The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Testing

  • Agency takes HIV/AIDS counselling, testing to grassroots

    The Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA) has screened some residents of Dopemu and Capitol Road in Agege, a suburb of Lagos.

    The agency said the exercise is to help residents know their HIV status.

    LSACA’s Director, Dr Oluseyi Temowo, represented by the Principal Health Educator, Mrs Olusola Adebambo during the HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) Community Outreach, said the state has 654 HIV Counselling and Testing sites, 47 anti-retroviral treatment (ART) and 342 Prevention of Mother-to–Child Transmission (PMTCT) sites providing HIV services.

    He said the government was on top of HIV prevention, stressing that it was partnering with stateholders in the private sector, especially non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and faith-based organisations, among others, to reduce the disease in the state.

    He described the turnout of residents as impressive, adding that people who missed the opportunity can still have the tests at the designated centres in Agege.

    Head of Dopemu community, Alhaji Shuaib Afogunlowo, said the exercise has enabled many of the residents to know their HIV status.

    “This is necessary because people are just going about without knowing their HIV status. The testing, however, has helped many people clear all doubts about their status. Anybody who tests positive can also receive treatment. HIV/AIDS is not a death sentence,” he said.

    Afogunlowo advised people not to run from taking the test because it is for their good. “I was also tested and it was negative,” he said.

    He thanked Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for making the testing and counselling possible.

    Chairman, World Health Organistion (WHO) Committee on Dopemu Primary Health Care (PHC), Mr Johnson Oguntan, said the benefits of the programme to the area were immense because HIV is a dreaded disease, and as such needs timely intervention.

    “It is an opportunity that we must not allow to pass us by. This is why I also submitted myself to the test,” Oguntan said.

    The community, he said, had sensitised the people through letters written to various religious groups, especially churches and mosques, among others so that people can come for the test.

  • Testing depth of the waters

    IT is great to meet someone that you really like. It is naturally the beginning of a relationship with prospects. However, it is wise to study the person you get attracted to, to be sure that what you feel is mutual and the gesture would be reciprocated appropriately.  While some kick off the romantic adventure immediately, others simply take their time, sometimes months and even years, watching as acquaintances.

    Look before you leap? Yes, that simply is the idea. Once you discover that this is what you really want, then you can “come out of your shell” to explore the emotional opportunities available. This takes you through a trial-and-error process when you try to be sure that this is exactly what you want. You are also sure that you are operating on the same frequency or pace and share a couple of things in common.

    During this period, you are likely to make eye contact, share a smile, or, when the one you desire is not looking, you steal a glance and then look somewhere else quickly. The point is you need some clue as to what would show if this heart likes you or not.

    When it comes to events that are memorable, we all like to celebrate in a grand way. It was Bolutife’s birthday and she was excited all the way. Added to the fun was the fact that her fiancé had just proposed to her. Finicky in her ways, she made sure that everything was done to taste. The venue was a beach setting and the guests-list was also very exciting.

    It was fun because there was something new to see, hear, as well as touch. In that gathering was Sunkanmi and he discovered a bird that was quite intoxicating at first sight. From that point, he let loose and his friends were surprised to see a different Sunkanmi in action. Just while they were still trying to understand what was going on, he declared that he was going to swim with Banke, the ravishing beauty that had just stolen his heart.

    Banke was a great swimmer. Put her in the affectionate lagoon and you would find our dear friend swimming like a fish. Sunkanmi on the other hand is a learner in the stream or even the beach. Just before his friends could offer a word of caution, Sukanmi jumped in without his thinking cap. Well, there is no harm in trying. Banke moved on and on and in a bid to impress her, he moved further on trying to catch up with his emotional fish.

    Suddenly, the tide changed, and while Banke was in charge, the Romeo was swimming against the emotional tide. Excitement in the air and the crowd at the beach got carried away with the euphoria of celebration. Then Banke shouted for help; her sweetheart was sinking and those who knew the depth of the waters so well got in to rescue the lover boy. They got him out just in time. Banke did some mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and he came back to life again. What a big risk? Why did he impress his babe with the wrong skill? Anyway, thank God, he survived the ordeal and must have learnt his lessons the hard way.

