27 October - Health

In today's show, we were joined on the line by Katherine Alexander – Vice Chairperson of Psoriasis Association. We were talking about Psoriasis as today it is World Psoriasis Day which aims to raise more awareness about this condition. Psoriasis is a non-contagious skin disorder and it affects one to two percent of the population. Unfortunately there is no cure for Psoriasis, but many different treatments, both topical (on the skin) and systemic (throughout the body), can clear psoriasis for periods of time. For more information you can contact the Psoriasis Association at (021) 556 1141 (all hours)or (021) 981 1650 or visit the website at www.psoriasis.org.za send an email to psoriasis@blaauwberg.net.

We were also joined by Stanley Nondo – from the Department of Health. We were talking about promoting good water, food and sanitation related diseases. According to the World Health Organisation, the global estimates are that about 1.8 million people die every year from diarrhoeal disease and 90% are children under 5, mostly in developing countries. A fraction of diarrhoeal diseases is attributed to unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene. Stanley explain more on what we can do to maintain good hygiene practices and prevent spread of diseases . That interview was brought to you by the National Department of Health and Funded by the European Union.

And we also spoke to Dr Simone Honikman – From the Perinatal Mental Health Project based at Mowbray Maternity Hospital. The project is a collaborative and innovative endeavour involving a multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals, nursing staff, public health experts and researchers. It provides a holistic mental health service to vulnerable pregnant and postpartum women attending the maternity hospital. Screening, counselling and psychiatric care are provided on-site and are seamlessly integrated into the maternal care package. Dr Honikman explained as this is the only service of its kind in South Africa how have they progressed in changing women’s lives. For more information on depression contact the SA Depression and Anxiety Group on 0800 567567 or Mosaic at (021) 761 7585.

We closed off the show with an interview with Vanessa Damon – co-coordinator at War against Malnutrition, Tuberculosis and Hunger or WARMTH. WARMTH is a community based nutrition project that operates in the underprivileged areas around Cape Town. With the escalating food prices and the nation wide food crisis, more and more of the poorest of the poor in Cape Town are unable to feed themselves and are starving as a result of food shortages. Often, having insufficient food leads to malnutrition. At WARMTH it is believed that no-one in the Western Cape deserves to go to bed hungry. Their aim is to relieve hunger, malnutrition and chronic diseases by providing low cost nutritious food to disadvantaged communities, through a network of community kitchens and healthcare workshops, thereby stimulating community development. We spoke about the organisation, focusing on malnutrition. For more information call (021) 696 1313 or visit www.warmth.org.za

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