World Health Medicine

WHO Says Cardiovascular Disease Tops Causes Of Death

noreply@blogger.com (fahad best) — Fri, 01 May 2009 20:55:00 +0000

.Washington (SmartAboutHealth) - According to a new report released by the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death around the world.

According to the latest report, it is believed that around 59 million people died of cardiovascular disease in the year 2004.

Cardiovascular disease is very dangerous as it can have a negative impact on the heart, leading to heart attacks, as well as stroke.

Researchers have stated that there are simple ways that you can avoid cardiovascular disease.

Soem of these ways include just eating a healthy diet, and getting regular exercise.

The increase in heart disease deaths have also been linked to an overall aging population.

The WHO report is a study on the health of the world’s population.

The top ten leading global causes of death include cardiovascular disease, lower respiratory infections, perinatal conditions, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diarrheal diseases, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, trachea, bronchus, lung cancer, road accidents.

Traditional Chinese Medicine and Endangered Animals

noreply@blogger.com (fahad best) — Fri, 01 May 2009 20:53:00 +0000

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the 30th anniversary of the Alma-Ata Declaration, which for the first time called upon governments and organizations to include traditional medicine in their primary health care systems. Following the Alma-Ata Declaration, WHO established its own Traditional Medicine Programme.

To commemorate these anniversaries and to support countries as they work toward the goals of Alma-Ata, WHO is cosponsoring (with the Ministry of Health of China and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of China) a Summit Congress on Traditional Medicine in November in Beijing, China. Because animal products are a significant component of some traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Advocacy for Animals is rerunning our October 2007 article “Traditional Chinese Medicine and Endangered Animals” as the Congress approaches.

Longevity & Rejuvenation

noreply@blogger.com (fahad best) — Fri, 01 May 2009 20:53:00 +0000

With even the World Health Organization - WHO acknowledging the contributions of ethno-medicine in tackling several ailments, physicians too, are having a second look at alternative therapies all over the world. In this emerging scenario, the herbal food supplements are considered the most important tool of ortho-molecular medicine in the new millennium. The rejuvenator group of herbs traditionally termed as ' Rasayana ' have micronutrients which improve health, immunity, vigor, vitality and give longevity as well as protection against stress. All these actions of certain Rasayana herbs have now been scientifically proved through experimental as well as clinical studies.

The Rasayana or rejuvenation herb aims at keeping the enzymes in the tissue cells in their normal functioning condition. These cells are revitalized and their composition is changed. The tranquility of the mind is promoted and the nerves as well as bones are kept soft and smooth. This prevents the process of aging and keeps the individual free from disease even at an advanced age.

It is also well known that one can live a long life, free of disease and aging only when he has a strong general immunity against diseases. So Rasayana herbs also contain a general immunity promotive effect. The Ayurvedic concept of immunity or "Vyadhi-Kshamatva" involves both "Vyadhi Utpada Pratibandhakatva" i.e. the capability to prevent the onset of a disease and " Vyadhi Bal Virodhitva " which fights the developing disease. According to Ayurveda, "Oja" denotes the substance that imparts strength to various tissues in the body to resist disease. "Pratyanika Bala" is responsible for increasing immunity of the host to prevent disease before its onset. While every person has some "Sahaja Bala" or natural constitutional strength to fight disease, one could enhance this capacity or Pratyanika Bala and Oja by taking appropriate " Rasayana " herbs, which help in building optimum quality tissues which fight disease.

