IGIHE

Category: Health

  • MINISANTE, USAID in Joint Visit to Bugesera Over Indoor Residual Spraying

    Officials from the Health ministry and partners from USAID will visit Bugesera District homes subjected to indoor residual spraying operations in efforts aimed against Malaria.

    Indoor residual operations began about two months ago.

    Rwanda strategic plan for the prevention and control of malaria aims to move Rwanda toward the pre-elimination phase in the fight against malaria.

    The general objective is to scale up current interventions, consolidate achievements, and identify essential innovations to reach the malaria pre-elimination phase in Rwanda.

    The US Deputy Chief of Mission, Jessica Lapenn with the USAID Mission Director Peter Malnak joined Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health Dr. Uzziel Ndagijimana, the Head of the Malaria and Other Parasitic Diseases Division, Dr. Corine Karema, the representative of District Mayor of Bugesera and other Government and District officials will visit Indoor Residual Spraying operations in Bugesera District .

    The visit in Bugesera will be focussed on: Visit to warehouse of insecticide at district level in Nyamata, Visit of soak pit site for decontamination of environment, stores of IRS equipment/material at Ruhuha Sector and Visit of residents of 2 houses and talk with them about IRS, malaria control and prevention in general.

    The visiting delegation will meet with Sprayer operators and IECs implementers who are community health workers, local leader representatives about IRS and malaria control at Ruhuha.

    In the last five years, Rwanda has made remarkable accomplishments in reducing the malaria burden – seeing a decrease of 84% in reported malaria cases between 2005 and 2011.

    These significant reductions can in many ways be attributed to the universal coverage and widespread use of bednets throughout the country, as well as the effective use of community health workers and improved quality of malaria diagnosis and treatment at health centers.

    LLINs mosquito nets is one of the main strategies used for Vector control in Rwanda malaria control with emphasize of universal coverage of LLINs at national level with 82% of Household with at least 1 LIN and more than 70% of children under five and pregnant women are sleeping under a LLINs the night before the survey according to the DHS 2010.

    The Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) is also one of the vector control intervention recommended as supplement vector control intervention for controlling malaria in the highest malaria burden areas and for management of focused malaria outbreaks or epidemic situation.

    Rwanda has started to use IRS in endemic areas since 2007.

    As reported last year in 2012, 97.5% of targeted household (236610 structures) were sprayed in the 3 Districts Bugesera, Nyagatare, and Gisagara.

    The insecticide used in Rwanda is a pyrethrinoid:” Deltamethrine 250 WG” recommended by World Health Organisation, which has shown to be safe, efficacious and responsible of minor side effects in the population.

    This year 2013, IRS is conducted in the high malaria burden districts (with higher malaria incidence) of Bugesera, Nyagatare and Gisagara with the support of USAID through the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), while the GoR support IRS in in targeted sectors in following districts: Rusizi (Muganza, Gukundamvura and Bugarama sectors), Gicumbi (Bukure and Rubaya sectors), Kayonza in Ndego sector and Nyanza (Busoro sectors).

    This year IRS will be conducted twice a year in order to increase the protection of the population against malaria in targeted areas in high malaria endemic areas as the insecticide used have effective action against malaria vectors with a duration between 3 to 6 months.

    In bugesera, 31215 structures are being sprayed in 6 targeted sectors among the planned 12000 structurs to be sprayed in the 3 districts.

    IRS has been added to other malaria control interventions in 3 districts in order to Keep the trend of malaria reduction for Rwanda to achieve zero malaria deaths by 2017.

    Malaria control interventions in Rwanda are being supported by the GoR, the Global Fund and USAID/ PMI through implementing partners.

    IRS is implemented by CHWs who are IRS operators and IEC implementers as well as local leaders with the technical support of the Malaria Division for planning and coordination and the financial support of USAID/PMI through ABt for the IRS operations( Insecticide, equipment and training) as well as PSI for IEC-BCC support.

  • Skin Cancer ‘Able to Fight Body’s Immune System’

    A deadly form of skin cancer is able to fend off the body’s immune system, UK researchers have found.

    Analysis of tumour and blood samples shows that melanoma knocks out the body’s best immune defence.

    A potential test could work out which patients are likely to respond to treatment, the Journal of Clinical Investigation reports.

