For basic first aid (the aid applied before seeing a doctor) see First_Aid_Tutorial. Doctors_Without_Borders is a site for free international medical attention and a resource for starting your own medical clinic. For ideas about getting medical supplies, see Medical_Aid_Abroad and ask questions about who might have supplies for your local area (I had a hard time bringing this website up, you might try entering the title in www.google.com). Other sites that can provide medical assistance and supplies are:
Pan_American_Health_Organization
Partners_in_Health
International_HIV/AIDS_Alliance
Americares
Avert
Canadian_Society_of_International_Health
Dentaid
Direct_Relief
Doctors_of_the_World
Engender_Health
Family_Health_International
Free_Books_4_Doctors
German_Doctors
Global_Aids_Alliance(see the medical links)
Helping_Overseas
International_Development_and_Relief
International_Medical_Corps
Interplast
International_Planned_Parenthood_Federation
International_Rehabilitation_Council_for_Torture_Victims
Islam_Set
John_Snow_Inc.
Lions_Clubs_International
MAP_International
Mental_Health_Without_Borders
Management_Sciences_for_Health
Medical_World_Search
Institute_for_One_World_Health
Operation_Smile
Elizabeth_Glaser_Pediatric_AIDS_Foundation
Physicians_for_Peace
Project_Hope
Population_Services_International
Refugee_Relief
Riders_for_Health
Save_Africas_Children
UNAIDS
United_Nations_Population_Fund
We_Act
World_Federation_for_Mental_Health
Make_a_Wish
World_Dental_Relief
World_Medical_Relief
The number one reason for contracting AIDS is not using a condom during sex or blood-blood contact with someone that has AIDS. Always use a condom in pre-marital sex. AIDS-caused death is escalating rapidly due to misinformation and carelessness. Any time your open wound comes in contact with AIDS bearing blood, seminal or vaginal fluid (body fluid-to-body fluid) you can contract AIDS.
AIDS is caused by the exchange of bodily fluids like blood or semen and can be prevented by using condoms during sex. If you think that you may have had body fluid contact with someone with AIDS you can use a 1:10 bleach:water solution on a cut within 10 seconds of contact; in general, try to avoid body-fluid-to-body-fluid contact with anyone you are not sure has AIDS. Also, it is very easy to contract bacterial or viral diseases from body fluid contact.
Please make sure that your community is aware of proper water purification (impure water can cause diarrhea and death due to dehydration). Boiling water for 20 minutes kills bacteria, viruses and protozoans and is a safe way to maintain clean drinking water. (To reduce smokiness in your home it is recommended that you obtain a woodstove for boiling drinking water and other cooking. Woodstoves reduce smoke and are more efficient, therefore reducing the amount of wood needed. This saves time for you and trees for the local environment.) For further information on medical precautions in you local area consult your local hospital or university.
Now for some words on herbal medicine. 'ethno botany', 'wild herbal' resources are very helpful herbal medicinal resources worldwide. Chinese and Indian herbal medicine practices are especially famous.
Caution: Be aware of international regulations in transporting seeds (due to bacteria, viruses and insects) and also be aware that growing new plants in an area results in a completely new addition to your local ecosystem. It has never happened in world history that seeds have been transplanted to so many different places in the world. Your local university ecology department may be able to help you regarding importing foreign seeds. Also, local elders and university ethno botanists in your area can help you learn the local healing herbs that are important for your health. This is a very good thing to learn locally.
It may be a nice thing for your area to have a local index of medical herbs on the Internet so that patients can take care of themselves. University ethno botanists and local elders might work together to make an herbal medicine index on the Internet so that everyone can stay healthy. You can make a free website at Angelfire, Free_Web_Space or by looking for free web space by typing in 'free web space' or 'free web site' at google.com, yahoo.com or your local directory search engine.
Here is what I found on ethno botany; it may be useful, or it may give you ideas about making your own website for use in the community
google.com_ethnobotany (directory listing)
Dave's_Garden(this one is really important, you can find plants worldwide)
Dr._Duke's_Phytochemical_and_Ethnobotanical_Databases (ask your local university botanist for the Latin scientific name, and search under ethnobotany)
Common_Names_of_Plants(use this site first to find the Latin name and enter it in the Plants Databases and Dr. Duke's above)
Bastyr_University(see the library links section)
Gardens_Online
Herbal-Medicine
Herb_Research_Foundation
Rosenthal_Center
SW_School_of_Botanical_Medicine
Mosquitoes carry malaria and other diseases (but not AIDS) and can be repelled with mosquito nets at night. Ask the medical staff above about free mosquito nets for your community. I found on Google some natural means of repelling mosquitoes with oil spray. Use citronella and/or garlic oil wiped on the skin where mosquitoes like to bite. Natural_Mosquito_Repellent describes some natural options for keeping mosquitoes at bay. Mosquitoes kill more people than any other predator on Earth. I do not know how to make citronella or garlic oil easily, since it takes a lot of pressure to make oil. I imagine that rubbing sliced up citronella leaves and garlic cloves on the skin would do the trick, and you can reuse the leaves and cloves over again for a while. DDT is being discussed as a means of killing mosquitoes, but DDT is very dangerous to us. It is a pesticide, but it is very harmful to humans.
Also helpful is the Chinese medicinal study of Acupuncture and Qi Gong. Instructions and books for both can be found at Acupuncture.com . Acupuncture can, in many cases, replace western medicine and is much less expensive since the clinical supplies are few. If a doctor or clinician in your village has an opportunity to learn acupuncture, this would be a very inexpensive and helpful boon to your local medical practice.
Chinese herbal medicine and Indian Ayurvedic medicine are well known in America for premium medical relief. Searches in Google should help you find a retailer.
I found a book on midwifery (natural childbirth) that may be useful: Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin.
The following organizations can be contacted for relief of large medical emergencies like war or epidemics:
OCHA
Humanitarian_Emergency_Logistics_and_Preparedness_Inc.
Action_by_Churches_Together
Disaster_Relief_Agencies(caution: please do not invite organizations by Rev. Sun Myung Moon... it is a cult!)
Internationl_Committee_of_the_Red_Cross
Mercy_Corps
Operation_USA
Relief_Web
Solidarites
International_Strategy_For_Disaster_Reduction
World_Health_Organization
World_Care
These organizations may also be useful in supplying basic medical information sheets that explain how to avoid disease in your area and how to take general medical safety precautions. It may be that the above international organizations can help you with starting a local medical clinic and finding medical supplies. If it is needed, please ask them.
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