Alternative Therapy – a Therapy Alternative?

Alternative Therapy – a Therapy Alternative?

Some people swear by it.  Some dismiss it out of hand and others don’t really know enough about it to have an opinion.   Alternative medicine comes in as many forms as there are opinions on it.   Acupuncture, Aromatherapy, Bowen Therapy, Homeopathy, Hypnotherapy, Indian Head Massage, Reflexology, Reiki, Shiatsu, are just some of the therapies that have gained in popularity over the past years.   

Gwynneth Paltrow swears by a form of acupuncture called cupping, which involves placing heated cups over the skin and is said to relieve aches and pains while Kate Moss uses ear acupuncture.  Pamela Anderson is a devotee of Homeopathy and Madonna believes in the powers of herbalism.  Prince Charles and Sir Cliff Richards have also had treatment with alternative therapies.

So that’s all very well for them, I hear you say, What about the man in the street, isn’t this all a bit ethereal, a bit of a pastime for those with the time and the money and nothing very seriously wrong with them?  I used to think so, now I’m not so sure.

I want to tell, you the story of a friend of mine.  She had been unlucky enough to have to have major heart surgery before she was 50.  As if that was not enough of a burden to bear, she developed very severe arthritis in her hands, which became so disabling that she could barely carry out even the most basic  functions with them.   We used to meet when we were both on holiday and keep in touch sporadically in between.   As summer approached a couple of years ago, I half expected to hear from her to say that she would not be able to make it because she could not drive her car.   But no call came and when I bumped into her in our Cornish village, I could barely believe my eyes.  She was walking like a woman 20 years younger and her hands showed no more signs of arthritis than mine did!  It turned out she had discovered Reiki.   And not only discovered it she was training to be a Reiki practitioner herself.  Reiki is the name given to a system of natural healing which evolved in Japan.

The method of receiving a Reiki treatment from a practitioner is a very simple process. The recipient simply lies on a couch and relaxes. If they are unable to lie down the treatment can be given in a sitting position, the main thing is for the recipient to be as comfortable as possible. There is no need to remove any clothing, as Reiki will pass through anything, even plaster casts. The practitioner gently places their hands non-intrusively in a sequence of positions, which cover the whole body. The whole person is treated rather than specific symptoms. A full treatment usually takes 1 to 1½ hours with each position held for several minutes.

It is possible to heal at any level of being: physical, mental, emotional or spiritual. Acute injuries can be helped to heal very quickly but more chronic illness takes longer. In some cases such as terminal illness, there is not enough time for the progress of the disease to be reversed. However, in such cases there is usually great benefit and enhancement of the quality of life giving a sense of peace and acceptance during the time remaining.

The difference in her was astonishing and from that point I had to re-think my opinion on alternative therapies. If you would like to know more some links will be posted on the website.

Please note that all information and content on UK Health Radio and this blog are provided by the authors, producers and companies themselves and is only intended as additional information to your general knowledge and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. So please do not delay or disregard any medical advice received due to information gathered on UK Health Radio.

UK Health Radio – the health radio station for the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond at www.ukhealthradio.com – is kindly sponsored by www.1-stop-health-shop.com

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio

http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/complementary-and-alternative-medicine

Helix Health acquires UK and Irish business of PharmaSys

• Combined business will represent c.1400 community pharmacies in the UK and ROI
• Helix Health to offer customers choice of locally installed system (QicScript PMR) or web-based system (pharmaSys)
• PharmaSys users to benefit from enlarged organisation and technical resources
• Both companies exhibited at the Pharmacy Show, Sep 30th – Oct 1st 2012 at the NEC Birmingham

Above: Brian Henderson, CEO of PharmaSys and Howard Beggs, CEO Helix Health at the Pharmacy Show


Helix Health, a leading provider of innovative healthcare solutions, is pleased to announce that it has agreed to acquire the UK and Irish business of pharmaSys, the independent provider of web-based pharmacy management systems. Both companies are exhibiting at the Pharmacy Show, Sep 30th – Oct 1st 2012 at the NEC Birmingham.

Helix Health has more than 25 years’ experience providing software and IT services to community pharmacies in the UK and Ireland and is an honorary member of the AIMp and a supplier partner to the NPA. QicScript PMR has been developed in consultation with leading UK pharmacists and industry bodies and is designed to be a fast, intuitive, feature rich system.

Helix Health offers a fresh approach to pharmacy IT in England: an innovative system designed around its customers’ needs underpinned by award-winning 362 day a year customer support. Further information on Helix Health is available at www.helixhealth.co.uk.

PharmaSys is the only web-based pharmacy management system currently commercially available in the UK. The business was established in 2005 and the first release of the pharmaSys software was in 2008, after gaining technical authority to deploy the ETP1 version from the NHS’ Connecting for Health. The highly innovative system offers a number of advantages over traditional, locally installed products and is widely used by independent pharmacists and multiple operators representing c.500 community pharmacy sites in England and Wales. PharmaSys is currently completing the final stage of the English NHS’ EPS2 accreditation process and is expected to receive full roll out approval shortly. Further information on pharmaSys is available at www.pharmaSysuk.com.

Helix Health is adding the PharmaSys web-based pharmacy management system to its product portfolio to complement its existing QicScript PMR locally installed system. Helix will continue to offer a choice of both systems to community pharmacy customers into the future. This will enable customers to select the system which most closely matches their future business needs and user / technical preferences, introducing a new level of choice into the UK pharmacy software marketplace. Both sets of customers will benefit from a collaborative approach to new feature development and an enhanced level of customer service.

Howard Beggs, CEO of Helix Health said: “We are delighted to have secured the acquisition of PharmaSys UK and Ireland and believe the product will be highly complementary to our existing product portfolio in the UK. I strongly believe that Helix Health’s dual product offering sets us ahead of other providers – our fresh approach to the market presents community pharmacists in England and Wales with a genuine alternative to existing systems providers.”

Brian Henderson, CEO of PharmaSys said: “I am extremely pleased to have entered into this agreement with Helix Health who share our determination to provide increased choice to pharmacists in the UK, and I am looking forward to continuing to develop the pharmaSys system with them. I have been very impressed with Helix Health’s record in community pharmacy in the UK and Ireland, particularly their customer focused approach and quality of customer support which I believe will benefit pharmaSys users. The dual product offering is very important benefit for our customers as pharmaSys users will now have access to an alternative EPS2 ready system until the pharmaSys approval process with the NHS’ Connecting for Health is completed.”

Suffolk based charity helps to launch new national website for Brain Injury survivors

A Suffolk-based charitable organisation has played a key role in developing a new national online Brain Injury service directory which has been launched this week.

Optua UK has helped to developBrainNav In partnership with the UK Acquired Brain Injury Forum and Thompsons Solicitors. The new site has been developed to fill a gap in information available about Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) resources in the UK.

 

Optua UK was set up by Suffolk charity Optua to be able to provide specialist community brain injury services and now works with people in East Anglia , Shropshire and other parts of the country.

A brain injury survivor has welcomed the launch of BrainNav – which he says would have dramatically improved his access to rehabilitation services when he suffered a brain aneurysm.

Steve Garratt received very little rehabilitation therapy or access to information following an aneurysm in 2009 and says BrainNav, which has been launched this week, would have really helped him on his road to recovery.

 

Mr Garratt said: “I spent nine weeks in hospital but received nothing in terms of therapy. I had very little help when I came out as well –a bit with my walking, but other than that I was pretty much left to get on with things on my own. I definitely could have done with more guidance, especially at the beginning, when I lost my speech. You can’t imagine how frustrating it was to sit in hospital and not be able to talk to the people who came to visit me, even my own kids. It was soul destroying. BrainNav could have made a real difference to me.”

 

William Challis, Head of Services of Optua UK, said: “For ABI survivors, being able to find the right services at the right time is vital, but it has never been straightforward until now. We set out to ensure that people can find details quickly and easily of the support services which are available. It’s not easy caring for a loved one who has suffered such trauma, butBrainNav is going to be an invaluable tool for those who do.”

 

BrainNav will offer survivors of acquired brain injury a database of services tailored to meet their specific needs. The online directory at www.brainnav.info will provide people with a national directory of rehabilitation centres, cognitive therapists, clinics, and other specialist facilities, to help support both them and their carers, and ultimately assist in their recovery process.

 

It has been created to help people who have acquired a brain injury find the right service to aid their journey through rehabilitation, and will enable improved access to appropriate brain injury services in both the user’s local area and across the UK. As well as search options for brain injury survivors and their carers, there is also a search option for healthcare professionals.

 

Service information hosted onBrainNav is provided by regional brain injury forums. Service providers and users can add a service listing by emailing brainnav@optuauk.org.uk. It is anticipated that the contents will grow significantly over the next few months as use of the site increases.

 

Professor Mike Barnes is Chair of UKABIF, which aims to raise awareness of acquired brain injury: “Cases like Steve’s show just how important BrainNav is going to be. This is a man who received no outreach support, in fact practically no help whatsoever for the first six months after his injury. Delays in receiving rehabilitation can have a serious, long-term impact on recovery. BrainNav aims to combat this by empowering survivors and their carers with access to relevant information.”

Peter Mulhern, National Head of Serious Injuries at Thompsons Solicitors, added: “BrainNav is set to become the leading directory of services for acquired brain injury. It’s a crucial development in the field, and one, which will change the way survivors and their carers approach the rehabilitation process.

 

For more information visit www.brainnav.info

Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month

Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month

This November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. Possibly the only time you may have heard about this disease will have been when Patrick Swayze succumbed to pancreatic cancer in 2009. The disease is often a silent killer and that is why more people need to know the signs and symptoms.

Well it must be pretty rare, I hear you say, but in fact pancreatic cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the UK. So now that you know that then you would imagine that of the funds raised for cancer research every year quite a bit must be going to researching the condition.   Well in fact, 1% of research funding is spent on pancreatic cancer.  Those supporting education into this disease feel that this is a shockingly low amount and with its status as the fifth most common cancer in the UK, I think we would all tend to agree with them. 

So what kinds of signs and symptoms are there? Well over half of patients already have jaundice when they first visit their doctor –if you are suffering from jaundice you will have yellow skin and yellowness in the area around the pupils of the eyes.  Another symptom may be the fact that you are driven mad with a lot of itching or even a fever, you might even feel pain in your stomach and notice that despite not changing your diet, you are losing weight.

Not many of us lay-people will have heard of neuroendocrine tumours. That is because they are an uncommon group of tumours that produce different symptoms. But it is not all bad news.  Some progress is starting to be made in the form of a drug called 'Sutent' that has been approved for the treatment of these neuroendocrine tumours.

Maybe you know someone who has been affected by pancreatic cancer or maybe you have been unfortunate enough to have the disease yourself. Maybe you just want to make a difference and need to know how you can help to improve survival and get more information on pancreatic cancer.

The pancreatic cancer awareness people have stories of inspiration for us too. In 2010 Paige Bishop lost her dad when doctors failed to pick up on the signs of his condition and did not make the diagnosis in time for treatment to be of any use.  So with the help of those she loved, she organised a golf event  and around 130 people attended. There was a raffle, donated gifts and over three thousand pounds was raised for Pancreatic Cancer Action.

And if you have been inspired by what Paige has done or if you have someone in your life that you would like to go the extra mile for, then why not organise your own Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month event? It could be sports-related or be about almost anything that you can think of! It's up to you, your imagination and what you want to do. Maybe you could get a group of friends or workmates together and run notions past each other until you find a great wining idea.

There is also the chance to fundraise online.   All the links are on the website.

Please note that all information and content on UK Health Radio and this blog are provided by the authors, producers and companies themselves and is only intended as additional information to your general knowledge.  It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. Please do not delay or disregard any medical advice received due to information gathered on UK Health Radio.

UK Health Radio – the health radio station for the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond at www.ukhealthradio.com – is kindly sponsored by www.1-stop-health-shop.com

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio

fundraise online! 

Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month 

A New Breed of Charitable Mobile Operator Arrives in the UK

Launched today (19th November 2011), The People’s Operator (TPO) is a new UK mobile operator that combines great mobile deals, coverage and customer service with the ability to support charities, community groups and other good causes throughout the UK.

TPO matters because:

• Customers get a great mobile deal including free calls and texts to anyone on the TPO network.
• 25% of TPO’s profits go to great causes.
• Either
  Customers can direct TPO to give 10% of their call, text and data spend to a charity, community group or other good cause of their choice.
  Or
  Organisations can receive 10% of call, text and data spend in respect of any customers that they sign up to TPO.
• TPO really cares about its customers and their causes.

TPO is the UK’s first commercial utility where 25% of profits go to great causes along with 10% of every customer’s call, text and data spend.

TPO offers corporates a unique opportunity to fulfil their CSR commitments. Simply by switching to TPO, 10% of all call, text and data spend will get directed to their nominated cause.

