QUOTES FOR LIFE

A 62 Year Old Person Was Killed Due To A Motor Cycle -Train Collision At Polgahawela

A 62 year old person was killed due to a Motor Car he was travelling in colliding with Colombo-Kurunagala bound train this morning at a rail crossing in Pol
gahawela area(North Western Province) .

The critically injured motor cyclist was succumbed to his injuries on admission to Polgahawela Hospital according to the Police.

Polgahawela Police are conducting an investigation on the incident.

Over 11 Million Strokes Occur Annually In South East Asia Region Including Sri Lanka -WHO Regional Director

Over 11 million Strokes occur annually in South East Asia Region which Sri Lanka is  a member country and around 4 million in the region have died annually due to the disease according to Dr.Poonam Ketrapal Singh the director general of World Health Organization (WHO) for South East Asia.

Issuing a statement regarding the World Stroke Day which falls on 29th of October Dr.Poonam has stressed that approximately 30% of stroke survivors in the region were seriously disabled and 70% of the survivors who recover,the liklihood of suffering further strokes is greatly increased. "Recurrent" stroke accounts for around one in every four episodes of the life threatening condition.

Dr.Poonam's full statement on Stroke as follows-

The human brain is uniquely complex. The billions of neurons it contains provide the substance of reason and thought, while the functions it controls define our every move.

But when the brain is deprived of blood and the oxygen it carries, or when bleeding inundates surrounding tissue and causes the brain to swell, its effective operation becomes compromised. Both incidents can cause lasting vision problems, seizures, fatigue, loss of speech, memory loss, and paralysis among other adverse effects. If severe enough, they can also cause death.

To suffer such an event is to undergo a ‘brain stroke’, also known as a ‘brain attack’. It is an event and condition that too many of us know too little about, but which – for the most part – each one of us has the capacity to leaves

Some are more disposed to the problem than others. This includes people with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes or a high blood-sugar level. It includes people that are obese, smoke or consume alcohol in large volumes. And it also includes people that are physically inactive. In addition, the risk of stroke increases with age, while males are more likely to suffer a stroke than females. Though demographic factors cannot be helped, there is much that can be done to reduce lifestyle-related risks.

First, people who smoke should quit, and those who drink heavily should cease. These two factors alone significantly multiply the likelihood of stroke, meaning avoiding them is vital to preventive efforts. Second, a diet high in vegetables and fruit and low in salt should be consumed. Doing so will decrease fatty deposits in the arteries that can cause blockages, as well as diminish the prospect of burst vessels that high blood pressure brings. Third, regular exercise should be undertaken. This means getting at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity at least five times a week. And fourth, blood pressure, blood-sugar and cholesterol levels should be checked regularly, with associated conditions managed in consultation with a health care provider.

As each of us adopts these simple but effective habits, which also help prevent against other noncommunicable diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, it remains important to be able to identify a stroke’s early warning signs. One of the reasons why people delay seeking immediate treatment is due to a lag in recognizing that a stroke is occurring.

There are three key questions and signs related to the face, arm and speech that can help to identify a stroke: Is the face drooping on one side? Is there weakness in one arm? Is the speech slurred? If the answer is yes to one or all of the above, the person may be having a stroke, meaning there is just one thing to do: get medical help, and get it fast.

Health systems must be in a position to act decisively to prevent stroke-related disability or death. National treatment protocols and guidelines should be robust and clear. Emergency referral systems should be well-honed and efficient. And health care staff should be given the skills to support emergency care and management and act in accordance with protocol. Though even the most advanced health systems are unable to provide cutting-edge technology at every facility, good health system planning can nonetheless maximize the reach and quality of services offered.

Importantly, as a means of diminishing the likelihood of a stroke occurring in the first place, treatment and counselling to manage stroke-related conditions such as diabetes and hypertension should be available at the primary health care level. Increasing access to these services will not only decrease the number of strokes occurring, but will also help limit other complications these underlying conditions can cause. With the recent adoption of the Colombo Declaration, which calls for a Region-wide primary health care approach to tackling noncommunicable diseases, commitment across the Region is encouraging.

In acknowledging the serious, life-threatening nature of stroke, the condition’s name – derived from an ancient Greek term meaning ‘struck down by violence’ – is perhaps more fatalistic than it needs to be. Through avoiding tobacco and alcohol, consuming a nutritious diet, getting regular exercise, and managing underlying conditions, most brain strokes can be prevented. And through knowing the symptoms, seeking immediate care, and having a well-prepared health system, most complications can be averted. To ensure this is the case, individuals and the health systems they rely on must adapt accordingly.

Prices Of 48 Essential Drugs To Be Reduced Up To 84% With Effect From This Friday(21)--Professor Asitha De Silva

Through the special Gazette Notification scheduled to be issued this Friday (21) prices of 48 widely used Essential Drugs are due to be reduced up to 84% according to the Chairman of Independant Drug Regulatory Authority Professor Asitha De Silva .

Professor Asitha De Silva

Addressing a special press briefing of the Ministry Of Health,Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine held at Government Information Department in Narahenpita this evening Professor Asitha Silva has stated that highest price reduction of 84% applied to a widely used medicinal pill prescribed for "Gastritis".A drug prescribed for Cholesterol and another anti biotic drug will be reduced by 48% each through the Gazette.

