World AIDS Day (December 1st)

The noise and media coverage of the Ebola scourge has led us to forget a more devastating killer...HIV/AIDS. According to WHO statistics for 2013,

• HIV is the world’s leading infectious killer, 
• Globally, an estimated 35.0 million people were living with HIV in 2013, 
• 3.2 million of these were children. 
• An estimated 2.1 million people were newly infected with the virus in 2013. 
• Nigeria accounts for 3.2 million (2013). 
• The vast majority of people living with the virus are in low- and middle-income countries. . 
• 39 million people have died from AIDS-related causes so far, including 1.5 million in 2013. 

The US has been leading the fight against HIV in low and middle income countries through its funding through PEPFAR program. There were fears and rumors that this funding would be cut off. However, contrary to fears of the purported withdrawal of American government from HIV/AIDS funding in the country, the United States government recently announced additional $500 million for HIV/AIDS programmes in Nigeria.  Meanwhile, the US representative stated that it is unfortunate that many Nigerian youths could not answer five HIV/AIDS-related questions correctly because education on the virus was inadequate

Stigmatization
It has been said that stigmatization kills faster than the virus itself because it scares victims, prevents them from seeking help and hiding themselves. People living with HIV have needs:

Some of the common needs of people living with HIV and AIDS are:

• Health and medical supplies and skilled medical services.
• Counseling to reduce isolation and promote acceptance.
• Community support groups to provide a safe place where feelings and advice can be shared.
• Social acceptance to help people living with HIV and AIDS by visiting them and treating them like friends.
• Physical care such as bathing, cleaning their homes when they are sick, and any other thing they are not able to do on their own.
• Nutritional help so that families improve their diets using cheap and available foods.
• Safe clean water that has been boiled or treated with chlorine.
• Accurate information about HIV and AIDS.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (answers at bottom)

1. Everyone who has HIV also has AIDS  (True/False)
2. It is possible to get HIV by getting a tattoo (True/False)
3. HIV can be spread through oral sex (True/False)
4. All people who have HIV will develop aids within 10 years (True/False)
5. HIV destroys both red blood cells and white blood cells in the body (True/False)
6. Which of the following does not contain HIV virus: Semen, Breast milk, Sweat, Blood 

Finally, I am using this medium to tell travelers out there to be careful, HIV/AIDS is not a myth anymore. It's real! Protect yourself!

Hope this is useful. Do not forget to drop your comment or like our facebook page: www.facebook.com/travelarmy

**Answers: 1. False 2. True 3. True 4. False 5. False (only white blood cells)  6. Sweat**

What's your score?  Share in the comments section.

Imagine your whole life depends on daily insulin injections

As the world gears up for another World Diabetes Day come November 14, the awareness about this Day and the people living with diabetes is still very low.

Particularly pathetic is the fate of Type 1 diabetics who live on Insulin and cannot survive without it. There are still millions of diabetics across the globe who do not have easy access to Insulin (and other diabetic supplies like the glucometer, a glucose monitoring equipment)

But one organization that is devoting tremendous amount of energy to raising awareness is T1 International. They are also advocating for people living with diabetes, working to make insulin easily accessible to all and rallying together all concerned parties through global collaboration. T1International T1I is founded by Elizabeth Rowley, an energetic lady who also lives on Insulin.

You can join the awareness here: What YOU can Do. Also use the hashtags #WDD2014 #insulin4all

Here is a useful infographic from the website (Found Here), depicting Access to Insulin

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WHO: Nigeria Officially Free of Ebola

A Nigerian health official uses a thermometer to screen a person at the arrival hall of the international airport in Lagos, Nigeria. Sunday Alamba / AP Photo

Nigeria has been declared officially free of Ebola after six weeks with no new cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.

WHO representative Rui Gama Vaz, speaking in the capital Abuja, said it was a "spectacular success story".

Nigeria won praise for its swift response after a Liberian diplomat brought the disease there in July.

Meanwhile, the outbreak has killed more than 4,500 people in West Africa, mostly in Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. 

Senegal was also declared Ebola-free on Friday.


Source: bbc news