Suicide Rate

"Think globally, plan nationally, act locally" was this year's theme for suicide prevention. ~ Mr. Obermeyer (Source: United Nation Press Conference in Observance of World Suicide Prevention Day)Re: 1

Below is the graph plotted for the suicide rate reported in Asia by 2008. In fact, many people might find this unbelievable.




The plotted graph was based on the national reports that had been submitted to WHO for documentation, and we had picked the countries in Asia only. The graph gives us a few valuable information.

1. Not all countries submitted their records.
2. Not all countries have up-to-date data.
3. Some data can be manipulated for certain purpose. (Re: China, selected rural & urban areas)

If you see the bottom, you see an eye-catching red line marking 98/100,000 as average suicide rate, and that country was India (2008). We have another record of India (1998), which marked only 10.65/100,000 as average suicide rate. The India (2008) was taken from some news-report (Re: 2,3,4).

If the statement was true, then in ten years time, the suicide rate is 9X higher. Indeed it was a steep curve.

There were another data from the news about recent China, yet because of the controversy issues, I didn't put that in the data. You may refer to reference 2 and 3 to find your own perspective. 

We can't drill much in this column, but it is interesting to observe that the situation in Sri Lanka (1967-1985), Lithuania (1990-1995), Belarus *1990-2003), Latvia (1990-1995), Kazakhstan (1990-1995), Russian (1990-1995) would have similar surge. In fact, in 2002, the record of total suicide rate in India was only 10.5/100,000 people.

Below is another graph to present the top 30 suicide rate in the world where information were sent to WHO.

1. www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2008/080910_WHO.doc.htm

2. http://www.google.com.hk/search?hl=zh-TW&q=World+Suicide+Prevention+Day+2008+India&meta=&aq=f&oq=

3. http://in.ygoy.com/2008/09/11/high-suicide-rate-in-india-and-china-claims-who/

4. http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/wspd_2008_statement.pdf

Information on Disease Control and Prevention after Earthquakes

CDC Earthquake Information

Seems that earthquake is one of the dominating disaster in the End-time. A good information site for disaster preparation and relief effort. May you be benefited from this source! Share your opinions!

Fighting AIDS in Botswana

Re: Rx For Survival. A Global Health Challenge

Public Health, AIDS, Missions！You will be enlightened and overwhelmed by the entire project that is going on in Botswana! 

Click on the link, that will lead you to the second chapter of the "Fighting AIDS Project in Botswana".

It's a good model in public health effort in introducing health programs, and also a good social model for social workers to work on. It had shown clearly how stigma had caused spreading of HIV, and how reducing stigma could help people to get treatment. 

And of course, we should not minus the cost of this special person, Ernest Darkoh, started the MASA program by faith. He was only 32, and he worked from sketch, persisting the effort in the threats of failures. Click here to find out more about Ernest Darkoh and his effort. 

I will continue to lead you into the world of missions pertaining with global health issue, stay with me! Shalom

Prostitution and AIDS

While I was searching the relationship of what epitopes to do with mombasa prostitutes, I came across with a sharp article by Suki Falconberg, an ex-prostituted woman, a Ph.D., "Prostitution and AIDS".

The article was bitter, but spoke clearly and loudly and did make sense of every word that she claimed. 

From a social aspect, I see the effect of labeling on a person, as well as the stigma caused by labeling. 

Health protection and procedures alone can never really alleviate the problems of the root. Social workers alone can never really relief the society illness by large. There is a need of policy, social capital, an intrusion of the government to make things workable and durable. Just my shallow thoughts.......

Re: Prostitution & AIDS. Suki Falconberg, American Chronicle, Nov 04, 2008.

Things needed in Sichuan that I'm certain

Before we came back, the government announced the 15 things that they needed most at the official government channel.

Things that I know and confirmed are:

醫療救治物資 Medical Items

1. 藥品 Medicines

白蛋白 Albumin

羅紅黴素 Roxithromycin

破傷風免疫球蛋白 Tetanus Immunoglobulin

芬太尼 Fentanyl

多西環素 Doxycycline

2. 器械 Appliances

心電監護儀 ECG

手術包 operation kits

喉鏡 laryngoscope

治療床 treatment table

輕便手術床 portable operating table

擔架 stretcher

心電圖機 electrocardiograph

救護車 ambulance

明膠海綿 gelfoam sponge

頸托 neck collar

固定帶（肩肘、鎖骨、前臂、肋骨）fixing belt for shoulder, elbow, collarbone, forearm and rib

股脛腓支具 thigh and tibiofibula support

攜帶型B超 portable B-mode

消毒機 sterilizer

骨科用固定螺釘 orthopedic fixation screws

麻醉機 anesthesia machine

血液透析機 haemodialysis machine

監護儀 monitor

床旁X光機 bedside X-ray machine

骨科內固定器械（克氏針，鈦棒，鋼板）orthoped

ic internal fixation devices (Kirschner needle, titanium rod and steel sheet)

