Just For Social Cause

The Unsung Role of HealthCARE

2015-09-15T05:47:00.004-07:00

One of the things that impresses me most about our life sciences industry is its ability to, in the face of economic and social pressures, maintain the integrity of giving back. In a world where the term 'big bad pharma' gets thrown about with abandon as a result of ballooning healthcare costs and governmental funding cuts, it's easy to forget just how many organisations are doing more not just in wealthier and developed countries but also in more destitute geographies around the world.
Companies of all sizes from Novartis, Abbvie and GSK to NovoNordisk, Gilead, BMS and Celgene (to name just a few) all have extensive outreach programmes which dedicate multi-millions of dollars annually to emerging market geographies in severely debilitating conditions such as HIV, malaria, diabetes, respiratory and eye diseases. And yet M&As, quarterly revenue reports and commercial woes always seem to take priority in news headlines. The corporate responsibility that these companies take on, and create whole departmental functions behind, is what distinguishes our industry from so many others.
Of course there are some organisations that do 'less' if anything at all in the outreach space but they tend to stand out like sore thumbs and you can often tell in your interactions with their management that they're more interested in the dollars rather than the sense.
That healthcare is essentially a business like any other, run with significant underlying costs and overt shareholder responsibilities, all with an aim towards cumulative profit is, or at least should be, a given. But the vision and commitment of organisations to the 'care' of human health is best reflected by how much they prioritise putting back in, not just through their commercial activity, but through their outreach programmes.
Cynics might argue that all outreach is essentially PR and as such commercially intended. To them I say go visit rural Uganda where a new and free eye clinic is being built to serve several thousands of residents, many whom have become blind with easily treatable conditions. It will sit alongside the free HIV clinic. Malaria has been virtually eradicated there. All at little or no cost to the government or the people. All in some way funded by our industry. If that's PR then that is exactly what PR should be - an attestation of the 'care' in healthcare!

The Meat Ban: Between Guilt & Loathing?

2015-09-15T05:47:00.002-07:00

As someone who grew up in a vegetarian household, and took to eating meat only as a teenager, the idea of making do with vegetarian food for a few days does not fill me with horror. We were not staunch vegetarians, in that we could cook eggs once in a while- my mother would not participate, but the kitchen was made available to us, and forays into non-vegetarianism were not considered mortal sins. Even so, at heart one remains a vegetarian, and consequently can neither eat seafood, nor anything even mildly adventurous in terms of meat (that includes lamb), on account of the ‘non-veg’ smell.
The idea of killing animals for the purpose of pleasure (for one doesn’t absolutely have to eat meat for sustenance) is admittedly a source of some moral discomfort and one deals with it by not thinking about it. However on occasions when the awareness of that reality cannot be artfully sidestepped, like for instance when one passes a tempo crammed with terrified chickens, screaming their heads off with every evolutionary instinct at their command at the fate that is to befall them, it is difficult not to wrestle with the question about the legitimacy of eating meat. There is something about animals that know that they that they are about to die, that particular note in the bleat, that speaks of the preciousness of their own lives to them, and which is matter-of-factly ignored by us, when we dig into their remains.
It is a complex question, without any absolute answers. Humans have hunted and eaten animals since the beginning of time, so there is little historical basis for thinking of vegetarianism as an absolute moral imperative. Even hunting as a sport, has many champions, although the idea of killing defenseless creatures merely to prove the superiority of one’s equipment, should perhaps be one that is easier to be repulsed by. Even here, there are many who oppose hunting, but see nothing wrong with fishing, although, how exactly is it different is something that is not entirely clear. The Maharashtra government seems to agree – for it is able to argue that we don’t kill fish, we merely take them out of water. They then proceed to die. The trouble is, fish die with an obviousness that is difficult to misinterpret. They writhe about, they leap around in agony, they flip before finally flopping in death. But culturally, fishing is deemed legitimate- a relaxing sport, one that one can take a young child to.
There are many such disparities- wearing fur is a modern sin, but farming imprisoned cattle industrially for meat is just business. And why does the slaying of a lion Cedric, cause more grief than any other endangered creature? Why do we care more about saving the tiger rather than say, the Griet bush frog, a species that is critically endangered? Why can we celebrate the eating of all kinds of exotic animals, but find the idea of eating dogs barbaric?
Respect for life gets viewed through a cultural filter, and the hierarchy of human preferences has more to do with what cultures choose to privilege from time to time. It is always possible to find ways to justify what we need, sometimes by constructing arguments that are designed to win and at other times, by simply ignoring inconvenient truths. In this case, who gets to live and who doesn’t, whose departure is mourned, and whose is systematically planned, what gets eaten and what doesn’t- all these questions get culturally convenient answers.
The current debates around meat bans have also similarly little to do with the respect for life and everything to do with issues of culture and power. Token support for a community, the implicit separation of the meat-eating ‘them’ and the vegetarian ‘us’, ignoring the fact that this an obviously flawed definition, the idea of maintaining purity in the face of cultural contaminants, these are all markers of cultural identity rather than universal humanity.
To be vegetarian, not merely because one was born one, or because of some new fangled health movement aimed at reaffirming one’s firm belief in one’s own specialness, but because of a belief in the sanctity of living beings is an act of humanity. Not wishing to harm others is in effect not putting one’s life above that of any other living creature, to the extent possible. One could argue that is a misguided ideal, for there is no way that human beings can ensure that they do not cause harm to another living organism; indeed, all food sources are some form of life, but even if that is so, there are moral and ethical issues involved that could legitimately be contemplated at the level of the individual.
The problem today is that the vegetarianism that is on display, is not cast in ideals of humanity that shape the thought of the very community that it purports to support. It is an aggressive intervention, that takes a refined moral ideal and converts into a blunt device to mark boundaries between people. It is rooted in loathing for the ‘other’ that is seen as an impure defiler. It legitimizes a particularly virulent form of self-righteousness, and represents a weaponised form of discrimination. Invoking purity in effect argues that meat-eating pollutes the cultural environment for the vegetarians. The ideal world for the vegetarian is by implication, one that does not contain non-vegetarians.
To make food a cultural fault line is dangerous, given its essential nature. To disallow a certain kind of food in the name of sentiment has unlike the case of other freedoms like the right to expression, no other intention but to draw boundaries. To use vegetarianism as a sign of disdain is to distort everything that it stands for and turn what is potentially a complex moral dilemma into a lazy political gambit.

(This piece has appeared in the Times of India)

ePatCare® ILD

2015-09-15T05:41:00.000-07:00

ePatCare^® ILD

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Caught on camera: Woman commuter harassed in Namma Metro, Bangalore, India.

2013-10-28T04:52:00.001-07:00

BANGALORE, INDIA: A cry for help ignored by staff whose task it is to ensure the safety and security of commuters. That is precisely what CCTV footage of the incident of a college girl being harassed by a gang of youth on a Metro train on October 12 shows.

