Your car is the problem, my bicycle is the solution....
A graffiti in Amsterdam, Netherlands!
Thursday 28 June 2012
Wednesday 27 June 2012
NEED FOR BIOCONTROL AGENTS FOR JIGGERS...
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Tunga
penetrans commonly known as jiggers is a sand flea in the
order Siphonaptera that parasitizes
various mammalian hosts including humans, mainly in resource-poor communities
thus the need to device effective and sustainable methods of controlling the
parasite. Jiggers continue to cause temporal and in some cases permanent
disability to its victims most of whom are productive members of society.
These effects in return lead to reduced economic activities in the resource
poor communities. In addition, the one-sided approach of seeking to cure
already infected individuals with limited attention on control measures,
leaves a gap in its prevention hence the need to incorporate substantive
integrated parasite control mechanisms in order to intensify the fight
against the parasite. Moreover, the impact of jiggers on households
continues to hit the public health sector’s radar due to its increasing
prevalence and the debilitating socio-economic difficulties it causes to its
victims. The numerous efforts by the
Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation in conjunction with Ahadi Trust
among a host of other anti-jigger organizations continue to try and alleviate
jiggers’ negative impacts in affected populations in Kenya. This parasite’s
presence is felt throughout the country except for few areas in the arid and
semi-arid areas of North Eastern province in Kenya, due to high temperatures
unfavorable to them.
The
main preventive measures advocated for have constantly been hygienic living
conditions especially in earth-floored houses and the use of chemical
fumigants. These preventive measures, however, continue to
experience hurdles in their execution given that impoverished households
inadvertently fail to maintain the hygienic standards and at the same time,
cannot afford pairs of closed shoes throughout the year. In addition, these
infective adult stages of the jiggers are harbored in soils found indoors due
to mud-floors, increasing the exposed individuals to higher susceptibility to
attack by the parasite.
Therefore,
an efficient, cheap, easy to spread and safe fungal isolates with limited
host range sprayed in these homesteads, shall go a long way to destroy the
larvae and infective adult stages of jiggers
and also create a sustainable control method.
The increasing poverty levels and
lack of knowledge on basic hygienic living conditions continue to pose a
challenge to the control and eventual elimination of jiggers in Kenya. Traditional
methods of chemical application and physical removal of the parasite from
already infected individuals, seek only to alleviate the parasites after
infestation. There are no drugs available with proven effectiveness. Clinical
trials performed in the last few years did not show very promising
results. Thus, surgical extraction still remains the treatment of choice in patients
with a low parasite load, such as tourists returning from endemic areas.
Arguably, the best approach to reduce tungiasis-associated morbidity in
heavily affected individuals is the application of a repellent to prevent the
penetration of the jiggers
The parasitic flea lives in warm,
dry soil and sand, and is found commonly in beaches, farms, and wooded areas.
Both the male and female fleas feed on warm-blooded host, but only the
impregnated female flea anchors herself and burrows into the host's skin. The
flea burrows head first into the upper dermis, with the tail-end of its
abdomen forming an orifice at the skin surface, which the flea uses to
breathe.
Characteristic
symptoms of jiggers infection include:
extreme itching, pain,
inflammation around the infected region, formation of fibrous cysts, lesions
in form of white or red patches, ulcerations in heavy infections and pus and
blood discharge from the ulcer.
If the lesion is left
untreated, secondary infection such as bacteremia, tetanus and gas gangrene
occur. Because the flea has limited jumping ability, the most common site of
infection in human beings’ are the feet, especially in the areas between the
toes and around the toenails.
Jiggers’ life cycle is
characterized by egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Female sand flea penetrates
hosts skin, and its abdomen is enlarged by the developing eggs thus causing
tungiasis.
Tungiasis is found mainly in
Africa, Caribbean Islands, Central and South America, and India.
Infection by flea can be effectively
prevented by wearing shoes and spraying insecticides in affected areas. In
dirt floored houses, success in fighting the fleas can be achieved by
removing the top few inches of soil and replacing it with clean soil,
preferably clay, which packs hard, unlike sand. Before replacing with new
soil-clay, the bottoms of the walls may be sprayed with kerosene—spraying
should be done as often as possible. This procedure should have a positive
effect against worm eggs and other fleas as well as disease-causing germs.
The future of sustainable and
environment friendly control of pests and diseases is in the use of
biological control agents. This is supported by the fact that numerous
chemicals in use currently are facing multiple resistances against their
target pests and parasites due to evolution as well as other novel
interconnected survival tactics by these organisms.
Therefore, the findings of a
project carried out at the University of Nairobi between March and June in
2012 form a basis in addition to the other numerous related studies carried
out and sited, to build on and realize an effective, easy to use and most
importantly cheap biocontrol agent against jiggers to ease its burden on the
poor people of the world affected by this parasite.
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Tuesday 26 June 2012
alex.kubasu: PEOPLE POWER!
alex.kubasu: PEOPLE POWER!: Am sitting here envisioning a Kenya driven by the people and not by the uncaring self seeking individuals disguised as our leaders. True, g...