骨科外固定支架 orthopedic external fixation support

For the rest, please check with the official websites for more accurate information. The above mentioned were in critical needs. Re: Announcement by Gov. China, 30.05.2008

Please pass the message to Orthopedics Surgeons and OT nurses, there is a shortage of hands at this moment.

Patients were being transfered from hospital to hospital, also to another province. Medical teams are needed at the sites.

Team

I am blessed with all my teammates. It is still an 'am' rather than 'was'. :-)

While we were on the plane to Sichuan, John sat beside me, while I was really unsure without a medical qualification as a doctor nor a nurse, what could I possibly do at the site, he said doctor was just a pass to him for attending mission. While compared to his teammates while he was in Burma, he felt his teammates had done better with the teachings. What a humble sharing. I kept silent while thinking about what he said. 

The very first day, I had a very special duty, an official translator in the operation theater, assisting Tim in his work. After work, I asked Tim why did he choose Anesthetist as his profession. His answer was it's really useful, and he could partner with many other doctors for field work. When he said that, I could imagine seeing him working in the war zone, trying to relief pain of the soldiers, and taking care of their breathing. 

Then, KeekeeLok, a nurse. He stayed back for another week in Sichuan to assist another team in relief effort. We chat about church and missions on the last night in Deyang, he told me the most important thing  was to "serve the community". I remained silence after that. Wasn't him right? While we screen the right people for missions and field work, "serving people" and "serving the community", aren't these the qualities that we look at? But sometimes we do care about the attitudes of a person rather than seeing the real job that people had performed.  That was something that I learned through him. 

"I don't know what I can do! But if I need to move the stones, I will do it!" 

"I don't know, I think I can wash their wounds, and I can just help in anything that needs a pair of hands to do it!"

"I just need to go! I need to show them love and care, when every else had left."

"I don't care, it's worth to die this way if I will die in this trip! We need to bring them food and water, at least they can sustain!"

"I'm so afraid if she died the next day, I need to tell her about hope!"

"I could not do anything medically, but I will talk to the patient, the people, if that comforts them."

Popo and Momo went back to Sichuan shortly after we came back from the trip. It was an amazing opportunity to serve with them, my teammates!

We had 27 in our team. Some I had chat with them more, some less. Yet, all had amazing stories behind, and all had served their profession with great respect of human lives. I had worked with many medical personnel in the past, but never I had such experience with working a team such as this, all Die-Hard members, who chose to put others before their own interest. 

What an humble experience to serve with this team. Shalom!

 

Announcement of Urgent Needs Wenchuan5.12

 食品药品监管局公布抗震救灾急需和暂不需要药械

一、药品 Medicine

    （一）生物制品　　冻干人血白蛋白 Albumin

    （二）常用药品　　黄连素（片）Berberine    

    诺氟沙星胶囊（片）

    VC银翘片抗病毒颗粒（片）

    藿香正气液（水）

    清热解毒口服液

    口服蜡样芽胞杆菌活菌片等

    （三）皮肤类外用药品 

    阿昔洛韦

    地塞米松软膏

    达克宁

    皮炎平等

    （四）眼用制剂　　各类眼药水及眼膏

    二、消杀灭药品及用品

    （一）灭菌泡腾片

    （二）奋斗呐

    三、器械及设备

    （一）一次性防护服

    （二）呼吸机

    （三）多参数心电多功能监测仪

    （四）床旁X光机

    （五）B超机等

    （六）银针

    （七）火罐

    四、相关物资 

    （一）煎药机

    （二）包装机

    （三）包装袋

    （四）大型保温桶

    五、短期暂不需要的抗震救灾医用物资

    （一）消杀灭药品　　84消毒液

    一般消毒粉

    （二）药品器械　　　一次性注输器具

    大输液

WenChuan5.12 EarthQuake

It was really a humbling experience in Sichuan, while I thought I went as a public health worker, trying to access and learn about the situation, and thus participate in the subsequent follow up work on a long run. I ended up as a interpreter more than anything else that I could do. 

The situation at the sites was in a constant change. On Tuesday evening we heard a report from the site that there were no road, no food, no resource, no medicine at one place, and when we got there by Thursday, the road was cleared, food and resources were a lot, and two medical team appeared on the same time at the refugee camp at the site. Tents were being distributed, though few families had to squeeze in one tent. 

When there was news from the sites that people were having diarrhea, headache, vomiting, no food, no water, I fear that it could be an outbreak of cholera. I was concerned and insisted that this should be reported to the local authorities. We nearly had a fight within the team on this matter. But what I really had was only theories. My team comprised from a group of loving Christians doctors and nurses who had experience in infectious disease control, and many of them went through SARS. However, I wasn't comfortable because my knowledge and judgement told me otherwise. And of course, it was justifiable because the hospital setting and wide open area were different, as well as SARS and Cholera were different. 

Praise God that when Christians work together, we agree in submission to the decision of the team leader and trusting that God will help us to make a right decision. Moving with the team had always been a priority in missions. Finally, my team decided to move in to access the matter before we do any reporting, and also be prepared of what medical aids may arose at the site. We split into two teams on 5/21, the next day, so that a team stayed in the hospital and another went to inspect the site as a mobile clinic. When they came back, the news proved to be exaggerated, the sites had a lot of resources. Perhaps out of fear, out of uncertainty, or perhaps not having trust of the local authorities. 

So now, I learned to trust. Trusting the Lord, trusting the expertise of my team members, trusting the wisdom and responsibility of the team leader. In the same time, I learned about my in-discernment and lack of risk-communication ability. 

The next day which was also the 10th day after the quake, as it was my turn to visit the site, we went to Shifang, HongbaiZhen, the most remote village in Shifang. As we arrived, we saw another medical team from Sichuan Community Hospital. They just came and just set up a few hours earlier than us. Many tents were set up, and this place was not lack in resources. But as I chatted with the survivors, they told me that this was only set up around these fours days. 

Therefore things proved to change very fast in China. The aftershock warning was just as severe and terrible, and held many people in fear, even in Deyang and Chengdu cities. People continue to live in tents and fear to go home. 

To be Continued......

???

It's really amazing to hear what had happened in Sulawesi, Indonesia from CBN News. And funny is that news like that never gained any attention of the headlines or even mentioned in the main stream newspaper. This made me wonder, is it because of media attention merely focus on persecution and mass killing rather than paying attention or effort to reconciliation? Or is it the source of the news that the Christian world sees is seen as valueless in the eyes of the public?

When we were celebrating the fact that Qatar began the first open Christian service during Easter this year, we almost neglected the same time last year, three members in the body of Christ were massacred in Matlaya, Turkey, a place where freedom of religion is given and proclaimed. The news was only recorded in AsiaNews, TurkeyDailyNews, JihadWatch, and more in the PersecutedChurchWeblog. 

It's very difficult in writing this passage, I do not intend to go deep on this but to bring out an observation that I think which had been a pattern of how public voices was shaped.

Whatever it is, good news or bad news, we should always stand guard and pray as much. As I was in Dumai last year, it's a place with Christians-Muslims 50/50.  I had witnessed how people were being brought to Christ by the touch of the Lord in their lives through healing and conviction. I had also seen sacrificing love of the Christians towards people and children had won souls over. Yet the undercurrent should not be taken lightly. 

One verse that we can sing in this situation perhaps is, "The Lord is on my ship!" Yet we also need to realize that God does permit sacrifice. He had not spared his own son, and many who carry the cross would have to lose their lives. But the reward in the Kingdom is handsome. 

I apologize if I confuse you. Click on the highlighted part, to gain more news/insights about the situation.

When does life begin?

George Verwer sent me a very good book earlier, "WHY PRO-LIFE?", written by Randy Alcorn.


Philosopher Mortimer Adler claimed that the unborn is " a part of the mother's body, in the same sense that an individual's arm or leg is a part of the living organism. An individual's decision to have an arm or a leg amputated falls within the sphere of privacy - the freedom to do as one pleases in all matters that do not injure others or the public welfare." 1,2

Evidence shows us that when a life is formed inside the womb, a new set of genetic code take place. A new set of genetic code that forms a total different being from the womb that is carrying the life.

The question is: When does life begin?

We should never deny that having a baby could be so hard for some people. It could be for medical reasons that one could not have children, it could be no medical reason at all. Many religions view children as gift of God. In the bible, people mourned because they did not have children. Sarah was childless until she was 90, Hannah poured out her soul to the Lord because of her barrenness. Well, you could say these are people in old days. But today, while I walk in the O&G Clinics, I see couples wanting babies so badly, they tried and they tried, but there was none.


Conceive is not an accident, and it's not a co-incident. It takes extreme effort of the sperms from the male, and the readiness of the ovum from the female. 3 It is fierce race - race to life.



Honestly, I'm not sure if we can say that an zygote is not a form of life. 4,5

References:
1. Randy Alcorn. Why Pro-Life? Eternal Perspective Ministry, 2004. Chapter 5
2. Mortimer J.A. Haves Without Have-Nots: Essays for the 21st Century on Democracy and Socialism (New York: MAcMillan, 1991),210.
3. Nir A. The fertilization dance: a mechanical view of the egg rotation during the initial spermatozoa-ovum interaction. [Journal Article] Journal of Theoretical Biology. 214(2):171-9, 2002 Jan 21.
4. Everything from Conception to Birth. http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1514886
5. Life Begins at Fertilization with the Embryo's conception. http://www.princeton.edu/~prolife/articles/embryoquotes2.html

"Not the science says" ?

I asked a question to my students last Sunday, " Do you believe that God created the heaven and earth?"

"Yes!" the students answered.

I asked again, "Do you really believe that God created the heaven and earth, and He created you?"

A student laughed, playing wise, said, "Not the science says."

I was graduated and qualified as a microbiologist. "Hmm... I dunno if the science didn't agree with creation theory."

In fact, I remembered it was during the studying of life science, that had caused me marveled at the beauty and wisdom of creation. Discovery of DNA, and the complexity of how the system works in a body, or the universe, streaming to learn about micro-organisms such as bacteria and virus, showed profound evidence of high engineering of human science, which was not invented by human hands. 

The nature itself embedded a system which had shown extreme high intelligence, where faculties were started to investigate or trying to discover more about the intelligence found. These findings give us hope. 

And it was also during those days, I started to fear God, and prohibited my tongue to continue sin in slandering God and stopped making fun of Christians. Somehow, even without knowing Jesus, I began to respect this hidden power, high intelligent being which, supposed, a Creator?

My pastor's sister in-law, a profound Physicist, works with NASA. She had never try to hide her faith in creation theory. She sings her faith to the Creator God and Jesus every day in her office.

I'm not sure if science against God, or the bible. But what I understand about science, is simple as a continuous search and a series of discovery of the mysteries of the universe, the creation of God. 

And of course, many were/are hoping to find trace to reach God, the creator, maybe a fingerprint, or a strand of His hair...... :) 

But I guess, I will try to trace His fingerprints in my life, and to smell His hair when He carries me in His arm.

Lessons learned in Luoyang - in correspond to Public Health& Genetics

In correspond to the previous article on public health genetics, I guess this is an eye opening for most of us!

The child that was peeling the banana skin and laughing and murmuring was literally a 'potato' which take no response to touch or words in July 2007. And he had also a several spasm that led to fatal, and had to be sent back to the homes, where the medical care was more intense.

But the love of the adopted parents and prayers, as well as the principle of Tender, Loving, Care had caused a miracle in his life. Just as the foster parents refused to give up the child, the child miraculously responded and had a breakthrough since then. This was a video clip taken while we went to Luoyang in December 2007.

The improvement of the child and the other children were amazing and kept as testimonies that encouraged the workers and officials at the homes. The stories had inspired the villagers, and caused them to seriously consider to pour out their love and care to these seemingly 'no hope' children.

What we had thought from a medical history background, we would probably had defined this children as hopeless. Children with cerebral palsy, hemiplegia, spinal muscular astrophy etc. , even if they are with their own parents, their homes had often been filled with sadness and clouded by a dark atmosphere. However, in these homes that had taken the children in, we found ourselves in a bright and an atmosphere filled with hope!

The doctor and the nurse in the home had shared with me that they felt so excited after they had been with this project! Their lives had been changed completely. They had never felt so much for the patients before, and now seeing the improvement and daily changes of the children, seeming are their own children. Their lives had never been the same as before!

The lesson that I learned from this trip was: Focus on what we can give at this moment! The right thing to do at the right moment!

May God bless you!

P/s: The organization which had done the fabulous job is called CEO. For further details, and to know how to get involved, please visit http://www.ceo-foundation.org/

Christian's Value

Something that reminds us!