Women over 65 most prone to cervical cancer

Regular screenings for the disease fall drastically with age

Cervical cancer can prove to be more fatal to women over 65, says a new study. Scientists involved in the research say that increased age at the time of diagnosis may lead to higher mortality. This is contrary to the popular perception that cervical cancer is a young woman’s disease.

According to the report, published in the British Medical Journal, mortality data for the United Kingdom from 2010-12 show only seven deaths a year from cervical cancer in women younger than 25, but 449 deaths in women older than 65. It also found that women between 50 and 64 who had been regularly tested had a relatively low risk of getting the disease in the next 20 years. “Regular screenings have the potential to catch the disease early and reduce the number of victims of cervical cancer dramatically,” says Susan Sherman, lead author and senior lecturer in psychology at Keele University, England. She argues that the age for cervical screening should be raised to 70; however, she emphasises that cervical cancer continues to affect women of all ages, although it is the most common cancer among women under 35.

The report cites the example of England, where the proportion of women being screened for the cancer in 2013 dropped with age in the past five years. And these numbers are set to fall further, the study claims. “We need to change the perception of cervical cancer so that it is thought of just like breast and bowel cancer—affecting women well into old age,” Sherman notes, adding that health campaigns are needed to increase awareness of risk among older women.

According to a BBC report, cervical screening is estimated to save 4,500 lives in England each year. But the country’s cervical screening programme under the National Health Service stops sending invitations for screening after a woman reaches 65. “The natural history of cervical cancer means that it is unlikely that women of 65 and over who have been regularly screened and discharged from the programme will go on to develop the disease. However, if a woman has any concerns about her cervical health, we suggest that she contacts her general practitioner at the earliest opportunity,” Julietta Patnick, director of NHS cancer screening programmes, told BBC.

MERS outbreak: WHO, South Korea present joint assessment results

Author(s): DTE Staff @ 

The situation is still grim as hundreds of patients are under quarantine in a premier hospital

According to a recent WHO press release, South Korea has reported 150 laboratory-confirmed cases and 15 deaths from MERS (Credit: :Werner Schutz/Flickr)

In a recent move, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the South Korean public health ministry presented the results of their joint assessment on MERS outbreak after the first case was identified in May.

Both have called for a series of recommendations, such as strengthening of measures to control the current outbreak, enhanced precautions in hospitals to prevent transmission, increased communication with the public and better preparation to contain future outbreaks.

In another development, the first MERS case has been detected in Thailand, according to local media reports. While Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha denied any such thing, Public Health Minister Rajata Rajatanavin said the authorities were awaiting lab results.

Seoul hospital under scanner

According to media reports, one of South Korea’s best hospitals, Samsung Medical Center in Seoul, has come under scrutiny for escalation of MERS cases in the country.

The situation is grim as hundreds of patients of this particular hospital are under quarantine. This is because their infections have either been confirmed or they are under observation currently. Medical and other hospital workers are also under quarantine. Other hospitals in Korea are refusing to accept patients from Samsung for fear of infection. For now, the premier hospital has stopped admitting new patients.

WHO’s stand

According to a WHO press release, as of June 15, 2015, Korea has reported 150 laboratory-confirmed cases and 15 deaths from MERS.

The number of new cases occurring daily appears to be declining. This suggests that containment measures are having a positive effect in reducing new infections. But it is too early to measure their full impact on transmissions, as these measures have been recently intensified.

Earlier, researchers were concerned whether the coronavirus (MERS-CoV) changed and whether the transmission pattern in Korea was different from past outbreaks which occurred in West Asia.
Korean scientists have completed full genome sequencing of coronaviruses from the current MERS outbreak and the findings were analysed by virologists. Preliminary analysis suggests that the MERS CoV viruses isolated in Korea are similar to those isolated in West Asia. The joint mission also found the transmission pattern to be similar in both the regions.

Major challenge

MERS CoV is difficult to diagnose, especially in the early stage of an outbreak when the awareness level is relatively low. Early symptoms of MERS resemble other influenza-like illnesses, thus making it difficult to recognise it.

