Rowaka Cancer Group - Sierra Leone

Ongoing political infightings in the Sierra Leone People Party (SLPP) can best be described as a political party damaging its credibility in the doldrums of hatred and tribalism. The SLPP is fast degenerating into tribal mudslinging as was again manifested on Wednesday, April 23, 2014 during the hearing of the matter of the former contender of the SLPP Chairmanship, Allie Bangura and others Vs the Sierra Leone Peoples Party, at the Supreme Court. It was unfortunate to see members of Sierra Leone's oldest political party attacking each other with spiteful languages and using all sorts of tribal anecdotes in the public view around the vicinity of the court. They were so determined and ferocious that the need for tolerance wasn't adhered to, but manifested total display of damnable detestation against each other, with Mendes attacking Temnes of wanting to defile the SLPP and Temnes accusing the Mendes of wanting to hold the SLPP to ransom. The action by few of these fanatics of op...

Ebola disease, also called Ebola hemorrhagic fever or Ebola fever, is a rear and often fatal illness that humans and non humans, primates (such as monkeys and gorillas) can contract. There have been several outbreaks of Ebola fever in Africa. TYPES OF EBOLA VIRUS: THERE ARE FIVE TYPES OF EBOLA VIRUS. 1. EBOLA -ZAIRE, 2, EBOLA - SUDAN, 3, EBOLA -IVORY COAST , 4, EBOLA -BUNDIBUGYO AND THE LAST ONE 5, IS EBOLA RESTON. All of the above are found in Africa, except Ebola Reston Virus which is found in the Philippines. CAUSES OF EBOLA: One can get Ebola virus through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected animal or human. These include blood, saliva, semen, vomit, urine or feces. According to the WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, one can also get the virus by handling a sick or dead person or animal that has been infected with Ebola (WHO, 2007) WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF EBOLA FEVER? If you are exposed to any of the African forms of Ebola virus, you will begin to display sym...

Promote Healthy Diets To Prevent Cardiac Arrest In Sierra Leone Sierra Leonean national and medical practitioner in the United States of America, Dijae Allie Azim, is imploring Sierra Leoneans to promote healthy diets to prevent cardiac arrest. Azim says efforts have been spent in finding effective strategies to prevent Cardiac arrest and that one of the prime causes of cardiac arrest is Ischemic heart disease. “We should encourage efforts to promote healthy diet and exercise and stop tobacco smoking,” she continued, adding that measures such as Blood pressure control, Cholesterol lowering and other Medical therapeutic interventions can be used. Abstracts of Dejae’s article: Cardiac arrest is a medical emergency in certain situation and is potentially irreversible if treated late. Unexpected cardiac arrest can lead to death within minutes. This is called sudden cardiac death (SCD). The treatment of cardiac arrest is ‘Immediate Defibrillation’ if a "shockable "Rhythm is pre...

Since Rowaca Cancer Group started operations in 2007 as a non-governmental organization on cancer, our efforts have over the years centered on helping children with cancer. Most of the cases brought to us have often been cases of swollen neck and other swellings in the body with family members citing ‘Morpia’, a local name for the ailment in the Temne dialect, Northern Sierra Leone. We continuously raise the issue at our normal meetings citing lack of research on Morpia until we get the approval of the country’s forensic pathologist, Dr. Owizz Koroma, who carryout in-depth studies on Morpia and joined our call for intervention. As a result of our efforts and the support of Dr. Moses O. M. Sesay, a retired surgeon and former Member of Parliament, we were able to know that Morpia is a case of benign or malignant form of tumor, which normally is Burkett Lymphoma. We were made proud by Dr. Owizz Koroma when he pronounced during one of our cancer meetings that doctors at the Connaught Hos...

The Deputy Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Kadija O. Sesay, informed cancer stakeholders in Sierra Leone during a meeting held yesterday at the Connaught Hospital that nationwide campaign should be held for cancer awareness. The minister, after playing a vital role in the successful commemoration of ‘World Cancer Day on February 4, said she was happy to be a party to the campaign against cancer in the country, adding that cancer is no longer a silence in Sierra Leone. “Cancer is a worldwide ailment. None of us will say cancer hasn’t kill a friend or family member,” she said, adding that it has been killing people in the country because there were no facilities for diagnosis or medical attention. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Access to effective and affordable cancer treatments in developing countries, including for childhood cancers, would significantly reduce mortality, even in settings where health-care services are less well develop...

