Zambia Health Alliance

If you find yourself struggling to lose fat around your stomach, don’t worry. Your progress could be influenced by one of these 6 factors;

You’re Getting Older
Your age is something to consider if you find yourself struggling to lose fat. Women in their late 30s and early 40s may notice that losing weight isn’t as easy as it used to be and the belly can be one of the most stubborn areas. Studies support that once a woman reaches 40, losing weight becomes more difficult.
You’re Only Doing Cardio
Oh, the Cardio Myth! There is an incorrect belief that the best way to lose fat is cardio, cardio, cardio and cardio only. This simply isn’t true, yet so many people (especially women) end up focusing most of their time on these types of workouts.
You’re Eating Too Much Sugar and Processed Food
Processed foods are often laden with surprising amounts of sugars, excessive salt, bad fats and other unhealthy or bloat-inducing ingredients. If you are serious about losing your belly fat but find that you can’t seem to break that plateau in progress, check your diet.
You’re Genetically Predisposed to Belly Fat
While doctors tend to agree that environmental hereditary factors do play a role, it doesn’t mean you are destined to always have a muffin top. If you have a family history of obesity or abdominal fat, it is likely that you may have more of a tough time trying to lose fat from your belly.
You’re Too Stressed
Consistently high levels of stress without any reprieve is just as bad for your mental and physical health as eating junk or leading a sedentary lifestyle. Stubborn belly fat is another symptom of excessive stress.
You Have a Lot of Belly Fat and Haven’t Given Yourself Enough Time
This last reason may be the real reason why the average healthy woman struggles to slim down her stomach. All in all, belly fat is just plain hard to get rid of! Period. If you have a lot of abdominal fat you aren’t going to be able to just get rid of it overnight. Give yourself time to make progress. Depending on your body and how serious you are about diet and exercise, it may take months or up to a year. Frankly, there is no specific time frame, because everyone’s journey is different.

Belly Fat Linked to Gestational Diabetes Risk Might be a better way to spot women in danger of developing blood sugar disease, researcher says

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October 8, World Sight Day.

Zambia Rising and Zambia Health Alliance held a Southern Province Health and Social Services Forum in Mazabuka.

ZHA in partnership with Phil Opticians, NMCC and Lusaka Dental School held a successful Health & Wellness Day for Zamseed staff.

September 28, World Rabies Day – We can End Rabies Together

GARG - During the next 10 minutes, at least one person will die from rabies. There's a good chance that person will be a child, let's imagine she's a girl. She will almost certainly be from Africa or Asia, and there's little chance she will have access to palliative care which might have made her final hours less anguished. Instead, she might be strapped to a bed or locked in room until death releases her. To die of rabies is not a gradual slipping from the world, it is a tortuous exit. And death is certain. Rabies is 99.9% fatal, the highest fatality rate of any known disease. However, there is hope for the 2 billion people who live at risk of rabies because it is also preventable. One hundred and thirty years ago, Louis Pasteur successfully trialed the first rabies vaccine on a nine-year old French boy. World Rabies Day, September 28 commemorates the anniversary of Louis Pasteur's death and seeks to continue the work he started, toward global rabies elimination. World Rabies Day raises awareness of the disease and its prevention. The Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) coordinates World Rabies Day and works with international organisations to bring about true and lasting change. Because every death from rabies is one too many. We can TOGETHER

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Lymphoma is cancer that begins in infection-fighting cells of the immune system, called lymphocytes. These cells are in the lymph nodes, spleen, thymus, bone marrow, and other parts of the body. When you have lymphoma, lymphocytes change and grow out of control.

There are two main types of lymphoma:

Non-Hodgkin: Most people with lymphoma have this type.
Hodgkin
Non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin lymphoma each affect a different kind of lymphocyte. Every type of lymphoma grows at a different rate and responds differently to treatment.

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Lunch Time Baic First Aid Awareness with Dr Victor Mapulanga

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Maternal health refers to the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. While motherhood is often a positive and fulfilling experience, for too many women it is associated with suffering, ill-health and even death.

The major direct causes of maternal morbidity and mortality include haemorrhage, infection, high blood pressure, unsafe abortion, and obstructed labour. Call 990- for more information.Source WHO

Latest Health Bites...Managing Stress in a workplace!

ZHA yesterday held a successful Health and Wellness Workplace Event at Unilever Zambia. The event comprised of health talks on mental health, stress management and condom awareness and health checks on Malaria, VCT, BP, Diabetes, Dental and Eye and a Zumba session to wrap up the event.

ZHA Health and Wellness Workplace Programs

Your health is important wherever you go. And now that many people are spending most of their day sitting at a desk or inside an office, implementing health programs inside the workplace has become a vital piece of a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, Workplace health and wellness programs should be a part of the overall company strategy for a healthy workplace.
The Zambia Health Alliance (ZHA) facilitates all your health and wellness programs. We believe that Good health is good for business. Wellness programs are linked to greater productivity, less absenteeism, and a reduction of long-term health care costs.
We have worked with most of our partners in implementing and reviewing health and wellness Workplace Policies and facilitating health and wellness Workplace Events. They all have realized the benefits of the programs, and to curb the costs of rising health care, now offer workplace health programs to their employees on a more regular basis.
A workplace health program is a health promotion activity designed to support healthy behaviours and improve health outcomes while at work. These programs consist of activities such as health education and coaching, weight management programs, medical screenings, on-site fitness programs, and more.
The rationale behind wellness programs is that encouraging healthy habits now can prevent or lower the risk of serious health conditions later. Similarly, adopting these same habits can help those with an existing health condition manage it.

