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| Thehimalayantimes |
KantipurOriginal Source :HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE
The Ministry of Health and Population has asked all the hospitals to set up isolation wards to tackle H1N1 virus in case of any epidemic.
With the increasing number of people being affected by H1N1 virus, which is also known as swine flu, in India, the risk of the disease is increasing in Nepal as well, it said. Issuing a press statement, MoHP informed that it was all prepared to tackle the disease. MoHP said it has sufficient stock of anti-viral medicines, antibiotics and personal protective equipment to fight against the virus if an epidemic occurs. It has also prepared a guideline for prevention and treatment of the virus.
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| thehimalayantimes(21st feb 2015) |
“We have asked all government and private hospitals to set up isolation wards to deal with the virus. Lab services and antiviral medicines will be provided under the supervision of medical officials at the National Public Health Laboratory and Epidemiology and Disease Control Division,” said MoHP, appealing to the general public to adopt preventive measures against the virus.
“To stay safe, one should cover his/her face while sneezing, maintain proper hygiene and maintain a distance from those who are suffering from swine flu,” MoHA advised.
The symptoms of swine flu include cough, fever, sore throat, runny nose, body ache, headache, chills and fatigue.
The virus transmits from infected humans to others while sneezing or coughing. Under-fives, senior citizens, pregnant women, children below 18 years who are under long-term aspirin therapy, those who have lungs, heart, liver, blood, nervous system-related problems and HIV-positive people, among others, are vulnerable to H1N1 virus. The virus was first detected in Nepal in 2009.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports has launched a book comprising comprehensive statistics and details about the youths of the country.
This report, highlighting data specific to youth in Nepal, is based on the Population and Housing Census 2011 provided by the Central Bureau of Statistics of the Government of Nepal.
Population of the 16-40 years age group is considered as the youth population in Nepal. According to the 2011 Census, the total youth population in Nepal is 10,689,842 (40.3% of the total population). Among them, 45.8% are males and 54.5% are females.
Kathmandu district has the highest proportion of the youth population i.e. 52.9% whereas Pyuthan district has the lowest proportion of youth population i.e. 32.7% to its total population. Nearly 1400 thousand youth were found to have been abroad for employment, which is nearly 72% of the total absentee population (1,921,494) of Nepal in 2011. Out of the youth population going abroad for employment, 93.2% are males and 61% are from the age group of 16-25 years.
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KATHMANDU: The World Health Organisation has certified that the Biosafety Level-3 (BSL)-3 Laboratory established at the National Public Health Laboratory in Teku meets the International Health Regulations, 2005 for its operations.The BSL-3 Laboratory was certified after an international team of WHO experts found its facilities at par with the international standards. The WHO team inspected the government-owned lab in January.
Speaking at a programme ‘Dissemination of Functioning of Bio-Safety Level-3 Laboratory in NPHL’, Minister for Health and Population Khagaraj Adhikari said that the BSL-3 Laboratory should be able to come up with new inventions, discoveries and solutions against various new viral diseases to contribute to the health sector in Nepal as well in other parts of the world.
He advised officials at the BSL-3 Laboratory to also initiate production of vaccines to control the epidemic diseases in collaboration with national and international experts. “Research, testing and health counselling services must be part of the lab to find out new solutions of contagious diseases,” he said, adding that anti-snake venom and anti-rabies vaccines should be given high priority.
Geeta Shakya, Director, NPHL, said the BSL-3 Laboratory will be operated to detect viral epidemic such as H5N1 (bird flu), avian influenza A (H7N9), MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) virus, CCHF (Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever), KFD (Kasunur Forest Disease), Nipah and Westline virus that may hit Nepal.
“The main objective of the BSL-3 Laboratory is to detect the epidemic within a short period of time and to control the pandemics and reduce health hazards and threats to lifespan,” she said.The BSL-3 Laboratory tests the sample of pandemics that occur due to intentional, natural and catastrophic germs. The laboratory is able to manage the Natural-Errorism, Bio-Terrorism and Biological Warfare which is not possible by the BSL-2 Laboratory.
According to Shakya, the BSL-3 Laboratory is equipped with CCTV cameras, alarm system and telephone system. The third level digital control entry doors have been installed for the internal security of the lab.
Likewise, bio-safety cabinets and High-Efficiency Particulate Arrestance filter air-handling unit have been controlled by digital building management system for the protection against harmful germs.
The personal protection equipment and respirator have also been managed for the protection of the lab experts and assistants. In addition, the laboratory has been established according to the international principles for the construction, identification, certification, safety and use.
Dr Ling Aung, WHO Country Representative to Nepal, said, “WHO’s technical support for international trainings in human resources capacity development, procurement and supply of equipment, reagents and chemicals and bringing international experts for on-the-job training at NPHL has played vital role in the development of the BSL-3 Laboratory.”
He urged the government to meet the specially trained human resources in microbiology, bio-safety and round-the-clock power supply.
World Cancer Day, organized by the Union for International Cancer Control, is an opportunity to highlight the wide range of actions needed to effectively prevent, treat and control the many forms of cancer.
The day, the theme of which in 2015 is “Not beyond us”, offers WHO an opportunity to demonstrate the Organization’s policies and programmes for countries to reduce their cancer burden. The Global action plan for the prevention and control of NCDs 2013-2020 offers the overall framework for country action.
