Indians pay 78% of medical expenses from their own pocket Read more: Indians pay 78% of medical expenses from their own pocket

Most of the medical expenses incurred by an average Indian are paid from their own pocket.

According to an analysis published in the medical journal `Lancet', private expenditure on health in India is close to 78% compared to 14% in the Maldives, 29% in Bhutan, 53% in Sri Lanka, 31% in Thailand and 61% in China.

Only Pakistan is worse off with private expenditure being as high as 82.5%. The paper, "Financing health care for all: challenges and opportunities", says two features of the private out-of-pocket expenditure in India are noteworthy.

First, most of the expenditure (74%) was incurred for outpatient treatment, and not for hospital care. Only 26% was for inpatient treatment. Secondly, purchasing drugs accounted for 72% of the total private out-of-pocket expenditure.

According to Dr A K Shiva Kumar, one of the primary authors of the paper, nearly 39 million people in India are pushed to poverty because of ill health every year. Around 30% in rural India actually didn't go for any treatment for pure financial reasons in 2004, up from 15% in 1995. Similarly, in urban areas, 20% of ailments were untreated for financial reasons in 2004, up from 10% in 1995. Shockingly, 47% of hospital admissions in rural India and 31% in urban India were financed by loans and the sale of assets.

Dr Kumar, who is part of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's high level expert group on universal health coverage, told TOI, "The health sector at present is a rip off for the common man. The future has to be tax funded. Preventive, primary and some part of secondary treatment has to be completely free, cashless and provided by the government and funded through taxes."

Medical insurance too has a meager market share. According to the National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector, only 7% of India's workforce is in the organised sector. The remaining 93% are cultivators, agricultural labourers, artisans and workers who typically do not have a regular or assured source of income.

Analysis of the per person public spending on health has also thrown up bleak results. While the government spent just 19 purchasing power parity (PPP) dollars on every person for health, the figure stood at 207 in Thailand, 122 in China, 88 in Sri Lanka, 751 in Maldives and 60 in Bhutan. "The per person government spending on health in India was about 22% of that in Sri Lanka, 16% of that in China and less than 10% of that in Thailand," the paper says.

Public spending on health -- 0.94% of the gross domestic product (GDP) -- is among the lowest in the world.

Between 1986 and 2004, the average real expenditure per hospital admission increased three times in government and private hospitals. The sharp increase in the prices of drugs has been the main reason for the rising costs of medical care, which more than tripled between 1993-94 and 2006-07, says the paper.

Dr Kumar added, "Between 1993-94 and 2004-05, compared with a 67% increase in real per person income and an 82% increase in per person tax collections, real per person public health expenditure rose from Rs 84 to Rs 125 -- an increase of 48%."

Source: Times of India

ADK Group, Maldives now on Evolution ERP

Perfect Business Solution Services Limited PBSS signed an MOU with ADK Group of Maldives, the operators of the ADK hospital the largest hospital in the Maldives and part of the ADK group as their Business Solution Software partner

With a history of 21 years ADK was the first to establish a private hospital in Maldives. Apart from that they are the largest pharmaceutical distributor as well as the retailer in the country. ADK a synonym for health care in Maldives is now a diversified entity with interests in Shipping, Real Estate, Leisure & Travel Trade, Optometric Services, Electronics and Telecommunication sectors. They are the largest share holder of the J-SAT the cable TV provider and the sole agent for Sharp Electronic Items and own Gaakoshibee Island resort.

PBSS, an Authorized Business Partner and Certified consultants for range of Sage Software in Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia and Maldives is having rapidly increasing clientele in all three regions. PBSS started its Maldives operation during this year, but has penetrated the market remarkably and now a well established name in Maldives as a reliable partner with superior products.

In the first phase of the project ADK is planning to complete the automation of its Pharmaceutical distribution along with the pharmacy chain and the Shipping operation of the Group.

