The UN requested four billion dollars to help the population of Yemen

 

The United Nations and its partners have launched an appeal to raise $4 billion to fund aid needed this year for 18.2 million people in Yemen, a country devastated by nearly a decade of conflict.

 

In a statement, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Ocha, stated that $2.7 billion is needed for vital aid and $1.3 billion for sustainable development to support the millions of people in that country at war.

"In view of the critical needs, 219 humanitarian partners are calling for urgent assistance for more than 18.2 million women, girls, boys and men," the statement said.

 

The war in Yemen that began in 2014 between Iran-backed rebels and the Saudi-backed government has caused one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters.

According to non-governmental organizations, hundreds of thousands of people died in the war and millions were forced to flee from the fighting zones. More than three quarters of the population depends on international aid and millions of people are on the verge of starvation.

 

Yemen, which is the poorest country on the Arabian Peninsula, has been going through a fragile peace since the cease-fire that was reached with the mediation of the UN in April 2022 is in force. The truce expired in October last year, but it is still generally respected.

 

The UN estimated today that 17.6 million people will face extreme food insecurity in 2024 in a country where malnutrition rates are among the highest ever recorded.

"We must not turn our backs on the people of Yemen." I call on donors to continue providing emergency aid to save lives," said the humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, Peter Hawkins, according to the statement.

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NEW DEFEATING EU ASSESSMENT: Nine million people are hungry in Ethiopia! (VIDEO)

A NEW DESTRUCTIVE EU ASSESSMENT: Ethiopia's new estimate of the World Food Program (WFP) shows that a record nine million people are suffering from acute hunger in three regions, affected by the conflicts in northern Ethiopia.

A United Nations survey conducted in Tigris before the outbreak of the conflict in November 2020 showed that 93% of the population has enough to eat. Now, 15 months later, the UN reports that 83% of the population suffers from food shortages, and almost 40% suffer from acute hunger.

The World Food Program states that 13 percent of children in that area are younger than five, as well as half of all pregnant and breastfeeding women are malnourished. WFP spokesman Thomson Feary says that the lack of proper nutrition leads to low body weight of the baby at birth, as well as developmental delays and death of the mother, Voice of America reports. He says that people who cannot feed themselves resort to extreme measures in order to survive.

"The diet is getting poorer as groceries become inaccessible and families rely almost exclusively on grains, while limiting portion sizes and meals, eating whatever is available every day to further expand their food," Firi said.

As the war in Tigray spread to northern Ethiopia, famine also spread to the neighboring regions of Amhara and Afar. Firi says the fighting and displacement caused by the conflict is raising the rate of hunger and malnutrition to dangerous levels in those regions.

 

"The WFP estimates that families affected by the crisis in northern Ethiopia have received less than 30 percent of their calorie needs on average in the last few months, which has pushed people even deeper into the crisis," Firi said. - It is expected that this permanent humanitarian aid in food will be mandatory at least during 2022.

Despite numerous challenges, WFP reports that since March it has managed to deliver food aid to nearly four million people across northern Ethiopia. However, intense fighting in the region has prevented food convoys from reaching Tigray since mid-December.

The WFP urges the warring parties to agree to a humanitarian break so that the agencies can safely transport food, medicine and other essential aid through the front lines, and adds that the lives, health and well-being of millions of civilians depend on it.

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South Africa reacts to countries' decisions to close borders

 

South African Health Minister Joe Faala called the decision of other countries to impose travel restrictions due to the new mutation "unjustified", although he confirmed that the preliminary studies that have been done so far show that the variant is more contagious.

 

In a press conference, the minister stressed that South Africa is acting transparently and that travel bans are contrary to the recommendations of the World Health Organization. He stressed that he would not even think about not sharing information about different strains of the new coronavirus in the future, as this is done for "the good of the world", as he said.

 

Faala added that the South African government has no plans to impose compulsory vaccination on citizens because of this variant. He noted that some measures will need to be taken, but the exact restrictions have not yet been decided.

 

South Africa's leading epidemiologist, Salim Abdul Karim, said the B.1.1.529 variant had spread to 53 countries within three weeks of its detection. "So it does not really help to close the borders. We have to find solutions to this variation together. And part of that means not overreacting," he said in an interview, calling Britain's decision to ban travel from South Africa "panicky" and understandable.