World Health Organization Warns Swine Flu Threatening to Become Pandemic

noreply@blogger.com (fahad best) — Fri, 01 May 2009 20:51:00 +0000

"Global health authorities warned Wednesday that swine flu was threatening to bloom into a pandemic, and the virus spread farther in Europe even as the outbreak appeared to stabilize at its epicenter. A toddler who succumbed in Texas became the first death outside Mexico. New cases and deaths finally seemed to be leveling off in Mexico, where 160 people have been killed, after an aggressive public health campaign. But the World Health Organization [WHO] said the global threat is nevertheless serious enough to ramp up efforts to produce a vaccine against the virus. 'It really is all of humanity that is under threat during a pandemic,' WHO Director General Margaret Chan said in Geneva. 'We do not have all the answers right now, but we will get them.' It was the first time the WHO had declared a Phase 5 outbreak, the second-highest on its threat scale, indicating a pandemic could be imminent. The first U.S. death from the outbreak was a Mexico City toddler who traveled to Texas with family and died Monday night at a Houston hospital. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius predicted the child would not be the last U.S. death from swine flu. The virus, a mix of pig, bird and human genes to which people have limited natural immunity.

Introduction to Anti-Aging Medicine

noreply@blogger.com (fahad best) — Fri, 01 May 2009 20:50:00 +0000

We've all read the recent cover stories in our favorite news magazines. From Time to Medical Economics chiming in, America is being summoned to a new call to arms. The gauntlet to deliver viable alternatives to nursing homes and health care that focuses on treatment of full-blown states of disease has been cast.

To this challenge, anti-aging medicine arrives as the new health care paradigm, offering a solution to alleviate some of the burden of this burgeoning older population. Anti-aging medicine, an extension of preventive health care, is the next great model of health care for the new millennium. This model is based on the early detection, prevention, and reversal of aging- related diseases.

All diseases fall into four categories; the first three-inherited genetic disease, infectious disease, and trauma-account for only 10% of the cost for treating all disease in America. Ninety percent of all health care dollars are spent on extraordinary care in the last two to three years of life. A grand total of fifty percent of the US health care budget is spent on the degenerative diseases of aging [Health Care & Finance Administration, 1996.] One hundred million Americans are currently being treated for one or another degenerative disease at a health care cost of more than $700 billion per year. If we really want to make an impact on health care in this country and in the world, we must focus on the degenerative diseases of aging.

If we can slow aging, we can eliminate more than 50% of all disease overnight. We can alter this dreadful course by preventing, delaying, or reversing the diseases associated with aging. Both the National Institute of Aging and the AARP have recently recognized the significance of anti-aging medicine as the leading frontier of health care in the twenty-first century, because of its potential to reduce the burden of the degenerative diseases of aging in a rapidly growing population of older citizens.

The science of anti-aging medicine is truly multi- disciplinary. Not only represented by advances in the fields of biochemistry, biology, and physiology, the field is enhanced by contributions from mind/body medicine, sports medicine, molecular genetics, and emerging medical technologies. Anti-aging medicine is evidence-based, clinically sound health care. Indeed, only those diagnostic and treatment elements which prove their validity through independent evaluations are embraced by the A4M.

Traditional medicine-2

noreply@blogger.com (fahad best) — Fri, 01 May 2009 20:48:00 +0000

Traditional medicine (TM) refers to the knowledge, skills and practices based on the theories, beliefs and experiences indigenous to different cultures, used in the maintenance of health and in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness. Traditional medicine covers a wide variety of therapies and practices which vary from country to country and region to region. In some countries, it is referred to as "alternative" or "complementary" medicine (CAM).

Traditional medicine has been used for thousands of years with great contributions made by practitioners to human health, particularly as primary health care providers at the community level. TM/CAM has maintained its popularity worldwide. Since the 1990s its use has surged in many developed and developing countries.

Traditional medicine

noreply@blogger.com (fahad best) — Fri, 01 May 2009 20:47:00 +0000

Key facts

In some Asian and African countries, 80% of the population depend on traditional medicine for primary health care.
Herbal medicines are the most lucrative form of traditional medicine, generating billions of dollars in revenue.
Traditional medicine can treat various infectious and chronic conditions: new antimalarial drugs were developed from the discovery and isolation of artemisinin from Artemisia annua L., a plant used in China for almost 2000 years.
Counterfeit, poor quality, or adulterated herbal products in international markets are serious patient safety threats.
More than 100 countries have regulations for herbal medicines.

Traditional medicine is the sum total of knowledge, skills and practices based on the theories, beliefs and experiences indigenous to different cultures that are used to maintain health, as well as to prevent, diagnose, improve or treat physical and mental illnesses.

Traditional medicine that has been adopted by other populations (outside its indigenous culture) is often termed alternative or complementary medicine.

Herbal medicines include herbs, herbal materials, herbal preparations, and finished herbal products that contain parts of plants or other plant materials as active ingredients.

Who uses traditional medicine?

In some Asian and African countries, 80% of the population depend on traditional medicine for primary health care.

In many developed countries, 70% to 80% of the population has used some form of alternative or complementary medicine (e.g. acupuncture).

Herbal treatments are the most popular form of traditional medicine, and are highly lucrative in the international marketplace. Annual revenues in Western Europe reached US$ 5 billion in 2003-2004. In China sales of products totaled US$ 14 billion in 2005. Herbal medicine revenue in Brazil was US$ 160 million in 2007.

Challenges

Traditional medicine has been used in some communities for thousands of years. As traditional medicine practices are adopted by new populations there are challenges.

International diversity: Traditional medicine practices have been adopted in different cultures and regions without the parallel advance of international standards and methods for evaluation.

National policy and regulation: Not many countries have national policies for traditional medicine. Regulating traditional medicine products, practices and practitioners is difficult due to variations in definitions and categorizations of traditional medicine therapies. A single herbal product could be defined as either a food, a dietary supplement or an herbal medicine, depending on the country. This disparity in regulations at the national level has implications for international access and distribution of products.

Safety, effectiveness and quality: Scientific evidence from tests done to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of traditional medicine products and practices is limited. While evidence shows that acupuncture, some herbal medicines and some manual therapies (e.g. massage) are effective for specific conditions, further study of products and practices is needed. Requirements and methods for research and evaluation are complex. For example, it can be difficult to assess the quality of finished herbal products. The safety, effectiveness and quality of finished herbal medicine products depend on the quality of their source materials (which can include hundreds of natural constituents), and how elements are handled through production processes.

Knowledge and sustainability: Herbal materials for products are collected from wild plant populations and cultivated medicinal plants. The expanding herbal product market could drive over-harvesting of plants and threaten biodiversity. Poorly managed collection and cultivation practices could lead to the extinction of endangered plant species and the destruction of natural resources. Efforts to preserve both plant populations and knowledge on how to use them for medicinal purposes is needed to sustain traditional medicine.

Patient safety and use: Many people believe that because medicines are herbal (natural) or traditional they are safe (or carry no risk for harm). However, traditional medicines and practices can cause harmful, adverse reactions if the product or therapy is of poor quality, or it is taken inappropriately or in conjunction with other medicines. Increased patient awareness about safe usage is important, as well as more training, collaboration and communication among providers of traditional and other medicines.

WHO response

WHO and its Member States cooperate to promote the use of traditional medicine for health care. The collaboration aims to:

support and integrate traditional medicine into national health systems in combination with national policy and regulation for products, practices and providers to ensure safety and quality;
ensure the use of safe, effective and quality products and practices, based on available evidence;
acknowledge traditional medicine as part of primary health care, to increase access to care and preserve knowledge and resources; and
ensure patient safety by upgrading the skills and knowledge of traditional medicine providers.

Herbal Medicine

noreply@blogger.com (fahad best) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 04:12:00 +0000

Chinese Herbal Medicine, an integral part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, is an incredibly rich and powerful system that has been created and practiced in China over the past 3000 years. During this time, classical herbal formulas that are effective for many health concerns are developed. Today, the use of Chinese herbs has spread all over the world for the treatment of acute and chronic illnesses, for balancing mental and emotional health, for eliminating pain and other symptoms and for the preservation and restoration of health. Through clinical use, classical study and scientific research, Chinese Herbal Medicine has become a very complex and sophisticated healing modality.

