Toothache is one of the most unbearable conditions that can be experienced by a person. It can be throbbing, continuous pain, totally disrupting normal day-to-day work or it can be severe, unrelenting pain which can make a person scream in agony.
24 Pregnant Women HIV Positive in Bong
Published: 27 June, 2008
One of the victims
BONG COUNTY, The County Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for Bong, Dr Garfee T. Williams, has disclosed that 24 pregnant women have been confirmed HIV positive.
A man, 50 years old, came to see me a couple months ago. He was gay and complained of having marked decrease in sexual desire and ability. This is of course a very sensitive and embarrassing subject for any man, and the patient had difficulty in discussing his problem with me. He wanted to know if this was a normal aging process or if it could be his andropause since he had read about male menopause before in the Observer Doctor.
28 Fistula Patients Undergo Surgery
Published: 16 June, 2008
Dr. John K. Mulbah
Twenty eight (28) obstetric fistula patients in southeastern Liberia have successfully undergo surgery and their conditions are said to be stable, Dr. John Mulbah, Chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Liberia Fistula Project.
What can I do about stress? Stress is an unavoidable part of life. While some stress is normal and even necessary, too much of it can affect your quality of life and your health. You can reduce the effects of stress by identifying its causes in your life. Understanding and accepting what you can control and what you cannot, and learning stress management skills.
HIV/AIDS on the Increase in Bassa
Published: 05 June, 2008
Head Counselor of the Lutheran Church in Liberia HIV/AIDS Program in Buchanan, Mr. J. Bonokpowa Mitchell, has reported that the spread of the HIV virus is on the rise in Grand Bassa County.
Women awaiting VVF operations at Ganta United Methodist Hospital
Over 100 Women Undergo VVF Operations
Published: 04 June, 2008
GANTA, NIMBA COUNTY, The Ganta United Methodist Hospital in Nimba has undertaken one of the major operations involving women who are suffering from VVF/ vesicle vaginal fistula or rectum vagina festida/RVF.
Stress (Pressure, Tension), Part One
Published: 02 June, 2008
Stress is 'the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed on them'. Pressure is part and parcel of all work and helps to keep us motivated. But excessive pressure can lead to stress which undermines performance, is costly to employers and can make people ill. One of the founding fathers of stress research, Hans Selye, identified another part of this problem when he saw that different types of definition operate in different areas of knowledge. To a lawyer or linguist, words have very precise, definite and fixed meanings. In other fields, ideas and definitions continue evolving as research and knowledge expand.
Miss Liberia 2008, Bendu Parker, interacts with fistula patients at JFK
Fistula Campaigners Head for Rural Liberia
Published: 28 May, 2008
MONROVIA, Obstetric fistula (pee-pee sickness) campaigners will head towards rural Liberia over the weekend to conduct free medical surgery for women and girls.
12,000 Rural Dwellers Benefit from Free Medication
Published: 26 May, 2008
A newly United Nations Development Programs (UNDP) constructed clinic in the Bomi County town of Dagweh is currently serving free medication to several dozen of people a day.
Local Group Marks Global AIDS Week 2008
Published: 22 May, 2008
A local group has commenced the Global Aids Week 2008 in Monrovia with spectacular candle light walk and memorial service last Sunday. The walk began concurrently from the Catholic Hospital and Nigeria House intersections on Tubman Boulevard and moved to the SOS Clinic, opposite Sophie's, where the service was held.
Relief for Fistula Victims
Published: 16 May, 2008
MONROVIA, The faces of hundreds, if not thousands, of rural women subjected to gang-rape and other violent crimes, during the brutal armed conflict in Liberia, will shortly beam with smiles as Government has expressed willingness to provide them with relief through the provision of the necessary medical treatments.
Fistula Rampant in Rape Victims
Published: 08 May, 2008
Health Minister, Dr Walter Gwengalie
MONROVIA, The fate of hundreds, if not thousands, of rural women subjected to gang-rape and other violent crimes during the brutal armed conflict in Liberia appears dangling owing to their inability to seek necessary medical treatments.
