DECLINE IN MORTALITY RATE.

Almost half the child deaths worldwide are still caused due to under-nutrition despite substantial progress made to reduce under-five mortality, a new report by the World Health Organization (WHO) secretariat has said.
Between 1990 and 2013, under-five mortality declined by 49%, falling from an estimated rate of 90 deaths per 1,000 live births to 46 deaths per 1,000 live births. The global rate of decline has also accelerated significantly, from 1.2% per annum between 1990 and 1995 to 4% per annum between 2005 and 2013. About 17,000 fewer children died every day in 2013 than in 1990.

"Despite the evidence of progress, the gains remain insufficient to reach the target of a two-thirds reduction from 1990 levels of mortality by the year 2015," the report, which will be released during the 68th World Health Assembly to be held from May 18 to 27 in Geneva, said.




 


























 






 












 






































































































 

 LATEST

Surgeons remove 232 teeth from Indian Teeenager

Surgeons in Mumbai have removed 232 teeth from the mouth of an Indian teenager in what they believe may be a world-record operation, the hospital said Thursday.

 

Ashik Gavai, 17, sought medical help for a swelling on the right side of his lower jaw and the case was referred to the city´s JJ Hospital, where they found he was suffering from a condition known as complex odontoma, head of dentistry Sunanda Dhivare-Palwankar told.

 

"We operated on Monday and it took us almost seven hours. We thought it may be a simple surgery but once we opened it there were multiple pearl-like teeth inside the jaw bone," she said.

 

After removing those they also found a larger "marble-like" structure which they struggled to shift and eventually had to "chisel out" and remove in fragments, she added.

 

The youngster´s father, Suresh Gavai, said that the family had been worried that Ashik´s swelling was a cancerous growth. "I was worried that it may turn out to be cancer so I brought him to Mumbai," Gavai told the Mumbai Mirror newspaper.

 

Dhivare-Palwankar said the literature they had come across on the condition showed a maximum of 37 teeth being removed in such a procedure, whereas she and her team had counted more than 232 taken from Gavai´s mouth.

 

"I think it could be a world record," she said.

 

Gavai´s jawbone structure was maintained during the operation so it should heal without any deformities, the surgeon added.

England´s Farah out of Commonwealth Games

England´s double Olympic champion Mo Farah has withdrawn from the Commonwealth Games due to fitness concerns, his team announced on Thursday.

 

The 5,000 and 10,000 metres Olympic champion, 31, was recently laid low by illness and has decided to pull out of the Glasgow event in order to work on his fitness ahead of next month´s European Championships in Zurich. "I have taken the tough decision to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games," Farah said in a statement released by Team England. "I really wanted to add the Commonwealth titles to my Olympic and World Championships, but the event is coming a few weeks too soon for me as my body is telling me it´s not ready to race yet. Best wishes to my fellow athletes in Glasgow." 

Meares wins women´s time trial

Australian great Anna Meares won the Commonwealth Games women´s 500m time trial cycling gold on Thursday.

 

Meares beat England´s Victoria Williamson in a new Commonwealth Games record of 33.435sec.Australia´s Stephanie Morton took bronze ahead of England´s Jess Varnish. 

 

Norway on alert over feared ‘terrorist’ attack

Norway has taken exceptional security measures after being informed of a possible imminent "terrorist attack" by militants who have fought in Syria, the country´s intelligence chief said Thursday.

 

The move comes as concerns are mounting in Europe about the growing national security threat posed by militants returning from war-torn Syria.

 

The domestic intelligence service (PST) "recently received information that a group of extremists from Syria may be planning a terrorist attack in Norway," said PST chief Benedicte Bjoernland, adding it could be a question of days.

 

The threat is "non-specific" but "credible", said Bjoernland. Neither the eventual target, nor the identity of the militants, nor their location are known, she added.

 

The authorities said they were increasing the presence of police in stations and airports, recalling civil servants from their holidays and stepping up airline security.

 

In its annual evaluation presented at the start of the year, the PST said the threat level against Norway had increased because of the civil war in Syria. The intelligence services said between 40 and 50 individuals with links to Norway had fought or were fighting in Syria.

Norway on alert over feared ‘terrorist’ attack

Norway has taken exceptional security measures after being informed of a possible imminent "terrorist attack" by militants who have fought in Syria, the country´s intelligence chief said Thursday.

 

The move comes as concerns are mounting in Europe about the growing national security threat posed by militants returning from war-torn Syria.

 

The domestic intelligence service (PST) "recently received information that a group of extremists from Syria may be planning a terrorist attack in Norway," said PST chief Benedicte Bjoernland, adding it could be a question of days.

 

The threat is "non-specific" but "credible", said Bjoernland. Neither the eventual target, nor the identity of the militants, nor their location are known, she added.

 

The authorities said they were increasing the presence of police in stations and airports, recalling civil servants from their holidays and stepping up airline security.

 

In its annual evaluation presented at the start of the year, the PST said the threat level against Norway had increased because of the civil war in Syria. The intelligence services said between 40 and 50 individuals with links to Norway had fought or were fighting in Syria.

Air Algerie wreck found in Mali: Burkina Faso Army

The wreck of an Air Algerie plane that went missing early Thursday with 116 people on board has been found in Mali near the Burkina Faso border, said a coordinator for the crisis unit in Ouagadougou.

 

"We have found the Algerian plane. The wreck has been located ... 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of the Burkina Faso border" in the Malian region of Gossi, said General Gilbert Diendiere from the Burkina Faso army.