Good Food is First Food. It is not junk food. It is the food that connects nature and nutrition with livelihoods. This food is good for our health; it comes from the rich biodiversity of our regions; it provides employment to people. Most importantly, cooking and eating give us pleasure. …
River blindness, a disease that has affected thousands in west Africa, is gradually coming under control. Before 1974, onchocercal infection or river blindness was affecting 60 per cent of the population in some areas of west Africa. Today, the risk of onchocercal blindness has been eliminated in areas where the …
Humans are accumulating genetic mutations at an alarming rate, two UK-based biologists have reported in a recent issue of the science journal Nature . These findings have led to speculations that modern healthcare is letting harmful mutations to accumulate much faster than they would otherwise. Genetic mutations can be dangerous, …
This report gives the requirements and methods of sampling and test for drinking water (other than packaged natural mineral water) offered for sale in packaged form.
a critical change to us medical regulations, which allows doctors to test new drugs on some patients without their consent, has been criticised by ethicists after 24 patients died in the first clinical trial performed under the new rules. Researchers are usually required to acquire a patient's informed consent before …
Many doctors have been quite concerned about the increasing number of caesarean babies being born in hospitals. And many suspect that a large number of them are done merely for the convenience of the obstetricians. Now, a new finding by Canadian researchers Patricia Bosk and El-Khodor of McGill University in …
saying brain surgery is a delicate business would be an understatement. Cut a little bit more here and the patient might end up blind, deaf or perhaps even paralysed. So knowing what lies beneath the tissue surface could be a life-saver. But right now, the only way surgeons can do …
there is good news for Muslims suffering from Type 2 diabetes. A new anti-diabetic drug, NovoNorm, will particularly help diabetic Muslims who can now observe Ramzan, the month of fasting, without any serious health implications. According to Mohan Pahwa, director of the Institute of Transcultural Health in London, "Many Muslims …
omani scientists believe that camels may hold a clue to a treatment for river blindness, a debilitating disease that affects millions of people each year in the developing world. Immunological studies by Oman's Suhan Qaboos University researchers show that the camels have a highly-evolved immune system which allows them to …
A VERY simple health intervention has been making waves in the US. Signs in shopping malls outlining the health benefits of using stairs instead of escalator have increased their use significantly. "Simple and inexpensive interventions like these can increase physical activity," conclude researchers from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine …
The Supreme Court has ruled that so long as a person is not cured of impotency or a disease like AIDS, his right to me" cannot be enforced by a court of law. He is also not entitled to compensation from the hospital which has disclosed his/her state of health …
CALCIUM is one of the most important nutrients in our body. There is hardly any organ which is not influenced by it. Calcium has always been considered vital for the formation and maintenance of strong bones and teeth. Now, studies in the US suggest that calcium can play an important …
CHANGES in diet could help prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease, says a new study. Boosting the intake of vitamin B12 and folate could help you keep this dreaded neurological disorder at bay. An Oxford University-based team of international experts began the Optima project in 1988 to study ageing and …
African health authorities have been trying to get unauthorised vendors of medicines off the streets, but some observers feel they should also keep a close eye on the operations of pharmacies. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), for example, the medicines sold in some pharmacies, both public and private, …
IN AN effort to combat malaria, four United Nations' organisations - the UN International Children's Fund, the UN Development Programme, the World Health Organisation and the World Bank - joined forces under the slogan "Roll Back Malaria" (RBM) on October 29. Malaria is one of the most widespread diseases affecting …
US regulators have approved thalidomlde, the drug which was banned for causing birth defects. The drug will be tested for cancer treatment. Celgenc, a New Jersey-based company, has been permitted to test Thslomid, the company's version of thabdomide, against multiple myeloma, the most common form of bone marrow cancer. The …
A novel polymer coating, the echocoat polymer, could make heart operations Wer by helping doctors keep track of medical devices used in heart surgery. The plastic works by reflecting ultrasound scans, enabling surgeons to see devices such as pacemakers more clearly. The device would allow doctors to perform more accurate …
Engineers send self-powered robots down oil and gas pipelines to check their condition. So researchers at University College in London have devised similar technique for use inside the human intestine. Two small units, which the researchers have compared to sausages, carry a television camera, a radio transmitter, a battery unit …
A calculator-like device that helps you keep slim has been patented by Seiko Epson of Tokyo, Japan. The pocket instrument connects to sensors that monitor your pulse and body temperature continuously. But it can also detect motion to see if you are moving around or not. You enter your sex, …
When the one-way valves in the veins of the leg malfunction, the resulting build-up of blood can lead to painful swelling, better known as varicose veins. Usually, leg bandages are prescribed which often lead to allergies, apart from making patients uncomfortable. Recently, doctors in India discov- ered that medicinal leeches …
