A CALL TO RAISE AWARENESS AS THE WORLD HEPATITIS DAY ANNIVERSARY IS BEING MARKED TODAY MONDAY JULY 28, 2014
No sensible man boasts of anything if his health condition is at stake. Suffice to say; a healthy life remains the most precious possession that ever comes to a man in this whole world.
In the world today, there are millions of illnesses or diseases in existence coupled with the ones that seem to have no specific cause or cure. Among these diseases, some are often referred to be stubborn regarding their cure while some are seen to be deadly. No doubt, hepatitis is one of those stubborn or deadly illnesses in existence.
Hepatitis is a medical condition which is defined as an inflammation of one of the most vital organs in the human body known as the liver. It is usually characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ. The inflammatory condition can be self-limiting or can heal on its own; but on the contrary, it can progress to fibrosis or cirrhosis.
Hepatitis may occur with limited or no symptoms, but often leads to jaundice, poor appetite, and a feeling of unease. It is referred to as acute when it lasts less than six months, and chronic when it persists longer. Globally, hepatitis viruses are the most common causes of the condition, but hepatitis can as well be caused by other infections, autoimmune diseases, or toxic substances such as alcohol, certain medications, and some industrial organic solvents and plants.
Initial features of acute hepatitis are of non-specific flu-like symptoms, which are invariably common to almost all acute viral infections, and may include fatigue, muscle and joint aches, fever, nausea diarrhoea, vomiting, and headache. More specific symptoms which could be present in acute hepatitis from any cause are, profound loss of appetite, aversion to smoking among smokers, excretion of dark urine, and abdominal discomfort.
A small proportion of people with acute hepatitis usually progress to acute liver failure, in which the liver would be unable to remove harmful substances from the blood thereby leading to confusion and coma due to hepatic encephalopathy. The acute liver failure may also result to the production of blood proteins which often leads to peripheral edema and bleeding.
More so, a chronic hepatitis, which is commonly identified through blood test, is usually characterized with no symptoms at all. It often leads to the presence of jaundice which indicates advanced liver damage. On physical examination, there may be enlargement of the liver. In the same vein, women with autoimmune hepatitis mostly experience abnormal menstruation, lung scarring, inflammation of the thyroid gland and kidneys.
Apart from the aforementioned two major classes of hepatitis, it is invariably grouped, and recognized by medical experts, based on its common causes. On this note, the different types of hepatitis in existence that are widely recognized include, Viral hepatitis, Alcoholic hepatitis, Toxic and drug-induced hepatitis, Ischemic hepatitis, Giant cell hepatitis, just to mention but a few. The most common causes of viral hepatitis are the five unrelated hepatotropic viruses known as hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E viruses.
Today, the world over is commemorating the World Hepatitis Day. The event, which is observed on July 28 every year, was inaugurated by World Health Organization (WHO) under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) to raise global awareness on hepatitis or a group of infectious diseases known as Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E, and to encourage the prevention, diagnosis, as well as the treatment of the disease.
The first global World Hepatitis Day was marked on May 19, 2008 through the effort of the World Hepatitis Alliance in collaboration with various patient groups. The commemoration received an international endorsement following the adoption of a resolution during the 63rd World Health Assembly held in May 2010. Though the date of the event was changed to July 28 of every year by the Assembly, in honour of the birthday of Nobel Laureate Baruch Samuel Blumberg – the man who discovered the hepatitis B virus.
There is an estimate that hepatitis affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide thereby causing acute or chronic disease and killing close to 1.4 million people every year. Currently, approximately five hundred (500) million people worldwide are suffering from either hepatitis B or hepatitis C. If left untreated or unmanaged, hepatitis B or C can lead to advanced liver scarring known as cirrhosis and other complications including liver cancer or liver failure.
While many people worry more about contracting diseases like HIV than hepatitis, the reality is that every year, at least 1.3 million people worldwide die as a result of either hepatitis B or C faster than they would in the case of HIV/AIDS. Needless to say that, hepatitis is indeed a deadly disease. Considering this fact, it is pathetic to note that many people are yet to realize that they are living with the disease.
Hepatitis groups, patients as well as advocates worldwide, take part in series of events on every July 28 to mark the World Hepatitis Day. The World Hepatitis Day is one of the eight official global public health campaigns that are being marked by the World Health Organization. As the world over marks the event today, there’s need for collective support as regards creation of awareness on this silent killer known as Hepatitis.
The World Hepatitis Day provides an opportunity to focus on actions such as:
Raising awareness on the different forms of hepatitis, their common causes and how they are transmitted.