Reader Reactions

noreply@blogger.com (fahad best) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 04:11:00 +0000

This week's reader reaction quote on the Education & Careers channel comes from a discussion on Adventures in Ethics about the challenges of dialogue about animal research.

It's amazing how things so human can appear so alien. But then again, at that magnification, most things do appear that way.

ScienceBlogger PalMD wrote about the suffering endured by those who live with Somatization disorders:

So what can be done for these folks? Let's remember, these are often reasonably normal people, who suffer from discomfort, but not from any life-threatening illnesses.
There is some literature out there, but since this is a very diverse group of people, no one rule applies. OK, one rule does apply---they really hurt, and that must be acknowledged (malingerers are usually fairly easy to spot, as they don't have the same chronicity of symptoms). The pain is real, and must be treated as such.

Medicine & Health and Brain & Behavior Weekly Update

noreply@blogger.com (fahad best) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 04:09:00 +0000

Welcome to another Channel Update. In this post, you will find the large versions of the Medicine & Health and Brain & Behavior channel photos, and also the contextualized versions of the reader reactions from the aforementioned channels.

What to Expect from Herbal Therapy?

noreply@blogger.com (fahad best) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 04:09:00 +0000

During the course of treatment Chinese herbal remedies may be prescribed. They may be in raw forms, in pills, capsules, granules, tinctures, or herbal extracts. According to the California Acupuncture Board, acupuncturist in California are the only licensed health care professionals to be trained and tested for competency in prescribing herbal medicine. Herbal remedy has been practiced safely and effectively for centuries and has the greatest beneficial results when prescribed by a trained professional. If you have an allergic reaction to any herbs, it is best to inform your herbalist.

What Is Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine?

noreply@blogger.com (fahad best) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 04:07:00 +0000

Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine developed about 5,000 years ago and inseparable from Huang Di Nei Jing, said to be the bible of traditional Chinese medicine. The key principle of acupuncture and herb medicine is to balance “Yin and Yang” in a human body. Yin and Yang is a relative term and yet philosophical Chinese concept which is
still foreign to most of western culture. The general theory of acupuncture is that good health depends on the circulation of Yin (nutrients, substances) and Yang (invisible energy called Qi) through a network of “meridians or channels”. According to the theory of Chinese medicine, pain and illness developed when there is a blockage caused by many factors such as disease, pathogens, trauma, injuries, side effects of medication, and unhealthy lifestyle. Acupuncture treatment is to remove such blockage from the channels and to restore Yin and Yang balance through manipulations of acupuncture needle.Risking very low side effects and expecting high benefits, more and more people seek help from acupuncture and herbal remedies. You may find the evidence or endorsement from NIH (National Institutions of Health) or WHO (World Health Organization) regards to effectiveness of various types of acupuncture treatments if you wish to look furthermore.

Name Brand Pain Relief

noreply@blogger.com (fahad best) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 04:05:00 +0000

Pain in the sense of physical pain,^[1] is a typical sensory experience that may be described as the unpleasant awareness of a noxious stimulus or bodily harm. Individuals experience pain by various daily hurts and aches, and occasionally through more serious injuries or illnesses. For scientific and clinical purposes, pain is defined by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage".^[2]^[3]Pain is highly subjective to the individual experiencing it. A definition that is widely used in nursing was first given as early as 1968 by Margo McCaffery: "'Pain is whatever the experiencing person says it is, existing whenever he says it does".^[4]^[5]Pain of any type is the most frequent reason for physician consultation in the United States, prompting half of all Americans to seek medical care annually

1: WHO sponsors child medicine programme

noreply@blogger.com (fahad best) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:57:00 +0000

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is sponsoring a global campaign to promote research into child medicine.

Over half of all drugs currently used to treat children around the world are not specifically tested on youngsters, contributing to the roughly six million child deaths in developing nations each year.

Youngsters have different metabolisms to adults as well as weaker immune systems, so the lack of testing on children frequently places clinicians in the awkward position of having to choose between withholding treatment or risking severe side-effects.

