In India, a country with a vast population and a diverse socio-economic fabric, healthcare remains fraught with challenges including disparities in access. These socio-economic disparities are deep, and they influence health outcomes. It is imperative to bridge these gaps amid the ongoing epidemiological, nutritional and demographic transitions that are bringing …
the us Environmental Protection Agency (epa) vastly underestimates the cancer risk from exposure to volatile organic compounds (vocs), which are used for manufacturing many household and industrial products. Researchers from the us-based Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that residents of Baltimore face three-fold greater cancer risk than …
The WHO estimates that between 100 and 150 million people around the globe have asthma and the figure is increasing. Over 180,000 people die worldwide each year due to asthma. India has an estimated 15-20 million asthmatics. Belgium's UCB Institute of Allergy estimates that asthma has doubled in Western Europe …
x-rays, the largest human-made source of radiation exposure for the general population, are adding in hundreds of more cancer cases every year across the world, indicates a study published in The Lancet (Vol 363, No 9406, January 31, 2004). In the uk
a recent study proffers yet another rationale for not consuming chicken. As per its findings, the foodstuff is not only laced with antibiotics, but is also full of carcinogenic arsenic. The arsenic contamination is higher than what was previously estimated
cancer drug letrozole is at the centre of a controversy over its being promoted as a fertility enhancer. The Union government has issued notices in this regard to Mumbai-based Sun Pharmaceuticals and Uttar Pradesh-based Dabur India Limited. While the latter has removed Foliripe
October 21, 2003. High-level corporate lawyers from ChevronTexaco sit in the same packed muggy courtroom as bare-breasted Amazonian men and women at the start of what the media calls "The Trial of the Century.' In the ramshackle Amazonian town of Lago Agrio, the oil Titan stands accused of severely contaminating …
for the first time in the world, a gene therapy for cancer has been given the go-ahead for commercialisation. The development could usher in a new era to treat the fatal disease. China's State Food and Drug Administration has approved the therapy after it achieved promising results during a clinical …
It is well established that exposure to pesticides can result in cancer, liver damage and nervous disorders. Now, researchers have zeroed down on another harmful effect of the toxic chemicals. Scientists from the us-based Emory University School of Medicine have found that several commonly used pesticides are toxic to the …
militancy-ridden Kashmir has another problem on its hands: over the past decade the state has witnessed a sharp rise in the incidence of cancer. Experts attribute the trend to changed lifestyles, urbanisation and lack of awareness among the people. Coincidentally, the disease has manifested itself more extensively in the valley …
gm on the platter: The US government has recently issued a notice to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for failing to comply with safety laws when it allowed offsprings of animals used in a genetic experiment to be sold as food. The pigs had genes from different species; the …
Prevention is better than cure, shows a research, which links policies aimed at restricting the use of chemicals with fewer cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (nhl). The study, by Swedish oncologists, indicates that incidence of the cancer in Sweden decreased (0.8 per cent for men and 0.2 per cent for women) …
A ustralian authorities finally appear to be wising up to the nuclear risk. The State Emergency Management Committee of New South Wales has recommended the pre-distribution of iodine tablets to residents of areas lying along the transportation routes of nuclear waste from the Lucas Heights reactor in Sydney. Fearing unwarranted …
Ottawa resolution • All forms of asbestos should be banned in developed and developing countries • Canadian government must withdraw financial and political support to the asbestos industry • It should accept responsibility for the harm done to workers and communities in other countries where Canadian asbestos has been used. …
The us Environmental Protection Agency (epa) suffered a double whammy on September 15, when two separate lawsuits raising the same issue were filed against it in the federal district court for the Southern District of New York. The contention in both cases: epa 's inability to implement stipulated children-specific standards …
Eloor, a river island in Kerala, is in the midst of a health crisis, thanks to 247 chemical factories operating within the vicinity of residential areas. Residents of the island are more susceptible to diseases than those living in other places of the Kochi district, indicates a study. The health …
mosquito coils are finally in the dock, after a prolonged deference. Two independent studies indicate that coils commonly used in Asian countries, including India, can be disastrous for human health. While one indicates they contain a cancer-causing substance, the other estimates that a single coil releases particulate matter equal to …
a study conducted in the wheat growing regions of the us indicates that use of herbicides like 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid can lead to malformation among newborns. These herbicides are widely used for weed control in parks and farms. In the past they have been linked with an increased …
previous estimates of the neutron rays that Hiroshima atomic bomb survivors were exposed to are accurate. This was revealed during a study conducted by a team of scientists from the us and Germany. The research will help end a long-standing controversy on whether the existing standards to estimate risk for …
cadmium disturbs the human dna repair system that is important to prevent cancer, shows a recent study. The finding is significant as many people are exposed to cadmium via cigarette smoke and contaminated water and food. Humans are also exposed to the harmful chemical while manufacturing and recycling nickel-cadmium batteries. …
toxic taint: Green Indian seedless grapes have been taken off supermarket shelves in Belgium following the detection of high levels of pesticide residues in the product in the Netherlands recently. The Belgian Food Safety Authority took this decision over fears of high chemical residue levels, leading to stomach cramps in …
