We recently read the children’s book My Magic Scarf and were really moved by it so thought we’d tell you about it.

The Magic Scarf is a very touching book that follows the journey of Tanya who is suddenly diagnosed with cancer.  Through Tanya’s story the book teaches children to have a sense of compassion and it creates an understanding of the importance of family, friends and school in helping children cope with a sudden illness.

The book also, very usefully, creates the opportunity to teach children the importance of speaking up if they don’t feel quite right when Tanya states in the story “Always this silly pain”. This is something that she never mentioned to her parents.

We think this is an important book that helps teachers, parents and carers have a useful discussion with children about a very difficult topic.

You can find out more about this book on Amazon.

A new study has found that many foods contain higher amounts of salt than ever before. This comes five years after the food industry signed a voluntary code pledging to reduce salt levels in foods. The study from CASH discovered that foods including cheese and certain ready meals had much larger levels of salt than in previous years. There were many foods which contained surprising amounts including soups. Nearly 50% of the soups featured in the study contained at a minimum a similar amounts to slices of pizza.

Some everyday foods had huge rises. The study found that the salt content of Sainsbury’s cornflakes increased by 42 per cent in recent years.

Consuming high amounts of salt may raise your blood pressure, and increases your risk of developing coronary heart disease. People of African descent are sensitive to the effects of too much salt and are therefore at higher risk of associated health conditions such as high blood pressure, stroke and renal failure. Adults should not eat more than 6 grams per day. You can learn more about this report here.

Nigerian-born doctor and scientist Dr Funmi Olopade is one of the world’s leading authorities on hereditary breast cancer and cancer risk assessment. She has a special interest in women of African descent, and her research into the genetic basis of breast cancer in young women of African ancestry has broadened our understanding of the interactions between genes, lifestyle and the environment in the development of breast cancer.

In October 2008, in recognition of her work, Dr Olopade was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and in February 2011, Dr Olopade was nominated by President Barack Obama for membership on the National Cancer Advisory Board.

Dr Olopade directs a multidisciplinary clinical and laboratory research program at the University of Chicago Medical Centre, is a haematology oncologist and the Walter L Palmer Distinguished Service Professor in Medicine and Human Genetics at the University of Chicago.

Dr Olopade has received numerous honours and awards, including honorary degrees from North Central, Dominican, Bowdoin, and Princeton universities. She is also a recipient of the Doris Duke Distinguished Clinical Scientist and Exceptional Mentor Award, an American Cancer Society Clinical Research Professorship, a MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Fellowship and Officer of the Order of the Niger Award.

On Saturday 20^th February, we attended Black Action for Health’s African-Caribbean Health Day. This event aimed to provide experts in the field with a platform to raise awareness of the health issues that are of particular concern to the African and Caribbean community. A key part of this event was highlighting the fact that ur community are more likely to die too early from or suffer from preventable diseases.

The event was hosted by Dr Charlie Easmon, Medical Director at Your Excellent Health Service and the actor Hugh Quarshie with remarks from the president of the Royal College of Nursing Cecilia Amin and the Mayor of Lambeth Donatus Anyanwu.

Obesity

The event began with a presentation by Dr George Grimble on ‘The Importance of  a Healthy Weight and Low Waist Size’. From Dr Grimble we learnt that the prevalence of obesity has increased significantly over the past 20 years and those who are overweight or obese are at increased risked of premature death with many diseases being linked to obesity. Additionally, there is a huge cost associated with obesity with a recent report by McKinsey and Co stating that the cost of obesity is $2 Trillion.

Dr Grimble stated that the rise in obesity is due to our lifestyles becoming remarkably sedentary which means we are in a positive energy balance (we aren’t burning off what we eat) and this makes us all more likely to gain weight.  He explained that for many people weight gain is gradual and occurs from 30 years of eating what equates to 200-240 large meals. What this means  is that when it comes to weight loss  we have to “uneat” these 200-240 meals and this will take a long time, there is no quick fix to weight loss.  He stressed that mainstream diets don’t work over the long-term and that to achieve long-term weight loss requires a change in lifestyle and the right motivation – the desire to achieve good health.  He told the audience there is no secret to weight loss it’s all about good nutrition, it’s tough but we can all do it.

