Fewer and fewer women are willing to donate their breastmilk. This is according to the South African Breastmilk Reserve (SABR), which has revealed that the decline of its stocks could lead to the organisation failing to supply its 24 human milk banks countrywide.

The reserve’s executive director, Stasha Jordan, says premature babies born at 37 weeks or below will be the most affected by the breastmilk shortage. 

“We currently have 820 units in the bank, which will probably last for one month, at the most. We constantly have to go on a drive of signing up [new donors]. We are also brainstorming new ways of reaching out to women who might not know about us but would be willing to donate.”

The human milk banking organisation is an advocate for exclusive breastfeeding as part of a holistic approach to ensuring equitable access to healthcare in low-resourced areas. It also lobbies for the health rights of mothers and their children under five years old in their communities and the workplace.

Hygienic facilities

“We have a lot of mothers that suffer from undiagnosed hypertension, diabetes and all the leading causes of prematurity. Prematurity is one of the biggest factors that affect our under-five mortality rate. Neonatal mortality rates remain high, and we need to decrease this as part of the Sustainable Development Goals,” Jordan says.

She further explains how women who want to become donors can qualify.

“Our target donor is a mommy who has access to a fridge, freezer and electricity, because breastmilk requires cold storage and access to facilities that are hygienic. Mommies who have sexually transmitted infections (STI) or are taking medication such as anti-depressants and hypertensive drugs are excluded. We don’t want to pass something to a premature baby that might cause diarrhoea or respiratory problems.”

Culture of charity

Jordan clarifies that the organisation does not incentivise donors.

“By law, we are not allowed to incentivise because [breastmilk] is human tissue.  And whilst it’s a renewable tissue, I think it’s important for us as a country to learn the culture of charity,” she says. 

To make up for the costs incurred during the collection, processing and distribution of donated milk, the SABR sells milk to patients in private hospitals. Patients in public hospitals, who are the reserve’s primary target, do not pay for the donated milk. The organisation depends on grants and individual donations to fund its operational costs.

^{Image credit: iStock}

Marcia Zali

A nurse in chronic pain is told she will have to wait at least three years for NHS treatment.

Parents in Msogwaba, Mpumalanga are furious because they’ve been unable to get antiretroviral (ARV) medication for four months at Msogwaba Clinic.

“It’s painful to see my kids dying before my eyes and I can’t do anything to save them,” says Busisiwe Ngobeni. Both her children have been without ARV treatment due to shortages at the Msogwaba Clinic.

No alternative

Departmental spokesperson, Dumisani Malamule says there are ARV drugs available in facilities across the province, but patients are being given alternatives to what they usually use. But members of the community say this is not the case and they are not being offered any alternative. 

“If what Malamule is saying is true about alternative ARVs that our children should be given, how come Msogwaba Clinic is turning us away without ARVs? [Staff] keep telling us that we must come tomorrow and check if they have ARVs in stock,” says Nokwanda Tsela.However, Malamule says their office hasn’t received any complaint about the shortage of ARV drugs in their facilities.

Finding other means, desperate parents have been forced to go to nearby communities to beg for ARVs from other parents whose children are on treatment. 

Speaking to OurHealth, Fikile Zulu (47) says she and her 10-year-old daughter have always received ARVs at Msogwaba Clinic, but they’ve been unable to do so recently. “The situation is frustrating and we are left struggling alone. The clinic management is refusing to tell us what is going on.”

Deteriorating health

Nurses at the clinic were also unsure when they would receive supplies again. “Even though I know we shouldn’t share treatment, I have been giving my daughter half of my ARVs every day for the last three months because I don’t want her to die,” Zulu adds.

Another patient, Busisiwe Ngobeni, says clinic officials have told them repeatedly there is nothing they can do. She has two children, aged 13 and 14, who are both on ARVs – Ngobeni is concerned about their deteriorating health. “I am worried because my 14-year-old is losing weight, and is constantly sick with diarrhoea and nausea.

