Prepared for publishing by Ismail Al-Ghabiry
Yemen Times Staff
With World Health Day around the corner, it’s time for some people to think about improving their lifestyle.
And officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) are using this year’s day, April 7, to launch a long-term advocacy program on being active.
The organization is seeking to stimulate a global health debate why non-communicable diseases have become a major epidemic throughout the world.
Much of the reason, according to WHO, is that more people are not exercising enough, eating well and using tobacco. These trend are present in all societies, rich and poor, developed and developing, according to WHO
Poverty, violence, rapid social and economic changes, lack of education, inadequate or total absence of health services, and a lack of clear policy direction, contribute as much to the increase in cases of cancer, diabetes, or cardiovascular diseases, as they do to AIDS and malaria.
WHO believes that this is the time for global debate to focus on prevention as much as cures.
A major cause of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and obesity is lack of physical activity.  WHO estimates that lack of activity leads to more than 2 million deaths per year.
It estimates one-third of cancers can be prevented by maintaining a healthy diet, normal weight and physical activity.
Poor diet, lack of exercise and tobacco use cause 80% of premature coronary heart diseases. In countries as diverse as China, Finland and the US, studies have shown that even relatively modest lifestyle changes are sufficient to prevent the development of almost 60% of Type 2 diabetes cases.
WHO officials are noting that physical activity can reduce rates of violence among young people, promote tobacco-free lifestyles, and decrease other risky behaviors, such as unsafe sex or illicit drug use. It can also reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness among the elderly and improve their physical and mental agility.
Word Health Day will have events at many types of settings: from schools to worksites, stadiums and urban neighborhoods. The international sports fraternity, represented by the International Football Federation (FIFA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), is already linked with WHO’s efforts, turning the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea into tobacco-free, health-promoting events.
Exercise can also prevent and control certain diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity and osteoporosis. Being physically active increases your energy level, reduce stress and lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
It also lowers your risk of some cancers, especially colon cancer. Regular active play promotes healthy growth and development in children and young people.
It increases confidence, self-esteem and feelings of achievement. Older adults benefit from both life-long habits or newly learned routines of physical activity. It is important for healthy ageing, improving and maintaining quality of life and independence. Daily physical activity helps people with disabilities by improving mobility and increasing energy levels. It can also prevent or reduce certain disabilities.
Physical activity is any body movement that results in an expenditure of energy (burning calories). Simply put, moving! When you walk briskly, play, skate, clean house, dance, or climb stairs, you are moving for health.
Conversely, lack of physical activity is a major underlying cause of death, disease, and disability. Preliminary data from a WHO study on risk factors suggest that a sedentary lifestyle is one of the 10 leading global causes of death and disability.
More than two million deaths each year are attributable to physical inactivity.
In countries around the world between 60% and 85% of adults are simply not active enough to benefit their health.
Sedentary lifestyles increase all causes of mortality, double the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and obesity, and substantially increase the risks of colon cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, depression and anxiety.
In the rapidly growing cities of the developing world, crowding, poverty, crime, traffic, poor air quality, a lack of parks, sidewalks, sports and recreation facilities and other safe areas make physical activity a difficult choice. These diseases are on the rise. They will have an increasingly severe effect on health care systems, resources, and economies in countries around the world.
Many countries that are already struggling to manage the impact of infectious diseases and other development challenges will be forced to spend their meagre resources dealing with noncommunicable diseases.
The formula is simple: at least half an hour of moderate physical activity over the course of each day. If you’re new to physical activity, you can start with a few minutes of activity a day and gradually increase your pace, working your way up to 30 minutes. Remember that half an hour is only the minimum recommendation. Of course, the more time you spend moving for health, the more you gain. The most important thing is to move!
The lack of access to safe open spaces, sports facilities and school playgrounds can make moving difficult, if not sometimes impossible. Moreover, people’s behavior is influenced by insufficient knowledge about physical activity and its benefits. With insufficient budgets to promote physical activity, governments often fail to educate the public about the risks of sedentary lifestyle.
Government policies and programs can have a great impact on people’s ability to influence their own health. In order to promote physical activity, a community should prioritize and develop parks and open spaces, clean air and water, safe and attractive streets and a vibrant public life. This requires the commitment, action and cooperation of health sector as well as other sectors: transport, environment, urban planning and law enforcement.
It’s easy, free, fun and virtually anyone can do it. Brisk walking, biking and dancing are only some ways to be physically active. You can get moving at school, home or work. Take the stairs instead of the elevator (at least for going down!). Do simple stretching exercises while seated at your desk, standing at your post, or talking on the phone. Walk, run or bike to places where you might have taken a car or a bus otherwise.
Many of the activities you can do at home are very useful: wash the windows, paint the walls, vacuum or sweep, rake the yard or cut the grass, walk the dog. You can even do physical activity while watching television: rope skipping, stepping, riding a stationary bicycle, or sit-ups. Or just dance!
Your goal is to be active for at least 30 minutes over the course of every day. Look for information and advice in your neighborhood, community centers, hospitals or healthcare centers, gyms or sports centers.

