“Insensitive attempt to create awareness about cervical cancer”

Is the Delhi Government promoting moral policing in the name of health education? That is the question to which women activists and students have demanded an answer, pointing to the Delhi Government roadside banners that blame “immoral sex” for cervical cancer. Stating that these banners are an “insensitive” attempt by the Delhi Government to create awareness about cervical cancer, a Jawaharlal Nehru University student Radhika said: “These banners that have been placed at various places in Delhi are for public education, but to state that ‘immoral sex’ is responsible for cervical cancer in women is tactless and highly offensive.’’

Aimed at helping school children to avoid the negative effect of irrational use of medicines, the Delhi Society for Promotion of Rational Use of Drugs (DSPRUD) in collaboration with Delhi Public Sc

Air quality registers a marginal improvement

Having gasped for breath for nearly a week now, Delhiites breathed slightly easy on Tuesday with the air quality registering a marginal improvement. But deteriorating air quality and the dense smog that had enveloped the Capital for the past few days has prompted environmentalists to demand that urgent measures be put in place to reduce air pollution in the city.

A day after several hundred idols were immersed in the Yamuna on the last day of Durga Puja overloading an already polluted river, the Delhi Government’s Environment Department started the process of cleaning up and decongesting it on Thursday. The work is expected to end by early next week.

Delhi Environment & Forest secretary Sanjiv Kumar said: “This year the department began the work of ensuring that the river was put under as little stress as possible because of the immersion and we had regular meetings with the registered Puja committees asking them to use only environment-friendly material which does not harm the river further. As a follow-up to the exercise we also interacted with various stakeholders early this week to review the measures put in place for idol immersion in the Yamuna during Durga Puja.”

On a day when the Supreme Court directed the Union and State governments to provide basic infrastructure, including drinking water and toilets, in all schools within six months, a survey conducted among parents (low-income group) in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore said that “toilets remain the single-most commonly voiced concern for girl students and their parents across India among the lower-income group.”

The secondary data of survey added that only 44 per cent schools covered by the Right to Education Act have separate, functioning girls’ toilets. In the rest, girls either need to risk embarrassment and run to nearby fields, or run back home to use the toilet.

The All-India Chemists and Distributors’ Federation has expressed displeasure at the method proposed by the Group of Ministers to fix the cost of 348 drugs that have recently been brought under the National List of Essential Medicines.

AICDF president Kailash Gupta said: “The method recommended by the GOM in fixing the cost of these medicines is based on the average of market price of best selling brands which we feel is totally wrong.’’

Unspent funds declared by several State governments across the country released under the Central Government’s Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Schemes has now prompted the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development to consider sanctioning funds directly to non-government organisations working in the States.

Ministry secretary Prem Narain said: “ICDS is one of our flagship programmes and the Ministry is working at ensuring that the targeted audience are able to benefit from its restructuring that we are undertaking.”

Notification banning manufacture, sale, transportation & storage to be issued today

The Delhi Government has decided to impose a complete ban on manufacture, sale, display, transportation and storage of gutka and other related products in the city. Health Minister A. K. Walia said on Monday that the decision was taken at a high-level meeting at Delhi Secretariat and a notification to this effect will be issued on Tuesday. “Gutka and other products contain paan masala, nicotine and tobacco particles, hence are harmful.

Centre to soon launch website offering health solutions

If nutrition experts have left you confused about what to eat, how much to eat and when to eat, the Union Ministry of Women & Child Development’s soon-to-be-launched website might be your one-stop solution. All set to launch a nutrition platform on September 7, this interactive website will offer a knowledge bank, library and e-forum to those in the business of nutrition and the ones interested in eating right to stay healthy.

Months after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called malnourishment among children a national shame, the Union Ministry of Women & Child Development (WCD) has now written to the Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories asking them to get “serious about fighting malnourishment especially among the children and women”.

WCD secretary Prem Narain said: “We have issued written instructions on Tuesday to all senior officials concerned and various Ministries to ensure that they contribute positively in the fight against this great challenge that the country faces today.