06 April - Health

In today’s show, we were joined on the line by Dr Zainab Waggie – from the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative. We were talking about Polio. Polio is a viral infection which has a wide range of signs and symptoms. These can range from minor, flu-like illnesses, to weakness and paralysis of various muscle groups. This week is the national polio awareness week. Throughout the country, services will be enhancing awareness amongst health care workers and the public in general about the global goal to eradicate polio. Children who are not fully vaccinated are at risk of contracting the polio virus. Dr Zainab explained more the eradication of polio. South Africa is taking part in an effort to eradicate polio worldwide. It means that the virus will be wiped out completely from the face of the earth. The global eradication of polio involves both the halting of the incidence of the disease and the worldwide eradication of the virus that causes it - poliovirus. The strategy is based on the premise that poliovirus will die out if it is deprived of its human host through immunisation. For more information contact your nearest health care centre or go to www.polioeradicationinitiative

We also heard from Scarlett Steer - from Operation Smile. Operation Smile South Africa is a non-profit, volunteer medical services organisation that provides free reconstructive facial surgery and follow up health care to children and adults around Southern and Central Africa with cleft lips and cleft palates while simultaneously providing education and training to build capacity. Scarlett explained more about the organization and how they go about helping people get reconstructive surgery to ‘fix’ their condition. For more information go to www.operationsmile.org.za or contact her on (021) 481 9034 alternatively her cell on 082 416 2471.

We closed off the show with an interview with Ndileka Mlobi - from Epilepsy South Africa. This dynamic organization provides developmental services nationally to promote equal opportunities for people with epilepsy and other disabilities. Epilepsy is a common condition affection about 50 million people worldwide. It is a neurological condition that causes people to experience seizures. Living with epilepsy may have its problems but with the right attitude they can be overcome, Ndileka explained more on living a productive life with epilepsy. For more information about epilepsy visit www.epilepsy.org.za or contact (021) 703 9420.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rudy van Dieman to summit Table Mountain 365 times in 2022, to raise funds for building a community orphanage

Image
Rudy van Dieman, who has partnered with Angels South Africa, an organisation based in Colorado Park, Mitchells Plain, will summit Table Mountain 365 times in 2022, to raise funds for building a community orphanage. Angels SA wants to purchase a house that will become a safe house for children. ‘’Farieda Moses, [Founder of AngelsSA] has been a role model to me since I knew her. She took us on a camp and we stayed in contact after that ,and we done various charity work together. Just her will, and her strength that I see in her - she wants to make such a big change, but don’t have the necessary tools, so it will take years to fund her dream, and I came up with the crazy idea to give it a year and do my part to raise those funds and build that house,’’ said van Dieman. He aims to raise R1 Million through backabuddy https://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/angels-sa-project-365 PICTURED: Rudy van Dieman Sakhi Sizwe · Rudy Van Dieman summits Table Mountain to raise funds to ...
Read more

800 million people around the world are living with obesity.

Image
  4th of March is observed as World Obesity Day and we spoke to CEO Professor Pamela Naidoo and Dietitian Kinza Hussian from The Heart and Stroke Foundation.  So according to the World Obesity Federation, 800 million people around the world are living with obesity. And then also in South Africa almost 65% of women and 30% of men are classified as being overweight or obese. So being overweight or obese increases your risk of having a heart disease or even a stroke, as well as numerous other health problems including high blood pressure or diabetes.  Obesity is defined as abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat in the body, but it's also very important, you know, where that fat lies.  Bear in mind checking body mass index is something which I'm sure most people are aware of, it's that quick calculation everyone can just do, which is your weight in kgs divided by your height in meter squared, so if that number is greater than 30, that's when we'd say someone's ob...
Read more

In May we recognize Child Protection Week!

Image
Child Protection Week is an annual observance dedicated to raising awareness about the rights and well-being of children. It typically includes a series of events, campaigns, and activities aimed at promoting child safety, preventing abuse, and advocating for policies and practices that support children's healthy development.  Molo Songololo is a registered non-profit organization that promotes the rights and protection of children and youth, and especially girls. Their work aligns with the goals of Child Protection Week, focusing on advocacy, education, and empowerment to create a safer and more inclusive environment for children. Sakhisizwe got to speak with Patric from Molo Songololo. In our conversation we discussed the programs they have implemented to support children's rights and protection looking specifically about their programs for young girls who are the most at risk. We were informed of their collaborations with local communities, schools, and government agencies a...
Read more