Tackling iron deficiency

In developing countries such as Sri Lanka, nutritional problems are rather common. Although our country has fared relatively well compared to our neighbours in the region, this doesn’t mean we have nothing to worry about.

The nutrition of children has been a much discussed issue in the island. There are many children who are suffering from various nutritional deficiencies. Iron deficiency is said to be rampant(flourishing) here with 20 per cent of the island’s children suffering from it.

However, this problem is rife(common) not only among children, but also among pregnant women; 30 per cent are said to suffer from iron deficiency. These issues will be addressed through the National Nutrition Month which came into effect from June 2. The theme of the month is ‘Let us get together to promote national nutrition’.

Some of the programmes that will be a part of the activities are awareness programmes about the effects of iron deficiency and what people can do to avert diseases which may occur as a result.

The programmes to do with the special month will be carried out by the Family Health Bureau, Health Education Bureau and Medical Research Institute.

The assistance of NGOs and the private sector will also be extended towards this programme.

Clean up your garden and prevent diseases

Have you taken a good look at your garden lately? If you haven’t done so, it is time you did! Dengue, chikungunya and a host of other diseases have raised their ugly heads once again. Keeping your surroundings clean so that they don’t become breeding grounds for all sorts of mosquitoes is what you could do to control the situation.

According to the Public Health Department of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), there is a 95 per cent increase in the number of dengue cases in the Colombo city with many patients aready been admitted to the Colombo National Hospital.

The CMC is already carrying out awareness programmes to control dengue and chikungunya; cleaning up gardens and potential mosquito breeding grounds is part of this programme. Householders have been given one week’s notice to take action to prevent mosquito breeding within their premises; legal action will be taken against those who fail to comply with the regulations.

Apart from Colombo, an outbreak of chikungunya and viral fever has also been reported from the Ratnapura District too. The torrential rains which resulted in flooding and the gem pits and swamps in the area have also led to large-scale breeding of mosquitoes.

Show your father that you care

Today is the third Sunday of June. Do you know what is special about this day? It is Father’s Day! It is on this day that fathers all over the world are celebrated and honoured. There are many theories as to the origin of this day.

Some believe it started with a church service in Western Virginia, USA in 1908 while others believe it started in Washington DC. However, it is largely accepted that the day was mainly promoted by a Mrs. Bruce John Dodd (Sonara Smart) of Spokane, Washington, who thought of the idea while listening to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909.

Sonara wanted a special day to honour her father, William Smart, who was a civil war veteran. Sonara’s mother had died at childbirth, and it had been her father that had brought up his six children, making many personal sacrifices along the way.

Some may think that concepts such as Father’s Day are rather alien to Sri Lanka and in a way it is true. We don’t need a special day to love and honour our fathers and mothers. They are always with us, showering us with love and affection and guiding us in the correct path. We can also show them the love and respect we have for them every day of the year.

But, if you haven’t been doing this, if you have been unkind and uncaring where your father is concerned, today is certainly the day to start making a difference. Show him you care, and gradually, you would be able to make every day a Father’s Day.

Combating desertification and drought

By now, you may know that the world is undergoing a food crisis. One reason for this is the declining availability of land for agriculture purposes. Most of the land has been gobbled up by housing and industrial needs while much of the remaining land has also turned infertile due to extreme desertification and drought, turning them unsuitable for any kind of cultivation.

This issue will be highlighted on the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, on June 17. The UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has decided on the theme for this year as ‘Combating Land Degradation for Sustainable Agriculture’.

The special day has gained added significance all over the world as there is an urgent need to control the process of desertification and to strengthen the visibility of this issue on the international environmental agenda.

The UNCCD is the only internationally recognised, legally binding instrument that addresses the problem of land degradation (worsening) in the drylands and which enjoys a universal membership of 191 country parties.

It plays a key role in global efforts to eradicate (wipe out) poverty, achieve sustainable development and reach the Millennium Development Goals, in particular with regard to the eradication of extreme poverty.

The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought was declared by the UN General Assembly in 1994 to mark the anniversary of the UNCCD, which plays a key role in the fight against deserts and desertification.

The main objectives are to remind everyone that desertification can be tackled, that solutions are possible and that the key tools to solve it lie in strengthened community participation and co-operation.