    Cancer Research UK said the body’s response was a “complex puzzle”.

    Previous work from the team at King’s College London showed that while patients with melanoma produced antibodies that could attack tumour cells, the immune system often seemed powerless to stop the cancer progressing.

    But in the latest research they discovered that the subtype of antibody attracted by the melanoma cells was the most ineffective at mounting the right sort of response.

    In samples from 80 melanoma patients they say that the conditions created by the tumour attract IgG4 antibodies, which mount the weakest response and in turn interfere with any “strong” IgG1 antibodies that might be present.

    By mimicking the conditions created by melanomas, they showed that in the presence of tumour cells, the immune system sent out IgG4 antibodies, but when faced with healthy cells it functioned as expected with IgG1 circulating.

    They also confirmed that IgG4 was ineffective in launching an immune attack against cancer cells.

    Potential test

    In additional tests in 33 patients, they found that those with higher levels of the weak antibody IgG4 had a less favourable prognosis compared with those with levels nearer to normal.

    Study author Dr Sophie Karagiannis said: “This work bears important implications for future therapies since not only are IgG4 antibodies ineffective in activating immune cells to kill tumours but they also work by blocking antibodies from killing tumour cells.”

    She said not only was IgG4 stopping the patient’s more powerful antibodies from eradicating cancer, but it could also explain why some treatments based on boosting the immune response may be less effective in some patients.

    Co-author Prof Frank Nestle said more work was needed on developing IgG4 as a potential test to improve patient care by helping to identify patients most likely to respond to treatments.

    “This study can also inform the rational design of novel strategies to counteract IgG4 actions,” he added.

    Dr Kat Arney, science communications manager at Cancer Research UK, said: “There’s a lot we don’t yet understand about how our immune system recognises and responds to cancer, so we’re pleased to have supported this new research that’s helping to solve such a complex puzzle.

    “This work is still at an early stage, but it’s a step towards developing more effective treatments for skin cancer and potentially other types of cancer in the future.”

    BBC

  • Youths Senstised on Dental Hygiene

    The Ministry of Health through Rwanda Dental surgeons has launched campaign to raise awareness among Rwandans to clean their teeth so as to guard against any disease that can damage their teeth.

    Physicians from the Ministry of Health have Thursday urged youth to adopt a culture of cleaning teeth before going to sleep at night in order to avoid getting dental diseases.

    Speaking to pupils from Shyorongi school and St. Famille Primary school, dental surgeons explained the good techniques used in cleaning teeth adding that most of people’s teeth get damaged due to failure to comply with such cleaning techniques.

    Kayiranga Epimaque, the secretary of Dentists Associations revealed that many Rwandans in different categories have the problem dental diseases due to failure to clean their teeth.

    Dentists said it is better to clean teeth in period ranging between 5 and 10 minutes, however Kayiranga said many Rwandans take less than 2 minutes only dealing with the teeth hygiene.

    Kayiranga said that it is better to consult a dentist every three months to get Dental tests.

    The campaign against dental diseases will help youth to better know how to ensure their dental hygiene while at the same time teaching the rest of their families guard against the dental ailments.

  • King Faisal Hospital not Govt Hospital Anymore

    King Faisal hospital has ceased to be a government institution and is now an autonomous organisation.

    These changes have come with a name change and now becomes King Faisal Hospital Rwanda.

    Prime Minister Dr. Pierre Damien said these changes are a breath of fresh air for the hospital in terms of patient centred care and service delivery.

    The Premier officially inaugurated King Faisal Hospital Rwanda yesterday.

    The prime minister said the government will continue to offer a subsidy to the hospital but with an overall objective of one day becoming fully independent.

    Dr. Habumuremyi addressing the hospital’s staff said the turn around will ensure that it offers high quality medical services to Rwandans and the region.

    “Being exemplary in this region and beyond is the desire of the president that he asked us as ministers to communicate to you.

    Second, we do not wish to see Rwandans rushing outside the country to seek medical care, women who want to deliver go to hospitals outside the country, we want to maximise the services and treat as many diseases as possible.

    This is possible. We will provide whatever you need, you deserve better salaries, ” the premier noted.

    The minister of labor and public service Anastase Murekezi explained that the new changes comes with streamlining the staff where the new body will require 600 employees as opposed to the previous 604.

