It becomes 5 in 2008 and 200 at the signpost, a critical moment stood at 247, the lifeline is non negotiable. What does it take to be here? I ask myself and within me comes the gentle soft voice-“patience, perseverance, faith, hope, dreams, visions and determination”

Dreams at night and visions at day, of what could or would have been, add up one on the other from moment to moment. There can never be any such opportuned time as the moment.
Add 5 to the moment and a new vision would be born then another 5 and a new chapter would have been written to give 1+1=10 then after all these what next?

I was introduced to HIM at infancy, and I have come to realize that He is more than a friend, or a family member but would He be with me for all eternity?
Wave of thoughts flood through my imagination and I keep wondering for the answer to the question before me. Just as I manage to provide this answer, another question crops up again.

Perhaps life was meant to be this way, for it to be this interesting but perhaps only to myself, maybe only to myself; to help me appreciate life with a bit more purpose and focus like never before.

This is a puzzle I love to play around with in my imagination; though it may not make much meaning to anybody but myself and I can read so much and much more from it. When I always occupy my mind with something interesting, life can never be dull and boring to me, so I suppose!!

The gubernatorial election result that was hotly contested since April 14th 2007, when it was first declared has now been finally resolved.
The ruling political party (PDP) that was formally declared winner on the 14th of April 2007, when the poll took place, lost out in the final battle as its previous victory was revoked twice by the presiding judges of the election tribunal handling the cases.

It was first revoked by a tribunal judge on the 20th of March 2008 and it was revoked again finally by another tribunal judge, while on appeal on the 11th of November 2008.

The opposing political party (AC-Action Congress) was able to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that the former ruling political party of the (PDP-Peoples Democratic Party) stole the election victory by widespread malpractices and rigging in connivance with the state electoral body INEC who was suppose to be the unbiased umpire in the election contest.

Giving the verdict on the final judgment of the case brought before it, the political party AC (Action Congress) was declared winner of the April 14th 2007 election into Edo state gubernatorial seat. This verdict supported the earlier verdict by the first tribunal on the same case.

It has been proven beyond all reasonable doubt by the incorruptible judge of the tribunal, after carefully and painstakingly analyzing the evidences presented by both parties to the case that the political party (Action Congress) or AC as it is officially known should be the winner of the election, having scored the highest number of all the valid and genuine votes cast in the election.

The governorship candidate of the political party AC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was declared winner of the April 14th 2007 gubernatorial election of Edo State of Nigeria on this day the 11th of November 2008.

The electoral body INEC was ordered by the court to issue a certificate of office to the winner of the election with immediate effect.

Come Wednesday, the 12th of November 2008, the governor elect, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole would become the officially recognized Governor of Edo State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for an official tenure of 2008 to 2012.


This is another giant stride for democracy in Nigeria, where the will of the people is not thwarted and circumvented by some greedy and corrupt few.

From the previous night when the tribunal result was declared, there has been jubilation all around Edo State, because it gives one so much joy to know that one can change any government legitimately and peacefully, who is irresponsible and insensitive to the sufferings of the people. This shows again that Nigerians and the Edo people have come a long way to civilization and I hope we uphold and maintain this civility.

May the will of the people always prevail against all odds.
May we remain truly united under true federalism, justice, fairness and the rule of law.

Long live the good people of Edo State, long live Edo State and long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!
God bless Nigeria

Danger lurking!
Ever since blogging became the trend, I just couldn’t help being more observant and more conscious of my environment. I am very much fascinated at the changing world and our attitude towards it for better or for worse.

I was just taking a drive across my hometown the other day and I noticed something interesting when it suddenly began to rain. Initially the rain started slowly and there was nothing really dramatic about it at first but few minutes later when there was traffic hold up, I just couldn’t help looking out through the window in amazement.

As soon as the rain began to pour heavily, the residents of this locality were out of their houses in droves and as if it was a rendezvous, they were all making frantic efforts at filling up the drainages (gutters) that ran across their streets. While most of them were busy emptying their household rubbish into the public drains (gutters), others were busy at whatever they had been doing and took no notice, apparently turning a blind eye to all these razzmatazz.

While all these had been going on, I just watched in amazement and wondered if all these were due either to their ignorance of the consequences or sheer wickedness.

Later in the evening I switched on the Television to watch the evening news and holy shit, and lo! Disaster was making the headlines.
In other parts of town, erosion was causing great havoc and destruction just in the middle of the heavy downpour. People’s houses were flooded and their properties destroyed within split seconds. Blocks of fences were pulled over and people’s houses were flooded like abandoned swimming pools!
There were reports of deaths in some areas across the state as a result of the flooding after the rains.

I just shook my head in disbelief and wonder at the bizarre nature of human attitude, wickedness or maybe ignorance.

Ohuhu, a clan in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State of Nigeria was formerly known as Umuhu-na-Okaiuga, or better-known as Ohu-ahia-na-otu. Until 1949, Umuopara clan used to be part of Ohuhu.

Several beliefs abound regarding the origin of Ohuhu. There is the view that Ohuhu people did not migrate from anywhere. This view is supported by the fact that most communities in Ohuhu have their old or abandoned settlements, Okpuala, also located in Ohuhu Land. While this view sounds plausible, some villages in Ohuhu today can convincingly trace their old settlement to places outside Ohuhu, even though they have another okpuala now located in Ohuhu. Umukabi, Umuawa, Umuagu are few examples in this category.

It has been suggested that at least sections of the Umuhu people of Ohuhu came from Isuikwuato and Awgu areas. Far more persuasive than the rest, is the theory that Ohuhu people migrated from parts of the present Etiti Division. Put so tersely, this theory leaves out a number of variants. For instance, one tradition claims that the movement began from Orsu and touched Okiwudo and Akaokwa all in Orlu area. It then came to Anara-Osu. The tradition states that there, while the Ohuhu ancestors lingered, Obowo ancestors in the horde continued their movement and settled at their present location before Ohuhu people joined them.

