• Researchers find Raga Good for the Heart
• Money can buy you Happiness: Study
• Victory at last: Child 'slave' gets Peace Prize
• 79 million Diabetics in India by 2030: WHO
• Ramanujan Mathematics Prize goes to Indian Author
• Gandhi, Sachin among 'Asian Heroes'
• 'Gandhiji's Teaching can still Change People'
• 9-yr-old Donates Savings to Unicef

• Symposium on obesity held
• Public Transport causing backaches in Delhi, Mumbai
• Amrunta wins Miss Earth Air Title
• 'India can become the Superpower of Knowledge'
• Education Bill flawed: Knowledge Commission
• Indore teen sings 61 hours non-stop
• Get a Good Night's Sleep
• Indian Pioneer in TB Control wins UN Health Prize

MIOT Hospital at Manapakkam organised a symposium on obesity and the surgical methods available to treat the condition here last weekend to mark World Anti-Obesity Day. While there are no accurate figures that spell the proportion of obese Indians, the projected statistics set it at around 15 to 18 per cent, doctors said. By 2020, the projected number could touch 25 per cent. Hormonal and hereditary causes of obesity were more common among Indians as opposed to that of overeating among Americans. This meant that morbidly obese Indians, or those with a body mass index above 30 or 35 along with diseases such as diabetes often require surgical treatment, the doctors said. Among women, the causes of obesity tended to be a complex set of hereditary and lifestyle factors. Obese women are found to have life expectancies lowered by almost a third, and are at a significantly higher risk of getting breast, uterus or cervix cancer. They are prone to having irregular periods, complications during child delivery, varicose veins, and being infertile. Quick-fix solutions would not be as effective as making behavioural changes, involving keeping track of calories consumed and exercising, doctors said. Weight loss pills were generally proteins that fooled the stomach into thinking it was full, while other devices that promise to melt away inches were usually vibrating belts that displaced fat from one portion of the body to another. Bariatric surgery guaranteed weight loss and the alleviation of diseases associated with morbid obesity such as hypertension, cardiac problems and knee or back pain, they said. The procedures of stapling, gastric banding and gastric bypass that reduce the capacity of the stomach would be done through the keyhole method for patients who have received counselling and need assessment.

Courtesy: www.hindu.com, November 30, 2006

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Tune in to the raga. In a world filled with stress, listening to this form of music could actually cause a decline in the heart rate. "Slower music (is found by researchers to have) caused declines in heart rate, with raga music influencing the largest decline," said the popular cyber-based Ask Yahoo! service in a just-released answer. Ragas or ragam (in Carnatic music) are melodic modes used in Indian classical music. Although classical music is always set in raga, non-classical music too, like popular Indian film songs, sometimes utilise ragas in their compositions. Ask Yahoo! was responding to a query from Apple Valley, California, whether music affects the heart rate. Ask Yahoo! is the question-and-answer column of Yahoo! Inc, the Sunnyvale California-headquartered Internet services company that operates a portal and provides a full range of products and services, including its search engine, directory and free email service. It pointed to recent research put out by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) Publishing Group Ltd and the British Cardiovascular Society that suggests "slow music influences a person's relaxation and that musical pauses modulate heart rhythms (in a good way)". The study was published in BMJ journal Heart. For the study, a variety of musical genres were used, from techno to raga to classical. Researchers found that music with faster tempos resulted in increased ventilation, heart rate and blood pressure. When the music was paused, ventilation, heart rate, and blood pressure decreased, sometimes below the beginning rate. Overall, researchers agreed the style of music was not as important as its pace. Yahoo! Answers also noted that music has also been shown to reduce stress, benefit athletic performance, and enhance motor function in people with neurological impairments. Researchers Luciano Bernardi1, C. Porta1 (of Pavia, Italy) and P. Sleight (of John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford) said in their study: "These effects appeared to depend on the speed of the music rather than on the style. For example, classical and techno styles induced similar results when similarly fast; raga, classical, and dodecaphonic music, all similarly slow, reduced cardio-respiratory responses." Interestingly, the ancient music form of the raga has been getting a new set of wider interests coming in via cyberspace, with the Wikipedia page devoted to it getting translated into German, French, Cutch, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese and Swedish, apart from Tamil. There are also online sites like Musical Nirvana (introductory material, raga descriptions), ITC Sangeet Research Academy (a scholarly organisation), Sound of India (raga references with audio and online lessons), Indian Ragas (a guide to all ragas), Swarams, Katapayadhi Sutra and Melakarta.

