Stop eating junk food warns Cancer Society:
Cancer
detected in many school children
by Ananda KANNANGARA
The Sri Lanka Cancer Society (SLCS) last week highlighted that nearly
100,000 school children in the country are diagnosed with cancer and
called upon the younger generation to refrain from consuming Genetically
Modified Food (GMF).
The Cancer Society also advises the younger generation to consume
more natural food items such as green vegetables, fruit and cereals
instead of having junk food and processed meats and artificial
beverages.
According to SLCS reports cancer causes hundreds of thousands of
deaths annually in the world, especially in developing countries while
another large number of people in developed and developing countries
suffer from various cancerous ailments, due to lack of treatment.
SLCS Public Education Officer, Gamini Karunanayake told the Junior
Observer that the society very often conducts prevention and control of
cancer awareness programmes in schools and various other educational
institutions such as technical colleges for the benefit of the younger
generation.
Quoting World Health Organisation (WHO) reports, Karunanayake said
that nearly 12.5 per cent deaths worldwide are currently caused by
cancer. He said that HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria are the other
three major causes of deaths.
Karunanayake said that cancer is a rapidly expanding epidemic and it
occurs when certain cells of the body grow and multiply at abnormal and
uncontrollable rates.
He said school children must know that cancer could be cured if
detention is made early and therefore public awareness campaigns on
cancer is vital to prevent the disease. He also said the SLCS owns a
Cancer Hospice `Shantha Sevena', near the Maharagama Cancer Hospital to
treat terminally ill patients and also a Cancer Home to provide
treatment to cancer patients who are referred by the Cancer Hospital,
Maharagama.
According to health reports, lung cancer in males and breast cancer
in females are the most common cancers worldwide.
He said cancer could affect people of all ages and therefore citizens
of all ages must be educated about the disease, early detection and also
prevention methods
He also said the Society conducts monthly Poly Clinics at their
Headquarters in Colombo 7 and said that paps smearing testing, dental
and a general clinic is conducted for cancer patients free of charge.
Karunanayake said tobacco smoking, uncontrolled use of pesticides and
weedicides, chewing tobacco with betel, using heroin and other dangerous
drugs and environmental pollution also cause cancer.
New archaeological zones to be set
up
by Rohana JAYALAL
The Central Cultural Fund (CCF) has taken steps to declare an
archaeological zone called the Wayamba Cultural Square in the Kurunegala
district, the Central Cultural Fund Director General Prof. Sudarshana
Seneviratne told the Junior Observer.
According to a concept of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the CCF will
launch this project in stages. As the first phase, the CCF has decided
to set up new archaeological zones in the Panduwasnuwara and Yapahuwa
electorates. Firstly, the development and conservation of ancient
temples, villages, industries and frescoes will be undertaken. The aim
of setting up of the archaeological zone is to preserve archaeological
sites in the Yapahuwa and Kurunegala kingdoms and to maintain existing
ancient villages where these archaeological sites are situated. These
sites will also be developed as tourist attractions. These areas will be
excavated and conserved fromthis month for five years.
The Government would invest about five million rupees for the
purpose. After the successful completion of this project, the CCF plans
to extend this project to Dambadeniya, Munnesvaram and other areas in
the Kurunegala District, he said.He said that such archaeological zones
in the Northern and Eastern Provinces would also be set up in the near
future by the Central Cultural Fund.
World Press Freedom Day
The important role the print and elctronic media plays in bringing
the latest news around the world to you is something everyone is aware
of.
However, the media is not always free to focus on issues as freely as
they would want to due to various reasons. You may be familiar with the
ongoing battles for freedom of the press which is witnessed around the
world, including our country.
It is because of these reasons that a special day has been introduced
to focus on world press freedom. The United Nation's Genenral Assembly
declared May 3 as World Press Freedom Day. The main objective is to
raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and remind
governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of
expression enshrined under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights.
This day also marks the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek, a
statement of free press principles put together by African newspaper
journalists in 1991.
World Press Freedom Day is celebrated across the globe every year
representing an opportunity to commemorate the fundamental principles of
press freedom and to pay solemn tribute to journalists who have lost
their lives in the line of duty.
UNESCO's celebration of World Press Freedom Day 2010 will highlight
the importance of freedom of information as an integral part of freedom
of expression and its contribution to democratic governance. It will
foster reflection and exchange of ideas on freedom of information to
advance empowerment, transparency, accountability and the fight against
corruption, as well as on the key obstacles that the effective exercise
of the right to know faces in today's digitalised world.
News briefs
* According to a Nutrition and Food Security Survey conducted by the
Nutrition Department of the Medical Research Institute in collaboration
with UNICEF and the World Food Programme, last year in nine districts,
one in four children suffer from malnutrition. While accute malnutrition
among children under five is 12 per cent, chronic malnutrition
(stunting) is 19 per cent.
* Large crowds have flocked to the Aluthwala Sri Nandarama Temple in
Hikkaduwa following the discovery of a huge Buddha statue made of
granite believed to be about 500 years old.
* The 18-metre long old world Arabian ship, the Jewel of Muscat is
scheduled to reach Singapore in June.
A replica of the 9th century Arab trading vessel, the Jewel of Muscat
is on a historic voyage sailing from Oman to Singapore. It set sail from
the Omani port of Sultan Qaboos using 9th century navigation techniques
and arrived in India on March 15 in 28 days.
It left the Kerala port of Cochin on April 10 and arrived in Galle on
April 19. It will sail across the Bay of Bengal to reach its final
destination - Singapore where it'll be kept in a museum. |