Strange Diseases You Did Not Know

1. Porphyria: This disorder is also called the "Vampires Disease" because people who suffer from it exhibit symptoms much like how vampires are usually portrayed in movies:

They suffer from oversensitivity to sunlight.

Garlic gives them severe abdominal pains.

Their gums recede giving them the appearance of fangs.

Porphyria occurs when there is a build-up of chemicals called porphyrins in the body as a result of disruption in the production of heme, which is an iron-rich component of the haemoglobin.

Porphyria cannot really be cured but can be managed by the regular supply of blood. But unlike vampires, they don't drink the blood but it gets into their body through transfusion.



2. Congenital Hypertrichosis: This is a very rare and peculiar syndrome, it is also called the "Human Werewolf Syndrome". It causes excess hair to grow on the body and those who suffer from it also experience Gingival Hyperplasia (tooth defects) which gives them the appearance of werewolves.

Only about 50 people in the world are known to have suffered from this syndrome.

3. Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis: It is also called the "Tree Bark Skin Disorder" and is a very rare disorder characterised by eruptions of wart-like lessions that may pop-up anywhere in the body.

This is a subtype of the Human Pappiloma Virus (HPV) and there is no known cure yet.

4. Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome: This particular syndrome makes children to look very old and elderly before they are even two years old. And this happens without any change in intellectual development or motor skill development.

They simply become elderly infants. Symptoms are as follows:

Prominent eyes, thin nose with beaked tip, protruding eyes, small chin and thin lips.

They also suffer from hair loss, aging skin, joint abnormalities e.g arthritis and enlarged skull.

Children who suffer from this syndrome usually don't live beyond their teenage years.

5. Persistent Sexual Arousal Syndrome: This is a very rare neurological (and maybe hormonal) condition. They suffer from persistent SEXUALe and genital arousal and they find themselves on the verge of squirting almost 24 hours everyday.

It is so distressful, embarassing and unnatural that people who suffer from it often turn to suicide for relief.

Scientists are still confused as to what might be the real cause of this embarassing condition.

6.  Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressive (FOP): It is also known as the "Living Statue Syndrome". It is one of the most painful and disabling conditions you can find.

It occurs when bones are formed in muscles, tendons, ligaments and other connecting tissues and these bones then develop across joints forming a second skeleton which also severely restricts even the simplest bodily movements. The person looks like a living statue.

It has no known effective treatment and injuries or surgeries sometimes makes it worse.

7. Alien Hand Syndrome: This is a rare condition in which one of the limbs (arms or legs) acts independently without the concious control of that person.

The left hand could suddenly slap a person or start unbuttoning the shirts or pants in public. The person has full sensation in the rogue hand or leg but is not in control of it's movement.

8. Congenital Insensitivity to Pain: This rare condition makes people to become totally insensitive to physical pain and they cannot feel anything when injured or when their tongues are touched by very hot food.

It is believed to be as a result of a mutation in the gene that controls pain-sensing neurons.

9. Eosinophilic Esophagitis is a very rare and very serious allergic/immune condition which causes an allergy to foods, not just particular kinds of foods but all foods. In some extreme cases even the scent of food is enough to cause hospitalisation.

It occurs with the inflamation of the aesophagus and certain white blood cells called "eosinophils"(not normally found in the oesophagus) appears.

10.  Micropsia: It is also called "Alice in Wonderland Syndrome" and it affects the human visual perception such that objects are perceived as substantially smaller than they really are.

In some cases the objects might appear both far away and extremely close at the same time. A dog may appear the size of a mouse, a house may appear the size of a small car.

Interestingly the eyes are not in any way impaired, the problem comes from the brain and how it interpretes information that comes from the eyes.

Source: http://globalthots.blogspot.com/2014/03/ten-strange-diseases-you-did-not-know.html?m=1

Food Addiction And What It Does To The Brain

Do you find yourself over eating those processed food coated with sugar, artificial preservatives and salt, oil all the time? Food addiction manifests itself in the uncontrollable craving for excess food that follows the ingestion of refined carbohydrates, primarily sugar and flour substances that are quickly metabolized and turned into sugar in the bloodstream. If you have these problems, you might be suffering from food addiction. Palatable edibles or junk food are also the most energy dense foods, and prepared in such a way that human taste would prefer them. Regardless, preferring calorie dense food is one thing, however most compulsive over-eaters relationships with palatable foods go way beyond anything evolution had in mind. Studies have shown that palatable foods not only stimulate the appetite they stimulate the rate at which we eat them. The food you are addicted to can affect your brain and body .i.e the Homeostatic function, (calories in vs. calories out) regulates the metabolic consequences of food (energy, fat storage, weight loss), where as the reward function of food in the brain controls the pleasurable consequences eating. In addition, studies have shown that consuming palatable foods in tandem with weight gain, cause de-sensitization of the D2 dopamine receptors in the reward system in the brain. Certain hormones are released in the body each time we eat junk foods. The trigger our impulse nerves that it is the best making us eat more. That is why you feel like eating more junk food even when you are already full. In a healthy individual, the body is able to communicate effectively with the brain via hormones such as leptin, ghrelin, insulin and other informational substances. In the obese individual’s unhealthy body, converging reasons breach communication between the brain and the body. 1) Hypothalamic remodeling resulting from early life trauma compromises leptin receptors. 2) Elevated serum leptin levels from obesity and overeating damage the hypothalamus and resulting in leptin insensitivity. If you are eating too much processed food you are directly reducing your lifespan and reducing your immunity count. Processed foods further confuse the signalling mechanisms our brain. The result of this is you over feed your body because your brain believes you are starving. This usually leads to overeating like I already mentioned. The overeating problem that people with food addiction do is persistent, so a person addicted to food eats too much food — and often the wrong kinds of food is consumed regularly. Doctors recommend that you slow that your eating routine and reduce the portion. Replace sugary foods with fibre and fruits. That is how you can help your body. Reduce the alcohol intakes and make sure you exercise thrice weekly. Go for medical check up yearly. Experts suggest you should stop eating after 6:00 p.m. and before 10:00 a.m. This has tremendous neurochemical and hormone signalling benefits. After several months of this, you will notice that the fat stores your body will begin to communicate their status your brain.

Food is awesome; you all love food; you need to eat and packaged, processed and refined foods tastes good. Processed foods are convenient; just stop at the grocery store and buy a. meal in a bag, run home and fill your family’s plates with addictive carbs and fats. Refined and processed foods take the components of whole foods and modify them by taking out fiber, water and nutrients. Refined foods do have elements of whole foods, but these elements are concentrated which causes digestive problems. Eating refined and concentrated food will artificially stimulate dopamine or the pleasure neurotransmitter in the brain. You are eating foods that cause great and happy feelings and you want more.

The brain is hardwired to seek out behaviors that release dopamine in the reward system.The problem with modern junk foods is that they can cause a reward that is way more powerful than anything we were ever exposed to in nature. When the brain sees that the amount of dopamine is too high, it starts removing the dopamine receptors in order to keep things “balanced.” When you have fewer receptors, you need more dopamine to reach the same effect, which causes people to start eating more junk food to reach the same level of reward as before. This is called tolerance. If you have fewer dopamine receptors, then you will have very little dopamine activity and you will start to feel unhappy if you don’t get your junk food “fix.” This is called withdrawal. i see a lot of mothers in Nigeria; each time I travel by road-they way they eat as if they were just released from the prison. A woman will seat and eat three wraps of Okpa, egg, rice, big coke and then suya/Kirishi. Please NIGERIA women should learn how to respect and eat decently in public. Health is wealth.

Obesity is serious problem. each time you hear that people dropped DEAD just like that - it must have been their Blood Pressure was high over the usual rate. Most people with over weight tend to have high blood pressure.   Source: http://nutripotnigeria.com/food-addiction-and-your-brain/

British Grandmother Claims Semen Is The Best Anti-Aging Product

British grandmother claims semen is the best anti-aging product

A UK grandmother, Stella Ralfini, (pictured above) says her wrinkle-free face is all thanks to a semen therapy which she does on her face by applying semen from her lover after sexual intercourse.

Stella, 67, said she learnt the bizarre anti-aging method while in India studying a unique sexual therapy called Tantra. According to her, all you need is a lover with healthy sperm residue..

"All you need is a lover but if you don't have one you know what to do. All you need to do is just ten days or two weeks, you both should have a nice time and make sure he has a great time, and when your beautiful love making session is over, you are going to scoop this amazing sperm mask in your finger, apply it all over your face, leave it for fifteen minutes and then wash off. I know some of you are thinking "What is she saying?!" but we have to assume that your lover is a healthy clean man and eats wells.

Lol. Now which man put grandma Stella up to this? Funnily, she's not the only one who believes in this therapy. Actress Heather Locklear, 51, in a recent interview told a reporter that the secret to her youthful look was as a result of semen on face therapy. Continue...

UK Mirror reports that research has however proven Stella and Heather right in the usefulness of semen as an anti-aging substance. Research shows that the Human semen is rich in anti-oxidant, proteolytic proteins that helps to diminish aging lines on faces and helps to destroy dead layers on skin, revealing a more fresher skin layer.

Hmm!

 

Source: http://lindaikeji.blogspot.com/2014/03/british-grandmother-claims-semen-is.html#more

8 Ways To Prevent Hair Loss

Most people suffer from some significant hair loss in their lifetimes. Although genetics plays a major part in this problem (was your mother's father blessed with good hair?), there are many prevailing factors that can hasten the process. Diet, stress, mineral deficiencies, stress, environmental pollution, and even the wearing of helmets can lead to early and intense hair loss! Knowing is half your battle, so read more for some easy tips to reduce bad spots and thinning hairlines.

The first question you should answer is: do YOU experience accelerated hair loss? Accelerated hair loss is an intense condition in which one loses hair faster than normal, and needs to get assessed by your medical professional for thyroid issues, GI malabsportion, or other hormonal imbalances. Place a small amount of your hair in between your thumb and index fingers (20 hairs or so) and pull slowly and firm. If you get more than six hairs in your hand, you may be suffering from accelerated hair loss and should contact your primary care doctor for diagnosis.

The most prevailing reason behind hair loss is genetic. This is referred to as androgenic alopecia, which we mostly refer to as female or male pattern baldness. Even though it's impossible to halt the genetic forces of nature completely, there're ways you can slow the process and avoid hair loss for years. A solution to hair loss does not have to be expensive. Here are some simple ways to prevent that naturally looking hair from falling out.1. Take Foods Rich in Vitamins
 2. Reduce Your Stress Levels

3. Refrain from Hairstyling Chemicals and other products

4. Protect your Hair from Chlorine and Salts

5. Change your Diet

6. Avoid Smoking and Drinking

7. Surgery

8. Supplements for Nourishment

Read this article in detailed here : http://48db.com/health/2014/03/06/8-ways-to-prevent-hair-loss/

South African Study 'Opens New Possibilities For Curing HIV'

A group of South African scientists, working with scientists from the US, has discovered how a KwaZulu-Natal woman's body responded to her HIV infection by making potent antibodies -called broadly neutralising antibodies -that could open up new ways of treating and preventing HIV. Details of the discovery of the antibodies -

Details of the discovery of the antibodies -called broadly neutralising antibodies because they are able to kill multiple strains of HIV from across the world -was published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature on Sunday. The study describes how the research team found and identified these antibodies in a KwaZulu-Natal woman's blood and then duplicated them by cloning the antibodies in the laboratory.

The cloned antibodies were then used in a series of experiments to elucidate the pathway followed by the woman's immune system to make these potent antibodies. The study was conducted by South African researchers in the Caprisa (Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in South Africa) consortium, working jointly with US partners based at the Vaccine Research Center of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, and Columbia University in New York. Caprisa includes scientists from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in Johannesburg, the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the University of Cape Town.

