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http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/oct31/iravi.asp=20

Millions of Indians are expected to suffer a sharp drop in their life =
expectancy due to under weight, unsafe WS&H (water, sanitation, and =
hygiene), indoor smoke from coal and other solid fuels, unsafe sex, iron =
deficiency, blood pressure, tobacco, cholesterol, zinc deficiency, and =
low fruit and vegetable intake, according to the Geneva-based World =
Health Organization.=20

In its "World Health Report 2002 - Preventing Risks Promoting Healthy =
Life" released today, the WHO has placed India in the category where =
risks to health are evenly placed among the the extreme rich and the =
downtrodden due to conflicting factors. =20

It's a wake-up call to the Indian government, which has done little in =
the realm of public health and compounded the problems of the poor that =
are subject to a long list of diseases, says a representative of the =
People's Health Assembly.=20

The WHO's Director General Gro Harlem Brundtland, who was Norway's prime =
minister in 90s, says the contrast between the rich and poor people =
exposed to potential risk factors that reduce life expectancy is =
"shocking". =20

The new report, which is the first of its kind, focuses on what are =
called principal global risks to three Ds - disease, disability and =
death - in the world today. "This report brings out for the first time =
that 40 per cent of global deaths are due to just the 10 biggest risk =
factors, while the next 10 risk factors add less than 10 per cent," says =
Alan Lopez, the WHO's Senior Science Advisor and Co-director of the =
Report.=20

The rich in India who have more monies to spend on processed foods, =
alcohol, tobacco, and increased consumption of sweets, are exposed to =
high blood pressure, increased cardio-vascular problems, and other =
non-communicable diseases which annually kill tens of millions of =
people.=20

In contrast, the poor in India are forced to live with a different set =
of risks. Childhood and maternal underweight, a problem that stems from =
iron and other deficiencies, leads to at least a million deaths in the =
country while globally it causes 3.4 million deaths.=20

While the burden from many of the risks is borne almost exclusively by =
the developing world, India's track record in containing this problem is =
far from satisfaction. Besides, the poor also are denied WS&H, which =
leads to cholera and other water-borne diseases.=20

In addition, the Indian poor also die in large numbers due to indoor =
pollution, a problem that occurs because of inhaling harmful gases from =
the cow dung and coal, says the WHO report. To compound the miseries =
further, the Indian poor likes tobacco and engages in unsafe sex that =
contributes to the HIV/AIDS.=20

While the monies required to help the poor overcome some of the risks =
identified in the WHO report are huge, especially for providing clean =
drinking water and hygiene facilities, in some other areas the cost of =
intervention is relatively cheap. What is required according to the WHO =
is a sense of political commitment from the government of the day as =
cost of inaction is serious.=20

Besides, the Indian government, which has one of the worst public health =
outlays for combating killer diseases or even for normal preventable =
risks, cannot afford to take the problem lightly, argued the People's =
Health Assembly representative.=20

"The government and the private health care programmes care only the =
rich which suffer over non-communicable diseases like blood pressure, =
but pay little attention to improving the environment in which millions =
of poor people live," the representative said.=20

"Although the WHO report carries some ominous warnings, it also opens =
the door to a healthier future for all countries - if they are prepared =
to act boldly now," says Dr Christopher Murry, Executive Director of =
WHO's Global Program on Evidence for Health Policy.=20

"In order to know which interventions and strategies to use, governments =
must first be able to assess and compare the magnitude of risks =
accurately," he said.=20

Forwarded by:
=20
Dr. Unnikrishnan PV, India
E-mail: unnikru at yahoo.com   ; Mobile: 91 (0) 98450 91319

Click: www.indiadisasters.org   :   the one-stop humanitarian site
=20


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>
<P align=3Dcenter><FONT face=3DVerdana size=3D5><B>DECCAN HERALD<FONT=20
size=3D2></FONT></B></FONT></P>
<P align=3Dcenter><FONT face=3DVerdana size=3D5><B><FONT =
size=3D2>Thursday, Oct 31st,=20
2002</FONT></B></FONT></P>
<P align=3Dcenter><FONT face=3DVerdana size=3D5><B>Indians in for drop =
in life=20
expectancy </B></FONT><B><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DVerdana=20
size=3D5><BR></FONT><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DVerdana =
size=3D3><BR></FONT></B><FONT=20
color=3D#808080 face=3DVerdana size=3D2><B>From D Ravi Kanth</B> DH News =
Service=20
GENEVA, Oct 30</FONT></P>
<P align=3Dcenter><FONT color=3D#808080 face=3DVerdana><A=20
href=3D"http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/oct31/iravi.asp">http://=
www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/oct31/iravi.asp</A>=20
</FONT></P>
<P align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DVerdana size=3D2>Millions of Indians are =
expected to=20
suffer a sharp drop in their life expectancy due to under weight, unsafe =