The exchange of MOU s took place at the ADK head office, Male`. Mr. Madura Gamanayake the Managing Director of PBSS and Ms. Fazla Hassan the Managing Director of ADK Company (Pvt) Ltd signed the MOU. Speaking at the ceremony Mr. Madura Gamanayake expressed his confidence in achieving rapid growth in Maldives operations and recognized the partnership with ADK as a significant milestone. Further he said that the advantage PBSS having over the competitors is their product range comprising Sage Peachtree, Sage Pastel Partner, Sage Evolution ERP, Sage Accpac ERP and Sage UBS which covers the requirements across the industries from the small to large enterprises.

Mr S.M. Muzammil the General Manager of ADK Company (Pvt) Ltd expressing his views said that the partnership with PBSS to implement an ERP solution to ADK is a vital step towards to keep up with the latest technology.

Group Chief Financial Officer of ADK Mr. Gamini Pathirana said the wide range of features and the user friendly interfaces of Sage Evolution ERP induce them to decide on the package. “Number of leading Maldivian businesses has worked with PBSS within a short period of time and that was the reason to place the faith and confidence to sign this deal with PBSS” he further added.

Source: www.dailymirror.lk

Sri Lanka Apollo hospital in test tube baby services

Sri Lanka’s Apollo Hospitals is seeing interest for fertility treatment services from the Middle East, Maldives, Canada and USA in addition to Sri Lanka, where an ageing population is stimulating demand, officials said.

Ajith Jayaratna, chairman of Lanka Hospitals Corporation which owns Apollo hospitals in Colombo said around 15 percent of the world population was sub-fertile, and the figures were expected to double by 2050.

Opening a new unit at the hospital, Jayaratne said with the population aging fast in Sri Lanka, fertility services would also have a high demand.

The hospital has set up 30 million rupee facility for In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) or test tube baby services.

The fertility centre has already achieved 110 pregnancies through Intra Uterine Insemination (IUI) treatment, the hospital said.

The fertility treatments are priced between 150,000 rupees to 450,000 rupees.

Source: www.lankabusinessonline.com

India, Maldives to sign MoUs on Maldivian hosp, foundation

India and Maldives would be signing two MoUs related to manpower requirements of Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (Male) and for the establishment of India-Maldives Foundation, during the two-day official visit of Maldivian External Affairs Minister Abdulla Shahid starting on Thursday.

Shahid will meet External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who will also host a dinner in his honour. The Maldives foreign minister would be here between September 19-20.

India is engaged in the development of infrastructural facilities in Maldives through its technical and economic assistance programmes. The Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital set up in 1995 with Indian assistance is an example of close ties between the two countries. The MoU will help meet much of Maldives manpower and training needs in the areas of health and medicine.

The MoU on the establishment of the India-Maldives Foundation envisages a corpus of Rs two crore, which would be used by the two countries to undertake a range of activities aimed at bringing the two countries together.

India is also helping in setting up a faculty of hospitality and tourism studies in Maldives.

Source: www.zeenews.com

Maldives Health minister’s visit India

The Maldives minister of foreign affairs, Mr Abdulla Shahid, arrives here tomorrow (19 Sept 2008) on a two-day visit during which two memorandums of understanding (MOUs) are expected to be signed.
During his visit, Mr Shahid would meet the external affairs minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, who would be hosting a dinner in his honour.

One of the two MOUs concern the manpower requirements of Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), Male, and the other is for the establishment of the India-Maldives Foundation. n SNS

Source: www.thestatesman.net

Maldives wary of Indian labourers with TB, HIV/AIDS: Health minister

The tiny island nation of Maldives is now wary of Indian labourers who could spread tuberculosis (TB) and the dreaded HIV/AIDS among its people.

‘There are around 70,000 labourers in our country and the majority of them are from India. The problem is some of them coming to our country are infected with HIV/AIDS and TB,’ Maldives Deputy Minister of Health Abdul Azeez Yoosuf told IANS in an interview here.

‘In the last couple of years we have detected 90 cases of HIV/AIDS among these labourers and a few hundreds with drug resistant TB. We did not permit them to work in our country, as there is always a chance of their infecting our small population,’ said Yoosuf.

