“Hepatitis” means inflammation of the liver. The liver is a vital organ that processes nutrients, filters the blood, and fights infections. When the liver is inflamed or damaged, its function can be affected. Hepatitis is most often caused by a virus. Heavy alcohol use, toxins, some medications, and certain medical conditions can also cause hepatitis. Hepatitis B virus infection has different clinical manifestations depending on the patient’s age at infection and immune status, and the stage at which the disease is recognized.

During the incubation phase of the disease, patients may feel unwell with possible nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, anorexia and headaches. Patients may then become jaundiced although low grade fever and loss of appetite may improve. People who have symptoms generally feel quite ill and might need to be hospitalized. The symptoms are as follows; Yellowing of skin and whites of eyes, dark coloured urine, loss of appetite or nausea, bloated and tender belly, extreme tiredness, fever and pain in joints.

About 11, 404 persons are currently recieving HIV/AIDS treatment in Katsina State as at October this year, Governor Aminu Bello Masari has said. Speaking during the disbursement of the 3rd trench of HIV/AIDS fund grant to civil society organisations, Masari said the state has witnessed steady decline HIV prevanlence rate from 3.5% in 2001 to 0.7% in 2012. Masari who spoke through secretary to the state government, Mustapha Muhammad Inuwa, said his administration was committed to ensuring that HIV/AIDS intervention got deserved attention.

He said the state government has approved funds for the procurements of reagents for screening tests “before commencement and during follow up of treatment of people living with HIV/AIDS in the state”. Masari said government had presented an executive bill against stigma and discrimination to the state assembly so as to protect people living with the disease. He stressed that government has approved the disbursement of N53 million to 22 civil society organisation to enhance community interventions in local government areas.

The Society of Gynecology and Obstetricians of Nigeria(SOGON), has described Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) as fundamental instruments of infringement of female reproductive rights. Prof. Joseph Adinma, President of the association, made the statement on Saturday in Abuja at an interactive session with newsmen to mark the end of the association’s 50th anniversary and 49th Annual General Meeting. Adinma expressed concern that a lot of Nigerians indulge in the practice out of ignorance and belief without knowing the dangers inherent in it.

He said that the dangers inherent in the practice are contributing factors to fistula and maternal mortality in the country. "The practice is carried out with the intention to dominate, subordinate and make women feel inferior or incomplete, ’he said, adding that Nigeria contributes 25 per cent of the global burden of female genital mutilation. The president said that Nigeria had assented to the global decision to promote, protect and uplift women sexual and reproductive rights, adding that the only way to achieve this was through advocacy.

DURBAN/GENEVA, 1 December 2015—On World AIDS Day 2015, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé, has said that countries are on a countdown to ending their AIDS epidemics and that if swift and effective action is taken over the next five years, one by one they will break their epidemics so that they cannot rebound. Mr Sidibé made the remarks as he joined the Deputy President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, at South Africa’s national World AIDS Day event, which was held in the Ugu District of KwaZulu-Natal Province on 1 December.

Introduced by Aaron Motsoaledi, the Minister of Health of South Africa, Mr Ramaphosa reflected on what World AIDS Day means to him: celebrating the courage of people living with HIV, evaluating the progress―or lack thereof―of the national AIDS response, recognizing partners and recommitting to the goal an HIV-free generation. “This is the time for all of us to rise, act and protect. As a nation we must rise to the challenge and be confident that we can succeed,” said Mr Ramaphosa. “Yes, we will be triumphant and yes, we will make progress. As a nation and as individuals we must act to support and encourage others, and we must protect ourselves and those near to us.”

Childhood mental illness and obesity are significant public health concerns in the US. Since they start in childhood, preventive and early intervention approaches are needed. Pet dogs have been linked with health benefits for adults, as promoted by the US Public Health Service (USPHS). In Australia and the UK, dog ownership has been linked with increased physical activity among children aged 5-12 years and healthier body mass index (BMI) in those aged 5-6 years, due to walking and active play. Such data is lacking in the US, so more evidence is needed to support pet ownership as a health strategy.