    Out of the existing staff 490 proved to be qualified. 110 more will be recruited.

    Orinfor

  • Rwanda to Get Rubella Vaccine

    Rwanda has been so successful at fighting measles that next month it will be the first country to get donor support to move to the next stage in fighting rubella.

    On March 11, it will hold a nationwide three-day vaccination campaign with a combined measles-rubella vaccine, hoping to reach nearly five million children up to age 14.

    It will then integrate the dual vaccine into its national health service.

    Christine McNab, a spokeswoman for the Measles and Rubella Initiative was quoted by media that Rwanda can do so because they’ve done such a good job on measles.

    Measles and Rubella Initiative will provide the vaccine and help pay for the campaign.

    Rubella, also called German measles, causes a rash that is very similar to the measles rash, making it hard for health workers to tell the difference.

    Rubella is generally mild, even in children, but in pregnant women, it can kill the fetus or cause serious birth defects, including blindness, deafness, mental retardation and chronic heart damage.

    Ms. McNab said that Rwanda had proved that it can suppress measles and identify rubella, and it would benefit from the newer, more expensive vaccine.

    The dual vaccine costs twice as much — 52 cents a dose at Unicef prices, compared with 24 cents for measles alone.

    The MMR vaccine that American children get, which also contains a vaccine against mumps, costs Unicef $1.

    Every year, an estimated 112,000 children, mostly in Africa, South Asia and the Pacific islands, are born with handicaps caused by their mothers’ rubella infection.

    Measles deaths among children have declined 71% since 2000.

    The initiative is a partnership of many health agencies, vaccine companies, donors and others, but is led by the American Red Cross, the United Nations Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Unicef and the World Health Organization.

    NYtimes

  • Uganda’s Mandatory HIV Testing Opposed

    A Human Rights Commission in Uganda has opposed mandatory HIV testing as envisaged in the HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control Bill that is before the country’s Parliament.

    The commission also rejected a provision on criminalization of attempted and intentional transmission of the virus as well as a provision that permits medical practitioners to disclose HIV positive test results to a sexual partner without consent of the tested person.

    These and other views were presented to the joint meeting of the committee of health and the committee on HIV/AIDS by Commissioner Katebarirwe Amooti, who represented the chairperson, Medi Kagwa.

    The Bill provides for routine HIV testing of victims of sexual offences, pregnant women and their partners, but the commission is of the view that the provision does not specifically state as to whether their consent is necessary, suggesting that testing would be mandatory.

    The Bill also provides for testing of those convicted of drug abuse, those charged with sexual offences and those convicted of offences involving prostitution.

    “International standards require HIV/AIDS testing to be confidential, accompanied by counseling and to be conducted with voluntary and informed consent.

    Mandatory testing without consent, counseling and confidentiality violate the right to equality and non-discrimination and could harm the victims of sexual crimes and expose women to risk of domestic violence and abandonment,” Amooti said.

    He added that mandatory testing of drug users and sex workers will discourage them from seeking treatment and care.

    UHRC, he said, recommends that the Bill be amended to remove provisions relating to mandatory HIV testing.

    NV

  • Threats of violence in Kenyan slums color election

    Dozens of shack homes have been burned to the ground in recent weeks in Mathare, Nairobi’s most dangerous slum.

    Families are moving into zones controlled by their own clans, fearful of attacks between the tribes of Kenya’s top two presidential candidates.

    Kenya on Monday holds its first presidential election since the 2007 vote devolved into months of tribal violence that killed more than 1,000 people and displaced 600,000 from their homes.

    In a hopeful sign, this year’s presidential candidates pledged at a weekend prayer rally to accept the outcome of the election and ensure violence doesn’t again break out.

    But the government-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights on Wednesday released a long list of physical attacks, hate speech and cases of ethnic intimidation Kenya has seen in recent weeks, exposing an undercurrent of tribal tension.

    Those strains are on high display in Mathare, where at least seven people have died and 100 shacks burned in the last two months.

    Officially Mathare suffered 112 deaths during the 2007-08 election violence, though one policeman, who insisted on anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press, says Mathare really suffered over 370 killings.

    Lewis Kamau is a Kikuyu but wears the bright orange hat of the Luo candidate, Raila Odinga.

    Kamau is not crossing party lines; he says the hat protects him from Luo attacks. He says he expects Luos to react negatively if Odinga loses.

    “Violence will erupt because of results they don’t like,” he said. “I know these people. They won’t accept the results.”

    Kamau — who backs the Kikuyu candidate, Uhuru Kenyatta — is standing 20 feet from a dirt lot scorched by fire, one of the shacks burned in Luo-on-Kikuyu attacks that began in late December and carried over into January.

    “Just the other day they burned here and we didn’t retaliate,” he said, motioning to the charred lot. “We kept quiet. On Monday after the (election results) announcement, we will be ready for it.”

    Odinga or Kenyatta must win at least 50 percent of the vote in Monday’s election, or the two will go to a second-round runoff, where attention will be even more focused on the two, heightening tensions further.

    Many in Mathare, and across town in Nairobi’s biggest slum, Kibera, say that Kenyans have learned from the 2007-08 violence, and won’t repeat it.

    But many of those pronouncements come from people who assume their candidate will win.

    http://news.yahoo.com/threats-violence-kenyan-slums-color-election-182400085–politics.html

  • No Sign of Chavez in Venezuela

    At Caracas’ military hospital, the only outward signs that President Hugo Chavez is a patient inside are the motorcades that come and go and the soldiers standing guard, some of them wearing red berets.

    A poster with a large photo of Chavez smiling sits atop the Dr. Carlos Arvelo Military Hospital, but it has been there since long before the socialist leader was admitted upon his return from his latest cancer treatment in Cuba.

    Some of the president’s supporters shout “Viva Chavez!” and “He’s back!” as they drive past the hospital, which this week has become the new center of attention in Chavez’s 21-month-long cancer struggle.

    The government provided an update on Chavez’s condition Thursday night, saying that he remained at the hospital and that “the medical treatment for the fundamental illness continues without presenting significant adverse effects.”

    Information Minister Ernesto Villegas read the statement on television, saying that a “respiratory insufficiency” that arose in the weeks after the surgery “persists and its tendency has not been favorable, thus it continues to be treated.”

    The government has said Chavez is breathing through a tracheal tube.

    “The patient remains in communication with his relatives, with the political team of his government and in close cooperation with his medical team,” Villegas said, adding that Chavez “keeps clinging to Christ, with a maximum will to live.”

    The government hasn’t released a single photo of Chavez since his arrival in Caracas on Monday, and that has led some Venezuelans to question whether he’s actually in the hospital.

    Others insist he is there, just out of sight while undergoing treatment.

    wirestory

  • Uganda Lags in Sannitation–Report

    A Sannitation report by an international organisation, WaterAid, shows that Uganda is still lagging behind on the reduction of people without sustainable access to basic sanitation.

    Uganda, according to the report, has achieved only 34 per cent access to basic sanitation compared to the required 72 % by 2015.

    This means that more than half of the Ugandan population lack access to basic sanitation facilities.

    Rwanda, one of the five African countries studied in the report, has achieved 64% access to basic sanitation.

    However, the same report also indicates a steady progress that Uganda has achieved in access to clean and safe drinking water, which stands at 72%.

    “Only four countries in the region are on track to achieve the MDG target and, on current trends, the target will not be met until well into the next century,” notes the report.

    While Uganda is not performing well in regard to sanitation and hygiene, it has scored better than several African countries like Sierra Leone, where only 13 per cent of the population has access to adequate sanitation.

    The authors attribute the slow progress to neglect of the sanitation and hygiene sector and poor funding.

  • Operation Smile to Provide Free Cleft Surgery

    Over 100 people with cleft lips are set to benefit from free reconstructive surgery to be conducted at the University Central Hospital of Kigali (CHUK).

    The free surgical programme will start on February 22 to March 1st. |It was organized by Operation Smile, a non-profit volunteer medical services organization providing free reconstructive surgery.

    A cleft lip is a malformation where the lip has not fused together and fully formed and looks like a gap in the upper lip while a cleft palate is a hole in the roof of the mouth.

    Operation Smile will be operating on people with this deformity for the fourth time since 2010.

    Currently, there’s no national data showing the status of this disease in Rwanda.