CARE...RELIEF...REBUILDING OF DEVASTATED UTTARAKHAND.

An unprecedented devastation due to which thousands dead, several thousand missing, stranded & homeless. It is unpredictable how much time it will take to complete the rescue & relief operation. To rebuild the devastated villages & overcome the trauma, it may take several years. We are organizing in our area, society to society & school to school campaign & making urgent appeal to all to come forward & render help with  both in terms of materials ( which are urgently needed ) & money. We, in association with other NGOS, are channelizing to reach all the help to the affected
areas.

An initiative to enlighten the lives of differently able people.....

We have taken an initiative to make the life of a differently able colony of Mira Road better. We will concentrate on the important issues like clothing, sanitation, medicine, education & employment etc. We will conduct various kind of activities to make their life enlightened & improved. We will start extensive campaign to make people aware & come forward with both material & monetary helps. we will update our activities in regard of difficulties, progress & responses.

Cataracts....its causes and surgery.

Cataract is an age-related condition in which the lens of the eye becomes clouded, blurring vision. A cataract starts out small & at first has little effect on the vision. The vision is blurred a little, like looking through a cloudy piece of glass. Many studies suggest that exposure to ultra-violet light & cosmic radiation are associated with cataract. Other studies suggest people with diabetes, user of steroids, smokers, air pollution & heavy alcohol consumption etc are at high risk of developing cataracts. A diet rich in anti-oxidant such as beta-carotene (vitamin A), selenium, Vitamin C & E may forestall cataract development. Eating a lot of salt & meat may increase the risk. When symptoms begin to appear, the vision can be improved using new glasses, strong bifocals & magnification etc, but when it progresses enough to seriously impair the vision then one should think about surgery. During surgery, the clouded lens are removed & replaced with a clear, plastic intro-ocular lens. About 80% of blindness in India is due to cataracts. 670 million people world-wide are blind or visually impaired simply because they don't have access to an eye exam & eye glasses. So it is very essential to arrange more & more free eye check-up & surgery for underprivileged to prevent visual impairment. Observe 13th October as WORLD SIGHT DAY for restoring sight.

Awareness & prevention of cervical cancer.

In India every year around 134,420 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and about 72,825 die from the disease. Cervical cancer occurs when abnormal cells on the cervix grow out of control. The cervix is the lower part of uterus which opens in the vagina. The main cause is the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which is transmitted through sexual contact. Other co-factors for progression from HPV infection to cancer are tobacco smoking, long term hormonal contraceptive use & co-infection with HIV. Early detection can reduce the incidence & mortality from this disease. For this, all women over the age of 20 should have cervical screening at least every five years. In cervical screening, cells from the surface of the cervix are collected painlessly & examined for any abnormalities. Some symptoms of cervical cancer include abnormal vaginal bleeding ( between periods ), vaginal discharge tinged with blood & more rarely discomfort during intercourse. Women from low income population are at high risk as they have less education about safe sex practices & poor excess to health services. As HPV virus can stay in the body for years & after 15-20 years can develop as cancer, so it is advisable to administer preventive vaccine from the age of 9-24 years. So by the time a girl reaches her late 40s, she is safe-guarded. A one time dose of vaccine is given thrice in a span of year, with per dose coming at a price of Rs 2800 only. It is very expensive & to prevent the incidence of cervical cancer, it is very essential to vaccinate as many as possible. To vaccinate the underprivileged please donate so that we can do mass vaccination for better tomorrow.

Breast cancer....for early detection, do regular self examinations.

Breast cancer is rising rapidly in India, pushing cervical cancer to the second spot. According to ICMR report, 1 in 22 women suffer from breast cancer. Breast cancer is a uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the tissues of the breast. It can occur either in the ducts or in the tissue where the milk is formed.

Common symptoms are:-

-Painless swelling ( lump) in the breast or the armpit region

-Nipple retraction

-Nipple discharge

Change in size & shape of the breast and the nipples

Change in the look of the skin surrounding the nipples, looking reddish in colour.