The health minister was in New Delhi to participate in the 61st meeting of the WHO Regional Committee for Southeast Asia.

The Maldives, which has a population of just 300,000, has a huge Indian presence. ‘We do screening of people but there is always a chance of others getting infected,’ Yoosuf said.

India contributes semi-skilled as well as skilled workforce to the the Maldives. Sixty percent of its doctors are Indians and nearly 70 percent of the country’s nursing staff is from India.

The minister said the Maldives lacks in skilled human resources and so could not stop the flow of workers from other countries.

Talking about the nation’s health indices, Yoosuf said it was set to achieve all the millennium development goals set by the United Nations before the 2015 deadline.

‘Unlike India, we spend seven percent of our GDP on health. The government sponsors at least 80 percent of health expenditure of our countrymen. The per capita health expenditure of the country is $300.

‘The maternal mortality ratio is 65 per 100,000 live births and the infant mortality ratio is 12 per 1,000 live births. We eradicated polio in 1981 and malaria in 1982. We have just 13 HIV/AIDS patients,’ the minister said.

In contrast, India is home to 2.5 million HIV/AIDS patients and 320,000 people (20,000 more than the population of the Maldives) die of TB every year in India. Mosquito borne diseases like malaria, dengue and chikungunya kill over 2,000 Indians and it’s among the top three countries in polio prevalence.

The government spends one percent of GDP on health, and nearly 83 percent of health expenditure by people are from their own pockets. The per capita health expenditure is less than $10 in India for a year.

The infant mortality ratio is 57 and maternal mortality is 301 in India. In Uttar Pradesh, which has one of the worst maternal mortality ratios, at least 517 women of every 100,000 die during pregnancy.

While in the Maldives there is a doctor for every 500-550 people, in India the ratio is 1: 16,000.

‘Practically, we know India is a big country and a global power. It has a huge population. But to improve its health indicators, it must invest more in the sector. It must give due priority to health, which at this point it does not look like doing,’ Yoosuf said.

Source: IANS

State of health worldwide is everyone's business

For millions of the world's poorest people, ill health too often goes hand in hand with grinding poverty and blunted national aspirations.

In looking for solutions to the troubling state of global health, evidence from developing countries shows that weak health systems are a significant roadblock to improving the health of their citizens.

If we are serious about fighting poverty, then improving the perilous health of millions of the poorest people must be a top priority of the global development community. At this vital halfway point to the 2015 Millennium Development Goals, stronger health systems are key to meeting these transformational targets.

On Saturday, Japan will host key groups and figures from around the world at its Global Health Summit (jointly organized by the Health Policy Institute Japan and the World Bank) for urgent talks on global health.

At the top of the agenda will be how we can better help poor countries to strengthen health systems. We look to Japan, which will be the chair of Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) and host of the G-8 Summit this July at Toyako, Hokkaido, to amplify the importance of global cooperation, and how everyone has a role to play--from governments and development agencies to the private sector and civil society. As the avian flu and SARS have dramatically shown, infectious diseases are part of our world.

Investment in health care and sound health policies are also essential contributors to a nation's economic growth, and an essential component of sustainable development and poverty reduction.

In today's globalized world, poverty in one part of the world affects us all. The Global Health Summit, under Japanese leadership, will remind us why the state of health worldwide is everyone's business.

While there is more health financing available to countries than ever before--as much as $14 billion (1.5 trillion yen) last year--much of it is earmarked for fighting priority diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and some vaccine-preventable diseases. But more attention is needed for maternal and child health, for nutrition and for family planning priorities.

And much more attention and resources are needed to help countries strengthen their own health systems to deliver essential services at the right time. In practical terms, strengthening health systems means putting together the right logistics that get life-saving drugs and health workers to where they are needed most, to mothers and their newborns whether in remote mountain villages or in crowded city neighborhoods.