WS&H (water, sanitation, and hygiene), indoor smoke from coal and =
other=20
solid fuels, unsafe sex, iron deficiency, blood pressure, tobacco, =
cholesterol,=20
zinc deficiency, and low fruit and vegetable intake, according to the=20
Geneva-based World Health Organization.</FONT>=20
<P align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DVerdana size=3D2>In its “World Health =
Report 2002 -=20
Preventing Risks Promoting Healthy Life” released today, the WHO =
has placed=20
India in the category where risks to health are evenly placed among the =
the=20
extreme rich and the downtrodden due to conflicting =
factors. </FONT>=20
<P align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DVerdana size=3D2>It’s a wake-up call =
to the Indian=20
government, which has done little in the realm of public health and =
compounded=20
the problems of the poor that are subject to a long list of diseases, =
says a=20
representative of the People’s Health Assembly.</FONT>=20
<P align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DVerdana size=3D2>The WHO’s Director =
General Gro Harlem=20
Brundtland, who was Norway’s prime minister in 90s, says the =
contrast between=20
the rich and poor people exposed to potential risk factors that reduce =
life=20
expectancy is “shocking”. </FONT>=20
<P align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DVerdana size=3D2>The new report, which is =
the first of=20
its kind, focuses on what are called principal global risks to three Ds =
—=20
disease, disability and death — in the world today. “This =
report brings out for=20
the first time that 40 per cent of global deaths are due to just the 10 =
biggest=20
risk factors, while the next 10 risk factors add less than 10 per =
cent,” says=20
Alan Lopez, the WHO’s Senior Science Advisor and Co-director of =
the=20
Report.</FONT>=20
<P align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DVerdana size=3D2>The rich in India who have =
more monies=20
to spend on processed foods, alcohol, tobacco, and increased consumption =
of=20
sweets, are exposed to high blood pressure, increased cardio-vascular =
problems,=20
and other non-communicable diseases which annually kill tens of millions =
of=20
people.</FONT>=20
<P align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DVerdana size=3D2>In contrast, the poor in =
India are=20
forced to live with a different set of risks. Childhood and maternal=20
underweight, a problem that stems from iron and other deficiencies, =
leads to at=20
least a million deaths in the country while globally it causes 3.4 =
million=20
deaths.</FONT>=20
<P align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DVerdana size=3D2>While the burden from many =
of the risks=20
is borne almost exclusively by the developing world, India’s track =
record in=20
containing this problem is far from satisfaction. Besides, the poor also =
are=20
denied WS&H, which leads to cholera and other water-borne =
diseases.</FONT>=20
<P align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DVerdana size=3D2>In addition, the Indian =
poor also die in=20
large numbers due to indoor pollution, a problem that occurs because of =
inhaling=20
harmful gases from the cow dung and coal, says the WHO report. To =
compound the=20
miseries further, the Indian poor likes tobacco and engages in unsafe =
sex that=20
contributes to the HIV/AIDS.</FONT>=20
<P align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DVerdana size=3D2>While the monies required =
to help the=20
poor overcome some of the risks identified in the WHO report are huge,=20
especially for providing clean drinking water and hygiene facilities, in =
some=20
other areas the cost of intervention is relatively cheap. What is =
required=20
according to the WHO is a sense of political commitment from the =
government of=20
the day as cost of inaction is serious.</FONT>=20
<P align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DVerdana size=3D2>Besides, the Indian =
government, which=20
has one of the worst public health outlays for combating killer diseases =
or even=20
for normal preventable risks, cannot afford to take the problem lightly, =
argued=20
the People’s Health Assembly representative.</FONT>=20
<P align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DVerdana size=3D2>“The government and =
the private health=20
care programmes care only the rich which suffer over non-communicable =
diseases=20
like blood pressure, but pay little attention to improving the =
environment in=20
which millions of poor people live,” the representative =
said.</FONT>=20
<P align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DVerdana size=3D2>“Although the WHO =
report carries some=20
ominous warnings, it also opens the door to a healthier future for all =
countries=20
— if they are prepared to act boldly now,” says Dr =
Christopher Murry, Executive=20
Director of WHO’s Global Program on Evidence for Health =
Policy.</FONT>=20
<P align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DVerdana size=3D2>“In order to know =
which interventions=20
and strategies to use, governments must first be able to assess and =
compare the=20
magnitude of risks accurately,” he said.</FONT> </P></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Forwarded by:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Dr. Unnikrishnan PV, India<BR>E-mail: =
<A=20
href=3D"mailto:unnikru at yahoo.com">unnikru at yahoo.com</A>   ; =
Mobile: 91=20
(0) 98450 91319</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Click: <A=20
href=3D"http://www.indiadisasters.org">www.indiadisasters.org</A> &n=
bsp;=20
:   the one-stop humanitarian=20
site<BR> <BR></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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