MY EXAMS AND MY HEALTH WRITTEN BY FELIX BLISS @2018 We are living in the era of examination where students neglect to care about their health. Examination cannot be out of the live of students and every individual in the world as well. On the other hand, health is inevitable from the everyday TO and FRO activities of man under the sun of ages. Should we burn the night candle before we can pass our examination When we knew very well sleepless night affects our health tremendously as well as our performance in examination? Should we learn in the parliament of mosquitoes when we knew of the deadly disease – malaria? Should we learn without resting within time intervals? Having gone through the university of competitive choice in Ghana has put me in the school of thought. I am in the one of the well-known universities in Ghana where examination period has become judgment day due to what students go through. This place has gotten a lot of nick names – a place of bury...
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Ghana lies within the Yellow Fever zone, hence the need to rapidly increase population immunity and to protect susceptible older age groups. Globally, Yellow Fever infects about 200,000 people per year. Additionally, there are increasing number of continued cases of yellow fever in our neighbouring countries. Due to frequent travelling among people in these countries, there could be an outbreak of the disease if the population is not protected, especially in high risk districts
Yellow fever is a viral disease transmitted by a bite from infected mosquitoes, mainly Aedes egyptia. The mosquito spreads yellow fever bites outside, during the day from about 3:30pm to about 7pm in the night and early in the morning. Once contracted, the yellow fever virus incubates in the body for 3 to 6 days. Many people do not experience symptoms, but when they do occur, the most common are fever, muscle pain with prominent backache, headache, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. In most cases, symptoms disappear after 3 to 4 days.
About 15% of infected persons develop complications. They are said to have entered a second more toxic phase within 24 hours. Approximately half of these people die within 7 to 10 days. High fever returns and several body systems are affected ,usually the liver and kidneys. In this phase, people are likely to develop jaundice, dark urine and abdominal pain with vomiting. Bleeding can occur from the mouth, nose, eyes or stomach.
About 34 countries in Africa (including Ghana) and 13 countries in South America are endemic. Occasionally, travelers who visit Yellow Fever endemic countries may bring the disease to countries free from Yellow fever. Do we need to be vaccinated against Yellow Fever at all? Certainly! That is the most important means of preventing the disease.
The yellow fever vaccine is safe and effective. It provides protection against the disease after one week and immunized persons are protected for life. In view of that, to prevent the further outbreak in this disease in Ghana, the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service, in collaboration with WHO, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF among others have launched the Yellow Fever Vaccination Campaign in districts at high risk of an epidemic.
Although the vaccine is safe, it is not recommended for infants under 9 months and adults over 60 years of age. This vaccine is not recommended for pregnant women unless there is an outbreak of the disease of which the risk of infection is high. In a like manner, people who are allergic to egg proteins and those with immunodeficiency (e.g., Cancer, symptomatic HIV/AIDs) are not left out of this equation.
Every coin, they say, has two sides. Therefore, we should expect some adverse reactions specifically fever, headache, muscle pain, pain in the joints and itching. These signs must not be overlooked! Please visit your health facility should you experience such reactions.
As early on stated, the government of Ghana in collaboration with its developmental partners have initiated the yellow fever campaign. It was started on the 28th of November,2018 and the whole process of free vaccination will come to a halt on the 4th of December, 2018 hopefully.
It is not too late to walk into any health facility nearby to vaccinate. Let’s join hands as we build immunity against this deadly disease. AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH A POUNCE OF CURE.
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