Research Topics: Health Essays

COMORBIDITY

COMORBIDITY   What is Comorbidity? Comorbidity or dual diagnosis is the coexistence of substance abuse and mental health disorders in the same individual ( 2003). The term dual diagnosis is a common, broad term that indicates the simultaneous presence of two independent medical disorders. Recently, within the fields of mental health, psychiatry, and addiction medicine, the term has been popularly used to describe the coexistence of a mental health disorder and alcohol and other drug (AOD) problems. The acronym MICA, which represents the phrase mentally ill chemical abusers, is occasionally used to designate people who have an AOD disorder and a markedly severe and persistent mental disorder such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. A preferred definition is mentally ill chemically affected people, since the word affected better describes their condition and is not depreciatory ( 1990).   Common examples of dual disorders include the combinations of major depression with cocaine addiction, alcohol addiction with panic disorder, alcoholism and polydrug addiction with schizophrenia, and borderline personality disorder with episodic polydrug abuse. The combinations of AOD (alcohol and other drug) problems and psychiatric disorders vary along important dimensions, such as severity, chronicity, disability, and degree of impairment in functioning. For example, the two disorders may each be severe or mild, or one may be more severe than the other. Indeed, the severity of both disorders may change over time. Levels of disability and impairment in functioning may also vary ( 1990).   Relationship with Alcohol and Substance Misuse Compared to patients with mental health disorder or an AOD use problem alone, patients with dual disorders often experience more severe and chronic medical, social, and emotional problems. Research findings indicate the people with comorbidity conditions generally have (a) limited and inadequate social relationships and support networks (2000; 1999), (b) unstable housing, employment, and income histories (2000;  2000), and (c) are usually younger with lower levels of educational attainment ( 1996; 1995). Generally, this client group has criminal or legal problems (1999; 2000) with poorer functional skills ( 1998; 2000). These conditions increase the tendency among mentally ill individuals to resort to alcohol and drug abuse to make up for the social incapacity they have.   Patients with mental disorders have an increased risk for AOD disorders, and patients with AOD disorders have an increased risk for mental disorders as about one-third of patients who have a psychiatric disorder also experience AOD abuse at some point which is about twice the rate among people without psychiatric disorders (1990). This population are reported to have high levels of risky drug-taking behaviors, including sharing of injection equipment ( 1994; 1998) as well as sexually risky behaviors, such as trading sex for money or drugs and having unprotected sex (1998). They likewise experience high rates of depression (1995; 1998) and general psychopathology (1996).   Difficulty with Treatment As a result of the social and physical conditions that clients with comorbidity experience, clinical researches have found out that mentally ill chemical abusers have more difficulty gaining access to treatment, have a poorer course of treatment, have less successful treatment outcomes, and incur more treatment costs than clients with only mental health or substance abuse symptoms (2000; 2000; 1999).   Substance abuse complicates care for the person with mental illness. Diagnosis is difficult because it takes time to unravel the interacting effects of substance abuse and the mental illness (1987). Because they have two disorders, they are vulnerable to both AOD relapse and a worsening of the psychiatric disorder. Further, addiction relapse often leads to psychiatric decompensation, and worsening of psychiatric problems often leads to addiction relapse. Thus, relapse prevention must be specially designed for patients with dual disorders. Compared with patients who have a single disorder, patients with dual disorders often require longer treatment, have more crises, and progress more gradually in treatment (1990).   Mental health services are provided by a variety of mental health professionals including psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers, clinical nurse specialists, other therapists and counselors including marriage, family, and child counselors, and paraprofessionals. Services offered by mental health professionals include: case management, partial hospitalization, inpatient treatment, vocational rehabilitation, and a variety of residential programs. On the other hand, addiction treatment is provided by a diverse group of practitioners, including physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, certified addiction counselors, other therapists, counselors, and recovering paraprofessionals. In typical addiction treatment, medications are used to treat the complications of addiction, such as overdose and withdrawal (1993).   Patients with combinations of dual disorders are often encountered in certain treatment settings. For instance, some methadone treatment programs treat a high percentage of opiate-addicted patients with personality disorders. Patients with schizophrenia and alcohol addiction are frequently encountered in psychiatric units, mental health centers, and programs that provide treatment to homeless patients (1990). Large numbers of mentally ill chemical abusers counted in hospital, drug rehabilitation centers, city streets, andgeneral population surveys are challenging traditional approachesto the delivery of psychiatric care. Historically, majormental illness and substance abuse have been treated in separatesystems with differing and sometimes contradictory orientations Due to structural divisions in the delivery of psychiatricand substance abuse treatment, mentally ill chemical abusers,who need both types of help, are not likely to find it in eithersystem ().   Expected Outcomes of Poor Engagement from Client Group with Comorbidity Issues Individuals with comorbidity conditions may have difficulty being accommodated at home and may not be tolerated in community residences of rehabilitation programs. They lose their support systems and suffer frequent relapses and hospitalizations. Violence is more prevalent among the dually diagnosed population. Both domestic violence and suicide attempts are more common, and of the mentally ill who wind up in jails and prisons, there is a high percentage of drug abusers (1987). As such, high levels of risk-taking behaviors have been documented among client groups with comorbidity conditions (2003).   According to (1994), chemical abusers are very sensitive to criticism and tend to cut their noses off to spite their faces by picking up. Treatment staff should give far more positive than negative feedback, and when giving corrective feedback, should try to provide it in a non-punitive, understated way.  Staff should really listen to patients, be real with them, including shared feelings, have a sense of humor, and not to take them too seriously. Those who are providing services to MICA patients should try to avoid making the same mistakes made by overly critical, bossy family members. Over-criticalness and bossiness could trigger self-medication.   The mentally ill chemical abusers were severelyimpaired initially in terms of both mental illness and chemical abuse, but marked reductions in these afflictions were observed during the course of treatment at both the community residencesand the therapeutic community. Many professionals believe that confrontational approaches are counterproductive with MICAs because these patients are more fragile than non-MICAs (1994).                   Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

COMORBIDITY

COMORBIDITY What is Comorbidity? Comorbidity or dual diagnosis is the coexistence of substance abuse and mental health disorders in...

EVIDENCE BASED HEALTH AND HEALTHCARE

Evidence Based for Health Care Introduction Seeking for health assurance is not bad since every people are dreaming to be physically and mentally healthy. The need for the health care improvement created a great impact especially to those who belong in the working group because they are the one that needs assistance. The introduction of a health approach is another door which can lead to the health improvement. Health Care and Evidence The evidence-based practice (EBP) has become popular for human services. The EBP relied on the experimental research in human services practice. Still, the question of its usefulness remains. Furthermore, the study of efficacy requires standardized interventions like experimental or control. The use of EBP is to mean greater use of research in practice and policymaking ( 2005). The concept of evidence-based practice (EBP) has assumed a central position in health and behavioral health care disciplines. EBP is frequently defined as the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. It is also described as the movement of scientists, public or private officials, and advocacy groups that seek to establish a new knowledge in terms of health care and health services ( 2008). The evidence-based health was originated from the medical field in 1991, and the term used in medicine as an evidence-based was established to ensure that medical was systematically evaluated in a manner that could inform medicine and save lives and that is superior to simply looking at the results of individual clinical trials. The EBP today, has permeated a wide array of health and allied health care disciplines. One driving force behind EBP is the financial pressure associated with the U.S. health care system. In response to the health care costs, efforts have been underway to carefully review how resource are used and spent to consolidated services. The face of EBP in health care is deeply connected to both financial viability and efficiency of staff and resource. Health care administrators need to know what works, which person the work would be, and in what situation would the action be applicable. The use of clinical practice guidelines and clinical pathways can have the guiding forces in service delivery and managed care business practices (2008). Improving Population Health There are many ways on how evidence-based medicine can help improve the quality of patient outcomes. According to the Rand Corporation report, the use and critical follow of evidence-based guidelines can improve the 55% of patient diagnoses. The utilization of knowledge from the EBP can help individuals who suffer in various diseases to improve their health. Like for example, the disease that has a high possibility of life-threatening can lessen when the application of EBP is adopted. For most research, there are drugs that can lower the mortality rates that those prescribed drugs (2007). On the other hand, the EBP can help control the costs and reduce inefficiencies. Because of the critical study about the health aspects of an individual, the unnecessary factors can be eliminated. The inefficiency of health care can be lowered because the health providers have more knowledge and can definitely understand the things involve in health care services. With this, the service can achieve all the preventing and treating aspects even it is a rare or dangerous disease.   Using the evidence-based medicine can align the benefits. With linking benefit design to medical practices with demonstrated effectiveness enhances health and quality of life of human population. It is because; evidence-based medicine will reduce the use of unproven or ineffective treatments, thus protecting the health care. Part of it is the benefits the employers and employees will enjoy through the reliable health care investments. Most especially, the evidence-based medicine and practice can help in providing solutions and care managements for deadly health conditions: asthma, congestive heart failure, depression, and diabetes ( 2007). Each and every year these four health problems contributed more hundred thousand deaths. And this is alarming since the human body cannot handle all the medications given. But if the use of evidence-based health practice is applied, the possibility to give the human race in prolonging their life can be achieved. Conclusion With utilization of evidence-based medicine will encourage and reward effective care that will promote value and increase quality of life. Many individuals and health professionals that it is the way to achieve the health care system close to its perfection. The support from the entire health community is needed to make it possible. Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

EVIDENCE BASED HEALTH AND HEALTHCARE

Evidence Based for Health Care Introduction Seeking for health assurance is not bad since every people are dreaming to be physically and...

Gaining Weight

Gaining Weight Begin by choosing calorie-rich foods from each group of the Food Guide Pyramid shown below, plus fats, oils, and sweets in moderation. Aim for the higher end of the recommended number of servings from each group shown in the Pyramid. Here are some calorie-dense, nutritious foods: Bread, cereal, rice, and pasta: granola, bagels, biscuits, cornbread Fruits: canned fruit in syrup, dried fruits, fruit nectars Vegetables: avocado, olives, potatoes, peas, corn, squash Meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts: beef, pork, lamb, poultry, salmon, swordfish, omelets, nuts, peanut butter, kidney beans, chickpeas Milk, yogurt, and cheese: milk, fruited yogurts, hard cheeses, ice cream, puddings, custards, milkshakes Use in moderation fats, oils, and sweets, such as butter, margarine, sour cream, cream cheese, gravy, salad dressings, jellies, jams, honey, and candies. Maximize each mouthful Incorporating extra calories into everyday meals can make eating a creative and flavorful experience. Try adding these nutritious, calorie-packed combinations to your meals: Use milk in place of water in hot cereal, soups, and sauces. Sprinkle powdered milk into casseroles and meatloaf for added calories, protein, and calcium. Add avocado, cheese, and salad dressings to sandwiches. Even fat-free dressings and cheeses will add calories without added fat. Mix cooked, chopped meat, wheat germ, nuts, beans, or cheese into casseroles, side dishes, and pasta. Choose calorie-dense beverages, appetizers, soup, salads, entrees, and desserts when dining out. Take home leftovers for a snack.         Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Gaining Weight

Gaining Weight Begin by choosing calorie-rich foods from each group of the Food Guide Pyramid shown below, plus fats, oils, and sweets in ...

Identify a health initiative, critically and analytically discuss its potential for bringing about sustainable change

