Fire worsens Mumbai pollution levels

On Monday the air pollution levels in Mumbai were recorded higher than Delhi which has been in the news due to its high air pollution levels. The information was received from SAFAR and Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology.
Environmentalists have blamed the worsened conditions on the continuous emission of smoke from the Deonar dumping ground for the past few days.
The city’s air quality index (AQI) on Monday read 320 ug/m3, which again falls under the ‘very poor’ category as per the guideline of World Health Organisation (WHO). However, the pollution level of Delhi, the most polluted city of the world, according to WHO, experienced a sudden decline in the pollution levels. The capital recorded ‘moderate’ air pollution with 180 ug/m3 in AQI on the same day. In fact, Pune also recorded low AQI with 200 ug/m3 AQI. This is the fourth consecutive day that Mumbai has recorded ‘very poor’ air quality.

Blue dot to help India’s diabetics

In a positive development for diabetics, menu cards at Indian restaurants and food packets might soon carry blue dots to represent diabetes-friendly food items.
Currently, only two dots are in use — red and green, signifying non-vegetarian and vegetarian food respectively. Blue has been selected as the colour to represent food that is favourable for consumption by diabetics as the World Health Organisation (WHO) uses a blue circle in the ‘World Diabetes Day’ emblem.

Maharashtra ignores WHO guideline

Despite World Health Organisation’s (WHO) new guideline to provide antiretroviral therapy for everyone diagnosed with HIV regardless of CD4 cell count, state ART centers are ignoring it, a move that can lead to more deaths.
Anita Mehta, 32-year-old, resident of Thane succumbed to HIV infection last month after struggling for a year. She would have survived for a few more years had she started the treatment at an earlier stage. Like her, hundreds of HIV-infected patients die due to delay in treatment. To address this issue, WHO had on October 1, released a new guideline calling for universal antiretroviral treatment to all patients irrespective of the CD4 counts.

Illegal kilns thrive, harm environment, brick by brick

GPCB says around 60 of the 75 kilns inthe city operate in an unauthorised manner as they do not have the board’s NOC.However, the board has not taken action yet as it is ‘short-staffed’

A growing number of unauthorised brick kilns in the city are posing environmental concerns and health hazards. According to Gujarat Pollution Control Board’s (GPCB) report submitted to State Environment Ministry on July 24, around 60 of the 75 kilns in the city are illegal.

KILL PILL

In blatant disregard forthe law, medical stores in the city are selling life-threatening abortion pillsto minors without seeking their age proof, doc’s prescription and an approvalletter by the guardian

Girls aged 10-19 years account for 11 per cent of all births worldwide and 23 per cent of the overall burden of disease (disability- adjusted life years) due to pregnancy and childbirth, according to World Health Organisation. Fourteen percent of all unsafe abortions in low-and middle-income countries are among girls aged 15–19 years. About 2.5 million adolescents have unsafe abortions every year, and they are more seriously affected by complications than are older women.

STRIKE 'EM YOUNG

ONCE DIAGNOSED AMONG PEOPLE ABOVE 60 YEARS, MOUTH AND THROAT CANCERS NOW....

Over the past five years, number of adolescents and people under 40 years of age who have been detected with oral cancer has surged by 106 per cent, say city oncologists

Once considered an old man's disease, oral cancer is on the rise in young adults. Till 2010, people above 60 years were susceptible to oral cancer. However, figures of past five years from city cancer hospitals reveal that more and more youths are being detected with this deadly dis ease. Drinking smoking, unhealthy diet, chronic traum and bad oral hygiene has led to increase in oral cancer in young people, warn experts. According to a recent World Health Organisation report on oral cancer in Ahmedabad, the age of patients shifted from 70-74 years or above in 1985 to 55-59 years in 2010. By 2014, it dropped to those aged 40 years or less.

Data by Gujarat Cancer Research Institute shows that Ahmedabad has highest number of people succumbing to oral cancer. As per the data, most of the oral cancer patients are aged between 20 and 35 years.

Oral cancer surgeon Kaustubh Patel, who works at HCG hospital, says, “In the past five years, oral cancer due to tobacco consumption has increased by 53 pc. Sadly, number of patients below 40 years has also surged by 106 pc between 2012 and 2014.“

Last year alone, the hospital received 1,320 cancer patients. “In 2005, only 14 pc of oral cancer patients were below 40 years of age. This rose to 32 pc in 2014 and continues to rise,“ Dr Patel added.

SIXTH MOST COMMON CANCER

Oral cancer, which is considered to be world's sixth most common cancer, affects lip, tongue, gums, mouth and cheeks. Cancer associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) is mostly found on the tonsils and pharynx. Anyone who develops mouth ulcers or suspicious lesionslumps or sees redwhite patches in their mouth or tongue which do not heal within two weeks, should make an immediate appointment with a doctor.

Interestingly, while awareness has led to decrease in smoking, thereby reducing cases of lung cancer over the past decade, cases of oral cancer are on the rise. Experts believe it is because tobacco is sold in different forms like gutkha, and mawa. In addition, rural dwellers face practical hurdles to diagnosis and treatment, with cancer centres located primarily in city centres, making access to services more difficult.