TPO customers will be given the opportunity to receive updates via their mobile on how their money is being spent by the good causes that they have chosen to support.

TPO is a UK based company whose management and customer service teams are all based in London.

Charities, community groups and other good causes will receive grants from the TPO Foundation, an independent charity whose donations will have the ultimate effect of strengthening society and supporting local communities.

The three founding trustees of the Foundation are Sir Christopher Kelly who is currently the Chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life and Chair of the King’s Fund; Kevin Curley CBE the former Chief Executive of NAVCA (National Association for Voluntary and Community Action), trustee of CFG (Charity Finance Group) and a member of the advisory council of the NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations); and Andrew Rosenfeld former Chair of the NSPCC FULL STOP Campaign. Sir Christopher will be the Chair of trustees.

TPO is working with a range of different good causes including charities and community projects throughout the UK such as the NSPCC, the Trussell Trust, ChildLine, Islington Giving, Regenerate, and Claxton House. TPO anticipates a significant uptake in demand over the coming months from similar organisations throughout Britain and further announcements will be made in due course.

Andrew Rosenfeld, Chair and Co-founder of TPO said:

“The People’s Operator represents a fundamental shift in the way commercial utilities support communities and causes. The more profit that is generated, the more we can pass on to deserving parts of society.”

Mark Epstein, Vice-Chair and Co-founder of TPO said:

“TPO offers customers the opportunity to benefit from a great mobile deal while supporting their favourite causes, simply by using their mobiles as they do every day and not giving anything more from their own pocket.”

Intentional Self-Harm is major killer

The release of the ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) report ‘Causes of Death’ has revealed the statistics for Australia’s leading causes of death, which has significant implications for organisations and those who are employed to manage human capital risk.
 
Intentional self-harm (suicide) registered as the 15th biggest killer of Australians in 2010, according to the latest report. As mental illness has been identified as a precursor to both self-harm and suicide it is pertinent to look at the issues from a risk perspective. Mental illness has a significant impact on the workplace that often goes unrecognised, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI, 2010).

This research tells us that mental health issues are being under reported and undetected, and that the true cost of mental health issues ‘snowballs’ when indirect costs and other factors are considered or combined with existing cases.

For most workplaces, mental health issues tend to present themselves through absenteeism and loss of productivity. Managers need to be aware of the warning signs, such as conflict in the workplace and home, increasing absenteeism, deteriorating performance and reported issues through wellness programs. Once identified, action needs to be taken to prevent

(a)           further deterioration in the health of their workforce

(b)                     loss of productivity and

(c)           exposure through insurance liability.

In addition to helping identify risk markers within an organisation, the introduction of targeted Health and Wellness programs can help build resilience in the workforce and reduce the likelihood of mental health issues escalating and becoming harmful to the individual and workforce as a whole. Examples of the types of programs used in the wellness space to prevent the onset of mental health issues include training in resilience and coping, dealing with difficult people, personality in the workplace and work/life balance coaching.

For anyone concerned about their own, or a colleagues mental health, please visit www.beyondblue.com.au or call their information hotline on 1300 22 4636.

To read the full White Paper by Mark Cassidy, GM of Risk and Innovation at 2CRisk with over 15 years of experience working in the area of health risk management, please click here.

If you would like to find out more about how 2CRisk can help you tackle the challenges of health management, go to www.2CRisk.com.au or you can contact Mark on +61 1300 736 361 or e-mail info@2CRisk.com.au

 

 

 

Please note that all information and content on UK Health Radio and this blog are provided by the authors, producers and companies themselves and is only intended as additional information to your general knowledge.  It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. Please do not delay or disregard any medical advice received due to information gathered on UK Health Radio.

UK Health Radio – the health radio station for the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond at www.ukhealthradio.com – is kindly sponsored by www.1-stop-health-shop.com

 

MediSafe Project HELPS FAMILIES PREVENT DRUG-RELATED EMERGENCIES

MediSafe Project (www.MediSafeProject.com) launched today the first-ever cloud-synced mobile app helping families prevent emergencies caused by over- or under-dosing medications.

Simple to use, available for all Android devices, and compatible with iPhones and iPads as an alpha version, MediSafe Project is the first mobile health app not only reminding users when it’s time to take their medication, but also using families’, friends’ and caretakers’ intervention instincts by sending them alerts when a loved one misses a dose.