"The men threatened me in front of Metro security guards and officials," said Prakriti Sharma, the victim in the incident. "I was shocked when the officials, instead of castigating the lewd youth, were only bothered about pacifying them and asking us not to make an issue of it. They later suggested I go to the police. I have given a written complaint to Metro officials as well." In their statement to the police on what transpired in the control room, the security staff of Byapanahalli Metro station corroborated the student's version that the goons did threaten her in front of them. In spite of it, the Metro officials did not summon the police.

That apart, footage of the incident obtained on Thursday clearly shows Prakriti and Veenu Albert, a good Samaritan who stood by Prakriti through her trauma, beckoning a Metro security guard for help, when the train stops at Vivekananda Road Station, but the guard refuses to help out. Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd ( BMRCL) spokesperson, BLY Chavan, had told BM on Monday, by way of atoning for the inaction of the guard, that he "cannot leave the place where he has been deployed". If ever there was a blinkered approach, this is it. The duty of the guards, it appears, is solely to blow a shrill whistle every time a commuter crosses a yellow line on the platform. The women were left to weather the harassment the best they could.

When the two women— a heart-wrenching footage in which Prakriti is tightly holding on to the arm of Veenu — alight from the train at Byappanahalli station, Veenu again enlists the help of Metro staff. One of them refuses to help, pointing vaguely in the direction of an office, but another comes forward. This official then stops the youth, who are about to step on to the escalator. The four youth, the two women and the Metro official then get into an argument.

The boys are taken to the control room. Another 45-minute argument ensues, but Metro staff make no move to call the police. Police too sat on Pakriti's complaint for 10 days, but they are now the trail of the youth.

Police put faces to the goons, launch hunt

Having been pressured and nudged into action, police have finally gained a step forward on the road to obtaining justice for Prakriti.

For 10 days after she had filed a complaint with the Ulsoor police, Prakriti's case appeared to be heading the way of, perhaps, many such cases — into cold storage. Following Bangalore Mirror's report on the incident, police commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar nudged the jurisdictional police into taking action.

On Thursday, police finally obtained CCTV footage of the incident from Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) officials. They now plan to cull photographs of the youths which will be distributed among all Metro security staff — even the ones who were not on duty at the time of the incident — in a couple of days. Metro staff have been instructed to alert the police in case they spy any of the youth on Metro Rail premises. Copies will also be sent to other police stations to help nab the suspects.

CCTV footage, a copy of which is with Bangalore Mirror, closely corroborates every detail of Prakriti's story, right from the time she boards the train to the visit to Metro's control room in Byappannahalli. The four fairly well-dressed youth are seen leering at Prakriti when she boards the train. One of them — dressed in T-shirt, jeans and sneakers — walks over to where she is sitting and passes comments, makes gestures and appears to take pictures of her on his mobile phone. He is then joined by another of his friends, who is dressed in a shirt, pant and sandals. The lewd behavior continues even after Prakriti enlists the help of Veenu, another commuter.

Police have also recorded statements of a few Metro security officials who were on duty at the time of the incident as well as those who were at the control room at the Byappanahalli station. Ulsoor police inspector Mohammed Humayun Naagthe has delegated sub-inspector B Ramamurthy to keep Metro officials posted on the developments. "We have asked Metro security guards to detain the youths if they visit any of the stations and to immediately alert us so that we can arrest them," police said.

If you come across any of them, dial 100 or call up these numbers: Ulsoor police station 9480801226 22942540. Indira Nagar police station - 9480801228, 22942541.

Who are with us ..??

2013-10-11T06:51:00.000-07:00

Think of Someone who can't speak..!!!

2013-06-05T11:22:00.005-07:00

Hi All, Please have a look at dis picture, some speeding vehicle ran over this kitten and left him on d road with tremendous pain. I witness such instances every day at d Pound where injured animals r brought.Therefore have a humble request to u all to say no to hasty driving and also educate your friends and other people as well so that such accidents can be reduced, these animals don't know any traffic rules , but I assume we humans do.

A Home of her own

2012-12-22T00:42:00.001-08:00

By Bina Agrawal

Women’s rights in property, when effectively implemented, can give them a stronger sense of identity and social protection. “We had tongues but could not speak. We had feet but could not walk. Now that we have land we have the strength to speak and walk,” said women in Bihar

For women, effective rights in property are critical, not just for their economic wellbeing but also for their political and social empowerment. Effective rights mean rights not just in law but also in practice, and rights which enable women to exercise control over property. We also need to bring into our discussion property which could be owned or managed by a group of women, rather than only individually owned or managed assets.

The importance of land rights for women

In India’s predominantly agrarian economy, where nearly 58% of the population is still dependent on agriculture, land remains the single most important form of immovable property. In urban India, the equivalent would be, say, a house. Let us examine why women’s command over such property is so important.

For the vast numbers still living in villages, land remains the mainstay of livelihoods. It is the primary factor of production and the main source of income and welfare for millions of families. There is also a strong correlation between landlessness and rural poverty. Even a small plot can protect a family from destitution by providing supplementary income. Secure land access reduces the risk of poverty and enhances food security. Also, those owning some land can negotiate a higher wage in the labour market, since they have something to fall back on and hence greater bargaining power than the landless.

These benefits of possessing land are compounded for women, who are even more dependent on agriculture than men since men have been increasingly migrating to non-farm jobs, leaving their families behind. Land in women’s hands not only enhances their own livelihood options, but also the welfare of their families. Many studies from across the developing world find that women tend to spend a larger proportion of their income from employment or assets on family needs, especially children’s needs, than men. Productive assets such as land in women’s hands are found to significantly enhance prospects for child survival, education and health.

Access to land can also increase household food security in indirect ways, such as by providing domestic fuel. A plot of land with a tree or two can provide firewood (the most important cooking fuel in rural India) and crop waste, which is also used for fuel.

An additional and striking finding from research I did with a colleague a few years ago is the security against domestic violence that owning an immovable asset such as land or house can provide. We studied 502 ever-married women in the 15-49 age-group in rural and urban areas of Thiruvananthapuram district in Kerala, and found that the incidence of spousal physical violence was 49% among those who owned neither land nor house, but only 7% among those who owned both; and 10% and 18% respectively for those who owned only a house or only land. In other words, owning immovable property deterred violence. The centrality of such protection held strong even when we controlled many other factors which could affect women’s risk of spousal violence, such as her and her husband’s educational and employment status, the household’s economic position, the husband’s alcohol abuse, both spouses’ childhood exposure to violence, and so on.

However, being employed (except in the formal sector) did not protect women against violence. In fact, where the woman was employed and the man was not, or she was better employed than him, she faced a higher risk of physical violence. There was no such perverse effect with property: a propertied woman married to a propertyless man faced less and not more violence. Spousal differences in employment status tend to have a perverse effect because husbands often get irked at their wives outperforming them. Moreover, employment does not automatically give a woman a credible exit option, if violence does occur. She may not earn enough to leave a violent spouse, or may not easily find another place to live. With land or a house of her own she has somewhere to go, or she can ask him to leave if they are living in her house.

Apart from welfare benefits, given the feminisation of agriculture, secure land rights for women are necessary for increasing farm output. About 40% of agricultural workers in India are women but their productivity is seriously constrained by their lack of access to land, credit (for which land can serve as collateral), inputs, technical information, and so on. Without land titles, women are not even seen as farmers and seldom benefit from the many government schemes meant for small and marginal farmers. With land they can better access such schemes as well as essential productive inputs such as improved seeds and fertilisers, crop-related information, and markets. According to the FAO’s 2011 State of Agriculture Report, reducing the constraints faced by women farmers in developing countries could raise their farm yields by 20-30% and raise country-level total agricultural output by 2.5-4%, thus making a significant impact on food security.

Often the arguments for women’s rights are made only in terms of gender equality. Indisputably, gender equality is central to creating a just and fair society. But in order to convince policymakers that women need to have land in their own right, we need to draw on multiple arguments, including the potential benefits of gender equality in access to land on agricultural productivity and economic development.

Inheritance rights

Women can gain access to land in many ways: via inheritance, through the state, or through the market. Of these, inheritance is especially important since almost 86% of arable land in India is privately owned. It is sometimes argued that granting daughters equal inheritance rights will fragment landholdings and so reduce farm productivity. There are two problems with this argument. First, fragmentation can occur even when several sons inherit. Hence this cannot justify privileging one sex over another. Second, the unit of ownership (however fragmented) need not be the unit of cultivation. Families often continue to farm together, even when they individually own only a part of the land. And land can be consolidated in many other ways, including by groups of women pooling their plots and cultivating them jointly, as has been happening for many years now in parts of Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.

Another argument that is sometimes made against giving daughters land is that women leave their parental home after marriage and cannot take their land with them. But sons also leave the village for urban jobs. Yet they retain their rights to parental land, which their relatives cultivate for them. Women can make similar arrangements if they inherit land: they can lease it out to their brothers or to someone else, or sell the land and use the receipts to buy a plot in their marital village. Several women from Andhra Pradesh and Kerala recently told me that those were precisely the options they had exercised with the land they had inherited from their parents.

In the Lakshadweep Islands and in Sri Lanka, women in some communities traditionally inherited trees. Women in the Kandyan highlands of Sri Lanka, for instance, told me that their brothers would periodically send them a share of the harvest from the coconut trees they had inherited. In fact, in both Kerala and Sri Lanka, women have customarily had strong rights in landed property. It is no coincidence that these regions also have the best human development indicators in South Asia, although my research on domestic violence strongly suggests the need to probe below the averages as well. Women’s rights in property, when effectively implemented, along with cultural norms that favour post-marital residence within or near the parental village, can jointly serve as important sources of social protection for women. Land also gives a person a stronger sense of identity and citizenship.

Indeed, even simply getting a title to land can be greatly empowering for women in a context where they have none. This is wonderfully encapsulated in the words of women who received land titles for the first time, after a long struggle, through the Bodh Gaya movement in Bihar in the late-1970s. As cited by the movement’s activists, they said: “We had tongues, but could not speak/We had feet, but could not walk. Now that we have land we have the strength to speak and walk.”

The historical context

Historically, in India, we get a mixed picture of women’s rights in property, as I have elaborated at length in my book, A Field of One’s Own. At the outset, it is important to emphasise that Indian women have always had some rights in property, but these rights were mediated by two important factors: one was the distinction made between movable and immovable property, the other was women’s regional location.

The distinction between movable and immovable property has been (and continues to be) of great importance, and is ancient. It was central to the debates on women’s rights in property as laid out in the Dharmashastras. Women in patrilineal communities (which covered most of India) had important rights in movable property, such as jewellery, clothes, household effects, etc, given to them as stridhan at the time of marriage. But they rarely received land or the ancestral home. Movable property, however, does not bring the same benefits as immovable property. It can be taken away by in-laws, or sold by the husband in a crisis (for example, famine literature indicates that women’s jewellery is often sold off first, while the husband retains his plot of land, leaving a woman vulnerable to being abandoned). Also, as noted, it is immovable property which provides economic and social protection to women in situations of marital conflict.

Within the overall limitations on women to rights in immovable property, however, there were historically important geographic and community variations. To begin with, notwithstanding scriptural prescriptions, women in south and west India did occasionally own land in practice. There is evidence dating from the 10th to the 17th centuries, for instance, of women (especially widows) donating land to temples in south India. But they did not have full control over the property to use as they wished. The donations were for the spiritual benefit of the deceased, such as husbands. The idea that a woman should have independent rights over immovable property, which she can bequeath, sell, mortgage, or use as she wishes is a relatively modern one.

Another major geographic variation stemmed from the presence of matrilineal communities in parts of India, notably in the south (especially Kerala) and the northeast (in present-day Meghalaya). Here, women inherited immovable property although their control over it was often mediated through male relatives. Also, such matrilineal communities typically practised cross-cousin and within-village marriages so that the land remained within the extended family and could be supervised by it.

Even these traditions, however, began to erode during the colonial period, especially with changes in the law brought about by the British in the early-20th century. Among Kerala’s Nayars, for instance, a range of enactments which changed marriage and estate laws circumvented women’s rights in property and their social freedoms. Importantly, the legal changes were neither discussed with the women in these communities, nor were the petitions they submitted seeking protection of their rights given due attention.

At the same time, the early-20th century also saw the emergence of a number of women’s organisations demanding stronger inheritance rights for women in a predominantly patrilineal context. This was one of the central issues taken up by organisations such as the All-India Women’s Conference and the Women’s Indian Association. In A Field of One’s Own I trace the history of that period in detail, and will not repeat it here. But an important part of that history was the setting up by the government of the Rau Committee in the 1940s. The committee’s recommendations were quite radical for its time. It recommended enactment of a Hindu Code with provisions for stronger inheritance rights for women, more liberal divorce laws, etc. Encapsulated in the Hindu Code Bill of 1947, the provisions were widely debated in the Legislative Assembly. Both Dr B R Ambedkar and Jawaharlal Nehru were committed to the bill but it was deferred till after the first general election of independent India of 1951, because of resistance from conservative elements within the Congress.

As finally passed, the original elements of the Hindu Code Bill were unpacked and enacted in four separate Acts, including the Hindu Succession Act (HSA) of 1956 which dealt with inheritance. In retrospect, I think it was actually very helpful that there were four separate Acts, since this made it easier to subsequently reform the HSA in women’s favour. For instance in 2005, when I worked for the amendment of the HSA to make it gender-equal, the chances of success would have been greatly diminished if issues of succession had got enmeshed with issues of marriage and divorce.

The situation today

The Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act 2005 (HSAA 2005) was, in fact, a landmark. It brought all agricultural land on par with other forms of property, and made Hindu women’s inheritance rights in land legally equal to men’s across states. The amended Act also made all daughters (married and unmarried) coparceners along with sons in joint family property, with the same rights to shares, to claim partition, and (by presumption) to become kartas (managers) of that property. It also gave daughters the same rights as sons to reside in and seek partition of the family dwelling house.

The amended Act is thus a significant legal step forward and has the potential for substantially empowering women. In particular, the removal of legal hurdles to women inheriting agricultural land has the potential of benefitting millions of women. But we still have to examine the impact of the Act on the ground. So far we have little information on this count. In fact, we still do not have systematic data across the country on women’s actual ownership of immovable property.

A 1991 survey in seven states by development sociologist Marty Chen, although on a small sample, is indicative. It showed that only 13% of women whose fathers owned land had inherited any as daughters, although Kerala did much better with a figure of 43%. We also know from the Agricultural Census of 1995-96 (when gender-disaggregated data was collected) that women held only 9.5% of all operational (that is cultivated) landholdings. We need more up-to-date information, however. And there is a strong case for strengthening the statistical database by disaggregating land owned and operated by gender in the agricultural censuses and NSS surveys.

Moreover, although we now have a gender-equal inheritance law for Hindu women, there have been few efforts by women’s organisations to use the amended law innovatively or raise awareness about it. In contrast, the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, which was also passed in 2005, has received substantial attention from women’s groups. The neglect of the HSAA 2005 by women’s groups is surprising, since the Act can go a long way in protecting women even from domestic violence. The HSAA, as noted, allows women to reside in their parental home, as a right and not on sufferance. It also gives women substantial rights by birth in coparcenary parental property -- rights which cannot be negated through wills. These rights could go a long way in providing women the economic security they need to leave violent marriages and carve out more independent lives. It is time the enormous potential of the HSAA 2005 in empowering women and improving their economic and social wellbeing is given due cognisance, both by civil society groups and the government. This can be done by spreading awareness about its provisions among women and communities in general; providing legal aid to women who wish to exercise their rights legally; and strengthening social support for those who need it to deal with any negative fallout from families.

In the long term, of course, it is not desirable that families be torn apart by litigation over property. What we would want is a voluntary recognition by society that daughters are equal to sons in terms of their rights over property, especially immovable property. This will need substantial attitudinal change, which is happening to some extent. Demographically too, as families become smaller, this could become more of a reality.

(Bina Agrawal is a prize-winning development economist and Professor of Economics at the Institute of Economic Growth in Delhi. Her work, A Field of One’s Own: Gender and Land Rights in South Asia, was published by Cambridge University Press in 1994. She also spearheaded a successful campaign for the comprehensive amendment of the 1956 HSA which resulted in the enactment of HSAA 2005)

Consuming cheese may harm possibilities of becoming father

2012-10-24T01:34:00.000-07:00

London: Young men who eat more than three pieces of cheese a day may be jeopardizing their possibilities of becoming dads, a new research has exposed.

Even little full-fat milk meals have been proven to considerably damage their infertility.

Harvard instructors have found that men who eat just three sections a day had lesser top quality sperm cell in comparison to others.

A section involved an ounces of dairy products (28g), a tsp. of lotion, a information of ice lotion or cup of full-fat milk products.

The scientists believe that women hormones that happen normally in milk products may be disrupting male's capability to recreate.

Until lately, professionals have been far more worried with how female's diet plans are impacting their happened of having children.

But there is improving proof that male's way of life – and most importantly what they eat – may be just as important.

Scientist from the Stanford School of Public Health in Birkenstock celtics, the US, in comparison the diet plans of 189 men outdated 19 to 25.

None were obese - they were all very fit and did at least one and a half hour’s exercise per weeks time.

They had each loaded in a set of questions responding to how often they ate milk products products, fruit, various meats and other types of meals during a common weeks time.

The scientists also checked out their sperm cell, such as how fast it journeyed and its form.

They found that the sperm cell of men who ate more than three areas full-fat milk meals a day was 25 percent lesser top quality than those who had less.

Myriam Afeiche, who led the research, described that the women hormonal excess estrogen in milk products that had come from the cow may be impacting male's infertility.

Natural tea consumers show lower melanoma risks

2012-10-24T01:30:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Mature females who consistently consume natural tea may have a little bit reduced threats of digestive tract, abdomen and neck malignancies than females who make no here we are at tea, a large studies suggest.

Researchers found that of more than 69,000 China females followed for a several years, those who consumed natural tea at least three periods per weeks time were 14 % less likely to create a melanoma of the intestinal tract.

That mainly intended reduced possibility of digestive tract, abdomen and esophageal malignancies.

No one can say whether natural tea, itself, is the reason. Green-tea fans are often more health-conscious in common.

The research did try to consideration for that, said mature specialist Dr. Wei Zheng, who leads epidemiology at Vanderbilt School School of Medication in Chattanooga.

None of the females used or consumed liquor consistently. And the scientists gathered information on their diet plans, exercise routines, weight and record.

Even with those things considered, females tea routines stayed connected to their melanoma threats, Zheng mentioned.

Still, he said in an email, this type of research cannot confirm cause-and-effect.

What's more, past research have so far come to unreliable conclusions on whether green-tea consumers really do have reduced melanoma threats. All of those research are affected by the fact that it's hard to separate the impact of a single food in a individuals diet on the chance of melanoma.

Really, the only types of research that can give powerful proof of cause-and-effect are scientific research, wherein individuals would be arbitrarily allocated to use natural tea in some form, or not.

But few scientific research have checked out whether natural tea can cut melanoma danger, and their results have been unreliable, according to the Nationwide Cancer Institution.

There is "strong evidence" from lab research - in creatures and in human tissues - that natural tea has the potential to battle melanoma, Zheng's group creates in the United states Publication of Clinical Nourishment.

Green tea contains certain anti-oxidant substances - particularly a substance known as EGCG - that may avoid the body-cell harm that can lead to melanoma and other illnesses.

For their research, Zheng and his co-workers used information from a long-running wellness research of over 69,000 middle-aged and older China females. More than 19,000 were regarded frequent green-tea consumers. (They had the consume at least three periods weekly.)

Over 11 decades, 1,255 females designed a melanoma of the intestinal tract. In common, the threats were somewhat reduced when a lady consumed natural tea often and for decades.

For example, females who said they'd consistently had natural tea for at least 20 decades were 27 % less likely than non-drinkers to create any intestinal tract melanoma. And they were 29 % less likely to create intestinal tract melanoma, particularly.

None of that shows you should begin consuming natural tea to combat melanoma.

Women who felled a lot of natural tea in this research were also young, ate more fruits and vegetables and veggies, worked out more and had higher-income tasks. The scientists modified their information for all those variations - but, they create, it's not possible to completely consideration for everything.

If you want to begin consuming natural tea, it's regarded safe in average volumes, says the Nationwide Center for Supporting and Alternative Medication. But the tea and its ingredients do contain caffeinated drinks, which some individuals may need to avoid.

Green tea also contains little supplement K, which means it could intervene with medication that avoid blood clots, like warfarin. Since many mature citizens are on several medicines, it's sensible for them to discuss with their physicians before using natural tea as a wellness pick-me-up.

Gum Disease can be caused by Kissing Dogs

2012-10-24T01:25:00.000-07:00

New York, Oct 23: Dog owners who hug their creatures - or let them coat their lips - could capture gum condition, experts have cautioned.

Japanese scientists analyzed oral dental plaque from 66 creatures, as well as oral dental plaque from 81 individuals from Asia who frequented a dog-training school or creature medical center during 2011, the New York Daily News reveals.

They performed research to find the use of 11 disease-causing oral bacteria-called "periodontopathic" species-in the oral plaque.

They discovered that three kinds of disease-causing oral parasites were especially frequent in the dogs' oral plaque: Porphyromonas gulae, which was discovered in 71.2 % of the dogs' samples; Tannerella forsythia, which was discovered in 77.3 % of the dogs' samples; and Campylobacter rectus, which was discovered in 66.7 % of the dogs' examples.

There were small rates of the same parasites in the individuals.

"The results," the scientists determined, "suggest that several periodontopathic types could be passed on between individuals and their partner."

Dr. Ann Hohenhaus at the Animal Medical Center in New York said the research doesn't confirm effectively that getting creatures presents any risk and added, "Organisms are not consistent across the board."

But, said Honehaus, "the whole thing when individuals say animals' lips are better than ours doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me."

"Dogs have a lot of parasites in their lips," she said.

The research has been released in the Records of Oral Chemistry.

Odisha dengue situations go up to 1,520

2012-10-24T01:18:00.000-07:00

Bhubaneswar, Oct 24 (IANS) Odisha Wednesday verified one more dengue situation in the condition, taking the count of those contaminated to 1,520; the dengue cost this season is six.

A man examined wednesday in Khordha region. With this, the variety of individuals who have examined good for dengue in the condition this season appears at 1,520, combined home of the condition health division M.M. Pradhan told IANS.

The condition has so far revealed six fatalities this season. Among the deceased was a medical undergraduate who passed away during treatment at a private medical center in Bhubaneswar last week, Pradhan said.

While only one situation was revealed this Wednesday, a day before that, 15 cases were revealed, Pradhan said.

At least 33 individuals were murdered, mostly in the Talcher place of Angul region, by the popular disease last season.

This season, the govt had taken safety actions. The variety of fatalities have dropped this season, in comparison to last, Pradhan said, including that the variety of sufferers revealed from Talcher place this season has been "negligible".

Vedanta Khushi-Tribal Kids of Odisha Need Education

2012-10-22T04:54:00.000-07:00

UDAIPUR: Native indian Govt has been acutely working towards the well being of tribe inhabitants in the nation – their health, knowledge, nourishment, and overall upliftment. These tribals have been concealing from the primary flow for long now. When the nation is seeing overall development, there is a necessary need to carry them as well in the primary flow and particularly their kids, who are far away from great quality knowledge.

The ignorant mother and father have left their kids limited too of great quality knowledge.

State Odisha happens to be leading the list of Declares that homes highest possible inhabitants below the hardship line and also in case of tribe inhabitants – refers to the latest study by UNICEF. The review also refers to that Odisha is also the Condition where tribe areas represent almost half of the state’s inadequate inhabitants. The knowledge rate in these areas is among the smallest in the nation with great numbers of university dropouts.

Even after understanding all this, there are still many comments who require on “not to carry these tribals in the primary stream” and want to ignore them, leave them, where they are and how they stay. The zones of Kalahandi and Rayagada where the Dongria Kondh and Kutia Kondh communities live, the perception is still in existence to keep the medication on the roof-top for the lord to eat for their treat.

VEDANTA KHUSHI strategy has achieved these tribe areas and through constant guidance has pursuated the kids of tribals to go to official educational institutions. These tribe kids are part of Bissumcuttack, Muniguda and Kalyansinghpur prevents of Rayagada region which is primarily populated by Dongria Kondh group. Now these tribe kids demand knowledge.

100 tribe and in reverse kids would now be going to official university. They are being offered great quality knowledge through “Kalinga Institution of Public Technology (KISS)”, Bhubaneswar. All the learners have been offered with free constant, guides, invitations items, getting on and accommodations features, as aspect of the educational support.

The Kalinga Institution of Public Technology (KISS) has been established with the purpose to carry tribe kids into popular knowledge with sufficient features in a maintainable atmosphere that would ensure a new beginning and a good chance.

In the first stage of the effort, 63 tribe learners in the age group of 5-8 years have been sent to this Institution. The rest 37 learners would be sent in the second stage.

When we know that Native indian homes the most of kids in the world and also that 1/3rd of the undernourished kids stay in Native indian, and further that there are Declares who are great on tribe inhabitants, all of us, such as the Govt, Corporates and people at large need to come forward and be aspect of this change.

Poverty in Germany traced to childhood inequalities

2012-09-25T11:21:00.002-07:00

Poverty remains the greatest risk for a child's development in Germany, according to a long-term study released on Tuesday. Social experts say more than 2.5 million children in Germany live in poverty.

The long-term study by AWO, a charity with links to trade unions, and Germany's ISS social educational institute tracked 900 children in diverse family settings over 15 years. It concludes that the determining factors are the parents' educational backgrounds, level of income and family structure.

While 51 percent of the children remained in long-term poverty, the study found that the expression "born poor, stay poor" did not always apply.

AWO chairman Wolfgang Stadler said better futures for children are possible when parents, kindergartens and schools cooperate.

"It depends on continual caregiving," Stadler said when presenting the study in Berlin on Tuesday.

One critical moment is whether the switch from kindergarten to primary school is poorly coordinated.

Better resourced youth and child services "must take more responsibility for childrens' development," Stadler said. "Only then can social justice and equality be produced."

The study also found that young adults living in single-parent families received less personal attention at home. In these cases, poorer children were found to be more self-sufficient.

In poorer families, 51 percent of parents believed that their children were old enough to care for themselves; that number was just 35 percent in families not trapped in poverty.