In the early stage of the disease when the upper respiratory track is infected, the virus may be more difficult to detect. The laboratory diagnosis is more robust with samples taken in the lower respiratory track, usually in the later stage when the patient is in hospital. Also, samples taken from the upper respiratory system can sometimes provide negative test results while lower respiratory samples may be positive. However, Korea follows a policy of retesting, following initial negative results.

Other problems

Some of the conditions and traditions prevalent in Korea also play a vital role in the rapid spread of MERS outbreak, according to WHO. The accessibility and affordability of healthcare in Korea encourage “doctor shopping”. Patients also frequently consult specialists in several facilities, before deciding on a choice.

In Korea family members and friends often visit loved ones when they are in the emergency room of a hospital. This increases the risk of exposure.

At present, Korean health officials are actively monitoring a large number of close and casual contacts and it is possible, that more cases will be reported before the outbreak is finally over. If cases increase at a faster pace, Korea has sufficient capacity to cope up with the situation.

WHO is encouraging Korean officials to reopen schools that were closed due to fears of MERS. The world health association will continue to support Korea in its mission to bring the outbreak to an end.

UK company accused of bribing opponents of oil exploration in Congo

Author(s): DTE Staff @ 

Global Witness says that huge amounts were paid to a military officer to torture locals and opponents

Virunga is Africa’s oldest national park and is a bio-diversity hotspot (Credit: Hjalmar Gislason/Flickr)

British oil major Soco International has been accused of bribing a Congolese military officer to carry on oil exploration in Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) Virunga National Park, according to international non-profit Global Witness. Soco has, however, denied the allegations, media reports say.

The global anti-corruption watchdog has in its possession cheques and receipts, revealing that huge amounts were paid to a particular officer, who has been accused of suppressing and torturing locals and opponents to the oil exploration project.

According to the Global Witness report, Soco is facing allegations that it offered thousands of dollars to military liaison officer Major Burimba Feruzi, as it sought access to drill oil inside the park. Feruzi was also caught on camera in the filming of the Oscar-nominated documentary, Virunga, offering $3,000 as bribe to a senior park ranger.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has also shown its concern over Soco’s operations in Virunga in a report.

Importance of Virunga

Virunga is Africa’s oldest national park and is a bio-diversity hotspot. The park is home to between a quarter and a third of the world’s endangered mountain gorillas.

Soco’s presence in Virunga is controversial, the report adds. As a UNESCO-protected site, oil exploration is banned inside the park under the World Heritage Convention.

French oil giant Total, which was also awarded an oil block that partially covers Virunga park, committed in 2013 to not explore inside its current boundaries, thereby ruling out any potential to backtrack should the Congolese government redraw the park. In 2014, Total extended that commitment to all UNESCO World Heritage sites.

In an emailed comment, Global witness said that the Congolese government and Soco have often tried to argue that the revenues from oil exploitation in Virunga will help to drag the population there out of poverty. However, we only need to look at places like the Niger Delta to see what can happen when companies begin pumping oil in regions that lack the requisite infrastructure and oversight: the environment is damaged, insecurity increases and the local population suffers.

Congo has vast mineral wealth and major international oil and mining companies have been present in the country for several years. However, the lack of a transparent system of taxation and expenditure in Congo means that this wealth has not benefitted the majority of locals. Instead, it has enriched multi-national companies, the non-profit added.

Civil society groups urge Australia to adopt zero-carbon emission target by 2050

Author(s): DTE Staff @ 

The country is the thirteenth largest emitter in the world, with one of the highest per capita emissions

Civil society groups have urged the Australian government to reduce emissions by at least 40 per cent by 2025 and by at least 60 per cent by 2030 (Credit: Eric Schmuttenmaer/Flickr )
In a show unprecedented alliance, 51 civil society organisations have written an open letter to the Australian government, urging it to commit to zero-carbon emission target by 2050 at the latest.
Signatories to the letter include Oxfam Australia, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, Friends of the Earth International, CARE and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
“Australia is one of the most vulnerable developed countries to climate change,” reads the letter. “The impacts of climate change are exacerbating existing inequalities in Australian communities as low-income households and disadvantaged communities are disproportionately impacted.”
The country is the thirteenth largest emitter in the world, with one of the highest per capita emissions. The letter urges the government to reduce emissions by at least 40 per cent by 2025 and by at least 60 per cent by 2030.
“Australia and Australian people stand to lose so much from the impacts of climate change; (that) it is in our national interest to be amongst the leading nations to ensure the world limits warming to well below 2°C,” the letter says.

