Health Essentials
One Man, One Toilet & other stories
A few decades ago when I walked the corridors of “The Grey City of The Outlaws Hill….where.. we are brothers and our mother is the School” and long before One Village One Dam, One District One Factory and One Man One Wife became common parlance in “Sikaman”, a classmate of mine had coined the phrase “One Man, One Rice”. This was to do with Dining Hall matters. For now we will refer to him as MM.
As we marked World Toilet Day on 19th November 2022 an amazing Akora Ing Harold Esseku politely reminded me of this important day and the words of MM some 39 years ago kept ringing in my ears. Could we not have “One Man, One Toilet” as well especially in this era of “one something, to one something”. I know that is an exaggeration but definitely asking for “One Household, One Toilet” is a MUST and should even have priority over most if not all the one this, one that projects. How we manage our toilet and sanitation on the whole is a reflection on every society, community and country. Unfortunately in this land of gold, we are currently doing a poor job. We slug it out with the lowest of the low and war ravaged countries when open defaecation comes up. We build houses and make no provision for toilets. Is that pure greed just to make space for more rooms at what expense?
The absence of toilet is directly linked with many diseases, a number of which end up with diarrhoea and the cycle continues as those who are affected still have to defaecate inappropriately. The impact on school and work attendance and the strain on productivity alone is heart-breaking. Dear lives may even be lost especially in the under five-year olds or frail elderly people. What a waste!!! Oh and the money spent on treating the diseases is another burden especially as we struggle with finances. Whenever I think of open defaecation and poor or no toilet, I think of groundwater and how we may eventually drink it. Some people may not have the benefit of water treatment by the Ghana Water Company, while in some cases the groundwater could leak into a pipe after the water has been treated. Then my thoughts go back to my years in Medical School when one of our Professors drummed into our ears that “whenever someone has diarrhoea it is VERY LIKELY that he/she has directly or indirectly eaten someone’s shit.” Do excuse my choice of words but it gives a vivid picture. Kindly read that again and let it sink in so that the next time you have diarrhoea or someone else has, your guess will most often be correct.
“World Toilet Day is an official United Nations international observance day on 19th November to inspire action to tackle the global sanitation crisis. Worldwide 4.2billion people live without safely managed sanitation and around 673million people practise open defaecation.” We in Sikaman are definitely in the negative statistics and it is much easier to correct and have more impact on a community than building a dam or factory. That is my candid opinion. Big things first.
This year the theme for World Toilet Day is “MAKING THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE,” which focuses on the impact of poor sanitation on groundwater, and how inadequate sanitation systems spread human waste into rivers, lakes and soil, polluting underground water resources.
I believe the picture is clear and we all have a role to play. If a teenager MM boldly proclaimed that “One Man, One Rice” he may easily have added that after the meal One Man will need One Toilet to “download”. In 2022 it will be too much to ask for One Man , One Toilet but it is a human right to insist that at the very least “One Household, One Proper Toilet” and in my opinion this should be a priority ahead of the many more capital intensive activities and projects.
AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)
Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Health Essentials Ltd/ Mobissel
(dressel@healthessentialsgh.com)
*Dr. Essel is a medical doctor, holds an MBA and is ISSA certified in exercise therapy, fitness nutrition and corrective exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth.’
Thought for the week –“We are seriously OFF track to ensure safe toilets for ALL by 2030. That is the promise of Sustainable Development Goal 6.2 with only eight years left, the world needs to work four times faster to meet this target.”
References:
- Unravelling the Essentials of Health & Wealth; Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
- Prompting and Inspiration by Ing Harold Esseku, a World Authority on sanitation and many more.
- Credit MM another akora.
By Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
A good relationship with your boss is critical for job success and career development. Supervisors have a great influence on your stress level, your team and company culture, and ultimately, whether you succeed or fail in a role.
They are also your best resource for support, problem-solving, and personal development. Building a strong relationship with them can be transformative for your work experience and professional growth, but navigating this connection can be complex.
Here are some key values and characteristics that will help you along the way.
- Be authentic
It is important to be yourself when building any new relationship. Do not be over-the-top trying to impress or kiss up to a manager. Be authentic and try to build a genuine connection with them instead. This will be incredibly helpful when it comes to dealing with personal issues, having difficult conversations, and building trust.
- Be empathetic and respectful
Bosses are human beings with their own professional pressures and personal lives, so it is important to maintain empathy toward them. Strive to get to know them on a personal level; you do not need to be best friends, but knowing the basics, like their family and hobbies, can be meaningful.
Also, help your supervisor look good. Every leader wants a high-performing and successful team. By developing trust, understanding, and excellent communication, you can help your boss achieve their goals.
- Build trust and add value
Showing initiative will win you big points with almost any boss. Whether setting up regular one-on-ones, volunteering for new projects, or offering help, the benefits of this dedication are twofold.
Proactivity makes leaders feel supported-like you are looking out for them. It also provides opportunities for your individual growth.
Whenever possible, add value beyond the limitations of your job description. Whether you have a special interest or extra capacity, find ways to support your team and relieve pressure. – Source:careers.vikingservice.com
..To be continued
This week I bumped into Deborah, one of my avid readers and I promised her I will be writing this weekend. So Deborah, this is for your reading pleasure and to pick some golden nuggets for the future.
The quest to find the best way to make one’s golden years, happy, exciting, healthy and a time most people look forward to continues unabated. One factor that keeps popping up is the need to grow friendships with people more than 20 years younger than yourself.
Do not take this for granted. It is a form of “social security” since these close friends who are much younger than you will step in to support you in more ways than you can ever imagine.
Some conditions may make life challenging for older adults but knowing these Geriatric Giants helps us to take the necessary steps to reduce our risk.
“Geriatric Giants” refers to a group of chronic health conditions that are common in the elderly, typically 65-year-olds and older.
These conditions quite often co-occur and can impact on the independence, dignity and overall wellbeing and quality of life of an elderly person.
These Geriatric Giants include:
- Impaired Intellect/ Memory (e.g. Dementia)
- one of the major battles we need to deal with is challenges with memory
- Exercise, adopt the Mind Diet, build a great social network and enjoy time outdoors
- Keep reading and solving puzzles for as long as possible
- Instability – leading to much feared falls
- A good reason to indulge in Balance Training and Core Strengthening exercises from today
- Ensure your home is safe; avoid clutter such as cables crisscrossing floors, toys etc. These are all trip hazards and should be avoided
- Many healthy, happy and fun-loving older adults have died soon after a fall with its attendant complications.
- Do whatever it takes to avoid falling
- Immobility (opening the doors to pressure sores, joint stiffness)
- Even when you are unable to move about on your own it is important to get support to change positions as often as possible or get an appropriate mattress or bed that prevents prolonged pressure over any single point.
- Make sure you passively or actively move joints daily.
- Incontinence (urine, faeces or both)
- This is one of the reasons older adults prefer to stay at home and avoid going out to meet friends etc.
- Iatrogenic Disorders – adverse effect of medication
- Quite often most older adults are on several medications and some side effects such as drowsiness may seem to cause more unhappiness and may even lead to falls.
- Inappetite – this may result in poor nutrition
- This may also be linked to loss of teeth thus making chewing very difficult or limited.
- The loss of smell and taste may also reduce the amount of food one may willingly eat.
The power to reduce the impact of the Geriatric Giants starts now and should be a lifetime commitment. It is never too early to start making the appropriate lifestyle modifications, nor is it too late to reduce the impact of the giants on one’s life.
Other conditions that significantly impact on the lives especially of the elderly are:
- Sleep Disorders
- Good sleep has the power to give us energy, improve our thought pattern and even helps us to make good choices.
- Good sleep sets the tone for a healthy life
- Constipation
- This is a challenge that confronts quite a number of older adults.
- Movement, fibre and lots of water go a long way to reduce the stress that frequent constipation generates.
- Fraility
- Muscle loss is real and as we age, we lose a significant percentage of our muscle plus our bones also become brittle.
- Make sure strength training is part of your exercise schedule
- Polypharmacy
- Another headache that needs to be confronted head-on
- Everyone especially older adults need a good primary care physician or a general practitioner who can coordinate all medicines from the different Specialists who may be attending to an elderly person. This ensures that unnecessary medicines are dropped
The goal of care at all times is to optimise the quality of life. As family, professional caregivers and friends we should always show respect so that the dignity of the elderly is preserved at all times. For those of us who are not yet in the age group with such challenges, we need to start the conversation about the type of care we will prefer and take steps to stay healthy and independent for as long as possible. The goal should be a long Healthspan and not just a long Lifespan.
AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)
Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Health Essentials Ltd (HE&W Group)
(dressel@healthessentialsgh.com)
*Dr. Essel is a Medical Doctor with a keen interest in Lifestyle Medicine, He holds an MBA and is an ISSA Specialist in Exercise Therapy, Fitness Nutrition and Corrective Exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth.’
Thought for the week – “There is no magic formula to being happy but making a conscious effort to be happy goes a long way.” – Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
By Dr. Kojo Cobba Esse
