About 100,000 people in India

may have escaped HIV infection

over five years because of a

scheme funded by the Bill and

Melinda Gates Foundation, a

study by the Lancet suggests.

The Avahan project was

launched in 2003 in six states

which had the highest rate of

HIV in India at the time.

The aim was to invest in HIV

prevention by targeting high-

risk groups such as sex workers

and truck drivers. The initial

findings of the study had some

data limitations, AFP reports,

but the study's authors make it

clear that investing in preven-

tion can have a positive im-

pact."The results of our analysis

suggest that Avahan had a bene-

ficial effect in reducing HIV

prevalence at the population

level over five years of pro-

gramme implementation in

some of the states," the assess-

ment said. The $258m (£164m)

Avahan project was based in the

states of Andhra Pradesh, Kar-

nataka, Maharashtra, Tamil

Nadu, Manipur and Nagaland.

It targeted high-risk groups such

as sex workers, injecting drug

users and truck drivers with

tactics such as safe-sex counsel-

ling, free condoms, exchanging

used needles for sterilised ones

and through campaigning and

advocacy. It found that the cam-

paign was most effective in the

districts that got the most re-

sources but it also had a greater

impact in the highly-populated

southern Indian states. Indian

authorities say the number of

annual new HIV infections has

declined by more than 50%

during the past decade.India

also runs government Aids con-

trol schemes, many done in

partnership with international

donors. There was some criti-

cism of the Avahan project

when it was launched for being

poor value for money, AFP

reports, but the study disputes

this assertion.

Bill Gates India scheme spared 100000 from HIV

Japanese encephalitis spreading from eastern UP to Delhi

After claiming at least 376 lives in east-

ern Uttar Pradesh, the deadly Japanese

Encephalitis is slowly spreading its

tentacles outside the state with Delhi and

Chandigarh being the latest to report

cases of the viral infection. Transmitted

by mosquito bites, the infection had, so

far, been localised with Gorakhpur in UP

being the worst affected. The disease

occurs regularly during the monsoon in

the Gorakhpur region bordering Nepal in

the foothills of the Himalayas. The low-

lying areas are prone to floods, providing

a breeding ground for mosquitoes which

commonly transmit the virus. Apart from

the over 300 cases of deaths of children,

4480 people were also infected this year,

almost double that of last year. But de-

spite the growing number of cases, the

Centre has done little to prevent the

spread and recurrence of the lethal out-

break. There was no timely response to

requests for vaccines in several letters

sent by state governments early this year.

The vaccines arrived only by the end of

August, too late to be distributed to the

affected states, as the infection had al-

ready peaked during the monsoon, affect-

ing hundreds. Two massive vaccination

drives against Japanese encephalitis were

carried out in Gorakhpur in 2006 and

2010, leading to a drastic decline of the

disease in the area. In January this year, the

Union Health Ministry had promised 66 lakh

vaccines to the UP government for re-

immunisation but it has, so far, remained just

that - a promise. In Assam, another endemic

zone, 2090 cases were reported this year. 114

lost their lives with just 42 deaths being

reported from the Sibasagar district alone.

Self Published Weekly Newsletter by Dr Neha Garg

Newsletter Date

15th October 2011

Volume 1 ,Issue 4 and 5

Health For All

Special points of interest:

Avahan project is a hit

Encephalitis outbreaks in UP

Measles outbreak in several countries

Centre merges urban and rural health mission

Fight back –phone app to protect women

Baby 7 million :countdown begins

Scientist maps Nepal typhoid using google

earth

Malaria vaccine almost here

Stories of hope

Several large measles outbreaks

have been reported in the European

and African regions, with addi-

tional outbreaks in the Americas

linked to Europe or Africa. In re-

sponse, countries are strengthening

surveillance activities, and some

have modified immunization

schedules to address gaps. Social

mobilization activities and advo-

cacy for immunization have been

implemented in all affected coun-

tries. Measles is a highly infectious

disease that causes complications

and deaths, even in previously-

healthy individuals, but is fully

preventable by vaccination. Coun-

tries need to ensure that they reach

95% coverage with two doses of

measles vaccine across all age

groups up to 15 years of age. These

outbreaks should remind travellers

that they should ensure that they

have had two doses of measles-

containing vaccine before their trip.

