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Showing posts from August 23, 2015

Treatment of Childhood Diarrhea

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Far from the world’s fears about Ebola and MERS, a quiet revolution is taking place in the diagnosis of a disease much more prosaic but far more threatening: childhood diarrhea. After pneumonia, diarrhea is the deadliest threat to infants worldwide, killing about 700,000 every year. More than 40 pathogens — viruses, bacteria and parasites — cause diarrhea in children in developing countries. According to decades-old guidelines from the World Health Organization, these children should receive oral rehydration; intravenous rehydration if they cannot keep fluids down; and a zinc supplement. The guidelines also say that children should receive antibiotics only when there is blood in their stool. At the time the recommendations were written, the best science indicated that blood was a sign of bacterial infection, and bacterial diarrhea is usually the most dangerous. But bacterial causes are more common than had been realized, recent studies have found, and blood is not always present.

A Year Without Wild Polio

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Africa has achieved a year without any new cases of wild polio for the first time, but experts warn that violent insurgencies could yet prove their “achilles heel” in finally eradicating the disease. The poliomyelitis virus attacks the nervous system and can cause irreversible paralysis within hours of infection. No cases have been identified in Africa since 11 August last year in the Hobyo district of Mudug province in Somalia, meaning that the continent is two years away from being certified polio-free. But both Somalia and Nigeria, which also saw its last polio case in 2014, are battling Islamist militant groups – al-Shabaab and Boko Haram respectively – raising fears that vaccines will not reach children displaced by conflict. Africa close to wiping out wild polio after six months free of disease “I just hope Boko Haram will not be the achilles heel of our work,” said Oyewale Tomori, professor of virology at the Nigerian Academy of Science, who has dedicated four decades of

Raksha Bandhan Festival

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Rakhi or Raksha Bandhan is an Indian festival that celebrates the bonding between brothers and sisters, even if they are not biologically related. Though it is primarily a Hindu festival, it has long surpassed communal borders and is celebrated by many across the country and abroad regardless of religion. The Indian festival has a lot of history behind it. Hindu mythology depicts several episodes that refer to the ceremony and historical references - ancient , medieval and modern - have strengthened the humane faith that promotes its universality. on August 29, brothers and sisters across the country will tie the knot of protection. Before that, let us find out the stories and myths behind Raksha Bandhan: According to Bhavishya Purana, Vishnu had given a holy cotton thread to Shachi, wife of Indra, to tie it around her husband's wrist before he goes to fight demon king Bali Vishnu Purana suggests that Goddess Lakshmi, wife of Lord Vishnu, tied a thread around demon king Bali&#

Happy Birthday Michael Jackson

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The greatest popstar of all time, Michael Jackson, was born on August 29 in 1958. Michael 'King of Pop' Jackson has ruled over the world with his iconic voice and signature moves for decades. Even after six years of his death, his songs reverberate and who hasn't tried to do the forward lean and failed? Jackson has been criticised several times for different reasons, however, the legend is still admired by millions and remembered by even more. On his 67th birth anniversary, let's 'moonwalk' around some lesser known facts about Michael Jackson: -His middle name was Joseph. -His favourite books were Rip Van Winkle and The Old Man and the Sea -In The Wiz, an on-screen representation of The Wizard of Oz , MJ played Scarecrow. -Jackson won eight Grammy awards in 1984, the highest by a single person in one year, ever. -His record Thriller remains the world's best-selling record ever with over 50 million copies being sold. -It cost over 5 million dollars to ma

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Education

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Water, sanitation and hygiene education, Eastern Ghana My children no longer fall sick from water-related diseases and no longer get diarrhea. Nyama Akparibo Villager from Asamponbisi Village, Bolgatanga district in Eastern Ghana Access to water and sanitation facilities in Ghana is low, particularly in rural areas. Only 50 percent of the rural population in Ghana has access to water. Access to sanitation can be as low as 42 percent in urban areas and 11 percent rural areas. The main traditional sources of water in many parts of rural Ghana are small ponds and unprotected wells, both of which are easily polluted, causing disease and ill-health. The Oxfam Water for Survival program is working with WaterAid UK and local partner, Rural Aid to provide hand dug wells with pumps and constructing Ventilated Pit Latrines. Water and sanitation initiatives are complemented by hygiene education activities to ensure that the health benefits for the community can be maximized. “Now there is

