World News

Spike in Makkah suicides raises many questions [Arab News, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia]

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:02:00 +0000

Mar. 11--MAKKAH -- A spike in the number of suicides in Makkah has created a stir among locals with some viewing the problem as a passing one while others say it is a growing trend.

A number of sociologists and psychiatrists told Arab News that people who commit suicide in the Kingdom tend to be foreigners rather than Saudis, and that most are mentally ill.

They added that the increase may be because Makkah -- a magnet for people from all walks of life from countries across the world -- has seen an increase in visitors in recent years and is also home to numerous high-rise buildings.

Dr. Rajab Brisali, a psychology consultant at the National Guard Hospital, said people sometimes attempt suicide when they do not see a way out from their miseries.

"Pilgrims who attempt suicide are usually medically unwell and on medication for depression. For some, seeing the Kaaba and...

Tobacco warnings go explicit

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:01:00 +0000

PICTORIAL warnings on tobacco products are set to get scarier.

After almost a year of mild warnings, the government has decided to shift to more powerful messages. Tobacco products will now carry pictures of mouth cancer, showing rotting teeth and lips.

A notification was issued by the health ministry on March 5 and the new warnings will come into force from June 1. These would be implemented under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products ( Packaging and Labelling Amendment) Rules, 2010.

The warnings show a real picture of mouth cancer with a caption " tobacco causes mouth cancer". Cigarette packs will carry the same picture with the caption " smoking kills", while chewing or smokeless products will carry the caption " tobacco kills". The new warnings have been pretested for their effectiveness by the Voluntary Health Association of India ( VHAI) and the Healis- Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health.

" The new warnings...

'Girl imprisoned by her own parents for 17 years'

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:01:00 +0000

Author: Sebastian Heller

A 27-YEAR-OLD woman who claims she was imprisoned by her own parents in a shack behind their house for 17 years, was released into state care on Tuesday.

According to Antenna TV, upon assessment by a state psychiatrist the, woman was deemed in need of urgent psychiatric treatment and has been transferred to the psychiatric care. The report refused to name the location of the village, but confirmed it was in the Morphou district west of Nicosia.

Originally imprisoned as a young girl after completing her first year of high school, the woman says she was kept without electricity or running water in unhygienic conditions by her own parents.

The mukhtar of the...

The Prince of Wales, Patron, Combat Stress, Will Today Launch the Combat Stress Appeal - 'The ...

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:01:00 +0000

LONDON, March 11, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales will today launch an appeal by the Veterans' charity Combat Stress at St. James's Palace State Apartments:

The appeal is launched to:

    - raise GBP30m to enhance and develop mental health services for Veterans
    - raise awareness of the plight of Veterans suffering from psychological
      injury
    - encourage Veterans and their families to seek help earlier

In an article published by the Daily Telegraph today, The Prince of Wales refers to the 14 years after leaving the Services that it takes before Veterans seek help for significant psychological injuries.

"Fourteen years is a very long time to suffer," he writes. "After such a long gap many veterans are at the end of their tether." He writes: "Social isolation is common, alcohol and/or drug abuse is often seen as...

Financial Incentives to Quit Smoking, "Patient Voices" and Research Into Malaria in ...

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:00:00 +0000

LONDON, March 10, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- A campaign of financial incentives to help quit smoking; a project to help change attitudes of doctors to patients; and research into the prevention of death from severe malaria in children scooped three of the top prizes at the second international BMJ Group Awards ceremony held tonight.

The winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award went to Professor Marleen Temmerman for her commitment to improving women's reproductive and sexual health and rights, especially in Africa.

The BMJ Group Awards, held in association with MDDUS, recognise and celebrate excellence in healthcare across the globe. The categories reflect the values of the Group and include awards for corporate social responsibility, clinical research, healthcare communication and medical education. This year, for the first time, there were also awards given to the Junior Doctor of the Year, and the Primary and Secondary Team of the Year.

The ceremony, held in London, was presented by broadcaster and comedian Tony...

Volunteers sought to assist Drug Council's student survey [Cayman Net News, Grand Cayman, ...