Measles outbreak

in Several Countries

The Centre proposes to merge the

National Rural Health Mission

(NRHM) and the yet-to-be-launched

National Urban Health Mission

(NUHM) in the 13th Five-Year-Plan

period. The two ambitious Missions

will be separate entities in the up-

coming 12th Five-Year-Plan period,

after the launch of the urban health

mission, but subsequently merged.In

its proposals to the Planning Com-

mission, the Ministry of Health and

Family Welfare has said that the

National Urban Health Mission

would be taken up as a thrust area

for the 12th Plan and launched as a

separate mission for urban areas

with focus on slums and urban poor.

It will cover all cities and towns

with a population of more than

50,000, broadly covering 779 cities

and towns including seven mega

cities including Mumbai, New

Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru,

Hyderabad and Ahmedabad.

The budget allocation for the mis-

sion is envisaged to be Rs. 30,000

crore and the programme will be

implemented by investing in health

professionals, creating new and

upgradation of existing infrastruc-

ture, and strengthening the existing

health care service delivery sys-

tem.Principally, the NUHM will

cover the entire urban areas irre-

spective of the dwelling status

(including general population, listed

and unlisted slums) but outreach

services will be targeted for slum/

slum like areas and other homeless

people, street vendors, railway and

bus station coolies, homeless people

and street children, construction site

workers who may be in slums or on

sites. Inter-sectoral convergence will

be planned between the Jawaharlal

Nehru National Urban Renewal

Mission, Rajiv Awas Yojana and the

NUHM.Realising that the health

care needs of the urban poor and

vulnerable populations, the urban

health mission will ensure adequate

resources for addressing the health

problems in urban areas and address

the need-based city specific urban

health care system to meet the di-

verse health needs of the urban

population with focus on the urban

poor and other vulnerable sections.

The institutional mechanism and

management systems will be in

place to meet the health-related

challenges of a rapidly growing

urban population and join hands

paign ‘Because I am A Girl’. As part of

its commitment, the organisation has

launched the ‗Let Girls Be Born’ initia-

tive in India to galvanise action to address

the issue of female foeticide.. Bhagyashri Dengle, Executive Director of

Plan India said: ―We are the world‘s most

rapidly growing nation, yet among the

most challenging for girls. Plan has been

working in India for the last three decades

and survival rights of girls have been a

key focus of our community development

work. With ‗Let Girls be Born‘ we hope

to reach out to people to make them

realise the consequences of the declining

sex ratio, and encourage them to be active

in celebrating girls.‖Plan chose Uttar

Pradesh to mark the birth of Baby 7

Billion as the state accounts not only for

the highest number of births but also the

for foetal sex-determination are illegal in

the country. According to India‘s 2011

Census, the ratio of girls to boys has

dropped to an all time low since records

began. Today, the national figure has

fallen to an alarming 914 girls for every

1,000 boys between 0 and 6 years. In

some states like Punjab that ratio is as

low as 846 girls to 1,000 boys.Nigel

Chapman, Plan International CEO said:

―Girls throughout the world are still being

denied their rightful access to many

things – but this is the most grave of all –

the right to be born itself. Globally mil-

lions of girls are either never born be-

cause of a skewed preference for sons or

die in early childhood or in reproductive

years. We must bring a stop to this injus-

tice.‖Plan is advocating girls‘ rights and

empowerment through its global cam-

highest number of ‗missing girls‘. With a

population bigger than that of Brazil, it

has just 899 girls for every 1,000 boys.

The situation is similar in other states

such as Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya

Pradesh and country‘s capital Delhi.On

October 31, Plan will celebrate the birth

of ‗Baby 7 Billion‘ at a public function

near Lucknow. The newborn will be

issued with a birth certificate by state

authorities. The organisation has made

registration of birth an integral part of its

girls‘ rights campaigns.Nadya Kassam,

Plan‘s Global Head of Advocacy said: ―A

birth certificate is recognition of a valued

life and is a passport to citizenship and

many rights. In places like India particu-

larly, it gives live data on the gender gap

and serves as a vital indicator to track

where girls are being lost.‖(13oct alertnet-TRFS)

Baby 7 billion : Countdown begins for a girl in India

will be launched in November by a

local charity and will function as an

SOS alert device -- sending out a

text message with a GPS location to

up to five people, including police,

and as a post on Facebook and Twit-

ter."Safety for women has become

such a huge issue here and we felt

that citizens of Delhi, where possi-

bly the problem exists the most,

could use this type of technological

intervention," said Hindol Sengupta,

co-founder of Whypoll, which cre-

ated the application."Women are

harassed and molested everywhere

on buses, at metro stations, in mar-

kets ... we believe this is Asia's first

phone application aimed at making

women safer."In conservative and

largely patriarchal India, women

face a barrage of threats ranging

from forced marriage and dowry

murders to human trafficking, do-

mestic violence, "honour killings"

and abduction as well as sexual

harassment and rape. The "Fight

Back" app will initially be available

to download from the Whypoll

website (whypoll.org) for a nominal

fee and will be supported by a range

of mobile devices such as Nokia and

BlackBerry.

