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Floods in Bihar
A breach of the eastern
embankment of the Kosi river in the Indo-Nepal border, following heavy monsoon rains
in August, has led to extensive floods in Bihar.
The river has changed its course and shifted 120 kms eastwards inundating many
district.
About 4.7 million people
in nearly 2600 villages are affected by the floods. The worst hit districts
are Supaul, Madehpura, Katihar, Saharsa and Araria.
Till date, over one
million people have been evacuated from the affected areas. Army and Navy
used boats and helicopters to evacuate the marooned people and provide them
relief materials, water and food.
Nearly 423,000 people
have been accommodated in 407 relief camps. As many as 409 health centres have been opened and 177 medical teams deployed
in the affected areas. The risk of water and vector borne diseases is high in these places. More>…
Sasakawa Call for a Focus on Social
Rehabilitation of Leprosy Patients
“The medical and social rehabilitation are
like two wheels of a bicycle and only together they can confront leprosy in a
true sense. With Multi Drug Therapy curing a large number of people, it is
time now to enhance the focus on social rehabilitation to rid them of the
stigma attached to leprosy.” These
were the message that Mr Yohei Sasakawa,
WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Elimination of Leprosy, gave when he visited Delhi, Varanasi and Kolkata in September 2008. More>…
World No Tobacco Day (31st
May 2008)
Theme
: “Tobacco Free Youth”
Tobacco
is the leading preventable cause of death in the world. Globally, most people
start smoking before the age of 18, and almost a quarter of these individuals
begin using tobacco before the age of 10. The younger children are when they
first try smoking, the more likely they are to become regular tobacco users and the less likely they are to quit. More>…
World Health Day (7th April
2008)
Outstanding Support
Staff Award
 Ms Indrani Dasgupta, Assistant to the WHO
Representative to India,
has received the Outstanding Support Staff Award on 7 April 2008. The award was presented by Dr Samlee Plianbangchang, WHO
Regional Director. In the proclamation
speech, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Deputy Regional
Director, stated that the award recognizes exceptional achievement and exemplary
performance. The selection of Ms Dasgupta was made based on a thorough
assessment and recommendation of the Awards Review Committee. Besides concrete
measurable work outputs, the Committee also assessed special traits and
attitudinal skills.
World
TB Day 2008
 This year’s slogan for the World
TB Day, 24th March, is “I am stopping TB” and It is about celebrating the lives and stories of
people affected by TB: women, men and children who have taken TB treatment;
nurses; doctors; researchers; community workers--anyone who has contributed
towards the global fight against TB.
A function was held in front of
the historic Red Fort in Delhi
to commemorate World TB Day in which hundreds of cured patients,
volunteer-DOT-providers and workers of agencies/NGOs participated. The
function was organized by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi in partnership with the State
Government of Delhi, the New Delhi Municipal Corporation and the Central TB
Division of the Ministry of Health, Government of India.
Ms Aarti
Mehra, Mayor of Delhi, addressed the gathering and flagged off two vans
carrying communication material on TB and a team of street performers to
spread awareness about TB amongst the slum population of Delhi.
Avian
Influenza in Poultry: West Bengal
Updates can be viewed on the following
Government of India websites
1. Union
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
2. Union
Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Animal Husbandry Dairying and
Fisheries
General
Information on Avian Influenza:
What
You Need to know and Do
Preventing Bird Flu: Questions and Answers [pdf]
Preventing Bird Flu: Precautions poultry farm
workers should take [pdf]
A Manual for Improving Biosecurity
in the Food Supply Chain: Focus on Live Animal Markets
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