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Lithuanian minister in self-isolation after Macron's visit

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius will spend a week in self-isolation because he was in contact with two infected people who were part of the French delegation during last week's visit of French President Emmanuel Macron, a ministry spokeswoman said today.

 

She said that the minister was tested for the corona virus and is negative, but he will still stay at home this week, a spokeswoman for the Associated Press said.

A spokesman for the French Embassy, ​​Sami Fizek, told the AP that two people from the diplomatic mission in Vilnius were positive on the test, but he did not want to state their names. Both were part of the delegation of President Macron, who visited on September 28 and 29.

It is not stated whether Macron had contact with infected people and whether he was tested.

"The entire delegation that came from Paris was negatively tested before leaving, at the request of the Lithuanian authorities, and all necessary precautions were respected during the visit," Fizek said, adding that they kept their distance and wore masks.

Fizek confirmed that the Embassy has been temporarily closed since Sunday due to cases of COVID-19 caused by the corona virus.

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The Planet after the Corona Virus: Humanity will experience these seven greatest changes

In the wake of the Corona (Covid-19) virus pandemic, the world is expecting seven major changes, and the current global situation is predicted to be included in historic events such as the Great Depression or the 2008 global financial crisis.

Online shopping

Isolation in homes and closed stores has resulted in increased interest in online and contactless shopping, so it is anticipated that at least the short-term winners of this situation should be those who provide goods and services without having to physically contact with their customers.

The winners in this category could certainly be cloud computing service providers like Zuma, Microsoft and other virtual reality companies like Okulus and Netflix. Social media traffic will grow, but advertiser revenue will suffer from weak demand and a disrupted economy.

In the short term, e-shopping service providers as well as the delivery of food and essentials could also rise. And when the economy eventually improves, the positive effects for this group will generally last, thanks to the already established customer habits.

A new way of working

People also need to prepare for a new way of working as some employers may continue to apply work from home. Remote work technology enables quality work and communication through online platforms.

On the other hand, it could cause a serious blow to the commercial real estate market, as many sectors may have a quantitatively less need for physical jobs.

Working from home could also lead to the exodus of workers from large cities and their relocation to less populated areas, with a smaller cost of living.

Automating Jobs

Namely, in order to survive the economic and financial crisis, many companies will have to lay off a certain number of workers and automate what can be automated.

They might see that teleworking can also be done by highly skilled workers in lower-cost countries.

As predicted, jobs will first move from business to home, and over time will shift from remote domestic locations to remote overseas.

Medical innovation

One of the changes that are expected is the innovative medical advances, but not just the ones we are used to, in terms of progress in knowledge and experience. Telemedicine could become the new standard.

Physicians in the United States are already conducting long-distance examinations through state lines, can send emails and make video calls to patients. Health insurance providers now have to pay for telemedicine services.

Telemedicine is expected to improve and expand - through better testing and diagnosis at home and the widespread adoption of wearable products, which continuously monitor the onset of symptoms.

Amphitheater or online classes?

Also, the pandemic has forced many universities to continue moving to the online format, and if this style of teaching continues, students might wonder in the fall - how much sense does it make to pay for an academic year and a student life in another city?

In this case, universities will face pressure to reduce costs, so they could find a possible way out in a hybrid model of teaching that reduces front-line teaching to project-based online assignments and student workgroups.

This will significantly reduce costs while allowing the best instructors to focus their knowledge on more students.

The end of globalization?

At the end of the pandemic, it is predicted that people, but also goods, will move less and less, which could lead to the collapse of international trade.

In order to strengthen their ability to survive over prolonged periods of economic self-isolation, governments in many countries will do their best to strengthen domestic production capacity.

Corporations will increasingly favor the resilience of centralized domestic supply chains against the effectiveness of globalized ones. Airlines, hospitality and tourism will experience a sharp drop in demand during and immediately after the crisis.

Stronger international cooperation

After the initial withdrawal of globalization, many countries could become aware of the real technological and viral threats, which could lead to international cooperation finding a way out of the problem.

