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Morehouse seeks federal funding
for American-African health center
By David Pace
ASSOCIATED PRESS Writer
WASHINGTON
The Senate has approved $5.5
million to launch a new Ameri
can-African International Health
Center at Atlanta’s Morehouse
School of Medicine in hopes of
using U.S. medical advances to
help ease Africa’s health care cri
sis.
“The case for this is so compel
ling becagse these countries in
Africa have some of the most sig
nificant health challenges of any
country on the globe,” Morehouse
President Louis Sullivan said in
an interview Monday.
“We certainly have the interna
African dust settles in Miami
By Randolph E. Schmid
ASSOCIATED PRESS Writer
WASHINGTON
. When Miamiresidents and visi
tors take a deep breath this sum
mer, odds are they will inhale
dust from Africa.
Indeed, researchers say that
up to half the tiny particles in
Miami’s air originate across the
Atlantic.
Joseph M. Prospero, of the Uni
versity of Miami’s Rosenstiel
School of Marine and Atmospheric
Sciences, reviewed 23 years of
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tional expertise and experience
that can be helpful,” he said. “I see
this as really an extension of our
foreign assistancetocountriesthat
desperately need our help.”
In sub-Saharan Africa alone,
AIDS has caused 24 million deaths
and reduced lifeexpectanciesdra
matically. Childhood infectious
diseases like malaria and diar
rhea claim 3 million lives annu
ally.
Sullivan, who was secretary of
health and human services under
former President Bush, said the
Morehouse medical school has
been working on health care ini
tiatives with various African gov
ernments and health agencies
since its founding in 1978.
measurements of airborne par
ticles at a coastal site in Miami.
He believes thisimpact of African
dustiscomparable throughout the
southeastern United States.
His findings will appear in the
July 20 issue of Journal of Geo
physical Research.
While there is nothing new
about the transoceanic transport
of African dust, Prospero notes
that very little research has been
doneintothe health effects of dust
in the air, as contrasted with dust
in coal mines and other contained
industrial environments.
Auguste Gocus
By combining those initiatives
under the umbrella of an Ameri
can-African health center, he said,
the school will be better able to
help African health care person
nel take advantage of U.S. ad
vances in treatment of diseases
afflicting African-American popu
lations in the U.S.
“Being an African American in
stitution, there is a level of com
fortinterms of understandingthe
culture of many of these coun
tries,” said Sullivan. “It makes it
easier to establish the programs
because we understand the cul
ture.”
The $5.5 million wasincluded in
the fiscal 2000 foreign operations
spendingbill that passed the Sen
Prospero noted that such Afri
can dust particles contain large
amounts of iron, as a coating,
providing its characteristic red
brown culor. Once dust is depos
ited in the lung, the iron coating
would probably be released to the
lung tissue, he said.
On some days the African dust
can push the total number of air
borne particles above the limit set
by the Environmental Protection
Agency, he reports.
The EPA’s standard is based on
the total mass of particles mea
suring 2.5 microns or less that
Living
ateearlier this month. The House
will begin work on its version of
the foreign operations spending
bill this week.
“No U.S. academic facility ex
ists at this time with the goal of
sharing the considerable medical
research and treatment advances
developed in the United States
with developing countries or Afri
can countries in transition,” said
Sen. Paul Coverdell, R-Ga.,whose
amendment got the money ear
marked for Morehouse.
In addition to the $5.5 million,
the Morehouse proposal calls for
Congress to provide $2.5 million
annually over the next five years
to fund the center’s operations.
may be observed in a 24 hour
period. Particles of this size can
penetrate deep into the lung,
where they are deposited and re
actwith lungtissue. The standard
does not distinguish among vari
ous types of particles, which in
clude pollution and local dust along
with African dust.
Prospero notes that manmade
photochemical pollution in the
eastern and southeastern United
Statesis atits highestin summer,
the same time that most of the
African dust arrives.
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Augusta holds first ADA
celebration at Pendletor
Augusta’s first Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA)Celebration
will be held on Monday, July 26,
1999, at Pendleton King Park on
Kissingbower Road. Sponsored
by Able-disAbled, Inc., the event
will be held from 11 a.m. til 1:30
p.m. to commemorate the ninth
anniversary of the signing of ADA.
Lunch will be available free to
E-Z-Go golf car helps drive
home danger of drunk driving
EZ-GO Golf Car to Help Drive
'Home Danger of Drunk Driving
From slowed reflexes to blurred
vision, alcohol and other drugs
affect a person’s ability to drive,
sometimes with tragic conse
quences for the intoxicated driver
and innocent motorist.
EZ-GO Textron, Inc. and the
Aiken County Sheriff’s Office are
joining together to promote safe
and responsible driving through
the creation of the “Impaired Driv
ing Experience.”
During a news conference this
morning EZ-GO Communications
and Media relations manager,
Ronald Skenes, presented a cus
tom striped electric golf car to
Sheriff Howard L. Sellers.
EZ-GO is pleased to be part of
thisveryimportant project aimed
at reducing alcohol and drug re
lated collisions.” said EZ-GO Ex
ecutive Vice President, David Riv
ers. “All of us recognize the impor
tance of public awareness and the
CALL 724-7867 TO SUBSCRIBE
everyone attending. Fri
chicken, baked beans, potato chi
cookies and drinks will be serv
Mayor Bob Young has p
claimed the week of J uly
through July 26, 1999 as Am
cans with Disabilities Act Wex
For moreinformation, call (‘7
731-9521 or 729-9525. i
need to reduce the number of
collisions. It is our hope this’s
car will be a valuable tool inth
efforts.” 19
“Our DUI Task Force now he
hands on way of educating) '
community.” said Sheriff Sell¢
“People attending these presen
tions can strap on a set of imp:
ment gogglesget behind thewh
of the new golf car andin a ¢
trolled setting, experience the
sual sensation of impaired’dh
ing. :
The “Impaired Driving Expk
ence” is a part of a compreheng
community awareness camp
presented bythe ACSODUI
Force to area high school
dents participating in driver
cation, as well as, churches, ci
and business organizations. |
Trafficdeaths rose over 100‘*
Aiken County in 1998 compaj
to the precious year. Alcohol a
other drugs contributed to mx
than one third of those collisig
2525 Washington Road, Suite P
Augusta, Georgia 30904
706.733.0791
Under contract with the State of Georgia,
Department of Human Resources
Division of Family and Children Services 4