WHO concerned over rising number of Congo fever cases

tribune.com.pk – ISLAMABAD: The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed concern over the recent outbreak of measles and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), commonly known as Congo fever, in some parts of the country.

According to WHO Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin, 22 suspected cases of CCHF were reported throughout the country, out of which 15 cases were confirmed, leading to five deaths this year. Out of 15 cases reported from Balochistan, 13 cases were in Quetta.

Disease Early Warning System (DEWS) Senior Surveillance Officer at WHO, Dr Musa Rahim, said, “Currently, the situation is not alarming but it is worrisome and immediate measures need to be taken to control these outbreaks, which spread rapidly.”

“Cases of Congo fever are being reported from Balochistan and the victims are workers who work in farmhouses or are associated with the leather business,” he added.

The WHO DEWS team is working in close coordination with the health department to control the outbreak of Congo fever.

The district health department has planned a door-to-door distribution of flyers in Quetta to raise awareness on the hazards of exposure to ticks and fresh blood when animals are butchered.

Measles, too, is becoming a cause of concern. This year, 5,663 cases of measles were reported. Of these 77 children died.

Dr Rahim said the reason behind the outbreak of measles is the suboptimal coverage of vaccination in some parts of the country. “Some places were inaccessible to the teams, while in other instances families refused vaccination.”

Komisi IX akan Panggil Menkes Terkait Vaksin Flu Burung

MICOM – Komisi IX berencana akan memanggil Menteri Kesehatan Nafsiah Mboi untuk meminta pejelasan terkait pembahasan anggaran proyek pabrik vaksin flu burung yang saat ini tengah memasuki tahap penyelidikan oleh Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK). Dari temuan Badan Pemeriksa Keuangan terdapat proyek senilai Rp1,3 triliun untuk pembangunan sarana dan prasarana pembuatan vaksin flu burung.

Ketua Komisi IX Ribka Tjiptaning mengatakan pemanggilan itu untuk mengklarifikasi tentang alasan proyek dengan pengajuan anggaran yang semula ditolak fraksi, tetapi pembangunannya tetap berjalan.

Menurut Ribka, pengadaan peralatan pabrik itu dimenangkan oleh PT Anugerah Nusantara yang ternyata milik mantan Bendahara Partai Demokrat Muhammad Nazaruddin sebelum kampanye 2009.

“Waktu itu saya menolak dan tidak ada proyek flu burung. Saya ingat dulu ada tatib jika hal tersebut darurat kan mau kampanye dan bisa dibahas di luar komisi. Terus saya bilang kalau yang namanya darurat itu bencana, jadi saya tetap menolak,” kata Ribka di DPR RI, Kamis (21/6).

Ribka pun berencana untuk membentuk panitia kerja Komisi IX terkait permasalahan ini.

“Secara pribadi saya berpendapat untuk bentuk panja flu burung setelah memanggil Menkes, dan dirjen utk menjelaskan soal mekanisme flu burung,” cetus Ribka.

Hasil audit BPK menemukan potensi kerugian negara sebesar Rp 693,2 miliar dari proyek pengadaan vaksin flu burung yang diselenggarakan Kementerian Kesehatan menggunakan anggaran tahun jamak (multiyears) 2008-2010 senilai Rp 1,3 triliun. Selain itu, BPK menemukan adanya kerja sama tidak sehat antara Kementerian Kesehatan, perusahaan swasta AN, seorang politisi DPR berinisial MNZ, BUMN PT BF, serta sebuah universitas negeri di Jawa Timur.

Dari hasil temuan BPK tersebut, ditemukan tiga masalah yaitu pengadaan peralatan dan fasilitas gedung produksi vaksin di PT Bio Farma dan chicken breading. Selain itu, sebagian besar peralatan belum terpasang dan cenderung terbengkalai dan sebagian peralatan riset di universitas negeri di Jawa Timur itu tidak bisa mendukung kegiatan riset pengadaan vaksin flu burung.

Is India becoming the world’s capital for poor health?

timesofindia.indiatimes.com – According to the World Health Organisation, chronic diseases in India account for 53% of all deaths, which is estimated to increase by a sharp 8 million by 2020.

An interesting fact is that these numbers not only highlight the rural population, but also the city-based – a population that doesn’t suffer from malnutrition and other poverty driven health issues. Today, we take a look at the top five diseases that are effectively making India the world’s capital for poor health.

Cardiovascular diseases. Two of the most common types of cardiovascular diseases in India are coronary heart diseases (leading to heart attack) and cerebrovascular diseases (leading to stroke).

According to an estimate by WHO, by 2020 deaths from cardiovascular diseases will estimate for around 5 million. The major causes of heart disease in India are tobacco use, physical inactivity, and an unhealthy diet.

It is also believed that 80% of premature heart disease, stroke and diabetes can be prevented by following lifestyle modifications such as eating healthy and exercising regularly.

Respiratory diseases. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that around 1.34 million premature deaths from respiratory diseases and cancers were caused due to polluted air. Lack of clean air is the main reason why respiratory problems are prevalent in India.

It is believed that the rise in SUVs (sports utility vehicles), cars and two-wheelers in Indian cities is the main reason behind respiratory disorders. Other than this, small scale manufacturers and other industries, burning biomass and coal for cooking and heating, are the reasons why respiratory disorders are on a rise.

Diabetes. By now it is a matter of common knowledge that India has the world’s highest number of diabetic cases, classifying India as the diabetes capital of the world (as mentioned in the International Journal of Diabetes in Developing Countries). The foundation estimated that, “the number of diabetic patients in India more than doubled from 19 million in 1995 to 40.9 million in 2007 and is projected to increase to 69.9 million by 2025”.

At present, 11 percent of India’s urban population and 3 percent of India’s rural population, above the age of 15, have diabetes. The reason behind such a rise in diabetic cases can be attributed to lack of physical activity, stress, sedentary lifestyle and a diet rich in sugar, fats and calories.

The study also states that, “the most prevalent is the Type 2 diabetes, which constitutes 95 per cent of the diabetic population in the country.” Type 2 diabetes is caused by lifestyle, as opposed to any genetic predisposition.

Hypertension. Hypertension is present in 25% of urban Indians and 10% of rural Indians. Among cities in India, Mumbai has the highest rates of hypertension – 44% of men and 45% of women silently suffering from high BP as compared to 30% and 33% for men and women from Delhi and 24% and 17% among men and women in Kolkata.

The count of “hypertensive” individuals is expected to rise from 118 million in 2000 to 214 million in 2025. According to the highlights of India’s largest clinic-based survey, Screening India’s Twin Epidemic (SITE), to assess the prevalence of hypertension, 60%, or three out of every five Indians, have either diabetes or hypertension or both.

People not monitoring their sugar or blood pressure regularly is the main reason why hypertension is such a deadly disease in India. For more information on hypertension, read here.

Oral cancer. In India, over 700,000 to one million Indians die due to consumption of tobacco, every year, mostly due to mouth cancer (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India). India has the highest number of oral cancer cases in the world out of which 90 per cent are due to tobacco consumption (World Health Organization Survey Report).

When it comes to oral health problems, tobacco use becomes a primary cause. The increase in the use of tobacco in various forms like lime, raw with betel leaf, betel nut, pan masala, gutka and smoking has led to a rise in the cancer cases. Smokers or smokeless tobacco users are also at a much higher risk of developing cancers of the lips, mouth, cheeks, tongue and throat as well as problems relating to periodontal, or gum, diseases. For more information on oral cancer, read here.

Tidak Aksesi FCTC Akan Rugi

Tindakan Indonesia tidak mengaksesi Kerangka Kerja Konvensi Pengendalian Tembakau (Framework Convention on Tobacco Control) akan merugikan upaya pengendalian dampak tembakau.

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