Land of Jewels (Sana Leibak)

The news that HIV/AIDS infection in the three hill districts of Manipur bordering Myanmar -- Churachandpur, Chandel and Ukhrul -- is on the increase mainly due to commercial sex workers from that country spreading the dreaded disease should be taken note seriously by the authorities. Myanmar is a country where the incidence of HIV/AIDS is 1.3 per cent of the total population (240,000 out of 47,373,958) while it is 0.3 percent is case of India. Myanmar ranks lowest among countries worldwide in international assistance per capita and among lowest in the world to get antiretroviral treatment access by the patients. Currently, fewer than 20% of HIV-positive people in need of drugs receive them -- either from international groups or in small amounts from the government -- according to a report of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) released in November 2008. More alarming is the fact that an estimated 42 per cent of Myanmarese women in the age group pf 15-49 carry HIV by the end of 2007. So, ne...

Cancer centre in all NE States mooted: Imphal, May 13: Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss who arrived here today as part of his North East itinerary has expressed satisfaction over the measures taken up in the health sector particularly on Immunisation, HIV/AIDS, Cancer, TB and Malaria. Interacting with the media at the Jubilee Hall of RIMS this evening, the Health Minister said that since the North East people are susceptible to Cancer, the Centre has decided to open Regional Cancer Centres in all the North East State. Significantly, RIMS had earlier announced that majority of the lung cancer cases reported in the country are from the North East States particularly Manipur. Though health care facilities are perceived to be poor in the remote areas of the State, Ramadoss however noted that the health care scenario in the North Region is satisfactory. There are plans to improve the infrastructure at the Primary Health Centres, Primary Sub-Health Centres, Community Health Centres et...