'Hope for future prevention, treatment strategies'

Professor Salim Abdool Karim, leader of the Caprisa consortium, said in a statement on Sunday that the new insights gained from the study into immune responses against HIV "bring hope for future HIV prevention and treatment strategies", adding that the woman whose antibodies were studied "is doing well on antiretroviral therapy and continues to attend the Caprisa clinic regularly".

Just over a year ago, the same team of South African researchers reported in Nature Medicine (also part of the Nature group of journals) on their discovery relating to two other KwaZulu-Natal women, that a shift in the position of one sugar molecule on the surface of the HIV virus led to the development of broadly neutralising antibodies against HIV. Professor Lynn Morris, who leads the research team at South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), commented: "In this new publication we have been able to isolate a broadly neutralising antibody from this Caprisa volunteer and trace its origins to understand exactly how it arose. "This could lead to new HIV vaccine strategies that are able to stimulate the rare precursors of these protective antibodies," Morris said.

Antibodies 'with long arms'

According to Caprisa, all HIV-infected people respond to HIV by making antibodies. While most people's antibodies are not able to kill (neutralise) a wide range of HIV, a few infected people naturally make antibodies that kill many different kinds of HIV, in other words, broadly neutralising antibodies. "Broadly neutralising antibodies have some unusual features," said Dr Penny Moore, one of the lead South African scientists on the study based at the NICD.

"The outer covering (envelope) of HIV has a coating of sugars that prevents antibodies from reaching the surface to neutralise the virus. In this patient, we found that her antibodies had 'long arms', which enabled them to reach through the sugar coat that protects HIV." In their study, the researchers found that these antibodies had "long arms" right at the outset. "We discovered that some HIV antibodies are born with 'long arms', requiring less time and fewer changes to become effective in killing HIV," Moore said.

The identification and successful cloning of these special antibodies has enabled the researchers to make sufficiently large quantities for further testing, similar to the way a medicine used to prevent or treat HIV would be tested. "Our goal is to test these antibodies, preferably in combination with other broadly neutralising antibodies, directly in patients with HIV infection or in patients at or in patients at risk of getting infected," said Karim. "But this will take some time, as the team is currently planning animal studies as a first step.
Broadly neutralising antibodies have previously been shown to be effective in preventing and treating HIV infection in animals, but this has never before been shown in humans." The future studies on animals and humans are being supported by the Strategic Health Innovation Partnerships, a unit of the South African Medical Research Council, with funding from the Department of Science and Technology.

'Importance of international scientific partnerships'

Science and Technology Minister Derek Hanekom said in the Caprisa statement that the study "highlights the importance of international scientific partnerships and the contributions of South African researchers to world-class medical science. We are proud of the South African research team who conducted this ground-breaking study, and thank the US partners for their collaboration and support."

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, announcing the new findings at a press conference in Johannesburg on Monday, said: "We are a step closer to the day where we eventually have a viable vaccine because of what has been announced the new findings at a press conference in Johannesburg on Monday, said: "We are a step closer to the day where we eventually have a viable vaccine because of what has been announced today.

"This announcement tells us a little more about the HI virus," Motsoaledi said, adding: "These studies illustrate the importance of research and the need for patience and dedication. "In 2009, when we unveiled our 10-point programme, number 10 was research and development, and we were worried that research and development in South Africa was taking long in the past decades. But we are very proud that almost every year something is being announced by our scientists in that direction."

Motsoaledi said his department had more interest in this development than anyone else in the world, as South Africa has the largest burden of HIV infections globally. He thanked those people living with HIV who had willingly participated in the study.

"Your selflessness has been helping the world to better understand the HIV virus so that we can prevent transmission and find the cure." The research was primarily funded by the US National Institutes of Health's Vaccine Research Center and the South African Department of Science and Technology. The South African researchers also have fellowships from the Wellcome Trust, theTrust, the Fogarty International Center, the National Research Foundation and the Poliomyelitis Research Foundation.