PEOPLE POWER!
Am sitting here envisioning a Kenya driven by the people and not by the uncaring self seeking individuals disguised as our leaders. True, good policies and true politicians good life! But the reverse is painfully true! And that is the malaise Kenya is chronically suffering from as well as many other countries of the world. May all you reformers out there be re-energised and keep fighting for the true ideals of humanity.
Ladies and gentlemen, our environment is the single basic property that we collectively own, and nobody, a billionaire or a pauper can escape from its wrath whenever it gets fired up! So how come we are so collectively blinded, save for the Late Wangari Maathai's of the this world...Mum we still celebrate you post humously! May Your soul rest in eternal peace.
Back to us who have the potential to transform our immediate environment.
From where you are standing now, what can you do?
Do not say nothing, because, as surely as the Sun will rise tomorrow morning...at least for us in the tropics...you got something you can do to make this beautiful treasure, planet earth a better place. Like the late Apple Co-founder Steve Jobs once said, "virtually everything we see around us was created and has a potential, therefore, to be changed and made better." Unfortunately we are transforming them to our own detriment.
Think and Act decisively now because the clock is ticking pretty fast...tic...toc....But before then....
Plant a tree...
Stop littering....
Use a bike to work....
Service your car releasing dangerous fumes into the atmosphere....
Build with recyclable material and avoid wood and wood products to discourage unnecessary logging...
The list is endless.... Dear reader you can surely add more!
Food for thought....
What can I do to make my environment safer and better?
Monday 25 June 2012
alex.kubasu: MY RADIO FEATURE SCRIPT... BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT ...
alex.kubasu: MY RADIO FEATURE SCRIPT... BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT ...: SFX: Water gushing... ANNCR : You cannot change the course of a river...This has become a reality to many Kenyan families in Mlolo...
MY RADIO FEATURE SCRIPT... BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE!
SFX: Water gushing...
ANNCR : You cannot change the course of a river...This has become a reality to many Kenyan families in Mlolongo in the outskirts of Nairobi. Unfortunately if urgent and decisive measures are not taken, it will soon again, dawn to the people living in Gichagi area on the slopes of Ngong Hills. These people are living dangerously close to the course of a stream flowing from the hills. The area which is adjacent to the shopping centre is made up of over 15 foot deep gulleys that are steadily encroaching onto land occupied by humans. The most distubing sight is that of a three storey commercial building that is under construction standing inches away from the advancing gulleys. Its only a matter of time...
The black cotton soil that quickly absorbs moisture and cracks on drying could be blamed, but what of the engineers and the land developers who despite the shaky ground go on and put up housing units endangering human lives? What of the regulatory authorities like National Environmental Management Authority?
Rapidly changing weather patterns that may result in drying up of rivers for very long periods of time does not give land-hungry individuals a go ahead to occupy or sell them to unsuspecting buyers for habitation.
Nature never forgets, and it will always have its way...
SFX : Sound byte...
ANNCR: So, is your house on a catchment area or river bed?
Its time to take action before nature acts on you...
Today, most people do not appreciate the reality of climate change and its effects. We like to associate it with the developed countries forgetting that all continents on earth are connected by a single atmosphere into which tones of foul elements are dumped into daily. However, we all experience its effects on daily basis as it is revealed by a section of the locals of Ngong area...
SFX : Sound byte..
.
ANNCR : Nobel laureate and former US Vice President Al Gore reflects on how previous generations decisively came up with the sewer system after observing pollution of their surroundings for a long time. He pauses, 'how come the current generation is not able to see the destruction of the atmosphere by greenhouse gases and CFCs and act decisively now?'
Though the beautiful grasslands on the slopes of Ngong Hills are scenic and ideal for picnic and fun-lovers, they ought to be an eyesore given the wanton destruction of trees that resulted to them.The ongoing effect which ought to be nipped at the bud is the diminishing grazing lands due to encroaching gulleys making the pastoralists move further inside the forests.
We are contributors to climate change when we irresponsibly cut down trees without caring to replace them. When we opt for cheap and unsustainable sources of energy such as fuel instead of cleaner renewable sources, despite the additional investment.
The cities of the future, Munich in Germany as an example, are working towards being powered fully by clean and renewable sources of energy. The city of Nairobi ought to join this league as well as all the cities of the world. This journey kick started by KenGen by putting up six windmills that supply power to about 6,000 homes should be encouraged and emulated.
How about, each hiker to the Ngong Hills getting to plant a tree on visiting the treasure in a bid to conserve the reserve for future generations?
Change begins with you! Be the change you want to see!
Saturday 23 June 2012
Friday 22 June 2012
alex.kubasu: THE IRONY OF CONSERVATION AT THE NGONG HILLS
alex.kubasu: THE IRONY OF CONSERVATION AT THE NGONG HILLS: NEMA? Did you know that the National Environment Management Authority is mandated to oversee virtually all the environmental conservation a...