Many existing aid programs for health care fail because they focus on a limited set of inputs needed to treat a particular disease, but they do not take into account all the supporting functions that are needed to deliver services and drugs to the people who need them.

With an increase in financing for global health, countries are also asking for greater accountability in how these additional resources are being used. In response, the global aid community is taking a new approach to project design, which focuses on "results-based financing." This approach links aid directly to verifiable results.

In Rwanda, for example, the World Bank is supporting a results-based financing project that enables local municipalities to pay incentives to public, private and NGO health-care providers who deliver basic health services and conduct health promotion programs to change behavior and offer preventive services that can be delivered at home (for example, distribution of bed nets and teaching about handwashing, nutrition and the use of safe water systems).

A recent evaluation found the use of bed nets for children aged 5 or under has increased from 4 percent in 2004 to more than 70 percent in 2007. As a result, the number of cases of malaria has decreased dramatically, emptying pediatric wards.

Thus, results-based financing links project financing directly with the desirable results--in this case, appropriate use of bed nets has reduced malaria cases among children--rather than relying on specific inputs.

There is deep concern in the global community that the maternal and child survival Millennium Development Goals will not be achieved without significantly improved performance and coordination by all stakeholders at national and global levels. And we all have much to learn from each other's successes and failures. Many solutions can be found in countries like Thailand, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Rwanda and the Maldives, which have achieved breakthroughs in primary health care within limited resources.

There is much to be gained by sharing experiences in a South-South dialogue, among neighboring countries and across regions. The occasion of Japan's Global Health Summit this month gives us an opportunity to breathe new life into our joint efforts to help developing countries achieve their Millennium Development Goals and ensure good health for all people, which is a best way to ensure inclusive and sustainable development in this global community.

Source: asahi.com

Ross Philips donating $5,000 to Care Society Maldives

After 11 years of running surfing adventures to the Maldives through his company Tropicsurf, Sunshine Coast surfer Ross Phillips is finding even more fulfillment from his day job….only this time it’s not from the thrill of riding those perfect waves, but giving back to the place that has given him so much over the last decade.

Just last week (Tuesday 11th Sept) Phillips and Mohammed ‘Fittey’ Fayyaz (Tropicsurf Maldives General Manager) met with founding directors of Care Society Maldives, Fathmath Afiya and Ijazulla Abdulla to commit a US$5,000 donation to assist with program implementations.

Ross Phillips, (39yrs, Sunshine Beach, Qld) started out 20yrs ago coaching through the Surfing Queensland Coaching Course accreditation system. A short time later he developed the www.surfbetter.com business model and formed a partnership with ASP WCT World Champion Mark Occhilupo and ASP WCT Womens Runner Up Serena Brooke to create a self help DVD titled “Surfing Made Easy”.

Harbouring a fervent desire to travel and discover new territories on the surfing front, Ross formed Tropicsurf in January 2002 with business partner Vic Kavals which as he recalls evolved from his Wavesense Coaching business. “The whole Tropicsurf concept just grew from the existing business, from our passion to go surf waves in idyllic locations while helping our guests improve their skills and maximize the whole experience, sharing what we loved doing with others was such a catalyst for where we are today”, said Ross.

Over the years spent defining Tropicsurf some wisdom was gained through the unexpected agony here and there, but the dream always shone bright and today, after learning priceless lessons from seaplane charter operations to local fresh produce market procedures, Tropicsurf is in the top echelon of global surfing adventures and boasts a list of clientele including high profile executives, Hollywood celebrities, sport stars and royalty.

It goes without saying that having spent so much time in one of the world’s most beautiful locations, Ross, his wife Di and business partner Vic Kavals have been moved emotionally by the their own experiences in the Maldives region. As the saying goes - ‘Passion drives Progress’ and their combined passion has seen them decide to assist in helping local communities, some of which are still struggling to rebuild after the tsunami devastation on Boxing Day 2004.

“This is something that we have really wanted to do for some time and having full trust in the Care Society meant a great pathway to get involved and it is just the beginning”, said Phillips. With a cognizant public pressuring multinationals about corporate consciousness and responsibility, the Tropicsurf statement fits the mix, same as it always has!