Courtesy: www.teluguportal.net, November 29, 2006

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Over half the population in New Delhi and in Mumbai suffers from backache, caused mainly by the poor public transport system, says a new study. Carried out by Health India, a New Delhi-based non-profit group, the study found that over 40 percent of people in New Delhi and 77 percent in Mumbai who use public transport as the sole mode of communication reported back problems. 'Bad roads, overcrowded public transport systems, poor quality of chairs, and rough rides compound the problem for youngsters of both metros,' said Dev Mehra, director of Health India. He said backaches were growing by over 15 percent among the younger generation. 'Unruly and drunken driving among youngsters also add to the trouble.' Mehra said. Said Arvind Jaiswal, professor at the department of orthopaedics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS): 'Sudden jerks or movements during travel can result in severe back pain. Our spine includes a number of muscles that may get pressurised due to bad postures during travel.' Jaiswal said the experience of AIIMS was that an increasing number of young professionals were suffering from back problems, 'with people from the IT and BPO sectors among the worst hit'. He said poor transport, faulty posture and drunken driving were responsible for most backaches. Cigarettes and coffee also rate high in the list of substances that 'cause bone calcium to deplete, thereby contributing to backaches'.

But the study revealed that most people complaining of backaches don't work in front of the computer. 'Hence, there is a very positive correlation between people who have been commuting to their workplace using public transport and the rate of incidence. Commuting contributes to the problem in many ways. The type of vehicle used, the quality of the roads and the average time of travel - all have a multiplier effect on the back,' said the study. Unhealthy eating habits also lead to excessive weight gain, which tends to increase strain on the muscles and joints. The three-month study found that a reduced intake of milk also led to spinal disorders. An increased intake of junk food and aerated beverages, lack of sufficient exercise and a constrained workspace weakens muscles of the spine and the stomach. The study also found that 65 percent of people in Delhi and 59 percent in Mumbai were stuck with remedies like applying pain-relieving ointments. Two percent avoided medication altogether. Thirty-two percent of Delhiites and nine percent of Mumbaikars resorted to painkillers. The researchers suggest that office goers could minimise back pain by taking short breaks and stretching periodically while at work. Least invasive treatments like physical therapy, stretching, ointment massage and acupuncture should be tried out before going in for surgery.

Courtesy: www.yahoo.com, November 28, 2006

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Does money buy happiness? Though it has been said that scientists have found no relationship between money and happiness, but that's a myth, says University of Illinois psychologist Ed Diener. The connection is complex, he says. But in fact, very rich people rate substantially higher in satisfaction with life than very poor people do, even within wealthy nations, he says. "There is overwhelming evidence that money buys happiness," said economist Andrew Oswald of the University of Warwick in England. The main debate, he said, is how strong the effect is. Oswald recently reported a study of Britons who won between $2,000 and $250,000 in a lottery. As a group, they showed a boost in happiness averaging a bit more than 1 point on a 36-point scale when surveyed two years after their win, compared to their levels two years before they won. Daniel Kahneman, a Nobel-Prize winner and Princeton economist, and colleagues recently declared that the notion that making a lot of money will produce good overall mood is "mostly illusory".
They noted that in one study, people with household incomes of $90,000 or more were only slightly more likely to call themselves "very happy" overall than were people from households making $50,000 to $89,999. The rates were 43% versus 42%, respectively. (Members of the high-income group were almost twice as likely to call themselves "very happy" as people from households with incomes below $20,000.) But other studies, rather than asking for a summary estimate of happiness, follow people through the day and repeatedly record their feelings. These studies show less effect of income on happiness, Kahneman and colleagues said. There is still another twist to the money-happiness story. Even though people who make $150,000 are considerably happier than those who make $40,000, it is not clear why, says psychologist Richard E Lucas of Michigan State University. Does money make you happier? Or does being happier in the first place allow you to earn more money later, maybe by way of greater creativity or energy? Or does some other factor produce both money and happiness? There's evidence for all three interpretations, Lucas says. In any case, researchers say any effect of money on happiness is smaller than most daydreamers assume. "People exaggerate how much happiness is bought by an extra few thousand," Oswald said. "The quality of relationships has a far bigger effect than quite large rises in salary.... It's much better advice, if you're looking for happiness in life, to try to find the right husband or wife rather than trying to double your salary."