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:03:00 +0000

Mar. 10--Fieldwork assistants are being sought by the National Drug Council for its survey of students to assess drug use among adolescents in the Cayman Islands. Individuals interested will be required to volunteer approximately one and a half hours during the week of 12-16 April.

In order to administer the survey to students in their classrooms, there will be two sessions, morning and afternoon, requiring 70 -80 fieldwork assistants in order to collect the data efficiently.

"We are extremely cognizant of the enormous financial challenges," said Joan West-Dacres, executive director of the NDC, "and we must be careful to apply our resources in the most effective way. Without accurate information like that which is garnered through surveys such as this, it is impossible.

"This survey will not only allow us to determine the extent of alcohol and drug use among middle and high school students in grades 7-12 in the Cayman Islands,...

China Focus: Ahead of World Expo, China acts to promote smoking controls

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:14:00 +0000

BEIJING, Mar 10, 2010 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Thirty-two-year-old Sun Ling is not a heavy smoker. But for 10 years, Sun, a civil servant in Shanghai and a father of a 5-year-old, has become used to indulging himself with one or two cigarettes after lunch at work.

However, within one year he might have to find a new after-meal habit, and maybe a healthier one, too..

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which China signed in 2003 and ratified in 2005, the country will ban all types of tobacco advertising and promotion by 2011 in accordance with the FCTC.

Further, smoking in all indoor work places and public areas, as well as public transportation vehicles, will also be banned.

With just one year to go, and less than three months ahead of what authorities promised would be a smoke-free Shanghai World Expo, the Chinese government is fast tracking smoking control, even at this year's annual...

WILLIAMS CRITICISED FOR PRAISING CANNABIS

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:07:00 +0000

Mar 09, 2010 (WENN via COMTEX) -- British pop star ROBBIE WILLIAMS has come under fire from campaigners for championing marijuana as a "lovely" drug.

The Millennium hitmaker, who has struggled with substance abuse problems in the past, admitted he gained several pounds while smoking cannabis, but branded the drug "lovely".

He said, "Weed, it's such a lovely drug. It is such a lovely drug. But it doesn't mix well with me at all. It doesn't take much to trigger - I mean, I'll get psychosis from having this cup of tea! Seriously. The caffeine in that's enough. But it's just a shame about the weed, because I did love it."

But anti-drugs activist Debra Bell has taken exception to the remarks, insisting the singer's comments are irresponsible.

She says, "Does he really know what he's saying? This drug causes huge damage to children and their families." (PAW//KD)

Interview: Nepal's female drug users in pathetic condition

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 04:18:00 +0000

KATHMANDU, Mar 08, 2010 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Nepal's female drug users are victimized by the society and their own family, a drug rehabilitation activist said in a recent exclusive interview with Xinhua.

"Female drug users are never accepted by their family, community and society even after being rehabilitated once they fall into addiction," Pravas Rana, senior director of Narcon Nepal, a social organization working on the rehabilitation of the people addicted to drugs, told Xinhua.

The situation of female drug users is worse with persistent social discrimination and domination from the society in Nepal which will never let the female drug users be normal again.

Rana said that there is always a cause behind falling into addiction which can turn a social being into anti-social being, loses his self-esteem, honesty and responsibilities.

He said that more than 80 percent of the drug users fall into addiction under the pressure of their friends to taste it once.

In the context of Nepal, where the society has...

UN highlights plight of impoverished drug addicts

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:53:00 +0000

VIENNA -- While celebrities earn notoriety from publicly going into rehab, millions of impoverished drug addicts are being ostracized, do not have access to doctors and are often imprisoned, a senior U.N. official said Monday.

Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, also said the developing world _ already struggling to deal with health, education and unemployment problems _ lacks the treatment facilities and law enforcement to control narcotics.

"Poor addicts _ and there are millions of them _ have been pushed to the margins of society, deprived of medical attention, often exposed to conditions, including imprisonment, that exacerbate their illness," Costa said according to a copy of a speech he delivered at a Vienna meeting of the U.N. Commission on Narcotic Drugs.

"Strikingly, the addicted rich, singers, models and bankers alike, enter posh private clinics in a deluge of camera flashes _ and amuse themselves...

