Last Week's Talk - Richard Moloney of Moloney Medtech on Cervical Cancer

 Richard Moloney gave us an interesting talk on Cervical Cancer and how it could be treated and was treated in South Africa and also in Malawi.  He contrasted the two countries in that when diagnosed in Malawi it could be treated by the mobile unit instantly where as in South Africa the prospective patient was told that she had to go to a hospital and if she was in a rural area this was almost impossible in many cases.

Cervical cancer is caused by the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (MPV) which is the most common viral infection of the reproductive tract.

It affects younger age groups as a result of early sexual activity, multiple sexual partners, and exposure to other sexually transmitted infections such as HIV.
There are more than 100 types of HPV, of which at least 13 are cancer-causing. Two types of HPV cause 70% of all cervical cancer. Most sexually active men and women will be infected at some point in their lives with HPV – some may be repeatedly infected.

AHO estimates HPV infections cause approximately 72 000 cases of cervical cancer each year in Africa. However, these figures most likely represent a conservative estimate due to the health challenges in health information systems and cancer registries in Africa.

Cervical cancer is a preventable disease. Yet it is the most common cause of cancer in the African Region where it accounts for 22% of all female cancers and 12% of all newly diagnosed cancer in both men and women every year. In Africa, 34 out of every 100 000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 23 out of every 100 000 women die from cervical cancer every year.

This figure compares with 7 out of every 100 000 women being diagnosed with cervical cancer and 3 out of every 100 000 women dying of the disease every year in North America. In Africa, most of these women are diagnosed at advanced stage of cancer which is associated with poor outcomes.

Richard broached the possibility of the Club establishing a pilot project within our area to see if a quick response to a diagnosis would be a treatable option which, with his help, the club will investigate.

       Christmas in July at Gerald Fitzpatrick Old Age Home

 

A group of Rotarians and wives under the direction of Ron McCormick and Andrew Stevenson served a hearty Christmas lunch to the ladies of Gerald Fitzpatrick Home last Saturday.  This has been a tradition of the club for many years but was interrupted by the Covid pandemic.  It's a much appreciated event by the ladies and also the staff.

President Ron Smith opened the proceedings with a short welcome and with Grace before the meal.   

As always there was more than enough food for everyone with a main course of chicken, gammon, rice, roast potatoes, creamed spinach and carrots followed by a special Christmas Cake.

The food was served to ladies you can see in the hall but those in frail care were also catered for.

There was music and entertainment and a good time was had by all.  

Next Week

Our Guest speaker will be Glen Harvey on Irish Wolf Hounds.  Here he is with Glengarrif Gandalf.

He and his wife are breeders and it seems that this will be quite an international event as a number
of breeders overseas wish hear what he has to say and no doubt participate so our meeting will be an extended one.

Cause Based Rotary Clubs

By Dinah Eng

Over the years, whenever Maribel Khoury-Shaar’s Rotarian husband suggested she join Rotary, the busy doctor declined. But when she learned that a Rotary club dedicated to mental health and wellness was forming, she jumped on board.

It came at just the right time for the primary care physician. After the pandemic started, most of her patients were anxious and depressed, and she was getting burnt out as a health care provider. “This club reinvigorated my life because I was around like-minded people who wanted to do the right thing,” says Khoury-Shaar, president of the Rotary Club of Mental Health & Wellness in District 5280, which covers parts of Los Angeles County in California. The club meets online and welcomes members to join from anywhere in the world. Its current members include professionals in the mental health field and others who hold the issue close to their hearts.

The club, chartered last May during Mental Health Awareness Month in the U.S., is one of the first cause-based Rotary clubs to focus on mental health and wellness and was the idea of Guity Javid, the 2021-22 governor of District 5280. It’s one of a growing number of cause-based clubs around the world.

 Its members include (top row, from left): Judith Verduzco and Maribel Khoury-Shaar; and (bottom row, from left): Guity Javid and Marisol Chianello.

The year before Javid's term, the district had already chartered one cause-based club, District 5280 Rotarians Fighting Human Trafficking. Javid identified three other causes that were personal priorities and helped launch these clubs: Mental Health & Wellness, Rotarians for Environmental Action, and Rotarians in Service for Equality (R.I.S.E.), which focuses on LGBTQ+ concerns.

Mental health and especially the issues of depression, anxiety, and suicide have caught the attention of Rotarians worldwide. In addition to the new club, there is a Rotary Action Group on Mental Health Initiatives as well as a partnership between Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland and the nonprofit Bipolar UK.