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Having a big bum, hips and thighs 'is healthy'

Carrying extra weight on your hips, bum and thighs is good for your health, protecting against heart and metabolic problems, UK experts have said.

Hip fat mops up harmful fatty acids and contains an anti-inflammatory agent that stops arteries clogging, they say.

Big behinds are preferable to extra fat around the waistline, which gives no such protection, the Oxford team said.

Science could look to deliberately increase hip fat, they told the International Journal of Obesity.

And in the future, doctors might prescribe ways to redistribute body fat to the hips to protect against cardiovascular and metabolic diseases such as diabetes.

Read More from BBC News

Ethiopia - U.S. EMBASSY HONORS “PEPFAR HEROES” IN RECOGNITION OF WORLD AIDS DAY


Addis Ababa, November 30, 2009 – In commemoration of World AIDS Day, the Embassy of the United States of America today recognized five Ethiopian leaders in the fight against HIV and AIDS as “PEPFAR Heroes” for advancing the objectives of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

“Today we recognize five amazing individuals whose personal commitments to combating the scourge of HIV and AIDS in Ethiopia has inspired hope and made an enormous difference in thousands of lives. I am honored to call them ‘Heroes,’” said United States’ Chargé d’Affaires in Ethiopia, Ambassador Roger A. Meece upon meeting the five awardees.

The five Heroes reflect not only the diversity of the communities affected by HIV and AIDS, but also the range of innovative responses taken to counter the disease. The PEPFAR Heroes include three women and two men who come from Afar, Addis Ababa, Oromia, and the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples regions. They include people living with HIV, people supporting orphans and vulnerable children, medical professionals, and policy advocates. The five PEPFAR Heroes are:

Woizero Ajebush Ayele: W/zo Ajebush is a small business owner in Awash. Seeking to empower youth so that they may prosper and contribute constructively to society, she has long provided food, shelter, moral guidance, and support for education and health care to orphans and vulnerable children. As other organizations saw the positive impact of her work, they began supporting Woizero Ajebush’s efforts. Today she sustains 430 children. She also organizes quarterly meetings to sensitize the public about HIV and AIDS and the needs of vulnerable children. Always an advocate for raising awareness, Woizero Ajebush participates in information campaigns on positive living for people affected by HIV, the value of being tested to know one’s status, and reproductive health education.

Woizero Alem Kebede: W/zo Alem is the founder and manager of the Addis Tesfa HIV Positive Women’s Association in Arba Minch. Since its founding, Tesfa Addis has grown to include 358 members and 190 HIV/AIDS orphaned children. A leader in her community, Woizero Alem has mobilized local and international resources to improve the lives of people affected by HIV and AIDS. Through this support, she has coordinated income generating activities for over 180 members, and provides palliative care, food, and nutritional support for members in need. Additionally, Woizero Alem educates the local community on HIV and AIDS, provides counseling on positive living, and is raising five HIV/AIDS orphaned children in her home.

Dr. Aster Shoamare: A 15-year veteran medical doctor at Addis Ababa’s Zewditu Memorial Hospital, Dr. Aster Shoamare was a pioneer in the provision of anti-retroviral therapy (ART). Before the introduction of free ART service, Dr. Aster proactively sought out sponsors to cover the treatment costs for many HIV-affected patients, allowing them to remain healthy and productive members of society. Ever focused on responding to the public’s need for care and treatment, Dr. Aster routinely arrives early and departs late – often working 13-hour days without any extra payment – to provide for clients who cannot visit the hospital during regular working hours. Patients consistently praise Dr. Aster’s personal touch and loving care as having given them the motivation to persevere when they had lost hope.

Ato Mesfin Feyisa: Ato Mesfin co-founded the Dawn of Hope positive living association in Adama in 2000. As a vocal advocate against stigma and discrimination and proponent of positive living, he has established himself as a respected role model in the community. Through his early organization of income generating activities in Adama, Ato Mesfin has helped empower over 200 individuals and families affected by HIV and AIDS to better support themselves and live healthier lives. As a visionary leader, Ato Mesfin has also engaged the local business community, securing funding to establish a recovery center for HIV-affected people with nowhere else to turn which has helped over 2,800 people turn their lives around.

Ato Tadesse Aynalem: Ato Tadesse made his HIV status public when there was strong discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS. He was able to teach the public that it is possible to live positively with HIV and contribute to one’s community. A clear leader, Ato Tadesse and his colleagues have provided support and care to thousands of people living with HIV and AIDS and AIDS-orphaned children. As a founder and leader of Dawn of Hope, Ato Tadesse has advocated for amendments to Ethiopian laws to take HIV, and communities affected by the disease, into consideration. He succeeded in changing an Ethiopian labor law to prohibit employers from requiring prospective employees to disclose their HIV serostatus and forcing HIV testing of employees.

Ambassador Meece presented the five PEPFAR Heroes with a certificate of recognition in a private ceremony at the American Embassy today. Additionally, the U.S. Embassy will make a financial contribution in the name of each Hero to an HIV/AIDS-oriented organization of each Hero’s choice.