Rafiu Fishbone Appeals To Tamale Viewers Of Viasat 1

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Many Viasat1Ghana viewers are quite upset with the break in Transmission in Tamale. Please the Transmitters in Tamale has developed a problem due to the unstable power supply. I myself did not quite enjoy my three month stay in tamale, even with a multi tv decoder and a DvD PLAYER. i missed my favorite station programmes to the extend i had to sleep early or watch movies online. Television in Ghana without Viasat1Ghana is really boring. I wish to appeal to my fellow viewers to be a bit patient as the Technical Team is working to restore and bring back all the missing smile of its viewers in the region. Everyone would agree that Viasat1Ghana is a station for every viewer, any age, any social class. With exciting, educating and entertaining programmes like Desperate Housewives, This Morning, MUSE, The Delay Show, The Hard Truth, On The Frontline, Movie @ 10, Real Husbands Of Hollywood, Sports Xtra, CSI: New York, The One Show, CSI: Miami, Fascinating Cities Of The World, NCIS: Los

WatsUp TV is 1 Year

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Dubbed the Pan-African entertainment television show, once expected to hit our silver screens, WatsUp TV has gone to achieve that and can now roll its head for becoming one of the pace setting entertainment shows promoting African Video Content when they launched their revolutionary program on Ghanaian Television in 2014 at the High Gate Hotel in Accra attended by the famous Football Freestyler and Guiness Book of Record holder, Iya Traore. The gap between the consumption of African entertainment content of within the sub region has seen a great improvement when they recently launched the Top 10 Show which features Videos from both the Anglophone and Francophone Countries. Also with a Facebook following of over 31,000 and very engaged on twitter with 15,000 followers, WatsUp TV has really delivered on its mission to have a show created by the fans. The recently launched WatsUp TV Africa Music Video Awards (WAMVA) slated for 2016 has also been praised as most people didn't exp

HEALTHY START ACTIVITIES

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WaterAid Ghana held some actives to launch their four year advocacy programme called Healthy Start. The programme will focus on improving the health and nutrition of new born babies and children. WAG interns to achieve this by advocating for access to water, sanitation and hygiene promotion to be integrated into health policy and delivery at the local, regional and national level. Access to clean water, safe sanitation and hygiene service is a basic human right. Together they constitute essential building blocks for good health and absence has a particularly devastating impact on children. The link between unhygienic conditions and practice justifies the need for plans, policy and programme measures that ensure that healthcare facilities meeting basic standards of clean water, sanitation and hygiene. WaterAid Ghana believes that all healthcare facilities must be equipped with water and sanitation facilities as a matter of urgency and health systems must be held to account for

WATERAID GHANA HEALTHY START PROJECT

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WaterAid Ghana WASH and HEALTH focal person, Dr. Chaka Uzondu, gave an overview of healthy start at a brief internal launch in the conference room of WaterAid Ghana (WAG). He led stuff members in a discussion of the scoping study of WAG and conducted on the environment phase of WaterAid's Global Advocacy Priority 2 (GAP 2) He explained why integrating WASH into health was so important for newborns, infants and child health. He used illustrations to explain how repeated bouts of diarrhoea negativity affected a child's intestines and its capacity to absorb nutrients. Dr. Chaka also shared data on the state of WASH facilities in Some health institutions and schools. This information was gathered from the mapping of WASH facilities in some health institutions and schools of select districts. He concluded by providing a brief outline of the Healthy Start campaign. Which aims to engage youth in advocacy for greater linkages between Health, Education and WASH sectors. The short

WaterAid Ghana 30 Years of Excellence

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On my one on one interview with Mr Ibrahim Musah, Head of Policy and Partnership at WaterAid Ghana. He said " Water challenges in Ghana are in various forms including inequality in access by rural communities, poor and marginalised communities. Urban areas and small towns don't have access to potable water". WaterAid Ghana has done a lot for the past 30 years, since 1985 to improve water, sanitation and hygiene delivery in Ghana. WaterAid Ghana has done direct water provision through Bole holes, pipe extension, and hand drive wells to a little over 1,100 people in some of districts in Ghana. Mr Ibrahim Musah continued; In Gusheigu district, Tamale district, Wa East, Afram, Akuapim North etc. people still live without potable water, which is not good enough. Some other challenges in access to potable water is, pollution of water bodies. Some unpatriotic people in our communities still pollute their water bodies, people involved in mining also pollute their water b