By: Yasser al-Mayyasi
Yemen Times Staff
Kidney disease in Yemen is causing the suffering of an untold number of people, as they continue to wait for national health care reform.
What is needed most are dialysis machines and more dialysis health centers. Dialysis is the term used to explain the cleaning and treatment of blood. Without regular treatment of their blood, several times a week, kidney disease patients die.
At this time there is only one dialysis center in the country, at the at al-Thowra Hospital in Sana’a.
And that means the majority of patients die, since they live in remote areas without care.
Causes of kidney failure
One specialist, Dr. Adel al-Hejami, confirms the problem.
“Kidney failure is one the most serious malignant diseases in Yemen,” he said. “Patients fall prey to this kind of disease and there is no way to cure it, except to carry out dialysis to get rid of the accumulated poisons."
Polluted water, malaria, bilharzia, food poisoning, diabetes, chronic kidney inflammation and the random taking drugs can be the causes of kidney failure.
Abduh Murshed Mohammed Nagi, a patient said "for about 17 years, I have become a victim of this disease. Two blood refinements (dialysis treatments) are conducted to me every two weeks. Medical blood refinement centers are unavailable except in the capital and this of course entails a lot of money. What about those who have a big families in some scattered remote villages?" he asked.
Mohammed Ali al-Washali, a six-year patient said that he couldn't afford dialysis. "Kidney transplantation is another problem. No one can afford to travel abroad. This will cost a lot of money,” he said.

Dialysis equipment needed
More dialayis equipment in Yemen is crucial, now and in the future, al-Washali said, especially since the disease is also hitting children.
One Yemeni child, Ali Ahmed Mohammed, notes his struggles.
“I stay here alone with my family. I want to play, I want to study with my friends at schools and I want to go parks."
Saffia Saleh, another youngster said children are completely cut off from their friends. "Children with kidney disease come from all over the republic, and like me they suffer a lot. My family is in strained circumstances and they haven't nothing to spend,” she added.
Faeza Farhan infected by this disease for four years, said medical apparatus doesn't meet the requirements needed for by many patients. It’s either old or broken down.
Nagi Ali Ibraheem, from Hodeidah, said that he is suffering from kidney failure for a long time and conducted a blood refinement at al-Thowra Hospital.
What makes him disappointed and frustrated, is the wretched living conditions.
Ne'ama Mohammed Ali, a housewife, said that she has three children and her husband is jobless. He gains his livelihood by collecting old plastic remains and tins and selling them in order to earn their subsistence.
Her kidney disease was caused by an infected abortion.
She wonders how the situation will be if the center has locked doors or its medical apparatus broke down. Hundreds of patients swarm to the center day and night.
Mohammed Hassan Othman's kidney disease was incorrectly treated, and as a result he was in a coma for about three weeks. He then had to leave home and live by the hospital to get dialysis.
The Chairman of Kidney unit at al-Thowra Hospital, Abdulwali al-Haggami called it “deplorable” to see huge number of patients suffering from kidney failure in a time in which the hospital is dire need of medical apparatus.
“It is the only unit in the republic and therefore we face a number of problems including huge number of patients." he said.
“We have to use medical apparatus excessively above its usual capacity. Accordingly, we have to abridge the number of hours from 2 to 3 hours with each patient every week," he added.

Solutions
Cooperation is a must. Governmental as well as non-governmental organizations, charitable societies as well as the concerned bodies have to coordinate to get another dialysis center to Yemen. This will in turn save souls of thousands of patients, al-Haggami suggested.
The center at the beginning did its best to save a lot of patients. The first kidney transplanted operation was conducted successfully in 1998 by a Yemeni medical team.
A kidney center in Hodeidah was built in 1993 and was fully equipped with medical apparatus until 1998. Free medical services have been provided. Now the center has deteriorated completely.
It is true that center has been provided with medical equipment by the Health Ministry, but such equipment has only been enough for a few months.
Fifteen people have died as a result of the poor equipment.
People come from remote places to this center from treatment, from areas such as, Hajjah, Mahweet, Raima, Wesab and Haradh.

Changes needed
What is needed is extra units for the bedridden patients including the elderly people and women.
A qualified medical team must be trained in such units for receiving cases.
A good medical administration team is also needed to facilitate such.
Medical apparatus should be maintained.
The concerned bodies at the Health Ministry have to supervise and pursue its duties.
And there needs to be a well-studied plan to construct medical centers in different parts of the republic, particularly the remote areas where patients couldn't afford treatment.
It’s also necessary to train skilled professionals and have them work in all areas where they’re needed.
Therefore, there should be a cooperation with the Ministry of Civil Service and So there is a need for administration reform to support those steps and to find solutions to problems posed during the implementation process.