Another version maintained that the Ohuhu people, with their Obowo counterparts migrated from Nekede area in Owerri. In connection with this theory, some writers believe that traditionally, the ancestors of Ohuhu-Ngwa formed part of a migration from the Agbaja area in Owerri and move to the Imo River. Whether the migration began in Orlu,Nekede, Agba or Ahiara, it is noteworthy that all three centers are situated on the same, unbroken stretch of land.

A recurrent name in these theories is Obowo – a clan occupying the area west of the Imo River. This river, lying between Obowo and Ohuhu clans is to both an important landmark. Whether the Ohuhu people migrated from Orlu area or Owerri they must, of necessity, have crossed the Obowo territory before arriving at their present settlement. This area could well have been a resting point of a protracted journey to a promised land.

Possible kinship between Ohuhu and Obowo is suggested in the fact that many places and village names in either of the clans have their exact counterparts in the other. The two broad divisions of Ikenga and Ihite, for example, exist in both. Umukabi and Umuagu villages are known to have, in recent times, common festivals with their Obowo counterparts to commemorate their kinship.

Umuawa people in Ohuhu likewise, are said to have migrated from Umuoparaodu and Umudibi in Obowo, where traces of their settlements could still be identified today.

What appears to be the strongest argument in favor of Ohuhu-Obowo kinship is their common possession of a peculiar deity

.
Historical Development
"Abia" is an acronym formed from the initial letters of four groups of people, namely: Aba, Bende, lsuikwuato and Afikpo. These constituted the major groups in the state at its creation. At the country's independence in 1960, Abia was part of the then Eastern Region. From 27th May, 1967, it became a part of the East Central State, created by the then Head of the Federal Military Government, General Yakubu Gowon. On 3rd February, 1976, East Central State was split into two states(Anambra and Imo) by the Federal Military Government headed by General Murtala Mohammed.

On 27th August, 1991, the Federal Military Government under General lbrahim Babangida carved out Abia State from Imo State, bringing to thirty the number of states in Nigeria. Furthermore, in October, 1996, the Federal Military Government under General Sani Abacha created six more states bringing to thirty-six the number of states in the federation.

During this exercise, four local government areas (LGAs) namely, Onicha, Ohaozara, Afikpo North and Afikpo South, which occupy the northeastern corner of the state, were transferred to the (newly created) Ebonyi State.

Located in the southeastern region of Nigeria, Abia State lies within approximately latitudes 4° 40' and 6° 14' north, and longitudes 7° 10' and 8° east. The state shares common boundaries to the north with Ebonyi State; to the south and southwest with Rivers State; and to the east and southeast with Cross River and Akwa lbom States respectively. To the west is Imo State, and to the northwest is Anambra State.

The state covers an area of about 5,243.7 sq. km which is approximately 5.8 per cent of the total land area of Nigeria. With its capital at Umuahia, it has seventeen LGAs, namely: Aba North, Aba South, Isiala Ngwa North, Isiala Ngwa South, Ukwa West, Ukwa East, Obingwa, lkwuano, Bende, Arochukwu, Ohafia, lsuikwuato, Umuahia North, Umuahia South, Ugwunagbo, Osisioma and Nnochi.

Administrative Areas:
Each of the seventeen LGAs in the state is headed by the Local Government Chairman who is the Chief Executive Officer of the local government. He is usually assisted by a Secretary, Supervisory Councillors and Councillors. Most local government councils in the state have five departments viz: Administration, Agriculture, Health, Education and Works.


Abia Tower - located in the centre of Umuahia
The administrative headquarters of the local government area is located in one of the urban or semi urban areas within the local government area. High courts are found in Aba and Ohafia local government areas as well as Umuahia, the state capital. Magistrate courts are located in Aba, Arochukwu, Ohafia, Bende, lsuikwuato and Ukwa LGAs. Customary courts are also found in Ukwa, lsuikwuato, Bende, Ohafia, and Arochukwu LGAs. Each autonomous community has a traditional head, the Eze, that has been identified, selected, appointed and installed by the people according to their own tradition and presented to the government for recognition.

Selection may be hereditary, elective or rotatory. For such an Eze to be recognised, the local government chairman has to endorse the documents presented to him by the Eze before for- warding the documents to the governor for recognition. The Eze also has to be presented by the autonomous community at an appointed date and time to the governor or his representative, for recognition.

The government also appoints one Eze from each autonomous community. An election is usually conducted amongst recognised Ndi Ezes for each local government to select members to serve at the council of Ndi Eze at the state level.

About half of the members of the council are select- ed while half are appointed. Every member of the council of Ndi Eze is required to serve for three years unless prevented from doing so by death or resignation. The council of Ndi Eze in Abia State is made up of 36 Ezes with one chairman and two deputy chairmen.

Administrative Structure:
The Abia State Executive Council is headed by the Executive Governor. It comprises the Deputy Governor, the Secretary to the state government and fourteen Commissioners. The Legislative arm of the gov- ernment allows the Governor to appoint a minimum of three and a maximum of five special advisers.


Umudike - Ekot Ekpene roundabout, Umuahia
The Legislature is made up of elected members of the state House of Assembly, including the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Majority leader, Majority whip, Minority leader, Minority whip and a number of House Functionaries There is also the staff of the House led by the Clerk of the House.

The Judicial arm of the government comprises the Chief Judge of the state, the President of the Customary Court of Appeal and the other Judges who presides at the Magistrate Courts, High Courts and Customary Courts in the state.

The following Ministries are headed by Permanent Secretaries; Finance, Local govern- ment and Chieftaincy Affairs, Education, Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Commerce and Industry, Works, Public Utilities, Information, Women Affairs, Justice, Lands, Survey and Urban Planning, and Health.

Other non-ministerial departments include the Local Government Service Commission, the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, the Civil Service Commission, the Judicial Service Commission, the Bureau of Political Affairs, the Bureau of Special Services, the Housing Corporation, the Bureau of Economic Affairs, the Bureau of Budget and Planning and the Bureau of Establishment, Training and Pension.