‘Fight back’ phone app to protect women in India

Women in India's capital, New

Delhi, will soon be able to fight off

potential attackers with a push of a

phone button that will alert not only

friends, family and police but also

sound an alarm on their social net-

working websites.One in every four

rapes in India occurs in New Delhi,

police say, with reports of women

being bundled into moving cars and

gang-raped before being dumped on

roadsides, giving the city an unsa-

voury reputation as the "rape capi-

tal" of the nation. There is one rape

every 18 hours, according to po-

lice.The phone app " Fight Back"

Page 2 Health For All

with community for a more proactive

involvement in planning, implemen-

tation and monitoring of health ac-

tivities.At the primary care level, one

Urban Primary Health Centre will be

established for every 50-60,000. At

the community level, outreach ser-

vices will be provided to the urban

poor slums with the help of Urban

Social Health Activist (USHA) (200-

500 households) and Mahila

Aarogya Samiti (50-100 house-

holds). No sub-centres are proposed

but communisation will be made

possible through Mahila Aarogya

Samiti and Rogi Kalyan Samiti while

secondary and tertiary level services

will be provided through public or

empanelled private providers.

(THE HINDU ,14 OCT)

Centre proposes to merge rural and urban Health Missions

.SOS alerts will cost the same as an

SMS. Sengupta said the app, which

is part of the Whypoll's "Safe in the

City" campaign, will also map the

SOS alerts to build an accurate

database of where and what gender-

related crimes occur."We have

created a platform where women

can remain anonymous yet the inci-

dent will still be recorded and re-

flected on a map on our website --

which will help us push for action in

places where there appears to be

increased risks to women," he said.

(13 Oct,The Economic times)

Countdown has begun for the birth of

‗Baby 7 Billion’ in India, says global

child rights organisation Plan Interna-

tional.

On October 31, the day when the world

population is projected to surpass 7

billion, Plan will celebrate the birth of a

girl as the world‘s 7 billionth child near

Lucknow, the capital of India‘s most

populous state of Uttar Pradesh.The

organisation is using the occasion to draw

world attention to India‘s growing gender

gap. The world‘s emerging economic

superpower, estimated to overtake China

to become the most populous nation by

2030, has 7 million girls ‗missing‘ from

its population. Thousands of female

foetuses are being terminated in India

every year even though sex-selective

abortions and use of ultrasound

An effective vaccine against

malaria - the first for any para-

sitic disease, is a step closer to

reality.

The first ever wide scale trial of

the candidate vaccine RTS,S

prevented clinical malaria in

56% of five- to 17-month-old

children it was tried on over a

period of one year. It also pre-

vented severe malaria in 47% of

cases after three doses of RTS,S.

The trial was conducted at 11

trial sites in seven countries

across sub-Saharan Africa. This

data comes out of the first 6,000

children aged 5 to 17 months,

over a 12-month period follow-

ing vaccination. This is one of

the final stages in evaluating the

efficacy and safety of the vac-

cine candidate in infants and

young children on a large scale

before regulatory file submis-

sion.

Bill Gates called this discovery

a "huge milestone" in the fight

against malaria.

"First, this is proof that it is

possible to create a vaccine that

is effective against malaria,"

explained Gates. "Second, if

further results show that the

effectiveness of RTS,S does not

wane over time, it has the poten-

tial to protect millions of chil-

dren and save thousands of

lives." Published in the New

England Journal of Medicine

(NEJM) on Tuesday, the result

was announced at the ongoing

Malaria Forum hosted by the

Bill and Melinda Gates Founda-

tion in Seattle, Washington. The

vaccine is still under develop-

ment. Further information about

the longer-term protective ef-

fects of the vaccine, 30 months

after the third dose, should be

available by the end of 2014.

Malaria vaccine almost here

has remained relatively stable be-

tween 2000 and 2010 primarily due

to continuing high reported malaria

burdens in India, Indonesia and

Myanmar."There were 52 lakh

probable and confirmed cases of

malaria reported in 2000 as against

50 lakhs in 2010," the report said.

Bhutan and Thailand have large

areas with no malaria transmission

and have expressed their intention to

proceed with elimination joining the

Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination

Network (APMEN).An updated

WHO fact sheet shows that there

were 225 million cases of malaria

and an estimated 7.8 lakh deaths in

2009, a decrease from 233 million

cases and 9.8 lakh deaths in

2000.An increasing number of coun-

tries are setting their sights on elimi-

nating malaria, with three countries

already certified as malaria-free by

WHO in the last four years. The

current trend towards ending ma-

laria, with seven countries having

recently eliminated malaria and

working to prevent re-introduction,

and another 10 countries are moni-

toring transmission to arrive at zero

malaria cases.The report describes

nine countries - out of a total of

Malaria wanes globally ,but not in India

About one-third of all malaria-

affected countries are expected to

eliminate the vector-borne disease in

the next 10 years. However, for the

South-East Asia region the future

isn't that bright. Maldives is the only

country among the 11 nations in the

region that has eliminated malaria,

while Sri Lanka and Korea are in the

pre-elimination stage. The remain-

ing eight countries, including India,

are trying to control regular out-

breaks. The latest report of the Roll

Back Malaria Partnership (RBM)

says the number of malaria cases

reported by countries in the region

Page 3 Volume 1 ,Issue 4 and 5

108 malaria endemic nations and territories - that

are preparing to move towards elimination of

malaria. Dr Robert Newman, director of the

Global Malaria Program of WHO said, "The

world has made remarkable progress with malaria

control. Better diagnostic testing and surveillance

has shown that there are countries eliminating

malaria in all endemic regions of the

world."Malaria elimination - the deliberate inter-

ruption of mosquito-borne malaria transmission

resulting in zero incidence of infection in a de-

fined geographical area - was first attempted at

large scale during the Global Malaria Eradication

Program from 1955 to 1972. During this 17-year

period, 20 countries were certified by WHO as

malaria-free. However, this number fell to only

four countries in the 30 years which followed due

to a massive reduction in efforts to control the

disease .Malaria affects 40% of the world's popu-

lation. Over the last decade, the rapid scale-up of

a variety of malaria control interventions has

saved an estimated 1.1 million lives in Africa

alone, and reduced deaths from malaria by

38%.WHO director-general Dr Margaret Chan

said, "The malaria map is shrinking. In 2009, for

the first time, not a single case of falciparum

malaria was reported in the European Region and

this trend continues. Since 2007, Morocco, Turk-

menistan and United Arab Emirates have been

certified as malaria-free. Armenia has been certi-

fied by WHO as malaria-free."In March 2010,

WHO introduced a major policy change that

recommends diagnostic testing for malaria in all

suspected cases prior to initiating treatment. This

policy marks a significant change from the earlier

practice, when malaria was so common that every

child with fever was presumed to have the disease

and was given anti-malarial drugs. Anti-malarial

treatment without diagnostic confirmation means

poor care for patients. It masks other deadly

childhood illnesses, wastes precious medicines,

hastens the inevitable emergence of drug-resistant

parasites and makes it impossible to know the

actual burden of malaria.

Scientists claim to have mapped typhoid outbreaks in the Nepalese capital accurately using latest gene se-quencing technology and Google Earth.In the research, published in the journal Open Biology, an international team of researchers used Global Positioning System (GPS) signalling and the latest DNA sequencing techniques to map the spread of typhoid and trace its source in Kathmandu. They discovered the bugs behind the typhoid outbreaks — Salmonella typhi and Salmonella paratyphi bacteria — are usually spread through water or food contaminated with faeces in the city.―Until now, it has been extremely difficult to study how or-

ganisms such as the typhoid-causing bacteria evolve and spread at a local level,‖ study researcher Dr. Stephen Baker, of Oxford Univer-sity Clinical Research Unit in Vietnam, said.―Without this information, our ability to understand the transmission of these diseases has been significantly hampered,‖ he explained.―Now, advances in technology have allowed us for the first time to create accurate geo-graphical and genetic maps of the spread of typhoid and trace it back to its sources.‖To capture the information, health workers would visit a patient‘s home and use GPS to capture the exact location. They would also take a blood sample from the hospitalised patient to isolate the organism and to allow analysis of the typhoid strain‘s genotype — its genetic make-up.This sequencing technology able to identify single changes in the ―letters‖ of DNA — the A, C, T and Gs that make up the code. The study showed that people living near to water spouts, for whom these provide their main source of water, and people living at a lower elevation are at substantially greatest

risk of contracting the disease. According to the researchers, their work has also shed light on the role of asymptomatic carriers of the disease in the spread of typhoid. As these carriers do not show symptoms, they are likely to be unaware of their infection and can unwit-tingly spread the disease. The most famous of such cases was a cook in New York in the early twentieth century, nicknamed ―Typhoid

Mary‖, who is believed to have spread the disease to dozens of people.

Scientists map Nepal typhoid using Google earth

Health For All

Page 4

Already grappling with various allergies and viral fever, Delhi has registered 479 dengue cases, 218 malaria cases, 12

cases of chikungunya and five confirmed cases of Japanese Encephalitis this season. Though Delhi Health Minister Dr.

A.K. Walia said the figures were not alarming and that the situation was under control, he, however, admitted that there was a need for more aggressive public participation in ensuring that breeding of disease-causing mosquitoes stays under

control. ―We have recorded four dengue deaths this season but compared to previous years the number of deaths is lower.

As for private hospitals reporting a larger number of dengue deaths, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi does not take into

account the over 30 per cent dengue cases treated in Delhi but are from outside the Capital. We also do not take into ac-

count dengue cases that test positive on the dengue fever rapid test kit. Several cases that are under treatment in private

and government hospitals in Delhi are suspected dengue cases and till they are confirmed we don't notify them as dengue

cases,‖ said MCD Chief Medical Officer Dr. N. K. Yadav.Malaria cases in Delhi have been reported mainly from rural

areas and unauthorised colonies. ―Dengue cases on the other hand have been reported from all over the city and we have

occasional sporadic cases of Japanese Encephalitis which is not area specific,‖ noted Dr. Yadav.―The MCD has been try-

ing to spread awareness about controlling the spread of dengue and malaria and we are conducting fogging and mosquito

breeding checking in all areas of the city. The city has reported cases of Japanese Encephalitis and we have taken samples

from those affected to ensure that the disease is contained,‖ added Dr. Yadav.MCD public health committee chairman Dr. V. K. Monga added that September and October months are the peak time for dengue and malaria cases here as the tem-

perature is suitable for breeding of mosquitoes. ―We generally see a rise in these cases during these two months and then

the number reduces as the temperature drops. There is a certain need for the public to be more aware and involved in con-

trolling the spread of mosquitoes,‖ said Dr. Monga.

Delhi hit by Dengue and Malaria cases

The world has become more vulnerable to outbreaks of disease caused by contaminated food because of growing global trade, the World Health Organisation

(WHO) said .Investigating these outbreaks has also become more difficult because food can contain ingredients from around the world and is transported

through a complex global supply chain, top WHO officials said."Outbreaks of food-borne disease have become an especially large menace in a world bound

together by huge volumes of international trade and travel," said WHO director-general Margaret Chan at a conference in Singapore on improving prepared-

ness against global health threats."They are large in their potential in terms of geographical spread often involving multiple countries."One challenge faced by

governments worldwide is how to "reduce the health and economic consequences of food-borne diseases," Chan said. She cited an outbreak this year of a new

killer E.coli strain, which infected almost 4,000 people and left 51 dead across Europe and caused massive losses to vegetable farmers. European farm products

such as tomatoes, lettuces, courgettes and sweet peppers were withdrawn from the market between late May and the end of June as a result of the disease,

while Russia briefly banned EU vegetable imports.The European Union had blamed the outbreak on fenugreek seeds imported from Egypt, although Cairo

denied any responsibility."Problems nowadays can arise from any link or kink in a convoluted food chain," Chan said. WHO assistant director-general Keiji

Fukuda said food-borne outbreaks have occurred in the past."But what is different now is that food goes all around the world, so if you have something which

gets contaminated or infected in one country it can be in 50 countries or 100 countries or 200 countries," Fukuda told reporters on the sidelines of the Singa-

pore conference."So the scope of these outbreaks could be much larger and more complex and affect many more people."Fukuda said however that while the

risks have become higher, the WHO is also working to make sure that authorities are able to deal with the problem."It's a kind of a race," he said.