Having been elected Paramount Chief of Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom, Porto Loko District, on the 21st January 2010, Paramount Chief Shebora Sheba Gbereh has formally been inaugurated as Paramount Chief of Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom after going through the traditional “Kantha” ceremony. Hundreds of dignitaries, government officials, Paramount chiefs and local people witnessed the coronation ceremony which officially took place under a big traditional cotton tree at Yongoro Town in Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom. Giving the key note address in another ceremony organized after the official Coronation Ceremony Paramount chief Bai Shebora Sheba Gbereh lll thanked God Almighty, his ancestors and his people for his position.

The Executive Director of African Minerals (AML), Mr. Gibril Moseray Fadika, said today (22 February 22, 2014) in Pepel Island that nobody will reverse the landmark of President Ernest Bai Koroma. “There is no other leader who is deployment oriented than President Koroma,” Fadika said to applauding cheers. The President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, visited Pepel Island and commissioned the handing over of a Health Center, Club House, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma Flyover, a market and store and Fadika Drive. The cost of the construction is estimated at USD443, 600. 00, approximately LE1,931,660,000.00 in local currency. People from the various sections in Pepel graced the occasion amidst drumming and singing. The President said before the operations of AML in Pepel it was almost a ghost town but that life has again been injected into it with more activities now taking place. The Paramount Chief of Lokomasa Chiefdom, Bai Massoh Laminaya Ngbathor II, and other dignita...

Effective prevention measures urgently needed to prevent cancer crisis The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization, is today launching World Cancer Report 2014, a collaboration of over 250 leading scientists from more than 40 countries, describing multiple aspects of cancer research and control. Women in Sierra Leone can be prevented with awareness raising campaigns Based on the latest statistics on trends in cancer incidence and morta lity worldwide, this new book reveals how the cancer burden is growing at an alarming pace and emphasizes the need for urgent implementation of efficient prevention strategies to curb the disease. “Despite exciting advances, this Report shows that we cannot treat our way out of the cancer problem,” states Dr Christopher Wild, Director of IARC and co-editor of the book. “More commitment to prevention and early detection is desperately needed in order to complement improved trea...

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., more than breast, prostate, colon and pancreatic cancers combined. Ten to 15 percent of people diagnosed each year were never smokers. But the stigma that it’s their fault haunts patients, support groups and even research funding. Dir. National Cancer Registry: Dr. Owizz Koroma, Dir. Thinking Pink Breast Cancer Foundation: Mrs. Crimilda Pratt, and Founder and Team Leader of Rowaca Cancer Group: Alpha Bedoh Kamara CHICAGO — November was Lung Cancer Awareness Month, but you’d never know it. Shoppers aren’t bombarded by products in blue, the color designated by some to raise the profile of the disease. No NFL players or coaches wore blue-ribboned apparel, despite donning pink just a month earlier for breast cancer. “It just doesn’t seem fair,” said Meghan O’Brien, 31, a nonsmoker diagnosed with stage 4 of the disease last year. There is no stage 5. The lack of buzz is especially perplexing because lung cancer is the le...

89 year old woman Janet Abiodu Williams is reported to have died in a blaze on Tuesday while her 22 Williams Street Kissy residence in Freetown was engulfed in fire. According to Bankie Lardge, son of the deceased, the actual cause of the fire is unknown, but it was believed to have started around 8:00-8:30 am that day, when he was feeding his pigs in the pen. “I heard my daughter shouting, fire! Fire!” he said, adding the blaze was first noticed at the top floor of the wooden house where the late Mrs. Williams’ apartment was. “Before I could rush up stairs to rescue my mother, the fire had already taken over the entire apartment, and it was too late for me to rescue my mother,” he lamented. The board house was completely engulfed in flames with properties worth millions of Leones lost. Eyes witnesses said although Fire Force officers later arrived on the scene, the timely intervention of the community people prevented the blaze from extending to nearby houses. Fire accidents are re...

COMMEMORATION OF WORLD CANCER DAY IN SIERRA LEONE SUPPORT ROWACA CANCER GROUP TO HELP ADDRESS THE CANCER MENACE IN SIERRA LEONE!! YOUR SUPPORT WILL HELP MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

Tests in rats, reported in Stem Cells Translational Medicine, showed the human cells could restore some vision to completely blind rats. The team at University College London said similar results in humans would improve quality of life, but would not give enough vision to read. Human trials should begin within three years. Donated corneas are already used to improve some people's sight, but the team at the Institute for Ophthalmology, at UCL, extracted a special kind of cell from the back of the eye. These Muller glia cells are a type of adult stem cell capable of transforming into the specialised cells in the back of the eye and may be useful for treating a wide range of sight disorders. Continue reading the main story “Start Quote This interesting study shows that Muller glial cells are another viable avenue of exploration for cell therapy in retinal diseases” Dr Paul Colville-Nash Medical Research Council In the laboratory, these cells were chemically charmed into bec...

Electronic cigarettes heat liquid nicotine contained in a disposable… (Tim Ireland / Associated…) Electronic cigarettes along with products containing nicotine will be classified and licensed as medication in Britainby 2016. The battery-powered cigarettes, known as e-cigarettes, deliver an experience similar to standard cigarettes by heating liquid nicotine in a disposable cartridge and producing a vapor that can be inhaled. Culled from http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jun/12/business/la-fi-mo-electronic-cigarette-medicine-20130612

Previously, a number of studies have shown that adherence to a Mediterranean diet – rich in olive oil, nuts, as well as fruits, vegetables, and legumes, and limited amounts of dairy products, red meat, soda drinks, processed meats, and sweets – inversely associates with cardiovascular risks. Jordi Salas-Salvado, from the Hospital de Sant Joan de Reus (Spain), and colleagues studied data collected on 3,541 men and women, ages 55 to 80 years, at high cardiovascular risk but without diabetes at the study’s start. Subjects were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 diets: a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil; a Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts; or a control diet (advice on a low-fat diet). No intervention to increase physical activity or lose weight was included. The researchers observed that those subjects on the Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil were the least likely to develop type-2 diabetes, at a 30% reduced likelihood over the...

The President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, has informed diplomats and other international representatives that though Government is still faced with challenges in transforming the country yet is dedicated to meeting them head-on. The President made this reassurance during the formal launching of the presidential meeting of the forum of diplomatic and foreign relations at State House. “This forum is organized at a time of transformation: a transformation of our nation’s key development program from the Agenda For Change, to the Agenda for Prosperity; a transformation of our economy from a heavy reliance on aid to one with colossal foreign Direct Investment and amongst the fastest growing in the world; and the transformation of our governance system to one that is open, transparent, accountable and supportive of international peace, security and prosperity,” he said. The President said Government still face challenges in all these transformations, but are dedi...

The United Nations Secretary-General’s Executive Representative and head of United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL), Jens Anders Toyberg-Frandzen, said during the National Council of Paramount Chiefs - Sierra Leone (NCPC-SL) National Meeting of Chiefs on the Constitutional Review Process held in Kenema, Southern District, that the UN recognises their role. “The UN recognizes the important role you played as leaders during the war, and especially for your work in helping to lay the foundations for the peace Sierra Leone enjoys today. The President has encouraged participation in this national Constitutional Review process, and emphasized the importance of inclusiveness at every step, and at all levels. The Constitution is owned by and applies to all citizens of Sierra Leone, equally. This needs to be understood by everyone to whom the constitution applies,” he said. Toyberg-Frandzen said their influence as Paramount Chiefs, for the promotion of socia...

The Chemistry Department of Howard University in the United States of America has donated twenty five laptops, five desktops, five weighing machines with a vacuum pump to the Chemistry Department of Fourah Bay College. The Head of the Chemistry Department at Fourah Bay College, Pascal Egbenda, said the donation was as a result of a MOU with Howard University, which he noted, is yet to be signed because of a change of leadership at Howard. The acquaintance, he said, was initiated by Dr Patrick Lukulay, alumni of Fourah Bay College and Vice president of the Global Health Impact Program at United States pharmacopeia. “Our correspondence with Howard has paved ways for large consignment of research equipments from various sources in the US,” he said, adding that the department of Chemistry has better staff to guide students with two principal laboratory technicians to be trained to become chief technicians. He said they are also pleased to report that the Chemistry Department is a benefi...