‘Most of Them Can Be Helped’: Building a Language of Disability

2012-09-25T11:20:00.003-07:00

These cerebral palsy radio spots, recorded in 1951 for the United Cerebral Palsy Fund, highlight the ideas and words applied to children born with disabilities.

A slew of celebrities talk about “pity,” “shame,” and “handicaps” -- but also of “living with dignity” and proactive therapies. Surprisingly, many spots draw listeners in with pleas about feeling helpless about the war and injured soldiers; “there are people you can help…” Bob Hope offers, “children born with cerebral palsy.”

Decades later, Americans are still struggling for appropriate words to describe disability. 2012 brought the celebration of the London Olympics, and later, of the Paralympics. In coverage of the Paralympics, several news outlets focused on the words used to describe athletes, with some parties advocating to drop the term “disabled” from media coverage.

But while much of the language of these service announcements from 1951 may shock listeners with unsubtle references to “twisted little limbs,” our current language may be far from medically accurate or culturally appropriate. Radio especially provides a preserved moment of language and tone, and one can only assume the UCPF had the best of intentions, as do advocates today. Cognitive Scientists sometimes use the term euphemism treadmill to describe this phenomenon of pejoration -- one offensive term being discarded for a new word which eventually causes the same offense.

Individuals with disabilities are a large, if not the largest, minority group in America. Along with medical and social advances, ideally the rhetoric of disability will keep evolving.

Just not poster girl, will do ground work: Aishwarya

2012-09-25T11:14:00.000-07:00

Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, the newly appointed UN Goodwill Ambassadorfor UNAIDS, says she does not want to be just a "poster girl" for the organisation but will help break social barriers and stigmas that are attached with the disease.

In her new role, Aishwarya will help raise awareness on issues related to stopping new HIV infections in children and advocate for increased access to anti-retroviral treatment.

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe announced Aishwarya's appointment as the Goodwill Ambassador at a press conference in New York on Monday. Aishwarya said it is an "honour and privilege" to be working with the UN and focusing on the work that needs to be done in the area of AIDS/HIV.

"I will initially be like a student, holding the hand of the organisation which will lead me to the real picture on the ground," Aishwarya, wearing a chic black dress said at the press conference.

She said she is exchanging ideas with UNAIDS on what steps need to be taken and how to work with women in educating them and helping them break social barriers and stigmas that are attached with the disease. "I dont want to be just a poster girl, dont want to be just part of a platform that will have my face and quotes and voice," Aishwarya said, adding she would be going to sites across India and other countries, interact with people, appeal to governments and talk with pharma companies to see what works need to be done in the area.

Bachchan said she had been approached several years ago by the UN to be part of several programmes and causes but due to her packed movie schedule, she could not make the time to be associated with the initiatives. "Now I am planning my time forward," she said, adding having been "wonderfully blessed" with a daughter, she can now take time off.

"It has been an absolute pleasure to take time off and take care of my daughter," Aishwarya said. She said she is in a "good" point in her life where she is planning her career ahead, while also giving personal time to her family and daughter.

Lending her support to social causes like AIDS is not just the cliched "Miss World" talk, she said, adding over the years she has taken one step at a time and given her voice to causes as effectively as she could at that point in time.

"This is a turning point in my life. I wanted to be associated with the UN at a time when I could actually contribute to the work and the causes," she said, adding that having the blessing of celebrity will allow her to take her message to a larger audience.

Aishwary said not many women in India, affected with HIV/AIDS come forward and seek help due to fear of social stigma, lack of awareness and education. She said there is need to spread awareness among women and children that there is hope for them and they should come forward to get adequate medical care for themselves.

"By coming on board, I hope to give further impetus to the work that UNAIDS has done and further contribute to the help spread the message," Aishwary said.

She said it is a "hugely positive step" that UNAIDS believes it is possible to eliminate new HIV infections among children by 2015. "UNAIDS' passion is infectious and I would like to contribute to it. This is shared responsibility and we can achieve it and make it possible," she said, adding it will be a "blessing" to have a generation born free of HIV.

Sidibe welcomed Aishwary to the UNAIDS family. "Aishwarya is respected and admired by millions of people around the world," said Sidibe. "I am convinced that through her global outreach, Aishwary can help UNAIDS reach its goal of eliminating new HIV infections among children by 2015."

The main focus of Aishwary will be to advocate for the Global Plan towards the elimination of new HIV infections among children and keeping their mothers alive. This plan was launched at the United Nations in June 2011.

The Global Plan focuses on 22 countries including India, which account for more than 90 per cent of all new HIV infections among children. Twenty one of them are in sub-Saharan Africa, where the estimated number of children newly infected with HIV fell by 25 per cent, from 360 000 in 2009 to 270 000 in 2011.

Progress in sub-Saharan Africa has been made possible through rapid improvement in access to services that prevent new infections in children. There was a dramatic increase in coverage of services in the 21 sub-Saharan African countries between 2009 and 2011: from 34 per cent to 61 per cent.

HIV transmission rates from mother-to child have also declined since 2010 with the introduction of more effective prophylaxis regimens. "Through her work in raising awareness of the issues and advocating for increased access to services Mrs Rai Bachchan will be instrumental in helping to ensure that no more babies are born with HIV and that their mothers stay alive and healthy," said Sidibe.

"We look forward to working with her to reach our collective goals."

UNAIDS is the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS that leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths.

Step to "Quit Smoking"

2012-07-26T00:47:00.001-07:00

Quit smoking comfortably and permanently with '10 Steps to Become a Non-smoker'

Would you rather be an ex-smoker that craves cigarettes - or a non-smoker who never gives them a thought?

We think we know the answer - but read on to find out why the '10 Steps to Become a Non-Smoker' hypnosis download pack will enable you to stop smoking for good, and never crave another cigarette.
Most smokers have experienced it more than once. Several weeks down the road to quitting for good, then...

One slip and all that effort wasted

All those good intentions made; cravings resisted; plans laid and for what?
A few weeks off the cigarettes.

And every time, it seems like it's OK to do it. But why?

Because addiction is very clever, that's why, and it works at an unconscious level.

So however strong your conviction is to start with, addiction waits until you are at a 'low' point, and then strikes.

And suddenly you find yourself making up the most incredibly creative reasons for why it's OK to have 'just that one'.

So how can you stay stopped?

There is a profound difference between a smoker that has stopped smoking and a non-smoker. The smoker courageously resists having a cigarette, while the non-smoker couldn't think of anything worse than smoking.

You've probably heard those people who quit smoking 10 years ago and still say "Every time I have a beer I still want a cigarette" - if you are trying to stop smoking that is a terrifying thing to hear!

But it simply means is that they only quit smoking at a conscious level - that is they decided to stop, and stopped. Unconsciously, smoking is still an attractive prospect for them.