WATERAID GHANA TRAINS PARTNERS ON THE ENDOGENOUS APPROACH

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WATERAID GHANA TRAINS PARTNERS ON THE ENDOGENOUS APPROACH A three day programme on the Endogenous Approach to WASH was held in Accra. The discussions were mainly on using cultural beliefs, norms and values for effective hygiene and behaviour change communication. The Endogenous Development (ED) approach was developed at a different level with a view of applying the information and ideas on resolving issues around poor sanitation and hygiene in Ghana. The resource person for the programme was Dr Emmanuel Akpabio, a visiting scholar at Kyoto University, Japan. Dr Akpabio has researched extensively on factors that influence community reaction to external development interventions. The programme started with a National Level Alliance Platform (NLLLAP) where Dr. Akpabio made a preseason Talking WASH on its root, socio-cultural realities and alienated solutions: Adapting development intervention to local complexities in sub-Saharan Africa. The topic was base on his award winning pu

SISTRUMS Musical TV Show

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SISTRUMS is a musical TV show for the general audience produced by Imasta Solutions and founded by Rouchdane THON. The show is supported by WatsUp TV, BigxGH.com and Spygh.com. SISTRUMS is a mix of a talent show, a chat zone and bits of comedy. In the ” SISTRUMS LORD OF THE STREETS abbreviated as LOS ” series , during the auditions, 3 coaches will select the top 12 artists that are to compete on the main show. Once the top 12 are selected, their fate now depends on the public. The particularity of SISTRUMS is that they are no judges on the show. The power is given to the viewers, hence maximum transparency on whoever wins. During each performance, the audience is able to decide which contestant should be crowned the “LORD OF THE STREETS” by using a mobile app or texts messages (SMS) for voting. Results are screened live during the show. But, while the viewers are considered the judges, the coaches may also influence the votes by voting. The only difference here is that , each of the

KNFmusic Release Debut Single " LeLe" ( Right Away )

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Ghana based music duo KnFmusic has released their debut single "Lele" which means Right Away. The Afrobeat Bizzy Brayne-produced song justifies and tells people to stand up for what they believe in and never letting anything get in the way of them achieving their dreams. “Ei no be crime er/ in dis life er/ say u go follow ya heart er/ u for dey do am da ryt way/ singing oh… ah… oh.. ah”, they sing on the hook. "Lele", means problem in Yoruba, and therefore the song talks about the struggles and problems that we face in life. It later goes on to talk about not letting these problems or struggles that we face bring us down, that we should never give up, but always believe in what we stand for. Even if you make mistakes along the road, it's because a life spent making mistakes is not only more honourable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing. “I imagine this song (Lele) will be very meaningful for a lot of people. It is something that we all go

NAZZ Speaks about his love for music

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NAZZ #Performance@R2bees&Wizkid's Show Alhassan Mohammed Nazeeru known as Nazz Official (Capasco) is a rapper, an afro pop,dancehall and RnB Art who Hails from the capital of northern ghana,Tamale.Attended both his JHS and SHS in the north and now at the Islamic University College in Accra. Started music at a very tender age influenced by his elder brother who was then in the entertainment business.Wrote his first song in primary 6 and had his first recorded track in SHS 1. Music has been his greatest strength to expressing how he feels personally and socially.His desire for music got serious after SHS as he got into the northern music industry and featured in various northern artiste who found his voice and singing amazing .He has also performed alongside Joey B,R2Bees,Wizkid,Criss Waddle and many others on the same stage at the R2bees and WizKid concert held in Tamale. He is currently a final year student offering a degree in Marketing at the Islamic Univ. College but sti

WHITE HOUSE DOWN, OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN

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Famously known as the Battle of Bladensburg, in the War of 1812, the battle between the United States and the United Kingdom, was the greatest dishonour for the Americans. On August 24, 1814, the British force occupied Washington D.C. and set many public buildings on fire including the Presidential Mansion called the White House. Today is the 201st anniversary of the burning of the White House. Let's look at how it all started and some facts related to the event: James Madison was the fourth President of the United States in the year 1814 On August 24, when the British arrived at the White House, they found that President James Madison and the first lady Dolley had already fled to safety in Maryland It is said that the British soldiers reportedly sat down to eat the leftover meal before looting the presidential mansion and setting it on fire Before this event, Madison had asked his wife to gather important state papers and be prepared to abandon the White House at any moment Do