Courtesy: www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com, November 27, 2006

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Keeping the country's flag flying, Pond's Femina Miss India-Earth 2006 Amruta Patki won the Miss Earth Air title at the Miss Earth pageant in Manila on Sunday. The 21-year-old dusky Indian beauty had earlier won the Evening Gown title wearing a stunning, hand-painted Hemant Trevedi creation. A combination of good looks and oodles of confidence helped Amruta bag the prestigious first runner-up award in the overall contest, beating contestants from all over the world. Said Munish Purii, national director, Femina Miss India Pageant, "Amruta was focused and sincere in her efforts. Her hard work has paid off." Amruta is a final-year B Com student from Mumbai and has trained in jazz and kathak dances. She also sings Indian classical. Reacting to the victory, her elated mother Neeta Patki said, "Amruta excels in whatever she chooses to do. On our part, we have given her all the freedom to pursue her dreams." Daughter of a banker father, Amruta got general knowledge and diction lessons under Sabira Merchant and was tutored in voice modulation by Erica D'Souza. Diane Pandey's physical training also went a long way in toning her up for the event. "My middle-class upbringing has given me enough information about the world to represent the country," Amruta had told TOI. The confidence clearly showed on the global stage.

Courtesy: www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com, November 27, 2006

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When five-year-old, Om Prakash Gurjar was taken away from his parents and turned into a child slave. He ploughed, sowed and harvested crops. He tended to cattle and handled pesticides. All without wages. On Sunday, he received the International Children's Peace Prize worth 100,000 dollars (about Rs 45 lakh) for leading a campaign against child labour and child slavery. The 14-year-old from Dwarapur village near Jaipur in Rajasthan received the award from joint Nobel prize winner and former President of South Africa, Frederik Willem De Klerk at Hague. Later, at an open-air concert at Amsterdam's Dam Square, mega pop groups such as UB40 and the Sugababes played to honour Om and his message. Expressing his views with the help of an interpreter, he said that adults must listen to kids. "This is our right. They have to listen. These are children's rights. And if they are not abiding with that right, we will work harder to make them hear," Om said. When eight, Om was rescued by NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan's activists. He was keen to study and enrolled in a nearby government primary school. He was reunited with his family, but still lives in a Bal Ashram. His family is too poor to take him in.

Over the years, Om initiated several activities to bring attention to children's rights. He has helped create "child friendly" villages where child labour is not accepted. He has also battled against unlawful contributions a poor parent often has to make in rural Rajasthan to let their children go to school. And he has campaigned for birth certificates that protect children from exploitation and gives them the right to healthcare and education. On his own, he has arranged more than 500 such documents. He says birth registration is the first step towards enshrining children's rights, proving their age, helping to protect them from slavery, trafficking, forced marriage or serving as a child soldier. The International Children's Peace Prize is awarded every year to an exceptional child, who has devoted himself or herself to children's rights. The prize consists of a statuette, the 'Nkosi' and a monetary award of $100,000. The statuette is named after young Nkosi Johnson, who dedicated the prize posthumously in 2005, four years after he died of AIDS at age 12.

Courtesy: ww.timesofindia.indiatimes.com, November 21, 2006

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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is confident that India can become a superpower in the knowledge industry. "India might not be a superpower in the traditional sense, but it can be a superpower in the world of knowledge," he said addressing the HT Leadership Summit here. India had traditionally exported knowledge and "can this not be the power we seek," he asked. Empires of the future will be the empires of the mind and appealed to the leaders of the knowledge industry to work towards the goal. He called for greater emphasis on R & D. India missed the industrial revolution because of neglect of modern science and technology in the 18th and 19th centuries, Singh said. He urged industry not to miss the new wave of industrialisation and make use of the available opportunities. He said India's goal should be to ensure a prosperous, secure and dignified future for its people and participate in a just world order. Singh said India should aim at rule-based rather than power-based relationships.

Courtesy: www.dailypioneer.com, November 18, 2006

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The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that India could count for 79 million of the world's 360 million diabetics by 2030, says a study released on the occasion of the World Diabetes Day on Monday. The Rosso (Retrolective Study Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose and Outcome in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes) study has concluded that regular self-monitoring of blood glucose not only enhances the quality of life but also ensures longevity. According to Professor Stephan Martin of the German Diabetes Clinic: "Even though this research study was done in Germany, its conclusive results are universal and applicable to all diabetics around the world." The expert from the German Diabetes Clinic said the prevalence of the disease in Southeast Asia and Western Pacific is predicted to increase dramatically. He warned that diabetes would pose a major public health problem in most countries due to the increasing economic burden that grows with this epidemic. "Comprehensive diabetes management therefore becomes more and more important to prevent cost-intensive complications and to reduce the suffering of people affected."