If you're going to quit smoking, do the job right

There are a million and one ways to stop smoking... from nicotene patches and chewing gum to tablets, lozenges, inhalers and Zyban the stop smoking drug. In addition, there are plenty of people out there willing to tell you how to stop smoking - quit tips are everywhere.

But they all miss one vital component - the unconscious mind.

If you are going to make the effort to free yourself from the terrible effects of smoking, why not do it right? Use a proper smoking cessation program that will leave you free of the desire to smoke.

Maharashtra NGOs 'failed' in preventing AIDS

2012-07-16T01:26:00.002-07:00

Evaluation by National Aids Control Organization (NACO) says that non-government organizations (NGOs) in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra have not been able to meet key parameters to prevent spread of HIV or AIDS. The organization termed the NGOs’ efforts as 'failure'.

Eight NGOs handling about 13 projects in Mumbai, Nagpur, Aurangabad, and Jalna were found guilty on various counts. The NGOs include Humsafar (Mumbai), Marathwada Gramin Vikas Sanstha, Udaan Trust & Prerna Samajik Sanstha (Aurangabad), Setu Charitable Trust (Jalna), Indian Red Cross Society, Indian Institute of Youth Welfare, and Sarathi Trust (Nagpur). These organizations get annual grants amounting to Rs 2 crore-Rs 3 crore. They were found guilty of wrong or zero maintenance of financial records, fabrication of disease data, inactiveness in spreading awareness, and not carrying out routine checks for STD infections.

The Humsafar Trust that was handling three projects in Mahim, Mulund, and Mankhurd was found lacking in its efforts to spread awareness and propagate safe sex practices among men having sex with men (MSM group). The report maintained that 10 of 13 projects had failed completely.

Although NACO has not made any official statement, the organization’s official who accessed the report told The Times of India that NGOs had failed to bring about any behavioural change in their targeted groups. The NGOs failed to ensure that those with high chances of HIV infection went for tests every six months. The source said that many of these NGOs had not visited their project areas in months.

Indian NGOs received Rs 40,000 crore in foreign grants

2012-07-16T01:25:00.002-07:00

Foreign contribution of nearly Rs 40,000 crore has been received by 77,000 NGOs across the country in four years beginning 2005-06.

During financial year 2005-06, altogether 18,650 NGOs received Rs 7,889.12 crore, while 19,462 NGOs received Rs 11,111.12 crore in 2006-07, Minister of State for Home Mullappally Ramachandran confirmed in Rajya Sabha today. Rs 9,723.96 crore was received by 19,247 NGOs in 2007-08 and Rs 10,837.49 crore was received by 20,499 NGOs in 2008-09.

Last week, citing financial irregularities and corruption, the government had barred 42 NGOs from receiving foreign grants while 36 NGOs have been kept under the ‘prior permission’ category. These NGOs will have to seek nod from the authorities before accepting any donation from abroad.

Premature birth causes almost half the child deaths in India

2012-07-16T01:24:00.002-07:00

Nearly half of all child deaths in India are caused due to premature births, making it the second leading cause in the country, claims a report by international NGO Save the Children. The number one cause is pneumonia.

The report, ‘Born Too Soon: The Global Action Report on Preterm Birth’, informs that India has the highest number of children dying of preterm births – defined as birth within less than 37 weeks of pregnancy. To quote UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who wrote the foreword to the report, “All newborns are vulnerable but preterm babies are acutely so.”

Of the 27 million babies born in India annually (2010 figure), nearly 3.6 million are born prematurely, of which 303,600 do not survive due to complications. According to the report, India is among the top 10 countries that account for 60 per cent of the world’s preterm births. In terms of preterm birth rates – the number of children born prematurely per 1,000 live births – India ranks 36. The ranking includes 199 countries.

Save the Children India CEO Thomas Chandy said factors such as early marriage, inadequate nutritional intake by pregnant women, and lack of adequate health interventions are the reasons that contribute to preterm births. Preterm risk factors include a prior history of pre-term birth, underweight, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, smoking, infection, maternal age (either under 17 or over 40), genetics, multi-foetal pregnancy (twins, triplets, and higher), and pregnancies spaced too closely.

The report proposes that India can reduce deaths by 50 per cent through better management of neonatal infections, improved thermal care, feeding support, and scaling up Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC). In KMC, the premature baby is put in early, prolonged, and continuous direct skin-to-skin contact with the mother or a family member to provide stable warmth and encourage frequent breastfeeding.

Worldwide, 15 million babies are born too soon every year and 1.1 million of those babies die shortly after birth, making premature birth the second leading cause of death in children under age 5. As per the report, of the 11 countries with preterm birth rates over 15 per cent, all but two are in sub-Saharan Africa. Preterm births account for 11.1 per cent of the world’s live births, 60 per cent of them in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Countries with the greatest numbers of preterm births

1. India -- 3,519,100

2. China -- 1,172,300

3. Nigeria -- 773,600

4. Pakistan -- 748,100

5. Indonesia -- 675,700

6. United States -- 517,400

7. Bangladesh -- 424,100

8. Philippines -- 348,900

9. Democratic Republic of the Congo -- 341,400

10. Brazil -- 279,300

2012-07-06T03:44:00.002-07:00

‘Social change needed to eradicate untouchability’

2012-06-30T03:13:00.000-07:00

The book was the Tamil translation of the English work ‘Obamas of America and Dalits of India’ by the same author.

Social change is the need of the hour for eradicating untouchability, which continues to play havoc with the country , said speakers at a function to release the Tamil book titled ‘Amerikkavin Obamakkalum and Indiavin Dalithukalum’ written by senior Left leader and author D.Gnaniah.

The function was brought up by the Tiruchi-based Samooga Sinthanai Uyirpiyakkam in the city on Thursday.

he book was the Tamil translation of the English work ‘Obamas of America and Dalits of India’ by the same author.

The book was a comparison of heinous practices of slavery in America and untouchability on the basis of caste system in India.

Untouchability has been plaguing our society for many years. While slavery in America was an offshoot of an exploitative economic order, the caste system in India has social and religious dimensions .

The unrelenting battles launched and sacrifices made by leaders and social reformers like Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, Malcolm X, against slavery and racial discrimination for decades together paved way for Obama to become the first black President of the United States.

The caste system and discrimination in the name of caste has taken deep roots in the country and could not be done away with despite leaders like Ambedkar, Periyar, Singaravelar waging a grim battle.

In both the countries, the fight against caste oppression was waged through peaceful, constitutional and democratic means, the book explained.

M.Selvaraj, convener of the Samooga Sinthanai Uyirpiyakkam, who released the book, said that he did not agree with the author that cultural revolution will be able to put an end to caste oppression in Indian society.

