• Killing man's best friend

• Trans fatty confusion

• Patent my country
  
  
  Killing man's best friend

The President of Sri Lanka has instructed the rabies control authorities that 'instead of killing dogs they should be vaccinated against rabies and necessary modern, scientific and humane methods initiated to control the increase of dog populations' (Sunday Observer, 7 May 2006). Killing of dogs has been prohibited by him during the current Buddha Jayanthi celebrations. This is unprecedented in Sri Lanka.

Also unprecedented are the burgeoning requests from people to conduct sterilisation programmes in their areas indicating a market difference in the attitude of the people towards sterilisations; earlier, it was a case of us trying to convince a skeptical public regarding the advantages of sterilisations.

Since its inception in 1999, KACPAW has been saying exactly what the President has said and has systematically worked towards creating a consensus on the need to control the dog populations as a measure to curb rabies in place of killing them, amongst the authorities as well as dog owners.

We have conducted pilot sterilisation projects involving Government veterinary surgeons (who have been trained by us in early-age neutering) in the Central Province in the past two years. We have donated four three-wheelers to the Health Ministry to promote humane dog control programmes in the tsunami-hit areas in the Southern part of the country through WSPA and the RSPCA.

At present, beside running a shelter that cares for around 180 abandoned dogs at any given time, we carry out sterilisation programmes with whatever limited funds we have. From December 2005 to date we have sterilised nearly 1,000 dogs.

KACPAW is severely handicapped in carrying out sterilisations in a more widespread manner as it does not have a separate fund for sterilisations. We desire to build such a fund and increase the number of sterilisations we conduct now by liaising with the provincial health authorities in order to cover areas in a more systematic manner. At our sterilisation programme, we also vaccinate dogs against rabies, provide a red collar, and treat the dogs for mange, which is problem plaguing many dogs in Sri Lanka.

We also treat venereal tumours and provide worm treatment and give things such as tick collars (if available), which are (donate) from Australia. Also distributed is a leaflet on responsible pet ownership in Sinhala, Tamil, and English, which KACPAW funded via RSPCA, UK; these leaflets are also being distributed island-wide by the health authorities.

The sterilisation programmes offer KACPAW ideal opportunities to tell dog owners how to care for their dogs, something that many dog owners in Sri Lanka do not seem to know.

by Champa Fernando, Secretary, KACPAW.

Trans fatty confusion

I am very grateful to Tuan Riza Rassool (TRA), USA, for his interesting letter to the Editor (Daily News, May 15 2006). TRR appears to be confused about the term trans fatty acids (Trans fats).

According to TRR, trans fats are similar to naturally occurring fats present in animal and plant derived food products. TRR says "trans fats consumed in moderation, helps proper growth and maintenance of good health". He concludes his letter to the Editor saying that all foods (including trans fats) are healthy as long as you practise moderation and eat natural wholesome meals.

Even a second year medical student knows that trans fats are artificial fatty acids created by technology and foreign to the human body. "Because these fats are, unlike the natural fatty acids needed for good health, our bodies are incapable of utilising them in a productive manner. The more trans fats you eat the greater the cellular destruction, until entire tissues and organs become seriously affected".

Trans fats contribute to atherosclerosis and heart disease. (heart attacks and angina) Walter Willet MD, Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health says "These are probably the most toxic fats ever known".

Trans fats, although they are a type of unsaturated fats, are worse than saturated fats as (a) they decrease the level of HDL (good) cholesterol; (b) trans fats cause elevation of your LDL (bad) cholesterol; (c) trans fats cause elevation of blood levels of Lp (a) lipoprotein and (d) trans fats cause elevation of ratio of total cholesterol; HDL cholesterol. Because of above reasons a person who consumes foods containing significant amounts of trans fats are prone to coronary heart disease (CHD). So all foods even if you practise moderation, are not healthy.

I quote a few paragraphs from an article from New England Journal of Medicine which I am sure you will agree is one of the most respected and recognised international medical journals, for the benefits of the readers.

"Major sources of trans fats are deep fried fast foods, bakery products, packed snack foods, margarine and crackers".

"Naturally occurring trans fats are consumed in small amounts in meats and dairy products from cows, sheep and other ruminants. The trans fats are produced by action of bacteria in ruminant stomach. "The FDA ruled that effective January 1, 2006, nutrition labels for all conventional foods and supplements must indicate the content of trans fatty acids."

"The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has asked 20,000 restaurants and 14,000 food suppliers to eliminate partially hydrogenated oils from kitchens and to provide foods and food products that are free of industrially produced trans fatty acids. Denmark has enacted law and Canada is considering legislation to eliminate industrially produced trans fats from food supplies."

"Each of these actions was prompted by evidence that consumption of trans fats increase the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) as compared with an equal number of saturated and unsaturated fat, that consumption of trans fats raise levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, reduces levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (good cholesterol) and increase the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol (T.C./HDL ratio), a powerful predictor of the risk of CHD.

Trans fats increase the blood levels of triglycerides as compared with the intake of other fats, increase levels of Lp(a) lipoprotein, reduces the particle size of LDL cholesterol, each of which might further raise the risk of CHD".

"Recent evidence indicates that trans fats promote inflammation. Because the presence of inflammation is an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis, sudden death from cardiovascular causes, diabetes and heart failure, the inflammatory effects of trans fats may account in part for their effects on cardiovascular health".

"There is a rise of C - reactive protein in people who consume foods containing significant amounts of trans fats".

"On the basis of reported relations between trans fats intake and CHD events in prospective studies, 10-19 per cent of CHD events in United States could be averted by reducing the intake of trans fats. This given, the 1.2 million annual myocardial infarctions and deaths from CHD in United States, near elimination of industrially produced trans fats might avert between 72,000 and 228,000 (19 per cent) CHD events each year.

by Dr. D. P. Atukorale, Colombo 07.

Patent my country

Nationalists should have the interest of the country at heart. Preference to language, religion or geographical entities, does not make up nationalism. If any country introduces legislation on language or religious lines then there is bound to be resistance.

The Northern and Eastern uprising on language lines is not nationalism, it is more or less neo-nationalism. The suppression of this elements by the South, while holding on to separatists ideals in the form of superiority of language and religion in the constitution, also cannot be considered as nationalism.

Both these elements are necessary for working towards self interests, and not because they are nationalistic. The minorities were constitutionally denied their rights as equal citizens since 1956, therefore they resorted to agitation and this culminated to separatism and grew into terrorism. The rest of the country (the politicians) are guilty in formenting this irreversible damage to this nation as a whole.

So if we cannot unite why can't, we separate on territorial lines. Why on territorial lines? That's because you will never be able to separate on language or religious lines.

This is because the Sinhala and more so the Tamil language is international, there is no patent right to the North or South, Buddhism, Hinduism or Christianity is universal. There is no patent right for any country to usurp these philosophies. Therefore language and religion can never be a part of any separatists moves.

The majority rule, which we so frequently quote and are accustomed, can be enforced only on national matters which do not draw a distinction between languages and religions.

by Walter Fernando, Ratmalana.