World is now vulnerable to food safety issues due to rampant trade : WHO

Osteoporosis remains the least understood and underdiagnosed ailment. It is often misconstrued for other diseases like arthritis and spondylitis. Lack of awareness about the disease has fuelled misconceptions and misinformation. On the eve of World Os-teoporosis Day, which is on Thursday, October 20, orthopaedics and spine surgeons feel that there is a need for public to be aware of osteoporosis. ―There is a huge disease

burden of osteoporosis in Country. In two years, India will have 36 million such pa-tients,‖ physicians point out. Osteoporosis is an ailment in which the density and mass of the bones decreases leading to fragile and weak bones. The bones become porous and prone to multiple fractures even after a slight fall. The ailment has no signs or symptoms until a fracture occurs, hence it is often called as a silent disease, physicians point out. Lack of proper nutrition, less exposure to sunlight, sedentary lifestyle and genetic causes are the reasons for osteoporosis. ―The condition can be managed but there is a need for public to be educated‖, said Spine Surgeon, Yashoda Hospitals, Dr.

Sanjog Mathur .―Indians, especially rural population, is prone to osteoporosis due to poor calcium intake since childhood, non-affordability of milk, higher incidence of lactose intolerance and preference to vegetarian diet,‖ says Senior Orthopaedic, Dec-can Hospital, Dr. K. Sudhir Reddy.―It is not just calcium deficiency; there are other conditions that could trigger osteoporosis. The ample source of Vitamin D is sunlight but we seldom get exposed to sunlight these days. No cardio or weight training, nutri-tion, smoking and alcohol play a part too,‖ explains Dr. K. Sanjay, Spine Surgeon, Yashoda Hospital. Physicians also advise public to avoid cool drinks. ―Cool drinks

contain phosphates. More phosphates lead to less calcium in the bones. Women after menopause suffer from osteoporosis. The more one exercises, the more the body is

able to retain calcium and remains safe from osteoporosis,‖ said Dr. Sanjog Mathur.

Osteoporosis least underdiagnosed disease

Health For All

Page 5

The next few days will perhaps be the most testing time of the year for diabetics around the country. With Deepavali around the corner and a regular flux of sweet boxes of mind-boggling variety, all dripping in ghee or screaming sugar, you cannot blame diabetics if they lose control. Temptation comes in myriad edible forms during the season and mod-eration is the key to surviving the festival of lights in healthy fashion, note doctors. ―We

can permit diabetics with controlled blood sugar levels a little indulgence at this time of the year,‖ says M.S. Ashraf, Chairman, State Chapter, Association of Physicians of India. Exercise discipline. However, he cautions diabetics with complications like eye com-plaints, kidney and heart disease and those on insulin to stay away from sweets or exer-cise discipline in overall dietary consumption. A tad bit too much of indulgence can up-set blood sugar levels hovering on the borderline. Sweets loaded with sugar are the major culprit as blood glucose levels can shoot up instantaneously, necessitating an insulin injection, says Ravindranath, managing director, Trichy Diabetes Specialty Centre. One

or two sweets at a time may not cause much harm, but taking it for more than a couple of days or consuming sweets in bulk can cause sugar levels to soar. Sugar free sweets with artificial sweeteners are a safer alternative and can satisfy cravings, though they may not be as tasty as conventional sweets. Not just sweets, but savouries high in calories also send blood sugar levels soaring, says Dr. Ashraf. Rich food with high salt content should be consumed in moderation, notes Dr. Ravindranath. There may be delay in absorption of these foods, which impact blood glucose levels later. The primary reason why diabet-ics lose control is ready access to sweets and temptation sown by family members con-

suming in their presence. Children with stomach complaints due to over-eating dropping in at hospitals the day after Deepavali is not uncommon, says Dr.Ashraf. ―Sampling sweets from various sweets shops prepared at different levels of hygiene can lead to stomach complaints. Home made sweets are thus safer alternatives. Sweets should be avoided at bed time.‖Patients lining up of for insulin shots the next day are common. Most diabetics avoid keeping up appointments with doctors, says Dr.Ravindran, fearing the doctor's reprimands. ―If a diabetic indulges, then they consult the doctor at once. Self medication is a strict no-no. Do not overdose prescribed medicines if sugar levels shoot

up.‖

Testing time for diabetics , Exercise discipline

Sugar free sweets with artificial sweetners are safe

alternative

CANCER – A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE

A story as told by Sampada Sakre (Berde)

After a wonderful vacation in the summer of 1977, I had high fever for which test

were done and I was rushed to Tata Hospital. My treatment was immediately started

Mum was crying all the time. Keeping my four siblings unattended at home my father was running around

continuously. I could see that Doctors, nurses and my father were busy with my treatment all the time.

