29 September - Health

In today’s show, we spoke to Roy Abott - from Retina South Africa. As it is retina awareness week, we were talking about the retina, and also Roy told us more about what they do at the association. Retina Week for the Prevention of Blindness hopes to raise awareness about the vision impairing disease Age-related Macular Degeneration and about Retinal Degeneration in general. If you want more information you can call their sharecall on 0860 59 5959 or send a sms for their fundraising campaign on 38267, sms costs R10, alternatively contact Roy at the Tygerberg Association of the Blind on (021) 939 6999.

We also played an interview I had with Win Van de Bergh - Chairperson of the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation of South Africa. September is the Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Month. Muscular Dystrophy is the name given to a group of more than 70 neuromuscular disorders, resulting in progressive wasting and weakness of the muscle. Men, women and children of all ages and races can be affected by Muscular Dystrophy. In South Africa the overall incidence of these disorders is approximately one in 1200. For more information you can (021) 592 7306 or visit http://www.mdsa.org.za/

We also spoke to Corina Avni – a physiotherapist. We were talking about Incontinence. This month is the Continence Awareness Month. It is reported that although it’s a common condition, fewer than 40 percent of incontinent individuals seek medical advice. Rather than seek treatment, the vast majority adapt to their “problem” by altering their lifestyle. Reasons for failing to report symptoms include the perception that incontinence is “normal” with advancing age or that symptoms are not severe enough to treat. Corina explained more about the available treatment. For more information contact the Continence Association of South Africa’s Help line number on 072 210 8769 or visit http://www.incontinencesa.org/. You can also download exercise tips from http://www.pelvicfunction.co.za/

We closed off the show with an interview with Loretta Erasmus - from the department of education. Loretta is the HIV and AIDS district coordinator. The Department of Education has declared the September month as “Life Skills: HIV and AIDS Month.” Annually, during this period, the Department of Education conducts social mobilisation campaigns in all educational institutions through life skills, HIV and AIDS activities. This month is dedicated to educating primary school children about the HIV and AIDS virus. We were talking about the program and awareness campaigns arranged by the department. For more information on Schools HIV and AIDS month, you can call the department on (021) 659 4300.