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. …
function table() { var popurl="image/20060131/37-graph.jpg" winpops=window.open(popurl,"","width=385,height=350,scrollbars=yes") } spaced out South stuck between rock and hard place A good example of how manouevring space for developing countries is being constrained is the case of the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella (mmr). A generation ago, in Delhi you could get vaccinated …
The technology for developing new vaccines and the research that goes into it is becoming increasingly sophisticated and dependent upon an enormous corpus of funds to get off the blocks. This is raising important issues relating to pricing, access and international equity. Take the flu vaccine
How long have you practised at Gorai and what has been your experience? mkv: I have been practising at Gorai for the past 10 years. Some years ago, I used to come here from Parel and would commute by bus. A terrible stench, just before the bus approached Gorai, would …
a countrywide vitamin a supplementation programme for children has been embroiled in controversy, with accusations that unicef has been pushing it to benefit Roche, the only company that manufactures the vitamin supplement. A public interest petition demanding a better programme, designed to combat night blindness, is pending in the Rajasthan …
on november 22, 2005, the Nestle group withdrew liquid baby milk products from five countries in the European Union (eu). This follows the discovery of chemical ink in the milk product's packaging by Italian health authorities, in September this year. They confiscated around 30 million litres of baby milk produced …
garlic safety: Researchers from UK's Liverpool John Moores University claim that a garlic supplement may reduce the risk of heart attacks in patients with coronary problems. Led by Khalid Rahman and Gordon Lowe, the scientists found aged garlic extract decreases the chances of formation of blood clots. The extract targets …
For the estimated five million severely malnourished children in the country, providing sufficient food might seem to be the obvious solution. Despite the existing programmes on child nutrition, the status of malnourishment has not changed much over the last 15 years. Top nutritionists in the country recently suggested an approach …
bacco off the shelf: Thailand has taken a strong step against tobacco sales in the country. They ordered vendors in September to remove all cigarettes from display or risk a US $50,000 fine. Activists say cigarette packets are also effectively an advertisement and so should be hidden from view. sa …
an organic diet given to children provides a "dramatic and immediate protective effect' against exposures to two common organophosphorus (op) pesticides
fruits distributed to schoolchildren by the uk's department of health (under its five-a-day programme) contain over 25 per cent more pesticide residues than those on sale in shops. These are the findings of the uk -based Soil Association (sa), which represents organic producers. The government's pesticide residue committee (prc), however, …
over 500 people were affected and 12 children died in an outbreak of waterborne epidemic in Landhi Town of Karachi just two weeks after a similar situation in the Essa Nagri area. In July this year the quality control department of the city district government, Karachi had sent a report …
on September 21, 2005 came a press release. "A Task Force on Health Tourism constituted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare would assess the opportunities for promoting India as a health destination, recommend action to be taken by the Central and State Governments and specially recommend about super …
Over 90 per cent of us residents carry a cocktail of pesticides in them, according to the Third National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals released by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc) on July 21, 2005. The cdc bio-monitoring program tested the blood and urine of …
A recent advertising campaign for "Horlicks', a beverage, has drawn sharp protest from Health Action by People (hap), a Kerala based non-governmental organisation. The beverage's maker, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Health Care, is using a study by Hyderabad-based National Institute of Nutrition (nin) to say it is now clinically proven that their …
the American Beverage Association (aba), a trade body, has decided to ban the sale of soft drinks in elementary and middle schools of the us. aba recently said its members will only stock bottled water and 100 per cent juice in elementary schools and will provide "only nutritious and/or lower …
Predicted impacts on human health due to climate change include increases in temperature related illnesses, vector borne diseases, health impacts related to extreme weather events, and health effects due to food insecurity. These changes will require more emphasis to be placed on planning for health facilities, as well as increased …
theEuropean Parliament has permanently banned the use of six phthalates used for making toys following health concerns. The unanimous decision was taken in Brussels, Belgium on July 5. The decision comes as a reaffirmation of a temporary ban placed in Europe in 1999 on the use of this group of …
Although most cases of childhood lead poisoning are caused by contaminated paint and dust in older homes, a variety of unusual sources of lead exposure are occasionally found. We report here 2 families whose children were poisoned by lead-contaminated spices that were purchased in foreign countries, brought to the United …
The National Population Policy (2000) aims at complete protection of all children against vaccine preventable diseases by 2010. Urban poor, many residing in slums, comprise about one-fourth of India’s 285 million urban population. 60% of the children aged 12-23 months in urban India are fully immunized; coverage among urban poor …
A lthough India has committed to curb non-communicable diseases, as per the recommendations of the World Health Organization (who), its policies in other sectors will prevent this from happening. This was apparent at the National Consultation on Implementation of who's Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health held recently …