Strengthening prevention, screening, and control of viral hepatitis and other related diseases.
Increasing hepatitis B vaccine coverage cum integration into national immunization programmes.
And lastly, though not the least, coordinating a global response to hepatitis.
At this juncture, it is of no need saying that, all hands are expected to be on deck towards ensuring that this killer disease that has been a societal menace for decades now is duly eradicated.
FRED DOC NWAOZOR
Public Affairs analyst & Social activist
________________________________
+2348054719437
Monday, 28 July 2014
Friday, 25 July 2014
Tuesday, 22 July 2014
Craze For Title Among Nigerians
INCONSEQUENTIAL CRAZE FOR TITLE AMONG NIGERIANS
Greetings brethren. I often like to reiterate one fact. There’s a certain quality I know I possess; and it has to do with my extreme passion for care. The ‘care’ in question signifies the provision of welfare and protection for someone or an animal as the case may be.
On the above note, I repeat; I will never stop caring for you, but if you eventually decide to push me away, I will willingly take my leave. Yes, if you asked me to leave, I will go; the choice is yours. But I want you to understand fully that, I care about you so much. This is why I always find time to embrace this pulpit regardless of the hurdles I might be facing. Your happiness matters so much to me; so my paramount desire remains to indulge in those things that would keep that ‘happiness’ alive.
Truly I love you all with passion, and that’s the reason I’ve never failed to be in the midst of this congregation for once since three years we commenced this divine crusade. In other words, I wouldn’t like to imagine seeing you derailing, because derailment is not in our tradition. The entire members of this worthwhile congregation are generally known and referred to as ‘refined homosapiens’ the world over. Thus, anything I foresee taking us outside our tradition, which everyone regards as worthwhile and as well adore, pisses me off.
In one of my previous works sometime ago, I stated unequivocally that sometimes ‘madness’ could be necessary. This simply means that in some occasions, we are expected to display an iota of madness to enable us actualize our goal which may be collective or individual. But it is so devastating to see some group of persons indulging in an unnecessary madness.
Believe me, some madness are highly inconsequential and worthless. Please don’t get me wrong; I’m only trying to appraise some facts here. Of course it’s no longer news that the umbrella theme of this crusade remains ‘Fancy Facts’; therefore we must continue to abide by the truth.
‘Title’, in some cases, might be defined as the name of s book, article, play, or piece of music, given to it by the author or producer as the case may be. In the same vein, a certain position available in any sports competition is often referred to as a ‘title’. But in this edition, the name ‘title’ refers to a term/word that is used or placed before someone’s name which signifies his/her status or profession.
Taking Nigeria for instance, you would concur with me that the current level of the quest for title amongst the citizenry is becoming quite alarming and childish. Honestly, there’s nothing wrong with a physician inserting ‘Doctor’ as his/her title or an engineering professional indicating that he’s an engineer while writing his name, and so on; but the pathetic aspect of the ongoing quest for title is the situation whereby one would like to acquire or bear those titles that don’t really matter. Even, in some part of the country, most individuals would cherish to attach up to four or more titles to their names as if there’s a reasonable award to be won with them. Let’s ride on!’
If I may ask; what’s so special about titles? Personally, I don’t see anything so enticing in possession of title(s) because I’m of the view that what one is, lies in him or her. Of course it is only by what you do that people or the general public would get to know who truly you are or what you’re made-up of. For crying out loud, it’s not by inserting title to your name because some titles could be fake or a mere attachment. So why should one use or possess something he cannot defend? Isn’t it ridiculous?
From my observation, I’ve learnt that the ‘men of substance’ don’t really pay much attention to titles. For instance, Barrack Obama of the United States of America (U.S.A) doesn’t have any title attached to his name, not unlike several other leaders in most civilized nations.
If the truth must be told, you and I know that the President of any country has the opportunity to bear more than twenty titles or to attach uncountable titles to his/her name; but on the contrary, you hardly see any President bearing more than one title. This is to tell us that, attaching several titles to the name of a President of a country is even an affront to him or her, because there’s no other title more important or greater than being addressed as the ‘President of a country’.
Brethren, we must borrow a leaf from the members of the western countries as regards attachment of title to our names. Over there, they pay less attention to titles thereby concentrating only on what the person in question can offer. Their interest only lies on what one is made-up of or the prowess that is/are in him or her.
It is even more pathetic seeing the leaders of a certain institution/organization that is meant to be an eye to other institutions, parading themselves with series of titles. Presently, you would see a cleric bearing ‘Honourable-Chief-Doctor-Pastor somebody’. What a craze! Frankly, we’ve really derailed, therefore there’s need for total turnaround.
