Friday, May 16, 2008

Breast cancer will become epidemic in India - Health – Lifestyle – MSN India

Breast cancer will become epidemic in India - Health – Lifestyle – MSN India: "Breast cancer will become an epidemic in India in another 10 years if the country does not put in place a vigorous mechanism for early detection and an awareness building exercise, says Umberto Veronesi, the father of modern breast cancer surgery.

...He attributes the rise in the incidence of breast cancer in Indian cities to changing lifestyles.

"Even two generations ago, India was not the high incidence zone. That was because Indian women married early and nursed two to three children each on an average. That kept the hormones flowing and breasts remained healthy.

"But now, women in India are emulating the West, marrying late and the average child bearing age has increased to 30 and sometimes even beyond that. If a woman has her first child at 16, it reduces the risk of breast cancer," the oncologist said.

"If India continues to follow in the footsteps of the West and women decide not to have children and stop weaning their babies, breast cancer will become an epidemic in five to 10 years' time," the medical scientist said. "

Saturday, May 03, 2008

Shortages Threaten Farmers’ Key Tool: Fertilizer - New York Times

Shortages Threaten Farmers’ Key Tool: Fertilizer - New York Times: "Some kinds of fertilizer have nearly tripled in price in the last year, keeping farmers from buying all they need. That is one of many factors contributing to a rise in food prices that, according to the United Nations’ World Food Program, threatens to push tens of millions of poor people into malnutrition."