African Traditional Herbal Research Clinic STD's ... - Blackherbals.com

Continued from page 63– Africa: New Light Shed on Male
Sex Work
ing, in complex ways," Boyce said. "This points to key
issues that must be developed in future HIV prevention
policy and counselling."
Aside from targeted HIV services, the report recommends
that more research be conducted into the realties and HIV
risks of male sex workers in Africa, and that larger sex
work organizations such as ASWA incorporate men into
their work.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201106200804.html
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Tanzania: Unsafe Injections
'Caused 1.3 Million Death
By Rosemary Mirondo
9 November 2010
The Citizen
Dar Es Salaam — Re-use of syringes has been established
as one of major agents of diseases spread including HIV
and hepatitis transmission, causing millions of deaths in
developing countries.
A podiatrist from Canada, Dr Clare Beale, who is also a
SafePoint Trust campaign ambassador, made the
observation when briefing journalists in Dar es Salaam
yesterday. She said, according to World Health
Organization (WHO) report, every year a total of 23,000
HIV infections, a million hepatitis C infections and
21million hepatitis B infections are caused by unsafe
injections which result to 1.3 million deaths.
Dr Beale said the problem was so severe that WHO
reported 50 per cent of all injections given globally as
unsafe. "It is sad to learn that in Africa alone, 20 million
medical injections contaminated with blood from patients
with HIV are administered every year," she said.
However, she pointed out that SafePoint was actively
lobbying for changes in legislation to ensure that auto
disable (AD) syringes that can only be used once are the
only type permitted for use in hospitals, medical centres
and surgeries. Adding that Tanzania was at the forefront
of safe healthcare in Africa, and will soon be the second
country to convert over to AD syringes in the East,
Central and Southern Africa Health Services (ECSA)
member countries. Every person across the world has the
right to ask for and receive a sterile and safe injection.
Dr Beale noted that currently SafePoints support team was
in Tanzania to climbing Mt Kilimanjaro with the aim of
reaching the summit in order to raise funds as a substantial
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donation to AD syringes that are fully compliant with
Tanzania Food and Drug Authority (TFDA).
http://allafrica.com/stories/201011090865.html
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WHO: Hepatitis Toll 'in
Millions'
28 July 2011
Medical experts are calling for global action to tackle
the viruses that cause the liver disease hepatitis.
The first worldwide estimates in drug users show 10
million have hepatitis C while 1.3 million have
hepatitis B.
Writing in the Lancet, experts say only a fraction of
those who could benefit are receiving antiviral drugs.
Only one in five infants around the world is vaccinated
against hepatitis B at birth, they say.
The figures, published in the Lancet, show about 67%
of injecting drug users in the world have been exposed
to hepatitis C, while around 10% have come into
contact with hepatitis B.
In the UK, around half of injecting drug users has been
infected with the hepatitis C virus, while the rate for
exposure to hepatitis B is 9% - the highest in Western
Europe.
The research was led by Prof Louisa Degenhardt of the
Centre for Population Health, Burnet Institute,
Melbourne, Australia, and Paul Nelson from the
National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the
University of New South Wales.
They say: "The public-health response to blood-borne
virus transmission in injecting drug users has mainly
centred on HIV.”Maintenance and strengthening of the
response to HIV in injecting drug users remains crucial,
but the significance of viral hepatitis needs to receive
greater attention than it does at present."
Commenting on the study in the Lancet, Dr Joseph
Amon, of Human Rights Watch, New York City, US,
said: "This study provides us with a first step and
powerful data to draw attention to the problem of viral
hepatitis in people who use drugs.
"The next step is to challenge governments to act, and
hold them accountable for implementation of rightsrespecting
and evidence-based programmes."
Health risks
Hepatitis is caused by five main viruses - A, B and C,
and, more rarely D and E.
Continued on page 65