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Tackle the Uva ailment scientifically

We are glad that the Government is losing no time in unravelling the nature of a so-called mystery disease which is currently spreading in the Badulla and Moneragala districts.

To obtain WHO assistance to curb it is most advisable and we hope an early halt will be put to this ailment which has apparently already affected well over 100 persons. Sixty four of these are 'confirmed' cases, we are told.

As is well known, the Uva is one of our most poverty-stricken provinces and is home to a number of afflictions - physical, as in the present case, as well as socio-economic.

It shouldn't be surprising if a causative link is established eventually, between the socio-economic conditions of the Uva - particularly its poverty - and the present 'mystery' illness.

To begin with, we call on all concerned, including some sections of the media, to refrain from sensationalising this ailment. The term 'mystery' itself could mislead the impressionable and trigger panic reactions among the public to the illness.

However, what is required is an attitude of scientific detachment which would enable everyone concerned to study the phenomenon and to meticulously track it down to it source.

It is possible that the disease has already been diagnosed by the medical world but is relatively unknown to Sri Lanka. We suggest that the medical experts be allowed to carry out their diagnostic tests with all the assistance possible, while care is also taken not to blow the issue out of proportion.

Meanwhile, nutritionists would need to probe whether a link exists between this seeming medical puzzle and the nutritional status of the Uva populace. Complex health problems have assailed our people as a result of persisting poverty. Stunting and underweight children are two obvious examples that come to mind.

However, it has been also detected that red corpuscles are substantially less in the blood of some Uva children. In some cases the haemoglobin rate is 50 percent less than it should be. For example - eight percent, when it should be fifteen percent.

All this could be the result of material deprivation and poverty, which are some of the immediate causes of ill-health and chronic undernourishment.

Just the other day we learnt that Sri Lanka is awash with tsunami relief and assistance which could even be directed to the needy in provinces which were not afflicted by the tidal wave, since there is a glut of such immediate humanitarian aid.

If we are really blessed with an abundance of such largesse, such excess relief should be directed at the needy outside the affected areas.

However, it needs to be also recognised that charity and handouts are not the answer to prolonged poverty. The poverty-stricken should be granted their immediate needs, but they should also be enabled to stand firmly on their own feet by learning to fend for themselves.

Thus, while the poor should be fed they should also be taught life skills which would eventually make them self-reliant.

It is economic empowerment and self-reliance which would enable the poor to fight sickness and disease. This is the answer to 'mystery' illnesses.

Online heroes

Video games, which debuted nearly 30 years ago, have grown tremendously. Today's games feature advanced graphics and sound, not to mention addictive plotlines and twists that keep players active for hours on end. One can pick games across a number of platforms - PS2, Xbox, GameCube and PC CD-Rom.

But the biggest revenue earner for the video game industry may turn out to be online games, where players battle fantasy creatures in interactive universes, pitting their skills against thousands of others simultaneously.

They are changing the very face of the Internet and reaping huge profits for developers. The games are so complex and the graphics so detailed, that it can take a team of 50 people up to five years to design.

The first online games were crude, mainly owing to low bandwidth and connection speeds. With the widespread availability of broadband lines, online games almost match their physical software based counterparts. Of course, online gamers have the added benefit of pitching their skills with thousands of players from across the world.

The trend was started by Everquest' and then Everquest II, which were global successes. The latest online game 'World of Warcraft' has become a smash hit. Industry pundits are already predicting earnings that could possibly exceed revenue from the other games of its type put together.

The ascension of video games as an 'indoor sport' received a boost last week when for the first time, the annual International Games Festival held in Cannes last week devoted a whole space to video, console and online games. It was separate from the rest of the exhibition where more traditional games such as Scrabble, Monopoly and chess.

The game executives have every reason to be happy. Since "Everquest" was launched in 1999, global sales of all video games have reached US$ 25.5 billion outstripping cinema sales.

This is a serious state of affairs that could threaten traditional entertainment. Today's video games are so enthralling that 'players' are reluctant to leave their cozy home environment and head to the cinema or other outdoor entertainment. Traditional boardgames are also at risk.

The effect of video games on children also has to be considered. It is no secret that many video games feature heavy violence which may adversely affect young children. Parents must be involved in purchasing video games and limiting their usage by children.

In fact, there are many instances if players who live in a 'virtual' world, more or less cut off from the real world. As one games website proclaims, "players from across the globe can leave the real world behind and undertake grand quests and heroic exploits in a land of fantastic adventure". After all, who doesn't like to be hero ?

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