Inspired by their diabetic father’s accidental insulin double-dose, brothers Rotem and Omri ‘Bob’ Shor view MediSafe Project as a way to lower hospitalization and mortality rates, promote sustainable behaviour changes that prolong health, decrease long-term healthcare costs and help pharmaceutical companies understand patients’ barriers to medication compliance.

“An American dies every nineteen minutes from skipping medication or taking meds incorrectly; the problem costs U.S. hospitals $100 billion every year,” said MediSafe Project CEO Omri ‘Bob’ Shor.  “MediSafe Project combats the staggering problem of medication non-compliance using everyday technology and the power of support systems to integrate healthier behaviors into patients’ lives.  The ripple effects from these changes benefit our entire society.”

Part of the first graduating class of the Microsoft Accelerator for Windows Azure, MediSafe Project also has vital, Big Data implications for pharmaceutical companies.  From anonymous demographics, geolocation and patient behaviours to physician trends and other market aspects, MediSafe Project’s broad analytics can help pharmaceutical companies better understand how people receive and take their medication. 

Says Shor: “The dashboard is able to show you which demographics have higher non-compliance for a drug compared to the general population, the doctors or areas that have the lowest prescription rates with a city, competitive drugs patients are switching to, and so on.”  Discussions with several Big Pharma companies are underway, and Shor expects partnership deals to begin closing when MediSafe Project exits Beta status in 2013.

Initial launch features include:

Visual, Easy-to-use User Interface – The app’s homescreen resembles an interactive pillbox.  Users can customize different meds to look like different pills, and the center MediSafe logo turns into a mouth swallowing meds when users signify taking medication by dragging preconfigured pills into it.
FDA Drug Database Compatible – Users can type in medications’ generic or brand names, or take pictures with their devices’ cameras of the FDA’s universal National Drug Code (NDC) number – included on all original pharmaceutical packaging  – and the correct pharmaceutical name, manufacturer and medication strength will automatically be recorded, ensuring an error-free medication list in the event of a medical emergency.
Prescription Refill Alerts – Users receive alerts before medication courses are completed, allowing them to order prescription refills for medications taken chronically.

Privacy Protections – Syncing medication schedules with caretakers is optional.  Aggregated usage statistics are anonymous.  Viral sharing is limited to email.

Available now as a free download in Google Play and iTunes App Store (preview version), MediSafe Project is a complete ecosystem of patients, families, doctors, drug stores and pharmaceutical companies to solve the hazardous and costly problem of medication non-compliance.

Disaster Preparedness

To believe you will never be confronted with an emergency, whether it is a natural or a manmade one is akin to burying your head in the sand. Logic would also dictate that if you do not believe anything will ever happen then you would have no reason to prepare.

Anything can happen to anyone at anytime; it is not a matter of if, but simply a matter of when disaster strikes.

Disaster can strike you as an individual and as a family, such as your vehicle sliding into a snow clogged ravine along a desolate road and you become stranded for days or even weeks. Disasters can strike cities, states and countries, as well. In many cases, there is nothing you can do as an individual, to prevent a disaster, the only thing you can do is be prepared. Your chances of survival dramatically increase if you are prepared not only with emergency supplies but also mentally.

Plan for the Worst Case Scenario

Recent weather events along the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, is an example of people not preparing for the worst.  Super storm sandy ripped along the east coast leaving death and destruction in its wake. The storm was categorized as the worst storm in generations and yet was never rated a hurricane. Experts knew for days when and where the storm would make landfall, and they were aware of the potential storm surge as well. Knowing all of this for days ahead of time, the storm still caught the majority of people off guard to include the ones that make it their business to know.

Citizens prepared based on their experiences with storms in the past as well as from information given out by the authorities. If the experts are not frantic then the citizens will not be frantic and will not have a sense of urgency to get prepared. Experts can predict when and where a storm will make landfall what cannot be predicted however, is the destructiveness once it reaches land. The government and its citizens were not prepared and utility companies went into denial. They did not base their response to the disaster on the realities in front of them. They failed to understand the problem thus failed to respond correctly. The lesson is that you cannot rely on anyone but yourself and to prepare regardless of past events.

Future discussions about the emergency response and preparedness will centre on the question of the government's responsibility and the responsibility of its citizenry during a disaster.

Regardless of the disaster, you can expect chaos, confusion, and mistakes will be made. However, during a crisis mistakes and the wrong decisions can cost lives.