“We have always thought that whatever business we ended up in, part of that plan or model would be about helping people, it can’t all just be about profit, that can be a bit of a hollow dream”, said Phillips. “We feel that this is the right thing to do, we go there (Maldives) and enjoy the waves and hospitality of the region and its people, so it’s only fair that we put back in”, said Ross.

There is actually more to it than meets the eye. Phillips is one of those people that Australian culture call a ‘doer’, (he started the dream with AUD$500 and a healthy dose of inspiration from wife Diane) you know the type, meek, mild, quietly spoken and not one to waste words often. A humble guy who tends to shy away from accolades, as those who were with him when his company ‘Wavesense’ won two inductions into the Australian Surfing Hall of Fame in 2004/5 will attest.

So, when he offers up a contribution to the conversation, you take it because he thinks first and speaks later. His vision for the future unveils a bigger picture too, “It is also about the Tropicsurf Legacy…..you know, it’s good to think that maybe after I am long gone that Tropicsurf will continue to help make a positive difference to the people and places we visit, wherever it is the company is venturing “, said Ross.

As for the immediate future, well Tropicsurf unveil their new Noosa based branch of the business this Friday with a private launch in Hastings St, while on the overseas front they will christen a brand new custom built vessel called ‘Tropic Breeze’ which is specifically designed to cater to all the needs of clients. It will service the 2008 season.

Care Society Maldives. Mission: Care Society is committed to improvements in the lives of people with disabilities. In collaboration with families and in partnership with government and non-government organizations.

Care Society promotes practices and public policies that:
* Support the total integration of people with disabilities into society;
* Promote access to education, training and employment for people with disabilities;
* Raise community awareness to encourage equality and fairness for people with disabilities;
* Encourage health service providers to intervene early in the lives of children and adults with disabilities; and
* Ensure people with disabilities are valued as individuals.

Objectives: Over the next five years Care Society will:
- Increase and maximize resources;
- Communicate effectively with all stakeholders;
- Provide training to volunteers and people with disabilities
- Influence policy making to encourage equality and fairness in service to people with disabilities;
- Promote formal and non-formal education and training opportunities for men, women and children with disabilities;
- Involve all staff members and volunteers in the planning and implementation of service to the people with disabilities;

Support Care Parents Forum;
- Expand services; and
- Continuously improve programs.
- Fundraise to enable self-reliance and sustainable services;
- Conduct ongoing research into the needs of people with disabilities in Maldives;

Source: GSN

Foot and mouth disease affects children in Kerala

After chikungunya, dengue and rat fever, cases of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) have been reported among children in the Kerala.

Though caused by a virus belonging to the same picornaviridae family, doctors say it should not be confused with foot-and-mouth disease affecting sheep, cattle and swine.

Hfmd usually affects children. It is highly contagious and is spread through direct contact with the mucus or feces of an infected person, occurring in small epidemics in nursery schools or kindergartens.
The symptoms include fever, rash in the mouth, sores with blisters on palms of hands and soles of feet, mouth ulcers and sores or blisters present on the buttocks of small children and infants.

The Hfmd outbreaks were reported in Singapore and Maldives in April and May this year. Most children recover fully within a week and serious complications rarely occur.
Experts point out that the outbreak of vector-borne diseases like chikungunya, dengue fever and viral fever may have triggered the spread of Hfmd.

According to the official figures, 860,000 cases of fever were reported in Kerala last month alone and hundreds of fresh cases are being reported every day since the onset of monsoon.
Several city hospitals reported cases of Hfmd this week and doctors say the number is swelling.
Like other virus infections, the illness often starts with a general feeling of being unwell for a day or so, sometimes with a high fever.

The average incubation period of the foot and mouth virus varies but is generally around 3-8 days.
The disease is characterised by high fever that declines rapidly after two or three days; blisters inside the mouth that lead to excessive secretion of stringy or foamy saliva and to drooling; and blisters on the feet that may rupture and cause lameness.
Adult animals may suffer weight loss and in cows, milk production can decline significantly.