Dr Grimble spoke about research that showed that what is important for weight loss is reducing our energy intake (i.e. what we eat). This is more important than exercise. Whilst exercise is good for overall general health and some weight loss we can achieve more significant weight loss through managing our energy intake.  Additionally, what we have to do is pay attention to belly fat, this is what increases our risk of a number of diseases such as diabetes. It was interesting to note that Asians and the African-Caribbean community are more sensitive to the effects of belly fat and people from these communities with belly fat are more likely to develop diabetes, stroke, hypertension and metabolic syndrome  than their white counterparts with the same amount of belly fat.  Because of this it is more important for black people to be as lean as possible and to be as physically active as possible.

Blood Pressure
Next, we heard from Prof Graham McGregor who delivered a presentation on ‘Raised Blood Pressure and the Black Community’. In his presentation Prof McGregor stated that raised blood pressure is by far the biggest cause of death in the UK with the risk of ill health starting at 115mmHg.   He explained that a raised blood pressure kills through direct effects but also indirect effects. He demonstrated that people with low blood pressure are at a lower risk of stroke, heart disease and many other health conditions and the most important strategy that we can use to improve people’s health is that of reducing everyone’s blood pressure, which is a more effective strategy than treatment.

Prof McGregor spoke about treatment and stated that there are a number of drugs available to treat high blood pressure with very clear guidelines on how they should be used, the use of these drugs can be confusing. He stated that black patients shouldn’t use ACE inhibitors as these aren’t effective in this population.  He reminded the audience that if you have high blood pressure you have to do something about it. You have to take control of your treatment and be assertive with your GP and make sure you’re getting the best care.  He stated that he sees many patients being poorly managed so it’s important that guidelines are followed.

Prof MacGregor then discussed black people and salt. We learnt that up to 5000 years ago we weren’t eating very much salt and we’re now eating significantly more salt than our body needs. We were surprised to learn that 80% of our salt intake is hidden in processed food, takeaways, fast food and restaurant food. He stated that there has been a huge drive to get the food industry to reduce the amount of salt in their products. Over the past few years there has been some success in this and a 30% reduction of salt in many products such as bread has been achieved which has resulted in an overall reduction in the public’s blood pressure.   We learnt that black people are more sensitive to salt’s effect on blood pressure  making salt toxic to black people. Unfortunately we are addicted to salt with the majority of black people using large amounts of salt when preparing food. He recommended that all black people throw away their salt, stock cubes and salted seasonings stating that it takes four weeks to get accustomed to food cooked without salt.

Finally, Prof McGregor discussed genetics and said that there is a genetic element to high blood pressure, but it’s not clear what specific genes are involved; there are about 30 possible genes which researchers are looking it. He stressed that what they do know is that these genes are of no importance if you don’t eat salt.

These presentations really stood out for us

These two above presentations on obesity and high blood pressure really stood out for us as these are conditions that are very common in the African-Caribbean community and can easily be prevented through a healthy lifestyle and this was clearly articulated in both presentations.

Other presentations

Other presentations on the day were very interesting and these included a talk by Dr Adeola Olaitan on ‘Cancer of the Cervix –Inevitable or Avoidable’ where we learnt that through cervical screening and the HPV vaccination cervical cancer can be prevented . We also heard from Mr Leye Ajayi on ‘Prostate Cancer’ where he discussed black men’s high risk of developing this disease and the challenges that exist in diagnosis without a screening test. Finally, we heard from Dr Michael Rudenko who spoke about allergies.

As well as the main presentations we heard from Levi Roots who discussed eating ethically,  Brenda Thompson-Murray who explored the role of carers and Iyamide Thomas who gave an overview of sickle cell and the work of the Sickle Cell Society.

An excellent event

This was an excellent, informative event and we’d like to thank Dr Charlie Easmon for organising this event and look forward to the next one.

Every year has something unique and different about it compared to the previous. In my opinion 2016 will probably be the year forever linked to the Zika virus. Although the virus was discovered decades ago,its immense media coverage means it has become a global talking point.   But what do we really know about Zika? Below is our top 10 Zika Q&As.

What is the Zika virus?

