Women & War Book Launch and Symposium Session 3

Stigma-one of the Key Reasons Behind the Rapid Spread of the Deadly Ebola Virus Disease in Liberia

There was Ebola Virus in Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976 and it was reported 318 human cases and 280 deaths. It occurred in Yambuku and its surrounding area. At that time the diseases was spread by close personal contact and by the use of contaminated needles and syringes in hospital and clinics. The outbreak was the first recognition of the disease. It went to other others like Sudan in 1976, Zaire back to Sudan 1979 and to the US in 1989 and 1990 but the two year they had an outbreak there were only 4 human cases and it was reported that it was from monkeys imported from the Philippines.

Now as the Virus is in West Africa most people do not know for sure the origins of the diseases, but they think that fruit bats are probably the naturally host for the virus. Others say it might be from monkeys and gorillas in Liberia. There is not much education done in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia about the Ebola Virus.

In Liberia, when a family member passes away due to EVD, the entire household is treated as suspected cases, hence stigmatized. Most of the “suspected cases” relocate to other communities where the information about their status is not known.

According to Dr. Joseph I. Kamara, professor of Anatomy at the Medical School in Sierra Leone advised that "prevention efforts should focus on avoiding contact with EVD". 

The following precautions can help prevent the spread of Ebola.

Avoid traveling areas of known outbreak.
Wash your hands frequently.
Avoid "bush-meat”, for example, monkeys and bats
Avoid contact with infected persons
Follow infection control procedures
Do not handle remains. The bodies of our family members and other people who have died of Ebola disease are still contagious. Do not have any contact.

Why Blog about Women’s Health Issues in Liberia?

Why Blog about Women’s Health Issues in Liberia?

Most people are asking me; “Why do you want to blog and talk about women’s health issues in Liberia?” Even with restoration of peace, young girls and women in Liberia still struggle with personal healthcare issues. In response, I tell them, I want to improve their health issues and mentor girls and women through interactive means using social media. 

I understand that girls and women spend more time "face-booking" and "Yahoo" than any other communication platforms. As they spend time, the likelihood that they will get interested my blog especially if it deals with day-to-day health issues, which they relate to, the will get engaged and be educated. 

In Liberia, women’s limited empowerment exposes them to risks of poor healthcare result early death. Yet, these health problems can be prevented through simple health education. 

From my experience in using radio to talk about reconciliation and the massive public interest generated, I believe that this blog will also attain its goal and probably be the next health platform for girls and women in the sub region.  

Therefore, my goal is to improve my health and mentor other girls and women in Liberia to talk about ways to talk about our health issues and intervention.

Please follow me and stay tune.

Is there a way to start try genetic testing for breast cancer in Liberia?

Is there a way to start genetic testing for breast cancer in Liberia?

Most women in their forties in Liberia do not know much about BREAST CANCER in the cities and the counties. There is little or no education about breast cancer. Breast cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer among women in Liberia and in the world. We want to set aside one month to raise awareness about breast cancer. 

The key to curing breast cancer is early detection when the tumors are still very small. The early diagnosis depends on medical screening of women through breast imaging. However, many women in Liberia do not have money for a simple mammogram to find a lump in their breast. Sometimes, early diagnosis and finding of a lump provide one of the fastest and easiest means of dealing with the cancer, because it means that you can have it biopsied and removed. 

Educating and raising the awareness of Liberia women about their health, especially breast cancer is important to my team. However, we are challenged by lack of equipment and trained radiologists to manage the women.

The key message for us at Straight From The Heart and One Liberia Advocacy Radio is: get regular check-ups and do monthly self-exams, so women can detect any abnormalities as soon as they appear.