Index Home HIV stigma, perpetuates inequality Stigma befriends some diseases.In ancient times it was Leprosy, followed by Syphillis, and in the modern times HIV. In ancient times, individuals with a flat-nose, a tell-tale sign of leprosy, were disqualified from becoming priest. By 1450s, we feared and hid sexually transmitted syphillis. Advent of antibiotics and changing sexual… Continue reading World AIDS day 2023: Let communities Lead
Category: Diseases
Changing symbolism and slogans in HIV-AIDS philately
Index Home Part 1 (1981-2007) Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Scientific evidence shows that the virus sneaked into human beings around 1920s. We realised its existence, about six decades later, in early 1980s. Mankind had just emerged from successful small-pox eradication, when in 1981, Center of disease control (CDC) reported a cluster… Continue reading Changing symbolism and slogans in HIV-AIDS philately
Diabetes: Not so sweet
Index Home A not so sweet disease Diabetes is a chronic disease. Individuals with diabetes have high blood sugars, pass more urine, and get more thirsty. While urine is sweet and sugar in blood is high, disease is not so sweet. Individuals need to restrict their diets, exercise more, and take tablets or insulin injection for… Continue reading Diabetes: Not so sweet
A not so small-pox
Index Home Small-pox had a high mortality, a third of all infected would die. Survivors would become blind, and carry a scarred face for life. Every infected person would have fever, followed by a typical skin-rash. Disease earned its name from the small-bumps that covered entire body. But, small it would not remain as it devastated… Continue reading A not so small-pox
1962 – A malaria story
Index Home Malaria is an infection, caused by a tiny bug – Plasmodium and its species. This bug enters human body by a mosquito-bite and multiplies, leading to fever. Bug also exits through a mosquito completing a cycle. Malaria cycle was discovered in 1897 by Ronald Ross, which earned him 1902 Nobel in Medicine. We however… Continue reading 1962 – A malaria story
Leprosy: Saga of an eternal discrimination
Index Home Leprosy is an infection, affecting skin and the nerves. We discovered organism causing this infection, Mycobacterium leprae in 1873, nine years before its more famous counterpart Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Saga of discrimination and leprosy is eternal. Society discriminated against sufferers of this disease, and scientific community against Dr Gerhard Hansen – a Norwegian Physician who… Continue reading Leprosy: Saga of an eternal discrimination
COVID pandemic: A turbulent cove on a straight coastline
Index Home World before COVID: A straight coastline Beginning of 2019 was quite oblivious to the coming times. We had extended pains of terrorism, Syrian civil war, human displacements, Donald Trump, Brexit, environmental pollution, and anti-establishment protests from the previous years. On the global health front, 2018 Ebola epidemic had passed into 2019. We believed that… Continue reading COVID pandemic: A turbulent cove on a straight coastline
Fundraising for TB elimination
Index Home Need for Fundraising Discovery of TB-bacillus in 1882 was a landmark event. Excited by this discovery, next ask was to find a cure. Individuals who contracted TB included rich and the famous. Clamour for effective treatment was at a record high. Bernard Shaw depicted this in his famous play – A doctor’s dilemma. In… Continue reading Fundraising for TB elimination
Tuberculosis: A wasting illness
Index Home TB: A wasting affection of the Lungs Tuberculosis (also known as TB), is a disease with devastating health, social, economic and cultural consequences. Greeks called it pthisis, and Romans called it consumption. Both these words mean “getting wasted”, or to “whither away”. We also know it as “white plague“, with sufferers becoming pale, before… Continue reading Tuberculosis: A wasting illness