Identify a health initiative, critically and analytically discuss its potential for bringing about sustainable change   Introduction             Obesity has become a worldwide health concern. Obesity is one of the biggest health problems in the United Kingdom. It affects the whole society and has negative implications on the health and well-being of the people. This essay aims to explore the meaning of health and how the concept of health is being applied to health promotion. The study will focus on health promotion in adults with obesity in the United Kingdom. This essay seeks to identify the merits of individually focused health promotion, particularly behavioural change in solving the problem of obesity among adults in the United Kingdom. This essay will also outline the different tools and strategies that service providers are employing in order to facilitate behavioral change and promote health among people that are affected by obesity.   Health Definitions of Health             Let us begin our discussion with the definition of health. Health, as most of us see it is merely the absence of disease. Let us view health from three different perspectives first is the Medical Model of health. The medical model of health is based upon the perspective of illness, disease and proper functioning (Larson 1991). Initially, the medical model defined health as simply the absence of disease. In the absence of disease, health exists (Chen and Bush 1979). Disease according to Blaxter (1990) is defined as deviations of measurable biological variables from the norm, or the presence of defined and categorized forms of pathology. This definition can be considered as the foundation of health and illness. However, this definition may be found lacking. Health is not merely the absence of illness.  The Wellness Model is concerned with ‘better than normal’ states, as well as subjective feelings of health. Health is conceptualized as a state of feeling, the layman’s intuitive notion of health as physical wellbeing – comfort, energy and ability to perform (Greer 1986). It is optimal personal fitness for full, fruitful creative living (Goldsmith 1972). The third model is the Holistic Model. The holistic model encompasses the whole person, including physical mental and social health. The holistic model defines health as the health of a whole person including physical but also extending to mental and social aspects of health (Larson 1991). Health, as defined by the World Health Organization (1946) is a state of complete physical, social and mental well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity. Lalonde (1974) presented a new and comprehensive perspective on health that is consisting of human behaviour, environment, and lifestyle and healthcare organizations. Lalonde believes that health an individual’s health is greatly affected by his or her lifestyle. The World Health Organization (1986) defined health as the extent to which an individual or group is able, on the other hand to realize aspirations and safety needs; and on the other hand, to change or cope with the environment. WHO added that health must be seen as a resource for everyday life and not merely the objective of living (cited in Macdonald 1998, p. 25).   Health Promotion Initiative in Adults with Obesity       What is Health Promotion?             Health promotion is considered as a vital part of public health. Health promotion is a unifying concept that brought together different fields of study. Today, health promotion is a part of the health services of most industrially developed countries. Health promotion addresses health care issues of today by contributing to newer approaches to health improvement, whole population programmes, health impact assessment, investment for health projects, capacity building, community planning and involvement, and evidence-based practice.             Health promotion, broadly defined, is a strategy for promoting the health of whole populations. Health promotion strategies are greatly affected by individual and structural elements. The individual approaches to health promotion aims to identify and reduce behavioural risk factors associated with morbidity and premature death. The structural approaches focus of macro-social and political processes of health promotion (Tones 1983; WHO 1984: Tannahill 1985; Kickbusch 1997; Bracht 1999; Griffiths and Hunter 1999 cited in Macdonald and Bunton 2002, p. 10).       How Does the Health Promotion Initiative view Health?             The definitions above present a picture of health that is holistic. These definitions view health in its social context. The definitions emphasize social and personal resources as well as physical capacities (Macdonald 1998). The health promotion initiative in adults with obesity in the United Kingdom views health as greatly affected by an individual’s lifestyle. Obesity is largely seen as a product of unhealthy lifestyle choices.   Obesity in Adults                   Obesity is now a leading cause of illness and death. According to Leonard (2002), the cause of obesity is the imbalance between the energy we consume and the energy we expend. Obesity is also linked to poverty and social deprivation (Marsh 2004). The Office for National Statistics (2004) in the United Kingdom has reported that obesity is linked to social class. Obesity as studies show is more common among those in the routine or semi-routine occupational groups. The increase in number of fast food restaurants are seen as one of the cause of obesity in the United Kingdom.  Schlosser (2002) wrote, the obesity epidemic, which is so evident in the United States, has spread to Britain, and fast food restaurants are often blamed for it. The obesity rates among adults have doubled from 1884 to 1993 (cited in Debris 2005).     Individually Focused Health Promotion             Beattie (1991) characterizes this kind of health promotion as being focused on the individual, either controlled in an authoritarian manner by people who claim expert status, or negotiated using techniques such as education and counseling. Individually focused health promotion emphasizes that the responsibility for ensuring good health rests with the individual.             Unhealthy lifestyle is often blamed for the emergence of obesity in the United Kingdom. Lifestyle and health are inextricably linked, and that in order to bring about improved prospects for health it is necessary to restructure the damaging effects of unhealthy lifestyles (Parish 1995). The Ottawa Charter of 1986 defined health promotion as the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health (WHO 1986). Individually focused health promotion aims to produce behaviour change in a particular direction in order to impose a state of perfect health, but to help people to be as healthy as they wish to be. The key principle of individually focused health promotion is empowerment (Tones and Tilford 1994).   Individually Focused Health Prevention: Behavioural Change             The key elements of successful behavioural change are frequent contact and support. Weight loss plans move through various stages: <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="square"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Precontemplation</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Contemplation</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Preparation</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%">Action</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Maintenance</li> </ul>               Patients need help to make plans with achievable goals. Commonly used techniques, such as self-monitoring, identifying internal triggers for eating, and the creation of coping strategies, can help with behaviors change. These techniques have been incorporated into the Counterweight Programme, which is one of the most successful weight management and primary care initiative in the United Kingdom.  There are evidences that these techniques aid in weight loss and maintenance. In order to build better habits, prompts and reminders are used. When there is a lapse, the health professional together with the client plans in order to successfully deal with the experience in the future. The giving of rewards should be well planned and evidences of the benefits such as reduction on cardiovascular risk factor that the client will gain through the health initiative can be helpful. A diary of food intake and physical activity can prompt discussion about situations that led to particular behaviour, so that strategies can be planned.   Behavior Therapy Strategies             Individually focused health promotion aims to change the patient or the client’s attitude and behavior. Obesity is widely seen as a lifestyle disease. With the help of the health professional, the client undergoes a program that will help him to acquire knowledge and information about the health problem. There are different strategies that help change the patient’s behavior.     1. Self-Monitoring             Self-monitoring is the most important of all behavioral interventions. It involves self-observation, self-recording, and feedback of relevant behaviors by the patient. The purpose of self-monitoring is to raise the patient’s awareness of eating and physical activity behaviors and the factors contributing to them. It includes the use of a food diary in which the patient writes down all foods eaten and the conditions or situations in which the eating occurred. The diary can be a simple, inexpensive notebook. The recording ideally should be done as soon as possible after the food is eaten. The feedback can include looking up and recording the number of calories or fat grams that each food contained. The patient should do the recording and the feedback, followed by reinforcement from the physician or behavioral counselor. In addition to recording food consumed, other behavioral patterns to write down might include time of day the food was eaten, where the food was eaten, mood state, and who else was present. The physician or behavioral counselor can then look at the diary and help identify patterns that might need to be changed. Physical activity can be recorded in the same diary. Minutes of activity, along with time of day, are usually best to record. The physician can help reward consistency, trying to build a habit of daily brisk walking. 2. Stimulus Control             Stimulus control involves identifying and modifying the environmental cues or barriers that are associated with the patient’s overeating and under activity. By changing the cues, the patient may be more likely to be successful in managing eating and physical activity. Controlling these cues (stimulus control) may help the patient long term because their exposure is frequently related to relapse. 3. Goal Setting             Realistic goal setting, involving separating short-term goals from long-term goals, is important in preventing discouragement in the patients. In goal setting, it could be more advantageous to focus on short-term goals and reinforcing small positive behavioural changes. 4. Problem Solving             Losing weight involves having to learn to manage emotional issues and social events. Problem solving involves identifying and managing these situations (Lombard et al 1995). 5. Cognitive Restructuring             Cognitive restructuring involves helping patients change their inaccurate beliefs about weight loss. Cognitive restructuring encourages patients to examine their thoughts and feelings about themselves with respect to their obesity. It challenges them to change the ones that are inaccurate. Their lives may not change significantly when they lose weight. It is important to help patients understand why it is important to lose weight, such as for better health, than for unrealistic reasons (Foreyt and Paschali 2001).   Which Determinants of Health does the Initiative attempt to address?             There are different factors that affect the health of a person. The circumsatances and the environment in which a person finds himself affect his health. Factors that have significant impact on health include the state of his environment, the place where he lives, his family background, his income and education level and his relationship with his family, friends and the people around him. The determinants of health are the following: 1. The social and economic environment 2. The physical environment 3. The person’s individual characteristics and behaviors (WHO 2008)               Individually focused health promotion initiatives attempt to address individual characteristics and behaviors. Through individually focused initiatives such as behavioural change, health education and empowerment, health is promoted among individuals.       Does the Initiative address Inequalities in Health?             The individually focused health promotion is primarily concerned with changing behaviour and promoting healthy lifestyle choices. However, the policy is also initiative is also geared at finding ways to make healthful choices easier for consumers and producers. The initiative is tied with different government and community initiatives. Personal behaviour patterns are not simply free choices about lifestyle, isolated from their social and economic context. Lifestyles, rather, are patterns of choices made from the alternatives that are available to people and influenced by the ease with which they are able to choose (Milio 1985). Individually focused initiatives are aware that inequalities exist. It has been found obesity is more common among lower social groups.               Despite the effort to bridge the inequalities is health, the “lifestyle choices” model of individually focused health promotion tend to look at the health problem as a lifestyle choice of an independent consumer. However, it must be taken into consideration that marginalized individuals and those low-income workers are often the sufferers of health problems.   Which Need does the Initiative Addresses?             The health initiative is applicable to Normative Needs. Normative needs are determined on the basis of research, professional opinion and value judgments. Different studies and researchers in the United Kingdom and in many parts of the world, reveal that Obesity has become a health epidemic that has tremendous effects on the individual, the community and the society.   What is the level of Prevention?             The level of prevention is at the primary and secondary. The approach of changing behaviour is more effective in the primary and secondary levels. Food preferences and behaviour are learnt from childhood onwards and become an integral part of how individuals identify themselves as socio-cultural beings (Lupton 1996). The choice of food that individuals eat is shaped by factors such as ethnic heritage (Helman 1984), financial status (Driver 1984) religious beliefs (Mares et al 1985) as well as personal preferences (Lyman 1989). Empowering individuals to make healthy dietary choices is an important aspect of health promotion as the self-care level. It is frequently felt by individuals that they have little control over many of the factors that determine their health, including the availability, accessibility and affordability of healthy foods (Kemm and Close 1995). However, the efforts people make to deal with their health concerns by working together, could involve people supporting each other emotionally, sharing ideas, information and experiences (Epp 1986). This mutual help may emerge within a family, a neighborhood, from a voluntary organisation or within a self-help group.               Individually focused health promotions on Obesity aim at prevention and management of lifestyle choices. Although these initiatives are considered effective. There are some members of the community who fail or resist to be treated. This is sometimes because of their social status. There are studies that reveal that low income groups tend to make the least use of preventive medicine and health education despite being in the poorest health conditions.    Are the Aims and Objectives clear?             The aims and the objectives of the initiative are clearly stated. The initiative aims to change behaviour and to promote healthy lifestyle among adults with obesity. The objective of the initiative is to encourage and convince individuals to take action regarding their health. The objective of the initiative is to educate, empower, support, monitor and manage individuals who seek help.   Which Quadrant of Beattie Model is used?             The personal counseling quadrant was used to assess the health promotion initiative. Beattie’s (1991) framework identifies health promotion activities around the dimensions of authoritative/negotiated and individual/collective. The initiative is primarily individual/collective.   Critical Analysis using Beattie Model             According to Beattie Model of health promotion, health promotion is essentially individually focused. This can be done either in an authoritarian manner by people who claim expert status of the health problem or through negotiation and techniques such as education and counseling. Individually focused health promotion initiatives on Obesity in the United Kingdom are negotiated with the responsibility of good health resting on the individual.               Perhaps one of the weaknesses of individually focused health promotion, according to its critics is its failure to take into account the structural constraints on people’s lives. There are evidences that health promotion campaigns become unsuccessful because it fails to take into account the environmental and social factors that are sometimes out of the individual’s control. For example, there are studies that obesity is linked to social status. Most poor families are at risk of obesity. Individually focused health promotion proposes that health problems such as obesity are the result of wrong lifestyle choices. Its critics argue that poor families have no or little choice and there are factors that hinder them from making the right choices. Programs that aim to achieve individual behavioral change simply through persuasion is also seen as flawed and unsuccessful. This is because such campaigns construct health problems such as obesity as a lifestyle choice, rather than understanding it within a material and cultural framework incorporating an analysis of class, gender and other inequalities. Critics of the individual approach have highlighted the limitations of the “lifestyle choice” model in which people are seen as consumers exercising market choice between healthy and unhealthy products (Naidoo 1986). Some people, particularly those who are marginalized and belong to low income families are rather hard to be categorized as independent consumers. Members of low income groups tend to make the least use of preventive medicine and health education experiencing the poorest health (Townsend et al 1988).             The increased use of market analogies in health and welfare in recent years has reinforce the “lifestyle-choice” model, which offers most to those with the economic and political resources with which to exercise meaningful choices. At the same time, inequalities in society have widened, as a result of increased unemployment and flexible working patterns including casual, part-time and low-paid employment (Brown and Scase 1991). This has led top the marginalization of some groups for whom deprivation is increasingly recognized as a critical influence on health-related behavior (Marsh and McKay 1994; Phillimore et al 1994).                         Perhaps one of the most criticized areas of individually focused health promotion is its tendency to blame the victim or the patient of the health problem. Because individually focused health promotion essentially believes that health is the responsibility of the individual and health problems arise because of the unhealthy choices that the individual makes, it sometimes fail to deal with the real issues. Marginalized citizens according to Kenner (1985) often find themselves unable to make healthy choices, because the choices most readily available represent unhealthy options.               If the victim-blaming approach of individually focused health promotion is criticized some areas of the approach are considered effective and essential. These areas include counseling whether individually or in groups, health education, empowerment and consultation. Counseling and other techniques may be useful interventions. These techniques are likely to appeal to health professionals who wish to work in supportive non-authoritarian ways. Whether authoritative or negotiated, individually focused health promotion needs to consider the broader issues in promoting health. Telling the patient to select healthy food items may be problematic if the pressures that lead to unhealthy food choices are not determined and analyzed.   Conclusion               The discussion above points out that health promotion among adults with obesity is among the top priorities of the British government. Obesity is one of the biggest problems in the United Kingdom. It has negative effects on individuals, the community and the society. In order to solve the problem, the government and its agencies, health and private organizations, local governments, communities, schools and other concerned bodies are cooperating in the promotion of health. One of the most notable health promotion initiatives is individually focused health promotion that seeks to change behaviour, educate and empower.  Individually focused initiates aim to encourage individuals to take responsibility for their own health, with the assistance and support from the government, the community and the health service providers.   References Avenell, A, Sattae, N and Lean Mike (2007) ABC of Obesity, Management: Part 1 – Behaviour Change, Diet and Activity, BMJ, viewed 15 March, 2008 <http://auraserv.abdn.ac.uk:9080/aura/bitstream/2164/134/1/bmj7571.pdf>. Blaxter, M (1990) Health and Lifestyles, Routledge, London.   Brown, P. and Scase, R. (eds) (1991) Poor Work: Disadvantage and the Division of Labour, Milton Keynes: Open University Press.   Chen, M and Bush J (1979) ‘Health Status Measures, Policy, and Biomedical Research’, in S Mushkin and D Dunlop (eds.), Health: Is It Worth It? Measures of Health Benefits, Pergamon Press, New York.   Debres, K (2005) ‘Burgers for Britain: A Cultural Geography of McDonald’s UK’, Journal of Cultural Geography, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 115+.   Foreyt J P, Poston W S C (1999) ‘The Challenge of Diet, Exercise and Lifestyle Modification in the Management of the Obese Diabetic Patient’, International Journal of Obese Related Metabolic Disorder, vol. 23.   Foreyt, J and Paschali (2001) ‘Behavior Therapy’, in P G Kopelman (ed.), The Management of Obesity and Related Disorders, Martin Dunitz, London.   Goldsmith, S (1972) ‘The Status of Health Indicators’, Health Service Reports, vol. 87, no. 3, p. 213.   Green, L W and Kreuter, M W (1991) Health Promotion Planning: An Educational and Environmental Approach, Mayfield, Toronto.   Greer, A (1986) ‘The Measurement of Health in Urban Communities’, Journal of Urban Affairs, vol. 8, p. 11.   Health Impact Assessment: Evidence Base of Health Determinants 2008, World Health Organization (WHO), viewed 15 March, 2008 <http://www.who.int/hia/evidence/doh/en/index1.html>.   Kenner, C. (1985) No Time for Women, London: Pandora Press.   Lalonde, M (1974) A New Perspective on the Health of Canadians, Ottawa, Canada.   Larson, J S (1991) The Measurement of Health: Concepts and Indicators, Greenwood Press, New York.   Leonard, W R (2002) ‘Food for Thought’, Scientific American, vol. 287, no. 6, pp. 106-111.   Lombard D, Lombard T, Winett R (1995) ‘Walking to Meet Health Guidelines: The Effects of Prompting Frequency and Prompting Structure’, Health Psychology, vol. 14, pp. 164-70.   Macdonald, T H (1998) Rethinking Health Promotion: A Global Approach, Routledge, London.   Macdonald, G and Bunton, R (2002) ‘Health Promotion: Disciplinary Developments’, in R Bunton and G Macdonald (eds.), Health Promotion: Disciplines, Diversity, and Development, Routledge, London.   Marsh, S. and McKay, S. (1994) Poor Smokers, London: Policy Studies Institute.   Marsh, P (2004) Poverty and Obesity, viewed 15 March, 2008             <http://www.sirc.org/ articles/poverty_and_obesity.shtml>.   Naidoo, J. (1986) ‘Limits to Individualism’ in S. Rodmell and A. Watt (eds) The Politics of Health Education, London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.   Parish (1995) ‘Health Promotion Rhetoric and Reality’, in R Bunton, S Nettleton and R Burrows (eds.), The Sociology of Health Promotion: Critical Analyses of Consumption, Lifestyle, and Risk, Routledge, New York.   Phillimore, P., Beattie, A. and Townsend, P. (1994) ‘Widening Inequality of Health in Northern England, 1981-91′ British Medical Journal, 308, 1125-8.   Rodmell, S and Watt, A (eds.) 1986, The Politics of Health Education, Routledge, London.   Schlosser, E (2002) Fast Food: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal, Perennial, New York.   Tones, K and Tilford, S (1994) Health Education, Effectiveness, Efficiency and Equity, Chapman and Hall, London.   Townsend, P., Phillimore, P. and Beattie, A. (1988) Health and Deprivation: Inequality and the North, London: Routledge.   WHO (1986) Ottawa Charter For Health Promotion, WHO, Geneva.   WHO (1986) ‘Lifestyles and Health, Regional Office for Europe, Health Education Unit’, Social Science and Medicine, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 117-124.         Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Identify a health initiative, critically and analytically discuss its potential for bringing about sustainable change

Identify a health initiative, critically and analytically discuss its potential for bringing about sustainable change Introduction ...

World Health Issues: HIV Prevention Approach United States of America, India, and China

World Health Issues: HIV Prevention Approach United States of America, India, and China   Introduction             The world is facing different problems, specifically in terms of achieving optimum health. It can be said that one of the most significant world health issue is human immunodeficiency virus or HIV. It has been noted that HIV epidemic is a tragedy, a tragedy of unfathomable proportion, in the lives people in the global community. Millions of people throughout the world have died of AIDS in little more than ten years, and it is estimated that there were 32.8 million people who are living with HIV and 2.5 million have been newly infected with HIV at the end of 2007 (Shah, 2008). One thinks of HIV disease first and foremost as a profound medical problem affecting a person’s health and longevity. A central consideration of people living with HIV disease, therefore, often concerns progress in the prevention, containment, and cure for this disease, as well as issues about their immediate health and health care. Primarily, the main goal of this paper is to discuss the different prevention programs used by various countries in dealing with the HIV.  For this the nations that will be given emphasis includes the United States of America, China and India.   Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome             Throughout the years, the devastating effects of infection human immunodeficiency (HIV), the virus which causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), seemed inevitable. Human immunodeficiency (HIV) is a virus that destroys the human immune system by incorporating its genetic material into specific immune system cells, thereby destroying the cells designed to protect us from disease. HIV disease is a term used to refer to an entire spectrum of infection with HIV — from the initial infection through the development of full-blown AIDS. Evidence of HIV infection has been found in more than 150 countries worldwide. The extent of the public health crisis occasioned by HIV disease is enormous — it is estimated that, as of 1995, as many as 20 million people worldwide are infected with human immunodeficiency. Human immunodeficiency (HIV)–of related illness was first described in the United States by doctors treating gay men in Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco in 1981. By 1983, the virus causing these illnesses had been identified and isolated, and by 1985, a test had been developed that could determine whether an individual had developed antibodies to HIV and was thus infected with the virus. Nonetheless, little is still known about the manner in which HIV destroys the human immune system, few effective treatments have been developed, and a vaccine or cure is not in sight. Although the disease (AIDS) itself has no cure, remarkable progress has been made in extending the life expectancy of individuals with HIV infections (Whitney, Cataldo & Rolfes, 2002).  In the United States, deaths from AIDS declined from a high of over 50,000 in 1995 to just 16,000 in 1999 (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, 2000). Without a cure however, the best course is still prevention.    HIV Prevention Initiative for USA, India, and China             It has been mentioned that HIV remains one of the most deadly chronic disease in the world. In this regard, prevention of HIV infection needs a continued commitment from the individual’s at risk, those infected, and the entire global society. It is said that the prevention efforts should be kept in pace with this epidemic. Realising the importance of the prevention of HIV, USA, China, and India has their way of preventing this deadly disease.             Consequently, the prevention of HIV is noted as the best way to stop individual becoming ill and dying with this chronic disease. Being the first country to identify AIDS, the USA has been able to recognise quickly the demand for efficient approaches to prevention. But, the US prevention approach has not always been able to achieve their goal and there are more people who are living with HIV in the country.             In the USA, there are various forms of prevention approach and the approach used depends on the specific group being addressed. Herein, some of the most usual prevention approach includes the campaign of using condoms, the prevention of mother-to-child transmission, and lastly harm reduction with drug users. Along with these approaches is the context of education. Through education, the understanding of Americans regarding HIV and how it is transmitted are enhanced. The context of educating people regarding AIDS, ant its consequences so that people can make informed choices is the core of the federal government’s HIV prevention approach which is known as the Advancing HIV Prevention (CDC, 2005). This approach also features potentially in the US Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) HIV Prevention Strategic Plan to 2010. The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control is the main institution which coordinates the prevention approach in the entire USA. The overarching HIV prevention objective of CDC in 2001 is the total reduction of the number of new HIV infections and to eliminate ethnic and racial disparities in line with the HIV counseling promotion, testing as well as referral activities and by encouraging HIV preventions for both the individual living with the virus and those individuals who are at high risks of having the disease.  However, in April 2003, the CDC announced major transformation in its HIV prevention approach. Herein, the new HIV prevention initiative is now known as Advancing HIV Prevention: New Strategies for a Changing Epidemic (CDC, 2005). This initiative is consisted of four approaches which have been recommended by the CDC to local or state health departments, community-based organisations and individual clinics which received federal support.             These include the creation of voluntary HIV testing as a routine part of medical care, the implementation of new models for testing individuals for HIV outside medical situations, preventing new infections by working with individual diagnosed with HIV and their partners and the reduction of the rate of HIV transmission from mother to child using opt-out testing from the mother and a routine testing of any child whose mother was not tested.             As mentioned, the previous aim of the CDC is to prevent HIV at persons at risk of being infected with the virus by giving funds for different programs which aims on reducing drug-using and sexual risk behaviour (CDC, 2005). On the other hand, the new HIV prevention approach or the AHP mainly focused on people who already have the virus. Herein, part of their program is to provide substantial amount for programmes prioritizing AHP.             It can be said that Education has played on important part for the HIV prevention programme of the United States. Herein, the federal government has allowed school organisations to widen the campaign for HIV prevention by teaching and informing the students regarding HIV and its risks.             After knowing the initiatives of US in preventing HIV, this part of the paper will give emphasis on discussing the HIV prevention approach of India. According to UNAIDS, there is an estimated 5.6 million individuals in India that lives with HIV as of 2006. This indicates that there are more people who are HIV positive India that any other nations in the world (UNAIDS, 2006), however this result was opposed by NACO and claimed that the actual number of people with HIV is lower (NACO, 2006).  In year 2007, both organisation have estimated that there were between 2 million-3.6 mullion Indian who live with HIV putting the country behind Nigeria and China in terms of numbers of people living with HIV (UNAIDS, 2007).             The prevalence of HIV in India is said to grow dramatically in the earlier times of the epidemic, however, there is a study which has been released that mentioned that the HIV infection rate has decreased in Southern India, the Area which has been highly affected by the infection and AIDS (Kumar et al, 2006). Furthermore, NACO has provided new figures which suggest that the number of people living with the virus has reduced (NACO, 2007). These claims are considered as the result of the intensive HIV prevention approaches in India, specifically with the increase used of Condom.             One of the approaches used by India is the education approach. Accordingly, educating the society regarding HIV/AIDS and how this disease can be prevented is complex in the country because of the language factors. This indicates that even if some HIV/AIDS prevention and education can be provided at the national degree, many if not most of the government efforts are best carried out at the local and state level. In India, the government has let each state to have their own HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control Society. This group carried local initiatives with the assistance from NACO.  In the second state of the Indian’s National AIDS Control Programme, which ended last March 2006, the government has provided funding for state AIDS control societies for blood safety checks, youth campaigns, as well as HIV testing among other HIV prevention programmes. Different public platforms were also considered to enhance the awareness of the people regarding the epidemic which includes radio dramas, concerts, TV Spots with famous Indian celebrities and a voluntary blood donation day. Furthermore, part of their prevention approach is to give messages to young individuals through education. Herein, teachers as well as peer educators have been trained to teach about the HIV/AIDS, and students has been educated through active learning sessions which includes role playing and debates (NACO, 2006).             Part of the HIV prevention program is their provision of US.5 billion budget which will be used for fighting HIV and AIDS, and most of these are used for prevention programmes.  