Central to the achievement of the Agenda for Sustainable Development is an adequate, equitably distributed and fully supported health workforce. Nurses are the largest occupational group and represent an indispensable force with which to combat inequities in access to health services and progress towards health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while …
europe has been declared polio-free. For some 870 million people living in the region's 51 member states, this declaration is an important public health milestone in the new millennium. The European Regional Commission for the Certification of the Eradication of Poliomyelitis confirmed that the disease had been eradicated in the …
tiny pollutant particles, known as sulphate aerosols, emitted by power stations and industries from the us and Europe have played an important role in causing catastrophic droughts in the Sahel region of Africa. These were the findings of a research conducted by Australia-based Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (csiro), …
It's Thursday, and the bell of the Miguelete Tower, outside the Cathedral of Valencia in Spain, strikes twelve. Eight figures in black robes have assembled before Apostle's gate of the Cathedral, in a midday gathering reminiscent of mediaeval times. They are the s
Votes of dissent The rise of the far right is related in complex patterns to the failure of the elite political establishment to catch the popular pulseWhat on earth is going on in Europe? The question is motivated. Recent elections in countries like Austria, Denmark and France have seen the …
The assassination of Dutch rightwing populist Pim Fortuyn, and the stunning electoral advances of his French counterpart Jean-Marie Le Pen have brought some lingering trends in European politics to the forefront. Rightwing movements and parties, mostly campaigning on anti-immigration, anti-globalisation and anti-establishment sentiments, have been advancing in quite a number …
The data is so old it is almost obsolete. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has brought out its report on the incidence of cancer five years too late. For all that it is worth, the "Consolidated Report of the Population Based Cancer Registries' provides information on the incidence …
summers are round the corner and so is the scorching heat. Most dread the thought of it. But Mahesh, a 15-year-old white tiger of the Ahmedabad-based Kamala Nehru Zoological Garden, is all set to face the wrath of the Sun in grandeur. In 2000, his dwelling was ameliorated with the …
at least 27 million vehicles are junked every year. Ever wondered what happens to them? Studies show that they spawn an environmental disaster that governments are finding difficult to handle. The European Union (eu ) has taken the lead in reversing this trend. From April 21, 2002, with the implementation …
A SMOG emergency caused by two months without rain could prove a blessing in disguise for Italy's Lombardy region. Hope has sprung from the haze with plans afoot to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel-powered cars in the area. The measure is a part of a roadmap outlined …
a controversy is a raging over the efficacy of Alqueva dam in southern Portugal. While ecologists and villagers say Europe's biggest man-made reservoir would displace many people, the planners contend that it is "an inspired quest to save a forgotten region from perpetual drought and poverty'. Recently, the gates of …
the European Commission (ec) has slapped a record fine of us $755.1 million on eight chemical and pharmaceutical companies. Their offence: hatching a nine-year conspiracy to fix the prices of some of the most popular vitamins. "This is the most damaging series of cartels the ec has ever investigated,' says …
a report calling for widespread testing of chemicals to assess their health and environmental impact has been recently endorsed by the European Parliament. This move is being seen as a major step towards overhauling the outdated chemical policy of the European Union (eu). The report was approved by 242 votes …
the famous red double-decker buses will soon be joined by zero emission fuel cell-powered buses on London roads. In a major move to curb air pollution, the European Commission (ec) has allocated us $16.65 million for the launch of these green vehicles. This funding
What is the latest information on adverse health effects of diesel exhaust? Over 200 epidemiological studies conducted in different geographical locations of the world have shown a significant and consistent association between diesel emissions and increased deaths and cardio-respiratory illnesses such as heart attacks and strokes, allergies, asthma, bronchitis and …
a recent spurt has been witnessed in the demand for ultra low sulphur diesel (ulsd), with several European countries switching over to the green fuel (containing 50 parts per million of sulphur). The resultant shortage has pushed up ulsd prices on the Rotterdam (Netherlands) barge market by us $20 a …
globally, there are now 40 million adults and children suffering from aids, according to a new report by the World Health Organisation (who) and the Joint United Nations Programme on hiv/aids called unaids. The epidemic shows no signs of abating
The European Commission has recently adopted a plan for fostering biofuel production in Europe in a bid to ensure they account for two per cent of all fuels by 2005. The commission said the plan also aimed at a target of 20 per cent inclusion of biofuels by 2020. "This …
recently, a group of Kolkata-based taxi drivers did something quite unusual. They decided to tamper with the fuel in their taxis. They mixed 20 litres of diesel with one litre of mustard oil and ran their taxis on it. For them the doping made perfect economic sense. By default, researchers …
