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What the humming Bourse conveys

Where is the sting in opposition-inspired criticism of the Government? We are compelled to ask this question on learning that the All Share Price Index had recorded an all-time high a couple of days ago, reaching a zenith at the Colombo Bourse.

If, as the opposition claims, the economy is in a shambles, how is it that investor confidence in Sri Lanka is thus soaring? How come business activity is rising to unprecedented heights, with investors in increasing numbers putting their moneys into the thriving sectors of the economy, such as the hotel trade?

The tourism sector, in particular, we are told, is on an unprecedented rise which requires more infrastructural investments, with all hotels recording full occupancy till December.

All this points to the fact that the growth momentum of the economy is being sustained by the present Government - opposition allegations notwithstanding.

Whereas the present oil crunch is projected by many as ringing the death knell of the local economy, the bullish investor sentiment sends out a different message to the observer. That is, the economy is being handled with considerable prudence by our policy and decision-makers.

The top-most priority is to keep the economy this way. There is no doubt that the present ceasefire and cessation of hostilities is helping the economy to be on even keel and the dramatic turnaround of the international community and human rights groups against the LTTE's intransigent, atrocities and child soldiers, sees a viable peace on the horizon.

The considerable savings on the defence expenditure front are enabling more investments to be made. The Government is now in a position to invest more on the development of our human resources and, generally speaking, make improvements in the quality of life of the people.

But it is important to realise that it is the ceasefire which makes these socio-economic achievements possible. Thus, there is a direct link between the ceasefire and socio-economic improvements.

This relationship and our inborn reverence for life should drive home to those who are avidly looking out for blemishes in the Government's peace effort, the pressing need to adopt a more positive attitude towards the conflict resolution exercise. It has become almost second nature for some sections to cry "foul" at all attempts at resolving the conflict. This is a most unhelpful attitude.

Do the critics of the current conflict resolution effort desire a reversion to conflict and war? If so, they should forget about brighter economic prospects for all and brace for stepped-up distress. Do they sincerely want to barter away the future of the present and oncoming generations?

We are certain that the answer of most persons to this query would be a resounding "No". If so, the conflict-resolution exercise should be approached in a constructive spirit. If we desire the Colombo Bourse to tick continuously, we should throw in our lot with the peace-makers.

An unseen killer

We have heard of air pollution - caused mostly by exhaust fumes of vehicles and factories. But most of us are unaware of an equally dangerous phenomenon - indoor air pollution.

It is a major cause of death and disease in the world's poorest countries. While the millions of deaths from communicable diseases often make headlines, indoor air pollution remains a silent and unreported killer.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), thick acrid smoke rising from stoves and fires inside homes is associated with around 1.6 million deaths per year in developing countries. That is one life lost every 20 seconds to the 'killer in the kitchen'.

This is an aspect of rural life that we hardly think about. Most rural dwellers do not have clean-burning gas and electric stoves. Nearly half of the world continues to cook with solid fuels such as dung, wood, agricultural residues and coal.

Smoke from these fuels gives off a poisonous cocktail of particles and chemicals that bypass the body's defences and more than doubles the risk of respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis and pneumonia.

Moreover, the indoor concentration of pollutants from a typical wood-fired cooking stove creates carbon monoxide and other noxious fumes at anywhere between seven and 500 times over the allowable limits. This is worse than smoking two packs of cigarettes a day, according to conservative estimates.

The harsh reality is that rural women and children in particular are subjected to levels of smoke in their homes that far exceed international safety standards. Rural women and their families thus literally pay a high economic and health price for keeping the home fires burning.

Lessening the danger could be a matter of better ventilation for the cooking environment. Awareness programs for housewives on the killers in the kitchen should also be conducted in rural areas so that they will be able to take appropriate measures.

The use of more fuel efficient traditional stoves that emit less fumes should also be popularised. These should be marketed at low prices to enable more households to purchase them. The authorities should also widen the infrastructure network so that gas and electricity can reach more households.

The world is taking notice of this unseen killer. Two years ago, at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg the Global Partnership for Clean Indoor Air was launched with the backing of WHO and the international community.

A growing network of experts and organisations are responding to the challenge by finding innovative and affordable solutions that deploy cleaner stoves, fuels and smokehoods. We need to take action now to combat the silent killer in the kitchen.

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