Ethiopia to establish food, drug, health care service administration

Source: ENA

Ethiopia's Social Affairs Standing Committee of the House of Peoples’ Representatives (HPR) organized public discussion on Monday on a draft bill designed to establish a ‘Food, drug, and healthcare administration and control office’ at federal level.

Addressing the discussion, Minister of Health Dr. Tewodros Adhanom said establishing such an office will synchronize efforts in administration and control of the food, drug, and health professionals, and health institutions in the country that remains unsystematic and centralized so far.

The new bill, said to have been prepared based on the on-going reform program launched in the health sector, will improve efficiency in food and drug administration and control, and thereby raise clientele satisfaction in the sector, according to the minister.

Dr. Tewodros said the new bill aims at identifying food and drug administration and control activities due to be carried out at federal and regional levels in order to improve efficiency and avoid duplication of efforts in the sector.

The minister said administration and control of animal drug and veterinary service has already been transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development with a view to boosting animal resources production and productivity in the country.

The discussion attracted more than 300 participants including students and instructors from higher learning institutions, pharmacies, drug importers and distributors, and other pertinent bodies.

Gov’t, partners to mobilize support for draft child care and education policy

By a Staff Reporter

Ethiopia's Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health (MoE), Ministry of Women's Affairs (MoWA), UN and NGO partners jointly expressed their commitment to mobilize support for the formalization of the draft Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) policy and to integrate the related services in respective sector plans.

The ECCE National Policy Framework, Strategic Operational Plan and Guidelines were discussed at a national validation workshop from 24-25 November, with context of the ECCE four pillars of parental education, health and early stimulation (birth to 3+ years), pre-school/Kindergarten (4 to 7+ years) and non-formal school readiness (Child-to-Child).

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© UNICEF Ethiopia/2009 A health extension worker tests a young child for malaria with a rapid diagnostic kit.

Malaria testing and treatment for Ethiopians in remote regions

Unicef

JANGWA, Ethiopia, 25 November 2009 – A steady flow of parents and children make their way to the Jangwa Health Post in Dembia District, seeking treatment for malaria. The rainy season has recently ended, creating ideal breeding conditions for malaria-bearing mosquitoes here in Ethiopia’s Amhara region.

VIDEO: Watch now

Two health extension workers, Mantegbosh and Alemtsehay, sit outside the wattle-and-daub health post, testing villagers for the Falciparum plasmodium, a dangerous strain of malaria found in Ethiopia. They use UNICEF-supplied rapid diagnostic test kits and treat their patients with drugs supplied by UNICEF.

The health extension team works efficiently, calming nervous children and adults as they wait to be tested and advising them on how to take the medication when the results turn up positive.

Malaria is endemic in Dembia, where there have been serious epidemics that killed villagers, including members of Mantegbosh’s family.

“I was in the ninth grade, and my father and brother died on the same day because of this disease,” says Mantegbosh. “They were not able to take them to the health centre, and they died at home.”

Major epidemics

© UNICEF Ethiopia/2009 A woman holds her child, who is sick with malaria, in Jangwa village, located in Ethiopia’s Boricha District.

Large-scale epidemics occur every five to eight years in certain areas, aggravated by climatic fluctuations and drought-related nutrition emergencies that weaken children’s immune systems. The last major epidemic occurred in 2003, when there were an estimated 6 million cases and more than 40,000 deaths.

Proper malaria control could save thousands of children’s lives in Ethiopia every year.

In partnership with members of the Roll Back Malaria initiative, UNICEF has been working with the Government of Ethiopia to cut malarial morbidity and mortality in half by 2010, and another 50 per cent by 2015.

Since 2005, UNICEF Ethiopia has helped to distribute about 20 million insecticide-treated bed nets in malaria prone-districts such as Dembia. Health extension workers make sure that the nets are used properly and that stagnant pools, where mosquitoes breed, are drained.

Health services for rural areas

The Health Extension Programme is the Ministry of Health’s flagship strategy for providing basic health, nutrition, sanitation and hygiene to the majority of Ethiopians, 84 per cent of whom live in rural areas. More than 30,000 health extension workers have been trained and dispatched. Essential, immediate treatment is now available.

“In the past, people with malaria would have to walk more than an hour to get health services,” says UNICEF Health Project Officer Dr. Ahmed Abdurahman. “Now, thanks to the health extension programme, they are getting the service close to their home.”

Alemnesh Kasse, a mother of five, has come to the health post with her youngest daughter, Mastewal Sissay, 7, to get tested. The girl is vomiting and refuses to eat.

“She has had malaria before,” says the mother, “and in the past I would take her to Kola Diba for testing. But now we can get treatment right here. It is very good.”

‘It’s a big deal’

One by one, villagers in Jangwa get their fingers pricked for the malaria blood test. Then they wait patiently as the rapid diagnostic kits determine their status.

Mastewal’s results show that she does not have the Falciparum malaria strain. The extension workers refer her to the health centre for further tests.

The workers, Alemtsehay and Mantegbosh, labour diligently and with patience, despite the number of patients coming to them for treatment and the rudimentary facilities to accommodate them.

“I am very happy to be a health extension worker,” says Mantegbosh. “It is a big deal that I am able to serve the community where I was born and grew up. I also had malaria. In 2000, I was very sick. But now I am getting the community to use the services and prevent malaria.”