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United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon earlier this week called on world leaders to remember their pledges to help meet the U.N. Millennium Development Goals by 2015, even in the face of the current economic crisis, the Inquirer.net reports. Ban was speaking at a press conference in Manila, the Philippines, after his opening address at the Global Forum on Migration and Development. He said he is sending a "clear and strong" message to world leaders, urging them "not to lose sight of the sufferings of developing countries." The impact of the economic crisis on MDG targets -- which include curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other diseases -- is "worrisome," he said, adding that wealthy countries must "keep their promises already made" at the Group of Eight industrialized nations summit in 2005.

Ban said the United Nations will "continue reminding all countries of their commitments to the MDGs," adding that it is "our job to maintain a constant, insistent and loud voice in defense of the voiceless and the marginalized" (Uy, Inquirer.net, 10/29). He said that although MDG targets "may be affected" by the current economic situation, it "depends upon the political will and priority of the leaders of developed countries not to lose" momentum (Thai News Service, 10/30).

Ban also praised the European Commission for allocating 15 million euros -- or about $19 million -- for development and migration projects in 16 developing countries, calling the allocation a "product of political will of developed countries, and I call on them not to lose this political will." Ban said he will repeat his reminder to world leaders at the Group of 20 finance ministers meeting in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 15 (Inquirer.net, 10/29

Historical Development
"Abia" is an acronym formed from the initial letters of four groups of people, namely: Aba, Bende, lsuikwuato and Afikpo. These constituted the major groups in the state at its creation. At the country's independence in 1960, Abia was part of the then Eastern Region. From 27th May, 1967, it became a part of the East Central State, created by the then Head of the Federal Military Government, General Yakubu Gowon. On 3rd February, 1976, East Central State was split into two states(Anambra and Imo) by the Federal Military Government headed by General Murtala Mohammed.

On 27th August, 1991, the Federal Military Government under General lbrahim Babangida carved out Abia State from Imo State, bringing to thirty the number of states in Nigeria. Furthermore, in October, 1996, the Federal Military Government under General Sani Abacha created six more states bringing to thirty-six the number of states in the federation.

During this exercise, four local government areas (LGAs) namely, Onicha, Ohaozara, Afikpo North and Afikpo South, which occupy the northeastern corner of the state, were transferred to the (newly created) Ebonyi State.

Located in the southeastern region of Nigeria, Abia State lies within approximately latitudes 4° 40' and 6° 14' north, and longitudes 7° 10' and 8° east. The state shares common boundaries to the north with Ebonyi State; to the south and southwest with Rivers State; and to the east and southeast with Cross River and Akwa lbom States respectively. To the west is Imo State, and to the northwest is Anambra State.

The state covers an area of about 5,243.7 sq. km which is approximately 5.8 per cent of the total land area of Nigeria. With its capital at Umuahia, it has seventeen LGAs, namely: Aba North, Aba South, Isiala Ngwa North, Isiala Ngwa South, Ukwa West, Ukwa East, Obingwa, lkwuano, Bende, Arochukwu, Ohafia, lsuikwuato, Umuahia North, Umuahia South, Ugwunagbo, Osisioma and Nnochi.

Administrative Areas:
Each of the seventeen LGAs in the state is headed by the Local Government Chairman who is the Chief Executive Officer of the local government. He is usually assisted by a Secretary, Supervisory Councillors and Councillors. Most local government councils in the state have five departments viz: Administration, Agriculture, Health, Education and Works.


Abia Tower - located in the centre of Umuahia
The administrative headquarters of the local government area is located in one of the urban or semi urban areas within the local government area. High courts are found in Aba and Ohafia local government areas as well as Umuahia, the state capital. Magistrate courts are located in Aba, Arochukwu, Ohafia, Bende, lsuikwuato and Ukwa LGAs. Customary courts are also found in Ukwa, lsuikwuato, Bende, Ohafia, and Arochukwu LGAs. Each autonomous community has a traditional head, the Eze, that has been identified, selected, appointed and installed by the people according to their own tradition and presented to the government for recognition.

Selection may be hereditary, elective or rotatory. For such an Eze to be recognised, the local government chairman has to endorse the documents presented to him by the Eze before for- warding the documents to the governor for recognition. The Eze also has to be presented by the autonomous community at an appointed date and time to the governor or his representative, for recognition.

The government also appoints one Eze from each autonomous community. An election is usually conducted amongst recognised Ndi Ezes for each local government to select members to serve at the council of Ndi Eze at the state level.

About half of the members of the council are select- ed while half are appointed. Every member of the council of Ndi Eze is required to serve for three years unless prevented from doing so by death or resignation. The council of Ndi Eze in Abia State is made up of 36 Ezes with one chairman and two deputy chairmen.

Administrative Structure:
The Abia State Executive Council is headed by the Executive Governor. It comprises the Deputy Governor, the Secretary to the state government and fourteen Commissioners. The Legislative arm of the gov- ernment allows the Governor to appoint a minimum of three and a maximum of five special advisers.


Umudike - Ekot Ekpene roundabout, Umuahia
The Legislature is made up of elected members of the state House of Assembly, including the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Majority leader, Majority whip, Minority leader, Minority whip and a number of House Functionaries There is also the staff of the House led by the Clerk of the House.

The Judicial arm of the government comprises the Chief Judge of the state, the President of the Customary Court of Appeal and the other Judges who presides at the Magistrate Courts, High Courts and Customary Courts in the state.

The following Ministries are headed by Permanent Secretaries; Finance, Local govern- ment and Chieftaincy Affairs, Education, Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Commerce and Industry, Works, Public Utilities, Information, Women Affairs, Justice, Lands, Survey and Urban Planning, and Health.

Other non-ministerial departments include the Local Government Service Commission, the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, the Civil Service Commission, the Judicial Service Commission, the Bureau of Political Affairs, the Bureau of Special Services, the Housing Corporation, the Bureau of Economic Affairs, the Bureau of Budget and Planning and the Bureau of Establishment, Training and Pension.

