From the 18th AIDS Conference in Vienna

In the beautiful city of Vienna, Austria between 23-28 July 2010 AIDS activists, researchers, decision makers, scientists, policy makers, grassroots workers and people living with HIV gathered for a structured dialogue regarding the major issues on the global response to HIV/AIDS – a disease that has killed more than 25 million people. The theme of the conference which was the 18th since the outbreak of AIDS epidemic in the early 80s was “Rights Here, Rights Now”.

What happened in Vienna 2010 (AIDS 2010)

The AIDS 2010 conference theme emphasizes the central importance of protecting and promoting human rights as a prerequisite to a successful response to HIV. The right to

Cure for AIDS on the way

In the news, there are encouraging reports about 2 breakthroughs in the search for a treatment to reverse the trend of the deadly AIDS virus.

The latest is the Anti-AIDS gel – a vaginal gel which has proved capable of blocking the AIDS virus thus cutting by 50% a woman’s chances of getting HIV from a partner. The gel, spiked with the AIDS drug tenofovir, cut the risk of HIV infection by

Can We Talk about Abstinence and Contraception OR Is It a Mixed Message?

I came across this article written by Konstance McCaffree, Ph.D. Adjunct Professor, Center for Education Sexuality Program, Widener University and thought I should share it with you. Parents care about their children and want them to grow up healthy and safe. They want their children to avoid an unplanned teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, and HIV. Some want their children to avoid sexual intercourse or other sexual behaviors until they are old enough to make good, informed, and responsible decisions. Others want their children to wait

Tackling plastic waste

In Ghana's capital, Accra, the streets are choked with trash and littered with plastic waste that blocks gutters and clogs storm drains. Drinking water comes in sachets that cost a few cents. Cheap and convenient, they are sold in shops and by street hawkers. But once they have been drunk they are often simply dropped on the ground. When British entrepreneur Stuart Gold saw Accra's plastic problem he recognized an opportunity for a business venture — an NGO that could clean up the streets and create jobs in the community. His idea was to collect discarded sachets, Two-and-a-half years later, Trashy Bags makes around 250 items a week and produces 350 different designs of bags, wallets and raincoats.

Do you live in a Slum?

"Migrants from impoverished hinterlands, living without security, public health, and, often, clean water in the shantytowns of São Paulo, Lagos, Karachi, Dhaka, and Jakarta, have as much in common with each other as "People Like Us"–the global class of businessmen, journalists, academics, and anti-terrorism experts–do among themselves." –Pankaj Mishra, Bombay: The Lower Depths, New York Review of Books, November 18, 2004.

Lagos as a whole has been dubbed 'a slum' by foreign journalists that is, if we check her characteristics against UN’s operational definition[3]: a human settlement in an urban area that has the following characteristics:

Health: The best gift you can give

K’arale had her first fundraiser to benefit our PortaKlinic Project last Sunday, the 18^th of April, 2010. This first project benefits Kuramo especially; a slum community living on the coastline here in Lagos by providing Quality basic health Services through the clinic.

The event was pretty formal and guests; largely made up of family and close friends of K’arale management numbered 30. It was an opportunity to tell a larger audience about our dream of quality health for the poor and how we hope to achieve it.


Kuramo is a community most dear to K’arale. I have written about

Changemakers competition

Dear Friend of K’arale,

K’arale participated in the Changemakers competition “Healthy Mothers, Strong World”. A competition which sought for the next generation of innovative, sustainable and impactful solutions for Maternal/Child Health.

It was an opportunity for us to sell our PortaKlinic idea to a panel of judges, connect with fellow entrants and find out what they are doing in the field. A single PortaKlinic can serve 10,000 people per annum. If we are shortlisted

World TB Day: 10 facts about TB

1. Mantoux test is done to identify patients who are infected with the tuberculous infection; they may or may not have the disease. This test is also used as a public-health measure to detect infection in patient's family and friends.

2. Kinyoun stain shows presence of mycobacteria in sputum sample.

Fact 1

Tuberculosis (TB) is contagious and spreads through the air. If not treated, each person with active TB can infect on average 10 to 15 people a year.

Stopping the educational decline

I am disheartened about the just released 2009 NECO results of Senior secondary students in Nigeria. According to sources (click here), only 1.8% [of 234,682 students ]made the requisite 5 credits subject pass (including in English and Mathematics) needed for higher degree study. In 2008, it was 27.64%.

That is a too wide chasm for students to have fallen through in one year. How could our secondary school education have declined so rapidly?

Helping Teens Celebrate Valentine’s Day

K'arale organized a special pre-Valentine's day program with the students from Senior State High School Ikeja on the 12^th of February, 2010 to promote 'Loving with care'.

The objective of the program was to

1. Educate the kids about the true meaning of Valentine, about its history and how it is celebrated, who can be your Valentine,etc
2. Reiterate ABC messages
3. Remind them of pitfalls to avoid on the day: late nights out, drinking, smoking, going out with groups of friends who are known to indulge in risky behaviour, pregnancy, fatal diseases.

The high point of the program was the making of Valentine Cards by Students
It was 2 hrs of fun!!! The students came up with quite interesting designs and messages: