Magonjwa yasiyoambukiza yashika kasi Tanzania

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Tutabakoi kweli? Na haya magari badala ya kutembea na kugombania daladala, ni kukaa tu.
Kupanda daladala ni mazoezi tosha.

......... 'Babu wa Loliondo' (the grandpa of Loliondo) as he was fondly known, woke up from a dream one morning and claimed God had given him a vision about a herb that would completely heal people of cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure. Local newspapers in Tanzania ran stories of several notables (including cabinet ministers) who made pilgrimage to Loliondo, the wife of the DRC president Joseph Kabila among them..........

This scenario should remind us of Malcom X's quote that "The media's the most powerful entity on earth…..They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent….Because they control the minds of the masses''
The Loliondo craze is a typical case where media sensationalized a story and apparently brought Tanzanian politics to a standstill.

As it went on, the WHO released its 2010 Global Health Status Report, raising a world alarm that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) were on the rise in low and middle income countries. The report said 80 per cent of the NCDs burden was now occurring in developing nations, contrary to popular belief that these were "diseases of the west"

It said "Even in African nations, NCDs are rising rapidly and are projected to exceed communicable, maternal, perinatal, and nutritional diseases as the most common causes of death by 2030". Although the report pointed to diseases that afflicted most Tanzanians who flocked to Loliondo, it didn't get nearly as much attention as the Babu story.

But three years down the line, Babu's popularity has completely trailed off. The WHO predictions still hold water and Tanzanians still suffer from the same diseases. NCDs in the country are increasingly linked to the progressive substitution of traditional foods with cheap processed "junk food", as experts warn of rising cases of obesity. Less research is being carried out there, but the common site of people with over-size waist lines shame the researchers.

Although the obesity crisis seems to be a global threat, many societies seem to hold on to the mentality that being fat is a sign of wealth. Where I come from in Africa, men stroke their fat bellies in public as a sign that they have money. '"You are fat, you are rich'." The philosophy seems to be that a large stomach commands respect. This makes people associate big tummies with power, because most politicians have them. But many media outlets back home are not seeing a story to tell about the monster of obesity. A screaming headline that would portray a fat person as sick would probably not sell, thanks to deeply entrenched cultural norms.

In western countries-where NCDs have been the main killer for many years, big lessons have been learnt. It's rare to a day passes without an interesting health story on lifestyle diseases in the UK papers, which talk about the reality of the disease burden. When I arrived in London last month, a screaming headline in The Sun caught my attention: 'Couple arrested for having a fat kid'. The story was carried in every other UK paper that day.

Parents from King's Lynn, Norfolk, had been arrested after a tip off by doctors that the couple had allowed their 11 year-old son to 'become obese' and were being questioned on suspicion of child neglect and cruelty. Before I read the piece, my impression was that being fat in the UK is a problem and a disease, contrary to the belief among a large section of societies in Tanzania that it is a sign of wealth.

Many researchers have linked obesity with most NCDs, and the media in the UK tends to shout whenever they smell a story linked to obesity. Just a few weeks ago The Daily Mirror stunned me with a headline which read: 'Dead body 'too fat' for morgue had to be stored in funeral director's car'. The story was about a funeral director who was denied a hospital morgue because the corpse in the car was apparently too large.

On another morning, The Daily Telegraph hit another interesting headline on the same subject: '32,000 British soldiers fail fitness tests amid fears of Army obesity crisis'. This emerged after findings published by The Sunday Times revealed that British troops had failed a key basic fitness test, raising fears of an army obesity crisis..............

The author is a health Journalist for The Citizen in Tanzania, now based at The Independent for the David Astor Journalism Award attachment programme.

Source:The UK can teach the rest of the world a lesson about obesity - Comment - Voices - The Independent

 

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Katibu Mkuu Ofisi ya Waziri Mkuu, Dk. Frolence Turuka, amesema ulaji ovyo wa vyakula visivyo na protini ni moja ya sababu inayochangia ongezeko kubwa la uzito na kusababisha magonjwa yasioambukiza. Akizungumza jijini Dar es Salaam wakati wa ufunguzi wa mkutano wa siku tatu uliowakutanisha wadau wa ndani na nje, kujadili matumizi mabaya ya lishe, alisema mkutano huo utapitia mkakati wa taifa wa mwaka 2011/ 16 kuangalia mapungufu na kuyaboresha.

Turuka alisema kwa ongezeko hilo limewaathiri sana wanawake wanaotarajia kupata ujauzito kwa sababu asilimia 23 wako katika hatari ya kukubwa na magonjwa hayo kama shinikizo la damu ‘presha', kisukari, na kuumwa kichwa. Kadhalika, alisema asilimia 28 ya watu wanaoishi jijini Dar es Salaam, wenye umri wa miaka 15 hadi 49 wamebainika kuwa miongoni mwa watu wenye uzito mkubwa huku asilimia 16 tu wakiwa katika hatari ya kupata utapiamlo. "Mkakati huu utalenga pia kutoa elimu kwa jamii sambamba na kuangalia hatua za haraka kuchukuliwa ili kutekeleza tatizo hilo kwa sababu suala la lishe linailenga kila sekta ," alisema Turuka.

Mkurugenzi wa taasisi ya Chakula na Lishe, Dk. Joyceline Kaganda, alisema mkutano huo utatoa fursa kwa wataalamu kujadili njia ya kutokomeza tatizo la utapiamlo kwa maeneo ya mjini na vijijini. "Pamoja na kupungua kwa kiwango cha lishe duni kwa watoto, utoaji wa elimu wa lishe bado kumekuwa na changamoto kubwa kwa wazazi kutozingatia ushauri wa wataalamu," alisema. Alisema lishe duni kwa watoto nchini imepungu kwa asilimia 42 kwa mwaka 2005/10 huku wanawake wanaozaa watoto chini ya uzito wakiwa asilimia 40 katika kipindi cha mwaka huo.

CHANZO: NIPASHE

 

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[h=2]Lifestyles are linked to cervical cancer[/h]Having multiple sex partners and being sexually active at an early age have been noted as among factors that could put a woman and a girl child on risk of developing cervical cancer, the Medical Women Association of Tanzania (MEWATA) has warned.

Speaking during a charity walk to mark this year's breast cancer month, the Association's chairperson, Dr Serafina Mkuwa said cancer patients cannot easily detect cancer symptoms unless they go for their health examination.

The charity walk involved the setting up of poles along MEWATA's plot in Mbweni JKT on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam, strategically for the construction of a Well Woman Clinic later next year.

"It could take up to ten years to detect the symptoms," said Dr Mkuwa, noting that regular health checkups could help detect the virus and take appropriate treatment.

According to the chairperson, MEWATA is joining other countries across the globe to help create awareness for women in the community to examine their health status.

She however said that the Association has already secured all the needed documents including structural design for the construction of the clinic.

"We're expecting to launch a fundraising gala for the construction of a state of art hospital that would help a girl child and women from all walks of life to access health care and treatment," she said, applauding the support from the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Muhimbili National Hospital, Tanzania Women's Bank (TPB) and ITV/Radio One.

Gracing the ceremony, Margareth Chacha TPB's Managing Director urged Tanzanians to develop a tendency of checking their health status.

Chacha said so many people have died of cancer though the majority went on to blame witchcrafts. The construction of a health facility symbolises a milestone in search of health solution especially to cancer patients in the country.

"We have opened a special bank account for people to deposit funds that could help in the construction of the clinic," she said.





SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN