Let’s begin with some global facts about water from different sources- World Health Organization, United Nations, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, WaterAid and World Bank!

• Between 50 and 100 liters of water are needed daily by each person in order to meet most basic needs which include 2 liters for drinking.
• About 884 million people in the world do not have access to safe drinking water and up to 2.6 billion people lack access to basic sanitation- 40% of the world’s population.
• At least 1.8 billion people use drinking water sources that are contaminated with feces.
• Contaminated water causes up to 502,000 deaths due to diarrhea yearly and chiefly transmits other diseases such as cholera, dysentery, typhoid and polio.
• Without water focused interventions, half of the world’s population will be living in water-stressed areas by 2025.
• Guinea Worm Disease and Trachoma are severe infections spread through contaminated water. The former is characterized by worms emerging from the body through blisters on the skin while Trachoma is the world’s leading cause of preventable blindness, affecting up to 41 million people.
• Arsenic in drinking water is a major public health threat. In Bangladesh, about 100,000 cases of skin lesions have been caused by arsenic.
• Approximately 30 million people suffer from chronic fluorosis in China alone.
• Nearly 75,000 deaths of children under the age of five in Nigeria can be traced to poor access to water.

Heard enough? Well, I thought so. Thing is… the daily life (and health) of human beings, animals and plants is dependent on water. In addition, water shortage cannot be separated from two other inter-related factors – sanitation and health. This is because water shortage can force people to use unclean and unsafe water despite the consequences. Interventions for tackling the challenge of water shortage include providing more boreholes and other water sources while the health consequences of contaminated water can be averted by education and campaigns about basic hygiene practices.

These days, it seems the ‘hype’ around HIV/AIDS is diminishing… some people now consider infection by this once thought-to-be deadly and highly feared virus as ‘just an inconvenience’ since infected people live longer and healthier than before. Hence, there’s the resistance to adhere to stringent measures of protection to prevent infection and transmission. This is really unfortunate because HIV is still as deadly as it was in 1983- when it was first discovered. The only difference today however, is the wealth of available and accessible resources from which information and support about prevention and treatment can be obtained. Despite current improvements, people still have to remain on antiretroviral Therapy (ART) throughout their life time to prevent full blown AIDS. Now if you ask me… that’s more than ‘just an inconvenience’.

There are few important and enlightening facts about HIV/AIDS according to World Health Organization (WHO), they include:

• HIV/AIDS is still one of the world’s most significant public health challenges, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. So, if you’re looking to have your foot prints on the sands of time, save the world by finding a cure for this virus!
• More people are becoming infected with HIV, particularly men who have sex with men, people in prisons and other closed settings, injection drug users, sex workers and transgender people.
• As mentioned earlier, due to recent advances in access to resources such as antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV-positive people now live longer and healthier lives. However, this does not in any way undermine the potency or virulence of the virus as an entity.
• In total, more than 70 million people have been infected with the HIV globally and approximately half of them (35 million) have died.
• ART can prevent onward transmission of HIV. Hence, encourage all infected people to continue using their drugs because successful suppression of the virus delays progression to AIDS.
• At the end of 2015, 17.0 million people were receiving ART worldwide; this represents 46% (43–50%) of all people living with HIV. Remember, undiagnosed cases are not accounted for.
• Globally, 36.7 million [34.0–39.8 million] people were living with HIV at the end of 2015. To put this number in perspective…. Some countries have a population of 35 million… it’s like saying that everyone in one of those countries has HIV!

Bottom line, let’s endeavor to take advantage of the available resources to protect ourselves and our loved ones as well as support people living with HIV/AID- this will reduce the global burden of the virus/disease economically and socially. WHO-suggested prevention and treatment means include testing, male circumcision, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and counseling.

My suggestion… good old abstinence!

Be safe, Ciao!

Food Security is defined as a situation where all individuals at every time have both physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food required to meet their dietary needs in order to achieve an active and healthy life. The foregoing definition was put forward at the 1996 World Food Summit and shows that many of us may really be food insecure. It’s no longer news that the world’s population, currently at 7.4 billion, is projected to reach 9 billion by 2050. Consequently, the World Bank recommends the need to produce at least 50% more food than currently available to sustain life. Population growth is very challenging for many reasons- and the most important is the fear or need for survival… for food! Despite the continued increase in population, the world’s resources are becoming scarce especially due to climate change and mismanaged depletion by mankind.

Bringing this fact home to Nigeria- a country without much agricultural prospects, the problem of food insecurity becomes much more frightening. The direct consequence of food insecurity is an explosion in food prices- the price of rice for example! Increase in food prices affect poor families which can result in unfortunate medical outcomes such as malnutrition, underweight, general weakness, reduced blood pressure, heart muscle atrophies, poor coordination and increased irritability. On a broader social level, children may have to drop out of school if there is not enough money for their parents to afford basic needs such as food. This clearly presents intergenerational and ripples of lifelong effects on the social, physical, and mental well-being of millions of children and young people. More specifically, malnutrition causes decreased learning capacity, lower productivity, increased morbidity and mortality- especially in children, where one-third of all child deaths globally is attributed to malnutrition.

By now, I’m sure you understand that food, and its security or insecurity, is a definite determinant of health and an indispensable one at that. Thankfully, there’s a way out… investment in agriculture and rural development in order to enhance food/animal production and nutrition should be a priority for Nigeria. Matter of fact, as my lovely sister once said, Nigerians need to be reminded that there’s dignity in labor… yes, in farming! Activities such as encouraging young farmers and entrepreneurs, creating employment through the establishment of agricultural companies, promoting climate-smart farming techniques, restoring degraded farmlands, breeding more resilient and nutritious crops, growing birds and animals for consumption, improving storage methods and supply chains for reducing food losses should be investment in. These will go a very long way in averting the impending danger of food insecurity in Africa’s most populous nation.

Health and Security concerns are usually handled on a global level and can be referred to as Global Health security. The World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define Global Health Security as the broad range of policies, activities and programs that provide protection from infectious disease threats that may result from the emergence and spread of new unfamiliar microbes, globalization of travel and trade, increase in drug resistance and potential release of harmful microbes from laboratories, either deliberately or in-deliberately. Global health security measures are kept in place to prevent epidemics, outbreaks and bioterrorism. Bioterrorism is terrorism involving the intentional release or distribution of biologically dangerous agents especially for warfare. These agents may include bacteria, viruses, or toxins, and could exist in naturally occurring or modified forms.

Besides Bioterrorism, the present day’s exceedingly mobile, mutually dependent and well connected world avails numerous opportunities for the fast spread of infectious diseases. These infectious diseases spread much more in this 21^st century compared to other times in history.  To buttress the intensity of human movement, approximately 2.1 billion airline passengers traveled in 2006. Consequently, an outbreak or epidemic in any one part of the world is only a flight away from another geographic location. Moreover, infectious diseases are not just spreading faster, they are also emerging more quickly than in previous years.

The economic benefits of global health security abound. For one, when countries are protected from disease threats, the environments become safer and the quality of life is improved. Moreover, countries that place priority on global health security are healthier, more stable and prosperous. Pandemic disease threats and unpreparedness can have devastating impact on public health and global economy. For instance, SARS outbreak cost about $30 billion in only 4 months due to the unpreparedness for such an emergency. Therefore, Global health security translates to emergency preparedness, improved quality of life, health safety and more stable economies.

Similar to many other determinants of health, poverty is both a cause and a consequence of poor health. As a cause of poor health, poverty reflects limited resources available for an individual to access adequate health care while as a consequence; poor health prevents an individual from being gainfully employed or sustaining an employment thereby leading to poverty.

The relationship between health and poverty cannot be overemphasized. Poverty perpetuates poor health because it compels people to live in environments that cause them to become sick, without affordable and basic housing, clean water and adequate hygiene. Moreover, poor living conditions which are always associated with poverty can contribute to the spread of infectious diseases namely Anthrax, Chickenpox, Influenza, Measles, Smallpox, Cryptococcosis, and Tuberculosis. In addition, poorer countries always have the worst health outcomes compared to richer countries. These outcomes are measured using health indicators such as infant/maternal mortality rate, life expectancy and prevalence of infectious diseases.

According to the World Health Organization (W.H.O), approximately one-fifth- 1.2 billion people in our world today live in extreme poverty which is defined as living on less than one dollar per day. Extreme poverty is considered the worst case of poverty which means that much more people than 1.2 billion are still poor. On a global scale, W.H.O plays a major role in reducing poverty by supporting countries to design and implement ‘pro-poor’ health policies such as global advocacy, regional initiatives and providing direct support to ministries of health in developing countries.

The question is…what can we do to reduce poverty on an individual level?

Smoking is a major public health problem and the leading cause of preventable death (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2004). It has negative health effects on people at every stage of life- unborn babies, children, teenagers, adults, and seniors (Rana Naveed ur Rehman, 2013). According to the American Lung Association, smoking can lead to dreadful diseases and health conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease, stroke, asthma, diabetes, lung cancer and other types of cancer (American Lung Association, 2016). Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths with about 171,900 new cases occurring in 2003. Smoking harms every organ of the body and worldwide, over 5 million people die of smoking related diseases annually (Rana Naveed ur Rehman, 2013).

Despite the deadly warnings clearly printed on most cigarette packs, smokers are adamant to these warnings. As with other forms of addiction, smokers ignore the negative consequences and costs of smoking due to the addictive ingredient, nicotine (Rana Naveed ur Rehman, 2013). Cigarette smoke contains many toxic chemical agents including acetone, ammonia, arsenic, formaldehyde, cadmium, shellac, benzene and cyanide (Rana Naveed ur Rehman, 2013). Biologically, when smoking, nicotine is rapidly absorbed into the blood stream and reaches the brain in less than one minute of entering the body. It then stimulates the discharge of special chemicals such as adrenaline, which triggers a pleasurable and thrilling feeling. This feeling however, disappears after smoking as quickly as it was initiated and can be re-initiated by another episode of smoking. Consequently, it follows a cycle of excitement and depression which leads to addiction- frequent episodes of smoking in order to initiate pleasurable feelings and become excited. In addition to nicotine, carbon mono-oxide and Tar which are also contained in smoke can increase the risk of heart diseases and lung damage respectively.

