WOW... The Dad with 54 Children..!

Declan Rooney, who has eight children of his own, insists he receives no money for his work in the UK.

Mr Rooney says he has fathered 17 boys and 14 girls since setting up his donor website last year. He claims another 15 women are pregnant by him. Brushing off criticism, he said: "Egg donors get treated like saints, sperm donors get treated like back alley, smutty boys - but I'm not doing a bad thing. "I'm not ashamed. I have helped women create families."

Mr Rooney, whose eight children were born to four different mothers, travels over 300 kilometres to meet women clients and says he charges only for his expenses.

His website says the service is on offer to lesbian couples, single women, bisexual women and heterosexual couples who cannot conceive themselves. He advertises on Facebook and through a mobile phone app. He claims his service has proved so popular that he even helped three women to conceive in a single 24-hour period.

"I've been inundated from the start," said the former web designer. "There were women who had been trying to have a baby for three or four years so it was very busy to begin with.

"I have helped people who have been to clinics where it's failed, and it has worked first time with me. There are more babies born in the UK by private donation than through private clinics."

Official guidelines for sperm donation state that legitimate donors should help create a maximum of ten families.

Mr Rooney claims to carry out health screening of all potential mothers as well as asking for proof of their income and benefits to ensure they can afford to look after a child.

He has claimed on his website that he is willing to help women either through artificial insemination or "naturally with no strings attached".

But he denies any suggestion that he has slept with women he is supposedly helping.

He told the Sunday Mirror: "I could have gone to bed with quite a few of my successes, but it's not about that. It's about helping other people."

His partner, with whom he has a three-year-old son, a two-year-old daughter and another daughter aged one, is supportive of his sperm donation service.

Experts have also raised fears that his children could grow up in the same area, raising the possibility that half-brothers and sisters might have children together...

What is the theme for World Aids Day 2015?

Celebrated every year on 1 December, World Aids Day 2015 calls for expanding antiretroviral therapy to all people living with HIV, the key to ending the AIDs epidemic within a generation, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The day is also a way to demonstrate international solidarity for people living with HIV and to commemorate the spirit of those who have died battling the deadly disease.

Run by WHO as one of its global public health campaigns, World Aids Day was the first ever global health day. Currently in its 28th edition, it was observed for the first time in 1988.

The theme of World Aids Day 2015 is: GETTING TO ZERO; end Aids by 2030.
The theme complies with UNAIDS's fast-track strategy to end the Aids epidemic by 2030. The strategy aims at averting 21 million Aids-related deaths, 28 million new HIV infections and 5.9 million new infections among children by 2030.

"Ending the AIDS epidemic and leaving no one behind in the response will profoundly affect the lives of millions of people around the world, for generations to come," UNAIDS executive director Michel Sidibe said to mark World Aids Day.

According to a latest global report by UNAIDS, the number of people on life-saving antiretroviral drugs has doubled since 2010, while incidents of new cases have fallen by 35% since 2000. In June, about 15.8 million people out of a total of 37 million people living with HIV were taking the drugs.

"The Millennium Development Goal of reversing the HIV epidemic was reached ahead of the 2015 deadline - an incredible achievement that testifies to the power of national action and international solidarity," WHO director general Margaret Chan said.

EVENTS AND OBSERVANCES around the world...
Tens of thousands of individuals and community groups from across the globe take part in events to mark World Aids Day each year. The activities are also aimed at creating awareness about HIV, on how it is transmitted and how it is not.

The observances are also educated about social stigma against people living with HIV as well as for showing support to those who have the virus. A host of events are line up for the full week to mark World Aids Day around the world.

In the United States, the White House is hosting a World Aids Day event online. Watch the event live on 1 December from 1pm to 3.15pm ET (6pm to 8.15pm BST).

In Rivers State, Nigeria. The State Government has declared free voluntary counseling and testing in all the 23 local government of the state.

STOP THE DISCRIMINATION TODAY.. It could happen to anyone...

WORLD AIDS DAY: 10 facts about HIV/AIDS in 2015

Despite major advances, HIV/AIDS remains one of the world's most significant public health challenges, particularly in low and middle income countries, with new diagnoses every year and young women in sub-Saharan Africa seen as being particularly at risk.

World AIDS Day on December 1 is used to unite people in the fight against HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus first identified in 1984, to show their support for people living with HIV and commemorate those who have died. The member countries of the United Nations agreed in September in a new set of global goals to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

Here are some facts about AIDS in 2015 with data from the World Health Organisation, the United Nations children's agency UNICEF, and UNAIDS:

1. Globally about 36.9 million people are living with HIV including 2.6 million children

2. An estimated two million were infected in 2014

3. An estimated 34 million people have died from HIV or AIDS, including 1.2 million in 2014

4. The number of adolescent deaths from AIDS has tripled over the last 15 years

5. AIDS is the number one cause of death among adolescents in Africa and the second among adolescents globally

6. In sub-Saharan Africa, the region with the highest prevalence, girls account for seven in 10 new infections among those aged 15-19

7. At start of 2015, 15 million people were receiving antiretroviral therapy compared to one million in 2001

8. Despite widespread availability of HIV testing, only an estimated 51% of people with HIV know their status

9. The global response to HIV has averted 30 million new HIV infections and nearly 8 million deaths since 2000

10. In 2015, Cuba was the first country declared to have eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV

STOP THE DISCRIMINATION TODAY... It could happen to anyone....

BENUE STATE now ranked 9th in HIV/AIDs prevalence in Nigeria...

Mrs Eunice Ortom, wife of Benue State Governor, on Sunday, said that the state was now ranked ninth in the current HIV/AIDS prevalence rating in the country.

Ortom, who is also the Chairman, Board of Governors for Benue State Aids Control Agency (BENSACA), said this during the launch of the “Guinness World Record on HIV Test” in Markurdi.

NAN reports that the HIV/ AIDS prevalence rate by states in Nigeria was published by National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA) after the 2013 National Aids Reproductive Health Survey.

It showed that Rivers with 15.2 per cent topped the new prevalence chart, as Taraba with 10.5 per cent is second, while Kaduna has 9.2 per cent to be on the third. Nasarawa, FCT, Akwa Ibom, Sokoto and Oyo are on the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth spots respectively on the prevalence rate chart.

She said Benue had over the years been rated highest in HIV and AIDS prevalence, adding that with such laudable HIV test event, it was indicative that the journey to achieving zero case was “just a mile away”. She also added that “Benue had the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in Nigeria, but due to the dedicated and collaborative efforts of BENSACA and other partners, the state had been lifted to be the ninth in the country.

“Our focus over the years is to get to zero prevalence, which implies zero infections, zero HIV-related deaths and zero discrimination against persons with the virus.

The BENSACA chairman quoted a World Health Organisation (WHO) report which indicated that 7,000 persons were newly infected with the virus everyday in spite of the global adoption of getting to zero case.

She said AHF planned to break the Guinness World Record on HIV test by testing 10,000 persons and issuing results to all in eight hours, thereby ensuring that people got access to testing and counseling services as urgently as possible.

The governor’s wife said “the concept of testing 10,000 persons and producing results within eight hours is, therefore, not just an exercise for the purpose of breaking the Guinness World Record, but to send a strong message to the world.

“The message is that testing is the first step to prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS and everyone needs to know his or her status.”

In achieving zero prevalence, Mrs Ortom said, it was critical to target epidemic hot spots in mega cities to ensure equitable access to quality, cost effective HIV prevention and programmes, among others.

She said that the policy statement of UNAIDS and WHO noted that HIV testing must be anchored in a human right approach that paid due respect to ethical principles.

Ortom added that in developing counties like Nigeria, home-based HIV testing and counselling was an emerging approach toward addressing confidentiality issues.

According to her, HIV test must be confidential and must be accompanied by counselling for those who test positive with the informed consent of the person been tested.

Do you agree with this? Leave your comments below...

WORLD PNEUMONIA DAY: 10 things you should know about Pneumonia...

Its yet another November 12th, Oh Yes! Its World Pneumonia Day. A day that provides an annual forum for the world to stand together and demand action in the fight against pneumonia. Hence, i have put together 10 things you need to know about Pneumonia.. Please continue reading..