Southwest monsoon is weakening as Indian Ocean warms rapidly

Author(s): Jemima Rohekar @ 

A study shows that surface temperatures of the Indian Ocean have risen by up to 1.2°C in the past century, much larger than warming trends in other tropical oceans

 
Schematic illustration of the mean conditions (left) and weakening trend (right) of the monsoon
Days after India Meteorological Department (IMD) downgraded its southwest monsoon forecast for 2015, a study shows that rapid warming of the Indian Ocean is responsible for reduced rainfall over parts of South Asia during the past century.
The study, led by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology scientist Roxy Mathew Koll, used data from 1901 till 2012 and found a decreasing trend in summer monsoon rainfall over the central Indian subcontinent. While rainfall decreased over the region from south Pakistan up to Bangladesh, central India saw a significant reduction of up to 10 to 20 per cent in mean rainfall.
The findings of this study contradict previous studies that had shown a warmer ocean and increased land-sea temperature difference would lead to a stronger Indian monsoon.
"The changes in the Indian Ocean and correspondingly in the monsoon became prominent since the 1950s," says Koll. "The trends have been steady since though there are decadal variabilities also." 
Koll and his team found that land-sea temperature difference, a key monsoon driver, has actually reduced over the South Asian region because the ocean has warmed much faster. During the past century, the ocean surface temperatures of the Indian Ocean have risen by up to 1.2°C, much larger than the warming trends in other tropical oceans. At the same time, the Indian subcontinent land mass has witnessed "subdued" warming due to reasons which have not yet been established.
Koll says these findings are typical of the Indian Ocean. "The land-sea temperature difference is increasing everywhere in the northern hemisphere, except in the Indian Ocean-South Asian domain," he adds.
The study explains that ocean warming also affects monsoon circulation. A warmer ocean sees large-scale upward motion of moist air. This is compensated by subsidence (downward movement) of dry air over the subcontinent, resulting in surplus rains over the Indian Ocean at the cost of the monsoon rains over land.
The study was published in Nature Communications journal on Tuesday. Results of the study have wider implications for food security in the Indian subcontinent as agriculture is still largely rain-fed.
Climate models show that the Indian Ocean will continue to warm and Koll warns the threat of anthropogenic warming is manifesting itself closer home. "We need to be as watchful of the changes in the Indian Ocean as we are about other oceans and land-atmosphere systems. This is a global issue linked to greenhouse gas emissions and needs to be tackled at all possible levels," he says.
If the southwest monsoon is deficient yet again this year, Indian farmers are headed for their fifth consecutive crop damage and an unprecedented agrarian crisis.

CURRENT AFFAIRS JUNE/19/2015

        CURRENT AFFAIRS JUNE/19/2015

1.  NUMBER OF WORK DAYS INCREASED UNDER MGNREGA:

i.  Union Government has decided to increase the number of work days under MGNREGA in drought hit areas.

ii.  Union government has decided to increase it from 100 days to 150 days.

iii.  MGNREGA- Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

2.  INCLUSION OF UTTARAKHAND, JHARKHAND AND CHATTISGARH IN NATIONAL DAIRY PLAN-I:

i.   CCEA has approved the inclusion of Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh in National Dairy Plan-I.

ii.  NDP-I is being implemented in 15 states which accounts for more than 90% of the country’s milk production.

3.  INDIA’S TRADE DEFICIT NARROWED TO 10.4 BILLION US $:

i.  India’s trade deficit in May 2015 has narrowed down to 10.4 billion US dollars.

ii.  The decline in trade deficit came along with decline in exports and imports in May 2015 to 20.19% and 16.52% respectively.