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July 2015 is Group B Strep(GBS) and Cleft & Craniofacial Awareness & Prevention Month

Today June 30, is International Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) Day. Remember to get tested and know your status as we work towards achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support and Zero new infections.

10 million Zambians are at risk of contracting .
This came to light when Health Minister Joseph Kasonde presented a ministerial statement on elephantiasis to Parliament.
Dr Kasonde revealed to Parliament that the mapping being undertaken by the ministry showed that parasites that cause elephantiasis were in existence in 85 districts.
He cited Kalabo in Western province as the district that had the highest percentage of parasitise that cause elephantiasis.
He disclosed to the house that government commenced the mass drug administration to areas where parasites were found after the mapping was done.
The Health Minister said some districts have way passed their targets while other districts are still carrying out immunization.
Dr Kasonde told parliament that the mass drug administration against elephantiasis will run from 8 June to 2 July 2015.
He stressed that government together with its cooperating partners have started controlling and eliminating parasitise that cause elephantiasis.
And responding to question raised by Kasempa MMD area member of parliament Kabinga Pande who wanted to know whether Zambia can meet the target to eliminate elephantiasis by 2020.
The Health Minister assured the house that government has the capacity to meet the 2020 target set by the World health Organisation of eliminating elephantiasis.

The 'Health Bite' is our bi-weekly health feed aimed at creating awareness on trending health issues...Happy Reading!

May 12 – Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome Day
Chronic fatigue syndrome refers to severe, continued tiredness that is not relieved by rest and is not directly caused by other medical conditions. Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome Day therefore, is used to increase awareness about this condition, for which there is no known cause or cure.
What is chronic fatigue syndrome?
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), which was once commonly known as ‘yuppie flu', does not just cause mild fatigue, as its name might suggest. Individuals with CFS suffer extreme exhaustion and develop a variety of symptoms that can make their day-to-day lives exceedingly challenging. The condition is not psychological or ‘all in the heads' of sufferers as many people once thought, scientists have established that CFS is a real medical condition.
What causes it?
The causes of CFS remain largely unknown. It was once thought that a virus might be behind it, but recent research suggests that a variety of factors may cause it. These may include the contracting of a variety of viruses combined with stress, exposure to environmental toxins and a genetic predisposition. Most CFS patients also show features of depression although it is not clear whether the depression develops as a result of CFS or whether the CFS arises as result of the depression.
The symptoms of CFS
The most notable aspect of the condition is extreme fatigue, which patients will suffer from for six months or more. Sufferers may experience a wide variety of other symptoms as well including the following:
• Very poor stamina
• Withdrawal from work and social activities due to fatigue
• Loss of short term memory
• Difficulty concentrating
• Pain in the joints and muscles
• Headache
• Frequent sore throat
• Tender lymph nodes
• Mild fever
• Nausea
• Sleep that is not refreshing
Treatment
While CFS cannot be cured and must run its course, many of the symptoms can be treated and doctors can help to improve the patient's quality of life. Symptoms including sleep disorders, nausea, pain, flu-like symptoms, depression and anxiety can be treated with medications. Supportive therapies such as counselling can teach people coping skills.

May :Is Anti -To***co Campaign,Hepatitis and Cystic Fibrosis awareness Month.To***co-To***co is an agricultural crop, most commonly used to make ci******es To***co has many negative side-affects that you should be aware of before using it. Hepatitis-Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. It may be caused by drugs, alcohol use, or certain medical conditions.Cystic Fibrosis-is a genetic disease that causes mucus in the body to become thick and sticky.

APRIL 17 - WORLD HEMOPHILIA DAY
World Hemophilia Day is an international observance held on April 17, 2015 by the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH). It is an awareness day for hemophilia and other bleeding disorders.
Hemophilia is a condition in which bleeding is prolonged. It is a condition present from birth and is normally inherited; you can't 'catch' hemophilia or pass it onto others. In some rare instances, hemophilia may develop later in life (typically affecting people in the 50+ age group).
When a person without hemophilia bleeds, normal levels of clotting factor, a protein in the blood, causes the blood to clot and stops the bleeding. However, hemophiliacs (people with hemophilia) have lower levels of clotting factor in the blood and bleeding continues for much longer periods.
There are two types of hemophilia. Each type is linked to a low level of a certain clotting factor. Hemophilia A is the more common type and is linked to low levels of clotting factor VIII (8). Hemophilia B is more rare and is associated with low levels of clotting factor IX (9). Hemophilia is diagnosed by taking a blood sample and testing the levels of clotting factor VIII & IX.
Each type of hemophilia causes prolonged bleeding which is the main symptom of hemophilia. Bleeding can range from mild to severe. Bleeding is often internal, although people can bleed outside the body too.
Other symptoms include spontaneous bleeding, bleeding into the muscles or joints, bleeding for a prolonged period after having surgery, having a cut or dental work, and big bruises. In very mild cases, bleeding may be for a shorter duration and only arise after injury or surgery.
Left untreated, severe cases of hemophilia can lead to an early death. However, there are successful treatment options available, and if managed, people with hemophilia are largely unaffected by this condition living full and healthy lives. Treatments for hemophilia involve injecting the missing clotting factor into the bloodstream.
As with many other awareness campaigns, a simple but effective slogan is used to help raise awareness for the issues concerned. The slogan for World Hemophilia Day is ‘Building a family of support’.

Hello Friends, just a reminder that this month is Health Awareness Month! Are you staying fit and healthy? Are you trying to improve your health in anyway this month? If you are, do you have any suggestions for other people? Remember to drink lots of water and do a little exercise at least once a week. Even just a good stretching session can burn some calories and get you fired up for the day, especially in the early morning. If you have any questions about health or medical awareness, please message us on 878 or call 990, our dedicated Talkline for all issues health related.