Source: Gulf Times

Africa: Scientists Crack Mosquito Code

Scientists have released the draft sequence of the genome of Aedes aegypti, the mosquito that spreads dengue fever, yellow fever and chikungunya.

The sequence is published online today (17 May) in the journal Science.

The genetic information could ultimately help control mosquito populations and the spread of disease, say the scientists.

"We expect that the genome sequence will accelerate basic research in the mosquito biology, particularly the ability of A. aegypti to transmit yellow fever, dengue and chikungunya," Vishvanath Nene from the US-based Institute for Genomics Research and author on the study told SciDev.Net.

The authors write that the genome sequence of A. aegypti represents a "significant technical achievement" that will throw light on the interactions at the molecular level between the mosquitoes and the pathogens they spread.

For example, the researchers expect it will help identify the genetic code of the receptors in A. aegypti's gut that the dengue virus attaches to.

The researchers were able to compare the A. aegypti genome with that of Anopheles gambiae, the mosquito that transmits malaria.

Nene says scientists can now begin to address questions such as why does A. gambiae transmit the malaria pathogen and A. aegypti the yellow fever, dengue and chikungunya pathogens.

Genetic differences may also explain their blood feeding preferences, the kind of hosts they seek and individual abilities to transmit certain pathogens.

Nene's team also compared the A. aegypti genome with that of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and say the differences could shed light on which genes and gene activities are specific to mosquitoes. They hope this will allow them to identify potential target genes to use in mosquito control.

In addition, information about the genes that control sex determination means that mosquito sex ratios could be manipulated, which may be useful for population control.

According to the World Health Organization, there are 50 million cases of dengue fever each year. Yellow fever is a major problem in Africa and South America, with over 200,000 cases each year, and 30,000 deaths.

Outbreaks of chikungunya have been reported in Gabon, India, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with 1.25 million cases in India alone in 2006.

- All Africa News -

Dads to blame for fat kids

FAT children are more likely to have their father to blame for their weight problem than their mother, a new study shows.

Research by Australian child health experts has revealed that fathers who are disengaged or do not set clear limits for their kids are more likely to have heavier children.

Dads who did lay down boundaries generally had children with a lower body mass index (BMI), the study of almost 5,000 youngsters found.

Surprisingly, a mother's parenting behaviour or style apparently had no impact on whether a child was overweight or obese, according to research by Murdoch Children's Research Institute and The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne.

Hospital specialist Professor Melissa Wake said the large study was the first to suggest that men could be at the frontline in preventing early childhood obesity.

"Mothers are often blamed for their children's obesity, but this study suggests that for more effective prevention perhaps we should focus on the whole family," Professor Wake said.

The results also showed that 40 per cent of these young mothers and more than 60 per cent of the young fathers were themselves overweight or obese.

The research, to be presented at a paediatrics conference in Toronto this week, compared the BMIs of four- and five-year-olds with their parents' parenting styles.

The specialists said it was vital to study early parenting because home life often established patterns for life-long obesity.

Earlier research had shown that childhood obesity was highly stable during the primary school years, right from school entry, Prof Wake said.

"For instance, the BMI of a prepgrade child has an 85 per cent correlation with their BMI three years later," she said.

"Obese school children are very likely to become obese adults."

Childhood obesity is growing at an alarming rate in Australia, with more than 20 per cent of preschool children either overweight or obese.

Extra weight is a precursor to serious childhood and adult diseases like asthma, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Source: AAP

Fears gender test kit may lead to selective abortions

By Evelyn Ring
FEARS that a new gender prediction test — widely available on the internet — could lead to parents resorting to abortions based solely on gender grounds were raised last night.

The DNA testing kits — which cost just €285 — can show the sex of an unborn baby at just six weeks.

The controversial kit provides everything needed to take a prick of blood from the mother.