Only a class struggle-an integrated struggle combining political, ideological and economical aspects-will bring about change.

People should have social outlook to check issues like honour killing, Mr.Selvaraj added.

Ravikumar, former MLA and general secretary of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, who received the first copy, said that all right thinking individuals should take along Marx and Ambedkar together while dealing with social issues.

He regretted that Ambedkar has not been accepted in full and there is an urgent need for the Left and Dalits to come together.

Mr.Gnaniah in his acceptance speech regretted that every issue, whether a minor or a major, is viewed in a casteist perspective and this should be done away with.

The government should enact a law preventing marriage within the same caste as this will go a long way in checking this trend, he added.

S.Kamaraj presided over the function.

Bhubaneswar : 19 Odia kids rescued from Tamil Nadu home

2012-06-27T21:46:00.000-07:00

BHUBANESWAR: As many as 19 children from Orrisa were rescued from illegal confinement from a children's home in Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu on Tuesday night. The development came five days after the rescue of 18 kids from Kanyakumari district in the south Indian state, raising the total number of those saved so far to 37.

A four-member team from Odisha is camping in Tamil Nadu to bring back all the rescued children, director of social welfare (Odisha) Sujata R Karthikeyan said. They will probably arrive in Orrisa either on Thursday or Friday, after all formalities are completed there, she added.

The DSW told TOI on Wednesday that the 19 children could be rescued because of a tip-off from those freed earlier. The government is yet to zero in on the exact cause behind the trafficking and its route.

"The children told our team members that seven more kids were stuck in the home near Coimbatore from where they were shifted to the church in Kanyakumari district. The team alerted the district administration, which raided the home at Mettupalayam and saved 19 children. According to our information, it is being run by one Blessing Trust," Karthikeyan said.

"The 19 children are now in custody of the child welfare committee of Coimbatore. They will join the 18 children rescued earlier at the authorized home Saranalayam near Tirunelveli before being brought to Odisha," the DSW said. The children are mainly from Gajapati and Rayagada districts, she said.

The government is investigating whether these children were purchased or sent by their poor parents on the genuine belief that they will get better upbringing. But in any case, the trafficking is illegal and follow up will be done so that once returned, these children are not trafficked again, the DSW said.

Social Problems in India

2012-06-26T05:17:00.000-07:00

There are many social issues in India that are being ignored to a certain extent, resulting in these serious problems becoming rather dominant ones that threaten the peaceful existence of our country. One of the most serious one among these is the problem of HIV and drug abuse. Owing to the increased awareness regarding substitute drugs for conventional ones like cannabis and heroin. The most popular prescription drug that has been doing the rounds these days is opiate pethidine. Most of the youngsters who are drug addicts, and can't find a regular supply of the conventional drugs start with cannabis and then move on to such prescription drugs due to the easy availability of the latter. This social cause is increasingly becoming an alarming area of concern.

In the north eastern states, sharing syringes is the new 'weapon' for infections. Close to 1.7% of the country's HIV infections are caused due to sharing these needles, up from 0.9% some time back. Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh have also joined the ranks as the new sources for injecting drugs, and are thus potentially life threatening areas as far as HIV being one of the social problems in India is concerned. As per the UNAIDS 2009 report, HIV prevalence in Eastern Europe and Central Asia can be as high as 70% among those who inject drugs. This has resulted in public health experts asking the government to lift the bans on drugs like methadone and buprenorphine, which are used as vital ingredients of the substitution maintenance therapy at de addiction centres, so as to save the maximum number of lives that can be saved.

The next area of concern in terms of social issues is gender bias in health. Over the past decade, the government has launched the National Rural Health Mission with the sole intention of rectifying rural inequality in terms of health. A majority of these schemes and programmes are exceptionally planned and meticulously detailed out at the initial stage, but fall flat at the execution level. Local communities are supposedly empowered regarding public health, and health plans are required to be drawn by each village by health committees within their respective Panchayats. However, the Panchayati Raj, the fountain-head of grass roots democracy, is one of the chief sources of the social problems in India, and has a reputation of manipulating the authority given to it and putting it to wrong use. Even though the caste and religion biases have been considerably done away with in recent times, the bias against women across all castes and religion is still prevalent. Right from the figures of the sex ratio in India, once can see that right from the infant stage, a female is considered as some kind of a stigma on the family, and this thinking continues till adulthood and old age. Also, women are conditioned to silently put up with this kind of behaviour because there seems no reprieve in the society in which they live. Even in terms of diseases, when a woman and man suffer from the same predicament, and the treatment is an expensive one, the man would always get preference over the latter.

In order to evolve as a developed country, it is necessary that we take care of these social problems and resolve them at the earliest, so that the society can indeed be a fair and impartial one.

Girls, Women and Poverty

2012-06-26T05:15:00.001-07:00

Systematic discrimination against girls and women in the world’s poorest countries will prevent the United Nations from meeting its goals to reduce poverty. Girls and women were more likely to be poor, hungry, illiterate or sick than boys and men. According to Action Aid which produced the report in South Asia women are getting a shrinking share of income as the economy grows. Amid growing concern that the millennium development goals set by UN for 2015 will not be met, Action Aid said a focus on women was vital to put the international community back on track.

Racism

2012-06-26T05:10:00.000-07:00

Racism is the belief that characteristics and abilities can be attributed to people simply on the basis of their race and that some racial groups are superior to others. Racism and discrimination have been used as powerful weapons encouraging fear or hatred of others in times of conflict and war, and even during economic downturns.

Racism is also a very touchy subject for some people, as issues concerning free speech and Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights come into play. Some people argue that talking about supporting racial discrimination and prejudice is just words and that free speech should allow such views to be aired without restriction. Others point out that these words can lead to some very dire and serious consequences (the Nazi government policies being one example).

Racism in Asia

In Cambodia, there has been a strong anti-Vietnamese sentiment.
In Indonesia there has been a lot of violence against the affluent Chinese population who have been blamed for economic problems that have plagued the country in recent years.

As noted by Wikipedia in an article on racism, “until 2003, Malaysia enforced discriminatory laws limiting access to university education for Chinese students who are citizens by birth of Malaysia, and many other laws explicitly favoring bumiputras (Malays) remain in force.”In India, there has long been discrimination against what is considered the lowest class in Hinduism, the Dalits, or untouchables, as well as sectarian and religious violence. Although it has been outlawed by the Indian Constitution, the caste system was a way to structure inequality into the system itself. And while outlawed, the social barriers it creates is still prevalent in rural areas where most Indians live. It also features in the view of Hindu extremists and traditionalists.
At various times, there have also been tensions between different religious groups, such as Hindus and Muslims with both sides having their fair share of extremists. While this is not racism, technically — as people of all classes are of the same race — the prejudice that had come with the caste system is quite similar to what is seen with racism.