He said current WHO estimates put about 20 per cent of the world's diabetic population in India. "The WHO further projects an increase in the incidence of diabetes in the Indian population to 79 million by 2030, giving India the dubious distinction of being the 'world's diabetes capital'." Martin said that over the past few years, the role of self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) for the treatment of diabetes has become an increasingly significant topic of discussion. "One important new piece of evidence is the multi-centre cohort ROSSO study that has verified scientifically for the first time that SMBG - independent of therapy type - contributes to decreasing rates of mortality and morbidity," Martin said. According to the ROSSO study, self-glucose monitoring can clearly raise life expectancy and the quality of life of patients suffering from Type-2 diabetes irrespective of any therapy regime they might have. "Diabetes is now an epidemic in India. Every fifth diabetic in the world is an Indian and every fifth Mumbaikar will be a diabetic in five years," said Shashank Joshi, one of India's top diabetologists. "Indians resent doing anything over and above the prescribed medications and regular visits to the doctors. However, a simple activity like monitoring blood glucose levels on a regular basis is a very efficient solution to treating diabetes whilst living life the way they want," said Joshi, consultant endocrinologist of Lilavati and Kem Hospitals. He said the key to prevent diabetes was to eat less, eat on time, walk more, sleep well and smile. "For a diabetic, the key to remain complication free is to have a good lifestyle, monitor glucose regularly, take medication and see the doctor regularly."

Courtesy: www.hindustantimes.com, Nvoember 13, 2006

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Taking exception to the HRD ministry's decision to send the model Right to Education (RTE) Bill to states, the Prime Minister-appointed National Knowledge Commission has said that the model Bill is flawed and such a legislation must be enacted by the Centre and not the State. In his letter to the PM, commission chairman Sam Pitroda said: "A model Bill sent to be enacted individually by state governments is not adequate to meet the constitutional responsibilities of the government of India." Instead, the commission has recommended enacting of a Central legislation along the lines of the Panchayati Raj (Amedment) Act requiring the states to enact RTE Bills within a specified time period and with the primary financial responsibility resting with the Centre. "There must be a financial provision in the legislation, requiring the Central government to share the revenues of the Prarambhik Shiksha Kosh with state governments and to provide additional resources to meet the requirement of ensuring the right to education for all children," the chairman said. The Centre set up Prarambhik Shiksha Kosh after it started collecting 2% education cess to achieve universalisation of education through Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.

Courtesy: www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com, November 16, 2006

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Washington, Nov 11 (IANS) Springer author R. Sujatha, from India's Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), has been awarded this year's Srinivasa Ramanujan Prize for Mathematics. Presented for the second time, the prize carries a $10,000 cash award honouring the outstanding research of mathematical scientists in developing countries. By giving the prize to her, the Ramanujan jury recognises Sujatha's work on the arithmetic of algebraic varieties and her substantial contributions to the Iwasawa theory, according to a press release from Springer, leading publishers of science, technical and medical material. In cooperation with several colleagues, she formulated a non-commutative version of the theory's main conjecture, it said. This innovation drives much of the current work in this particular mathematical subject. Sujatha, 44, is co-author of the book Cyclotomic Fields and Zeta Values in the series Springer Monographs in Mathematics. Succeeding 2005 winner Marcelo Viana, she is the second Springer author to receive this honour. R. Sujatha received all her university education in India and has been with the TIFR since 1985, where she is currently Associate Professor in the School of Mathematics. In 1991 she received her PhD at the University of Mumbai. The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) founded the Ramanujan Prize in 2005 to annually support a scientist younger than 45 years in any mathematical branch from a developing country. In addition to the cash award, the prize winner will be invited to an ICTP meeting to deliver a lecture. The award ceremony will take place on Dec 18 in Trieste, Italy. The Ramanujan Prize is supported by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters through the Abel Fund, with the cooperation of the International Mathematical Union.

Courtesy: www.teluguportal.net, November 11, 2006

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Sixteen-year-old Akansha Jachak, who is seeking an entry in the Guinness Book of Records, sang non-stop for 61 hours. Guinness Book officials, who were monitoring her performance since November 7, are to make an announcement. Akansha sang 725 songs old, new and remixes till late last night in the backdrop of fireworks to seek an entry in the book. Attributing her success to her parents and loved ones, Akanksha said she wanted to take up singing as a career. Akansha was later taken in a procession to Rajwada, a historical monument, where people congratulated her. State public works department minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, who was present at the function, said chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan has announced to give Rs 1 lakh to Akansha.