Adopting a sense of pragmatic internationalism, countries would develop international norms, monitoring and reporting systems, as well as coordinated response plans and crisis situations.

A coordinated global agreement, during the next pandemic, would make self-isolation orders effective, while reducing economic shutdowns.

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Can menopause really be postponed for 20 years?

A new surgical method for delaying menopause causes controversy.

Prof. dr. Garalejic: "It is certainly not harmless to remove a part of an organ from a woman who is not sick."

Prof. dr. Fazlagić: "The method has not yet been fully proven and one has to be careful."

A NEW surgical method that delays menopause for up to 20 years and has been applied in Britain has caused controversy among doctors. While some claim that surgery treats the health problems of menopausal women, others say that just a good marketing ploy and a way to make money is behind it.

The surgical method, available in the UK and costing betwee €7,600 to €12,000 euros, takes a portion of the ovary, freezes it and returns it to the body when a woman reaches the age of menopause. Professor Dr Mima Fazlagic says that this method has not yet been fully proven and that caution should be exercised.

Undergoing surgery certainly does not mean that menopause will certainly be stopped - says prof. Dr. Fazlagić - It depends on the work of the pituitary gland in every woman. This is not a magic wand and it will take years to discover lasting effects.

Professor Dr. Elijana Garalejic from the People's Front gynecological-obstetric clinic says that every surgery carries a certain risk of complications, which is why it is not good for healthy women to undergo such interventions.

- It is certainly not harmless to remove a part of an organ from a woman who is not sick - says prof. Dr. Garalejić. - Any surgery is an aggressive method and should not be used unless there is another solution.

The aim of the method is to reduce menopausal problems such as osteoporosis, heart problems, decreased libido, changes in mood and temperature. However, such problems are treated with non-invasive methods and therapies, which are much cheaper.

- There are good medicines that have been proven to reduce problems and help women in menopause - says Prof. Dr. Garalejić. - This problem is easier to solve in this way, while new methods are fabulous and have not yet been tested. It should be noted that transplanted tissue may simply not work.

Doctors who support this method claim that the goal is to ease the symptoms of menopause, not to allow a woman of 60 to become pregnant. However, the fact is that this surgery, if successful, prolongs fertility and allows a woman to give birth to a child in the sixth or seventh decade.

- We cannot be young forever and biology is such that one day the ovaries will definitely lose their function - says Prof. Dr. Garalejić. - The question arises whether it is ethically okay for a woman to give birth at 65 unless her lifespan is doubled.


REVOLUTION OR BUSINESS

According to prof. Dr. Elijane Garalejic, such methods are one of the options for young patients who are exposed to radiation because of illness, but have not given birth and do not want to lose their eggs.

- It may be a business, since it promotes a "revolutionary" procedure for delaying menopause, rather than treating cancer patients, more precisely enabling birth after a serious illness - says Prof. Dr. Garalejić.


NINE WOMEN OPERATED

Already nine women, aged 22 to 36, have undergone this surgery, which is currently only performed in Britain, with women under 40. The procedure lasts for 30 minutes and after just one day, as explained by the doctors there, the woman can resume her daily activities.

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He wanted to pet the lions and one grabbed his hand

A tourist in South Africa was hospitalized with septic shock when he attempted to come in very close contact with two lions and pet them, when one of them bit his hand.

The video showing the wild animal biting the man's hand has gone viral on the internet.

55-year-old Pieter Nortjé and his wife Ilze traveled to South Africa to celebrate their 10th anniversary.

Among other things, they also visited a lion's place, located within the premises of the residence where they lived.

The video shows the man saying jokingly "if you bite me, I'll bite you too."

Then, a second lion approaches him and the 55-year-old sounds like, "Come here, let your dad catch you."

However, this move had a bad ending...

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A bad combination of drugs creates new diseases

Serotonin syndrome and bleeding may be the result of taking two types of medication simultaneously

As much as they can help, drugs, if they are badly combined, can even hurt more. Problems with the heart, blood vessels, the nervous system and respiratory tract, for example, occur occasionally due to the simultaneous taking of two types of drugs, which are intended for the treatment of various diseases. Certain medications should not be combined, while prescribing a third drug in order to reduce the risk of side effects of the previous two, is an option that is often practiced.

