Cockroaches
trigger Asthma, allergy in children
NEW
DELHI, Feb 15: If you spot cockroaches at your work
place or at home then Asthama is one more disease
you should be scared of.
Experts have
observed that cockroaches are the main carrier
that can trigger asthma and allergies in people,
especially in young children.
"One of the
most common causes of asthma in children around
the world is a house dust mite, which live in the
mattresses, pillows, carpets in the house. The
second most common cause is cockroaches.The
droppings of these cockroaches are a major
allergen and cause asthma in children," says
Dr Sanjeev Mehta, chest physician, Lilavathi
Hospital, Mumbai.
When most people
think of allergy triggers, they often focus on
plant pollens, dust, animals and stinging
insects. In fact, cockroaches also can trigger
allergies and asthma. A fact that is less known,
he says.
An analysis done
by group of doctors confirm that the frequent
hospital admissions of inner-city children with
asthma often is directly related to their contact
with cockroach allergensthe substances that cause
allergies. From 23 per cent to 60 per cent of
urban residents with asthma are sensitive to the
cockroach allergen.
Cockroach allergy
was first reported in 1943, when skin rashes
appeared immediately after the insects crawled
over patients’ skin. Skin tests first
confirmed patients had cockroach allergy in 1959.
In the 1970s,
studies made it clear that patients with
cockroach allergies develop acute asthma attacks.
The attacks occur after inhaling cockroach
allergens and last for hours. Asthma has steadily
increased over the past 30 years. It is the most
common chronic disease of childhood, experts say.
Cockroaches are
reported to spread 33 kinds of bacteria, 6 kinds
of parasitic worms and at least 7 other human
viral and bacterial pathogens and is significant
cause of the alarmingly rise in asthma in urban
areas, particularly in children, Dr Mehta says.
Cockroach allergen
is believed to derive from feces, saliva and the
bodies of these insects. Cockroaches live all
over the world, from tropical areas to the
coldest spots on earth.
If you are among
those who crave for modern homes than there are
more chances of you becoming prone to
‘Cockroach allergy’. Private homes,
especially those which are well insulated harbour
them in great number. When one cockroach is seen
in the basement or kitchen, it is safe to assume
that at least 800 cockroaches are hidden under
the kitchen sink, in closets and the like, says
the doctor.
Though, those in
the field have their own say in the matter.
According to the pest control firms, there are
many products in the market that claims to uproot
the problem.
"Cockroaches
carry numerous diseases and replicate in large
numbers. There is no such thing as a one-time
fix. It is necessary to curb the menace in its
infancy through some disinfectant sprays and make
sure that there is no recurrence of the
problem," says Nikhil Chatterjee, Vice
President - Marketing, Pest Control of India.
"We receive
30 calls everyday from people on controlling
cockroaches. Most of the callers have confirmed
that their children suffer from ‘Cockroach
allergy’," says Nikhil adding that the
treatment comes between Rs 2500-3000 for one
bedroom apartment.
Initially it is
difficult to ascertain the cause behind allergy.
Its early detection and cure helps one from
facing lots of discomfort, say the doctor.
But, if symptoms
persist for long time, it is always better to see
a doctor, adds Dr Mehta. (PTI)
No truck with
BSP, two-three more
parties to join
NDA: Rajnath
NEW
DELHI, Feb 15: Gearing up for the next Lok Sabha
polls, BJP is confident of roping in some
regional parties into the NDA in the near future
but will have no truck with Mayawati’s BSP
in Uttar Pradesh.
The BJP is holding
negotiations with several parties and and expects
at least "two-three" of them to join
the NDA alliance soon.
"There is no
question," BJP president Rajnath Singh said
in an interview when asked about the possibility
of his party forging alliance with BSP for
boosting its prospects in politically-significant
Uttar Pradesh during the next general elections.
To justify
BJP’s refusal to have a truck with BSP, the
former UP Chief Minister suggested that the
alliance with that party earlier had been a bad
experience.
"Sabse Bada
Sankat Us Samay Paida Ho Gaya Jab Hum Logon Ne
BSP Ke Sath Alliance Kiya (the BJP faced the
worst crisis when we forged alliance with
BSP)," Singh said while talking about his
party’s failure to re-emerge as the key
player in the state having the maximum number of
80 Lok Sabha seats in the 543-member House of
Parliament.
Insisting that
efforts to revive the BJP in UP, particularly at
grassroots level, were underway, he said the
party will go it alone.
At the national
level, the BJP President said two-three parties
are expected to join NDA in the near future but
refused to disclose these, even when asked
whether Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK would be one of
these.
There have been
indications recently of AIADMK and BJP growing
closer to each other.