Usually, the early stage does not cause any symptom. Thus self examinations once in a month are very helpful.

Besides, yearly mammogram X - ray after the age of 40 and with a family history from the age of 35 should be done, as early detection is the only cure. Various factors of breast cancer include late age at first childbirth, fewer children, shorter duration of breast feeding with a lifestyle which involves excessive smoking & alcohol consumption.

Regular breast feeding is a boon to prevent breast cancer.

Pneumonia in children.....causes and prevention.

Pneumonia is a lung infection that can be caused by different types of micro-organisms. In babies & children who develop Pneumonia often do not have any specific signs of chest infection but develop a fever, appear quite ill and can become lethargic. In children Pneumococcus & Hib ( H. influenzae type b ) bacteria are responsible for 30 - 50% & 10 - 30%  of Pneumonia cases respectively followed by S. Aurea's & K. pneumoniae. Besides, respiratory Syncytial virus & HIV epidemic have also a very significant role in childhood Pneumonia.

In developing countries most common causes of childhood Pneumonia are as follows:-

1.Definite risk factors :-

A. Malnutrition. B. Low birth weight. C. Non-exclusive breast feeding D. Lack of timely immunization of measles. E. Indoor air pollution. F. Crowding.

 2. Likely risk factors :-

A. Parental smoking. B. Zinc deficiency. C. Mother's experience as a care giver. D. Concomitant diseases like diarrhoea, heart disease, asthma. Besides, some possible factors like humidity, birth order, vitamin-a deficiency, mother's education, day care attendance & outdoor pollution etc also play a very significant role.  

Diabetes in children.

Diabetes impairs the body's ability to regulate blood sugar levels. That can lead to damage to the kidneys & blood vessels through the body. In Type - 1 diabetes ( formerly known insulin-dependent or juvenile diabetes ) occurs when the immune system attacks & destroys the cells of the pancreas that produce insulin. General symptoms of it - increased thirst, frequent urination, extreme hunger, weight loss, fatigue, blurred vision & unusual behaviour etc. Type - 1 diabetes in children is treated with lifelong insulin injections, along with strict adherence to diet & lifestyle advice which help to live a near-normal life & avoid complications. Type - 2 diabetes referred to as non-insulin dependent diabetes, is silently assuming epic proportions & holding an entire generation to ransom, affecting children from all income groups. In Type - 2 diabetes, person still produces insulin but the body does not response to it normally. This causes the blood sugar to rise, making the pancreas produce even more insulin. Eventually, the pancreas can wear out from working overtime to produce extra insulin & may no longer be able to produce enough insulin to keep blood sugar levels normal. Symptoms of Type - 2 diabetes include frequent urination, drinking lot of liquids, feeling tired, sometimes developing thick, dark, velvet like skin around the neck, armpit, groin, toes etc, girls may develop poly cystic ovary syndrome, which often shows irregular periods or may stop having periods & more likely to get excess facial & body hair growth, it can also result in fertility problem. The main cause of Type - 2 diabetes  considered is overweight. A study has found that around 15% school children in India are obese. According to, " Obesity & Cholesterol Foundation", 8.8% of adolescent have abdominal obesity, which is directly linked to Type - 2 diabetes. Around 68% of urban children lead a sedentary lifestyle with hardly any involvement in outdoor games, about 47% play for less than an hour & sit most of their free times either watching TV or on computer. Around 70% of these obese children are likely to be obese adults with increased susceptibility to diabetes, high B.P. & heart disease. This means the diabetes epidemic, we are facing now is only going to magnify & life expectancy is likely to fall in the next 20 years. Experts feel intervention at the level of school & families can be the sole remedy to deal with the issue, by encouraging regular physical activity, curtailing activities like TV viewing & cutting down on junk foods, fried items, soft drinks etc and increasing intake of fresh fruits & vegetables. On the eve of the World Diabetes Day which will be celebrated on 14th November 2011, our programmes will include seminar & diabetes check up camps in schools with free insulin distribution to poor children.