4.  SHARAD PAWAR RE-ELECTED AS PRESIDENT OF MCA:

i.  Sharad Pawar is re-elected as the president of Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA).

ii.  Sharad Pawar is a veteran leader of Nationalist Congress Party.

iii.  Sharad Pawar defeated Vijay Patil by 34 votes to retain the post.

5. ELECTION COMMISSION SUSPENDED NPP:

i.  Election Commission of India has suspended Recognition of National People’s Party (NPP).

ii.  NPP is a state party in Meghalaya headed by former Lok Sabha Speaker P.A. Sangma.

iii.  The decision was taken in lieu of its failure in filing the election expenditure statement related to 2014 Lok Sabha General Elections within the prescribed limit of 90 days.

CURRENT AFFAIRS JUNE/18/2015

        CURRENT AFFAIRS JUNE/18/2015

 

1.  GLOBAL WEALTH REPORT 2015:

i.  Boston Consulting Group (BCG) released Global Wealth Report 2015.

ii.  USA remained the country with the largest number of UHW households followed by China and the UK.

iii.  India was observed to be fourth largest ultra-high-net worth(UHW) households.

2.  INDIA AND POLAND SET TRADE TARGET OF 5 BILLION $:

i.   India and Poland have set trade target of 5 billion US Dollar by 2018.

ii.  Until 2014, trade between India and Poland was of 2.3 US Dollar.

iii.  About Poland:

a. Capital- Warsaw

b. Currency- Polish zloty

c. President- Andrzef Duda (elected)

d.  Prime Minister- Ewa Kapacz

3.  NARENDRA KUMAR YADAV BECOMES CMD OF MTNL:

i.  Narendra Kumar Yadav has taken charge of Chairman and Managing Director of MTNL.

ii.  Narendra Kumar Yadav succeeded P K Purwar.

iii.  MTNL is a state run telecom operator which stands for Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited.

4.  FIRST 100% BLIND OFFICER IN IFS:

i.  Beno Zephine become first 100% blind officer in IFS.

ii.  Beno Zephine is 25 year old from Chennai who was serving as a Probationary officer in State Bank of India.

5. SUNEDISON INC ACQUIRED CONTINUUM WIND ENERGY LTD:

i.  World’s Largest Renewable Energy development company, SunEdison Inc acquires Singapore based continuum Wind Energy ltd.

ii.  Sun Edison’s headquarter is located in USA.

6.  SUNIL CHHETRI SCORES 50 INTERNATIONAL GOALS:

i.  Sunil Chetri became first Indian footballer to score 50 International goals

ii.  List of International goals scored by Indian Footballers:

a. Sunil  Chetri- 50 goals in 87 matches

b. Bhaichung Bhutia- 42 goals in 107 matches

c. I M Vijayan- 40 goals in 79 matches

CURRENT AFFAIRS JUNE/17/2015

                CURRENT AFFAIRS JUNE/17/2015
 

1.  INDIA’S FIRST MICRO AIR VEHICLE ACRODYNAMICS RESEARCH TUNNEL:

i.  CSIR set up India’s first Micro air Vehicle Aerodynamics Research Tunnel in Bengaluru.

ii.  The tunnel will be used test the fixed-wing, flopping –wing and rotary-wing MAVs in the 500 mm wingspan category.

CSIR- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.

2.  MORGENS LYKKETOFT TO HEAD GENERAL ASSEMBLY:

i.   UN Elected Denmark’s Morgens Lykketoft to head General Assembly.

ii.  Morgens Lykketoft is elected as the UN’s General Assembly President for its 70^th session.

About Denmark:

                       Capital- Copenhagen

                       Currency – Krone

                       Prime Minister- Helle Thorning

3.  AUGMENTED REALITY APPLICATION LAUNCHED:

i.  Union Government launched Augmented Reality Application named “Sarkaar”.

ii. Union Minister of State Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER) Jitendra Singh launched Sarkaar to highlight the achievement of the Department of space.

4.  RAFAEL NADAL WON STUTTGART OPEN:

i.  Spain’s Rafael Nadal won his third Stuttgart Men’s Single title.

ii.  Nadal defeated Serbian Viktor Troicki in the final match held in Germany.