After the shock
defeat in 2004 Lok Sabha elections, NDA saw
Telugu Desam and INLD moving away from it, while
Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress is
keeping it guessing about whether it is in or out
of the alliance.
Singh, however,
insisted that Trinamool Congress was "still
in NDA".
Asked about the
scope of new allies accepting L K Advani as the
Prime Ministerial candidate considering his
hardline Hindutva image, the BJP chief sounded
confident, saying there was no problem on this
count.
"Advaniji was
Union Home Minister for five years. Look at his
track record. There was no discrimination. He was
fair to all sections of the society. Though he
did not appease anybody, he did justice with
all," he said, seeking to project Advani as
a leader acceptable to all.
On the assembly
elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and
Chhattisgarh due later this year, Singh said
development will be the main plank for BJP which
will also raise issues like price rise and
internal security.
Queried whether
Hindutva will be on the electioneering agenda,
the BJP chief said "it (Hindutva) is an
ideology, a thought. It cannot be an election
issue."
Asked whether the
Gujarat model of Hindutva-cum-development plank
would be replicated in party-ruled Rajasthan, MP
and Chhattisgarh, he was evasive, saying
"every state has its own political situation
and issues."
The possibility of
return of expelled firebrand leader Uma Bharti
was also discounted by Singh, who said that the
party will face the elections with the
"present structure".
Incumbent Shivraj
Singh Chouhan will be the party’s Chief
Ministerial candidate in MP, he emphasised.
Similarly, the
party will project Raman Singh and Vasundhara
Raje as the Chief Ministerial candidates in their
states again. (PTI)
Commission
suggests regulation of
fee structure in
pvt schools
NEW
DELHI, Feb 15: With mushrooming of private schools,
the National Knowledge Commission (NKC) has
suggested a slew of measures including regulation
of fee structure and transparent admission
process.
"The
monitoring of private schools, in terms of
ensuring a transparent admission process,
regulation of fee structures as well as meeting
minimum set standards for quality of teaching and
infrastructure, requires attention," NKC
Chairman Sam Pitroda said.
In a letter to
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he said that since
private schools play an important role in the
field of education, there was need for both
enabling and regulating mechanisms for them.
"There should
be transparent, norm-based and straight forward
procedures for the recognition of private schools
to reduce harassment and bureaucratic
delay", he said in the letter, copies of
which were forwarded to HRD Minister Arjun Singh
and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek
Singh Ahluwalia.
Pitroda suggested
transparent criteria for disbursement of aid from
the government to self-financing schools,
especially those which cater to underprivileged
children.
He also proposed a
evaluation body at the national level to monitor
the quality of both Government and private
schools, using a result-based monitoring
framework at different levels.
In the 15-point
suggestion made to the Prime Minister, the
Commission suggested reforms in the curriculum
and examination system and incorporation of
English into the curriculum from Class I.
In view of the
"severe shortage" of qualified and
motivated school teachers at different levels,
Pitroda said it was imperative to restore the
dignity of school teaching as a profession and
provide more incentives for qualified and
committed teachers.
"Non-teaching
official duties such as electoral activities
should not be allowed to interfere with the
teaching process," he said but at the same
time favoured transparent system for ensuring
accountability of school teaching.
With training of
teachers being "a major area of concern at
present", the Commission advocated improved
pre-service training in both public and private
institutions and expansion of in-service
training.
Referring to
deprived categories, Pitroda said education of
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes children
must be a priority. Special strategies were
required to ensure greater access to schools for
children in backward regions, remote locations
and difficult terrain, he said.
"Official
strategies for ensuring better access of Muslim
children to schooling are excessively focussed on
madrasas which cater to only a tiny minority of
such children. The emphasis should be on creating
enabling conditions for Muslim children in
general school system", he said.
The Commission has
strongly recommended "greater
flexibility" in disbursing funds down to the
school level and a greater degree of autonomy at
the local level management in the use of funds.
The NKC felt that
school education must be made more relevant to
the lives of children and said there was need to
move away from rote-learning to understanding
concepts, developing good comprehension and
communication skills. This requires substantial
changes in the examination system, it said.
Noting that
proficiently in English facilitated pursuit of
higher education and opened avenues for
employment, it said English should be
incorporated into the curriculum as a language in
Class I.
In view of
multiplicity of Government departments creating
confusion, the NKC felt that there was a need for
"greater coordination" between
different departments of the government on school
education policies even while ensuring more
autonomy to the local management of schools.
The NKC, which
held a series of workshops across the country,
has felt that positive changes can be brought
about only with the active involvement of the
Central and the State Governments.
After wide ranging
consultations with stakeholders to discuss school
education matters, the Commission felt that the
thrust should be on "more resources, more
decentralisation and more flexibility" for
ensuring quality school education to all. (PTI)
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