 

Professor Salim Abdool Karim, director of the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in South Africa (Caprisa), at work in one of the centre's laboratories (Photo: Caprisa)

Source: http://www.southafrica.info/about/science/hiv030314.htm#.UxTf5not3qo

5 Reasons You Should Eating More Onions

Onion is a member of the Allium family and is rich in sulphur containing compounds that are responsible for its pungent odor and for many of onion’s health promoting effects. Some benefits derived from consuming onions are:   1. Cardiovascular Benefits There is evidence that sulphur compounds found in onion work in an anti clotting capacity and help prevent the unwanted clumping together of blood platelet cells. There is also evidence showing that onion’s sulphur compounds can lower blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides and improve cell membrane function in red blood cells as well. The benefits of onion in the overall dietary context extend to prevention of heart attack. The outstanding flavonoid content of onions supports these research findings. 2. Bone and connective tissue benefits Human studies have shown that onion can help increase your bone density and may have special benefit on women of menopausal age who are experiencing loss of bone density. Plus, there is evidence that women who have passed the age of menopause may be able to lower their risk of hip fracture through daily eating of onions. In this research on bone density in older women, very rare eating of onion like once a month or less did not provide much benefit. Daily consumption of onion boosts benefits for bone density. So do not skimp on onions when you are incorporating them into your diet plan. The high sulfur content of onions may provide direct benefits to your connective tissue as many of your connective tissue components require sulfur for their formation. 3. Anti inflammatory benefits This allium vegetable has nevertheless been shown to provide important anti inflammatory response. A unique sulphur molecule found in the bulb portion of the onion has been shown to inhibit the activity of macrophages- specific white blood cells that play a major role in your immune system and one of their defence activities is the triggering of large scale inflammatory responses. Onion’s antioxidants provide you with anti inflammatory sources. These antioxidants help prevent fatty acids oxidation in your body. When you have lower levels of oxidized fatty acids, your body produces fewer inflammatory messaging molecules and your level of inflammation is kept in check. 4. Cancer protection Onion has been shown to lower the risk of several cancers, even when you consume it in only moderate amounts. Colorectal, laryngeal and ovarian cancers are the types for which risk is reduced along with moderate amounts of dietary onion. Do not err on the side of small onion servings or infrequent onion intake if you want to obtain the full cancer related benefits of this veggie. Try to include at least one whole onion in the recipe. In terms of individual portion sizes when you sit down to eat, try to consume the equivalent of half onion. Other health benefits Onions have shown potential for improvement of blood sugar balance, help prevent bacterial infection. Along with sulphur compounds, the flavonoid quercetin found in onion helps provide these antibacterial benefits. Some studies suggest that length of storage for onion that has been chopped but not cooked and duration of heat exposure in this case involving exposure to steam for ten minutes can affect some of onion’s health benefits. For these reasons, special care is needed in the storage, handling and cooking of this vegetable.

Things You Don't Know About Sperms

Things You Don't Know About Sperms

1. Not all sperm are made equal: As much as a man would love to have millions of perfect little guys, the fact is that many of them are deformed. We're talking two heads, two tails, squiggly tails, heads that are too large or two small, etc.

 2. Sperm are hard workers: Well, not all of them. But of the ones that can swim straight enough to get to the egg, one lucky bugger (though sometimes more than one. Can you say multiples?) drills its way into the egg to begin fertilization.

3. There is a difference between "sperm" and "semen": Many people use both terms interchangeably, but they are not the same substance. Sperm cells are just one part of the semen. Seminal fluid also contains fructose and proteolytic, among other enzymes, to help the sperm on they way.

4. The odds are tough: In the average ejaculate, there 200 million sperm. That's some steep competition!

5. Sperm don’t have to be moving to fertilize an egg: That's both true and not true. For natural fertilization to occur, the sperm has to be able to swim and drill into the egg, but during In-Vitro fertilization, the sperm is injected directly into the egg, making motion on the sperm's part a nonissue.

6. They don't always know where they're going: Only about half of the sperm who are ejaculated make it to the egg. The rest doodle around in circles.

7. You need to keep your boys cool: For healthy sperm to exist in a man's body, the testicles need to be cooler than the body. On average, testicles are seven degrees cooler than the rest of the body. You don't want the testicles to be any closer to the warmth than necessary. That's why boxers are better than briefs when it comes to making babies!

8. The production process is different in men and women: Ladies are born with all the eggs they will ever have in their life. But men are constantly making new sperm. It takes about two months for a sperm cell to go from start to finish.

9. Diet plays a big role in the taste of semen: Gentlemen, if you are partial to oral sex, do both of you a favour by exercising regularly and maintaining a diet high in fruits and veggies. It benefits you in that you will have healthier sperm, and it benefits your partner in that your semen tastes better. A diet high in red meat, dairy, garlic and coffee will make the taste of your semen take a nosedive.

10. They come in both genders: Yes, there are male and female sperm. The males tend to be faster, but the females are stronger, so it's kind of a stalemate in the sperm gender war.
http://www.yourtango.com/2014208352/sex-sperm-101-10-crazy-facts-you-never-knew-about-his-swimmers-ejaculation-IVF-semen

Another breakthrough on malaria vaccine

A group of scientists from the Vaccine Research Centre at the National Institutes of Health, in Maryland, United States earlier this month broke the news. According to them, they have found a vaccine, PfSPZ, that could protect 12 of every 15 persons from getting malaria infection. As a result, many people across Africa, known to be the ‘base’ of the disease, received the news with enthusiasm.

Of course, they have every reason to celebrate the feat knowing that malaria is one of the highest killer diseases on the continent. In fact, statistics have it that the disease kills over 600,000 persons annually in Africa, and parts of Asia.

In Nigeria, records also show that malaria kills about 300, 000 children under the age five and 7,000 pregnant women annually. Nigerians also spends about N480m for the treatment of malaria annually. So, for stakeholders, especially medical practitioners, the accomplishment is a welcome development as they want to see a turnaround in the health status of their people.

As stakeholders celebrate this, the lead author of the research, Dr. Robert Seder, insists that the results of the clinical trial of the vaccine done in about 57 persons in the US are very promising in the fight against malaria.

Seder, in an article in Journal of Science, said though the method they used could be regarded as unusual — as it involved injecting live but weakened malaria-causing parasites directly into the patient’s blood stream to trigger immunity — the result was 3 per cent effective.

Throwing light into their approach, Seder said they took lab-grown mosquitoes, irradiated them and then extracted the malaria-causing parasite (Plasmodium falciparum) and injected it into the bloodstream of 57 persons, who had never had malaria before.

The team, he added, found out that only three of every 15 persons given the highest dosage of the vaccine contracted the infection after exposure to malaria.

Seder said, “We are excited and thrilled by the result, but it is important that we repeat it, extend it and do it in larger numbers.

“It allows us in future studies to increase the dose and alter the schedule of the vaccine to further optimise it. The next critical questions will be whether the vaccine is durable over a long period of time and can the vaccine protect against other strains of malaria.”

Apart from this vaccine, scientists in developed countries, where a negligible fraction of their citizens contract malaria, have developed over 20 vaccines still in trial. Indeed, they are working hard to find a solution to a disease that is ravaging Africans — not Americans.

According to the 2010 World Malaria report of the World Health Organisation, Africa is home to more than 80 per cent of malaria infections and deaths in the world.

The report read, “Most malaria deaths occur among children living in Africa where a child dies every minute from the disease. The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria account for over 40 per cent of the estimated total of malaria deaths globally.”

Though medical experts in Nigeria have commended the efforts of the scientists at the US institute, they also question why medical solutions to the disease that is killing more Nigerians and other Africans should be coming from abroad.

Appraising the development, the National President, Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria, Dr, Anthony Omolola, linked it to what he called the “curious situation” to poor funding of research institutions.

He also blamed it on the lack of political will on the part of the government. According to Omolola, until there is adequate research funding on malaria prevention and control, Nigerian scientists may not able to find a homegrown solution to the disease.

He said, “That scientists abroad are fighting diseases killing Nigerians is not a new thing. In fact, we are getting used to it. They are virtually seeking solutions to many of our health problems. HIV is killing people. It is these same scientists with the financial and moral backing of their governments that are seeking a solution to stop it.

“Agreed, malaria is killing thousands of Nigerian babies and pregnant women but we cannot blame our scientists. The blame should be heaped on the government that is not doing much to fight it.”

Beyond this, he noted that many research efforts by Nigerian scientists had been frustrated due to no funds.

Omolola added, “Our research institutions are poorly funded. In fact, it is a reflection that government is not making enough budgetary provision for the health sector. There is no political will to provoke appropriate funding.

“There was a time in this country when every research institution focused on malaria control and prevention because the government then was concerned. They launched massive and aggressive initiatives to break the back of malaria but unfortunately that is no more.”

Omolola, who acknowledged that the country had national malaria control policy, frowned on its provisions, implementation and enforcement. The policy, according to him, is too weak.

He added, “It is not until we get a vaccine that we can eradicate malaria in Nigeria. We know what makes mosquitoes breed in Nigeria, the lack of drainage channels, bushes and dirty environment and poor sanitary conditions.

“If government puts its feet  and money down that we are going to be fumigating every home; have good drainage systems and ensure that citizens keep their environment clean, then, we can say we have a leadership that wants to prevent its citizens from dying from a disease that is preventable and curable.”

Other stakeholders warn that delay in finding an indigenous breakthrough to malaria control is dangerous for Nigeria economically. A professor at the Department of Pharmacy, University of Lagos, Olukemi Odukoya, is one of them.

Speaking at a recent forum on Traditional Medicine in Nigeria, he said that there was the need to explore the use of herbs, plants and natural medicine in the prevention and control of malaria.

Odukoya, an apostle of the use of herbal medicines in orthodox treatment, also urged the government to defer all international pressure and embrace herbal medicine, which she said, was more cost-effective and available in the country.

She said,” We have many researches going on in Nigeria, on herbal medicine, plants. Agbo is effective in the prevention and treatment of malaria.

“However, is the government ready to incorporate it into the country’s health care policy? Will the authorities shun international pressure and do what is right? When will the government approve the use of herbal preparations in the treatment and prevention of malaria in hospitals? Will doctors recommend it?”

Odukoya added, “Malaria medications are got from plant-based sources which we have in abundance in Nigeria. It will be cheaper for government to sponsor herbal researches. It will be more affordable for the citizens.”

Also speaking on the efficacy of herbal preparations in the treatment of malaria, a question that is always posed by professionals on this aspect of medicine, the university teacher also called for a proper national policy on health.

According to her, the government can ensure the safety of traditional and herbal medicines by regulating the practice.

She said, “When there is no national guideline or policy on herbal use quacks are free to sell chalk or coloured water and claim it is a herb that treats malaria. This silence is exposing Nigerians to fake herbal medicines. But we must make no mistake about it. Nigerians still believe strongly that there is power in leaves and herbs.’

However, the Vice-President, Commonwealth Medical Association, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, looks at the issue from a different perspective. He believes that Nigerian scientists still have a lot to do in ensuring that the country develops an indigenous vaccine.

He said, “Scientists and researchers in Africa and Nigeria should focus on malaria. They can replicate the research done by the US scientists in Nigeria. They can even go further as we have the resources to conduct clinical trials on malaria treatment that we discover.”

But for the coordinator, the National Malaria Control Programme, Dr. Nnenna Ezeigwe, the FG is not relenting in its efforts to lift the health sector to loftier heights.

The government, she said, subsidised the cost of anti-malarial drug such as Artemisinin Combination Therapy by 75 per cent, and plans to distribute more than thirty million Insecticide Mosquito Treated Nets for children and pregnant women this year.

 Ezeigwe added, “We would not stop doing what we are doing currently to prevent malaria, including use of long-lasting insecticide treated bed nets, appropriate treatment using malaria test kits in our hospitals and intermittent prevention in pregnant women, and other environmental measures we are taking.

“There are already 20 vaccines in line, including this one. If the ones we think would be successful prove not to be so, we would be hopeful that the others might be okay, knowing that we have others to access. We applaud the research but it does not mean we are going to sleep.”

Source: Bukola Adebayo.

http://www.punchng.com/health/malaria-vaccine-another-breakthrough-from-abroad/