Tuesday 16 November 2010

SafePoint Tanzania Awareness Campaign Gets Underway

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The SafePoint supporters reach Uhuru Peak, Tanzania

All-mother group successfully conquers Mount Kilimanjaro to raise awareness of the dangers of syringe re-use in Tanzania

East Sussex, United Kingdom - The four intrepid supporters of the SafePoint Trust – Anna Koska, Nicoletta Iacobacci, Clare Beale and Catherine English – have recently triumphed in their mission to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. And not only have they completed this gruelling challenge in an impressive time, they are also celebrating being the first all-mother group to climb the feared Western Beach route. Congratulations ladies!

But now the hard work really begins. The SafePoint team has begun rolling out a hard-hitting campaign across Tanzania to raise awareness of the dangers of syringe re-use. Using one syringe to treat many patients is one of the single biggest causes of death in the developing world, and causes millions of infections each year in Africa and the rest of the developing world.

On their descent, the ladies travelled to Dar es Salaam where they called a press conference, attended by 25 major Tanzanian TV and radio channels. They informed their captivated audience why they took on the challenge to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, and their decision to raise money to donate single use (AD) syringes to Tanzania. Their climb has raised funds to contribute to their supplies in compliance with the ECSA resolution*.

Famous celebrity and comedian, Masanja, assisted the ladies in the press conference by demonstrating the three-point SafePoint message, taken from the WHO injection safety guidelines as per the diagram below.

New Packet, Used Once, Safely Disposed

Masanja validated the importance of safe injections and said, “I decided to help SafePoint make a public awareness film as I am a proud Tanzanian, and know that in the village where I come from, many people are unaware of unsafe injection practices.

“I hope that this film encourages healthcare workers to use a new syringe each time they give an injection, and that it informs our parents and children on the risks they take if they don’t demand one. To all fans of the Orijino Komedi Show, make sure you never have an unsafe injection again and spread the message for me.”

Yet, despite clear evidence pointing to significant numbers of deaths caused by a lack of injection safety procedures in many hospitals and medical centres in Tanzania, talks to date with Health Ministers in the country have remained unsuccessful. Marc Koska OBE, founder of the SafePoint Trust, originally met with the Hon Prof David Mwakyusa back in March 2010. At this meeting, the Hon Minister gladly accepted the donation of the film from SafePoint, and agreed to create a campaign to air it. But since this meeting, Marc has been met with closed doors and unable to progress with discussions further. For the SafePoint team, it is extremely frustrating, as they are only too aware from their experiences in other countries that public awareness is paramount to the changeover to single-use syringes.

Elections have taken precedence within the Tanzanian Health Authority, with little or no reference given to the unacceptable ‘unsafe injection’ culture. Also this week, Mr Deo Mtasiwa, Chief Medical Officer of Tanzania, stated his belief that no diseases have been spread through injection re-use.

While SafePoint appreciates the positive actions that have taken place in Tanzania to address the problem, such as the training of thousands of nurses, his claim is one that SafePoint rejects. Their view is backed by the announcement at the Annual meeting of The Safe Injection Global Network (SIGN) that a staggering 14% of all HIV infections are a direct result of unsafe injections.

Injection safety needs to move up the agenda, fast. Medical staff urgently need the resources to save lives; not to take them. Cost isn’t the issue - the cost of an AD syringe is 100 Shillings in Tanzania; the cost of a popular soft drink is 500 Shillings. “Mara moja katika maisha, mara nguni ni kifo.” A syringe used once is life. Used twice is death.

For more information, please contact:

Ginny Simpson
SafePoint Trust UK
The Granary
Pippingford
East Sussex
TN22 3HW

+44 (0)1825 713722
info@safepointtrust.org
http://www.safepointtrust.org

Press release submitted by: WorldWidePR.net

*Note: The ECSA (East Central Southern African Regions) resolution, passed and proposed by SafePoint in 2007, was signed by all 10 ECSA regions. Countries were to scale up their injection safety programmes by November 2009. SafePoint has already made and donated a public information film, with the support of SafePoint Ambassador, Masanja.

Background Notes to Editors:

Safepoint is a charity set up with a purpose to educate the next generation in safe healthcare.

This is done by delivering hard-hitting public awareness campaigns. We've done this to huge effect in India in 2008, resulting (April 2009) in the Health Minister mandating the use of Auto Disable (AD) syringes throughout all government-run hospitals. To date, Marc Koska, Founder of SafePoint, has been credited with saving well over 9 million lives.

Why Tanzania?

