting cancer is 1 out of 3, which is very serious. Therefore, I hope that you will take this seriously and pass this on to all the people you know, and hopefully, we can stop "giving" ourselves cancer-causing agents.

No Smoking

Have you ever experienced riding in a jeepney with a big signage that says, NO SMOKING, yet the stup**d driver keeps on puffing smoke from his cigarette! Its just so irritating! No one seems to ever gather enough amount of strength and will-power to even tell the PUJ (public utility jeepney) to even stop smoking! (well, even I LOL)

I know that the Philippines has an existing Anti-Smoking Bill which I think is Republic Act 9211 based on my readings but its seldom being followed. What could have been the reason why we Filipinos don't follow the law? Is it caused by Filipinos' lack of knowledge of the existing law? Maybe they just don't care about the law or the fact that even politicians and law-enforcers don't seem to follow the same law as well? Just think about it...

Flush the Toilet After Used!

More often than not, situations like this helps us realize that etiquette is a values that may have somewhat forgotten already. Restroom stinks because previous users either forgot to flush the toilet or are just plain irresponsible idiots who don't even care about other people.

But one thing for sure, I think there is something wrong with this word sign...Can't figure it out. What do you think?

Revisiting the Benefits of Coffee

Well its not my intention to feature Starbucks coffee for you know I hate it. Well, its not that it doesn't good, but I cannot afford it! Haha! :) But I love coffee pretty well and its one of my bestfriends at work for it keeps me going and provides me the necessary fuel to go on with my life during the day LOL.

Well, a lot of scientists in the field of nutrition claimed a lot of good stuff that people can get from maintaining a daily dose of our coffee favorite. So living with that principle, I make sure that I get like one or two cups of coffee everyday in the office but suddenly realizes that my having loose bowel (excuse me) is becoming quite frequent! I dunno what's in it in our company coffee that's making me feel that sudden "rush" eeeewwwrrrr. :)

I hope I should just keep it for one cup for the meanitme since its compromising my entire digestive health.=( Well, Starbucks coffee is absolutely becoming quite expensive nowadays. :(

Nice-to-Know Information

Just posted an intersting trivia about flip-flops. Please do visit my other blogsite, A Writer's Den at http://soloden.blogspot.com/ Thanks!

Menstrual Migraines

I read an online article at Healthlines.com about the the difference between migraines and headaches. Perhaps, almost everybody here already experienced headache and migraines of some sort. =( While headaches can last for several hours or two, migraines usually last for 72 hours if left untreated, and may reoccur as a result of stress, your level of activities, and hormone fluctations as in the case of menstrual migraines.

Women are particularly vulnerable to experiencing migraines according to Healthlines.com. Around 60% of women will experience migraines at one point in their menstrual lives. Migraines usually occur during, before or after the menstrual cycle depending on the amount of estrogen levels, hormones regulating menstruation in women, in a woman's blood.

Pills and other contraceptive drugs usually can contribute to the development of such. Treatment of menstrual migraines includes medications but not only limited to the following: sumatriptan, rizatriptan or mefenamic acid. Check out Healthlines for more information.

Del Monte Pineapple Juice

This used to be my favorite juice drink but just recently, I just found out that the taste is just getting quite worst. :( I am not sure thought but whenever I take a glass of it, I feel like vomiting. :( Maybe something is wrong with me.

Every time I go to the grocery store, I make sure that this pineapple juice brand is included in my list so that my mom will get her daily vitamin C need and help her recuperate quickly from her condition. It used to taste good (at least for me) but for the past few days, there is some sort of an after taste which is leaving me almost about to vomit every time I get to consume a glass of it. Hayyyy! What is happening to me.?!

I'm sorry but its not my intention to say something bad about del monte. :( Just my personal opinion (at least now). Hey, DelMonte, your Brand products are my mom's favorite mind you! =)

Sustagen Premium

I've been out in the market trying to look for the best nutritional supplement for my mom after her long hospital confinement. A friend of mine told me about Sustagen Premium for her mother is drinking one, too and claimed that her mother recovered incredibly fast with the same nutritional drink.

Well, I went to the market and ask one sales rep about the price of the big tin can. To my surprise it costs around PhP 700.00! (USD$1.00 = PhP 43.00). I read through the labels and found out that itsloaded with vital nutrients so immediately went to the counter and paid for it. Whew, the prices of all commodities nowadays are going up! I wonder when we should start buying ourselves some tanks of air when the world gets really dirty...

Dangers of Liver Disease

I have been subscribed, for quite a while, with American Liver Foundation website's Newsletter and have read a lot of great deal of informative articles about liver health and liver disease.

In June 28 Issue of American Liver Foundation Newsletter, it was note that "One in 10 individuals will be affected by liver disease at some point in their life." Alarming as it would seem, one would agree that with the popular lifestyle we follow and the kind of "affordable" lifestyle we can have, dangers loom and one would surely suffer from one form of liver disease at one point in an individual's life.

With that, research and education should be the number one focus of each government's health division and recommendations should at least be followed by each citizens.

With the kind of foodstuff available in the market today, I wonder who will ever be safe with liver disease.

Stressed Out

I just feel like I am getting tired with all the things that happening in the office. I can see my hair falling and my face getting dry and all that. I sometimes feel like my entire body is going to fall down. =( But you see, these are all valid signs that I need a vacation and I am excited where I am gonna go. :) Do you have any suggestions?

Well, with society's current market and work setup, no one is spared to what is known globally as world's number one killer: Stress. Everything has a deadline, every action measured and every performance of duty gauged. What can you ask for? Our bosses created them, and we should be thankful for without these, mankind won't progress and humans wouldn't go this far. So be happy and enjoy. :)

Haven't added some sort of statistics. I guess I will include more factual figures next time. Have a stress-free morning to all of you!

Deteriorating Human Morality

I was left speechless while watching this video. This is so inhuman. Can you really stand in stomach and stand watching someone die one the floor without you doing anything to help him/her? This is really unbelievable. This apparent decline of human morality is very alarming and should not be ignored.

Reading an article from an internet news site, its stated in there that the people who just stood there and apparently did not do anything, and were, in fact, employees of the psychiatric hospital where this incident took place, while the old lady was writhing to death were all fired. I think they should be charged with negligence, too. Poor woman...

Read related news at AOL.com

Cure for Thinning Hair

Wow! I couldn't believe that a possible cure for thinning hire might be on the way and I hope that it works for everybody. This Health segment in CBS news says it all.