Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of In Re: News Item titled "Are missing palm trees causing more lighting deaths in Bihar appearing in ‘The Times of India’ dated 29.05.2025". The original application was registered suo-motu based on the news item titled "Are missing palm trees causing …
pakistan floods: Floods caused by cyclone Yemyin and rain devastated southwestern Pakistan in the last week of June. As of July 1, 2007, official reports claim 100 people were dead with thousands missing and homeless. The government has appealed for donations of tents to shelter the homeless. Many casualties had …
the World Health Organization (who) along with its Stop tb partnership programme, announced on June 22 guidelines to curb two forms of tuberculosis: multidrug resistant tuberculosis (mdr-tb) and the more harmful extensively drug resistant tuberculosis (xdr-tb). The move comes on the heels of increased concerns about spread of xdr-tb, which …
70% of the billion or so tobacco related deaths expected by 2025 will occur in developing countries. Such staggering figures could have a profound eff ect on the global economy. India is the second largest producer and consumer of tobacco products worldwide, but it has taken great strides to be …
On July 1, England joins the growing list of countries that have introduced laws to protect the public and employees from the harmful eff ects of passive smoking. From July 1, smoking in almost all enclosed public or work places will be illegal, with fines for smokers who break the …
In a firm step towards checking tobacco use, on May 29 the who issued its strongest policy recommendations. It urged all countries to ban smoking at indoor workplaces and public buildings. It asked governments to immediately pass laws requiring all indoor workplaces and public places to be 100 per cent …
Yemen's health ministry recently announced a new strategy to fight malaria in the country at a reduced cost. In place of annual campaigns against the disease, it plans to have permanent teams looking after malaria-affected areas in the country. People from malaria-prone villages will be trained to implement preventive measures. …
power failure: Bangladesh's shrimp industry in the south of the country is facing severe power shortages. Work in 39 shrimp processing factories in Bagerhat, Khulna and Satkhira districts has been hampered and they have incurred losses amounting to Rs 2 crore per day. Factory owners complained that their factories had …
Brazil recently issued a compulsory licence that will allow the manufacture of generic versions of a drug, which is used to treat hiv/aids patients. The drug, Sustiva (efavirenz), is marketed as Stocrin by Merck and Co in developing nations. The licence will allow generic versions in spite of Merck's patent …
AT the time of independence, India faced the twin problems of acute and chronic undernutrition of its children. This was essentially a result of low dietary intake because of poverty and low purchasing power, high prevalence of infection because of poor access to safe drinking water, sanitation and health care …
Angering global drug giants, Thailand's interim regime decided to issue more compulsory licences for import and production of generic HIV/AIDS drugs on February 12, 2007. The rising cost of AIDS treatment was cited as the reason. This will allow domestic firms to produce generic versions of drugs. The first licence …
An ongoing case in Madras High Court has brought forth a damning revelation: the Indian government remains confused about its patent laws and the latter are now under threat. A May 2006 petition filed by Novartis, the pharmaceutical multinational, has sought changes in India's patent laws. Potent enough to restrict …
Released on July 4, 2006, the national pharmaceutical policy, envisaged as an umbrella policy, was to fix problems related to access to affordable drugs. The policy suggests access would be improved if the number of drugs in the National List of Essential Medicines is increased to 354 from the present …
The uk's public health authorities think New Year's pledges are a good means to curb down smoking. They have ushered in the New Year with an anti-smoking ad which shows smokers being violently seized by a fish-hook and dragged to their traditional smoking spots. The five-week campaign, which will be …
Children in western Uttar Pradesh (UP) will now be vaccinated every month against polio. This was recommended by the India Expert Advisory Group (IEAG), at a meeting held between December 11-12, 2006, to stem the rise of polio cases. IEAG emphasises that the programme is not a failure. They attribute …
GUARANTEES for social services have been kicking in of late. After guarantees for rural employment and education, people will find it easier to get an anganwadi on demand. On December 13, 2006, the Supreme Court has ordered the government to set up 8 lakh more anganwadi centres in the next …
function map() { var popurl="image/20061231/25-map.jpg" winpops=window.open(popurl,"","width=550,height=600,scrollbars=yes") } Cripple effect Moradabad district in western Uttar Pradesh (up) holds a dubious distinction: this year it has registered the highest number of polio cases of any district in the country. When this magazine went to press, officials there were gearing up for a …
After the liberalisation of the Indian economy, private health care units (hcus) have mushroomed across the country. Regulating them figures nowhere on the agenda of the Union government. The Maharashtra government, however, looks set to notify the
Short-handed Health education should be sensitive to health care That India is short of doctors and paramedical staff in absolute terms is hardly news. But behind bare statistics is another story. There is a big skew in the distribution of health care personnel
while all Indian states are complying with the Centre's notification on mandatory iodised salt from May 17, Maharashtra is still open to non-iodised salt following the Bombay High Court's interim stay on the notification. On May 16, the court had stayed the November 17, 2005, notification of the Union ministry …