Seeking to address the problem, the WHO has drawn up the first international List of Essential Medicines for Children, comprising some 206 products that it says can safely be administered to children.

The organisation is also pursuing testing programmes with a view to developing tailored pediatric therapies for such conditions as HIV/Aids, malaria, tuberculosis and asthma - in addition to producing more generic child-safe drugs like painkillers.

Commenting on the scope of the problem, WHO secretary general Margaret Chan said: "The gap between the availability and the need for child-appropriate medicines touches wealthy as well as poor countries."

While she insisted that children must be one of the "top priorities" for scientists, the fact remains that ethical testing of drugs requires the informed consent of trial participants - something that cannot be obtained from juveniles and so poses a major obstacle to producing child-safe drugs.

Research on the effects of medicines on children has stepped up nonetheless in recent times, with 125 paediatric drugs being studied in the last decade compared to just 11 products between 1990 and 1997.

2: WHO calls for further promotion of traditional medicine

noreply@blogger.com (fahad best) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:56:00 +0000

promotion of traditional medicine and its integration into health care systems.

WHO issued a "Beijing Declaration" at the end of its congress on traditional medicine on Saturday, which recognized traditional medicine as "one of the resources of primary health care services to increase availability and affordability."

It noted that "people have the right and duty to participate individually and collectively in the planning and implementation of their health care, which may include access to traditional medicine."

According to the declaration, "traditional medicine" covers a wide variety of therapies and practices varying greatly from region to region. It might also be referred to as "alternative or complementary medicine".

It said governments should formulate regulations and standards to ensure appropriate, safe and effective use of traditional medicine.

"The knowledge of traditional medicine, treatments and practices should be respected, preserved, promoted and communicated widely and appropriately based on the circumstances in each country," said the declaration.

Governments should establish systems for the qualification, accreditation or licensing of traditional medicine practitioners, it added.

Carissa Etienne, assistant director of WHO, told the opening ceremony of the China TCM Exhibition on Thursday that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) had made important contributions to China's domestic health care system.

3: Social value

noreply@blogger.com (fahad best) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:55:00 +0000

All research should hold the potential to achieve social value. Different entities may view the social value of traditional medicine research differently. Public-health officials are often eager to define the safety and effectiveness of herbal medicines for conditions such as malaria.³ Conversely, harm can arise with the unscrupulous use of herbs such as Africa potato (various Hypoxis species).⁷ While some claim that such medicines have "stood the test of time", they nonetheless pose serious challenges to investigators and regulators from developed countries, in which standards of proof are closely linked to proven efficacy in RCTs. Accordingly, there has been a serious investment in herbal medicine research by public-health bodies in many countries. China recently launched a safety research programme focusing on herbal medicine injections from traditional Chinese medicine.¹⁰ South Africa recently included the need for investigating traditional medicines within its national drug policy.¹¹

In the USA, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health spent approximately US$ 33 million on herbal medicines in fiscal year 2005; in 2004 the National Cancer Institute committed nearly US$ 89 million to studying a range of traditional therapies.¹² While this scale of investment pales in comparison to the total research and development expenses of the pharmaceutical industry, it nevertheless reflects genuine public, industry and governmental interest in this area.

While public-health entities may be concerned with defining the risks and benefits of herbal medicines already in use, entrepreneurs and corporations hope herbal medicines may yield immediate returns from herbal medicine sales, or yield clues to promising chemical compounds for future pharmaceutical development. They test individual herbs, or their components, analysed in state-of-the-art high-throughput screening systems, hoping to isolate therapeutic phytochemicals or biologically active functional components. In 2006, Novartis reported that it would invest over US$ 100 million to investigate traditional medicine in Shanghai alone.^4,5

Nongovernmental organizations may be primarily interested in preserving indigenous medical knowledge. One such organization, the Association for the Promotion of Traditional Medicine (PROMETRA), based in Dakar, Senegal, is "dedicated to preserving and restoring African traditional medicine and indigenous science".¹³ Governments in developing countries may want to use traditional herbal medicine research to expand the influence of their culture's indigenous herbal practices in the global health-care market. For instance, Nigeria's president recently established a national committee on traditional medicine with the expressed desire to boost Nigeria's market share of traditional medicine.¹⁴ In developed countries, the "need" for this research may be to protect the public.

The perceived need for the research may justifiably differ across countries, but without some basic agreement on the primary source of social value for the research it may be difficult to judge its ultimate impact. In the Africa Flower case above, before agreements to study a herbal medicine are decided, partners must fully discuss potential differences about the perceived "need" for the research through public forums or structured debates. Based on these frank discussions, partners can assess whether the social values of partner countries are sufficiently compatible to warrant a research partnership.

4: ABSTRACT

noreply@blogger.com (fahad best) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:54:00 +0000

Governments, international agencies and corporations are increasingly investing in traditional herbal medicine research. Yet little literature addresses ethical challenges in this research. In this paper, we apply concepts in a comprehensive ethical framework for clinical research to international traditional herbal medicine research. We examine in detail three key, underappreciated dimensions of the ethical framework in which particularly difficult questions arise for international herbal medicine research: social value, scientific validity and favourable risk-benefit ratio. Significant challenges exist in determining shared concepts of social value, scientific validity and favourable risk-benefit ratio across international research collaborations. However, we argue that collaborative partnership, including democratic deliberation, offers the context and process by which many of the ethical challenges in international herbal medicine research can, and should be, resolved. By "cross-training" investigators, and investing in safety-monitoring infrastructure, the issues identified by this comprehensive framework can promote ethically sound international herbal medicine research that contributes to global health.

4: The Institute of Palliative Medicine

noreply@blogger.com (fahad best) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:53:00 +0000

The Institute of Palliative Medicine (IPM) is the leading training institution for palliative care in Asia. An autonomous institution, it is the policy, training & research wing of the World Health Organization Demonstration Project in Palliative Care for the Developing world. It is also the nodal agency for initiating and implementing community based palliative care programme under National Rural Health Mission (Kerala), a Government of India Project.

Institute of Palliative Medicine works closely with local governments in Kerala. IPM is the technical advisor and implementing agency for Pariraksha, the comprehensive home care program by the Local Self Governments in Malappuram District. IPM is the Indian partner for the WHO Collaborating Centre in Oxford.

Allotted space within the Medical College Campus itself by the Government of Kerala, Mr. Bruce Davis, founder of the W. Bruce Davis Trust supported the project & helped build this facility. Inaugurated on January 21st, 2003, admission of patients and training programs began by July 14th, 2003.

The Institute of Palliative Medicine (IPM) was constructed to make palliative care available & accessible to all those in need of it. To complete the total care provided by us to all our patients, here patients are admitted to bring difficult symptoms under control or to provide the carers respite care.

5: Herbal Medicine

noreply@blogger.com (fahad best) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:52:00 +0000

Herbal medicine, or Phytotherapy, is natural green medicine. It has been used for over 2000 years to treat illness and restore good health. Today, the World Health Organization estimates that 80% of the world's population depend on plants as their main source of medicine, and, research confirms and updates the effectiveness of many traditional plant remedies. Medical Herbalists are Herbal Practitioners trained in the medical sciences, and take a holistic approach to patients. This form of complementary and alternative medicine is tailored to the needs of each individual.

My Herbal medicines come as tinctures, teas, tablets and creams; none of them contain any animal products. They are usually organic or wildcrafted in an ecologically sensitive manner, and made from the whole plant, producing a naturally balanced medicine that is easy to take.