I am afraid that they might die before we get their treatment. To keep them alive, I have been asking treatment from other moms in Kanyamazane who have kids with HIV. But I know they will eventually stop giving me because their kids will suffer because we are taking from their monthly supply,” she explains. “It’s painful to see my kids dying before my eyes and I can’t do anything to save them.”

Colile Ndlovu has a 13-year-old son. She tells OurHealth: “When we were initiated on how to use ARV therapy, we were told the importance of adherence and that it is a life-long commitment. If we stop [taking the treatment], we will likely get sicker.

Redistribution of stock

”International issue According to the Department of Health, there is a global shortage of ARV medication, which has resulted in supply challenges. “The contracted supplier is acquiring limited supplies of these agents using alternative methods,” the department explains in a statement released in June. 

“However, due to the current supply constraints, rational use of these medicines and appropriate monitoring is recommended by all provinces and healthcare facilities until the supply is fully restored. This may include implementing measures such as the redistribution of stock to facilities in need or the provision of a lower quantity of stock than usual to the patients, like issuing only a month’s supply at a time.

”But parents remain embittered. Zulu says: “Just imagine waiting from 07:30am to 4:00pm, and you’re told there is no treatment for your child. How do you tell your child again that there is no treatment when you promised her that today you will get the treatment?”

– Health-e News 

^{Image credit: iStock}

Cynthia Maseko

The machines, which have been used by the NHS, were recently found to have a security vulnerability.

Opposition growing to policy of charging overseas patients upfront for NHS care in England.

At least 20% of the most common gulls carry the bacteria, which scientists fear can be passed on to humans.

With a single photo, one web site painted a fascinating (and in some cases sad) picture of the strikingly different definitions of the ideal body across the globe.

The United Kingdom-based site, Superdrug Online Doctor, provided female graphic designers from around the world with the same photo of a woman, and asked them to tweak it so that the model met the beauty standards of their country. “The goal of this project is to better understand potentially unrealistic standards of beauty and to see how such pressures vary around the world,” the web site reads.

While some countries made minimal edits, others created images that were nearly unrecognizable compared to the original photo (looking at you, China). See the results below—and next time you're stressing about your body remember, the definition of the perfect body depends on who you ask. Ultimately, the only opinion that matters is your own.

RELATED: Is My Body Normal?

The original

U.S.A

RELATED: The Messed-Up Way a Man’s Opinion Can Affect Your Body Image

China

Colombia

Egypt

Italy

Netherlands

Peru

Philipines

Romania

Serbia

South Africa

Spain

Mexico

Syria

United Kingdom

Ukraine

Argentina

Venezuela

All photos: courtesy of superdrug.onlinedoctor.com.

Research published yesterday announced that taking calcium and vitamin D supplements together might increase your risk of having a stroke. This finding was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in a review of what’s currently known about the effects of supplements on our health.

The review prompted some scary headlines considering more than half of Americans take a dietary supplement of some sort, and calcium and vitamin D are among the most common.

Research previously published in the Journal of Nutrition found that 37% of Americans took vitamin D and 43% took a calcium supplement.

Why do we need calcium?

Ninety-nine percent of the body’s calcium supply can be found in one’s teeth and bones. Calcium allows your blood to clot and your muscles to contract in addition to keeping your bones healthy.

Women 50 years old and younger need to consume 1,000 milligrams of calcium each day, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. Women 51 and up need to add another 200 milligrams to that.

Dairy products, including cheese, milk, and yogurt, have high levels of calcium.

RELATED: Warning: Do Not Mix These Supplements

Why do we need vitamin D?

Vitamin D, which is important for children and adults, also plays a part in protecting bones and helps support your muscles. Without adequate levels of vitamin D, you have an increased risk of breaking bones as you get older, the National Osteoporosis Foundation says.

Among the most popular ways to get vitamin D is going outside. When sunlight reaches your skin, your body makes vitamin D and stores it. Additionally, you can get it from fatty fish, including wild-caught mackerel, tuna, and salmon. Vitamin D can also be found in orange juice, fortified cereals, soymilk, and dairy products, including milk.

