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. …
Exposure to high concentrations of persistent organochlorines may cause fetal toxicity, but the evidence at low exposure levels is limited. Large studies with substantial exposure contrasts and appropriate exposure assessment are warranted. Within the framework of the EU (European Union) ENRIECO (ENvironmental Health Risks in European Birth Cohorts) and EU …
India has been ranked at the 125th in terms of tackling pollution and natural resource management challenges, according to 2012 Environmental Performance Index prepared by Yale and Columbia Universities. The 2012 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) and Pilot Trend EPI (Trend EPI) rank 132 countries on 22 performance indicators in ten …
When it comes to health, which is more important, nature or nurture? You may well think your genes are a more important predictor of health and ill health. Not so fast. In fact, it transpires that our everyday environment outweighs our genetics, big time, when it comes to measuring our …
Over the next four decades, the global transportation sector will face unprecedented challenges related to demographics, urbanization, pressure to minimize and dislocate emissions outside urban centres, congestion of aging transport infrastructure and growth in fuel demand. In light of these challenges and the levels of uncertainty, the World Energy Council …
Cycling, walking and rapid transit systems are associated with a wide range of potential health benefits that climate assessment needs to consider more systematically. Health benefits may include: physical activity from walking and cycling, which can help prevent heart disease, some cancers, type 2 diabetes, and some obesity-related risks; lower …
Itanagar: A new species of moth has been sighted in Arunachal Pradesh, bringing joy to nature lovers who noted that many moth and butterfly varieties were on the verge of extinction in India. The moth was photographed by nature enthusiasts of Ngunu Ziro, led by Dr Tage Kano, during their …
Economic criteria shape investments in drinking-water supply systems and services. Yet, often they may be defined in a narrow sense and economic returns may be evaluated in strictly financial terms. The result is an emphasis on large, urban infrastructural works. Yet, a large part of the world's population in rural …
Taking a cue from the US, India has now put a cap on the prescription formulations of paracetamol combo drugs — it should not exceed 325 mg in each tablet or capsule. The move is “aimed” to prevent liver damage of a patient due to its overuse. Presently the drug …
The Master Plan largely focuses to Open Defecation Free (ODF) with universal access to toilet in both the urban and rural context through the total sanitation approach. It has recognized the improved toilet facilities as defined by the Joint Program Monitoring (JMP) Report of UNICEF and WHO. Apart from ODF …
Global leaders are preparing to meet in New York on September 19 and 20 to chart the way forward to tackle noncommunicable diseases, the number one killer in the world. On the stealth, the pharma and food industries and some rich countries are also at work to weaken the initiative. …
EXPOSURE to organic pollutants can disrupt the formation of nervous system in a foetus. This in turn may lead to neural tube defects. The disease affects over 320,000 infants worldwide every year. Earlier studies have linked organic pollutants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), from indoor coal stoves, smoking and vehicle …
Manufactured nanomaterials (MNs) are commonly considered to be commercial products possessing at least one dimension in the size range of 10−9 m to 10−7 m. As particles in this size range represent the smaller fraction of colloidal particles characterized by dimensions of 10−9 m to 10−6 m, they differ from …
The assessment of growth is crucial for child care and reference data are central to growth monitoring. The authors aimed to assess the height, weight and body mass index (BMI) of Indian schoolchildren in order to develop gender appropriate growth charts for children 5-18 years of age.
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a global health and developmental emergency, as they cause premature deaths, exacerbate poverty and threaten national economies. In 2008, they were the top killers in the South-East Asia region, causing 7.9 million deaths; the number of deaths is expected to increase by 21% over the next …
AUTISM is one of the few developmental disabilities the cause and cure of which remain elusive even 50 years after it was identified. There is no biological test to detect this lifelong disorder until it manifests at the age of around two. Diagnosis is largely based on behavioural and psychological …
At one point in this book under review Australian naturalist Tim Flannery describes how the Greater African Honeyguide uses a distinctive call to lure people to beehives, which then become a shared food source. Such relationships, he laments, are breaking down, as “lazy humans” have shifted to abundant, industrially produced …
Exposure to erionite, an asbestos-like mineral, causes unprecedented rates of malignant mesothelioma (MM) mortality in some Turkish villages. Erionite deposits are present in at least 12 US states. We investigated whether increased urban development has led to erionite exposure in the United States and after preliminary exploration, focused our studies …
Environment and Human Health gives a comprehensive review of the related literature in order to aid understanding of the (missing) link between the environment and health. Given the exhaustive literature on the subject the paper focuses on the water‐related and land‐related diseases namely in the fast growing and poor countries. …
Little is known about environmental causes and contributing factors for autism. Basic science and epidemiologic research suggest that oxidative stress and inflammation may play a role in disease development. Traffic-related air pollution, a common exposure with established effects on these pathways, contains substances found to have adverse prenatal effects. The …
The WHO has launched a report on health co-benefits of climate change mitigation in the housing sector, the first of a new series of reports on health in the green economy. The series undertakes a systematic analysis of climate change mitigation and green growth strategies in five economic sectors: housing, …
