High judge orders brides, grooms tested for H1N1 before court issues marriage certificate

Courtesy by: maannews.net

Jerusalem – Ma’an – No marriage certificates are to be authorized by Islamic courts in Palestine until both the bride and groom are certified to be “swine flu free,” Chief Justice of Palestine Sheikh Taysir Tamimi announced Tuesday.

Tamimi sent a memo to all courts authorized to issue marriage certificates announcing the latest measure. All couples seeking certicicates will have to undergo Ministry of Health authorized procedures before the certificate will be issued. The top judge said the measure will slow the spread of the epidemic.

“This action is in pursuance of the purposes of Islamic law in the need to conserve the five imperatives: reason and restraint, religion, money, and birth.” He said the courts have a duty to curb the spread of the H1N1 virus.

Prospective couples must already have tests from the Ministry of Health ensuring the are AIDS/HIV free and test negative for Thalassemia, a genetic kidney disease prevalent among southern Mediterranean peoples that leads to kidney failure if untreated. The orders for lab tests for Thalassemia and AIDS/HIV were passed in 2000 and 2001 respectively.

According to Tamimi the orders lead to a dramatic decrease in the incidence of both diseases.

Panjab University to offer free education to thalassemic students

Courtesy by: thaindian.com

Chandigarh, June 23 (IANS) Panjab University will offer free education to students suffering from thalassemia from the next academic session, an official said here Tuesday.
“The Panjab University senate has already passed the proposal of free education for children suffering from thalassemia. Now we are working out other modalities of this proposal. Hopefully, it would be implemented in all the departments of the university from the next session,” Dean Students’ Welfare (DSW) Naval Kishore told IANS.

He said free education was already being provided to cancer and AIDS patients and seats were also reserved for them in all the teaching and research departments.

“This is our endeavour to carry out our social duty and commitment towards those marginalised sections of the society that are normally ignored by the mainstream,” Kishore said.

A Panjab University official, requesting anonymity, told IANS that a committee has been formed to look into the matter and provide more facilities like seat reservation to thalassemic students.

“Presently there are over 300 thalassemic children who are undergoing treatment here in Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research. This move of Panjab University will certainly infuse a string of motivation and energy among these young patients,” Rohit Ruhella, a social worker here told IANS.

The student fraternity of the university, too, is quite happy with the decision.

“These children are also like our own brothers and sisters and we are really glad that our university has taken this step,” said Manipal Singh Atwal, a student.

Thalassemia is an inherited autosomal recessive blood disease. In thalassemia, the genetic defect results in reduced rate of synthesis of one of the globin chains that make up hemoglobin.

The university authorities had also reserved a seat for single girl child in each department in 2008 to strengthen the status of women in the society.

The Panjab University campus is spread over 550 acres in Sector 14 and 25 of Chandigarh. Over 10,000 students, of which 70 percent are girls, study here in over 60 teaching and research departments.

Blood transfusion second highest cause for infection

Courtesy: timeofindia.indiatimes.com

Ahmedabad : Mitesh,12, undergoes at least 20 blood transfusions in a year for thalassemia. One such life-saving transfusion gave him AIDS. Mitesh was among the five thalassemic kids who contracted the deadly disease in July last year and now almost a year later their families are yet to come to terms with it an instance when borrowed life seems like a curse.

The latest figures of Ahmedabad Aids Control Society (AACS) reveals that blood transfusion happens to be second highest cause for HIV infection in Ahmedabad after sexual encounters. In just one and half years, 316 children below the age of 14 contracted HIV virus through blood transfusions alone. Nearly 2,719 children, in the same age group, had turned up for voluntary HIV tests in the same period after undergoing blood transfusions in the city fearing infection.

But, are there ways to prevent such tragedies? State health department was recently approached by blood banks and especially Red Cross society to help them set up a Nucleus Acid Test (NAT) unit at major dispensing centres. These tests can detect the HIV virus in the inactive state, before the blood is injected into the needy patients.

“One sure way is to make it mandatory for all blood transfusion centres to assign a certain group of trusted donors to thalassemic children. A child needs at least 20 transfusions in a year,” believes Jagruti foundation secretary Anil Khatri.

The danger lies when the donor donates blood during the three-month window period after having contracted HIV virus. No conventional test can detect the virus at this stage. When blood goes into cold storage, the virus is inactive and when finally injected into a recipient patient, it manages to complete the window period, and turns positive after sometime.

“Since these tests cost almost Rs 1,000, they burn a hole in the pocket for many. We have requested state government to formulate a system which is affordable,” says Mahesh Trivedi, Red Cross society secretary for Ahmedabad.

The only other option, however, is Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests that are costlier than NAT. Ahmedabad Civil Hospital has one unit which is yet to become operational.

“PCR is a costly affair. Generally, we avoid recommending PCR as it would become a liability for the government. Each tests costs close to Rs 2,000,” says a senior civil hospital doctor.\

Marriage hopes dashed

Courtesy by: SaudiGazette.com

RIYADH – Hopes of over 10,000 persons wanting to tie the knot were dashed as obligatory pre-marital tests conducted by the Ministry of Health found them unfit to marry.

A majority of those failing the tests suffer from venereal and hereditary diseases. The results revealed 39 cases of AIDS, 2,075 cases of Hepatitis B and 549 cases of Hepatitis C, Al-Watan said.

The report showed that 6,201 people were found suffering from sickle cell anemia besides 1,235 cases of thalassemia (a hereditary disease resulting from defects in the synthesis of the red blood pigment hemoglobin).

Dr. Khalid Marghalani, spokesman of the Ministry of Health, said 166,657 people have so far undergone pre-marital tests since the introduction of the obligatory test in 2005.