Prices of Essential drugs prescribed for major diseases including Diabetes,High Blood Pressure ,Heart Ailments too reduced by sufficent amount he has stressed.

Stern action will be taken against Pharmacies which do not implement  new price formula Professor Silve has further added.

Addressing the Press Briefing Health Minister Dr.Rajitha Senaratna has said that 48 Essential Drugs out of 265 Essential Drugs indexed  in an Essential Drugs List prepared under the  National Drug Policy
will be reduced with effect from this Friday and the prices of other Essential Drugs too will be reduced step by step in near future.

After the issuing of drug  price reduction Gazette Notification the consumer affairs authority ,Independant Drug Regulatory Authority and Special Investigations Unit of the Health Ministry will monitoring whether the pharmacies islandwide implement the new price formula or not he has revealed.

WHO Urged The Need For Governments In South East Asia Region To Make Commitment When Battling Against TB

TB remains a serious problem across the WHO South-East Asia Region, and requires the fullest attention and strongest commitment of governments, donors and civil society leaders to be effectively addressed. World Health Organization (WHO )has stated.

The press release issued by WHO regarding TB follows.

As outlined in WHO’s new global report on TB, a number of countries in the Region are among the world’s highest TB burden countries, while revised estimates based on increased case-reporting and enhanced surveillance show that the TB caseload is higher than previously projected. TB is the single largest cause of death of any infectious disease in the Region, and remains responsible for incalculable suffering, premature mortality, impoverishment and foregone development.

To get on track to achieve the SDG 2030 target and Global End TB Strategy targets by 2035, which includes reducing TB deaths by 95% and cutting new cases by 90%, countries across the Region must significantly scale up key interventions made in recent years.

Though countries have been making efforts to end TB and the number of TB deaths and TB incidence rate continues to fall, at the current trend the Region would not be able to achieve the SDG targets. A newer and bolder approach is needed to bend the curve faster and sharper to achieve the global targets.

This means intensifying measures to ensure early diagnosis and treatment, such as active case-finding and enhancing access to cutting-edge diagnostic tools. Adopting newer approaches of case diagnosis, community based treatment and treatment of latent infection.  It means integrating TB programmes with existing health systems, thereby amplifying the effect these interventions have. And it also means ensuring these and other interventions meet the needs of vulnerable and marginalized populations, who continue to disproportionately suffer from the disease.

To make this happen, funds must be allocated accordingly, while political commitment must be fortified.  Both must occur at national and international levels. Moreover, governments should provide national TB programmes the operating capacity to be agile and responsive in their efforts, while TB control leaders should adapt and apply global TB strategies with care and diligence.

The battle to achieve a Region free of TB with zero death, disease and suffering is both possible and necessary. We can and must make it happen.
 

###

HEALTH TIP

Health Problems Related to Stress

What are some of the most significant health problems related to stress? Here's a sampling.

1. Heart disease. Researchers have long suspected that the stressed-out, type A personality has a higher risk of high blood pressure and heart problems. We don't know why, exactly. Stress can directly increase heart rate and blood flow, and causes the release of cholesterol and triglycerides into the blood stream. It's also possible that stress is related to other problems -- an increased likelihood of smoking or obesity -- that indirectly increase the heart risks.
   Doctors do know that sudden emotional stress can be a trigger for serious cardiac problems, including heart attacks. People who have chronic heart problems need to avoid acute stress -- and learn how to successfully manage life's unavoidable stresses -- as much as they can.
2.  Asthma. Many studies have shown that stress can worsen asthma. Some evidence suggests that a parent's chronic stress might even increase the risk of developing asthma in their children. One study looked at how parental stress affected the asthma rates of young children who were also exposed to air pollution or whose mothers smoked during pregnancy. The kids with stressed out parents had a substantially higher risk of developing asthma.
3. Obesity. Excess fat in the belly seems to pose greater health risks than fat on the legs or hips -- and unfortunately, that's just where people with high stress seem to store it. "Stress causes higher levels of the hormone cortisol," says Winner, "and that seems to increase the amount of fat that's deposited in the abdomen."
4. Diabetes. Stress can worsen diabetes in two ways. First, it increases the likelihood of bad behaviors, such as unhealthy eating and excessive drinking. Second, stress seems to raise the glucose levels of people with type 2 diabetes directly.
5. Headaches. Stress is considered one of the most common triggers for headaches -- not just tension headaches, but migraines as well.
6. Depression and anxiety. It's probably no surprise that chronic stress is connected with higher rates of depression and anxiety. One survey of recent studies found that people who had stress related to their jobs -- like demanding work with few rewards -- had an 80% higher risk of developing depression within a few years than people with lower stress.
7. Gastrointestinal problems. Here's one thing that stress doesn't do -- it doesn't cause ulcers. However, it can make them worse. Stress is also a common factor in many other GI conditions, such as chronic heartburn (or gastroesophageal reflux disease, GERD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Winner says.
8. Alzheimer's disease. One animal study found that stress might worsen Alzheimer's disease, causing its brain lesions to form more quickly. Some researchers speculate that reducing stress has the potential to slow down the progression of the disease.