What Can You Do

First, you must realize that even the best of plans can go awry. Therefore, backup plans are needed. Ask yourself what happens when the utilities are not restored in a timely manner. Most experts recommended a three-day (72-hour) supply of food and water. This recommendation is based on emergency response by the government, so what is your backup plan if 72 hours has passed and still you are in the dark. Regardless of the disaster the local infrastructure can be damaged, or even destroyed. An aging infrastructure in cities and towns will make restoring it back to normal that much more difficult once it has been damaged. You must consider your community's preparedness as you prepare. You may not be able to rely on disaster relief agencies for days or even weeks in some cases. Community shelters may be over capacity and you may not find room for you and/or your family.

Possibilities

In today's world, you could be confronted with a nuclear, biological or chemical attack, armed attack or invasion by a rogue nation, massive earthquakes, tsunamis, fallout from a malfunctioning nuclear plant, or even a volcano. Chances are you will survive the disaster itself but can you survive the aftermath, can you live for days, weeks and even longer without electricity, running water, gas for your cooking ranges and impassable roads and highways. You will have to prepare for the days after.

There may be civil unrest, people turn to their government for help during a crisis and can just as quickly turn against the government when help is not forthcoming. Understanding the effects of a disaster is part of being prepared.

Society will change during a disaster and yet will stay the same. There will be the ones that have worked hard and will continue to work hard to survive. There will ones looking to victimize others and then those looking to others for help. Leaders will emerge and then agitators looking to push an agenda will soon be guiding demonstrations.

Disasters will have a psychological effect on people, so family, friends and neighbours may exhibit signs of mental stress. People will not act as you would expect, and some when they become desperate may become violent. In some cases, a person that has not prepared may be convinced that they and their family are starving and will commit criminal acts in the name of providing for their family. You must keep in mind people will be angry with themselves, the authorities and with anyone that is seemly prepared and they may vent their frustration and anger at you.

As you can see, there is more to preparing for a disaster than just stockpiling a few days' supply of food and water. However, being properly prepared with the right supplies and a sufficient amount will alleviate some of the effects of a disaster. Not having the immediate concerns of providing food, water and other essentials during the initial stages of the disaster will give you the time to evaluate the situation with a clear head.

Universal Children's Day 20th November 2012

A Bright Future
Universal Children’s Day
20 November 2012

The United Nations (UN) have declared the 20^th of November their annual Universal Children’s day.   World Leaders want primary education for every child in the world by 2015 – so, as they point out, we need to get cracking!

It was back in December 1954 that the UN suggested that governments around the world celebrate the day and promote their future objectives in whatever way they think will make a difference.

UNICEF (The United Nation’s Children’s Fund) makes a huge difference to children all around the world every year. This includes launching a group giving a voice to victims of conflict.  This is a group created by young people with first-hand experience of these horrible situations.  They tackle childhood disease and try to make the world a better place for children who literally have nothing.

Children's Day 2009 saw UNICEF sign outlines to improve children's rights everywhere, and launch a 24-hour TV coverage.  I think it was around that time that I thought about sponsoring a child that I do through PLAN, one of the child sponsorship charities.  We sponsor a dear little chap from Haiti delighting in the name Neufranny who sends us letters and up to date photos every so often. Without our sponsorship he wouldn't be able to go to school.  But the thing I like the most about this sponsorship that it is designed not just to help Neufranny, but also to aid his village as a whole with a lot of community based projects being sponsored with donated money. 

If you're a teacher, it would be a great idea to dedicate lessons on the 20^th November to showing the kids how differently children live in developing countries.  As a parent, highlighting what they wouldn't have if they lived in some of the world’s most deprived regions might help your own children appreciate what they do have!  They might not realise that children in other less wealthy countries do not have even the basics for life, like food and clean water, let alone the things that are beginning to populate Santa lists about now, for Christmas. You can do it in a way that is easy and fun to understand.  After all educating the next generation is the way to ensure a better world for everyone. 

Please note that all information and content on UK Health Radio and this blog are provided by the authors, producers and companies themselves and is only intended as additional information to your general knowledge.  It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. Please do not delay or disregard any medical advice received due to information gathered on UK Health Radio.

UK Health Radio – the health radio station for the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond at www.ukhealthradio.com – is kindly sponsored by www.1-stop-health-shop.com

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio