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Health disparities in indigenous people tied to cultural loss

July 3, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, July 3 (ANI): The health disparities prevalent in indigenous people around the world are closely tied to cultural loss including, loss of language, globalisation and removal from the land.

Dr. Malcolm King, lead author of the paper, says that Indigenous well-being is distinct, and includes physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health.

There has to be a balance between the person, his/her family, community, and environment.

“Wellbeing for Aboriginal Peoples is more than physical health or absence of disease, it’s about ‘being alive well’ or ‘mno bmaadis’ as they say in the Anishinabek language,” The Lancet quoted King as saying.

“All four elements of life – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual – are traditionally represented in the four directions of the medicine wheel, and traditional healing often implicates the whole community, cleansing the environment around a person as well as his or her body,” he added.

He further said that language was crucial to identity, health and relations. Therefore, according to him, its revitalization can be seen as a health promotion strategy.

“That’s why factors like retention of Aboriginal languages, cultural practices, self determination, and respect for Elders is so important,” said King

“And that’s why we have so much to do to repair the damage done by so many disruptive assimilationist practices in the past, such as cutting off children from their families at residential schools, or suppression of cultural practices that conflicted with European ideas,” he added. (ANI)

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: aboriginal languages, aboriginal peoples, cultural practices, dr malcolm, Elements Of Life, four directions, four elements, Health Disparities, Health Promotion, Indigenous People, lancet, malcolm king, medicine wheel, physical health, promotion strategy, residential schools, respect for elders, revitalization, self determination, spiritual health

Global Vitamin D deficiency rates rise highest in South Asia

July 1, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, July 1 (ANI): Vitamin D deficiency is on the rise across the globe, with the highest rates recorded in South Asia, say experts.

A study involving six regions Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle East and Africa, North America, and Oceania showed that the highest rates of Vitamin D deficiency occur in South Asia and the Middle East and the problem is widespread and on the increase.

It can have potentially severe repercussions for overall health and fracture rates.

Vitamin D is mainly produced in the skin upon exposure to sunlight, and, to a lesser extent, is derived from nutritional sources.

It plays an important role, through its influence on calcium levels, in the maintenance of organ systems, and is needed for normal bone mineralization and growth.

The researchers say that suboptimal levels of vitamin D may lead to increased risk of osteoporosis and hip fracture and, in severe cases, to the development of rickets, a softening of bones in children that can lead to skeletal fractures and deformity.

They suggest that an increase in urbanization, where people tend to live and work indoors, as well as cultural practices that tend towards sun avoidance and the wearing of traditional clothing that covers the skin might be behind the increasing rates of Vitamin D deficient people.

Moreover, aging, female sex, less time spent in the sun, and lack of vitamin D fortified foods in the diet can also contribute to lack of what is known as sunshine vitamin.

A research article on these findings has been published in the scientific journal Osteoporosis International1. (ANI)

Filed Under: Health News Tagged With: africa north, asia europe, bone mineralization, calcium levels, cultural practices, female sex, hip fracture, July 1, Lack Of Vitamin D, latin america, organ systems, osteoporosis, repercussions, research article, skeletal fractures, south-asia, sun avoidance, traditional clothing, urbanization, vitamin d deficiency

Sultan of Perak applauds Malay-Sikh community’s spirit

June 29, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Kuala Lumpur, June 29 (ANI): The Sultan of the Malaysian state of Perak, Azlan Shah, has saluted the Malay-Sikh community for its contributions to the country’s economic, cultural and political fields.

“They form an invaluable and integral part of our colourful social fabric and deserve due recognition for their contribution, as much as any other citizen, to Malaysia’s economic, cultural and political life,” The Star quoted Sultan Azlan Shah, as saying.

Speaking at the launch of a book titled ‘Sikh Community in Malaysia’, Sultan Azlan Shah applauded the way the Sikhs have managed to retain their distinct cultural identity, despite being a minority.

He said their strong religious beliefs, cultural practices and strong sense of community had undeniably afforded them resilience and distinction.

Sikhs made their entry into Malaysia in the 19th century and quickly became known for their gallantry in the security forces, he noted.

“Today, the community’s role and influence extends to other fields, with prominence in professions such as medicine and law,” Sultan Azlan said.

Later, Information, Communications and Culture Minister Dr Rais Yatim told reporters that the ministry would work to highlight the cultural heritage of other minority communities.

“We may start a series of shows on RTM highlighting the cultural and musical background of the Sikh community next week,” he added. (ANI)

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Look to the past in order to mitigate worst effects of climate change

May 28, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, May 28 (ANI): In a new research, scientists have suggested that people today and in future generations should look to the past in order to mitigate the worst effects of climate change.

The international study involves researchers from Britain, Cuba and Canada.

According to Dr Jago Cooper, of the School of Archaeology and Ancient History at the University of Leicester, “Populations in the Caribbean, from 5000 BC to AD 1492, successfully lived through a 5m rise in relative sea levels, marked variation in annual rainfall and periodic intensification of hurricane activity.”

“This research examines the archaeological lessons that can inform current responses to the impacts of climate change in the Caribbean. I have examined the relationship between long and short-term effects of climate change and past human engagement with the geographical, ecological and meteorological consequences,” he added.

