Jennifer Jamila Abubakar

Jennifer Douglas Abubakar

 Information

How Can Fans Affect Your Health?

Whether referring to ceiling fans, oscillating fans, or other forms of these devices, many people find it necessary to make use of fans in their homes and even in some offices.  However, even though they can be very helpful in some ways, without proper care they can actually be harmful to your health.

Fans provide a way to help cool air and also circulate stale air.  Stagnant air can feel oppressive and can actually end up costing you more money in both heating and cooling your home.  Besides being uncomfortable, lack of circulation makes your heating and cooling units work harder to control the temperature of the space.  By using fans, especially ceiling fans, you have a constant cycle of airflow that refreshes the air you breathe and distributes the air that has already been heated or cooled so that the temperature of the room is more consistent.  This equals less expense for electricity and/or gas from your pocket.

However, unless you have an air purifier to remove unhealthy debris and particles from your air, your fan could be stirring up these allergy-inducing and irritating bits and pieces that will cause discomfort and even possible harm to your respiratory track.  Be sure that the air you are circulating regularly is as clean as possible to avoid inhaling unsavory items from your home environment.  Also, fans tend to gather dust and dirt.  Always be sure to clean your fans, whether ceiling fans or standing units, frequently to remove this buildup that would otherwise be blown into your air.

Fans do provide important solutions to many environmental problems.  In fact, in some areas of the country where extreme heat isn’t experienced over the summer months and air conditioning is not necessary, many residents rely solely on ceiling fans to keep their homes cool.  However, without proper care for the cleanliness of the air as well as the devices themselves, fans can also present a danger to your health.

Jennifer Jamila Abubakar

The Important Role Of Health Education In Sub-Saharan Africa

There are few things more important for sub-Saharan Africa than the world’s investment in providing greater health education for the region. This area, which constitutes just over one-tenth of the planet’s almost seven billion people, is burdened by nearly a quarter of its total incidences of disease. That astounding fact has made this a key battleground in the struggle for a healthier world.

The battle to educate the population is complicated by a variety of factors. First of all, the countries in the region are, as a general rule, poor. Many are also poorly run. There is also a lack of basic educational infrastructure that would ordinarily be used to provide this instruction.

Moreover, the educational process is not limited to just one disease. Even as this region is a central front in the war against HIV, it simultaneously struggles with one of the world’s highest rates of malaria, malnutrition, reproductive issues, and a host of other medical concerns.

The current model for providing this much-needed instruction involves a joint effort by local governments, foreign aid workers, and international organizations both public and private. Their combined efforts are directed toward the goal of providing universal educational access and disease prevention over the next decade.

With erratic funding and erratic commitments from local authorities, the battle has been anything but smooth. To date, however, there have been some modest gains that provide hope that continued efforts will yield even more impressive results. For the sake of the population of this region, failure is not an option.

The good news is that this instruction is the one area of medical care that has lasting results. For every person who is educated in this manner, the region’s overall health-consciousness continues to increase. With more funds and continued resolve, aid workers can eventually achieve the goal of universal access to health education in this troubled region.