What is an apple diet? One diet is a de-toxing diet that involves eating only apples for several days. That wasn’t what I had in mind. But, the “three a day apple diet” bases its premise on the recommendation that we eat 5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day. Since a medium to large apple is more than one serving, a person eating three apples a day would have their 5 servings of recommended fruit per day.
What benefit does this apple diet have? Eating fresh apples is good for you. The old saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” did have some truth in it. A diet that contains a steady supply of fresh fruit that includes fiber and vitamin C can’t help but be good for you.
The apple diet is simple. Simply eat three apples a day, one before each meal. A medium size apple contains approximately 5 grams of fiber, or 20% of the recommended daily intake of fiber. In fact, an apple contains both kinds of fiber said to be most beneficial: soluble and insoluble. The pectin, or soluble part of an apple, also has the added benefit of preventing cholesterol buildup in the arteries. The insoluble fiber is what creates bulk in the colon, and helps to move food through the digestive tract quickly and easily.
One of the main reason people go on a diet, including the apple diet, is to lose weight safely. Eating three apples a day help you to lose weight because they help you feel fuller. That same medium size apple only contains approximately 80 calories and absolutely no
fat and no cholesterol. The fiber in those apples helps you to feel fuller, and eat less at your meals. The sweetness in the apples helps to curb sugar cravings, so you don’t succumb to the brownie that is full of fat, non-fiber carbohydrates, and sugar. And apples don’t get smashed in your purse, backpack or pocket; they don’t spoil out of a refrigerator easily. They are a perfect portable snack.
Benefits of the apple diet, in addition to the benefits from losing weight, may include preventing some types of cancer; preventing heart disease and stroke; and even healthier lungs according to some recent studies. Apples contain flavonoids that help prevent heart disease, stroke, and some cancers; and the phytochemicals available in apple skin is said to reduce colon cancer cells.
Here are some types of apples and their characteristics to get you started on an “apple diet” or at least including an apple in your snack or lunch. The health benefits can be enormous, and an apple just tastes good.
Red Delicious apples are sweet and juicy and available all year round.
Golden Delicious apples are available September to June and are good for snacking or baking.
Red Rome apples are slightly tart, wonderful for baking, and available October through August.
The Winesap apple is good for eating and baking, has a wine-like flavor and is available November to July.
The Granny Smith is a slightly tart apple best for snacking, is green in color, and also available all year round.
The Macintosh apple is two-toned red and green, has a sweet, mild flavor and is in season September through June.
The Jonathon apple has a mildly tart, rich flavor, is deep red in color, and is available all year as well.
I’ve had my own version of the apple diet for years. I just didn’t know it came with so many health benefits!
March 11th, 2009
Multiple sclerosis disease is an inflammatory neurological disorder which generates a wide symptomatic spectrum. Multiple sclerosis disease primarily affects the central nervous system, interfering with the normal activity of the nervous cells. Multiple sclerosis disease involves deterioration of the neurons’ myelin covering, a very important substance that facilitates the transmission of nervous signals between nervous cells. If myelin sheath is affected, the connections between neurons are compromised and the body fails to respond promptly to external stimuli.
Multiple sclerosis disease is diagnosed upon complicated physical and neuropsychological examinations, as well as specific clinical procedures and laboratory tests. Common methods of diagnosing multiple sclerosis disease are MRI scans and lumbar puncture, methods which can reveal possible damage of myelin.
The signs and symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis can be clouded by other severe diseases such as stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Studies have revealed that it could have taken one to ten years longer to diagnose Multiple sclerosis in people who had mental health issues, were obese, or who had other physical problems, including smoking.
Fortunately the health care systems have progressed in the process of diagnosing neurological diseases with imaging techniques that now can help diagnose diseases of the brain quicker and tell more of the destruction caused by it. Since there are no single clinical test to diagnose multiple sclerosis, several tools are used to first rule out other damaging disorders. Lesions in the central nervous system can be found by using different expert imaging technologies. The plaque is the consequence of the loss of myelin sheath. MRI test, the Magnetic Resonance Imaging is painless and exposes no radiation. A magnetic resonance spectroscopy or the MRS can give information about the brain chemical N-acetyl aspartate. Decreased levels of the results may show nerve damage. The MTI or Magnetization Transfer Imaging detects white matter problem areas before lesions exist.