Drugs to unleash health disaster in developing world: UN office

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:30:00 +0000

VIENNA, Mar 08, 2010 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Failure to control drugs will unleash a health disaster in the developing world which lacks treatment facilities and relevant laws, said Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the United Nations office on drugs and crime on Monday.

Costa listed a number of warning signs including increasing use of drugs in areas such as East Africa, West Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, noting poor people have less access to treatment if addicted.

"While rich addicts go to posh clinics, poor addicts are being pushed into the gutters or to jail," Costa said at the annual meeting of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, a policy-making body of the UN in drug control.

Harrowing, heartwarming tales from Haiti: Several county residents have taken part in ongoing ...

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:36:00 +0000

Mar. 7--At 4:53 p.m. on Jan. 12, Julie Grier was fixing supper in the kitchen of her fiance's home on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

"Then I heard what sounded like a really big truck coming down our street," she wrote in her blog a few days later. "Then I noticed the dishes were shaking ... it wasn't until I started out the kitchen door and saw our tall compound wall swaying back and forth ... that I realized the whole world was falling down. A cloud of dust enveloped us.

"In a few minutes we saw downed power lines, the front of a neighbor's house collapsed. The road was clogged with thousands of people, many bloody, moving up hill ... there were screams, crying. Someone passed carrying a dead baby, explaining to everyone and no one that she was too small to run and he could not get to her...

Doctors Without Borders - working to ease suffering [Jordan Times, Amman]

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 17:23:00 +0000

Mar. 7--AMMAN -- Hanan used to feel guilty because she was the only member of her family to survive the 2003 US-led war on Iraq.

But that was before she received counselling from Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontières (MSF) volunteers in Jordan after the war.

The Iraqi girl's story is one of thousands that are being told by 25 MSF volunteers who are in Amman for a month to showcase the aspects of their work with victims of both natural and man-made disasters.

Hanan, who was 11 when she lost all of her family members, is among 1,000 cases that Jordanian social worker Layal Al Kurd dealt with during the two years she has worked with the Paris-based international NGO.

"She was traumatised and felt guilty because she is still alive while the rest of her family members died in the war," Kurd said about Hanan, adding that she used to be afraid...

Sex offender rehab takes new tack: Emphasis on treatment, parole pays off, Canadian expert says ...

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 15:42:00 +0000

Mar. 6--Since its introduction three years ago, Japan's correctional program for sex offenders, modeled after Canada's system, has made great strides, a leading expert on rehabilitation from Ontario says.

Still, the country must develop a stronger parole system if it wants to reduce the risk of recidivism, said William Marshall, professor emeritus of psychology and psychiatry at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario.

In fact, providing good supervision is also cost-effective compared with measures like the electronic monitoring of sex offenders, according to Marshall.

"The treatment is the crucial and the most important part, but the release in the community before sentencing expires with very good supervision -- all that plays a part in reducing (further offenses). There is no question about that," Marshall, 74, said in an interview with The Japan Times.

Marshall, also the director of Rockwood Psychological Services, a private organization that provides treatment for incarcerated sex offenders, was invited to...

The Etoile d'Esperance Rahabilitation Centre

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:43:00 +0000

Port Louis, Mar 05, 2010 (L'Express/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- This is the time of year when women's concerns come to the forefront, on and around International Women's Day which falls on Monday 8th March. To mark the occasion, today we look into the problem of alcoholism among women, how it affects their lives and their families and the quite remarkable facilities for their rehabilitation which exist at Etoile d'Esperance.

Although there is space for 14 in the beautifully decorated bedrooms, at the moment there are only six women at the centre. When I visit they are sitting in the veranda, looking very comfortable, chatting and listening to music.

Babette, the most talkative of the group explains that once you are in the trap of alcohol abuse, you can't get out of it without help. She was brought here by her sister and is full of praise for the centre:...

Counseling offers Haitians a chance for emotional healing [Sun Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.]

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 06:43:00 +0000

Mar. 5--Jean-Mick Deshommes survived the devastating earthquake in Haiti nearly two months ago, but still feels the sensation of the ground shattering beneath him. Now he grapples with the burden of having to return to tear down what remains of his house there.

The economist and his wife, Esther Deshommes, a school principal in Haiti, were part of a group of more than a dozen Haitians who sought emotional support during a free session at the Center for Group Counseling on Thursday.

Psychologists offered healing words and guidance to help survivors and those affected by the tragedy learn how to cope with stress and sadness.

"Just like a cut heals, it takes a lot of time," said psychologist Cynthia Silverman. "It's an invisible cut when something like this happens and you have to be kind to yourself."

The Deshommes fled Haiti with two young daughters to stay with older children in Delray Beach...

Avatar Technology Cures Phobias While Immersed in EON Icube Solution at the Babes-Bolyai ...

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:31:00 +0000

IRVINE, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 03/03/10 -- EON Reality, Inc., the world's leading interactive 3D software provider, today announced that the inauguration of the futuristic building named Avalon (Advanced Virtual Applications Laboratories of Napocensis) and the new EON Icube that took place at the Babes-Bolyai University's Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, was a successful event attended by hundreds, including local and national media. An immersive 3D environment, similar to the technology used in the movie Avatar, will be of service in psychotherapy sessions and advanced research activities at the University Clinic.

Fears of heights, post traumatic stress or the fear of public speaking are symptoms that are being treated in the virtual EON Icube environment. The cost for a therapy session is between 16 to 26 dollars. Phobias can be treated through gradual and repeated exposure of the stimuli that produces fear. When it comes...

More pressure for Suriname's public hospitals [Caribbean Net News, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands]

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:48:00 +0000

Mar. 3--PARAMARIBO, Suriname -- An already precarious situation in public hospitals in Suriname came under even more pressure on Tuesday, when nurses affiliated with the General Nurses Union in Suriname (ABVS), joined strike actions at the health institutions.

Workers from three public hospitals went on strike on February 18, demanding inclusion into a newly introduced salary scheme (FISO) for public servants and retroactive payment over the past 11 months.

In an invited comment on Tuesday, Lorenzo Irion, spokesman at the Lands Hospital, noted that, while the institution was last week running on half of its capacity, with the actions of the nurses, operations were further downsized to 20 percent of the hospitals capacity.

"We were forced to send more patients than last week home after consulting with their doctors. Only individuals who need urgent medical care are currently being admitted," said Irion. Several urgent surgical operations were performed Tuesday, he further noted.

"The...

Autism strategy for a welcoming society

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:40:00 +0000

The first strategy to help adults with autism in England live independently in a society that understands them, was launched today by Care Services Minister Phil Hope.

For too long, adults with autism have been excluded. Just 15 per cent are in paid employment and 49 per cent live at home with parents.

Fulfilling and rewarding lives, the strategy for adults with autism in England, is a foundation for culture change. It will start fundamental change in public services helping adults with autism to find work and live independent lives.

The strategy sets a clear framework for all mainstream public sector services to support adults with autism and is backed up by the Autism Act 2009, the first ever condition specific legislation.

The autism strategy includes:

a new National Autism Programme Board to lead change in public services set out in the strategy;

a programme to develop training with health and social care professional bodies...

Feature: Nepali play fair focus on children's psychology

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:24:00 +0000

KATHMANDU, Mar 03, 2010 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- By Binju Sitaula

"Please forgive me, if I'm talking wrong," standing in the middle of the stage, a narrator of a child play "Suppressed Voices" said.

The narrator was telling a tale about social classifications in Nepal and the impact of discrimination in the society.

"People say there is distance between upper class and lower class but I do not see any difference or distance between people," he further settle down the suspense amid audience about what next is going to be played.

The Play "Suppressed Voices" tells the tale of two families in a village, one belonging to upper class and the other belonging to lower class trying to tie knot between their under-age son and daughter who cannot speak properly (slurring of speech).

Finally, both families broke up when they discover each other's false flattery about son and daughter is in the state of slurring of speech.

Similarly, the play shows the domestic violence against women and hypocritical...

Afghanistan Deployment: Preparing families for battle [The Salt Lake Tribune]

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:15:00 +0000

Mar. 3--Roger Beaulieu stood at the podium, swallowed hard and looked out at the faces of the people crowded into a small theater at Fort Douglas.