 How can pets help mental health: Pets can stimulate conversation, creating an ice-breaking effect that alleviates social anxiety. Dogs also tend to follow human communicative cues, which could help in emotional development. Children aged 7-8 years have previously ranked pets higher than humans as providers of comfort and self-esteem, and as confidants. Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) with dogs reduces anxiety and arousal, alleviates separation anxiety and enhances attachment in children, thereby improving mental health and reducing developmental disorders.

The National Agancy for the Control of AIDS (NACA) says it is worried that governments in Nigeria have left HIV treatment and interventions in the country in the hands of donors. NACA’s Director of Policy and Strategy, Alex Ogundipe told newsmen at a rally commemorating 2015 World AIDS day in Abuja that they are working to get the local, state and federal governments to see HIV as a problem of the people of Nigeria and not leave it in the hand of donors. “Nigeria has left HIV treatment and interventions in the  hand of donors. It is not right and that is why we are unable to provide the response to everybody that should be on treatment right now,” Ogundipe said.

He said that “local governments should see people that are positive as those who can still contribute to development of this country and provide them the best health care services.” For the country director of UNAID, Dr Bilali Camara, Nigeria should domesticate her fight against HIV  which means owing and leading the response to disease. He said “This means investing in the issue and we calling on the Nigeria government to do more and to see how it can match the international resources coming into this country with local response. This will trigger an impactful response which can end the HIV epidemic by 2030.”

A public health expert, Prof. Adefunke Oyemade, on Tuesday urged the three tiers of government to improve on the existing facilities at juvenile homes and make them more habitable. Oyemade told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that fostering a conducive environment was critical to the prevention of deprived children from becoming juvenile delinquents. She said: “The health of a child is to a large extent, influenced by his environment, that environment is the society, the family, most essentially the mother.

“Maternal deprivation like most medical concepts have evolved over a period of years and it involves institutionalisation, mother-child separation, multiple mothering and distortion in the quality of care. “Institutional child may have a normal physical development but becomes mentally retarded because of lack of social stimulation and individual attention. “With a good environment and a loving substitute mother, a remarkable improvement can be achieved in a child’s social and mental development. “The effects may be reversed if relief from deprivation is instituted early enough

Technology firm ChitHub Medical Solutions has launched a phone-a-doctor service which is a call operator platform that allows Nigerians to lay their health concerns before a doctor by simply dialling 0700D0CTORS. ChitHub chief executive officer  Michael Agbogo, who conceived the platform while watching a phone-in programme on a business trip to South Africa, said, the use of technology and GSM would “allow people in rural areas to have access to the same level of health care you get in cities. The major problem we have in health care is it bring available, affordable and accessible to the people, he said at the launch of 0700DOCTORS in Abuja.

A call to the line puts patients in touch with any available expert in a standing pool of general practitioners and consultants who save patient history to profiles and can diagnose conditions, send prescriptions to patients by SMS or push them to pharmacies, and refer patients to nearest hospitals for advanced care. 

The Chinese National Center for AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Disease Control and Prevention, said most foreign patients were no longer covered by China’s AIDS intervention system. Wu Zunyou, Head of the National Center, said on Wednesday in Beijing that the measure included a patient’s follow-up monitoring network and free antiviral medication He said this had become imperative due to limited funding, therefore, the government’s anti-AIDS efforts, particularly free medication, would focus only on Chinese citizens.

Zunyou said more than 1,800 HIV/AIDS cases involving people from outside the Chinese mainland-mostly foreigners-were diagnosed between January and October. “Such cases are continuing to rise due to increased international exchanges. “The latest figure compares with 1,500 cases recorded in July last year covering the previous three years. “At least 9,000 foreigners have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS on the mainland since the center’s epidemic surveillance system started operating in 2005,’’ he said.

French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research, said that archaeologists discovered five heart-shaped urns made of lead, each containing an embalmed human heart. Rozenn Colleter, Head of the institute, disclosed this on Thursday while presenting the findings at a meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago. Collter, who was also the leader of the research group, said the leads were found in the ruins of a medieval convent in the French city of Rennes.

He said roughly four centuries after they were buried, researchers had used modern science to study the old hearts. “It turns out three of them bore tell-tale signs of a heart disease very common today. “Every heart was different and revealed its share of surprises. “Four of these hearts are very well preserved. It is very rare in archaeology to work on organic materials. The prospects are very exciting,’’ he said. Colleter said one of the hearts appeared healthy, with no evidence of disease.