Health Services and the Adolescent Situation in a Rural Setting : the Kenya Experience

This study examined the adolescent health situation in Siaya District. The findings indicate that there are no particular health services specifically targeting the adolescent in the district. The adolescent health situation in the district is badly off and prevalence of diseases is high amongst them. They are faced with STDs/AIDS; pregnancies; drug abuse; abortion; alcoholism among others. The adolescent in the district are not aware of the existing health services that could be of help to them. They are not aware of their general and reproductive health as it were; but they are very much aware of contraceptives. The study revealed that their attitude towards the existing medical and nursing services including the medical staff is very negative. They do no have proper information system and the health facilities are inaccessible to them. Teachers and radio play a major part in disseminating information to them. The health staff are very much aware of the adolescent health needs. Most health staff have communication problems with the adolescents. Not so many schools offer heath services and for those which offer; it is only simple diagnosis and treatment. Students dropping out of schools are mostly victims of pregnancies and drug-abuse or alcoholism. This revealed that the adolescents in the district need immediate help as far as their health needs are concerned

Transient ischaemic attacks and strokes : overview

Although there is paucity of data on the incidence of Transient Ischaemic attacks and stroke in Africa; in developed countries cerebrovascular disease constitutes the third commonest cause of death after Ischaemic Heart Disease and cancer. There is need for epidemiological surveillance of these conditions in Africa since the classic risk factors like smoking are on the increase. In order to reduce the enormous socio-economic burden from disabilities of completed strokes; rehabilitation of patients; use of volunteers to manage dysphasia and early recognition of poor prognostic features (urinary incontinence; paralysis of the arm; loss of sitting balance; hemianopia and advanced age) should always be borne in mind