6: Traditional Chinese Medicine and Endangered Animals

noreply@blogger.com (fahad best) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:50:00 +0000

According to the World Health Organization, nearly 80 percent of the world’s population depends for its primary health care needs on medicines derived from plants and animals. This is especially true in countries where traditional medicines are widely used. Increasingly, however, modern medicines and remedies also contain animal and plant derivatives. Given growing populations, increasing wealth, and the spreading popularity of natural remedies around the world, the demand for these medicines and remedies is rising. The rising demand, combined with reduced habitat, has caused an alarming increase in the number of plant and animal species (used for medicinal purposes) at risk. This article highlights some of the threatened and endangered animal species used in traditional Chinese medicine, the most widely practiced traditional system

7: email to someone printer friendly CREATING A WORLD FIT FOR CHILDREN FOCUS OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY HIGH-LEVEL EVENT

noreply@blogger.com (fahad best) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:50:00 +0000

As efforts over recent years to improve the lives of children show both considerable progress and the need for further action, the General Assembly today kicked off a special event at United Nations Headquarters focusing on building a world that is truly fit for every child.

Participants have gathered in New York for an Assembly session to review progress towards “A World Fit for Children” – a landmark plan of action agreed by world leaders in 2002 to improve the well-being of children.

Five years ago governments committed to a set of time-bound and specific goals in four priority areas concerning children: promoting healthy lives; providing quality education; protecting against abuse, exploitation and violence; and combating HIV/AIDS.

The Assembly’s two-day high-level meeting, known as “A World Fit for Children+5” will examine advances and setbacks in child well-being, and is expected to conclude with the adoption of a declaration reaffirming global and national commitments to the goals set in 2002.

8: GLOBAL EXPECTATION HIGH FOR CLIMATE CHANGE BREAKTHOUGH-BAN KI-MOON

noreply@blogger.com (fahad best) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:49:00 +0000

The world is counting on a breakthrough at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told delegates today at the summit, calling the fight against global warming “the moral challenge of our generation.”

In a speech at the opening of the Conference’s high-level segment, he said that “what the world expects from Bali – from all of you – is an agreement to launch negotiations towards a comprehensive climate change agreement.”

Mr. Ban underscored the importance of creating a road map to tackle climate change and a timeline to produce a new agreement by 2009 so that it can enter into force after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.

“Let us turn the climate crisis into a climate compact,” he said, informing the delegates that they have been given a “clear charge” by the world to produce a breakthrough.

“Not only are the eyes of the world upon us – more important, succeeding generations depend on us. We cannot rob our children of their future.”

9: RED CROSS ISSUES CALL FOR RELIEF IN GAZA

noreply@blogger.com (fahad best) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:48:00 +0000

Gaza: Agencies (13/12/2007):The International Committee of the Red Cross is calling on Israel to lift restrictions in Gaza and the West Bank that it says are causing "enormous humanitarian cost."

The aid organization, which usually refrains from making political statements, said Palestinians have "effectively become a hostage" to the conflict.

Israel closed most crossing points into Gaza, following fighting between Palestinian factions in June. The region suffers from frequent electrical shortages, crumbling infrastructure, lack of medications and soaring food prices.

Israel has defended the closures and other security measures as necessary to prevent militant rocket attacks on Israeli settlements.

10: UN AGENCY ISSUES ATM CARDS TO ASSIST CASH-STRAPPED IRAQ REFUGEES

noreply@blogger.com (fahad best) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:47:00 +0000

UN: 14 December 2007 – In response to recent studies showing that Iraqi refugees living in neighbouring countries are running out of money, the UN refugee agency is set to issue ATM cards to 7,000 of the most needy and vulnerable families living in Syria.

More than 4.5 million Iraqis are currently uprooted – 2.4 million inside Iraq and nearly 2.2 million outside – most of them in Syria and Jordan, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

This Sunday, UNHCR will start providing the ATM cards, providing each family with between $100 and $200 per month.

“The families have been interviewed by community services staff and identified as being in urgent need of financial assistance,” UNHCR spokesperson Jennifer Pagonis told reporters in Geneva. “They include women at risk, families with working children and refugees with chronic illnesses.”