Global Financial Crisis Could Harm HIV/AIDS Funding, Piot Says


The current global financial crisis could harm HIV/AIDS funding and increase the factors that make people vulnerable to the disease, UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot said on Tuesday during an event at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, CQ HealthBeat reports. According to Piot, as rising food and energy costs drive more people into poverty worldwide, the factors that drive the spread of HIV also could increase. "That must have an impact on the spread of HIV, although it's not so clear," he said, adding that it is certain that low-income countries will be more affected by and vulnerable to the financial crisis when it comes to providing HIV/AIDS treatment. For example, 100% of the cost to provide 50,000 HIV-positive people in Rwanda with antiretroviral drugs at the end of last year was paid by donors -- such as the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief -- according to Piot. He added that Brazil receives no donor funding to provide similar treatment services to its HIV-positive citizens.

Countries likely will not feel the effects of the financial crisis on HIV/AIDS "in the next six or 12 months because of commitments that have been made in better times," Piot said, adding that he wonders if it will be possible to continue enrolling 700,000 to one million people in drug treatment programs over the next few years. "If not, deaths will go up again, deaths from AIDS, no doubt about it," he said, adding, "We estimate that even if (funding) continues at the same level, deaths will go up to about three million per year by 2011."

Piot also praised the Bush administration and Congress for continuing PEPFAR, which he said is an "unprecedented program that has saved millions of lives." Piot added, "It is quite rare in international development that you can count so easily, you can measure, the impact of actions, and yet this has been the case when it comes to what PEPFAR has done, and it's unprecedented in international development." In addition, Piot commended President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for their comments at the recent White House summit on international development about how the U.S. should not reduce aid. "I hope that the next president will follow along the same lines," Piot said.

Jennifer Kates -- vice president and director of HIV policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation -- said it is difficult to assess how the financial crisis will affect future funding levels. "How the financial crisis plays into that, we still don't know," she said.

Piot will leave his position at UNAIDS at the end of the year to head the new Institute for Global Health at Imperial College London (Vadala, CQ HealthBeat, 10/28).

A kaisernetwork.org webcast of the event is available online.

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2. WHO Says HIV/AIDS-Related Deaths Will Peak in Next Five Years, Then Decline


The World Health Organization on Monday in its updated Global Burden of Disease report reduced an earlier forecast of HIV/AIDS mortality rates, AFP/Yahoo! News reports. According to WHO, the number of HIV/AIDS-related deaths worldwide is expected to peak in the next five years -- from 2.2 million in 2008 to a maximum of 2.4 million in 2012 -- before declining to 1.2 million in 2030.

WHO previously had said HIV/AIDS-related deaths would rise from 2.8 million in 2002 to 6.5 million in 2030, assuming that antiretroviral drugs reached 80% of HIV-positive people worldwide by 2012. Colin Mathers, WHO coordinator for epidemiology and the burden of disease, said, "Deaths (from HIV/AIDS) will continue to increase somewhat for a few years ... by 2030 they would have declined from current levels today" (AFP/Yahoo! News, 10/27). Mathers added that the report "builds in the revisions to HIV mortality and more optimistic projections of HIV deaths that" WHO and other U.N. agencies have "produced, which suggest that the epidemic may have peaked, or will peak in the next five years or so, and then AIDS deaths will start to decline."

The study also predicts that the percentage of deaths worldwide linked to noncommunicable diseases will increase from 60% to 75% by 2030. It adds that this means people will live longer and increasingly die from cancers and heart disease rather than infectious diseases at an earlier age. According to the report, the leading causes of death worldwide are heart disease, stroke, pneumonia, chronic respiratory disease, diarrhea, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (Schlein, VOA News, 10/27).


The study is available online (.pdf).

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3. Many Zambian Citizens Concerned About Future of Fight Against HIV/AIDS After Upcoming Presidential Election, Reuters Reports


Despite progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Zambia, some of the country's citizens are concerned that the disease will not be a priority of the next president, who will be elected on Oct. 30, Reuters reports. According to Reuters, Zambians have said that the two main candidates -- acting President Rupiah Banda and opposition leader Michael Sata -- have not openly discussed HIV/AIDS during their campaigns.

Clementina Mumba, chair of the Treatment Advocacy and Literacy Campaign, said the candidates have remained silent on HIV/AIDS issues because of the stigma associated with the disease. Mumba said, "I am surprised not a single politician has declared he is HIV-positive, not even one minister or legislator has done that. This portrays a picture that HIV/AIDS only infects the poor." Mumba added, "During the election campaign, not a single candidate has said what they will do to tackle HIV/AIDS."

Reuters reports that more than one million of Zambia's 12 million people are HIV-positive. Ministry of Health spokesperson Cassius Banda said HIV prevalence among adults ages 14 to 49 declined to about 14% in 2007, down from 16% in the previous decade, and United Nations data reveal that nearly 56,000 people died of AIDS-related causes in 2007, down from 78,000 in 2001. However, advocates say that many more people die in their homes, unable to get treatment and unaccounted for because of the stigma attached to the disease. In addition, although the government said it has provided 170,000 people with no-cost antiretrovirals -- compared with 10,000 in 2003 -- scientific projections show that 370,000 people still are in need of the drugs. Access to treatment and a shortage of medical staff -- many of whom have migrated to the United Kingdom and other Western countries for better-paying jobs -- also pose issues to people living with HIV, and many Zambians say that they need more than no-cost antiretrovirals, Reuters reports (Shacinda, Reuters, 10/27).

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4. Mozambique Health Official Calls for Research Into Culture To Understand Spread of HIV


Mozambique's Deputy Health Minister, Aida Libombo, recently said that more research into the cultural habits of Mozambicans is needed to determine how these factors contribute to the spread of HIV, AIM/AllAfrica.com reports. Speaking at the National Youth Meeting in the province of Sofala, Libombo said that young women ages 15 to 24 are most at risk of HIV in the country. She added that the risk factors for HIV among women in Mozambique are poverty, an inability to negotiate the use of condoms, early initiation of sexual activity and sexual abuse. In addition, widowhood can increase a woman's risk of HIV because of the cultural tradition of a widowed woman having sex with a male relative of her late husband, Libombo said, adding that risk factors for men include excessive alcohol and drug use.