“A key focus of the research has been to investigate past mitigation of the impacts of climate change through the analysis of changes in settlement structures, food procurement strategies and household architecture,” he further added.

The study is part of a long term project, begun in 1997, that includes a wide-ranging study of archaeological and paleoenvironmental data.

Key to the research has been to understand how the past can inform the future.

“We have acquired archaeological information that has then been closely correlated in space and time with the long and short-term impacts of climate change,” said Dr Cooper.

“It has then been possible to evaluate the relative advantages and disadvantages of past cultural practices in the face of environmental change and establish lessons that will contribute to contemporary mitigation strategies,” he added.

Dr Cooper warns that modern settlements are more at risk of flooding because they are constructed in more vulnerable places.

In fact, indigenous settlement locations over water could make homes less at risk of flooding as floodwater could flow beneath the homes and inland rather than pour into the houses.

This ongoing research has looked at past mitigation strategies, assessed how pre-Colombian settlements were located close to cave complexes that acted as refuges during times of past hurricanes, and how the architecture of homes were constructed from local resources allowing people to rebuild them easily upon their return.

It also reveals how local populations diversified their food production to mitigate against resource scarcity. (ANI)

Filed Under: Science News Tagged With: 1492, ancient history, annual rainfall, cultural practices, dr cooper, effects of climate change, environmental change, food procurement, future generations, hurricane activity, impacts of climate change, intensification, jago, mitigation strategies, procurement strategies, relative advantages, relative sea, research scientists, sea levels, Settlement Locations, Space And Time, Vulnerable Places, wate

Give diplomatic recognition to Tibet: US senate

April 7, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

WASHINGTON: An American state Senate
has adopted a resolution asking the Obama Administration and the US Congress to give “diplomatic
recognition” to Tibet and take “forceful” action to end “repression” of human rights by China in the Himalayan region.

Passed by the Vermont state Senate, the resolution called on the US Congress and the international community to treat the plight of the Tibetan people as an “urgent matter of highest priority.”

The resolution adopted last week sought recognition of the Tibetan political autonomy and also urged the US Congress and the Obama Administration to ask China to sincerely negotiate with the representatives of the Dalai Lama to solve the Tibet Problem.

Condemning the continuing “repression” of the Tibetan people, the Vermont state Senate expressed its solidarity with the individuals who participated in the anti-China protests that occurred around the world on March 10.

The resolution emphasised that the people of Tibet “lived in peace and harmony for centuries” and that the “army of the People’s Republic of China illegally invaded” the peaceful Himalayan region.

Alleging the Tibetans have been deprived of any right to self-determination, the resolution said “it is now nearly impossible” for the people of Tibet to continue their “distinctive cultural practices and religious observances.”

The resolution also highlighted those Tibetans who were killed, and those who remained missing or were in prison in the aftermath of China’s crackdown on Tibetans in March 2008.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: China Protests, crackdown, cultural practices, dalai lama, diplomatic recognition, emphasised, forceful action, himalayan region, peace and harmony, people of tibet, Political Autonomy, religious observances, repression, republic of china, self determination, Tibetans, U.S. Senate, urgent matter, US Congress, vermont state senate

Give diplomatic recognition to Tibet: US senate

April 7, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Passed by the Vermont state Senate, the resolution called on the US Congress and the international community to treat the plight of the Tibetan people as an “urgent matter of highest priority.”

The resolution also highlighted those Tibetans who were killed, and those who remained missing or were in prison in the aftermath of China’s crackdown on Tibetans in March 2008.

One million pregnant Pakistani women may have been physically abused by partners

February 15, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Islamabad, Feb 14 (ANI): Nearly a million pregnant Pakistani women may have been physically abused at least once by their partners, reckons an expert.

Prof Unaiza Niaz , president of the Women Section of World Psychiatric Associations, said that in Pakistan, societal attitudes and norms, as well as cultural practices like Karo Kari and Vani, severely affected women’s mental health.

She said that physically abused women were more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and stress-related syndromes.

Moreover, they were dependent on psychotropic medications and substance use.Suicide were other mental health problems associated with violence in women’s lives.

Prof Niaz said that negative effects of globalisation and economic reforms on public health had hit women harder than men.

“More than one billion people, mostly women, are living in extreme poverty and the change in the trend makes few experts feel the onset of ‘feminization’ of poverty,” the News quoted her as saying.

She said that religious and ethnic conflicts, along with the dehumanising attitude towards women, the extended family system, and role of in-laws, represented major issues and stressors.

“Gender discrimination at each stage of the female life cycle contributes to health disparity, sex selective abortions, neglect of girl children, reproductive mortality, and poor access to healthcare for girls and women,” Niaz added.

The risk of depression in women was higher during the childbearing years and even after childbirth. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: childbearing years, cultural practices, depression anxiety, economic reforms, ethnic conflicts, extreme poverty, feminization of poverty, gender discrimination, girl children, health disparity, Islamabad, karo kari, mental health problems, one billion, pakistani women, psychiatric associations, selective abortions, societal attitudes, stressors, substance use

Health disparities in indigenous people tied to cultural loss

Global Vitamin D deficiency rates rise highest in South Asia

Look to the past in order to mitigate worst effects of climate change

Give diplomatic recognition to Tibet: US senate

Give diplomatic recognition to Tibet: US senate

One million pregnant Pakistani women may have been physically abused by partners

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