    The option available includes walking into the affectionate river, jumping into it or falling into it. Falling into the enticing river takes you off balance and you are not in charge. Here, the reality of the grand emotional fall hits you instantly and you may just become an emotional causality. A broken arm, leg or limbs can sometimes be the result of emotional recklessness or carelessness. The part of the river that you fall into also determines the extent of damage.

    A wise heart must not ‘fall’ into the emotional river without the necessary gadgets in place. Falling in without scrutinising the environment may result in drowning.

    The best type of swimmer in the affectionate stream is the one who treads with caution. You walk in carefully, taking not just one step at a time but also testing the depth of the waters. First you test the depth with just one foot and ask yourself, ‘should I go on or not?’ Next, you try to ask whether to go left or right. When you have sorted this out, then you may just try to find out whether it should be a one-leg-forward and two-steps-backwards movement.

    The crux of the matter here is that the affectionate stream is not predictable. Its movement is influenced by the tide and other elements of nature. Instead of savouring the emotional bliss from the currents, you may just get stuck with the harsh currents. Here, you would be struggling with the harsh breeze that slaps instead of caressing your face.

    If you are lucky to grow out of these streams, then things get calm and serene. To paddle your emotional canoe without stress, it is important to understand the emotional tide that you hope to pass through. Even when it is calm at the beginning, don’t assume it would be calm all the way. You may need to have a life jacket in place, just in case the emotional springs some surprise.

  • ‘LSACA is increasing HIV testing, counselling’

    The Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA) has scaled up HIV counseling and testing in the state.

    Its Acting Chief Executive Officer, Dr Olusegun Ogboye said his agency had a meeting with the technical work group and Inter Local Action Committee on AIDS (ILACA) to re-strategise on how to make people know their status.

    Ogboye, who underscored the importance of the meeting as a pivot to increasing HIV counseling and testing in Lagos State, said LSACA has conducted outreach programmes in Oshodi and Ejigbo Local Government Areas.

    This, he said, was done in partnership with the National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA) SURE-P Project.

    The agency, he said, also participated in NACA organised stakeholders’ meeting to engage private facilities to scale up the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT).

    He enjoined workers to know their status by going for HIV Counseling and testing because a healthy workforce will increase the productivity of the state.

    The CEO said HIV positive people could be symptom free for 10 years, and as such, infect other people if not checked and treated.

    This, he said, was the reason behind his agency’s meeting with the technical work group (TWG) and advisory and implementation team.

    The outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), he said, affected the publicity and enlightenment campaign on HIV/AIDS prevention, hence the need to scale up HIV counseling and testing (HCT).

  • DNA Testing: Ignorance in bliss or peace of mind in knowing

    DNA Testing: Ignorance in bliss or peace of mind in knowing

    Continued from last week

     

    ”Today, more than half of all births from American women under 30 occur outside of marriage. Increases in births outside of the marriage may point to the transforming family. Today, technology has equipped women bearing children with non-invasive DNA paternity tests that will help answer the question, who is the father?” (http://www.dnacenter.com/blog/im-pregnant-who-is-the-father-dna-paternity-testing/).

    Social life in these times has brought about issues that require application of science and technology.  Premarital, extramarital, and non-marital sexual affairs are perhaps much more common in this nascent century than they were in the last century as the world has undergone a type of sexual revolution that opposes traditional concepts based on the major world religions.

    Whether to catch criminals or to determine paternity, or for a host of other uses, DNA testing has come to stay.  The average man thus needs to know what DNA is and what can be obtained with DNA testing.

    Before you think it does not concern you, let us take a few scenarios.  Jack had a girlfriend who was his colleague in their days at university.  He denied that her pregnancy back then was his.  He married another woman and was happy with his family and executive job until his old girlfriend showed upten years later.  Her private investigator succeeded in getting a DNA test done to prove Jack’spaternity of her child.  She not only got child support from him but sued him on many counts including psychological damage and setback in her own life due to his abandonment of the child. Jack’s wife was upset by the drama and did not want to live with a virtual other wife feeding off her husband. She quit with her own children.  With DNA testing, things can return to haunt a happy marriage or a happy life.Men could be easily set-up by predator women who would drag them to court and win their money and estates.