"I promise you I will direct all my energy toward the safety and preservation of your loved ones," the Army captain pledged.

If there is a standard operating procedure for military commanders at pre-deployment ceremonies like the one for the 934th Forward Surgical Team on Tuesday, it is this: Stand up, look confident, express pride, promise you'll do everything you can to return everyone home. And make no guarantees.

Beaulieu did all of that. But he also did something different: He asked for help.

"I am certain that we will need you to help us heal our minds, our hearts and our wounded souls," he said.

By some estimates, as many as one-third of service members returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will come home with...

Shanghai spearheads smoking bans for smoke-free World Expo

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:28:00 +0000

SHANGHAI, Mar 01, 2010 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Shanghai began on Monday implementing a regulation to ban smoking in 12 types of public places amid efforts to achieve a smoke-free World Expo.

The regulation bans indoor smoking at schools, hospitals, sport stadiums, public transport vehicles, Internet cafes, etc. to prevent widespread passive smoking.

The smoking bans in public places would safeguard citizens' health and also promote the city's image, said Li Zhongyang, deputy head of the Shanghai Health Promotion Committee.

Last July, Shanghai turned down a 200-million-yuan (29.3 million U.S. dollars) sponsorship deal for the 2010 World Expo from a tobacco company.

Hangzhou, capital of Shanghai's neighboring province of Zhejiang, also implemented a similar regulation Monday to ban smoking in 10 types of public places.

The regulation also clearly stated that indoor smoking is banned in conference rooms, offices, hospitals and schools.

Any individual or agency would face a fine of between 50 yuan and 2,000 yuan if they violated the regulation.

China has more than 300 million...

The Shock of Suicide Tragedies among Teenagers

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:00:00 +0000

Francistown, Feb 26, 2010 (Mmegi/The Reporter/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- The recent suicides of five young people who hanged themselves in Masunga over a period of one month have left many people dumbstruck.

No one knows why these young people - four men aged 18 and a woman aged 20 - decided to end their lives.

There has not been any reason advanced to explain these human tragedies. Residents are still reeling in shock and they are having difficulty in coming to terms with the suicides.

Masunga Police Station commander, Superintendent Mpho Modisaotsile has expressed his concern about the recent number of suicide cases, which he said are on the increase. This number, he noted, was recorded around January 13 to February 15 this year. He said this is a shocking figure when compared to that of last year during the same period when only a single case was registered.

Modisaotsile indicated...

HEY!-Ontario Lung Association Engages Youth in Health Leadership

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:02:00 +0000

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Feb. 26, 2010) -

Attention News, Youth and Health media:

In a growing number of cases, youth will have two or more risk factors that can lead to chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, cancer and heart disease. In Canada, nearly half of all youth demonstrate multiple risk factors which are affecting their health. So how can youth be effective change agents in their communities, taking on critical issues like tobacco use, obesity and substance abuse? Ontario Lung Association (OLA) will provide the satchel of skills for them, that's how.

OLA will deliver specialized training to more than 150 youth this weekend at the HEY! (Healthy Empowered Youth) conference held in Toronto. Designed to empower youth, the conference will teach participants how to make a positive impact on their communities by helping prevent chronic disease, shaping health policy and taking a leadership role in health promotion.

This conference is...

Ontario Shores eliminates 55 positions to balance budget

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:57:00 +0000

WHITBY, ON, Feb. 26 /CNW/ - Ontario Shores is eliminating 55 positions at the former Whitby Mental Health Centre in order to cope with underfunding from the Ministry of Health.

Forty of the positions will receive layoff notices, while 15 workers will be redeployed following contracting-out of their work.

"Given the priority the province is placing on mental health, these layoffs come as a surprise," says Warren (Smokey) Thomas, president of the 130,000 member Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU). "The ministry of health should talk to the ministry of finance - one is trying to create jobs by stimulating the economy, the other is eliminating jobs at an astonishing rate across the province."

Ontario Shores is eliminating front line workers from nine different classifications covering all three bargaining units. These job losses will impact patient care.

Under the terms of their collective agreement with OPSEU, Ontario Shores is obliged to find positions...