Cancer, Avian Flu & the Importance of Honey
Today, by the grace of Allah, I will talk
to you a little about cancer, as well as honey because where modern medicine
cannot do anything, traditional medicine can bring hope, and add a few extra
years of life. And despite the viruses that are lurking in these times, it can
help in controlling these viruses, even if it is not 100%, but it will do our
body a lot of good. Insha-Allah.
As you may already know, cancer is a serious health problem that affects a large percentage of the world’s population. World Cancer Day, celebrated on the 4th of February each year, remains an opportunity to raise awareness of this disease as a public health problem and to increase actions aimed at strengthening screening and access to care. Cancer is the third leading cause of death in Mauritius behind cardiovascular diseases (34.55%) and diabetes (20%).
According to WHO [i.e.
the World Health Organization], in 2019, the 10 leading causes of death were
responsible for 55% of the 55.4 million deaths that occurred worldwide.
The leading causes of
death worldwide, in order of total number of deaths, are due to these three
types of complications: cardiovascular complications (ischemic heart disease,
stroke), respiratory complications (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,
respiratory tract infections - lower respiratory tract), and neonatal
complications (perinatal asphyxia and other birth trauma, neonatal sepsis and infections,
complications due to premature birth).
In Mauritius in 2021,
1575 people died from cancer and this figure is up 10% on the previous year
when 1431 deaths were recorded. It is especially among men that this mortality
has experienced a worrying increase of 15%, from 674 in 2020 to 777 in 2021,
while among women, the increase in cases has been less significant with 5%
growth, from 755 victims in 2020 to 798 in 2021, without being totally
affirmative, the National Cancer Registry report estimates that this sharp
increase in deaths could also be explained by methodological changes in the
recording of the number of cancer deaths. The incidence of mortality for a
person with cancer is higher in men than in women. The deadliest cancers in male
in 2021 are, in order: trench/bronchi and lung (18%), colorectal (12.9%),
prostate (12.7%), stomach (7.7%) and lips, mouths and pharynx (4.5%). In women,
cancers of the breast are the most fatal (32.2%), colorectal (11.4%), trachea/ bronchi
and lungs (7.9%), ovaries (5.8%) and cervix of the uterus (5.1%).
Along with 1,575
deaths, 2021 recorded 2,866 new cases of cancer, including 1,185 men and 1,681
women. Compared to 2020, a decrease of 0.6% in cancers was noted with greater
emphasis in men than in women (1.1% against 0.2%).
Men, whose average age
of incidence is 63.8 years, are mainly affected by cancer of: the prostate
(18.7%), the colorectal (13.8%), the lungs (9.3 %), lymphomas (6.1%) and
bladder (4.7%). Women, whose average age of incidence is 60.2 years, are
affected in the breast (35.2%), in the colorectal (8.7%), in the uterus (8%),
in the ovary (6.7%) and cervix (5.5%).
Compared to the year
2020, the total number of new cancer cases decreased by 0.6%. A decrease of
0.2% in women and a decrease of 1.1% in men were observed. The sex ratio
(Male/Female) for the incidence of cancer is 0.70 in 2021. The average age for
the incidence of cancer in men is 63.8 years and 60.2 years in women. The sex
ratio (Male/Female) for mortality is 0.97.
Lung cancer is the leading
cause of cancer death in men, followed by colorectal cancer and prostate
cancer. Breast cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in women,
followed by colorectal cancer and lung cancer.
The mortality/incidence
ratio (MI) is 0.66 for men and 0.47 for women.
1.
58.9%
of cancers in women occur during their productive years, i.e. from 15 to 64
years old.
2.
44.3%
of cancers in men occur in the age group of 15 to 64 years.
3.
0.87%
of cancers occur in children aged 0 to 14.
The life of a drug does
not end with its ingestion. Residues of a medicine found in nature can pose a
risk to food safety and health.
Indeed, when we take a
drug, some active compounds are then found in our wastewater, as studies have
shown. These drugs can travel long distances from rivers to groundwater and
agricultural soils, where they can be absorbed by crops and enter the food
chain.
And the quantity is not
negligible. The study of concentrations of persistent pharmaceutical pollutants
in the environment (including antibiotics, analgesics, hypolipemia, estrogens,
etc.) detected a total of 631 different compounds (or their transformation
products) in 71 countries.
Some substances
represent a significant risk for the aquatic environment and, through it, for
humans, such as the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, etc.), the
antidepressant Venlafaxine and the oral antidiabetic Metformin. In their paper,
the researchers call for more rational drug use as global drug consumption has
seen an upward trend over the past decade.
So, we return to the
question of the benefit of traditional medicine. An example is our good old honey
which is in a jar and can be found on the kitchen table of quite a few homes.
Contrary to popular
belief, it is not advisable to drink honey. Indeed, it is very sweet, which
stimulates the secretion of gastric acid and will further irritate the vocal
cords because of acid reflux. However, you can dilute honey in water to gargle.
This will lubricate and disinfect the area.
In view of an even more
deadly pandemic that could arrive soon, this awareness is necessary. Avian flu
caused by the H5N1 virus is ravaging wild birds, and has already infected
mammals and even a few rare humans. Researchers and industrialists from all
countries are racing against time to prevent this disease in birds from
becoming a problem for humans.
What is AH5N1 flu? We
talk about AH5N1 flu but we should actually talk about highly pathogenic avian
influenza H5N1. Avian plague is an infectious disease, highly contagious,
caused by type A influenza viruses, which can infect many species of domestic
and wild birds. According to their virulence characteristics, avian influenza
viruses are classified into two categories:
1.
Low
pathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAI)
2.
Highly
pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAI) including subtypes H5 or H7.
When influenza is
caused by a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI), in a susceptible
species, it is classically “avian plague”; Avian “flu” being a term to reserve
for human disease caused by viruses of avian origin or “chicken flu”. Type A
influenza viruses are the most important in terms of public health, as they can
cause an influenza pandemic in humans. A few avian influenza virus subtypes,
primarily H5N1 HP (i.e., Highly Pathogenic), H5N6 HP, H7N9 FP and HP (i.e., Low
Pathogenic and Highly Pathogenic) viruses. Pathogens), or H9N2 FP present in
Asia or the Middle East, can, on rare occasions, cause serious or even fatal
illness in humans.
So using honey to
lubricate the throat and to disinfect the affected area in case of infection is
very important. Honey is mentioned in the Holy Quran and is one of the greatest
medicines for the flu. But each flu has its own intensity, and it is our duty
to use the natural medicines that God has given us, and also to take the
medicines prescribed by the doctor, especially in the event of extremely
serious and complex illnesses.
Let us pray to Allah to save us from another catastrophic pandemic, and keep us healthy in order to serve His cause in the best conditions. May Allah have mercy on humanity and preserve us all from incurable diseases. Insha-Allah, Ameen.
---Friday Sermon of 17 March 2023 ~24 Shabaan 1444 AH delivered by Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International, Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius.