Voluntary groups demand increase in health, education spendingSeptember 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A group of voluntary organisations Friday met President Pratibha Patil and Vice President Hamid Ansari to demand an increase in education and health spending to achieve millennium development goals as laid down by the United Nations. The group-led by voluntary organisation Oxfam presented a seven-point charter on education and a nine-point charter to improve the health scenario in the country.
Pregnant mothers, quit smoking for kid's futureSeptember 22nd, 2009 SYDNEY - Women who quit smoking during the initial months of pregnancy are likely to ensure long-term benefits for their unborn children, says a new study, underscoring the benefits of giving up nicotine. "Even if a woman was smoking in initial months of pregnancy, it was not too late to quit to improve the outcomes for her child.
Hormone-replacement therapy 'ups risk of dying from lung cancer'September 20th, 2009 LONDON - Postmenopausal women who take controversial hormone replacement therapy are at increased risk of getting and dying from lung cancer, says a new study. An eight-year study of 16,600 women found the disease was 71 per cent more likely to be fatal in women taking HRT compared with those taking a placebo pill, reports The Guardian.
Simple ways to protect your child from swine fluSeptember 20th, 2009 WASHINGTON - As swine flu continues to infect school kids, parental anxieties have stirred up with each one trying to be cautious enough to avoid the spread of HINI virus that has caused severe illness and deaths worldwide. Dr Galit Holzmann-Pazgal assistant professor of pediatrics at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston suggest parents can ease their anxieties by arming themselves with facts about H1N1 and using some commonsense tips.
Amnesty urges Dominican Republic not to ban abortionSeptember 15th, 2009 LONDON - Amnesty International (AI) has warned that the proposed changes to the Dominican Republic's constitution could lead to a ban on abortions that would put "the lives of women and girls at risk". The text of Article 30 would establish the inviolability of life from conception to death, wording that would almost certainly lead to a total prohibition on abortion, AI said in a statement.
Controlling pain can hasten recovery for kids with cancerSeptember 13th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Controlling pain and discomfort arising from cancer treatment can speed up recovery for children battling the disease, say researchers. Experts at St.
New WHO data sheds light on two leading causes of pneumoniaSeptember 12th, 2009 LONDON - New World Health Organization data has highlighted two leading causes of pneumonia, which claims the highest number of lives of children under age 5, both globally and within developing countries like India, Pakistan and Kenya. The findings could serve as a clarion call to developing country governments to invest in pneumonia prevention programs.
India, Nigeria, Congo account for 40 percent child deathsSeptember 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India, Nigeria and Congo account for 40 percent of the 8.8 million deaths of children under the age of five years, a new Unicef study released Friday says. Though a little satisfied over a drop in child mortality, the UN agency said these three countries were a key to the world achieving the millennium development goals by 2015.
Pneumococcal disease kills an Indian child every four minutesSeptember 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Every four minutes, one child in India dies due to pneumococcal disease, one of the key reasons behind infant mortality in the country, a study by WHO and partner organisation revealed Friday. The study said there are 10 countries in Africa and Asia where the number of such diseases are high.
Survey to check villagers' health, flagship scheme's impactSeptember 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A survey will be taken up in nine states to assess the health of rural population since the launch of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). The annual health survey will be carried out in Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattishgarh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan and Assam by the health ministry, the home ministry and the Registrar General of India (RGI).
Kebabs, Coca-cola, chocolate contraceptive myths still rampant in UK!September 5th, 2009 LONDON - If you thought kebabs, Coca-cola or chocolate could be used as oral contraceptives, then think again, for a UK poll has listed the belief as one of the many myths about contraception. According to the survey, headed by market research company Opinion Health, sponsored by Bayer Schering Pharma, contraceptive myths may be widespread.
Infant with protruding heart stable after operation: doctorsSeptember 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Thursday operated upon an infant born with a protruding heart and pushed the organ within the body after creating space for it. The 8-day-old boy is now said to be "stable and recovering".
Waist-hip ratio better indicator of obesity than BMI readings for older adultsSeptember 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - New research by UCLA endocrinologists and geriatricians suggests that waist-hip ratio is a better indicator of obesity than Body mass index (BMI) readings for older adults. The researchers from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA said that the ratio of waist size to hip size may be a better indicator when it comes to people over 70 years of age.
Still alive: Child with protruding heart has multiple disordersAugust 31st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Describing the infant with a protruding heart as a "miracle boy", doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Monday said the five-day-old boy was suffering from multiple disorders, including a hole in the heart. "During a complete check-up we found the baby has multiple disorders.
New tool may help predict mortality risk in COPD patientsAugust 29th, 2009 LONDON - Researchers have developed a new tool that would help predict a patient's risk of dying from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). What's more, it would also help determine the effective level of treatment.
