Vaccines are a proven, cost-effective tool for controlling or eradicating childhood diseases such as measles, polio, tetanus and meningitis, yet children living in poverty continue to die due to lack of immunization.

Did you know that:

• More than 2 million children die annually because they have not been vaccinated?
• Someone in the world is newly infected with tuberculosis every second?
• It costs only $17 to fully immunize 1 child against the top 6 childhood killer diseases: measles, polio, diphtheria, whooping cough, tuberculosis and tetanus?

Aid workers in crowded refugee camps immunize thousands of children, while others undertake the dangerous job of going house to house in places like war-torn Iraq.

Others develop innovative ways to ensure temperature and quality control as the vaccines travel around the world.

Global Impact charities, including Salvation Army World Service Office (SAWSO), Plan USA, Rotary Foundation of Rotary International and U.S. Fund for UNICEF, have made immunizing children a priority and are overcoming major obstacles to reach the goal of eliminating needless deaths.

Your gift of $100 can provide enough vaccine to immunize 100 children against polio.

Global Impact is dedicated to helping the poorest people on Earth. Representing more than 50 of the most respected U.S.-based international charities in giving campaigns across the nation, Global Impact touches more than 400 million lives worldwide through disaster relief, education, health training and economic programs that promote self-sufficiency.

This is a guest post by Silent_One @ littlebro.

Cigarette smoking causes 87% of lung cancer deaths and is responsible for most cancers of the larynx, oral cavity and pharynx, esophagus, and bladder.

- Source: National Cancer Institute

Yes, we all know it. We all know that smoking is bad for our health, and it causes all sorts of diseases (especially cancer) to us. But why do people still smoke? Why do people keep lighting up their cigarettes and choose to shorten their own lives? Every action a person takes has its own reason, but from my point of view — and I’m sure this is the point of view of most people — the main reason a person smokes comes from one simple word — Addiction.

Image credit: Victor Bezrukov.

Pardon me if I’ve offended any smoker or their closest relatives for using this word, but this is the only word that I can think of. In fact, smoking is a bad habit which is hard to break because tobacco (the main ingredient in cigarettes) contains nicotine, which is highly addictive. Like heroin or other addictive drugs, the body and mind quickly become so used to the nicotine in cigarettes that a person needs to have it just to feel normal. So, why do people even start smoking in the first place? According to Larissa Hirsch in her article regarding smoking which I absolutely agree with her on most points, there are 2 main reasons why people smoke:

First, they think that smoking is cool and it portrays a strong sense of masculine behavior in a person. If you asked me whether a person who smokes is cool or looks more like a MAN, let me enlighten you. Frankly speaking, I have a lot of friends who are smokers. Some of them are heavy smokers, and they can even smoke 1-2 boxes of cigarettes without even having a grain of rice for a day. Well, this is absolutely not “cool”, in my opinion. Wait till you see this.

About 37,000 to 40,000 people die from heart and blood vessel disease caused by other people’s smoke each year. Of these, about 35,000 non-smokers die from coronary heart disease, which includes heart attack.

- Source: American Heart Association

This means that indirectly, we as the non-smokers inhale the second-hand smoke from smokers into our own body, causing diseases to us as well! No, I’m not telling you to stay away from your smoker friends and banish them to Neverland. Just do your best to keep a distance from them whenever you are together and the best alternative would be to give advice to them to stop smoking (although I know this probably won’t work, but it’s worth a try, no?)

Secondly, the influence from family and friends. Yes, this is definitely the major reason why most people even start smoking. Tell me, what do you do when your closest friend come to you and say “Hey, come try this cigarette I stole from my dad!” I’m sure most people will most probably give it a shot (I’m saying this from a teenager’s point of view, not from an adult’s). Once you experience your first puff, that’s it. Some people (probably smokers) will say it’s the first puff to sanctuary, but let me rephrase that to the first puff to HELL, since you will definitely get addicted and spending hard-earned cash from your parents or yourself to buy useless cigarettes which can definitely shorten your life by 10 years or so. Moreover, from the first point above, you will also involve people around you by “providing” them with second-hand smoke. Talk about friendship.