FMRI or the Functional MRI test uses radio waves to measure differences in the physical function of the brain such as mental problems and blood flow. VEP or the Visual Evoked Potential test is the study of cerebrospinal fluid that circulates through the brain and the spinal cord. This test result can show cellular and chemical abnormalities associated with multiple sclerosis. With the help of these test results, physicians are able to more easily diagnose what is a true multiple sclerosis attack, but there can be similar symptoms in some conditions and diseases. Lupus erythematosus, syringomyelin, Polyarteritis, tropical spastic Para paresis, some cancers, and certain tumors may show attacks and some multiple sclerosis like lesions of the brains white matter. Often it is commonly understood to take a closer look when there are a reoccurrence of the multiple sclerosis symptoms.
Neurological tests performed by a medical person can show decreases in nerve function. This condition might be a loss in sensations such as numbness of pins and needles. There may be signs and symptoms of the loss of neurologic functions including changes in vision, speech or the ability to move parts of the body.
The test of Babinski’s reflex may show as a positive. This test is normally done on the outside sole of the foot with a painful stimulus. A positive result of the test would be for an upward movement of the big toe instead of the normal result of a downward flex.
February 8th, 2009
Physical disabilities though considered a restraint to achieving greatness in one’s profession, has been overcome by a number of famous personalities to show their prowess in their respective fields. Most of these famous people are world-renowned people and are taken up as role models. Even the fact is hat some of these famous personalities have become admired with their speaking capabilities and they provide a ray of hope for the disability’s world over.
There is a list of some the famous people who have become famous in spite of their disability problem. Former British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill is known all over the world as an incredible politician and a passionate orator but not many know that he was physically disabled. US Congressman Frank Wolf is another famous disabled person who fought for the cause of disabled people. Another severe disabled person was King George VI who led his country in the World War II campaign through his inspires speeches on radio.
Physical disability is considered a taboo in the journalism industry where anchoring shows and interviewing people plays an important role and yet in spite of the physical drawback, US journalist John Stossel has proved nothing is impossible with his award winning work in journalism. Another industry where disability cannot be accepted is the entertainment glamorous industry where singing and acting skills are necessary. There would be very few people who believe that James Earl Jones, famous movie star, the voice of CNN and the voice of Darth Vader of Star Wars was a disabled person. Another famous physically disabled actor was Marilyn Monroe, a Hollywood siren who captured the hearts of millions with her beauty and acting talent.
Sports are also an area in which physically disabled have proved their excellence. Tiger Woods the world famous golfer is one of the most famous disabled people who have grown from a child prodigy to World class in spite of his problem. The famous basket players in the US, Bob Love and Bill Walton, are also disabled who are working for the cause of disability in their country, of which the latter is said to have developed into a popular commentator. Disabilities have made a mark in possibly every industry and done so in an emphatic way to show the world their worth.
The above mentioned disabled stars are just a handful of people who have proved that no disability can be a hurdle in achieving what one truly wishes for. There is many more famous and talented disabled person who is yet to come out in the limelight. Normal people tend to think of famed or successful people as having it easy in life, or they somehow got lucky. People admire them for what they have or for what they have accomplished and sometimes wish they were just like them. However, the truth is often very different from what people actually imagine. One might be surprised at the famous people who had to overcome a severe disability. Also often people are shaped by the obstacles they overcome such as a severe learning disability - more than by inherent intelligence, talent, luck or money.
January 17th, 2009
Popcorn Diet
Popcorn is high in fiber, low in fat and readily available at most markets. Although the name may suggest that dieters only eat popcorn, this diet mainly involves eating healthy in general and simply snacking on popcorn. You can expect to eat low fat proteins such as fish and lots of vegetables as well.
Does the Popcorn Diet work?
When compared to other diets, this one is not largely recommended. The idea is that unsalted, unbuttered popcorn is low-calorie, and can be satisfying to for people who are used to snacking throughout the day. However, it tends to get boring quickly and can cause its fair share of problems. While there’s nothing wrong with eating popcorn as part of a normal diet, the actual popcorn diet isn’t a good idea.
People tend to quickly get sick of a bland diet, which can make the popcorn diet difficult to stick to. When you get tired of the same bland taste, you want to spice it up a bit. People tend to add butter and salt to their popcorn to make it taste better, which is a bad move as the previously healthy snack now becomes high-fat, high-calorie, and high-sodium. Corn is a common allergen and it may cause breathing problems, hives, and gastro-intestinal upsets in some people. Popcorn is also a choking hazard for small children.
December 15th, 2008
Hoping to lose a few pounds before Christmas but gloomy about your chances of success with conventional diets? Then lemons could be the answer.
In a new book, The Lemon Juice Diet, leading health writer Theresa Cheung suggests that the reason so many of us battle with our weight is because our digestive systems are not working properly - and that the conventional dieting process tends to exacerbate that.
However, including lemons in your diet - both juice and peel - will boost your digestion and, if you also eat healthily and exercise, can help you lose weight.
“Research seems to show that if your digestive system is not working correctly, healthy weight-loss is almost impossible,” says Cheung. “The problem is that poor digestion can stop your body getting the nutrients it needs to burn fat. It can also cause a build-up of toxins in your body, leaving you feeling sluggish and depressed. “This, in turn, slows down your metabolism, making any weight-loss goals unattainable.”
Furthermore, she says, if your body isn’t absorbing the right nutrients, then no matter how overweight you are, it thinks it is malnourished and constantly craves nutrients, telling you you’re hungry when you’re not.
The solution is lemons. “When it comes to boosting the body’s digestive and detox systems, lemon is a natural powerhouse,” says Cheung.
Lemons are rich in citric acid (at seven to eight per cent, they have the highest concentration of all fruits), which, she explains, “combines in a complex interaction with other acids and enzymes to ensure healthy and problem-free digestion by stimulating stomach juices”.
“Thanks to its acidity, even a little lemon juice can improve your digestion and lower the impact of any meal on your blood sugar,” she adds.
The pectin in lemon - found in the peel - is a great source of fibre that helps weight loss by turning into a sticky gel when you digest it, preventing your stomach from absorbing sugar too quickly.
A study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found pectin can eliminate the urge to eat for up to four hours, because after eating it you tend to feel satisfied for longer.
Lemon juice is also one of the most concentrated food sources of vitamin C. Not only is this great for warding off colds, but recent research at Arizona State University suggests that people who eat fruit and vegetables high in vitamin C have more efficient digestive systems and are more likely to lose weight than those who don’t.
In addition, lemon juice increases the acidity of the digestive system. This helps the body absorb calcium, which is then stored in fat cells. Research has shown that the more calcium there is in a fat cell, the more fat the cells burn.
It seems the humble lemon could be a powerful aid to digestion, and a useful diet booster.
But it’s not a case of eating only lemons: the good news is that you can eat perfectly normal foods on this diet, including cheese and other proteins. You can even have chocolate ice-cream.
You can also eat as much as you like of the right sort of foods: there is no calorie-counting involved. All you have to do is make sure that at least one meal a day includes lemon - either a squirt of juice or some peel.
The Lemon Juice Diet advocates a simple healthy-eating plan based on seven principles. These are the principles on which the meal plan is based, but you can use them to adapt the meals to suit your tastes.
If you combine these seven principles with an exercise regime involving 30 minutes of aerobic activity five or six days a week, within just a week you should start feeling healthier and your clothes will be looser. By week two, you will be dropping pounds.
The following rules will help you achieve the weight loss and fat burning you want.
1. Drink lemon juice with warm water every morning. Starting the day with the juice of a lemon in a glass of warm water will stimulate your digestive system.
Water is also crucial to weight loss. Water aids healthy digestion and the elimination of waste, so make sure you drink six to eight glasses a day. Alcohol should be limited to one small glass of wine a day, and keep coffee and tea to a minimum. Avoid fizzy drinks and sweetened fruit juices.
2. Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. All vegetables and most fruits are low-calorie nutritional powerhouses, rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre and nutrients that can boost immunity, balance hormones, calm the nervous system, aid digestion and help weight loss.
3. Balance your blood sugar levels. Irritability, poor concentration, fatigue and headaches are all symptoms of fluctuating blood sugar levels, which can make you crave sweet and fattening foods. When blood sugar levels swing too high, so does insulin. This hormone helps shuttle blood sugar (glucose) into your cells to be used as energy. In other words, it promotes fat storage.Sprinkling lemon juice over your meal can be enough to lower the blood sugar impact by as much as 30 per cent - use it in all your cooking. Using peel in cooking helps ensure the sugar is released steadily into your bloodstream. Add peel to soups and salads, and sprinkle on fish and chicken. Lemons are also a fantastic source of fibre.Eat protein with each meal, as it steadies your blood sugar by delaying the absorption of carbohydrates and fats. Eating five or six times a day will combat food cravings.
4. Cut down on sugar-rich foods. This give you a brief high followed by a big slump, and leave you feeling edgy and tired. Refined foods - such as white bread , white rice, instant potatoes and cornflakes - can act like sugar in your system, and end up being stored as fat. Instead, stick to whole grain, fruit, vegetables and protein. Natural sugars in fruit can hit your bloodstream fast, so don’t eat a piece of fruit without a handful of nuts or seeds to slow the impact. Beware of artificial sweeteners as they can increase sugar cravings.
5. Forgot low fat - your body needs some fat to lose weight. Unsaturated fats can help with weight loss by delaying the passage of carbohydrates into your bloodstream, keeping blood sugar levels stable and insulin down. Avoid saturated fats - found in red meat, cakes and pastries - and trans-fatty acids in processed foods. These are low in nutrients and can increase your risk of heart disease and obesity.
Increase your consumption of omega 3 and omega 6 essential fatty acids found in nuts, seeds and oily fish, and unsaturated fat found in extra virgin olive oil.
6. Eat lots of fresh whole foods. Switch from processed to whole foods to boost your intake of the nutrients your body needs for weight loss. Whole foods such as beans, pulses and lentils also contain fibre, which stimulates the digestive system and can slow down the conversion of carbohydrates into glucose.
Best of all, whole foods are free of hidden sugar and chemicals that overload your liver, making it hard for your body to digest food and burn fat. Choose brown pasta, wholegrain bread and cereals, vegetables, fruit, fresh soups, smoothies and juices (not from concentrate), and eat a salad with every meal.
7. Slow things down. Eat slowly and chew properly. Chewing relaxes the lower stomach muscle and triggers nerve messages that activate the digestive process. If food is not properly chewed, nutrients remain locked in and undigested. Keep portions moderate, and eat at regular times. If you find you’re still hungry, wait 20 minutes for your brain to catch up with your stomach and recognise that you are full.
Your stomach and intestines are sensitive to stress. When you feel anxious, digestion will shut down, leaving food partially digested. So finding ways to manage stress is not only important for your emotional health, but your digestive health, too.
Note: If you suffer from heartburn, kidney or gall-bladder problems, or have a citrus allergy, consult your GP before going on this diet.
December 10th, 2008
For many years, green tea has been associated with positive health benefits. In a recent study by researchers at Purdue University, the nature of these benefits was identified. The researchers found that epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg), a compound found in the tea, inhibited the growth of cancer cells. A study from the University of Tokyo has shown that EGCg binds to CD4 cells, prventing HIV from binding to and destroying the cell in the process. Experts feel that the substances found in green tea, specifically EGCg, could lead to the devlopment of new HIV medications.
How Much Green Tea Do We Need?
Green tea leaves are potent in EGCg. The study suggests that consumption of four to five cups of green tea may slow cancer. However, the studies of green tea and it’s binding to CD4 used concentrations many times higher than those that could be acheived by drinking green tea. However, understanding the mechanism by which EGCg binds to the CD4 cell could point scientists in new directions when researching new drugs and treatment targets.
Do Other Types of Tea Have the Same Benefits?
All tea comes from the same botanical source. Compared to other types of tea, green tea is processed differently. In green tea, the leaves are not allowed to oxidize but instead are steamed. This process allows the natural ingredients in the leaves to be preserved. Other types of tea were not nearly as successful as green tea in inhibiting the cancerous cells or HIV. In the end, green tea was approximately ten times more potent than the other types.
The scientists want to expand on these studies and determine the exact mechanism of EGCg. At this point, the scientists are beginning to understand the initial inhibitive effects of EGCg but further research is warranted to pin down the exact mechanisms and to put that mechanism to work fighting HIV.
December 8th, 2008
It has been often remarked that predicting the future is fraught with error, and that it is much easier to predict the past. Nevertheless, I believe certain tendencies in the field of vaccine development are likely to flourish in the near- and long-term future, and so I venture to make the following 10 predictions:
* The development of combined vaccines containing multiple valences will increase. Valence is the number of different antigens in a vaccine-a trivalent vaccine has three antigens, for example. An antigen is a chemical substance, usually a protein that stimulates the immune system to produce an antibody specific to the antigen. As the schedule for early childhood vaccination becomes more crowded with new vaccines, and as we deal with disease syndromes having multiple causes, it will be necessary to combine vaccines so that fewer injections are given. These combinations of vaccines will not be simple to develop, as the immunologic rules of interference among vaccines are not well described.
* Although many vaccines are administered to infants under the age of one year, protection is slow to develop because of the immaturity of the immune system. In fact, immunity may fade later in childhood if no booster doses are given. The specific factors that contribute to the immaturity are just becoming known, and I anticipate that immunologic adjuvants-substances that enhance responses to vaccination-will come into use in infancy. Sexually transmitted diseases, respiratory diseases transmitted by crowding, infections that cause cancer later in life, and infections transmitted from mothers to their fetuses all require vaccination before adolescence begins. Thus, the age of 11 to 12 years will become a time for administration of many newly emerging vaccines to provide protection during early adult life.
* The elderly suffer a natural aging of the immune system, both with respect to antibody production and cellular responses to infection or vaccination. Here again, we are beginning to understand the defects that come with age, and correction of these defects should improve the efficacy of vaccines in an increasingly aged population.
* Two new strategies have become widespread for experimental vaccine development: injecting humans with DNA segments from pathogenic microorganisms that produce protective proteins after injection, and inserting genes from pathogens into harmless microorganisms that serve as carriers, or vectors, for production of immune responses. Although each strategy separately may generate useful vaccines, the combination of the two in a so-called “prime-boost sequence” provides synergy. Thus, there will be vaccinations consisting of prime-boost regimens, particularly in those cases where antibodies are insufficient to give complete protection.
* Intramuscular or subcutaneous injections have served us well as the means to introduce vaccines into humans. However, there are limitations to the feasibility of numerous injections and theoretical reasons for preferring other routes of immunization. Thus, intranasal, aerosol spraying and oral routes of administration are being intensively explored for certain vaccines. Moreover, transcutaneous immunization using patches, microneedles, and other ingenious technologies to pass vaccines through the skin is promising.
* Malaria, tuberculosis and HIV are major targets of vaccine development. Short-term protection against malaria has already been achieved, and I foresee the extension of protection by combining several malaria antigens in one vaccine, although I suspect that regular boosters will be necessary to maintain protection.
* Prospects for a vaccine that protects against adult tuberculosis are good. This will be based on the current BCG vaccine. The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine, developed at the Institut Pasteur in Lille, France, in the early 20th century, is effective in children but does not prevent the infection in adults. Insertion of genes that code for additional protective proteins should improve BCG.
* HIV has proven to be a difficult target for vaccination, but a vaccine that reduces the seriousness of infection and prolongs life, even while not preventing the disease completely, is likely to be the product of current clinical trials. The development of a vaccine that prevents infection entirely is less likely in the near future.
* Influenza remains a banal but deadly infection. Although the vaccines we have are very beneficial, better protection will be derived from the inclusion of more influenza proteins, adjuvants, and the combined use of live and killed vaccines.
December 4th, 2008
Researchers at Vanderbilt University have found that the use of aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is significantly associated with lower PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels, especially among men with prostate cancer.
The findings are based on a study, which included 1,277 participants referred to a urologist for a biopsy of their prostate.
Approximately 46 percent of the men reported taking an NSAID, mostly aspirin (37 percent of all men).
After taking into account age, race, family prostate cancer history, obesity, and other variables that have independent effects on the size of the prostate organ, cancer risk, and PSA levels, the researchers found that aspirin use was significantly associated with lower PSA levels.
They found that PSA levels were 9 percent lower in men taking aspirin compared with men who did not use aspirin.
A PSA test is used widely as a method to screen men for the possibility of prostate cancer, with higher blood PSA levels suggesting a greater chance of having prostate cancer.
High PSA levels can also signify benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate organ.
Although decreased PSA levels could have a protective effect, there is an aspect to this finding that could potentially be concerning.
“This analysis raises the concern that aspirin and other NSAIDs may lower PSA levels below the level of clinical suspicion without having any effect on prostate cancer development, and if that is true, use of these agents could be hampering our ability to detect early-stage prostate cancer through PSA screening,” said the study’’s lead author Jay H. Fowke, Ph.D., an assistant professor in medicine at Vanderbilt.