According to AIM/AllAfrica.com, participants at the meeting suggested that the government provide female condoms to all provinces. Libombo said that although female condoms are available in private pharmacies, they are expensive and not many are sold. Female condoms will be included in a shipment of 700 million condoms being sent to Mozambique in the near future and will be distributed at no cost through a government partnership with UNAIDS.

Also speaking at the meeting, Diogo Milagre -- executive secretary of the National AIDS Council -- said that men who have sex with men are at an increased risk of HIV. He also announced that a household survey will be held next year and will test people of all age groups as a way to determine HIV prevalence in the country (AIM/AllAfrica.com, 10/26).

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ACROSS THE NATION

5. Increased HIV Prevention, Education Efforts Needed in South Florida, Officials Say


Officials in Martin and Indian River counties in Florida are calling for increased HIV/AIDS prevention and education efforts in an attempt to encourage testing and curb the spread of the virus, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports. Karen Thomas, an epidemiologist at the Martin County Health Department, said that the stigma attached to HIV/AIDS could be keeping people from seeking information and being tested. "We want to know why it is that we're not being asked," she said, adding that officials are at a "fact-finding sort of stage" and "want to be out there to make sure the numbers are reflective of what's actually happening."

According to the Sun-Sentinel, Martin and Indian River counties each have reported slightly more than 100 HIV cases since 1997, but health officials say that the number of actual cases could be much higher. Statistics indicate that more than half of all HIV cases on the Treasure Coast since 1997 are transmitted through heterosexual contact. Reports of HIV/AIDS cases in Martin County show an almost even division among white, black and Hispanic populations -- a contrast with the state, regional and national trend that shows minority populations are disproportionately affected by the virus -- the Sun-Sentinel reports. Thomas said the department is working to focus prevention efforts on the migrant community in Martin County, where people often believe that if they are not showing symptoms that they do not have HIV. Regional HIV/AIDS Program Coordinator Dawn Jones said she has supported efforts by the Indian River County Health Department to establish a community outreach coalition for HIV prevention.

A lack of government funding and community-based organizations also has hindered prevention and education efforts in the two counties, according to the Sun-Sentinel. Project Response provides no-cost HIV tests in neighboring St. Lucie County -- which has recorded three times the number of HIV cases as Indian and Martin counties combined -- through a state grant, while Martin County charges $35 for an HIV test. Kay Baker -- case manager for Project Response -- said people will go for HIV tests if they do not have the money, adding that they are "just going to hope they're not positive. That's dangerous. What we need most is education" (Copsey, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 10/27).

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6. Newspapers Examine Web Site Launched for Women Living With HIV/AIDS in Southern U.S.


The Raleigh News & Observer and the New Orleans Times-Picayune on Wednesday published articles about the Southern AIDS Living Quilt, which was launched last week by the Southern AIDS Coalition and Test For Life as an effort to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic among women in the Southern U.S., particularly minorities. The Southern AIDS Living Quilt initiative will feature videos about women affected by the disease and highlight the disproportionate effect of HIV/AIDS on women. The project also will provide information about testing and prevention measures (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 10/20). Summaries of the articles appear below.



New Orleans Times-Picayune: The Living Quilt Web site features video interviews of women living with HIV/AIDS in the South, including New Orleans, where women make up about one-third of the 3,500 people living with HIV/AIDS. Women also accounted for 67% of the new HIV cases reported last year in the city. According to the Times-Picayune, although the number of women living with HIV/AIDS in New Orleans has increased dramatically since the 1990s, there still is a stigma associated with the disease. According to the Times-Picayune, the "growing community of HIV-positive women has stayed mostly silent, a sharp contrast with the city's gay community, where being openly HIV-positive has become more accepted" (Reckdahl, New Orleans Times-Picayune, 10/29).


Raleigh News & Observer: According to the News & Observer, 80% of HIV cases diagnosed among women in North Carolina last year were recorded among blacks, Hispanics and American Indians. Although men still account for a large number of HIV/AIDS cases, an "often hidden epidemic is taking place among women," according to the News & Observer. Evelyn Foust, director of North Carolina's communicable disease branch, said that the state's rural history and pockets of poverty make it difficult to access health care and address HIV/AIDS. In addition, Foust said that the state should do more to address the stigma attached to the disease and make testing uniformly routine. Although a new state policy makes testing for women routine during pelvic exams, it has not been uniformly adopted across the state, according to the News & Observer (Avery, Raleigh News & Observer, 10/29).

Global Financial Crisis Could Harm HIV/AIDS Funding, Piot Says


The current global financial crisis could harm HIV/AIDS funding and increase the factors that make people vulnerable to the disease, UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot said on Tuesday during an event at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, CQ HealthBeat reports. According to Piot, as rising food and energy costs drive more people into poverty worldwide, the factors that drive the spread of HIV also could increase. "That must have an impact on the spread of HIV, although it's not so clear," he said, adding that it is certain that low-income countries will be more affected by and vulnerable to the financial crisis when it comes to providing HIV/AIDS treatment. For example, 100% of the cost to provide 50,000 HIV-positive people in Rwanda with antiretroviral drugs at the end of last year was paid by donors -- such as the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief -- according to Piot. He added that Brazil receives no donor funding to provide similar treatment services to its HIV-positive citizens.

Countries likely will not feel the effects of the financial crisis on HIV/AIDS "in the next six or 12 months because of commitments that have been made in better times," Piot said, adding that he wonders if it will be possible to continue enrolling 700,000 to one million people in drug treatment programs over the next few years. "If not, deaths will go up again, deaths from AIDS, no doubt about it," he said, adding, "We estimate that even if (funding) continues at the same level, deaths will go up to about three million per year by 2011."

Piot also praised the Bush administration and Congress for continuing PEPFAR, which he said is an "unprecedented program that has saved millions of lives." Piot added, "It is quite rare in international development that you can count so easily, you can measure, the impact of actions, and yet this has been the case when it comes to what PEPFAR has done, and it's unprecedented in international development." In addition, Piot commended President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for their comments at the recent White House summit on international development about how the U.S. should not reduce aid. "I hope that the next president will follow along the same lines," Piot said.

Jennifer Kates -- vice president and director of HIV policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation -- said it is difficult to assess how the financial crisis will affect future funding levels. "How the financial crisis plays into that, we still don't know," she said.

Piot will leave his position at UNAIDS at the end of the year to head the new Institute for Global Health at Imperial College London (Vadala, CQ HealthBeat, 10/28).

A kaisernetwork.org webcast of the event is available online.

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2. WHO Says HIV/AIDS-Related Deaths Will Peak in Next Five Years, Then Decline


The World Health Organization on Monday in its updated Global Burden of Disease report reduced an earlier forecast of HIV/AIDS mortality rates, AFP/Yahoo! News reports. According to WHO, the number of HIV/AIDS-related deaths worldwide is expected to peak in the next five years -- from 2.2 million in 2008 to a maximum of 2.4 million in 2012 -- before declining to 1.2 million in 2030.

WHO previously had said HIV/AIDS-related deaths would rise from 2.8 million in 2002 to 6.5 million in 2030, assuming that antiretroviral drugs reached 80% of HIV-positive people worldwide by 2012. Colin Mathers, WHO coordinator for epidemiology and the burden of disease, said, "Deaths (from HIV/AIDS) will continue to increase somewhat for a few years ... by 2030 they would have declined from current levels today" (AFP/Yahoo! News, 10/27). Mathers added that the report "builds in the revisions to HIV mortality and more optimistic projections of HIV deaths that" WHO and other U.N. agencies have "produced, which suggest that the epidemic may have peaked, or will peak in the next five years or so, and then AIDS deaths will start to decline."

The study also predicts that the percentage of deaths worldwide linked to noncommunicable diseases will increase from 60% to 75% by 2030. It adds that this means people will live longer and increasingly die from cancers and heart disease rather than infectious diseases at an earlier age. According to the report, the leading causes of death worldwide are heart disease, stroke, pneumonia, chronic respiratory disease, diarrhea, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (Schlein, VOA News, 10/27).


The study is available online (.pdf).

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3. Many Zambian Citizens Concerned About Future of Fight Against HIV/AIDS After Upcoming Presidential Election, Reuters Reports


Despite progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Zambia, some of the country's citizens are concerned that the disease will not be a priority of the next president, who will be elected on Oct. 30, Reuters reports. According to Reuters, Zambians have said that the two main candidates -- acting President Rupiah Banda and opposition leader Michael Sata -- have not openly discussed HIV/AIDS during their campaigns.

Clementina Mumba, chair of the Treatment Advocacy and Literacy Campaign, said the candidates have remained silent on HIV/AIDS issues because of the stigma associated with the disease. Mumba said, "I am surprised not a single politician has declared he is HIV-positive, not even one minister or legislator has done that. This portrays a picture that HIV/AIDS only infects the poor." Mumba added, "During the election campaign, not a single candidate has said what they will do to tackle HIV/AIDS."

Reuters reports that more than one million of Zambia's 12 million people are HIV-positive. Ministry of Health spokesperson Cassius Banda said HIV prevalence among adults ages 14 to 49 declined to about 14% in 2007, down from 16% in the previous decade, and United Nations data reveal that nearly 56,000 people died of AIDS-related causes in 2007, down from 78,000 in 2001. However, advocates say that many more people die in their homes, unable to get treatment and unaccounted for because of the stigma attached to the disease. In addition, although the government said it has provided 170,000 people with no-cost antiretrovirals -- compared with 10,000 in 2003 -- scientific projections show that 370,000 people still are in need of the drugs. Access to treatment and a shortage of medical staff -- many of whom have migrated to the United Kingdom and other Western countries for better-paying jobs -- also pose issues to people living with HIV, and many Zambians say that they need more than no-cost antiretrovirals, Reuters reports (Shacinda, Reuters, 10/27).

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4. Mozambique Health Official Calls for Research Into Culture To Understand Spread of HIV


Mozambique's Deputy Health Minister, Aida Libombo, recently said that more research into the cultural habits of Mozambicans is needed to determine how these factors contribute to the spread of HIV, AIM/AllAfrica.com reports. Speaking at the National Youth Meeting in the province of Sofala, Libombo said that young women ages 15 to 24 are most at risk of HIV in the country. She added that the risk factors for HIV among women in Mozambique are poverty, an inability to negotiate the use of condoms, early initiation of sexual activity and sexual abuse. In addition, widowhood can increase a woman's risk of HIV because of the cultural tradition of a widowed woman having sex with a male relative of her late husband, Libombo said, adding that risk factors for men include excessive alcohol and drug use.

According to AIM/AllAfrica.com, participants at the meeting suggested that the government provide female condoms to all provinces. Libombo said that although female condoms are available in private pharmacies, they are expensive and not many are sold. Female condoms will be included in a shipment of 700 million condoms being sent to Mozambique in the near future and will be distributed at no cost through a government partnership with UNAIDS.

Also speaking at the meeting, Diogo Milagre -- executive secretary of the National AIDS Council -- said that men who have sex with men are at an increased risk of HIV. He also announced that a household survey will be held next year and will test people of all age groups as a way to determine HIV prevalence in the country (AIM/AllAfrica.com, 10/26).

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ACROSS THE NATION

5. Increased HIV Prevention, Education Efforts Needed in South Florida, Officials Say


Officials in Martin and Indian River counties in Florida are calling for increased HIV/AIDS prevention and education efforts in an attempt to encourage testing and curb the spread of the virus, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports. Karen Thomas, an epidemiologist at the Martin County Health Department, said that the stigma attached to HIV/AIDS could be keeping people from seeking information and being tested. "We want to know why it is that we're not being asked," she said, adding that officials are at a "fact-finding sort of stage" and "want to be out there to make sure the numbers are reflective of what's actually happening."

According to the Sun-Sentinel, Martin and Indian River counties each have reported slightly more than 100 HIV cases since 1997, but health officials say that the number of actual cases could be much higher. Statistics indicate that more than half of all HIV cases on the Treasure Coast since 1997 are transmitted through heterosexual contact. Reports of HIV/AIDS cases in Martin County show an almost even division among white, black and Hispanic populations -- a contrast with the state, regional and national trend that shows minority populations are disproportionately affected by the virus -- the Sun-Sentinel reports. Thomas said the department is working to focus prevention efforts on the migrant community in Martin County, where people often believe that if they are not showing symptoms that they do not have HIV. Regional HIV/AIDS Program Coordinator Dawn Jones said she has supported efforts by the Indian River County Health Department to establish a community outreach coalition for HIV prevention.

A lack of government funding and community-based organizations also has hindered prevention and education efforts in the two counties, according to the Sun-Sentinel. Project Response provides no-cost HIV tests in neighboring St. Lucie County -- which has recorded three times the number of HIV cases as Indian and Martin counties combined -- through a state grant, while Martin County charges $35 for an HIV test. Kay Baker -- case manager for Project Response -- said people will go for HIV tests if they do not have the money, adding that they are "just going to hope they're not positive. That's dangerous. What we need most is education" (Copsey, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 10/27).

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6. Newspapers Examine Web Site Launched for Women Living With HIV/AIDS in Southern U.S.


The Raleigh News & Observer and the New Orleans Times-Picayune on Wednesday published articles about the Southern AIDS Living Quilt, which was launched last week by the Southern AIDS Coalition and Test For Life as an effort to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic among women in the Southern U.S., particularly minorities. The Southern AIDS Living Quilt initiative will feature videos about women affected by the disease and highlight the disproportionate effect of HIV/AIDS on women. The project also will provide information about testing and prevention measures (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 10/20). Summaries of the articles appear below.



New Orleans Times-Picayune: The Living Quilt Web site features video interviews of women living with HIV/AIDS in the South, including New Orleans, where women make up about one-third of the 3,500 people living with HIV/AIDS. Women also accounted for 67% of the new HIV cases reported last year in the city. According to the Times-Picayune, although the number of women living with HIV/AIDS in New Orleans has increased dramatically since the 1990s, there still is a stigma associated with the disease. According to the Times-Picayune, the "growing community of HIV-positive women has stayed mostly silent, a sharp contrast with the city's gay community, where being openly HIV-positive has become more accepted" (Reckdahl, New Orleans Times-Picayune, 10/29).


Raleigh News & Observer: According to the News & Observer, 80% of HIV cases diagnosed among women in North Carolina last year were recorded among blacks, Hispanics and American Indians. Although men still account for a large number of HIV/AIDS cases, an "often hidden epidemic is taking place among women," according to the News & Observer. Evelyn Foust, director of North Carolina's communicable disease branch, said that the state's rural history and pockets of poverty make it difficult to access health care and address HIV/AIDS. In addition, Foust said that the state should do more to address the stigma attached to the disease and make testing uniformly routine. Although a new state policy makes testing for women routine during pelvic exams, it has not been uniformly adopted across the state, according to the News & Observer (Avery, Raleigh News & Observer, 10/29).

Sierra Leone's National AIDS Secretariat Director Urges Reporters To Take Active Role in Addressing HIV/AIDS Issues


Sierra Leone's HIV/AIDS Reporters Association should increase its role in addressing the country's HIV/AIDS epidemic, Brima Kargbo, director of the National AIDS Secretariat, said during the recent HARA inaugural meeting, the Concord Times/AllAfrica.com reports. Kargbo called on the association to play a part in discussions of HIV/AIDS to create an environment that will challenge stigma associated with the disease and promote HIV/AIDS services. Kargbo also said that a strong collaboration between the media and HIV/AIDS agencies would ensure that HIV/AIDS services -- including counseling, testing, condom distribution, treatment, care and support -- are accessible and affordable. "One of the ... roles of the media is to open channels of communication and foster discussion about HIV and interpersonal relationship," he said, adding, "Mass media can be instrument[al] in breaking the silence that surrounds the disease. We encourage HARA to focus on the need to overcome prejudice and encourage solidarity with people who are infected and affected by the virus."

Smoking and Your Lungs

Chances are, you started smoking because it was cool, sophisticated, and glamorous. Or your friends smoked and you were curious about what smoking was like.
Now you know smoking is anything but cool. It makes you cough, cuts your "wind," gives you bad breath, and stains your teeth. It's also expensive; in one year, a heavy smoker may spend $1,000 or more on cigarettes.
More important, smoking causes emphysema, chronic bronchitis, lung cancer, heart disease, and gum disease. It increases your chances of having a stroke, diseases of the blood vessels, and stomach ulcers. Women who smoke during pregnancy may have premature babies. Smoking increases the risk of osteoporosis in women. And smoke in the air harms nonsmokers.

You and your defense system
The insides of your lungs are exposed to the environment every time you breathe. To protect them from foreign particles that could enter the body through this route, the lungs have several defense mechanisms.
Tiny hairlike cilia line your bronchial tubes. Normally they are in constant movement, sweeping germs, dirt, and mucus out of your lungs. But tobacco smoke slows down and actually paralyzes the cilia. Dirt particles and germs that enter the lungs are not removed. And the mucus that collects in the lungs provides a fertile environment for germs to multiply. This is the reason smokers suffer more respiratory infections.
Mucus lining the airways serves two purposes: it helps remove dirt and germs and it moistens the air you breathe. Smoking dries out the mucus, further hampering the defensive action of removing foreign matter. Smokers often experience dry, scratchy throat because the normal moisture is absent.

The chemicals in tobacco
Tar is a cancer-causing substance that clings to the inside of your lungs, forming a brown, sticky coat. All tobacco contains tar. Many people switched to low-tar cigarettes in the belief that these brands were less damaging. But the fact is, even small amounts of tar can still cause cancer. In addition, many smokers who switch to low-tar brands take deeper draws and smoke more cigarettes.
Nicotine causes the blood vessels to constrict, raising your blood pressure and forcing your heart to work harder than it should. Smokers suffer from cold hands and feet caused by poor circulation. In time, this can cause vascular diseases.
Burning tobacco produces carbon monoxide. Each time you inhale the hot smoke, you are taking carbon monoxide into your lungs. The tiny blood vessels in your lungs pick up this carbon monoxide instead of oxygen. Tests on smokers have found that carbon monoxide levels in their blood are 15 times higher than in the blood of nonsmokers. As a smoker, your entire body is chronically oxygen- deficient.

It's not too late to quit
Even if you have been smoking for years--even if you already have a lung disease--quitting smoking now will greatly improve your health. The cilia will begin working again and help keep your lungs swept clean. Your blood vessels will relax, allowing the blood to flow normally, so your heart will no longer work so hard. Your lung tissue will become healthier and you will breathe easier.

Excerpted from Mosby's Medical Encyclopedia
Copyright (c) 1994-5, 1996, 1997 The Learning Company Inc. All Rights Reserved

Everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy a good sleep or a good night rest, but here in my hometown, I think it is quite unfortunate that we do not enjoy these rights as much as one would love to.

Many people are so ignorant of the effect of noise pollution that they enjoy contributing to it. I once took a ride with a friend who was a truck driver and it was amazing what I noticed in him. The truck driver would engage his horns even when there was no clear reason to do so. Sometimes he would engage the horns just when he noticed that people were around and watching him go by, even when traffic was smooth and no obstruction on the road. He would nevertheless engage the horns just to attract attention and the weird admiration of some people perhaps.

I had gotten irritated once and asked him why he enjoyed it even when there was no cause for it and his only logical response was that he does it just for the fun of it and that the more it pissed people off, the more he enjoyed himself.

In the cities the story is the same, because most of our cities are dotted by shopping complexes and mini market stores vis-à-vis residential houses. The marketers in these stores, especially the electronics and the stores selling discs, turn their stereos to alarming volumes because they want to attract potential customers.

Motorbikes which are alternatives to buses and taxis, as quick modes of transportation, out-number the vehicles and one could just imagine the blaring of motorbike horns almost instantaneously at every ten to fifteen seconds interval as they make use of the road.

In my side of town where I live, though a middle class neigbourhood, but the rise of the middle and working class has made noise pollution a hellish experience. Most people in my neigbourhood can now afford the luxury of private generators and the noisy type for that matter. When the inefficient national electrical corporation disrupts electricity supply, my neigbourhood could best be described ironically as a razzmatazz, because almost every home in the neigbourhood switches over to generators and the noise pollution it generates is just explosive!

Once in a while around a typical street intersect in Benin City Edo State, one would find such disgusting content as the corpses of dead animals like a little dog’s, a little goat’s, or rabbit’s. It could be just the body parts of these animals cut in pieces and placed in a container usually a native pot. It could be mixed with other stuff like cowries, metal coins, native chalks, palm oil etc.

It was believed by some people that these were sacrifices done to appease some strange spirits from who knows where. But to think this could still be done at this day and age is baffling and more baffling is the fact that it is still being done secretly by even the well educated and some elite in the society.

It wouldn’t be worrying if the content of this decomposition is properly disposed of adequately. But instead it is left on the public street for everyone to see such disgusting sight and perhaps to enjoy the ravaging smell of the decaying corpses of animals.

Such sacrifices are usually placed on the street intersections in the dead of the night.
I sought to know the rational behind this habit and came to the funny conclusion that it was always done for spiritual protection by those who had sought the services of witch doctors.

The witch doctors though inconspicuous are still very much patronized by the elites in the society. Such services are usually at their peaks during festive seasons and during election periods, when these so called “well to do” need favours from the gods in whatever form which money can not buy.

It would not be disgusting enough if it were to be done in their private houses, where it is not allowed to pose any health risks to innocent citizens. For it to be placed on the street corner, which is being used by the general public is quite barbaric, backward and it poses some health risks to the society.

Health inspectors/officials from the local government are good for nothing and could be better described as figure heads.

THIS A STATE CALLED ABIA STATE THE TOWN CALLED UMUAHIA THIS THE MARKET POINT AND THE VIEW AREA AND HOW BUSY IT LOOK AND HOW CLEAR THE TOWN LOOK

My heart bleeds for you...

Some years ago, he was still in his teens. He was my senior in age and I looked up to him like a role model. He was everything I had wanted to be like. He was responsible, intelligent, ambitious and diligent. He had a lot of dreams and visions. But all that changed when he was brainwashed with the chance of a better life in a far away land.

He was taken to a destination, I know not. But some say it was the Middle East. I heard he mixed up with the wrong crowd and was found in the wrong place and at the wrong time. He was locked up for a number of years, maybe ten years or more.

Some say it was drugs he got involved with, others say he was innocent but was found at the wrong place with the wrong crowd.

But today, the person I once admired and looked up to like a role model is now a shadow of himself. I couldn’t bear to ask him how it all happened for fear I might even hurt him more, let alone talk about it. Some say he has gone psycho, others say he had been so hurt that he isn’t normal anymore.

He doesn’t even remember who he used to be. Whatever happened to those ambitions and visions of his teenage years? What ever happened to those dreams? All is now gone with the times. How he has changed so much. Sometimes I can barely recognise him. He just lives like nothing had happened, but just a faint shadow of his former self.

My heart bleeds for you. I wish I can turn back the clock of life and put it back to the days when all was well, when we were all innocent and just sweet little kids.

I am sorry you found the wrong side of life...
..How my heart bleeds for you!