<p>The number of lives lost due to viral hepatitis infections is increasing and already accounts for 3,500 deaths daily, according to this report by the World Health Organization (WHO).</p>
A fairly large number of 235 of 1,800 people, who had donated blood for thalassaemia patients at the camps organised by the Thalassaemia Care Centre in different areas of the district during last four months, were found hepatitis B and C positive, said the centre's in-charge Dr Sadiq Siyal on Tuesday.
The federal health ministry is working on a plan to revive the faltering Prime Minister's National Programme for the Control and Prevention of Hepatitis. "The programme is being revised to improve the impact of the Rs2.5 billion scheme,' federal health secretary Khushnood Lashari said on Friday. The findings of a research of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Research Council on the prevalence of Hepatitis B and C, which are likely to be released later this month, would form the basis of the revised strategy.
The 16 Assam Rifles of 9 Sector under HQ IGAR (South) has organized a Hepatitis
THE death of a nine-month-old baby girl created a flutter in Tirunelveli on Tuesday after the parents of the baby claimed that the death was due to administration of Hepatitis B vaccination. A joint enquiry was conducted by the Health Department officials and Tirunelveli Corporation. While officials claimed to have evidence confirming that the baby was administered vaccine on April 9, the parents alleged it was on April 28.
Rampant drug abuse and unsafe sex is pricking the Punjab Police hard, jeopardizing the lives of as many as 178 police personnel in the district of Tarn Taran alone. What has only compounded their case is the indifferent attitude of the government, which is yet to wake up to the ticking bomb within its ranks. In startling revelations that should be enough to jolt the police brass, Sandeep Kakkar, the senior medical officer at Police Hospital, Tarn Taran, told TOI on Tuesday that during checkup doctors found 178 police personnel carrying the Hepatitis B, C and HIV virus.
Hundreds of Japanese people accidentally infected with hepatitis C between the 1970s and 1990s are to be awarded compensation from the government and the drug companies responsible. But thousands of others also affected by the scandal stand to get nothing.
National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE) will undertake eleven new research projects from next month. NIBGE sources mentioned that among these projects include, Cloning of cellulase genes for ethanol production from plant biomass, Chloroplast-based over expression of pharmaceuticals to develop cost-effective therapeutics, cloning, expression and characterisation of INGAP encoded gene: A prospective means of Amelioration of diabetes, Engineering and production of re-combination proteins for the diagnosis and control of hepatitis B virus infection, Bio-control of Pathogenic infection through competition using plant growth promoting Rhizo bacteria, Identification and Characterisation of ACC deaminase gene in specific PGPR (Plant Growth) promoting Rhizo-bacteria, Gene mining slides on extermorphilic micro-organisms using integron specific probes, Finding single Nucleotide polymorphism in cotton genome, Gene pyramiding through genetic engineering for increased salt tolerance in wheat, control of mealy bug in Pakistan and improving crop salt tolerance through genetic engineering. Out of these 11 projects, Higher Education Commission (HEC) has funded 5 while Ministry of Food and Agriculture will provide funding for 2 projects. Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), Pak-US and Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) will fund the remaining projects. Copyright Business Recorder, 2008
A rapid increase in mosquito-borne diseases has been observed in the last quarter of the previous year due to poor pest control services following the slashing of overtime for health staff, said Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam, the Colombo Municipal Council's Chief Medical Officer. "Nevertheless the department was able to control the diseases in the Colombo city limits by 57 per cent compared to 2006. Had not the services been interrupted we could have achieved better progress,' Dr. Kariyawasam added. He said the CMC re-activated its pest control services by spraying chemicals and fumigation of high risk areas after allocating adequate funds for the workers' over-time. The Department initiated a public awareness programme yesterday to explain Dengue and Chikungunya prevention measures to face a possible epidemic in the rainy season. Sources revealed that several cases diagnosed as Hepatitis-A in the city are mainly from homes close to the massive garbage dump in Mattakkuliya. Dr. Kariyawasam said the water consumed by residents of Mahawatte, Mattakkuliya and Modera are contaminated with sewerage due to poor sanitary facilities. The Municipality advised the public to consume only boiled water, refrain from eating half-cooked leafy vegetables to prevent Hepatitis - A. The public was educated through leaflets and banners detailing precautions and symptoms regarding Hepatitis-A.
To obtain an assessment of bacteriological quality of drinking water of the district of Lakhimpur, Assam as many as 168 drinking water samples were collected from different sources of the district and analysed. During analysis it was found that 58.2% samples have coliform MPN more than 10 and 40% have faecal contamination.
