Health Watch

ICPD celebrates 15 years

International Conference on Population and Development:

FAX Sri Lanka commemorated the 15th Anniversary of International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) last month. ICPD was the landmark event which led Governments to place human rights at the heart of human development.

The ICPD was held in Cairo, Egypt, in September 1994. This was the largest ever conference on population and development. It is also known as the ‘Cairo Consensus’. Around 11,000 delegates from 179 countries, including Governmental delegates, representatives from UN agencies, inter-governmental delegations, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and media, formed an inspiring and visionary plan to improve the health and well-being of millions of people worldwide.

The Governments committed to promoting a 20-year Program of Action (PoA) with set priorities and time bound goals to guide national-level policymaking. It concretely addressed a diverse array of topics related to population and development, including sexual and reproductive health, education, human rights, the environment, internal and international migration and the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS.

This year (2009) marks the 15th anniversary of the ICPD and reminds us of the five years remaining to fulfil the commitments made at Cairo. FPA Sri Lanka is taking this as an opportunity to celebrate the achievements, to identify gaps and make recommendations to accelerate the progress.

A publication written by eminent Sri Lankan experts was launched on October 29 at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel to mark this event.

This book contains 12 articles edited by Bradman Weerakoon and written by eminent Sri Lankan scholars and practitioners such as Dr. Wickrema Weerasooria, Dr. A.T.P.L. Abeykoon, Dr. Pramilla Senanayake, Dr. Palitha Abeykoon, Dr. Lakshman Senanayake, Prof. Savitri Goonesekera, Prof. K. Tudor de Silva, Prof. W. Indralal de Silva, Prof. Ramanie Jayatilaka, Prof. K.A.P. Siddhisena and Ms. Malathie Weerasooriya. The technical advisory committee youth of FPA Sri Lanka also contributes to this book under the topic Stepping into a Healthier Tomorrow.

Each writer has attempted to delineate the manner in which Sri Lanka has, through this 15 year period since the Cairo Conference, pursued the goals and objectives agreed to globally at Cairo in regard to Population and Development and the emerging issues and challenges to be addressed in the future.

It discusses the progress in relation to migration, ageing population, urbanization, demography, natural and man-made disasters and gender. It would therefore be a valuable input to present to future national leaders committed to work in these areas.

Low-cholesterol may be sign of undiagnosed cancer

* Study dispels worry that low cholesterol causes cancers

* Low cholesterol may lower deadly prostate cancer risk:

By Julie Steenhuysen

Low total cholesterol may be a sign of cancer rather than a cause, as some researchers have suggested, and men who have low cholesterol actually have a lower risk of developing high-risk prostate cancer, two teams reported on Tuesday.

Both studies, reported in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, shed new light on the role of cholesterol and cancer.

For years, researchers had noticed that people who have lower total cholesterol, a combination of both low-density lipoprotein or LDL, the ‘bad’ kind, and high-density lipoprotein or HDL, the ‘good’ kind, appeared more likely to have certain types of cancers than other people.

That was worrisome because having low cholesterol, and particularly low levels of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol, has been shown to protect against heart attacks and strokes.

“Our study affirms that lower total cholesterol may be caused by undiagnosed cancer”, Dr. Demetrius Albanes, a senior investigator at the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, said in a statement.

“In terms of a public health message, we found that higher levels of ‘good’ cholesterol seem to be protective for all cancers”, he said.

The 18-year study of nearly 30,000 Finnish male smokers is the largest and longest of its kind. During that period, 7,545 men developed cancer.

The men with lower total cholesterol levels, below 230 milligrams/deciliter, had an 18 percent higher risk of cancer overall, just as in earlier studies.

But, when they excluded cancers that occurred in the first nine years of the study, this risk disappears.

Reuters

One Asia Breastfeeding Partners Forum

The One Asia Breastfeeding Partners Forum, which will be held from 18-21 November 2009 at the Holiday Inn, Colombo is a significant event that draws Government, non-government, UN and other international agencies throughout Asia.

It is being held in Sri Lanka for the first time and is jointly hosted by the Ministry of Healthcare and Nutrition and the Ministry of Child Development and Women’s Empowerment and sponsored by UNICEF and WHO Sri Lanka together with the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) Asia.

It is also jointly organised by IBFAN Asia and Lanka Jatika Sarvodaya Shramadana Sangamaya (Sarvodaya) who are the representatives for IBFAN in Sri Lanka.

The theme selected for Forum 6 is Breastfeeding In Emergencies: Challenges and Solutions, is timely and important given the recent emergencies faced in Asia.

Natural disasters and conflicts have resulted in communities having to face emergencies of unprecedented scale in most countries in Asia.

These emergencies have an adverse impact on Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) in general and breastfeeding in particular.

This sixth forum sees the network expanding to include countries across Asia and will give Government health officials, UN agency officials, practitioners and civil society organizations an opportunity to discuss challenges, solutions and lessons learned on breastfeeding and feeding the young child in emergencies.

It will also serve to equip these persons with the necessary inputs to craft suitable strategies to deal with emergencies and also the forum to share their experiences and success stories.

Student wins first prize in Medical Crossword No. 39 draw

Edward Arambewela

A 20 year old undergraduate in Information Technology at the Asia Pacific Information Technology Institute (APITI) in Colombo Tarik Mass won the Rs. 3000/- 1st prize in the Healthwatch Medical Crossword No. 39 draw held at the WISH institute auditorium at Delkanda, Nugegoda last week (Saturday Oct. 31)

The draw was held as part of the seminar for parents on checking hearing abilities of children and also educating them on the new cochlear hearing aid implants available in the world including Sri Lanka to meet even the most difficult hearing impairments of people. Over a hundred parents were present at this seminar. Some of whom had come from even outside Colombo such as Avissawella, Kalutara and Ambalangoda. The seminar was addressed by WISH Audiologists, Piumi Kosgallana and Preethi Pieris.

* Prize winners

In the medical crossword draw No. 39. The winners were:

First Prize: Rs. 3000/- Entry No. 22, Tarik Mass (Age 20 undergraduate), Colombo 15.

Second prize: Rs. 2000/- Entry No. 72, S. Abeynayake (Age 68 yrs), Pensioner, Panadura.

Third prize: Rs. 1500/- Entry No. 59, S. Nihal (Age 60 yrs), Pensioner, Colombo 15.

* Consolation prizes of Rs. 500 each.

1. Entry No. 122, S. P. B. M. Senadeera - Age 23 yrs (Student), Nugegoda.

2. Entry No. 130, Margret Fernando - Age 73 yrs, Wattala.

3. Entry No. 97, Edward Jayasuriya - Age 73 yrs. (Pensioner), Nugegoda.

Crossword sponsors WISH Institute its head Mihiri Wickremarachchi, Daily News Editor Jayatilleke de Silva, Healthwatch Medical Advisory Panel and the Medical Crossword Coordinator Edward Arambawela and the Medical Crossword grid compiler Dr. Kelum Palpola congratulated all the winners.

* Correct solution of Crossword No. 39

Across: 1. Travel 4. Dengue 5. Tourist 7. Jakarta 9. AIDs 12. Mexico 13. Unicef 15. Cough 17. Mask 18. Epidemiology. Down: 2. Virus 3. Rest 4. Swine 8. Respiratory 10. Mouth 11. Sneezing 14. Kidney 16. Kandy

The following prize winners in Crossword No. 39 who came for this draw were presented their prizes by the special invitees at the seminar and the draw. D. P. Jayasuriya (Entry No. 26) Kotte second prize Rs. 2000, S. Nihar (Entry No. 79) Colombo 2, third Prize Rs. 1500. Ayurveda Dr. H. Jayasingherachchi (Entry No. 15) consolation Prize. Other prize winners who were not present will be posted their prizes.