The study will be presented at the American Association for Cancer Research’’s Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research.
November 21st, 2008
Does coffee keep drowsiness at bay and help one stay alert for hours? The answer is yes, according to tests carried out by a new optical instrument by a team of Swimburne University of Techology (SUT).
Natalie Michael and John Patterson of SUT’s Sensory Neuroscience Lab set out to resolve the question.
“In our project we used the Australian-designed Optalert, which measures drowsiness by observing total duration of eye blinks and the ratio of amplitude and velocity of eye closure during blinking,” said Patterson.
Optalert resembles a set of spectacle frames without lenses. Low intensity infra-red light is directed at the eyes. The infra-red is reflected back and detected by sensors in the frames. The pattern of light reaching the sensors changes as the eyes move and the subject blinks.
The participants were aged between 18 and 29, a primary target age group for road safety authorities because of their over-representation in drowsy driving incidents.
Test subjects were given either a placebo or a capsule containing 200 mg of caffeine, which is roughly equivalent to two cups of coffee, according to a SUT release. The study was published in the October issue of Psychopharmacology.
Those given the caffeine also showed improved reaction times, which like the improved alertness measured by the Optalert, persisted for about three hours.
Over the years recommendations for staying alert on long drives included stopping for a brisk walk, taking a power nap, and drinking coffee.
“However, road safety authorities were faced with conflicting evidence on the benefits of drinking coffee,” Patterson said.
“Some research showed heightened alertness after caffeine administration, whereas other studies did not.”
November 6th, 2008
Just three decades ago 350,000 Indian children were paralyzed from polio each year. Parents throughout India woke up to discover their children’s legs suddenly floppy, unmovable, while fever took hold and changed their lives forever. Millions of families are still caring for children and adults who cannot walk.
Today, thanks to the enormous efforts of health care workers and volunteers, only a handful of families suffer from new cases of polio. After 10 years of intense eradication efforts worldwide, health care workers knocking door to door, millions of vaccinations administered, and billions of dollars spent, polio continues to haunt only four countries, including just two states in India. Yet, the moment eradication efforts weaken, India and the world could return to the dark days of the 1970s.
In fact, the four endemic countries of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria are those that have never interrupted transmission of their indigenous poliovirus. In recent years, many countries that had become polio free were re-infected following importations from Nigeria and India.
Polio fighters say the greatest challenge remains in India.
“Western Uttar Pradesh is the hardest place in the world to eradicate polio,” says Dr. Hamid Jafari, project manager of the World Health Organization’s polio eradication program in India.
Poverty, population density, illness, poor sanitation, and people susceptible to misinformation and rumor allow polio to continue to destroy families. In western Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the only two Indian states where polio circulates, there was actually an increase in polio during 2006 because some communities refused the vaccine based on false rumors that it was harmful. And now these communities are paying the price, with 676 children paralyzed by polio in 2006, a huge increase over the 66 cases in 2005. So far this year, 281 children have become paralyzed by polio in these two states, but the good news is that none have been stricken in the core endemic districts of western Uttar Pradesh by Poliovirus Type One, which is the most virulent strain. The pain of these families makes Indian health care workers determined. In the highest risk villages, families can expect a visit from a polio worker every month. Community leaders, journalists and mullahs are urging families to get the vaccine. Why is there some resistance?
“There are some very poor communities that refused the vaccine as a protest,” says Jafari. “It is an expression of frustration because, understandably, they want clean water, sanitation and roads. Their refusal has nothing to do with religion, although many of these poor families are Muslim.?In fact, the vast majority of Muslim families and other minorities do accept polio vaccination during every campaign round.”
Also difficult to reach are the thousands of families in western Uttar Pradesh and Bihar who migrate for months out of the year to work in other states. Now, the government is focusing on these families so that their children will not miss the vaccine even if they are not at home.
The Indian and U.S. governments, UNICEF and Rotary International are working together to eliminate polio from India and the planet forever. If they succeed, it would be only the second disease eradicated. (Smallpox was eliminated in the 1970s.)
The U.S. government is the biggest donor to this effort. Why do Americans care? “Americans have very clear, horrible memories of the pain and suffering of polio in the U.S.,” says Jafari. “Also, Americans are humanitarians and they know it’s a disease that can be eradicated and there is a tool and the tool is? affordable and easy to use.”
October 24th, 2008
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