The mother sends her sample directly to the company’s laboratory for analysis and will receive the result in the post or can access it online using a protected password.
Couples can get their money back if it wrongly predicts the sex of their child.

The kit was first launched in the US before becoming available in Britain.

Reacting to the new test, the Pro-Life Campaign said using the kit to discover the sex of an unborn child undermined human dignity.

The organisation is particularly concerned that some parents might opt for an abortion if they are unhappy with the result.

Campaign spokesman John Smyth said it was not overstating the case that the use of such practices was in danger of becoming a new form of eugenics.

DNA Worldwide, which is marketing the product, has dismissed such claims.

The company said the results, obtained from blood taken from a finger-prick, simply allowed parents more time to plan for their baby.

The head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Prof Fergal Malone, also dismissed as “scare-mongering” fears that the test may prompt parents to have abortions on gender grounds.

Prof Malone said the test would have little more than a curiosity value.

He said the same technology — which had been available in the US for about two years — was used in medicine to get an unborn baby’s blood type.

Prof Malone also warned parents to be wary about using the test between six and nine weeks after conception.

“There is not much data supporting its accuracy in the first trimester, but quite a bit of data now suggests it is accurate in the second and third trimesters,” he said.

Prof Malone went on to say that roughly half of Irish parents wanted to know the sex of their unborn child.

Source: Irish Examiner

Better sleep, better memories.

BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhuanet) -- A new study shows that sleep protects memories, meaning people who have a good night's sleep have better memories than people who sleep poorly.

The study will be presented May 2 at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting in Boston, media reports said Saturday.

"There was a very large benefit of sleep for memory consolidation, even larger than we were anticipating," said study author Dr. Jeffrey Ellenbogen, an associate neurologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, and a postdoctoral fellow in sleep medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School asked 48 subjects between the ages of 18 and 30, who all had normal, healthy sleep routines and were not taking any medications to learn a list of 20 pairs of words and then tested them 12 hours later on their recall of the pairs.

These subjects were divided into four groups: a wake group without interference (competing information); a wake group with interference; a sleep group without interference and a sleep group with interference.

Two of the groups (the wake groups) were taught the words at 9 a.m. and then tested on the pairings at 9 p.m., after being awake all day. The other two groups (the sleep groups) learned the words at 9 p.m., went to sleep, and were then tested at 9 a.m.

Researchers found that the students who slept at home before the tests performed best, correctly identifying three-quarters of the word pairs. The students who took the test before going home for the evening correctly identified one-third of the word pairs.

"These results provide important insights into how the sleeping brain interacts with memories. It appears to strengthen them," Ellenbogen said. "Perhaps, then, sleep disorders might worsen memory problems seen in dementia."

Source: China View

UNICEF Launch a report on children in South Asia

Featuring new health index with country-by-country data

Who:

• Dr. Nafis Sadik, former Executive-Director, UNFPA, current member of Board of Governors, MH Human Development Center;
• Mrs. Khadija Haq, President, Mahbub ul Haq Human Development Centre;
• Dr. Rima Salah, Deputy Executive Director, UNICEF;Dr. Cecilia Ugaz, Senior Policy Advisor, Human Development Report Office, UNDP
• Dr. Ronald Waldman, Professor, Columbia University; recognized Expert in Child Health in developing countries
• Co-coordinator of the UN Millennium Project's Task Force on Child Health and Maternal Health

Where: UNICEF House, Labouisse Hall, Three UN Plaza, on 44th Street, between First and Second Avenues.

When: Wednesday, 27 July 2005 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

What: The Report presents the condition of health in South Asia and its link to poverty reduction and economic growth. In-depth analysis of the experience of seven South Asian countries: India, Bangladesh Pakistan, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Critical issues in the report addresses are equity and economic growth in the context of attaining and sustaining human development; the role of the government in providing and ensuring quality healthcare, and policies needed for improving productivity and quality of life to all.

The Report also introduces a new index, Health Index, as a proxy for overall health status of a country.

Source: unicef