Bleeding from the digestive tract is one of the most common problems that arise when taking two medications that can jointly cause health complications.

- Bleeding can be a consequence of an increase in the anticoagulant effect of drugs, in the case when another drug is used that reduces the release of anticoagulants from the body. Therefore, doctors and pharmacists should take into account both during prescription and during the issuance of prescriptions - says Professor Miroslav Savić from the Faculty of Pharmacy in Belgrade, a member of the Commission for the Registration of Human Medicines Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices of Serbia.

Simultaneous administration of monoamine oxidase inhibitors and antidepressants from the serotonin withdrawal inhibitor groups may cause serotonin syndrome.

- Such medications can be used after the drug initially initiated is discontinued, and after a certain period of time the application of the other one begins - says prof. Savić.

Prescribing a third drug, which reduces the risk of side effects of one or more drugs that are applied concurrently, is one of the solutions. Proton pump inhibitors are used to protect the gastric mucosa, when the patient is taking several drugs at the same time, which is the case during recovery after a myocardial infarction. To reduce gastric juice, antisecretory drugs are used.

- If a bad reaction occurs, an adequate solution should be found. Nevertheless, it does not necessarily mean that the same combination of drugs will cause problems for everyone. Most of the complications that result are not severe, unless absolute contraindications are clearly not indicated - says prof. Savić.

Apart from two drugs that mutually reinforce or have the opposite effect, individual foods can also strongly affect drug metabolism. Grapefruit juice inactivates the enzyme involved in the activation of certain drugs, as well as the inactivation of some others.

- In the first case there is a decrease, and in the second an increase in the effects of drugs. Comparative application of grapefruit juice together with antiagregative drug prasugrel leads to a decrease in the activity of the drug, in this case reducing the antiaggregatory effect - explains prof. Savić.

Changes and problems that did not exist before the application of therapy are one of the main signs that the patient is poorly responding to therapy and that it is necessary to perform an additional medical examination.


THE EFFECTS CAN BE PREDICTED

Unwanted effects can usually be predicted and must be indicated on the package.

- Contraindications can endanger the patient's life, they must be emphasized in expert information on medicines. Doctors and pharmacists have an obligation to avoid the comparative use of such drugs when prescribing or issuing medicines - says prof. Savić.

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Soldier left without a penis, doctors perform a miracle

A soldier who was wounded in an explosion in Afghanistan had for the first time in the world a complete transplant of the penis, without testicles, officials said at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in the US city of Baltimore.

The operation lasted 14 hours, the donor was a dead person, and the wounded soldier, who asked to remain anonymous, recovered from surgery and is expected to be released from the hospital this week.

• When I woke up after surgery, I finally felt more normal with a certain level of self-confidence - said the soldier, whose citizenship was not reported.

The hospital's statement states that there were nine plastic surgeons and two urologist surgeons in the team that operated on the soldier on March 26th.

The medical team performed a whole penis transplant, without testicles, and a part of the abdominal wall. The patient is expected to recover the urinary, and ultimately, sexual functions.

However, as the transplant did not include donor testicles, this means that reproductive function is not possible.

Ouch!!! :D

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Minced meat should not be kept in the freezer, it can be dangerous

Photo illustration: pixabay.com

The deadlines for keeping meat in the freezer are not on any package or declaration, and the fact that you've frozen the meat does not mean it can sit for months.

Minced meat is dangerous to keep in the freezer and it is best not to freeze it at all.

The reason for this is the process during which the minced meat is formed: the meat is milled, blended with air, and the oxygen function continues, and the bacteria that are therein will again activate after defrosting.

The process of grinding and mixing with other types of meat carries the risk of contamination, because when the meat is frozen, microorganisms only go dormant, and after defrosting they can continue their lives and endanger our health.

The meat is filled with air, which is very hard to push out of the meat, even by vacuuming, and this air in combination with the fat - which can make up to 30% of the meat - produces oxidation products that are harmful. People later consume the meat and introduce the harmful stuff into the body and are at risk of getting sick.

The longer the minced meat is stored in the freezer, the worst it gets. If you put meat in the freezer a couple of days ago, use it as soon as possible.

If it's there for too long, then throw it away.

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