Mum was praying for me. I was unaware of what was wrong with me. One day I heard my mum discuss

cancer with the mother of other patient and I suspected that I was suffering from cancer. CANCER, a kil-

ler disease, incurable.

But when I saw my mother’s tears, tireless efforts of the doctors & nurses, their affection for the patients,

and efforts of my parents to save me anyhow, I decided that I would not let all this go waste. I told my

mother not to cry as I was certainly going to get well. Since then I never cried. I underwent entire treat-

ment happily as I was determined to get well.

And I was reborn. This new life is a gift to me from Tata Hospital, relentless efforts of Dr.Purna Kurkure

and her colleagues. Credit goes to my parents who were with me during my fight against cancer in spite

of all the difficulties at home. They looked after my four siblings, while being with me during this period

of struggle.

I was studying in VII standard when cancer was detected. While undergoing treatment I completed IX

with 1st rank and later passed SSC with 72% marks. In due course I graduated in commerce stream. I

never thought of marriage as I often heard my relatives commenting as to who would agree to marry me.

But to the surprise of everyone, suddenly my marriage was fixed. The moment he saw me, Subhash gave

his consent to marry me. I asked my father whether Subhash was aware of my medical history. My father

said that we need not tell him. But I did not agree. I decided to take Subhash into confidence and tell him

the truth before hand. Before engagement I told him everything. He said,” I like you as you are. Now let

us not think about the past”. I am proud that my husband is not just educated (he is M.Com) but a pro-

gressive thinker.

Today I am 46 and our married life is smooth and happy. We have two intelligent and healthy children.

32 years ago, when I was undergoing the treatment, survival rate was low. Now survival rate in children

with cancer is very high and I get to see it when I visit the ACT clinic where hundreds of children who are

being treated successfully & are survivors come for annual check up. It’s been 29 years since I completed

my treatment, but still every year I visit ACT clinic for my annual check-up and return home with the re-

assurance of being fit and fine. In this clinic patients are not only guided about their physical health but

are also given emotional support. Today my parents are no more, but when I meet Dr. Kurkure I feel as-

sured that there is someone to look after me.

I wish to convey that there is no need to loose heart on learning that you’re suffering from Cancer. It is

necessary to have faith in God and doctors and undergo treatment recommended with determination. Al-

ways bear it in mind that your parents love you and want you, no matter what. Undergoing treatment

with positive attitude will work as a catalyst and fasten the recovery. And even after the complete recov-

ery one must visit ACT clinic for regular check-up and take care of health.

(http://www.indiancancersociety.org/cancer-resources/articles/cancer-story.pdf)

Stories Of Hope

Join me in this initiative to inspire people to

live a good healthy life. Please write in with

your stories ,your good or bad experiences.

Write to neehagarg05@gmail.com to share

your experiences.

For feedbacks, suggestions,

subscriptions ,queries write on above email

id.

This newsletter is self published by Dr Neha Garg .She is

a highly motivated Homoeopath with an active interest in

the field of public health nutrition and holistic wellness.

It's important to keep up with the medical news that af-

fects your health and well-being. HFA puts you in closer

touch with everything that’s happening right now in the

ever changing field of medicine. HFA covers a range of

important health topics – nutrition, exercise, cardiovascu-

lar disease, diabetes, vision, memory, hearing, vitamins

and supplements, managing your health care, the list goes

on and on. With alarming rates of diseases across the

world , spreading awareness, happens to be the most effec-

tive strategy against them. Make the HFA , part of your

good health strategy.

HFA brings Stories of Hope*, a section dealing with true

inspirational stories of people surviving serious illness.

Stories about their journeys through discovery ,diagnosis,

treatment and beyond. Awareness is the only strategy

against these illness. HFA owes to compile more of such

stories .So with a kind heart and good faith lets join

hands in spreading the word .Have a Happy and Healthy

Life. Achieving good health for all is a shared responsibil-

ity .

Health For All

Health For All. Know It All. Prevent It

All.

Health For All