What does the new research say?

This isn’t the first time the combination of calcium and vitamin D has been the subject of health stories. “It’s been looked at a lot. A few years ago, articles came out that said the same thing,” Stephen Kopecky, MD, a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic, tells Health.

Dr. Kopecky explains that you shouldn’t panic if you’ve been taking vitamin D and calcium supplements together. The authors of the new report looked at previously published evidence concerning how supplements affect our health.

But Dr. Kopecky says many of the studies that have looked at the use of vitamin D and calcium supplements rely on follow-up data that lacks precision. If a study participant died before the data was gathered, for example, his or her family member ended up filling out a questionnaire about their deceased relative’s health. Questionnaires are, of course, subject to human error.

RELATED: 14 Non-Dairy Foods That Are High in Calcium

Dr. Kopecky says studies that don’t rely on questionnaires later found that use of calcium and vitamin D supplements did not increase one’s risk of stroke or heart attack. “That has no correlation whatsoever,” he says. (However, a number of factors can increase your risk of having a stroke, including being overweight, binge drinking, and not getting enough exercise.)

He adds that if you’ve been told to take calcium and vitamin D supplements by your doctor, you shouldn’t stop. If you’ve been taking the supplements on the advice of someone else, though, you might want to reevaluate. “I would speak to a caregiver or primary care provider. Say, ‘Do I really need this stuff?’”

How should you be getting vitamin D and calcium?

To reiterate, you shouldn’t stop taking supplements your doctor has recommended just because of this new review. But if you’re worried about your calcium and vitamin D intake, and you currently don’t take either of the supplements, try getting the recommended amount of calcium and vitamin D via lifestyle changes rather than pills, Dr. Kopecky suggests.

“A pill doesn’t make up for our deficient lifestyle. That’s what every study has shown,” he explains.

“It’s always better to get it in your diet if you can. People tend to take supplements to make up for their diet. [Therefore, supplement use] can be a marker of a bad diet.”

RELATED: 4 Diet Mistakes That Are Killing People Around the World

Wendy Williams announced big news about her health on Monday morning’s episode of The Wendy Williams Show. 

The talk show host, 54, addressed a handful of paparazzi pictures that showed her swollen ankles, revealing that she has been diagnosed with lymphedema. 

“Lymphedema, by the way, I’ve been diagnosed,” she told the crowd on Monday, explaining why her ankles were puffy in the images. “It’s not going to kill me, but I do have a machine—and how dare you talk about the swelling of it all.”

RELATED: Wendy Williams Was Diagnosed With Graves' Disease. Here's What That Is

Lymphedema is a condition that causes either one or both legs to swell due to the body’s inability to properly drain lymph fluid, and it usually occurs in an arm or leg. Lymph nodes throughout your body control this fluid, but if your lymph nodes have been damaged or removed, the fluid won’t drain properly. That causes major swelling. 

“The lymphatic vessels are very thin and pliable, so when you operate in the groin area, even with meticulous surgical care, they can be injured and can create an obstruction blocking the return of the lymphatic fluid,” Jason Johanning, MD, professor of vascular surgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, previously told Health. 

Lymphedema can occur on its own (primary lymphedema) or arise as a result of another factor (secondary lymphedema). Risk factors for lymphedema include obesity, older age, and arthritis. Some of the causes of secondary lymphedema can include surgery; cancer or radiation treatment for cancer; and infection.

RELATED: Wendy Williams Fainted on Air During Her Show

Williams joked during her show that the machine she uses to help control the swelling is a hit at parties. 

“I’ve got it under control. If [the swelling] in my feet never goes all the way down, at least I have this machine,” she explained. “I sit for 45 minutes a day. It’s the best party entertainer ever. Everybody [that] comes over wants to do it.”

Using a machine for pneumatic compression is one form a treatment for the condition. Other treatment options include wrapping the arm or leg to help reduce swelling, getting a massage to remove the lymph fluid, and light exercise to help drain fluid. 

“The muscles pump fluid out of the lymph channels,” Britt Marcussen, MD, clinical associate professor of family medicine at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine in Iowa City, previously told Health. “If you’re up and around and moving a lot more, that can help alleviate [the problem].”

RELATED: What Are Lymph Nodes?

While there is currently no cure for lymphedema, treatment can help manage the symptoms of the condition, the CDC says. However, it’s important to see your doctor if you believe you have lymphedema. In severe cases, doctors may decide to surgically remove some tissue on the affected area to reduce swelling. 

To get more of our top stories delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Real Wellness WomenIRL newsletter

Doing three relatively easy things could help save 94.3 million people around the world from premature deaths caused by cardiovascular disease, new research suggests.

Those lives could be saved over a quarter-century span by scaling up treatment of high blood pressure, reducing sodium intake and eliminating artificial trans fat, according to a study published Monday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.

“We asked, what should we focus our resources on if we wanted to achieve the largest gains in mortality in the next 25 years, and it seems like the combination of these three interventions had the biggest potential impact and, also, feasibility,” said Goodarz Danaei, the study’s senior author.

Boosting treatment of high blood pressure to 70% could lengthen the lives of 39.4 million people, according to the study’s estimates. Cutting sodium intake by 30% would delay an additional 40 million deaths, while also helping to lower high blood pressure, a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Finally, eliminating artificial trans fat would postpone another 14.8 million deaths.

Researchers calculated their figures by analysing global data from multiple studies, as well as data from the World Health Organization. Sub-Saharan Africa would have the largest proportion of overall delayed deaths, while South Asia would see the greatest impact from eliminating trans fat.

Danaei said scaling up control of high blood pressure might be the easiest goal to achieve because lifestyle changes are now targeted by many health programs and medications used in treatment are safe and often affordable. Efforts to reduce salt and eliminate trans fat may require national legislation or changes by the regional or national ministry of health.

“We are trying to elicit interest and raise resources for countries worldwide to achieve these goals,” said Danaei, an associate professor of global health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. “These are realistic goals that have been shown to be attainable on smaller scales. We need the commitment to scale up the programs to achieve them globally.”

Danaei and another researcher in the study are paid consultants for Resolve To Save Lives, a global health initiative that aims to “save 100 million lives from cardiovascular disease and prevent epidemics”.

Payoff is clear

The study notes some nations already have met or surpassed the intervention targets. Canada, for example, has achieved a 70% blood pressure control rate, while parts of the Kaiser Permanente system in the United States have shown a 90% control rate achievable.

A salt-reduction initiative in the United Kingdom, meanwhile, helped cut sodium intake there by 15% between 2003 and 2011. And Denmark’s near elimination of trans fat with a law that took effect in 2004 led the way for other countries in Europe and elsewhere to do the same. Canada and the United States recently banned artificial trans fats.

In the United States, high blood pressure accounts for more deaths related to heart disease and stroke than any other modifiable risk factor, according to the 2019 guidelines for preventing cardiovascular disease issued by the AHA and American College of Cardiology.

Dr Daniel Muñoz, who helped write the guidelines, said the new study “reinforces the power of lifestyle factors. There’s an opportunity here to empower people all over the world with the knowledge, information and education they need to make healthier choices.”

For instance, guidelines from the federal government and the AHA recommend people limit sodium to less than 2 300 milligrams per day. Yet Americans consume on average more than 3 400 mg of sodium a day.

Education about salt reduction – or just realising how much salt they consume daily – along with learning which foods may include trans fat can empower people to make wiser choices, said Muñoz, an assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Tennessee.

It also can encourage them to push for changes on a broader scale.

“Part of translating an admirably lofty goal into reality involves thoughtful public policy and certain requirements, like transparency of food labeling so that people in their day-to-day lives can look at a nutritional label and understand what they’re getting,” he said.

“That degree of daylight on our decisions can go a long way. Engineering that reality is a challenge, but the study powerfully argues that the payoff is clear.”