H1N1 - The new flu wave

The World Health Organization is urging everyone on this planet to brace for a second wave of the pandemic spread as the heavily populated northen hemisphere edges towards the cooler season when the flu thrives. Countries that are in the southern hemisphere should remain vigilant.
Influenza traditionally rises to its peak during autumn and winter, WHO Director General Margaret Chan warned on Friday (21st Aug 2009) that there had been second and third waves in previous pandemics. “We cannot say for certain whether the worst is over or the worst is yet to come,” Chan said in a videotaped address to a symposium on flu in the Asia-Pacific region. “We need to be prepared for whatever surprises this capricious new virus delivers next,” she added.

In the headlines of STRAITS TIMES yesterday (5th Sep 2009): 'Hospitals on alert for new flu wave' and 'four-fifths of people in Singapore have not been exposed to H1N1 yet'. The hospitals in Singapore are making sure they have enough facilities such as wards, manpower, medical supplies and infection control measures in place to deal with the sudden pandemic, the Ministry of Health (MOH) told The Straits Times.
Ever since the first outbreak of H1N1, Singapore had came out with many initiatives such as National Environment Agency's Singapore OK programme, Health Promotion Board's posters for proper management of hand-washing and personal hygiene.

Poster source: Health Promotion Board

All of these initiatives need the support of the people and they heed the advices, especially when it comes to personal hygiene. In the Pre-schools, the young children are taught to wash their hands properly with soap, teachers and parents have the responsibilities to take care of these young children when they are sick as they are the vulnerable group. In the Primary, Secondary schools and in colleges, health talks are conducted to raise the awareness of these group of personal hygiene. For the public, the media has been playing a very important role, there was emphasis on prevention of the Influenza. However, there was a survey conducted by AsiaOne, and that 3 in 10 Singaporeans don't wash hands after toilet. This is about 30% of the surveyed, this is a very serious issue for Singapore when we should be more vigilant after the SARS in 2003 and the first wave of H1N1.

Some points to ponder on:
1) How else can we raise the awareness of the public to better manage their personal hygiene?
2) Will the reporting of figures of H1N1-confirmed cases be efficient in raising the awareness of the public of the pandemic?
3) Do you think there's a need for everyone to be vaccined against the H1N1 flu?
.

Singapore's and Japan's Ageing Population: Are efforts enough?

There are currently 300,000 citizens in Singapore who are 65 years and older. This figure, will more than triple to 900,000 in about 20 years’ time, according to the Committee on Ageing Issues (CAI) in Singapore. In Japan, 25.7 million out of the country’s 128 million people is currently 65 years and older and in 20 years’ time, this number will rise to an alarming figure of 37.2 million, with the total population predicted to fall to below levels of 100 million (Source: Reuters)

Ageing population influences policy formulation as far healthcare and taxes are concerned. There are debates that the Japanese government is not doing enough in anticipation of the fast ageing population and its repercussion on the Japan’s already suffering economy and society. Japan's health-care costs are creeping up along with the number of elderly -- reaching an estimated 8 percent of GDP in 2005, compared with 4.4 percent 40 years earlier. More than 40 percent is related to patients aged 70 or over.

And experts say local governments are not planning enough new nursing care centers or recruiting helpers to meet predicted needs.

Other ageing nations will be watching closely to see how far the heavily indebted government can rein in costs especially as the number of elderly in Japan creeps up with projections that 40 percent of the population will be aged 65 and over by 2055.

Although the situation of Singapore’s ageing population is not as serious compared to that of Japan, we are fast catching up if nothing is done to address the problem. It is almost inevitable that Singapore will dwarf the steps of Japan given our falling birth rate and ageing population from the Baby Boomers. One of the problems faced by Japan is the issue on “Social Hospitals”, where elderly were being kept at hospitals just because there is no one to take care of them, depriving those with a true need of a hospital bed. Perhaps the Singapore government saw this coming and hence the new policy put in place as spoken during the national rally this year.

In retrospect, do you think the government has done enough to address the immediate concerns faced by our imminent ageing population? If not, why so?

Sources: http://www.mcys.gov.sg/successful_ageing/Report.html

              http://www.reuters.com/news/globalcoverage/agingjapan
.