The day, the theme of which in 2015 is “Not beyond us”, offers WHO an opportunity to demonstrate the Organization’s policies and programmes for countries to reduce their cancer burden. The Global action plan for the prevention and control of NCDs 2013-2020 offers the overall framework for country action.
The Global action plan calls for national, international and multisectoral action across multiple areas to reduce cancer risks in populations, and to strengthen health care delivery systems for people with cancer. Environmental and infectious causes are important for cancer prevention so that WHO’s guidance in those areas is part of the comprehensive approach.
Campaign Key Messages
Choosing Healthy Lives
Reducing the social and environmental risk factors for cancer and empowering people to make healthy choices, are key components to achieving the global overarching goal of reducing premature deaths from NCDs by 25% by 2025 and reaching the aspirational targets of the World Cancer Declaration.
Delivering Early Detection
Ensuring the availability of, and access to, early detection programmes for cancer can significantly reduce the cancer burden in all countries.
Achieving Treatment For All
All people have the right to access quality, effective cancer treatment and services on equal terms, regardless of geography and without suffering economic hardship as a consequence.
Maximising Quality Of Life
Understanding and responding to the full impact of cancer on emotional, mental and physical wellbeing will maximise the quality of life for patients, their families and carers.
Cancer is a generic term for a large group of diseases that can affect any part of the body. Other terms used are malignant tumours and neoplasms. One defining feature of cancer is the rapid creation of abnormal cells that grow beyond their usual boundaries, and which can then invade adjoining parts of the body and spread to other organs. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world, particularly in developing countries. In the WHO Western Pacific Region, it is estimated that close to 4.07 million new cases occurred in 2008 (2.31 million in men and 1.75 million in women). Almost 2.6 million people in the Region died from cancer that same year.
Source of Information: WHO
The Nepal Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (NMICS) was carried out in 2014 by Central Bureau of Statistics, Government of Nepal, as part of the global MICS program. Technical support was provided by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). UNICEF and the Government of Nepal provided financial support.
According to the key findings, the current under-five mortality rate is 38 per 1,000 live births while the neonatal mortality rate is 23 per 1,000 live births, which accounts for 61 percent of under-five deaths. Full immunization coverage against key childhood diseases of children under one is 85 percent. Two thirds of women attended at least one antenatal care visit (68 percent) and over half of the women had a skilled birth attendant during delivery (56 percent). Nearly half (49 percent) of women of reproductive age are marrying before the age of 18. Of them 16 percent were married before the age of 15. The adolescent fertility rate is 71 per 1,000 women. Stunting of children under five is 37 percent, underweight prevalence is 30 percent and wasting prevalence 11 percent. Nearly all households have access to improved sources of drinking water (93 percent). The proportion of households without improved drinking water using appropriate treatment methods is 14 percent. Though access to improved water has increased, about 71% of the water sources are contaminated with fecal coliform. In addition, 82 percent of households having access to water sources are exposed to water contaminated with fecal coliform which indicates further contamination of water in households. Sixty percent of households have access to improved sanitation facilities that are not shared.
Among children of school going age, 86 percent attend primary or secondary school. Almost all children attending primary school reach the fifth grade (99 percent) and complete it (99.5 percent). Nearly all children transition to secondary school (97 percent) from primary, but only two thirds of secondary school age children actually attend secondary or a higher form of education (66 percent). Gender parity index in attendance in primary and secondary schools stand at 0.99 and 1.02 respectively.
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10 Dec 2014,Geneva
The “Global status report on violence prevention 2014” reveals that 475 000 people were murdered in 2012, and homicide is the third leading cause of death globally for males aged 15–44 years, highlighting the urgent need for more decisive action to prevent violence.
Despite indications that homicide rates decreased by 16% globally between 2000 and 2012, violence remains widespread. Non-fatal acts of violence take a particular toll on women and children. One in four children has been physically abused; one in five girls has been sexually abused; and one in three women has been a victim of physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence at some point in her lifetime.
The Global status report on violence prevention 2014, which reflects data from 133 countries, is the first report of its kind to assess national efforts to address interpersonal violence, namely child maltreatment, youth violence, intimate partner and sexual violence, and elder abuse.
Jointly published by WHO, the United Nations Development Programme, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the report reviews the current status of violence prevention efforts in countries, and calls for a scaling up of violence prevention programmes; stronger legislation and enforcement of laws relevant for violence prevention; and enhanced services for victims of violence.
3,DECEMBER 2014 MELBOURNE: New guidance from WHO aims to help countries better prevent and control cervical cancer. The disease is one of the world’s deadliest – but most easily preventable – forms of cancer for women, responsible for more than 270 000 deaths annually, 85% of which occur in developing countries.
The new “Comprehensive cervical cancer control: a guide to essential practice” will be launched at the World Cancer Leaders’ Summit in Melbourne, Australia on 3 December 2014.
The main elements in the new guidance are:
- Vaccinate 9 to 13-year-old girls with two doses of HPV vaccine
- Use HPV tests to screen women for cervical cancer prevention.
- Communicate more widely.
- Addressing inequities
