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Women Welfare / Development

Corporation urged to screen women for cancer

Sunday, 08 November 2009 03:47 administrator
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The Hindu 08.11.2009

Corporation urged to screen women for cancer

Special Correspondent

This will help in detection, even prevention: V. Shanta

— Photo: R. Ragu

ONUS ON PREVENTION: V. Shanta, Chairman, Cancer Institute, with S. Vincent, member- secretary, TNSCST, at a workshop in Chennai on Saturday.

CHENNAI: If the Chennai Corporation is able to provide every woman in the city at least one gynaecological screening, it will be adequate to detect and even prevent the top two cancers among women, V. Shanta, chairman, Cancer Institute (WIA), has said.

She said every woman coming to the Corporation’s health centres must also be subjected to an examination of the gynaec tract. This would be useful to identify a number of cases of cervical cancer in pre-cancerous stages.

In 1962, when over 9000 women were screened for cancer in four districts in a project she had participated in, 20 were found to have cancer, 18 of them in very early stage. On the other hand, she said, if one looked at hospital records, 75 per cent of the patients came with advanced disease.

“We have to get the message out that cancer need not be fatal,” Dr. Shanta said. “Today we are curing one out of three patients and we have the potential of curing two out of three patients, when they come early enough,” she said, speaking at the National Cancer Awareness Day event at Cancer Institute for Corporation doctors.

Cervical cancer and breast cancer are more common in women, both of which are detectable at the pre-cancerous stage, and thereby preventable, she said. Cervical cancer was more common among women in lower socio-economic groups and triggered by chronic genital infections, inadequate postpartum care and lack of education about sexual hygiene.

With men one of the prominent causes of cancer is tobacco use, Dr. Shanta said.

Tobacco usage caused 40 per cent of the cancers in men with cancer of the mouth, food and wind pipe and the lungs topping the list.

Getting rid of tobacco with seriously implemented anti-smoking legislations would cut down the numbers dramatically.

S. Vincent, member-secretary, Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology, suggested that the Institute consider setting up clubs in schools and colleges akin to the Red Ribbon Clubs, which disseminate information about HIV/AIDS.

He complimented Cancer Institute for its efforts in pushing the ban on smoking in public places and its implementation. Dr. Vincent also urged the staff at the Institute to submit project proposals to the Council for funding.

Charumathi, District Family Welfare Officer, Chennai Corporation, said that the civic body was paying a lot of attention to prevention and detection of cancer among women.

E. Vidhubala, Tobacco Cessation Cell, Cancer Institute, spoke about reducing the health burden through tobacco cessation interventions.

Last Updated on Sunday, 08 November 2009 03:50
 

SHG starts making low-cost bio-degradable sanitary napkins

Thursday, 24 September 2009 04:16 administrator
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The Hindu 24.09.2009

SHG starts making low-cost bio-degradable sanitary napkins

Staff Reporter

— Photo: S.Thanthoni

SHG members involved in the manufacturing of bio-degradable sanitary napkins at the unit in Ayanavaram on Wednesday.

CHENNAI: Members of Mother Rose self-help group on Wednesday started the production of low cost bio-degradable sanitary napkins. The group, which is supported by the Sornammal Educational Trust (SET), Chennai, will undergo 10 days of training to use the equipment and then begin manufacturing on a commercial basis.

The group got the opportunity following the SET joining hands with the SHE Trust of Kuwait for the Sahana project on Wednesday.

K. Pandia Rajan, Managing Trustee SET, said that the sanitary napkin industry in the world was worth over several million dollars and eco-friendly napkins had a smaller market, which the members of the group must tap. Around 200 women would be involved in the manufacturing and marketing of the product.

Hemalatha Rajan, Trustee, SET, highlighted the three important issues concerning women - health, education and vocation. She said that once women are economically empowered, health and education aspects would be automatically taken care of. She said that she had always dreamt of empowering women and that there were around 40,000 women in SHGs in Chennai, Virudhunagar and Madurai districts under the SET.

Writer Sivasankari, who inaugurated the project, urged the SHG members to make adult and baby diapers.

Latha Srinivasan, Managing Trustee, SHE Trust, said that women from underprivileged backgrounds could buy and use Sahana Napkins that would be available at an affordable price. The napkins come in different sizes and on an average cost Rs.15 per pack to make.

Mitran Devanesan, Trustee SHE Trust, said that sterilised wood fibre from tree plantations would be used in the napkins. The low cost mini sanitary napkin manufacturing machine has been supplied by Coimbatore-based Jayaashree Industries, which has won several awards, he added.

Last Updated on Thursday, 24 September 2009 04:18
 

Night shelter project for street children

Thursday, 10 September 2009 00:26 administrator
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The Hindu 10.09.2009

Night shelter project for street children

 

Staff Reporter

Mayor inaugurates the first shelter in the city at Kodungaiyur

— Photo: V.Ganesan

WITH CARE: Mayor M.Subramanian (right) interacts with street children at the launch of the project to provide night shelter for them in Chennai on Tuesday.

CHENNAI: Surya dropped out of school after he failed in Standard IX. One of the street children and displaying anger in his body language, he says, “I do not want to study at all.”

Many children such as Surya are rag-pickers in the dump yards of Chennai including Kodungaiyur and Perungudi.

In order to help children like him cope with the challenges of modern life in the city, the Chennai Corporation on Tuesday launched a project to provide night shelter for street children. Inaugurating the first such shelter in Kodungaiyur, Mr. Subramanian said, “Providing night shelter for street children is part of our initiative of making arrangements to prevent their abuse, neglect and exploitation.”

This is the first such initiative by a civic body in the country, Mr. Subramanian said. The civic body has also identified 824 child labourers and admitted them in various Corporation schools, he said. Their parents have been imparted training for proper employment and loans have been given to improve their economic conditions, he said.

Mr. Subramanian urged residents to report any abuse of street children to the Corporation officials in order to admit them in the night shelter.

Street children are deprived of family care and adult supervision at the night shelter would reduce the degree of abuse, said A. Alexander, supervisor of the project. Most children on the streets are in the 5-17 age group and engaged in some kind of economic activity including rag-picking.

R. Isabel, executive secretary of Madras Christian Council of Social Service, said the street children earn Rs.200 a day, selling materials collected by rummaging the dump yard.

They make money but their health is at stake and their developmental as a human being is affected making them misfits in the society, she says.

Childline, 1098, gets around 2,000 calls reporting various types of abuse and exploitation of children in Chennai every month.

Last Updated on Thursday, 10 September 2009 00:31
 
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