Courtesy: www.asianage.com, November 10, 2006

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Architects of modern India, Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, steel baron Lakshmi Mittal and IT czar Narayana Murthy have been named among TIME magazine's 'Asian heroes' in its forthcoming 60th anniversary issue. "For six decades, TIME has chronicled the triumphs and travails of Asia. In this special anniversary issue, we pay tribute to the remarkable men and women who have shaped these times," the magazine says. The anniversary edition will be available on November 13. Terming Gandhi and Nehru as opposite in nature, the magazine says "they shared a passion for freedom and justice, and together created a giant of democracy". "Gandhi's unique method of resistance through civil disobedience, allied to a talent for organisation, gave the Indian nationalist movement both a saint and a strategist. "The principal pillars of Nehru's legacy-democratic institution-building, staunch pan-Indian secularism, socialist economics at home and a foreign policy of non-alignment-were all integral to a vision of Indianness that sustained the nation for decades," the magazine says. Other prominent figures in the list include Nobel-winning economist Amartya Sen, Burma's democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and her father Aung San, Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, China's Deng Xiaoping, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, Sufi singing legend Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Pakistan's founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah, martial arts exponent Bruce Lee, mountaineers Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary, Mother Teresa, this year's Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus and writer Salman Rushdie. Tendulkar has been described as the "greatest living exponent of his craft". "When he's in form, which is often, Tendulkar can rout the world's best bowlers with ease." About Mittal, chief executive officer of Arcelor Mittal, the magazine writes: "His boldness and spectacular wealth reflect India's growing financial might." TIME pays its tribute to Sen saying he is a "philosopher and economist who preaches tolerance to a divided world". On Narayana Murthy, it writes: "From a Bombay bedsit, he launched an economic revolution. His wildly successful company - Infosys - had laid the groundwork for the business process-outsourcing, that defines globalisation in action."

Courtesy: www.economictimes.indiatimes.com, November 10, 2006

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Sleep is one of the most important parts of your life. It is while you are sleeping that the system rejuvenates itself. Again, it is during sleep that the immune system of the body mends itself. In fact, many people who do not sleep tend to suffer from recurrent sinus, cough and cold. Sleep reorganises the information collected through the day in the different areas of the brain. It is also the best time for the mind to retrieve information. Many times, we are unable to get clarity on a decision during the day owing to distractions, but after a good night's sleep, it becomes much easier. But what do you do if sleep eludes you? Follow certain dos and don'ts to get proper sleep.

During the day
Do not try to skip meals during the day. This will create imbalanced hunger which will hit you in the evening. As a result, you will end up overeating at night and the body gets too full. Usually, you hit the sack immediately after eating and this impedes the proper movement of food in the intestinal tract. When the body has to digest a large meal, it kicks into action and re-organises the blood flow towards the intestine. This, coupled with a surge of insulin, results in a feeling of 'numbness'. But what a large, undigested meal actually does is spoil the quality of sleep and you tend to wake up tired and not so fresh despite having slept. Do not drink stimulants in the night. Tea and coffee contain strong stimulants, which disrupt the natural sleep rhythm. Jasmine or chamomile are far better drinks.Exercises are also (often unrecognised) sleep promoters. An overactive mind and an 'under active' body come in the way of sleep -as the body is still not tired enough to sleep. There are some food items that induce sleep. Most of these foods are precursors of serotonin. Typically, foods with complex carbohydrates such as oats and dried fruits are sleep promoters. Many foods like milk and curd also contain an inherent precursor to serotonin. What you must watch out for is that first, they should not be eaten in a refined form, and secondly, they should be eaten four hours before sleeping.