The Zika virus is an infection transmitted by mosquitoes and was first discovered in the Zika forest in Uganda in 1947.

If it was discovered decades ago, why are only talking about it now?

It’s a fairly common virus in parts of Africa and Asia but it became more widespread from May 2015 after an outbreak in Brazil.

So how many people have it now?

Literally millions of people have been infected by the virus particularly in South and Central America and the Caribbean.

That’s a lot of people! How does the virus affect them?

If you are infected by the virus the symptoms you can expect include: a mild fever, joint pain, itching, rash, conjunctivitis, headache and eye pain. The symptoms are usually mild lasting no longer than 7 days. However, many people infected by the virus don’t experience any symptoms at all.

That doesn’t sound too bad so remind me of why Zika seems so scary?

It’s a concern for pregnant women, as it’s been linked to a birth defect known as microcephaly(pronounced micro-sef-alee). A person with this defect has an abnormally small head and potential bran damage. There is some evidence that babies born to women who have been infected with the Zika virus are more likely to have microcephaly.

So what exactly can we do about this? People travel to those parts of the world all the time.

If you would like to travel to areas affected by the Zika outbreak it’s best to seek advice before your trip from a healthcare professional. If you are pregnant or actively trying to become pregnant and have recently returned from those regions – a trip to your GP is recommended. Although you can reduce your risk of catching the virus in the high risk regions by using insect repellent and covering your limbs with long loose clothing, you may prefer to avoid the risk by not visiting these areas if you are already pregnant or trying to become so.

You have mentioned the mothers but what about potential fathers? Can they transmit Zika to their partners and subsequently to an unborn baby?

There is a very low risk that the Zika virus may be transmitted through sexual intercourse. The recommendations are: if a partner has travelled to a country with a Zika virus outbreak, the couple should use barrier contraception (a condom) for 28 days following his return, whether he has Zika or not.If he begins to experience Zika symptoms or is diagnosed with a Zika virus infection by a doctor, the couple should use condoms for 6 months.

What if I have been to one of those countries and now want to try for a baby?

In the first instance, see your GP or midwife and tell them the name of the country/region you have just returned from. You should do this whether you have symptoms or not. The guidance also states that you should wait for at least 28 days following your returnhome before you try to become pregnant( evenif you have no symptoms). If you have developed any symptoms which remotely resemble the Zika symptoms(within two weeks of returning home) then it is recommended that you wait at least six months after a complete recovery before trying for a baby.

 I know someone who is pregnant and she has just returned from there!  What should she do?

She should make an appointment with her midwife or doctor as soon as possible. But tell your friend that although there is an increased risk of the birth defect, not everyone who has been pregnant in a Zika outbreak region has had a baby with microcephaly.

Where can I found out more?

Below are a few links that you might find useful:

WHO
NHS
Travel Health Pro
Zika countries

But please speak to a healthcare professional (doctor, pharmacist, nurse or midwife) for more information.

A new study has linked high dietary fibre with a reduced risk of breast cancer. The study of over 90,000 women compared the incidence of breast cancer in those who had diets high in fibrous foods (such as potatoes) with those who consumed less.

The risk of breast cancer was 12%-19% lower in young women with higher fibre diets. High intake during adolescence was also associated with 24% lower risk of breast cancer before menopause. Among all the women, the relationship between fibre intake and breast cancer risk reduction was the same: the greater the intake, the greater the reduction in breast cancer risk. Fibre from vegetable and fruit sources had the most obvious benefits.

The reasons for this effect are not yet completely understood but the study authors have suggested that fibre-rich foods reduce oestrogen levels and high oestrogen levels are associated with breast cancer development.

Women from the African and African-Caribbean community have already been noted to have poorer outcomes in relation to breast cancer when compared to white women.  It has also been reported that Black women tend to develop breast cancer earlier. Increasing dietary fibre certainly appears to be another weapon in the fight against breast cancer.

You can read more about this study here.

Last Saturday, eleven of us braved the cold, windy and rainy weather for the first session of our new cycling club. Despite the weather we had a really nice time exploring the back roads of Beckenham. Our route took us on a circular route starting at Elmer’s End and riding alongside Eden Park, Kelsey Park, Beckenham Junction, Cator Park, Clock House and back to Elmer’s End.

Our cycling club is a project that aims to get our community fit and active through cycling. It also aims to improve people’s confidence cycling and provide people with a fun, practical way to get active.

This project is being funded by Sport England, an organisation committed to helping people and their communities create sporting habits for life.

We are very grateful to Sport England for supporting us and believing in our project and look forward to our club members not only getting some great exercise but discovering the beauty of South London as we cycle through the lovely green spaces of Croydon and the surrounding area.

A big thank you to everyone who made it on Saturday and we look forward to our next session. For more information please visit our events page.

Have you ever felt you wanted to do something to help people but have just never had the time,  could never think of  a good idea or could never think of anything that really mattered?

There are many UK charities focused on the needs of the Black community which are crying out for support.  As UK Black charities focus on the needs of a minority community, they need greater awareness of their causes, greater fundraising and more practical support with their day-to-day running than charities with more prominent causes.  But how many of us actually support these charities? Supporting Black community focused charities is a great idea that really matters and large and ‘smaller’ and more unusual actions could really help.

For example: running a marathon to raise fund for a particular charity could generate a lot of money and awareness for the cause. But so could doing a sponsored silence or just tweeting the name of a charity. You could initiate activities that make use of a skill or interest. For example – if you like cooking, you could raise money with an African food cook-off.  You could have a Jamaican-pattie day or a jollof-rice competition!  Love music? Why not host a Motown karaoke night?

Please see below a list of some UK Black charities that really need our help and let us know your great fundraising ideas.

The Lake Foundation
The Black and Minority Ethnic Young ‘s Project
100 Black Men of London
Ebony People’s  Association

Cancer Black Care

The Croydon BME Forum

Black Health Initiative
African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust

A new study has reported that breastfeeding could save the lives of thousands of children worldwide.  It could prevent over 800,000 children from dying and could also prevent an extra 22,000 deaths from breast cancer each year.

The study also looked at the reasons why  many women do not breastfeed and these include: little support from the mother’s own community, particular government policies, and the marketing practices of the formula milk manufacturers.

Worldwide, the rates for breastfeeding appear high: 80% but drops to just 37% in low and middle income countries. In high income countries such as the UK, under 1% of babies were breastfed up until their first birthday. This figure was approximately 2% in Ireland.  The study authors concluded that more work needs to be done to improve government breastfeeding policies and support within the general community.

Breastfeeding in the UK Black community has been investigated in a previous study. Figures showed that over 90% of Black African and Black Caribbean mothers start breastfeeding compared to just 67% of white mothers. Black African mothers in particular were 5 times more likely to breastfeed than white mothers.  Any new government breastfeeding policy should also specifically look at maintaining and improving breastfeeding rates within the UK Black community.

You can read more about this report here and here

Prof Frank Chinegwundoh is a Consultant Urological Surgeon.  He was appointed as a Consultant to Barts Health NHS Trust and Newham University Hospital NHS Trust in 1996.  He is a lecturer at  the University of London and in that capacity examines theses for doctoral degrees in urology.

He is an expert in the field of prostate cancer and is invited to speak at international meetings.  Prof Chinegwundoh published the first paper in the UK to show that black men in the UK have a three-fold excess risk of developing prostate cancer compared to white men.  He has authored numerous publications and book chapters.

Prof Chinegwundoh sits on the Department of Health Prostate Cancer Advisory Group, the Cancer Reform Strategy group, the National Cancer Equalities group and a working party on cancer survivorship.  He also sits on the Bowel Cancer Screening Advisory Group.  He is the spokesman for the Prostate Cancer Charter for Action.  Since 1998 he has chaired the Charity Cancer Black Care.  He is a Trustee of the Prostate Cancer Support Federation and was previously a trustee of Prostate Action.

Apart from expertise in prostate cancer therapies he is also able to employ a variety of technologies to deal with the enlarged benign prostate, for example TURP, TURIS, TUNA.

In 2008 he received a National Clinical Excellence Award and in 2013 was awarded an MBE for services to the NHS. In 2010 he graduated with a Master of Medical Law degree from Glasgow University.  In 2002 he was appointed a visiting Professor in Urology to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital in Enugu.