The government of India believed that their campaign will place a strong emphasis on the use of condom. The government has supported the installation of over 11,000 condom vending machines as part of their HIV prevention programme in various places such as road-side restaurants, colleges, hospitals and gas stations and hospitals. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been supporting the HIV prevention programme of India and the Indian government has also implemented a campaign which is known as ‘Condom Bindas Bol!’ that includes public events, advertising, and celebrity endorsements. The main goal of this campaign is to break the notion which presently surrounds the use of condom in India, and to influence people that they should not be ashamed of buying or using it.             If the United States of America and India has their own HIV prevention programme, China is never an exemption. Accordingly, it is very complex to overstate the suffering in which HIV has caused in China. Accordingly, because of the failure of the government to educate the people regarding AIDS in the 80s and the 90s, the government are trying to initiate an approach which will lessen the prevalence of this chronic disease. In 2003, the Chinese government has been able to initiate HIV prevention to increase the awareness of the disease, decrease stigma and prevent a generalised HIV epidemic in the nation. This include the HIV testing outreach projects, educational campaigns and targeting high-risk groups as well as prevention of mother to child transmission.             In the country, the Chinese Education Ministry established the Basic Requirements for Health Education as early as the 90s. Such documents noted that the sexual morality as well as self-discipline must be taught so as to prevent HIV and AIDS (Chinese Ministry of Education).  Throughout the year, the government of China with the Chinese Education Ministry has been able to provide guidelines and policy documents which have been continually issued for reinforcing the need for HIV and AIDS education in schools (People’s Daily, 2003). In 2004 the State Council Document Number 7 have instructed all local governments to combine HIV/AIDS into the routine government agenda as an essential item and the local government must effectively and urgently respond to HIV/AIDS which is a priority connection to the benefit and interest of the Chinese people.             Part of their HIV prevention approach were the mass education campaigns for the general public to teach individuals how to prevent infection and to counter stigma and discrimination among those individuals infected with the disease (State Council Document, 2004). However, it can be said that despite of the Chinese government’s frequent educational regulations, it is still not clear on how much HIV education local authorities are presently implementing this campaign.  It is said that there is still an immediate need for public HIV education in the country. In a survey conducted in 2005, it has been found that 63% of participants perceived that it would be not safe to work in the same office with an individual infected with HIV, and 74% perceived that those people living with HIV should be banned from public places including public swimming pools(Yimin et al, 2005). The negative perceptions of people individuals with HIV/AIDS have also been recorded. Herein it shows that 44% of participants revealed that that most individuals with HIV are promiscuous and that 21% felt that these people were merely receiving the punishment that they deserve (Lau & Tsui, 2005).             Part of the HIV prevention programme is the prevention of mother to child transmission of the virus. It is noted that China has significantly few HIV cases which is relevant to mother to child transmission and an entirely low prevalence of HIV infection among pregnant women (BMJ, 2005). Nevertheless, as the epidemic of HIV and AIDS spreads to the general public, the percentage of infected women have a tendency to rise, as well as mother-to-child-transmission. In this regard, the government of China has been able to develop national guidelines and has been able to train number of health workers to prevent mother-to-child-transmission. The main objective of this programme is to assure that all pregnant women in high prevalence regions have access to HIV testing, HIV counselling and most especially HIV-preventive services (UNICEF, 2008). However, even if this has been considered UNAIDS have reported that in 2006 only 1.3% of those pregnant Chinese women received treatment in preventing mother-to-child-transmission(UNAIDS, 2006).             It has been noted that one of the hindrances of having an effective HIV prevention is that the majority of individuals infected with the disease in the country are not aware of their positive HIV status.  In this regard, the HIV testing approach is also essential for the infected individuals to seek treatment and to prevent transmission to other people.             In the global context, a survey of low and middle income nations in 2005 have been found that HIV prevention programmes have been able to reach 50% of sex works, 9% of men who have sex with men, 20% of injecting drug users and only 9% of HIV positive pregnant women has received drugs to prevent infection or transmission of the disease to their child. Globally, there is an estimate of 9% condom used for sex acts with a non marital situation and non-co-habiting partner in 2005. It has also been noted that the global supply of general public condoms is less than half of what is required to assure adequate condom coverage (UNAIDS/WHO, 2006).             Based on these statistics, it can be said that the HIV prevention all over the world still needs much development and improvement.  In some areas, progress is slowly being considered but there is still a very long path to travel. As national government and other institutions try to develop better programme to better HIV, these countries should do well in adapting the successful approaches made by some nations.   Conclusion             The world is facing intensive problems in terms of health of each individual, specifically in the growth of people infected with HIV. In this regard, different countries are trying to impose HIV prevention programme that will provide all the needs and assistance of their citizen in terms of awareness and prevention of this chronic disease. In this regard, it can be said that United States, India, and China has been able to initiate HIV prevention programmes to reduce and eliminate the danger of HIV among their people. Herein, the government of the USA, India and China and other health agencies are collaborating with each other to prevent, treat, and control the spread of this infectious disease which affects the lives of each individual.  It has been revealed that one of the most common approaches used by these three countries include the use of condom as part of their prevention programme. In addition, education was considered as a vital approach for making people aware of HIV and AIDS and how these can be prevented. It can be said that there is not singe best strategy or method to prevent HIV, herein, the response should be designed to fit the local situation as well as the state of the epidemic. However, most of the successful approaches whether in US, China and India do have at least three features in common. First, such HIV prevention programmes encourage open communication regarding HIV and AIDS and the activities that put individual at risk of infection while at the same instance fighting stigma and discrimination. On the other hand, these approaches can be considered to be pragmatic. Instead of trying to eliminate specific types of sexual behaviour or drug use, they identify that some individual will continue to do such things, and that they should be assisted to do so in a safety manner. And lastly, these health prevention approach involved the affected communities or individuals designing the programme and in initiating such HIV prevention programme. It can be said that in order to ensure HIV prevention programme success, strong leadership is important to have a long-term and sustained impact. This indicates that religious leaders, politicians and other authority must be actively involved in the response and must assure that this received sufficient resources.  All in all, it can be said that HIV prevention programme is a continuous endeavour that each country should be considered. HIV prevention programmes such as that of the United States, China and India should be measured for its effectiveness to ensure that the goals and objectives are being attained.   References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2000. HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report. Volume 12(1).   Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2005. HIV/AIDS among men who have sex with men fact sheet. [Online]. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/facts/msm.htm. 26 May 2008].     Chinese Ministry of Education 2004. ‘Brief Introduction of School HIV/AIDS Prevention Education in China’ International seminar/workshop on ‘Learning and empowering key issues in strategies for HIV/AIDS prevention, Chiang Mai, Thailand, March 1-5   Kumar R., Jha P. et al. (2006), ‘Trends in HIV-1 in young adults in south India from 2000 to 2004: a prevalence study’, The Lancet vol. 367:1164-1172   NACO 2006. Monthly updates on AIDS. [Online]. Available: http://www.nacoonline.org/NACO.  [26 May 2008].     People’s Daily (2003) “AIDS and drugs courses carried out in Schools”, March 14   Shah, A 2008. Health Issues. [Online]. Available: http://www.globalissues.org/health/.  [26 May 2008].     UNAIDS 2006. Report on the global AIDS epidemic. [Online]. Available: http://www.unaids.org/en/.  [26 May 2008].     UNAIDS 2006. 2.5 million people in India living with HIV, according to new estimates. [Online]. Available: http://data.unaids.org/pub/PressRelease/2007/070706_indiapressrelease_en.pdf.  [26 May 2008].                                          Whitney, EN, Cataldo, CB & Rolfes, SR (2002). Understanding Normal and Clinical Nutrition. Wadsworth/Thomas Learning: Belmont, CA.   Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

World Health Issues: HIV Prevention Approach United States of America, India, and China

World Health Issues: HIV Prevention Approach United States of America, India, and China Introduction The world is facin...

Fighting the Big C

Fighting the Big C                 Human existence is continuously threatened by the ever-changing world. From drastic   changes in lifestyle to climate issues, humans adapt accordingly to their environment. However,   through continuous mutation and evolution, different illnesses develop afflicting man’s life.               One of the major diseases affecting people of all ages in countries worldwide is the   cancer. Cancer occurs when a group of cells inside human body display uncontrolled growth   affecting adjacent tissues and sometimes spreading in other parts of the body through lymph or   bloodstream. There are no direct causes why cancer happens, however, abnormalities in the   genetic material makes the cells to transform which may be due to carcinogens such as tobacco   smoke, radiation or chemical agents. This may also be due to errors in DNA replication or   heredity.               In the Philippines, cancer is the third leading cause of mortality among Filipinos. Due to   its late showing symptoms, most cancer cases are detected only when the disease is already in   its advanced stage. Thus, for every two cancer victims annually, one will die within the year.   Because it poses as major life-threatening disease, different programs have been   conducted throughout the country to inform the people about how serious cancer is and how to   prevent it.               In Dagupan City, the local government has pledged its full support fighting against   cervical cancer. Collaborating with the Cervical Cancer Prevention Network Program (CEPAP),   the Cancer Institute Foundation Inc. (CIF) and Bravehearts, a multi-disciplinary crusade for   cervical cancer treatment and prevention, the city aimed at increasing the awareness about the   disease by effective information dissemination. The city government urged the female   government employees and residents to attend the lecture conducted by the Philippine Cancer   Society.               On the other hand, Makati City hosted an event dubbed as “Tour of Hope”, aimed at   creating awareness also on cervical cancer. It is a cycling event from Manila going to   Baguio. It was held March 20-24, 2010, starting off from University of Makati’s track oval kicking   off the 500-kilometer cycling tour.               Since then, the project Tour of Hope is aimed at increasing people’s awareness and raise   funds on various health issues affecting Filipinos’ lives. It is a non-profit initiative form group of   like-minded people from different walks of life setting up bicycle tours.               In the recent Father’s Day Celebration, Philippine Cancer Society provided free clinic   examination called Libreng Eksamen Para sa Prostate Cancer in San Miguel, Manila. The free   clinic service includes consultation, digital rectal examination and PSA and ultrasound.               Since 1988, the Philippine Cancer Control Program has begun aimed at establishing and   maintaining a systematic approach towards scientific progress and its practical applications into   an effective program that will reduce cancer mortality among Filipinos. There are six main pillars   of PCCP: Epidemiology and Research, PublicInformation and Health Education, Prevention and   Early Detection,Treatment, Training and Pain Relief.                         Moreover, the community-based Cancer Care/Control Network, begun in 1998, has   taking initiatives building empowered communities sharing responsibility for cancer care and   control in the Philippines. The CCCN has built the idea that if organizations and even individuals   cooperate with each other to achieve a common goal, their methods in fighting cancer will be   more effective. The CCCN provides medical education and training, research and evaluation, and   clinical management.               It has always been stressed out that prevention is still better than cure. Especially if your   talking about cancer. Don’t take for granted your health or you’ll be regretting at the end of the   day.               Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a key in preventing serious diseases. A balanced diet,   regular exercise, avoiding unhealthy practices such as drinking and smoking, and getting an   annual medical check-up will help to fight the Big C.               Countless lives had already been claimed by cancer. From prominent personalities to   ordinary people, there are no exceptions on who will be affected by this disease. Fame and   fortune is an not excuse on being afflicted, what only matters is how someone takes care of   himself when it comes to health issues.               The technology ever-improves, from aesthetic to medical cures. And this may be a key in   discovering faster and better cures for the dreadful cancer. Hopefully, patients need not to   undergone surgery and chemotherapy. There are lot of painful stories how chemotherapy   sessions are done. However, it’s only one of the limited options in curing cancer.               The government should pay more attention on programs and initiatives on information   dissemination, free medical check-ups and prevention seminars on this disease. It is a major   threat on million of Filipinos’ lives.                         Creating awareness in communities is essential especially in these times of increasing   trends of various cancer cases. We should help ourselves preventing the Big C, and there is no   better time than now.           References:   http://sundaypunch.prepys.com  http://www.thepoc.net http://newsinfo.inquirer.net http://jjco.oxfordjournals.org   Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Fighting the Big C

Fighting the Big C Human existence is continuously threatened by the ever-changing world. From drastic changes ...