The Human Imprint

Eye damage in Asia

BBC News reports that a study suggests that up to 90% of school leavers in major Asian cities are suffering from myopia - short-sightedness.

"Researchers say the "extraordinary rise" in the problem is being caused by students working very hard in school and missing out on outdoor light. The scientists told the Lancet that up to one in five of these students could experience severe visual impairment and even blindness. In the UK, the average level of myopia is between 20% and 30%. According to Professor Ian Morgan, who led this study and is from the Australian National University, 20-30% was once the average among people in South East Asia as well. "What we've done is written a review of all the evidence which suggests that something extraordinary has happened in east Asia in the last two generations," he told BBC News."They've gone from something like 20% myopia in the population to well over 80%, heading for 90% in young adults, and as they get adult it will just spread through the population. It certainly poses a major health problem."

This is probably due to poor light when working and eye strain - check out the full article.

US sees sharp rise in newborns with opiate withdrawal

BBC News reports that the number of babies born in the US showing symptoms of opiate withdrawal increased threefold in the 10 years up to 2009. The research, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, said one in every 1,000 newborns was affected in 2009. The number of pregnant women testing positive for illegal or legal opiates increased fivefold in the same period. The report says abuse of prescription painkillers is partly to blame. 

Concerning statistic - follow the link for the full article

Kidney cancers: Major rise 'linked to obesity'

BBC News reports that obesity is fuelling a major increase in the number of cases of kidney cancers diagnosed in Britain, experts say. Cancer Research UK has published figures showing there were just over 9,000 cases in 2009, compared with just under 2,300 in 1975. Obesity increases kidney cancer risk by about 70%, compared with smoking which increases it by about 50%. Cancer Research UK says too few people understand the cancer risk of being overweight. Kidney cancer is now the eighth most common cancer. Click on the link to read more.

Twelve people have died from swine flu

Twelve people have died of swine flu in India since the beginning of March, the country's health ministry says according to BBC News. Half of the deaths have been reported from the western state of Maharashtra. Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have also reported deaths.

Nearly 130 others have been infected with the virus, and many of them admitted to hospitals. The cause of the sudden outbreak is not clear. The virus killed more than 450 Indians when it first emerged in 2009.

Follow the link to find out more.

New weapon in fight against C.difficile

The Telegraph reports that a study has shown that the first antibiotic to be licenced for the treatment of C.difficile in over 50 years, called Fidaxomicin, can reduce the relapse rate. Results, published in The Lancet, show only 13 per cent of patients treated with Fidaxomicin had a recurrent infection within 28 days. More than a quarter (27 per cent) treated with vancomycin developed one.

Follow the link for more details.

Environment Minister announces programme of badger vaccination

TB control is an ongoing discussion - check out the latest developments in Wales with vaccination.

'Sharp drop' in India poverty

BBC News reports that poverty in India has dropped sharply between 2004 and 2009. 

"From 2004-2005 to 2009-2010, the rate fell from 37.2% to 29.8%, which means around 360 million people currently live in poverty. Rural poverty has declined faster than urban poverty during this period. The Planning Commission said the main reason for the reduction in poverty was the government's increased spending on rural welfare programmes".

However the picture is mixed and different metrics give a range of statistics. I guess it depends how you define "poverty".

To read the full article click on the link.

Toyota to recall 681,500 vehicles over safety concerns

A further recall by Toyota who are recalling 70,500 Camry and 116,000 Venza cars to fix silicone grease leaks that may cause starting problems. Another 495,000 Tacoma vehicles need repairs to faulty steering wheels that may deactivate the driver's air bag. Toyota is the world's third-largest carmaker.

Source: BBC News

International Women's Day

A day to think of all those around the world who don't have the chance to live with their children in a peaceful place.

Poverty ranking in the UK

Interesting article about poverty ranking in the UK in The Guardian. Shows the variance across the country.