But this isn’t the end for smokers. Smokers aren’t doomed to oblivion and short lifespans. There are a lot of resources on the Net which offers help to smokers who want and are determined to quit. For myself, there are two words to stop smoking, once and for all — Don’t start.

This might be hard especially if a lot of people around you smoke and are offering you cigarettes like lottery tickets. But I trust in one’s principles and as long as you are determined to stay healthy and enjoy your life to the fullest, not even your closest friend or family member will ever convince you to even hold a cigarette.

Say “Tak Nak” (”no” in Bahasa Malaysia) to smoking!

Silent_One @ littlebro is an IT graduate who blogs at ~ d a r k n e s s ~. Unlike other ordinary young man, he mutters about the turbulence and downs (no ups) in life, while searching for his long lost soul. He hides himself in the huge city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and hopes that no one can recognize him except for his friends.

It’s World AIDS Day today, so we shall discuss some facts and figures that we need to know about the deadly but preventable and treatable disease.

What is HIV/AIDS all about?

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in humans in which the immune system begins to fail, leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections.

HIV harms the body’s immune system by attacking certain kinds of cells which are a part of the body’s natural line of defense against illness. As time goes by, HIV destroys so many of these cells that the body is no longer able to defend itself against certain cancers, viruses, bacteria, or parasites. If left untreated, HIV can lead to AIDS and death.

Did you know that…

• more than 25 million people have died of AIDS since 1981?
  
• Africa has 12 million AIDS orphans?
• at the end of 2006, women accounted for 50% of all adults living with HIV worldwide, and for 61% in sub-Saharan Africa?
• young people (under 25 years old) account for half of all new HIV infections worldwide?
• in developing and transitional countries, 7.1 million people are in immediate need of life-saving AIDS drugs; of these, only 2.015 million (28%) are receiving the drugs?

How is AIDS transmitted?

HIV isn’t transmitted by casual contact. You cannot get it from sharing water fountains, toilet seats, pencils or pens. And it’s not spread through coughing or sneezing, tears, sweat, urine or saliva.

1. Sexual transmission

   Homosexuals and heterosexuals alike are at risk. Infected people can pass HIV to anyone with whom they have intimate contact. Men can infect female or male partners, as can women. If you’re promiscuous, you increase your chances of encountering someone who’s infected. To protect yourself, use condoms unless you’re absolutely certain your partner isn’t HIV-positive.

2. Drug and needle use

   Injecting drugs with someone who is HIV-positive puts you at risk. Dried blood can stay on a needle or inside a syringe, then be transferred to the next user. Because you can’t tell by looking whether a person has HIV, sharing needles is always dangerous.

   You’re also at risk if you have any part of your body pierced or get a tattoo. If you have either of these procedures, make sure the person providing the service uses only new or sterile needles.

3. Blood transfusions

   Today, blood that is used in transfusions in the United States is rigorously tested for HIV and several other contagious viruses, so there is only a slight chance of getting HIV from a transfusion. However, that wasn’t the case a decade ago.

How to reduce the risk of HIV or other STD transmission?

The following steps can help you prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS.

• Get educated. Find out all you can about HIV and AIDS so that you can protect yourself. Share your knowledge with family members and friends.
• Choose not to have sex, or making an agreement with a partner who is not HIV-positive to be sexually faithful to each other, and sticking to it.
• Do not inject drugs of any kind. Do not share needles or syringes. Seek medical help if you have a drug problem.
• Have an HIV test if you’ve participated in unsafe sex or drug use. Encourage any friends who believe they may be infected to do the same.
• Postpone pregnancy if it’s possible you’ve been infected. Unborn children can contract the disease from their mothers, although there are medications that can prevent this. Your doctor can offer advice, as can family-planning services.

Interesting myths and facts you need to know about HIV/AIDS:

• The real truth about HIV @ pelf-ism is contagious
• How you really catch HIV? @ pelf-ism is contagious

Elsewhere:

• World AIDS Day — Take Action Now by Tiara @ EducateDeviate.
• World AIDS Day 2007 by Skeet @ Skeet’s Stuff

References: