Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene 2014 Sept - Oct Vol. 9 No.5 | Page 38

Health Rosemary and oregano contain diabetes-fighting compounds The popular culinary herbs oregano and rosemary are packed with healthful compounds, and now lab tests show they could work in much the same way as prescription anti-diabetic medication, scientists report. In their new study published in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, they found that how the herbs are grown makes a difference, and they also identified which compounds contribute the most to this promising trait. Elvira Gonzalez de Mejia and colleagues point out that in 2012, type-2 diabetes affected more than 8 percent of Americans and cost the country $175 billion. Some people can manage the disease with exercise and changes to their diet, and others take medication. But not everyone can stick to a new lifestyle or afford the prescription drugs necessary to keep their blood-sugar level in check. Recent research has shown that herbs could provide a natural way to help lower glucose in blood. So Gonzalez de Mejia’s team decided to take a closer look. They tested four different herbs, either greenhousegrown or dried commercial versions, for their ability to interfere with a diabetes-related enzyme, which is also a target of a prescription drug for the disease. They found that greenhouse herbs contained more polyphenols and flavonoids compared to the equivalent commercial herbs. But this didn’t affect the concentration required to inhibit the enzyme. Commercial extracts of Greek oregano, Mexican oregano and rosemary were better inhibitors of the enzyme, required to reduce risk of type-2 diabetes, than greenhouse-grown herbs. The researchers say more studies are needed to understand the role of these compounds in reducing the risk of type-2 diabetes in humans. WASH in Nutrition in Sahel – Households behavior change regarding hygiene Following the 2012 nutrition crisis in Sahel, a regional WASH in Nut strategy was elaborated. Its objective is to break the vicious circle diarrheamalnutrition by integrating nutrition and WASH activities, at planning and implementation levels. It targets health centers, households with severely malnourished children, and communities afflicted by under-nutrition and WASH issues. The strategy is currently implemented in 9 countries: Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Mali, Mauritania, 38 Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene • September - October 2014 Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Senegal and Gambia. In 2013, a capitalization report assessed the implementation of this strategy and shared examples of good and bad practices. It concluded that the appropriation of the regional strategy at the national level by state actors and the civil society actor is essential, recommending the translation of the regional document into a national strategy. WASH minimum standards for health centers and the content of Home WASH kits for accompanying person/malnourished child couples also need to be clearly defined and adapted to local context. The third objective of the WASH in Nut strategy, ‘Enhance behavior change regarding hygiene within households’, is targeting accompanying person / malnourished child couples and the communities where these children live. Home kits containing soap, water treatment products, an hygiene leaflet, and sometimes additional elements such as a bucket or a mosquito net, are distributed to malnourished children and their mothers in order to improve WASH conditions at home during the treatment (for outpatient therapeutic treatment) and to encourage behavior change in the longer term. During kit distribution, medical staff delivers hygiene and caring messages to mothers and demonstrate how to use the kit. Ideally, home visits are conducted to monitor kits usage and behavior change regarding hygiene practices. WASH in Nut activities targeting communities are rarely implemented. They may consist in assessing the community needs and practices regarding WASH infrastructure and practices, and implementing hard and soft WASH activities. Water: Meeting Your Daily Fluid Needs Ever notice how lifeless a house plant looks when you forget to water it? Just a little water and it seems to perk back up. Water is just as essential for our bodies because it is in every cell, tissue, and organ in your body. That’s why getting enough water every day is important for your health. Healthy people meet their fluid needs by drinking when thirsty and drinking fluids with meals. But, if you’re outside in hot weather for most of the day or doing vigorous physical activity, you’ll need to make an effort to drink more fluids.