Tanzania is at the forefront of safe healthcare in Africa and will soon be the second country to convert over to Auto Disable (AD) syringes in the ECSA Region. With their policy already in place, trained healthcare workers and a public information film donated by SafePoint featuring Tanzanian celebrity and SafePoint supporter Masanja, they are ready to reduce the country's medical costs and ease the HIV/Hepatitis disease burden.

We climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to kick off Phase One of this new campaign – the raising of public awareness of the dangers of syringe re-use in Tanzania through all forms of media. We'll be visiting schools, orphanages and hospitals to talk with children, teachers and healthcare workers alike, getting the simple message of ‘one injection - one syringe’ across and donating syringes to kick start their participation in the campaign.

Facts and figures on unsafe healthcare

• Each and every year, due to unsafe injections, there are:
  • 230,000 HIV Infections
  • 1,000,000 Hepatitis C Infections
  • 21,000,000 Hepatitis B Infections
  • Resulting in 1,300,000 deaths each year
(Source: WHO World Health Organisation)

• Some 17 billion medical injections are given each year, and 7 billion of these are unsafe
(Source: Hutin 2003)

• Malaria kills 1,000,000 - so this silent epidemic – unsafe injections - kills even more people each year
(Source: WHO World Health Organisation)

• In Africa, 20 million medical injections, contaminated with blood from a patient with HIV, are administered every year
(Source: Reid 2009)

• At least 50% of all injections given, world wide, are unsafe
(Source: WHO World Health Organisation)

• A syringe is used on average 4 times in the developing world

• Every 24 seconds, a child dies as a result of an unsafe injection
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Friday 12 November 2010

Paula Abdul, Brooke Shields, Angie Harmon, Alter Bridge & Usher are all On the Mike this week

Mike Sherman with Paula Abdul

A huge variety of stars join Mike Sherman on this week’s show such as tennis pro, Anna Kournikova, rapper Fat Joe, award-winning music producer, Jim Jonsin, and All Star Major League Baseball player, Alex Rodriguez and many more!

Miami, FL – Mike Sherman is happy to announce that his premier music and lifestyle celebrity-driven TV show, “On the Mike with Mike Sherman”, this week, includes a wide variety of musical guests and high-profile celebrities.

Angie Harmon

Mike stops by the new JW Marriott Marque in downtown Miami to witness the grand opening of this magnificent hotel. There, Mike and his crew speak with actress, Brook Shields, fashion model, film and TV star, Angie Harmon, tennis pro, Ana Kronikova, and pro baseball player, Alex Rodriguez, about the new hotel.

Alex Rodriguez

Then the show jumps across the big pond to the UK for an exclusive interview with one of Florida’s hottest properties – rock band, Alter Bridge in London. The members of multi-platinum and Grammy Award winning rock band Creed, also happen to be the band members of Alter Bridge apart from guitarist and vocalist, Myles Kennedy. Coincidentally, Creed’s singer, Scott Stapp, has previously been interviewed On the Mike with Mike Sherman!

Scott Phillips and Mark Tremonti of Alter Bridge with ‘On the Mike’ co-host Barbara Lanik, backstage at the Hammersmith Apollo

While in London at the start of their worldwide tour promoting their third album “AB III”, Mike’s UK co-host, Barbara Lanik (with producer, John Wood), ask the band about the religious significance of their new album, about what it’s like being on the road for so long, away from their families, and about how much their fans mean to them.

Plus, songwriter, producer and artist, Rico Love, launches his brand new music label, “Division One” on Miami Beach, and Mike and his crew were there for the exclusive party. Mike’s co-host, Ana Maria Reyes, chats with rapper, Fat Joe, Grammy producer, Jim Jonsin, plus pop superstar, Usher, as well as the man of the hour, “Rico Love”, about his new label and where it’s going.


‘On the Mike’ co-host Ana Maria Reyes mid interview with Usher

To wrap up the show, Mike attends this year’s ‘Make a Wish Ball’. This amazing event helps raise money for children all over the world. Mike was able to go one on one with the chairman of the Make a Wish Foundation, Shareef Malnik, and this year’s Master of Ceremonies, the beautiful, Paula Abdul.

Mike Sherman interviewing Paula Abdul

“It’s a veritable variety show - we have it all this week!” says Mike Sherman. “From Florida we bring you top celebs, a grand opening, fashion models, a sports star, live performances, and even some charity, and from London – rock music! Don’t miss this week’s very special show. Check your local listings on TV33, R&R TV (Direct TV, channel 354), My Channel UK (Sky TV, channel 219) and CaribVision - The Caribbean Channel, for dates and times.

About WFOR/WBFS Miami, Florida:

WFOR-TV/CBS4 and WBFS/TV33 are part of CBS Television Stations, a division of CBS Corp. For local news, sports scores, weather updates, traffic reports, entertainment news and the best video experience available on the internet, 24 hours a day, visit www.CBS4.com. Press contact is Lee Zimmerman (Director of Public Relations), WFOR-TV and WBFS on tel: (305) 639-4426 or e-mail: lzimmerman@cbs.com

About “On the Mike with Mike Sherman”

“On the Mike with Mike Sherman” is produced by Mike Sherman Productions Inc. The show debuted on Saturday night on MY33 (now TV33), the CBS affiliate, in Miami in 2005 and is now syndicated all over the world. The show brings the south Florida market closer to exclusive interviews, VIP and red carpet events, concerts, and A-list celebs. Creator/producer: Mike Sherman. Executive producer: Matt Bodi Brenowitz

For more information, please contact:

Mike Sherman
Mike Sherman Productions, Inc.
777 East Atlantic Avenue
Suite C2-239
Delray Beach
FL 33483
USA

+1 561 243 0429
mshermanshow@aol.com
http://onthemike.tv
http://twitter.com/onthemiketv


Submitted by:
John Wood
+44 777 152 0001
jw@worldwidepr.net
http://www.worldwidepr.net
http://twitter.com/worldwidepr
London, United Kingdom
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Thursday 11 November 2010

Mike Sherman to Host and be Honored at the 2010 FREC Star Gala

Mike Sherman

The FREC Best Celebrity Magazine TV Series Award will be presented to Mike Sherman at this year’s Star Gala for his achievements in the entertainment industry

Miami, FL – South Florida TV personality, Mike Sherman, host of the celebrity-driven weekly magazine television series, ”On The Mike with Mike Sherman”, will be hosting this year’s FREC Star Gala (Film, Recording and Entertainment Council - Florida) at the Miccosukee Resort in Miami, Florida.

2010 FREC Star Gala

This organization honors dynamic industry leaders and talented individuals who share a commitment to professional excellence and making a difference in the South Florida community.

Mike Sherman is not only hosting this prestigious event but he will be a recipient of the 2010 FREC Best Celebrity Magazine TV Series Award. His hard work and dedication to the industry started with the debut of “The Mike Sherman Show” in September 2005. Originally, this was a regional show in south Florida on WBFS MY33 (now TV33). Since then, “On the Mike with Mike Sherman” (as it is now called) has grown to enjoy an audience of over 40 million households nationwide and 10 million households internationally in a total of 33 countries.

The honorees for this year’s FREC awards are people who are shaping the future of the industry in south Florida and in the global market. The winners are recognized as a select group of people who have achieved notable success and demonstrated strong leadership within the industry. The honorees, selected by an independent panel of judges, will receive their awards this Saturday evening, November 13, 2010 at the Miccosukee Resort in Miami, Florida.

This wonderful event, planned and organized by a group of south Florida industry leaders, will be attended by over 300 high-profile guests and celebrities and will be highly publicized both nationally and internationally.

“I am excited to be part of such an elite group of past and present recipients and I am honored to be representing the south Florida Recording and Entertainment Industry,” said Mike Sherman.

About FREC

The mission of the Film, Recording and Entertainment Council is to promote economic development for the industry in south Florida and to create a climate that enhances economic vitality for industry businesses. FREC helps to improve the quality of life for all members by providing networking and business opportunities and by positioning south Florida as the premier industry hot spot. The Council is a membership-driven not for profit 501(c) (6) organization.

About “On the Mike with Mike Sherman”

“On the Mike with Mike Sherman” is produced by Global Media Productions. The show debuted on Saturday night on MY33 (now TV33), the CBS affiliate, in Miami in 2005 and is now syndicated all over the world. The show brings the south Florida market closer to exclusive interviews, VIP and red carpet events, concerts, and A-list celebs. Creator/producer: Mike Sherman. Executive producer: Matt Bodi Brenowitz. Check your local listings on TV33, R&R TV (Direct TV, channel 354), My Channel UK (Sky TV, channel 219) and CaribVision - The Caribbean Channel, for dates and times.

For more information, please contact:

Mike Sherman
Global Media Productions, Inc.
777 East Atlantic Avenue
Suite C2-239
Delray Beach
FL 33483
USA

+1 561 243 0429
mshermanshow@aol.com
http://onthemike.tv
http://twitter.com/onthemiketv
http://www.youtube.com/onthemiketv

Submitted by:
http://www.worldwidepr.net
London, United Kingdom

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