    Youths often get into trouble by being at the wrong place or somewhere at the wrong time.  I was talking to a man a few days ago.  He was released from prison six months ago. He spent 27 years in maximum security prisons.  He was locked up before DNA testing was introduced. He was saved by an NGO that took care of convicts claiming innocence.  Now his DNA did not match the DNA of the criminal. There may be many other innocents suffering miscarriage of justice and waiting for freedom, perhaps in vain.

    DNA can be used in evil ways. An innocent person’s DNA can be placed in a crime scene or planted for dubious reasons.  Your DNA can be used against you.  Big-time criminals that get your DNA information or the DNA information of your loved ones can use it to begin rumors about you, blackmail you, extort money from you, etc.  Enemies can use your DNA information to socially sabotage you.  Capitalists can use DNA information unethically to target particular persons for lucrative goals or exploitation.

    DNA testing can lead to people playing God.  People secretly DNA-testing other people can become oppressors and repressors. A man is so convinced that that girl will have an ugly cancer that he does not allow his son to marry her and his son, instead, goes and marries a DNA-perfect demoniac. Big Business is so convinced that some persons are schizophrenic type that they are not given jobs or if they have jobs, they are not allowed to get promoted. Big Brother governments can begin to control people’s lives, manipulate, determine, discriminate, segregate, etc.

    The normal person strives for health in body, mind, and spirit.  DNA testing only gives a probability that rationality takes seriously and faith takes peacefully.  The power of reasoning and the power of prayer are needed by the average man. Faith and reason are two sides of a coin that the present-day human being should know how to spend if he or she wants to live his/her best life.  We can avoid counterfeit currency.

    Today’s world easily crushes naïvetés. We can know how to “watch and pray”, as the Master teacher Jesus warned.  To watch is to learn and understand (not to spy) the pertinent things that are for our salvation. We therefor will discuss: What is DNA? How does DNA testing work? What is DNA testing used for?DNA-testing kits and services.  It is a lot of science for those who are not inclined to science but we shall discuss because we are all inclined to salvation.

    Dr. ‘Bola John is a biomedical scientist based in Nigeria and in the USA.   For any comments or questions on this column, please email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 08160944635

  • Testing Europe’s Conscience

    Testing Europe’s Conscience

    After the drowning of more than 300 Africans near the Italian island of Lampedusa, the European Commission president, José Manuel Barroso, pledged 30 million euros, or about $40.7 million, last week to help Italy deal with an overwhelming influx of refugees. While this is a good start, it is far from enough.

    On Friday, another boat carrying more than 200 refugees capsized off the coast of Sicily, leaving more than 30 people dead. Over the past two decades, 20,000 migrants have died trying to make it across the Mediterranean to Europe’s shores. According to Frontex, the European agency charged with managing Europe’s borders, 73,000 migrants illegally crossed Europe’s borders in 2012 and 115,000 more were turned away. Most flee political turmoil and economic collapse at home, with thousands seeking refuge in Europe after regime change in Tunisia, the war in Libya and, most recently, the conflict in Syria. These numbers have spawned organized criminal networks that prey upon desperate refugees.

    Increased migration has been exploited by far-right political parties to fan fears of refugees as threats to living standards and national identities. Polls last week showed that, ahead of French municipal elections, there was record-breaking levels of voter support for National Front, the far-right party led by Marine Le Pen.

    To prevent more tragedies, the European Commission proposes expanding search-and-rescue operations by Frontex. Such a move would need additional funding from European Union members, which may prove a political challenge. Equally challenging is breaking up the human-trafficking networks and providing aid to those who qualify under immigration law to stay in Europe and arranging for humane repatriation for those who do not. It is cruel to impose, as does Italian law, stiff fines and deportation on survivors of human trafficking.

    President François Hollande of France says he will discuss migration policies with European leaders this month. The international community could help by offering more refugees sanctuary beyond Europe’s borders. Europe alone cannot deal with the consequences of war and repressive regimes in Africa and the Middle East. The tragedy near Lampedusa is more than an European tragedy. It is a human tragedy.

    – New York Times