1. The risk of pneumonia is not the same for everyone.
Anyone can contract pneumonia , but the risk is higher for young children, older adults, people who smoke cigarettes and people with chronic health conditions (like asthma, diabetes and HIV/AIDs).

2. Viruses are usually the culprit .
While bacteria is an important cause, most cases of pneumonia are actually caused by viruses like human rhinovirus , influenza or respiratory synctial virus (RSV). There are also many viruses that we don’t normally associate with pneumonia, like measles and chickenpox, that can be causative, as well as fungi and chemical exposures. Unfortunately, the only way to really know the cause of a pneumonia is to get a direct sputum sample, which is difficult.

3. The symptoms of pneumonia are not always fever, cough and shortness of breath.
Pneumonia can also cause chest pain, mimicking a heart condition, and it can cause people to cough up blood, mimicking other serious problems like a pulmonary embolism or pulmonary edema.

4. Pneumonia spans the age groups and acts differently in each one.
A pneumonia in a two-month old child looks very different than a pneumonia in a 16-year old. In fact, many times the only sign of pneumonia in an infant is an increased respiratory rate. Teenagers can often get a "walking pneumonia " that is generally mild enough that they may not even present to a doctor's office. For older adults, the only symptom of pneumonia may be fatigue or confusion.

5. This illness can normally be diagnosed based on history and physical exam alone.
With a good enough story, abnormal vital signs, or abnormal breath sounds, a clinician may be able to tell that you have pneumonia without doing any testingatall. However, a chest x-ray, blood work, and possibly a sputum sample or a nasal swab can help narrow in on the diagnosis and the specific cause.

6. Pneumonia is not always contracted by person-to-person spread.
It is true that it is most transmissible via decreased hand washing practices and close contact with someone who is coughing or sneezing — and thereby spreading his or her respiratory infection. However, pneumonia can also be contracted through aspiration (accidentally getting food or liquid into the respiratory tract), or through faulty cooling systems (like the recent Legionnaire's outbreak).

7. Contracting pneumonia in the hospital is different than contracting it during daily life.
In fact, when diagnosing a patient with pneumonia, clinicians have to specify whether it was acquired in the community (community-acquired pneumonia or CAP) or in a healthcare setting (hospital-acquired pneumonia or HAP). This is because the distinction drastically changes the potential bugs causing the infection and therefore also changes the treatment methods.

8. Vaccines can help prevent the contraction of pneumonia.
In fact, the CDC recommends that every person age 65 and older get vaccinated against pneumonia . People in this age group should should receive two pneumococcal vaccines to help protect against the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia, Streptococcus pneumoniae . Children under age five automatically receive four doses of the pneumococcal (Prevnar) vaccine as part of the normal vaccination schedule. Getting a yearly influenza vaccine can also help prevent one of the most common causes of viral pneumonia.

9. Pneumonia can be prevented in certain situations by using an incentive spirometer.
Clinicians worry about pneumonia development when patients are in situations that limit their ability to breathe deeply due to pain or positioning, like during recovery from surgery or rib fractures. It may be more comfortable to breath shallowly, but this predisposes the lungs to infection. For this reason, clinicians prescribe incentive spirometers to encourage patients to take frequent deep breaths.

10. Pneumonia is a GLOBAL health problem.
According to the CDC , pneumonia is the LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH younger than age 5 worldwide, killing nearly one million children per year. .

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS ARTICLE... Leave your comment below please....

LASUTH performs First Successful Kidney Transplant...

Yesterday, LASUTH(Lagos State University Teaching Hospital) joined the league of hospitals that offers kidney transplant services following a successful kidney transplant on a 56-year- old man in Lagos.

The life-saving procedure which took two and half hours was the first of its kind in the tertiary institution.

Speaking on the feat, the elated Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Wale Oke, said the successful kidney transplant was part of the state government’s promises to deliver excellent healthcare services to the people of Lagos State.

Oke revealed that prior to the surgery, several consultations were made to ensure that the patients were well selected to avoid complications after the exercise. “But thank God today, both the donor and recipient are in sound health,” he said.The Chief medical Director who assured Lagosians that the hospital would continue to bring such services in-country.

Speaking, leader of the transplant team, a Consultant Nephrologist, Dr. Jacob Awobusuyi, said the initiative was conceived three years ago. Awobusuyi explained that gaining the confidence of the patients was very tough but after the operation, they were both excited.

“Before the operation, both the 56-year-old recipient and the 26-year-old donor who was the patient’s nephew expressed concern. But after the operation they were both fine,” he said.

SAD: Girl Born Without a Face...!!

Khadija Khatoon Khadija, 21, from Kolkata, West Bengal, Eastern India, was born without a face and her mouth is a small slit on the left side of her face. When she was born, concerned doctors were baffled by her condition for months. Although it has never been confirmed, they believe she has a form of neurofibromatosis, a rare deformity that causes tumours to grow along nerves. Medics told Khadija and her family there was nothing they could do after extra skin continued to grow out of control.

“She was born at home but she didn’t open her eyes. She was born with thick heavy eyelids and she looked different to my other children at birth but we didn’t think anything of it until we realised she couldn’t open her eyes properly.” her mother Amina 50, said.

“When we took her to the hospital she was admitted for six months and they did lots of tests but doctors eventually told us there was nothing they could do. Because the doctors told us there was nothing they could do we never went back to them. And as Khadija got older she refused any help. Doctors told us when she was a baby that if she attempted surgery she could die, so we have lived with that fear. Now that Khadija is much older she has decided herself that she doesn’t want to have surgery. She doesn’t want to risk dying.”

Khadija said:
“I’m made this way and I accept it graciously. I do what I can. If this is how I’m meant to be then I live with it. It’s not a matter of coping, I just live as I am”She continued: “I don’t have any real friends but I have my family. My family is my only friend and I love them dearly. My parents are my world. I don’t talk to strangers. This is who I am and this is the life I live and I fill my days sitting and thinking, talking to my mother about life and going for walks near my home. I like drinking tea. I am happy in this life”

What do you think about Her Condition.. Leave your comments below...

BABY BORN WITH ONE EYE(CYCLOPIA)

The tragic infant is expected to only live a few days as a result of
suffering from the rare birth defect cyclopia.

The boy, whose family chose to release the image, was born at a
private hospital to an Egyptian mother in the town of El
Senbellawein, northern Egypt.

It is reported that doctors think the deformities could be the result
of medicines taken by the mother or from radiation exposure.

The infant has a full head of hair, large ears and other deformities
on his body says Dr Ahmed Badruddin, who is supervising the baby’s
condition.

Dr Ahmed Badruddin said due to the infant’s condition, he was only
expected to survive for short time...

In recent years there have been a number of reported cases of the
cyclopia occurring in humans and animals.

In 2012 a kitten was born with an eye in the centre of its head with
no developed nose.

And in 2006 a baby girl in India passed away one day after being
born as a result of the condition and her brain being fused into a
single hemisphere.

The condition occurs once in every 250 embryos but often sees the
pregnancy fail to last a full term.

Keep staying Healthy, Informed and Entertained...

Take the years off your face with a No-Knife therapy ...

You really need to read this...!!!

People age with time and the effects are most noticeable and manifested foremost on the skin. The face sags and wrinkles appear due to gravity and sun. Therefore we must be prepared to take effective measures so that we can flaunt a younger looking skin for a long time. Various therapies and techniques are used for skin anti-aging purposes. Surgical interventions and cosmetic surgery for facelifts usually requires a long healing period. And often many people try to shirk off the idea of a surgery involving cuts and knifes. Thus those who are contemplating a facelift but want to avoid surgery can consider a breakthrough in skin anti-aging called Ultherapy. 

Ultherapy is a micro-focussed ultrasound treatment for skin tightening. It is a 60-90 minutes treatment that uses your body’s own regenerative response to gently and gradually restore memory to the skin and underlying tissues. Skin is one of the most delicate parts of the body which requires proper care as negligence can make the skin age at an earlier date. Skin care requires both external and internal care; facial massages can tighten the skin muscles, improve the blood circulation and clears the dead cells thereby maintains a beautiful, glowing and younger looking skin. However after reaching a certain age the skin will anyhow begin to show the signs of aging and therefore will require some extra efforts to keep the skin looking younger for a longer period. Ultherapy uses ultrasound to work deep within the skin layers and eventually tightens it thus improving skin texture and tone. 

Aptly called the ‘lunchtime lift’, Ultherapy provides an immediate smoothing effect by slowing down the aging process by creating new structural collagen. 

The therapy is USFDA approved for skin tightening of the face and neck. You see improvement initially and they continue for 6 months. Unlike lasers, which penetrate the skin from the outside-in, Ultherapy bypasses the surface of the skin, specifically targeting the deep, structural skin tissues where collagen lives. The Ultherapy is different from other non-surgical treatments that it focuses on ultrasound pulse energy into the tissue, working from the inside-out delivering thermal energy. This thermal energy revs up collagen producing engines within the tissues, resulting in the production of new collagen and markedly improving the elasticity of the skin. The effect lasts for upto 2 1/2 years after which you may need a retreatment since you are 21/2 years older!! 

The ideal candidate is someone between 35 and 60 with early signs of laxity. These patients see results within three to six months with a single treatment. Patients over the age of 60 may require a second treatment in six months. Many patients are looking to stay competitive in the workforce, which they believe is tied to their appearance. Whether improving their appearance to look more vibrant or for the associated confidence boost, people perceive this to be important and they come into the clinics looking for help. 

Knife-less therapy for timeless beauty 
~ Ultherapy, a non-invasive cosmetic procedure gives natural yet noticeable results ~ 

Forty-year old Harsimran got all excited when she received an invitation for a college reunion. Reminiscing old times, she smiled thinking how popular she was, especially for her looks. But the smile vanished as soon she saw herself in the mirror. After two kids and a life revolving around family and work, her face had sagged and she had developed fine lines, pigmentation and dullness on her skin. All of a sudden she got scared of the idea of meeting her college friends again. What would they say? She did not want her pretty image shattered. 

Sigh! Only if reality had a Photoshop to make us look flawlesshb at all ages. Nonetheless, there is cosmetic surgery to the rescue. But alas, most of us are scared of going under the knife and do not want needle stings. Thanks to advances in medical science, a breakthrough in skin anti-ageing treatment called Ultherapy has been invented. The new fad is being vouched by Hollywood celebrities such as Courtney Cox, Jennifer Aniston and Kim Kardashian to name a few and everyone is singing praises for this painless no-knife treatment. 

Dr Shahin Nooreyezdan, Senior Consultant – Cosmetic Surgery, Apollo Cosmetic Clinics Delhi says, “Beautiful, glowing younger looking skin requires intensive care, both internally and externally. Especially, after crossing 30's this process requires extra effort to overcome the signs of ageing. A relatively new therapy for India, Ultherapy provides an immediate smoothing effect by slowing down the aging process by creating new structural collagen and eventually tightens it thus improving skin texture and tone.” 

Today, Ultherapy is being used in more than 55 countries and around 40 scientific papers have been published on the procedure. More than twice that number of scientific lectures have also been delivered at various platforms. 

Also known as the ‘lunchtime lift’, Ultherapy is a micro-focused ultrasound treatment for skin tightening. Yes, an ultrasound system, normally used for viewing baby growth in pregnant ladies. Conveniently termed as 'lunchtime lift' it requires no overnight stay at the clinic. “You can literally choose to get it done in your lunch hour and go back to work.  It is a mere 60-90 minutes’ treatment that uses your body’s own regenerative response to gently and gradually restore memory to the skin and underlying tissues”, says Dr Nooreyezdan 

Approved by the USFDA, improvements continue for 6 months. Different than lasers, which penetrate the skin from the outside-in, Ultherapy bypasses the surface of the skin, specifically targeting the deep, structural skin tissues where collagen lives. The technique uses ultrasound pulse energy to enter into the tissue, working from the inside-out delivering thermal energy. This thermal energy revives the collagen producing engines within the tissues, resulting in the production of new collagen and markedly improving the elasticity of the skin. The effect lasts for up to two and a half years after which you may need another session as you have become two and a half years older too!! 

Dr Nooreyezdan added, “Ultherapy is recommended for those between 35 and 60 with early signs of laxity. These patients see results within three to six months with a single treatment. Patients over the age of 60 may require a second treatment in six months. Treatments specific for certain areas such as the chin, eyes or brow can last for several years.” 

While fillers and Botox are overpriced, can be painful and need to be done regularly, Ultherapy gives a great natural-looking freshening up alternate. 

Do give it a shot and feel the difference yourselves! 

Keep staying Healthy, Informed and Entertained..

COMPARING Spread of AIDS and EBOLA in Africa....'Ebola is AIDS on Steroids'..

Just weeks after Sierra Leone discharged its last patient, a new study reflects on the lessons learnt from the recent
outbreak of Ebola, comparing it with that of AIDS in Africa in the early 1980s. The authors conclude that both Ebola and
AIDS spread rapidly due to the slow international response and the failure of various public-health systems to deal with
the root causes of the epidemics.

"For AIDS, initially it was more important to place blame and stigmatise potential sources of the disease than it was to
work towards knowledge mobilisation and prevention activities. For Ebola, the magnitude of the problem was
underestimated and the severity of the outbreak largely ignored."

Alan Whiteside and Nicholas Zebryk in the Canadian Journal of African Studies name fear and stigma as major factors in
allowing disease to spread: "[They] threaten the ability to identify cases, provide care, and bring the epidemic under
control." In the case of the AIDS epidemic, public fears of both the disease and those infected by it reduced once public
understanding of the illness increased. Ebola's much more infectious nature may always lead to higher levels of fear, but
"demonising the epidemic and its victims will not help."

Both Ebola and AIDS, in their view, are diseases that mainly take hold in countries with inadequate health-care systems
or where people -- including gay men in Africa -- cannot access care. The 'virtually non-existent' health systems in
Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea made monitoring disease difficult, and increased the likelihood of future outbreaks.
Worse, their conflict-damaged infrastructure simply could not respond -- and what responses were made were based on
fear, not science, a pattern seen in the early days of AIDS.

With the current outbreak of Ebola on the wane, and decades of science behind HIV/AIDS, the authors admit that the two
diseases pose different challenges: "With Ebola, the major challenge is infection control. With AIDS … it is to be able to
cover the long-term financial costs of treatment."

"In many ways, Ebola can be described as 'AIDS on steroids', although in the long run it may be more easily controlled.,"
the authors conclude.

Story credit: sciencedaily.com

Keep staying Healthy, Informed and Entertained....

WORMS REMOVED FROM WOMAN'S BRAIN AFTER YEARS OF HEADACHE...

DOCTORS removed multiple tapeworm eggs from inside a woman's brain after she complained of suffering from severe
headaches for nine months.

The sacs of larvae from eight tapeworm eggs inside Yadira Rostro's head had been growing when doctors found them.
Ms Rostro, 31, from Garland in Texas, told ABC's News8: "Sometimes my sight was impaired… I could not see properly."

It is thought that Ms Rostro picked up the parasite from contaminated food while on holiday in Mexico two years ago.

But rather than passing through her system, the parasite reached her brain through her bloodstream. It resulted in a
collection of fluid which caused the headaches.

The parasite was removed during surgery at the Methodist Dallas Medical Center earlier this month. Neurosurgeon Dr
Richard Meyrat said: "They looked a little bit like eggs, and they had a clear sac. And inside it, a small tapeworm."

Dr Meyrat added his patient, who will make a full recovery, was "happy to be alive".

Keep staying Healthy, Informed and Entertained....

BREAKING NEWS: UNTH RESIDENT DOCTORS SUSPEND STRIKE...

According to MedicalWorld Nigeria..The Association of Resident doctors of the university of Nigeria Teaching Hospital
(UNTH) has suspended its 11 week old strike.