Enlarged Scrotum (Big Nuts)
Published: 05 May, 2008
Varicocele, one of the causes of the enlargement of the scrotum, (the loose bag of skin, containing the testicles, that is located below the penis) is due to the distention, elongation and twisting of the testicular veins. The scrotum lodges the male glands which produce semen.
MONROVIA, The first World Malaria Day was celebrated on April 25, 2008 in Monrovia and the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Luis G. Sambo, in his World Malaria Day Message, called for a concerted effort in fighting the killer disease.
Ganta Hospital Sets Up Dental Unit
Published: 29 April, 2008
The Dental Unit, which has been out of operation for over a decade at the only referral hospital in Nimba, the Ganta United Methodist Hospital, has been restored and operations on patients with dental problems have begun.
Minister Gwenigale (center) makes remarks as Curran (r) and Jacob Hughes (l) look on
Britain Earmarks US$8M for Health
Published: 29 April, 2008
MONROVIA, The United Kingdom Government has earmarked US$8 million for the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOH/SW) for its human resource development program.
Obesity (aka Excessive Fat, Overweight, Big Belly)
Published: 28 April, 2008
The foods we eat every day contribute to our well-being. Foods provide us with the nutrients we need for healthy bodies and the calories we need for energy. If we eat too much, however, the extra food turns into fat and is stored in our bodies. If we overeat regularly and if we continue to gain weight, we may become obese (overweight).
190 Students Graduate at TNIMA
Published: 28 April, 2008
Dr. Gwenigale: ‘Our concern is human resource development’
The Tubman National Institute of Medical Arts (TNIMA) at the John F. Kennedy Hospital Compound in Sinkor over the weekend held its 23rd commencement exercise at the main campus of the University of Liberia (UL) where 190 students graduated in various medical disciplines.
US$500,000 Testing Laboratory to be Constructed
Published: 25 April, 2008
A testing, chemical, microbiological and pesticide laboratory worth US$500,000 for the Liberian Government, to be administered by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, is expected to be constructed and completed by early next year.
Vice - President breaks ground while Supt. Gulakpai, FPGM Overseer Joseph T.S. Menjor, Foya citizens and residents
V.P. Boakai Breaks Ground for US$95,000 Clinic
Published: 25 April, 2008
LOFA COUNTY, Liberia's Vice President Ambassador Joseph Nyumah Boakai has urged more bilateral and donor partner support for the most deprived rural sectors of the nation to ensure the equitable distribution of resources, development and progress.
The Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Liberia, Dr. Moses Pewu, has called on all Liberians irrespective of class, status, and economic background to report without fear all rape and rape-related cases to the relevant medical facilities in the country.
World Malaria Day Falls April 25
Published: 21 April, 2008
Liberia will on Friday, April 25 join the rest of the world to commemorate World Malaria Day, according to a release from the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare dated April 18.
UL Medical College, Cooper Hospital to Be Upgraded
Published: 21 April, 2008
Dr. Richard Hart and Dr. Lyn Behrens Photo by Alaskai Moore Johnson
MONROVIA, The A.M. Dogliotti College of Medicine at the state-owned University of Liberia (UL) and the Seventh Day Adventist-owned (SDA) Cooper Hospital are shortly to benefit from expertise and other materials from the Loma Linda University Medical Center based in California, United States of America.
Virginia mothers and children with Dr. Marshall-Ochillo (standing in middle) and the Commissioner of Virginia (r) at the Robert C.D. Marshall Clinic
Dr. Marshall-Ochillo Hosts Children Health Fair
Published: 18 April, 2008
Scores of children in the township of Virginia have benefited from a two-day health fair hosted in the area by a United States-based Liberian female pediatrician, Dr. Roseda Marshall-Ochillo.
Mr. Diaz and Mrs. King-Aherele shake hands after Friday's signing ceremony, as Liberia's ambassador to UN and Cuba, Nathaniel Barnes (middle in coat) and Dep. Min. Conmany Wesseh (with spectacle standing behind Akerele) look on
Liberia, Cuba Set up Joint Commission
Published: 14 April, 2008
MONROVIA, The governments of Liberia and Cuba have entered an agreement for a Liberia-Cuba Joint Commission for Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation.
