By Dana Malcolm 

Staff Writer 

January 25, 2023 – Itchy, uncomfortable and often painful Urinary Tract Infections affects millions of people yearly, the vast majority of them women. In fact ‘UTIs will likely affect almost half the female population at least once in their lives and women get UTIs up to 30 times more often than men do. Also, as many as 4 in 10 women who get a UTI will get at least one more within six months’ the US Office on Women’s Health explains.

Caused by germs that get into the bladder, UTIs can happen in any part of the large urinary system including the kidneys; ureters; bladder; and urethra, but are most common in the bladder. They are easy to cure with proper antibiotics but can be serious if left untreated. Knowing how to identify a UTI and getting quick and effective treatment can save women and girls a lot of pain. The UK National Health Agency lists the symptoms as

• pain or a burning sensation when peeing (dysuria)
• needing to pee more often than usual during the night (nocturia)
• pee that looks cloudy, dark or has a strong smell
• needing to pee suddenly or more urgently than usual
• needing to pee more often than usual
• blood in your pee
• lower tummy pain or pain in your back, just under the ribs
• a high temperature, or feeling hot and shivery
• a very low temperature below 36C

What many people may not know is that these painful symptoms can affect young children as well, if your baby is generally unwell, has a high temperature, wets the bed or themselves and refuses to eat you may want to ask your doctor to take a look as these are symptoms of UTIs in children.

A quick visit to your doctor and a round of antibiotics will usually clear up the infection and any recurring ones but avoiding UTIs completely may be the best bet for all. UTIs are caused when bacteria often from the skin or rectum, enter the urethra, and infect the urinary tract the CDC says. The agency also lists a myriad risk factors that can cause this including poor hygiene in older adults with catheters or young children who are potty training causing bacteria to spread. Other risk factors include: Sexual activity; Changes in the bacteria that live inside the vagina, or vaginal flora. (For example, menopause or the use of spermicides can cause these bacterial changes.); Pregnancy; and Structural problems in the urinary tract, such as an enlarged prostate.

There’s nothing to be embarrassed about in having the common medical condition a UTI, while painful, is easy to treat, make use of the treatment options available to you and don’t ignore the symptoms in the hope that they will disappear as this could make the problem worse.

By Sherrica Thompson

Staff Writer

#Haiti, January 25, 2023 – The cholera situation in Haiti has worsened, with the country recording 496 deaths in nearly four months after the resurgence of cholera was reported on October 2 of last year.

In a statement released on Thursday, January 19, the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) Department of Epidemiology revealed that the country has already registered 25,182 suspected cases and 21,407 hospitalized cases, 73 of which are new.

The Ministry noted that the average age of those infected is 19 years and the most affected age group is 1 to 4 years old, with 374 confirmed cases of 5005 suspected cases.

In addition, the department in the west, where Port-au-Prince is located and where more than one-third of the population lives, was pointed highlighted as the most affected area, with 1,155 confirmed cases for 16,408 suspected cases.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently warned that the world is suffering unprecedented cholera outbreaks in countries affected by climate disasters and other crises.

Vaccines to prevent the disease have also become “extremely scarce.”