The Association of Resident Doctors, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital held an emergency Congress on Thursday
17th September, 2015 to deliberate on the recent moves made by President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR through the Office
of the Head of Civil Service of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHSCF) and the outcome of the meeting held
between representatives of ARD UNTH, some elders of the Medical Profession in UNTH and the UNTH Management...

This comes as a great news to the masses, as these past weeks(month) have been really challenging... However, there
is a plea to all other State Association of Resident Doctors(who are still on strike) to PLEASE call off the strike in their
various Hospitals...

Keep staying Healthy, Informed and Entertained...

World's first Head Transplant to be performed by 2017..!!

Hmmnn.. Interesting stufff.. Imagine being in another person's body (head present BUT other parts absent).

An Italian-Chinese medical team plan to perform the world's first head transplant in China, one of
the surgeons said Friday, amid concerns over medical ethics in the country.

Ren Xiaoping, who along with Italian surgeon Sergio Canavero, hope to attempt the procedure within two
years, but only if the preparatory research and tests go according to plan, Ren said.

"A lot of media have been saying we will definitely attempt the surgery by 2017, but that's only if every step
before that proceeds smoothly," Ren told AFP.

Canavero, who leads the Turin Advanced Neuromodulation Group, first announced his project in 2013, saying
at the time that such a procedure could be possible as soon as 2016.

The man who has volunteered for the operation is Russian-born Valery Spiridonov, 30, who suffers from
Werdnig-Hoffmann disease, which is a progressive and incurable wasting ailment.

Ren said the operation would likely take place at Harbin Medical University in China's northeast Heilongjiang
province.

He declined to say where a donated body might come from and said he was unsure if the donor would be
Chinese.

High demand for organs in China and a chronic shortage of donations mean that death row inmates have been
a key source for years, generating heated controversy. However, China has pledged not to use the organs of
executed prisoners, but experts have voiced scepticism about the plan, arguing that organs will continue to be
harvested from inmates but that they will now be classified as"donations".

Keep staying Healthy, Informed and Entertained...!!!

600 Nigerian Couples to take part in best HIV treatment Strategy..!

About 600 Sero-discordant couples where one partner is HIV positive and the
other is not will take part in a new research study to help decide the best
HIV Treatment Strategy that will reduce the rate of infection in the
population.

A study by the National Agency for Control of AIDS (NACA) is to help decide
whether health workers choose to administer the anti-retroviral drug,
Truvada- as a prevention or treatment for HIV/AIDS.

Multiple studies have established that anti-retroviral drugs could be used to
reduce the rate of infection in a population in two different ways, known by
the acronyms PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) and TasP (Treatment as
Prevention).

Director General, National Agency for Control of AIDS (NACA), Prof. John
Idoko disclosed that the study is being carried out in Nigeria to see if it will
work under normal conditions.

"The whole idea is to see if it will work so well in this situation, and if it
does, it will become a policy. NACA understands that, given the data and
experience to be gained from the project, it should be possible to present
this to stakeholders for consideration as part of policy and guidelines for the
comprehensive combination preventing program in the country."

Keep staying Healthy, Informed and Entertained...

WORLD FIRST AID DAY CELEBRATED TODAY...!!!

World First Aid Day is a global observance held on the second Saturday in September. It was
instituted by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in 2000
and has been celebrated each year ever since.

The term “first aid” refers to the assistance given to anyone suffering a sudden injury or illness.
Its main goals are to preserve life and prevent the condition from worsening. It is not always
performed by medical personnel. In emergency situations, ordinary people often have to perform
first aid to save someone's life.

First aid does not necessarily require any prior knowledge and can involve improvisation. However,
if the person performing first aid doesn't know what they are doing, they might hurt instead of
helping. That is why the IFRC encourages people to undergo basic first aid training or at least
educate themselves using any available reliable sources.

World First Aid Day aims at raising awareness of how first aid can prevent injuries and save lives in
everyday and crisis situations, as well as at promoting the accessibility of the first aid. Events and
activities held on this day focus on first aid training. Every year, a new global theme for the day is
chosen, and participants are encouraged to plan events according to the current year's theme.

Keep staying Healthy, Informed and Entertained.....