“Eighty per cent of oral cancer cases is caused by gutkha consumption. Most users are way below 40 years of age. Youngsters do not have money to buy cigarettes so they make do with other forms of tobacco,“ says Dr Vishal Choksi, head and neck cancer surgeon of Apollo Hospital in Gandhinagar.“What is the point of banning gutkha when its substitutes are easily available?“ he asked.

GCRI data supports this. “Areca nuts have alkaloid content which when mixed with mawa and gutkha becomes dangerous. Not just men, even women below 40 years of age are developing oral cancer caused by chewing tobacco,“ says Geeta Joshi, deputy director at GCRI.

CHRONIC TRAUMA, HPV ARE OTHER CAUSES

Dr Patel says, “Chronic trauma can also cause cancer. Sometimes, we constantly bite the inside of our cheek or tongue. Such repeated trauma can lead to lesions which develop into cancer. Cancer can also be caused by the sexually transmitted disease HPV.This can be transmitted through kissing and oral sex. It is important to maintain good oral hygiene as lesions, canker sores or bleeding gums provides entry point for the virus to enter the body.“

If care is not taken, oral cancer will soon spread among adolescents, say experts. Dr Nirav Trivedi of Narayana Multispecialty Hospitals says, “In our hospital, every fourth patient is below the age of 40.We are getting more and more teenagers who get oral cancer after consuming tobacco.“ Awareness, preventive tests and early detection can save lives of many, advise experts.

LOOK OUT

Symptoms of oral cancer includes:

» Loose teeth

» Unresolved sore in the mouth that continues to bleed

» Spot of tissue in the mouth that is white or red in color

» Difficulty swallowing or chewing

» A lump found in the cheek, mouth, or neck

» Persistent earache

» Numbness in the mouth, neck, or face

» Users with less than 5 yrs of tobacco addiction should go for yearly checkups

» Users with more than 5 years of addiction should go for six-monthly checkups

Microbes, heavy metals slip past AMC water labs

The laboratories are not equipped to test heavy metals and advanced microbes in drinking water; this despite the fact that water-borne diseases has surged by about 25 per cent in a year

# 8,000 Amdavadis were diagnosed with diarrhoea in 2014, up by about 25 per cent over the 2013 figure.

# Jaundice and typhoid have also raised their heads as their cases soared by 26 per cent and 44 per cent respectively.

 Despite the shocking surge in the water-borne diseases in the city, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s water testing laboratories are not equipped to test advanced microbes and heavy metals and in drinking water as prescribed by World Health Organisation (WHO). This is not only contributing to rise in water-borne diseases but also damaging vital body organs like kidney, liver, bone and blood.

Treatment, awareness can save haemophilic patients

WorldHaemophilia Day In Gujarat, around 5,000 men suffer from haemophilia, a geneticbleeding disorder in which patients bleed excessively
“Once, while playing I was wounded and the bleeding didn’t stop for two hours. I had to take injection to stop it. Since then, I have never played with my friends, scaring the pain I went through,” shared Umesh Patel (name changed), a 14-year-old boy with haemophilia.
Umesh is not alone. In Gujarat, around 5,000 men suffer from haemophilia. However, sadly, only around 1,600 people are officially registered as haemophilic patients.
Haemophilia is a genetic bleeding disorder in which patients bleed excessively. People with haemophilia (PWH) have prolonged bleeding either internally or externally. The ailment remains lifelong.

Haemophilia is common among men and in rarest of rare cases a girl suffers from this bleeding disorder. As per World Health Organisation (WHO) data, the prevalence of haemophilia is one among 10,000 people.

Lack of awareness and delay in treatment in prolonged bleeding in joints and muscles, increase the risk of disability and permanent failure of body organs. It may even be life threatening, informed Mukesh Kumar Rameshbhai Marchawala, a member of the haemophilia Society (HS).

“It can be as lethal as HIV/AIDS but many people because of social stigma and inadequate knowledge don’t go through regular check-ups which can be risky for them and their family members,” said Kiran Avashia, another member of HS.

“There are 13 factors in the blood, involved in the process of normal clotting of blood. The absence or deficiency of any clotting factor in the blood, usually factor VIII or Factor IX causes haemophilia,” said Avashia.

If managed well, by providing coagulation factor concentrates in sufficient amounts and through regular physiotherapy exercises, the patients can be saved from permanent disability and pain, said experts and doctors.

Pre-natal diagnosis can help in early identification if the baby is haemophilia. “If the mother is a carrier of haemophilia then we ask the couple to go for termination in a hospital,” said Marchawala.

Experts suggest girls whose brother has haemophilia should go through ‘carrier detection test’ to save her child from the pain.

Many doctors also lack knowledge which can delay treatment to needy patients. “In the medical syllabus, only a capture on blood clotting is mentioned which is insufficient for the treatment,” said MA Husani, president of HS in Ahmedabad and father of a girl with haemophilia.

Most importantly, even if people have knowledge about this ailment, many families especially in rural areas, can’t afford the costly treatment.

In this backdrop, a year back, the state government had initiated a programme in 12 government hospitals where these patients were given free treatment. “After years of struggle we finally managed to open this facility for poor and needy patients who can’t afford to go aboard for treatment. Every year a budget of Rs five crore is sanctioned by the government,” said Husani.

“The pain can be lessened by practicing physiotherapy and providing emotional support to PWH,” said Marchawala.