Sincerely, the inconsequential craze for title among the Nigerian citizenry is really telling on us, and we are bound to take a drastic measure concerning the derailment. If not, I’m afraid we might wake up one morning to see our respective societies littered with bunch of ‘mad people’. Think about it!
_____________________
FDN NWAOZOR
frednwaozor@gmail.com
Greetings brethren. I often like to reiterate one fact. There’s a certain quality I know I possess; and it has to do with my extreme passion for care. The ‘care’ in question signifies the provision of welfare and protection for someone or an animal as the case may be.
On the above note, I repeat; I will never stop caring for you, but if you eventually decide to push me away, I will willingly take my leave. Yes, if you asked me to leave, I will go; the choice is yours. But I want you to understand fully that, I care about you so much. This is why I always find time to embrace this pulpit regardless of the hurdles I might be facing. Your happiness matters so much to me; so my paramount desire remains to indulge in those things that would keep that ‘happiness’ alive.
Truly I love you all with passion, and that’s the reason I’ve never failed to be in the midst of this congregation for once since three years we commenced this divine crusade. In other words, I wouldn’t like to imagine seeing you derailing, because derailment is not in our tradition. The entire members of this worthwhile congregation are generally known and referred to as ‘refined homosapiens’ the world over. Thus, anything I foresee taking us outside our tradition, which everyone regards as worthwhile and as well adore, pisses me off.
In one of my previous works sometime ago, I stated unequivocally that sometimes ‘madness’ could be necessary. This simply means that in some occasions, we are expected to display an iota of madness to enable us actualize our goal which may be collective or individual. But it is so devastating to see some group of persons indulging in an unnecessary madness.
Believe me, some madness are highly inconsequential and worthless. Please don’t get me wrong; I’m only trying to appraise some facts here. Of course it’s no longer news that the umbrella theme of this crusade remains ‘Fancy Facts’; therefore we must continue to abide by the truth.
‘Title’, in some cases, might be defined as the name of s book, article, play, or piece of music, given to it by the author or producer as the case may be. In the same vein, a certain position available in any sports competition is often referred to as a ‘title’. But in this edition, the name ‘title’ refers to a term/word that is used or placed before someone’s name which signifies his/her status or profession.
Taking Nigeria for instance, you would concur with me that the current level of the quest for title amongst the citizenry is becoming quite alarming and childish. Honestly, there’s nothing wrong with a physician inserting ‘Doctor’ as his/her title or an engineering professional indicating that he’s an engineer while writing his name, and so on; but the pathetic aspect of the ongoing quest for title is the situation whereby one would like to acquire or bear those titles that don’t really matter. Even, in some part of the country, most individuals would cherish to attach up to four or more titles to their names as if there’s a reasonable award to be won with them. Let’s ride on!’
If I may ask; what’s so special about titles? Personally, I don’t see anything so enticing in possession of title(s) because I’m of the view that what one is, lies in him or her. Of course it is only by what you do that people or the general public would get to know who truly you are or what you’re made-up of. For crying out loud, it’s not by inserting title to your name because some titles could be fake or a mere attachment. So why should one use or possess something he cannot defend? Isn’t it ridiculous?
From my observation, I’ve learnt that the ‘men of substance’ don’t really pay much attention to titles. For instance, Barrack Obama of the United States of America (U.S.A) doesn’t have any title attached to his name, not unlike several other leaders in most civilized nations.
If the truth must be told, you and I know that the President of any country has the opportunity to bear more than twenty titles or to attach uncountable titles to his/her name; but on the contrary, you hardly see any President bearing more than one title. This is to tell us that, attaching several titles to the name of a President of a country is even an affront to him or her, because there’s no other title more important or greater than being addressed as the ‘President of a country’.
Brethren, we must borrow a leaf from the members of the western countries as regards attachment of title to our names. Over there, they pay less attention to titles thereby concentrating only on what the person in question can offer. Their interest only lies on what one is made-up of or the prowess that is/are in him or her.
It is even more pathetic seeing the leaders of a certain institution/organization that is meant to be an eye to other institutions, parading themselves with series of titles. Presently, you would see a cleric bearing ‘Honourable-Chief-Doctor-Pastor somebody’. What a craze! Frankly, we’ve really derailed, therefore there’s need for total turnaround.
Sincerely, the inconsequential craze for title among the Nigerian citizenry is really telling on us, and we are bound to take a drastic measure concerning the derailment. If not, I’m afraid we might wake up one morning to see our respective societies littered with bunch of ‘mad people’. Think about it!
_____________________
FDN NWAOZOR
frednwaozor@gmail.com
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