A handful of California coding bootcamps are fighting for survival after receiving a stern warning from regulators. Unless they comply, these organizations face imminent closure and a hefty $50,000 fine. A BPPE spokesperson said these organizations have two weeks to start coming into compliance. In mid-January, the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) sent cease and desist letters to Hackbright Academy, Hack Reactor, App Academy, Zipfian Academy, and others. General Assembly confirmed that it began working on this issue several months ago in order to achieve compliance with BPPE. Culled from: http://venturebeat.com/2014/01/29/california-regulator-seeks-to-shut-down-learn-to-code-bootcamps/

22,080 footballs donate to Sierra Leone by ‘One World Futball Project’ were on 30th January 2014, launched by the Vice President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Alhaji Samuel Sam Sumana, at the National stadium in Freetown. While delivering the keynote address and launching of One World Futball, the Vice President said Sierra Leone has triumphed and that it is high time Sierra Leoneans work together in the interest of the country. The Vice President thanked Chevrolet for sponsoring the project and also made special recognition for the inventor of the footballs, Tim Jahnlgen, for their efforts in bringing together young people to making sure football serve as means of communication. He informed the audience that the nation has triumphed through the opportunities been provided and the projects being implemented recognizes the need for gender empowerment, creating opportunities for people with disabilities and young people in society. The Minister of Sports, Paul Mohamed Kamara, said fo...

The Survey, conducted by the Government of Sierra Leone through the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and Statistics Sierra Leone with support from the UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO, indicates progress in improving health services in Sierra Leone. The 2013 Sierra Leone Demographic and Health Survey preliminary results was released on Tuesday 28th January 2014. The just concluded Demographic and Health Survey among other things shows that use of modern family planning methods among married women doubled from 7 percent to 16 percent; delivery at health facilities doubled from 25 percent to 56 percent; use of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) against malaria for under five children doubled from 26 percent to 49 percent and use of ITNs among pregnant women doubled from 27 percent to 53 percent. The report also states that antenatal care by skilled birth attendants has increased from 87 percent to 97 percent; delivery by a skilled birth provider has risen from 42 percent to 61 percent; the rate of f...

Sierra Rutile Ltd. has informed the public in a statement made public that the body of a young man was discovered in an obsolete dredge pond near Moriba Town on the morning of 25 January 2014. “It is with great regret that Sierra Rutile Ltd learned that a young man’s body was discovered in an obsolete dredge pond near Moriba Town on the morning of 25 January 2014. Full details are yet to be confirmed and Sierra Rutile is working with the police and coroner to investigate the death,” the report states. According to reports, villagers alleging one of their members was killed by security personnel employed by the company stormed it quarters, attacked security personnel and vandalized property belonging to the company. The Sierra Rutile report also states “A small group of people used the incident to create a disturbance around the mine and in surrounding villages. The mining communities Paramount Chiefs, police and other community leaders have worked with Sierra Rutile’s management...

Three year old Isatu Sesay is still suffering from an unexplained illness that kept her malnourished. Her guardian, Isatu Sankoh, said she was admitted in one of the hospitals in Freetown and later discharged but her condition is always worse. "I took her from her mother to help her recuperate but her health is always poor," she lamented, adding that at three years she is still unable to walk like the other kids.

Cancer, according to leading medical researchers, LIVESTRONG Foundation, UICC, ICCCPO and others, is one of the leading causes of illness and death worldwide, and its global burden predicted to rise from 12.7 million new cases in 2008 to 21.4 million in 2030, with more than half of these occurring in less developed regions. But Sierra Leone will not bow down to cancer, and we are confident that the Government, after approving the Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) policy last year in 2013 will prioritize cancer in all health decision. The United Nations General Assembly, In September 2011, declared Non-Communicable Diseases, including cancer, a social and economic challenge, especially in low- and middle-income countries. In Sierra Leone, recent figures from the National Cancer Registry are giving credence to the UN’s call for action against cancer; with the Director of the National Cancer Registry (NCR), Dr. Semion Owizz Koroma, informing the nation that cancer is in the increase and ...

2013 report collated at the National Cancer Registry on cancer in Sierra Leone indicates an increase in cancer cases among the Temne ethnic group in Sierra Leone than the other tribes. The National Cancer Registry was established in 2011 with the purpose of getting a database of the various cancer ailments in the country with Sierra Leone’s Pathologist, Dr. Semion Owizz Koroma, serving as Director of the Registry. “We cannot address the challenges of cancer in Sierra Leone without a cancer registry, and now that we have one, we are appealing for support for us to be able to know the different cases of cancer that are affecting the people and their demographic implication,” he said. According to the 2013 statistical data of the National Cancer Registry about people reported with cancer and other benign or malignant tumors: 50 percent are Temne, 30 percent Mende, 30 percent Creoles while Koronko, Susu and Mandingo are slated at five percent each. Unfortunately, there are no available dat...