Besides the harmful effects of smoking on the smoker, people in the immediate environment of smokers can also be affected- this is referred to as second hand or passive smoking. Everyone, irrespective of gender or age, has the potential of being affected by smoking related health conditions but there are additional health effects which are specific to men, women and children. For example, smoking can cause low sperm count in men and could lead to other fertility problems. For women, smokers who take birth control pills find it more difficult to conceive and may suffer thrombosis when compared to non-smokers (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2004). Finally, children who are within the environment of smokers or who are regularly exposed to smoke have a higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), behavior disorders, bronchitis and pneumonia (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services , 2004 and Rana Naveed ur Rehman, 2013).

Many studies have proved that unemployment has negative consequences on the health of individuals. This is because for most people, the time of unemployment represents the hardest phase of their life. A study (Dorling, D. 2009) in the United Kingdom showed that people who were securely employed recovered faster from illnesses compared to unemployed people. Additionally, the study also confirmed that unemployment increases rates of nuisance, crime and mental health problems such as depression and suicide. After all, it’s mostly people who are busy doing nothing that have the time to cause trouble.

Don’t get me wrong, some people may choose or even enjoy being unemployed… you know, freedom from hard work, tight deadlines, overbearing customers and horrible bosses. However, for most of us, being unemployed or not having anything to do can be extremely boring and stressful… you know, absence of money, motivation, confidence and even health! In fact, another study (Pharr, J. R., Moonie, S., & Bungum, T. J. 2011) in the United States concluded that unemployed people had significantly worse perceived physical and mental health profiles, were more unlikely to afford health services and were less likely to access health care than participants who were employed or voluntarily unemployed. Furthermore, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), losing a job is grievous and is accompanied by loss of income, personal work relationships, daily structures, and a sense of purpose.

Given the above evidence, we can agree that certainly, we are better off employed or working than being idle… even the holy book teaches that an idle mind is the workshop of evil. So, go get a job… get busy!

Headache is one of the symptoms of most illnesses and is defined as a pain in the head… just as the name suggests. Headaches are very common ailments and most people have experienced one or more at different points in their life. In any given year, almost 90% of men and 95% of women have at least experienced a headache… so you’re not alone! They are caused by different reasons and can affect anyone regardless of age, race and gender.

Did you know that most headaches are caused by stress, lack of sleep, hunger and weather changes? Did you also know that depression is three times more common in individuals with severe headaches than in healthy people? Given the time of the year (cold period), we need to take extra caution to prevent weather related headaches by keeping warm always!

Three most common headaches are tension, sinus, and migraine… however, not every kind of headache fits into these categories. For treatment, over the counter medications such as pain killers may be useful but always seek advice from a healthcare professional. In general, to prevent or treat a headache: reduce stress, ensure you drink enough water, get enough sleep, eat properly and don’t forget to keep warm!

It’s another exciting topic about health… health and the media! No doubt the media is central to our decisions and actions in general, and health in particular, given that this is the internet age. This strong influence is very evident in how much we watch, listen, like, comment, share and follow updates and sites that speak on health or wellness matters. A quick question… how many times have you chosen to do something that may affect your health or well being simply because you read or saw it on social media, movie or even heard it in a song? I’m guessing a lot of times!

The sad truth is, many times, what we hear and learn from the media, be it from individuals or organizations, are false or incomplete truths because the producers or sources of these messages often have particular agendas which influence the message to some extent. Hence, it lies in our judgment to either accept or reject media messages especially because there is no accountability on the part of the sources and the consequences of our actions are ours to bear. We must therefore exercise this sense of judgment by making a conscious effort to verify the validity of what we hear or read trough more credible sources- this is solely our responsibility. Cheers and be wise 🙂

In the simplest form, culture may be defined as a people’s way of life; it includes the norms, values and beliefs of a particular group of people which govern their behaviors and attitudes. As we already know of many different factors, our culture or way of life can influence our health. Culture affects health in that what we believe and our way of life can hinder or promote our access to healthcare services, compliance to drugs and treatment regimen, the way we treat our bodies, the heath choices we make, our readiness to seek help and even our willingness to recover from an illness.

Various ethnic groups have their own perspectives, belief systems and values that help them understand what causes illness, how it should be treated, and who or what should be involved in the treatment process. Many times, these views about health differ from the western views and may create barriers between patients and providers from different cultural backgrounds. Culture and diversity are very important in all areas healthcare, so, it is essential for health educators and professionals to understand how the culture of their respective audience and patients may influence their attitude towards health.

In closing, if our way of life or what we believe can affect our health, then it has the potential to create poor health outcomes and health disparities. It is therefore our responsibility to find out any cultural practice, value or belief that limits our potential for optimal health and get rid of it. I must say… if it doesn’t help you, it probably hurts you!