-The Times of India MUMBAI: Runny noses and stomach flu aren't the only ills associated with overcast skies. The absence of sunlight hits production of Vitamin D in the body, adversely affecting blood pressure. A recent study in London by an Indian-born researcher has proved beyond doubt that the lower the vitamin level, the higher the BP. Vitamin D is synthesized when the sun's ultraviolet rays fall on the skin. But the...
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A misnomer called food security -Charan Singh and Arvind Virmani
-The Indian Express The proposed bill makes false promises. The need is to directly address problems of drinking water availability, sanitation, maternal health and childcare The Food Security Bill (2013, FSB) promulgated recently by an ordinance is expected to be debated in Parliament soon. The intention behind the FSB is noble, to eradicate hunger from the country, but the means adopted need serious reconsideration. FSB, under the targeted public distribution system (TPDS),...
More »Ahead of World Hepatitis Day, UN urges greater efforts to fight ‘silent epidemic’
-The United Nations Only one-third of the world's countries have national strategies for viral hepatitis, the United Nations health agency today said urging Governments to scale up measures to tackle this ‘silent epidemic,' in particular the five types that, over time, cause chronic and debilitating illnesses. "The fact that many hepatitis B and C Infections are silent, causing no symptoms until there is severe damage to the liver, points to the urgent...
More »Rains worsen plight of elderly in Chennai -K Lakshmi and Serena Josephine M
-The Hindu Since June, at least 60 senior citizens have been abandoned on the streets Chennai: Nagarunissa, who is in her 70s, has been living on the pavement along Sydenhams Road in Periamet for several years. She depends on local residents for food, and with folded hands, thanks passers-by who give her money. "My son lives in Bangalore, but I have been here for the past 20 years. I sit here all day...
More »UN children’s agency lauds Bangladesh’s vow to ending preventable child deaths before 2035
-The United Nations The United Nations children's agency today commended the Government of Bangladesh for committing to end preventable child deaths in the country before 2035, building on its success of lowering maternal and child mortality. "There's a lot to learn from Bangladesh. Between 1991 and 2011, under-five deaths fell by almost 75 per cent, thanks, in part, to its commitment to innovation and knowledge-sharing," said UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director...
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