Climate Change Endangers People's Life
Published: 08 April, 2008
Word Health Organization representative to Liberia, Eugene Nyarko, has indicated that climate change has a number of devastating effects that endanger the life of people in different ways.
Africare Trains 200 Health Workers in Nimba
Published: 08 April, 2008
Catherine: 'We need to improve the health sector’
An international non-governmental organization (NGO), Africare-Liberia, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOH/SW) with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has certificated 200 multi-purpose community-based service providers (CBSP) and peer educators in the central highland town of Saclepea, Nimba County.
Yellow Fever Outbreak in Nimba
Published: 08 April, 2008
Dr. Jabbeh: 'The situation is serious’
NIMBA COUNTY, At least one person (a male) has been confirmed dead from a recent yellow fever outbreak in Boe and Quella Chiefdom in Tappita District of Lower Nimba County.
Chest Pain in Adults (Grown-ups) Part II
Published: 17 March, 2008
Pain is an unpleasant feeling associated with actual or potential tissue damage and mediated by special nerve fibers to the brain where its conscious appreciation may be modified by various factors. Pain follows the bumps and bruises encountered in daily life, and all persons have experienced unpleasant but innocent headaches, sore throats, and muscle stitches. Pain that seems to originate in the chest generates far greater concern because it may announce the presence of severe, occasionally life-threatening disease. The new onset of chest pain and what it may connote provoke anxiety and fright; consequently, it is one of the symptoms most likely to cause the victim to seek prompt medical attention.
US Contributes US$12.5M to Fight Malaria
Published: 17 March, 2008
MONROVIA, The United States government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has disclosed that it will contribute US$12.5 million each year beginning 2008 toward the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) program.
Retention of urine is the inability to pass urine voluntarily when the bladder is not empty. It is classified as acute or chronic retention of urine and the difference is important both in terms of presentation and management.
Africare Trains 94 Community Health Workers in Montserrado County
Published: 04 March, 2008
An international non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Monrovia with sub-offices in Nimba County has completed phase one training of health advocacy, peer educators and community-based service providers in Bensonville, Montserrado County.
A sprain is a stretch and or tear of a ligament (a band of fibrous tissue that connects two or more bones at a joint). One or more ligaments can be injured at the same time. The severity of the injury will depend on the extent of the injury (whether a tear is partial or complete) and the number of ligaments involved.
Do You Have A Deformed Face?
Published: 29 February, 2008
The M/V Africa Mercy, the hospital ship that has been healing thousands over the past several months, is inviting all those who have holes in the top of their mouths, or “cleft lips”, to come to the Ship for consultations and possible surgery.
IPPFA Donates to Family Planning
Published: 29 February, 2008
The International Planned Parenthood Federation Africa (IPPFA) regional office in Nairobi, Kenya, has donated a consignment of laboratory equipment valued at US$29,000 to the Family Planning Association of Liberia.
24 Health Workers Complete IMCI Training
Published: 28 February, 2008
Dr. Bawoo: 'The method is to reduce death rate among under five'
At least 24 health workers, among them some senior nurses who are mainly working at various clinics in Grand Cape Mount County, Western Liberia, have completed a two-week Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI) intensive training.The training, which introduced some modern technology and conducted under the auspices of Medical Teams International (MTI), was aimed at combating the increasing rate of death among children under-five or infant mortality in the country. It was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
'I Am Recovering Well'
Published: 27 February, 2008
Rebakah Barloya gradually recovers after surgery
A 27-year-old woman from Grand Bassa County gives thanks to God and to the doctors and nurses on MercyShip after successful surgery for a serious goiter condition.
Publisher of the Daily Observer, Mr. Best, Mr. Tipoteh, Esther Biney and Mr. Don Stephens
Don Stephens, Mercy Ship Founder and President Looks Back
Published: 27 February, 2008
MONROVIA, The founder and president of MercyShip, the world's largest hospital ship, has revealed that it must have been inspiration from his Norwegian great, great grand parents that helped him conceive the idea of building a ship to go around the world healing the less fortunate.