Courtesy: Hindustantimes / Brunch, November 05, 2006

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Mahatma Gandhi's teachings, particularly non-violence, could still change the destinies of people and nations, Jean Charest, Premier of Canadian province of Quebec, has said. "The doctrine of conflict resolution theory, new environmentalism, peace research, deep ecology, and Buddhist economics based on Gandhian principles, renews the world's belief in Mahatma and his teachings for our life and our time," he said. Unveiling a bust of Mahatma at a splendid location opposite to the Quebec's Parliament complex at a highly symbolic event, Charest said the Western and Indian influences that had gone into making Gandhi the Mahatma, and the central importance of Gandhi to non-violent activism, could still change the destinies of people and nations. Shyamala B Cowsik, the High Commissioner of India to Canada said: "As India celebrates the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi's Satyagraha movement, it is more than ever that the world realizes the failure of violence to achieve anything, anywhere. A world torn apart looks back at Gandhi and his firmness in a force, which is born of truth and love or non-violence." The bust of Mahatma, sculpted by famous sculptor Gautam Pal, sits atop a 5-ft pedestal, is a gift from the Government of India to the province of Quebec. Besides Premier Charest, the event on Thursday was attended by his two Cabinet Ministers, the Mayor, the Chairman of the Capital Region and other local dignitaries and a large number of members of the Indo-Canadian community of Quebec.

Premier Charest said it was desire of the State government that when Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh visits Canada, as expected, in 2007, he should visit Montreal and, if possible, Quebec City as well. The unveiling of the bust was supplemented by an exhibition of paintings of Mahatma Gandhi by the Montreal-based artist Suraj Sadan. Sadan's paintings of Gandhiji were chosen both by the Government of India for the Gandhi Centennial Commemorative stamp in 1969, and by UNESCO for the cover of their special issue of the UNESCO courier for the same centennial. This exhibition was inaugurated by the Quebec Minister for International Relations Mme. monique Gagnon-Tremblay, and was attended by a number of local dignitaries. The same exhibition is due to travel to India in January 2007, and will be inaugurated on the anniversary of the martyrdom of Mahatma Gandhi, January 30, 2007. It is being sponsored by the Gandhi Memorial Trust.

Courtesy: www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com, November 5, 2006

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A tireless advocate for people infected with both tuberculosis and HIV in Zambia and the manager of the national TB control programme in India has won a prestigious new UN health prize for their efforts to transform control of the debilitating, but curable disease that kills some 5,000 people a day. Winstone Zulu from Zambia and LS Chauhan from India became the first winners of the 'The Stop TB Partnership Kochon Prize', inaugurated this year by the Partnership, a network of more than 500 organisations whose secretariat is housed at the UN agency World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva. The Kochon Foundation was set up in 1973 by the late Chong-Kun Lee, chairman of the Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corp, one of the first TB drug manufacturers in South Korea. Zulu himself was cured of tuberculosis, although all of his four brothers died of the disease. He is a co-founder of Kara-Kabwe Programmes for Kara Counselling, a provider of HIV/AIDS counselling in Zambia, and was co-president of TBTV.Org, one of the first global organisations of people with TB and HIV/AIDS. Dr Chauhan is deputy director-general (tuberculosis) and programme manager of the National TB Control Programme. Since 2002 he has overseen the rapid expansion of the DOTS TB-control program in India, a remarkable accomplishment in the country that bears the world's heaviest TB burden.

TB is a global public health menace of catastrophic proportions. Like common cold, it spreads through air. Only people who are sick with TB in their lungs are infectious. When infectious people cough, sneeze, talk or spit, they propel TB germs, known as bacilli, into the air. A person needs to only inhale a small number of these to be infected. Left untreated, each person with active TB will infect up to 15 people every year, but infected people will not necessarily become sick. The immune system walls off the bacilli which, protected by a thick waxy coat, can lie dormant for years. When someone's immune system is weakened, the chances of becoming sick are greater. According to WHO, someone in the world is infected every second. Overall, a third of the world's population is currently infected with the bacillus and 5 to 10 per cent of these, if they are not also infected with HIV, become sick or infectious some time during their lives. People with both HIV and TB infection are more difficult to treat successfully. The highest number of new cases in 2004 occurred in Southeast Asia, which accounted for 33 per cent of the global total. But the estimated incidence per capita in sub-Saharan Africa is nearly twice that of Southeast Asia, at nearly 400 cases per 100,000.

Courtesy: www.hindustantimes.com, November 2, 2006

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Moved by the plight of African children, an Indo-Canadian toddler donated every penny he had to Unicef. Neil Agrawal, 9, donated $170 after watching a video in his school about how kids in Malawi, Africa, live on the streets and cannot go to school because of poverty. "I thought I don't really need that money and I didn't need all these things in my life. They need it more than me, so I'm going to give it all to them," he said. He said that his teacher told the class they could really make a difference in the lives of these kids and help them go to school. A donation of $20 would buy school supplies for two children and $100 would provide sports supplies for a whole school. "With our help, these kids could get better. If they're sick, they can't find a nurse to help them," he said.

Courtesy: www.asianage.com, November 1, 2006

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