THE IRONY OF CONSERVATION AT THE NGONG HILLS
NEMA? Did you know that the National Environment Management Authority is mandated to oversee virtually all the environmental conservation and efforts and approve every development project for environmental suitability? Now, my recent visit to the famous Ngong Hills revealed an irony that stinks of the highest degree of preaching water and taking wine.
For many of you who have gone and had fun out there at the said hills, it actually has scenic picnic sites courtesy of wanton destruction of trees in the past that has led to the fabulous playgrounds. Sic!
Following this, President Mwai Kibaki in the run up to the referendum in 2005 approved an agreement signed by Kenya's second president Daniel Arap Moi to entrust 3,000 hectares of land to the Maasai pastoralist community living on the edge of the reserve.
A cross check with the pastoralists grazing their livestock on the plain revealed irony of conservation number one. One herder explained how the rains have been so sporadic these days. Though not very familiar with the scientific explanation on climate change and its effects, he decried the unusually long spells of little or no rainfall which in his understanding could be attributed to deforestation that has created the grassland on the slopes of the once forested hill.
During these dry seasons, Mr Simon Ting'a intimated that they move deeper into the existing evergreen forest.
As opposed to their neighbors in Kitengela who recently have been attacked twice by lions, the buffaloes in the forests rarely get to conflict with the humans, instead they are left to graze with their distant cousins-cows without provocation till evening when they part ways. Although the herders appreciate the importance of trees to their livelihood and their stock, the thousands of the young seedlings of trees have undergone destruction by the livestock oblivious of their herders.
The biggest conservation irony, however, of which one of the Kenya Forest guard who sought anonyminity spoke so passionately about, is that of the respectable staff of NEMA who planted the young seedlings less than a month ago but at the time of this reporting there was nothing to show for, only empty holes. The guard laid the blame squarely on the said conservationists who despite being strongly advised to cover appropriately the young and week seedlings, they simply placed them in the hole and left them for the gods to take care of them and at the mercy of the grazing animals. Best practices laid to them of fencing off the area and putting up local guards who live on the fringes of the forest went unheaded too as opposed to two tree planting drives undertaken by Kenya Commercial Bank and Kenya Power as well as other government ministries about two years back.
This is truly a sign of negligence and wastage of national resources by a body charged with the mandate of caring for our trees.
How about a placement of a requirement by Kenya Forest Service for all the hikers and holidaymakers to plant a tree as the fast activity before having fun in a bid to conserve the gem that Ngong Hills are? Eco-tourism?
Thursday 21 June 2012
HEALTH RISK OF DUMPSITE WORKERS AT NGONG
Speaking to dump site custodians at Ngong township late on Thursday who openly revealed that their daily bread basket is the site, paints a grim picture to what extent fellow Kenyans go through to get a meal at the table for their siblings, parents and families. This I observed is oblivious of the Health effects they incur toiling and moiling through the mountains of waste daily from dusk to dawn. Rashid Mohammed who calls himself he chief of the site intimated to me that the greatest health hazard is the constant reports of typhoid cases of his compatriots who range from teenage boys to full grown women, a situation he decries to be totally controllable. Rashid says that he constantly advises his colleagues to always wash their hands and bodies thoroughly especially before eating with soap, medicated soap (though not commonly used) with warm water.
The intriguing bit of typhoid infection is that, patients transmit the infective bacteria for as long as the bacteria remain in their
body with an estimated 10% of untreated patients releasing the bacteria for
up to 3 months. In addition, 2–5% of untreated patients will become
permanent, lifelong carriers of the bacteria in their gall-bladder found in the liver.
Rashid who is also a rapper,underpinned the fact that many at times hospital waste usually untreated is dumped at the site but their knowledge of which truck brings what kind of waste, it helps the team avert accidental infctions through the needles and other piercing objects. This I must say is a dangerous phenomena whose effects can be fatal.
Cases of chest problems such as Tuberculosis have also been reported by the team working with Rashid informally at the dump site. This team, however is able to, though in a small way to pick up glass and plastic containers and sell them in order to sustain themselves instead of engaging in unlawful activities as they all emphatically stated.
According to a recent research done by an Industrial Chemistry graduate, at the University of Nairobi, Mr. Marlone Oguma, heavy metals concentrations are exceptionally high around dumping site, a situation that predisposes those in and around the dump site to complications such as birth defects and different malignant diseases.
Although such effects have not been observed by Rashid and his team, could scratching the surface of the population around the dump site reveal details not before seen or talked about?
Wednesday 20 June 2012
RIO+20, KENYANISED!
Peace Pen Communication organization of Rio 20 in Nairobi is a timely and thoughtful forum. Truly truly we the radio journalists and all the media stakeholders in Kenya and the whole world , we need to take it up and make the worthy noise to our leaders and policy makers Consistently! Au sio? Am noisemaker number one ....oh sorry number two after our very able facilitator...Mildred Ngesa!
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