BDC Gives Drugs to Clinics in Bopolu
Published: 25 February, 2008
The Chief Jallah Lone Medical center in Bopolu city
A consignment of essential drugs amounting to over US$2,000 has been presented to two clinics in Bopolu, Gbarpolu County recently by the Bopolu Development Corporation (BDC). The clinics that were recipients of the drugs are the Jallah Lone Health Center and the Korninga Clinic.
Outbreak of Chickenpox Hits Eastern Nimba
Published: 22 February, 2008
Mrs. Zeah, OIC of Gblarlay Clinic
An outbreak of chickenpox has hit the eastern part of Nimba County near the Ivorian border with over 10 cases identified and registered at the local clinics.
A cross-section of participants in front of the newly-dedicated dormitory
Phebe Re-opens Nurse-Midwifery School
Published: 21 February, 2008
Phebe Hospital in Suakoko, Bong County, during the weekend held a program to mark the re-opening of its nurse-midwifery training program, which coincided with the dedication of one of its dormitories renovated by Medecins Du Monde, a French NGO operating in the country.
The Chinese delegation and health officials of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare
Chinese Tour Health Facilities
Published: 21 February, 2008
MONROVIA, A 10- man Chinese health team headed by Chinese vice-minister of Health, Mr. Chen Xiaohong, on Tuesday, February 19, 2008, visited several health facilities in Bomi and Montserrado counties.
Health Workers Challenged to Combat Infant Mortality
Published: 19 February, 2008
Mrs. Duncan: ‘Put women’s health atop political agenda’
Health workers across the country have been called upon to combine their professional efforts in fighting the alarming rates of infant and maternal mortality.
China Pledges 10,000 Units of Malaria Drugs
Published: 19 February, 2008
Health Minister Walter Gwenigale
MONROVIA, A seven-man Chinese delegation, headed by China's Vice-Minister of Health, Mr. Chen Xiaohong, has pledged ten thousand units of anti-malaria drugs to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MHSW).
Dr. Bawoo (l) with Yei Q.Yini, one of the facilitators
To Combat Infant Mortality in Liberia:
Published: 13 February, 2008
Medical Teams International (MTI) has embarked on a two-week intensive training in modern technology of at least 24 heath workers, among them some senior nurses who are mainly working at various clinics in Western Liberia. The training is aimed at combating the increasing rate of infant mortality in the country.
Fr. Sellee ( r) with Rev. Dr. Kowbeidu (l) and Mrs. Sasser (center)
Free Dental Service at Episcopal Church
Published: 08 February, 2008
Members of various communities in Monrovia are receiving free dental care from a team of Christians, comprising two medical doctors from the United States of America (USA).
Chest Pain in Adults (Grown-ups) Part Two
Published: 04 February, 2008
Pain is an unpleasant feeling associated with actual or potential tissue damage and mediated by special nerve fibers to the brain where its conscious appreciation may be modified by various factors. Pain follows the bumps and bruises encountered in daily life, and all persons have experienced unpleasant but innocent headaches, sore throats, and muscle stitches. Pain that seems to originate in the chest generates far greater concern because it may announce the presence of severe, occasionally life threatening disease. The new onset of chest pain and what it may connote provokes anxiety and fright; consequently, it is one of the symptoms most likely to cause the victim to seek prompt medical attention.
Partial view of some of the elderly who regained their sight (far right) is Dr. Amegashie Photo by Sando Moore
39 Regain Sight in Grand Kru
Published: 01 February, 2008
GRAND KRU, Thirty-nine persons regained their sight after a successful operation by Dr. Fred W. Amegashie and a host of health workers in the south-eastern Region. The exercise was sponsored by the Ministry of Health and supported by Sight Savers International (ISS) based in the United Kingdom (UK).
Dwindling of Liberian History Instructors and Historians
Published: 29 January, 2008
History may not be the best choice for many students seeking university education, let alone talk about majoring in it or taking it at the terminal degree level of Master of Philosophy (MPhil) or Doctor of Philosophy (PHD) in history.
