Living in Peru : your everyday companion

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Next October 15th, the world will celebrate the World Day of Hand Washing, and Peru will  too, since Health and Education ministries are promoting such initiatives at all schools across the country.

With the slogan "Clean hands, healthy children," the Ministery of Health and of Education are encouraging the week of the hand washing at all schools with the aim to prevent diarrhea and reduce the impact of AH1N1 on people.

The logic is that a one minute activity could mean more years of life.

During the launching of the campaign done at Teresa Gonzáles de Fanning School, the Ministry of Health, Óscar Ugarte, said that these illnesses, that end in death in some cases, are related to inappropiate hygiene habits treating food, and washing hands improperly.

Carlos Felipe Jaramillo, World Bank agent for Perú, Bolivia and Ecuador, said it is fundamental that washing hands becomes a daily habit.

"Still a lot is left to be done," he said, after recalling that more than 100 countries will celebrate on October 15th the World Day of Hand Washing.

The World Bank is supporting this campaign.

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LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

The controversy on abortion in Peru fires up everyday, confronting pro-choice and pro-life supporters, and state ministers as well.

While Congress has approved a bill which proposes an amendment to Peru's Penal Code to allow eugenesic abortion “under certain conditions,” local feminist organizations are calling for mobilizations, arguing that therapeutic abortion is contemplated by Peruvian laws since 1924, but its medical protocol has not been setup yet, which means that the doctors cannot perform them in their daily practice.

Peru's Justice Minister, Aurelio Pastor, told the media that his sector is officially against any kind of deliberate abortion since it would harm the fetuses' civil rights, while the Health Minister has declared that “therapeutic abortion would save mothers, who are important in society.”

The public debate has increased, reaching a critical point after the intervention of the Catholic Church, whose highest authority in Peru, Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani, reminded all that the Catholic Church is against any kind of deliberate abortion, saying in a radio interview that the Church will take care of unwanted babies, like Mother Theresa of Calcutta did.

"Since we've done away with the death penalty in Peru for even the worst criminals, how can we accept the death penalty for an embryo that hasn't even had the time to commit a mistake and cannot even defend itself?" he said to Radio Programas del Perú.

The bill, which was approved by a parliamentary committee a week ago, is to be debated by the full Congress within the next few weeks.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Currently, cardiovascular conditions are the leading cause among the adult population in countries like Peru, which registers daily an average of three heart attacks, according to a study conducted by the Peruvian Society of Cardiology.

The research also determined that almost one out of four Peruvians over 18 years suffers from high blood pressure; one out of 10 over 18 years old have high cholesterol levels, while 26% of the population smokes (40% men and 13% women).

Similarly, the study found that 70% of hypertensive patients feel no discomfort or symptoms experienced, and that nearly 60% of the population does not practice sports.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

A new list of another ten Peruvians citizens killed by the AH1N1 virus was released today by Peru's Health Ministry, which statistics show now a total of 143 victims of the disease.

The press release confirmed the presence and expansion of the virus in Peru's provinces, since only two of the fatalities took place in Lima, while the other eight were registered in different places within the country.

All the deceased belonged to risk groups, suffering from conditions like chronic liver disease, down syndrome, hyperthyroidism, uncontrolled hypertension and morbid obesity, among others.

The total of confirmed cases rose to 8,305, while 201 patients are suffering from this influenza at present.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Peru's Health Ministry (MINSA) issued an statement confirming 12 more deaths due to AHN1 influenza; four in Lima, three in Callao, two in Cusco, one in Lambayeque, one in Piura and one in Arequipa.

According to the MINSA's press release, all these patients belonged to high risk groups, suffering from conditions like diabetes, pulmonary fibrosis, arthritis, TB,  chronic alcoholism, obesity, etc.

 These deaths increase to 133 the death toll at present in Peru, which has had a total of 8,104 cases of AH1N1 influenza, from which 7,686 people have fully recovered.

MINSA also reported that the number of new cases is decreasing in 12 regions, and that the impact on the country's health systems has been low.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

The lack of volunteer tissue or organ donors causes two patients die in Peru every day, while they are on the waiting list for a transplant, according to Carlos Carvallo, Director of the Peru's National Program of Organs and Tissue Transplant from Essalud (the public social security health system).

With the aim of promoting a culture of solidarity and anonymous donations, Essalud has started the Week of the Donor, during which the people interested will receive all the necessary medical and legal information.

There is a list of 4,500 people in Peru waiting for transplants, and 700 patients die each year due to the fact that in Peru there are only 2 donors per each million of Peruvians.

For example, in Spain there are 37 donors for each million people; 24 per million in Uruguay and 14 per million in Argentina.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Julio Valdivia Herrera, the coordinator of the Sanitary Strategy of Prevention and Control of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and HIV – AIDS at Goyeneche Hospital (in Arequipa), reported that the number of confirmed HIV – AIDS cases have increased by 58%.

"Last year we had 54 cases of AIDS in this hospital, and this year the number has doubled. We think that we will have some 60 new cases next year," he said.

According to the specialist, the majority of those infected with HIV are homosexual males.

"At present we are providing healthcare to 421 patients -male and female- in this hospital, and we have more than 90 deaths registered," he added.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Despite the general expectations that the warmer temperatures of the spring will help to reduce the number of AH1N1 cases, the virus is still attacking, and the death toll has risen to 109, according to official figures from Peru's Health Ministry (Minsa).

The number of cases are still increasing in 9 regions, remain stable in 4 and is decreasing in 11 regions.

Six of the victims were from Cusco, two from La Libertad, two from Puno and two from Lima, and mostly all of them suffered from different risky health conditions.

The number of confirmed cases went up to 7,312, but 6,961 patients have been already discharged, which means that only 621 patients are suffering from AH1N1 at the moment, according to Minsa.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

A woman who had been diagnosed with the AH1N1 strain of flu a week ago, died yesterday due to pneumonia; she had been refused admittion to three hospitals in El Santa, a province of the Ancash region.

According to her family, Norma More Guardado (44) developed pneumonia while receiving antiviral treatment at home, having been refused admission to the regional hospital “La Caleta” in Chimbote because its ventilator was broken down.

She was then taken to the “Eleazar Guzmán Barrón” hospital, where she was again refused admission; her family was told that the hospital did not have the right equipment or rooms for AH1N1 patients; finally, she was also rejected at the Essalud Hospital in Chimbote.

Norma More was pronounced dead in an ambulance, while while being taken to a hospital in Lima.

“This is a case of medical malpractice. If she had received proper medical care, she would still be alive,” stated her daughter, Mirtha More.

The family announced that they are looking at the possibility of filing a claim for malpractice.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Peru's Deputy Minister of Health, Melitón Arce, announced that some 8,000 doses of the new vaccine against AH1N1 influenza will arrive in Peru in October, thanks to the support from the World's Health Organization (WHO), which bought them to the Chinese pharmaceutical Sinovac Biotec.

According to Peru21, the China Administration of Food and Medicines issued a license for Panflu-1 vaccine, after it passed the evaluations.

Reportedly, this single-dose vaccine is safe for humans between 3 and 60 years.

“The vaccines will be applied to all people considered as in high risk,” said Arce.

He also told the press that the rates of incidence of AH1N1 cases in Peru are dropping, and that sp far the country has all the necessary stock of retroviral drugs.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.