Healthy lifestyle stressed on World Health Day
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 01 2011: As in other parts of the globe, World Health Day was observed by various organisations in different parts of the State today.

The theme for this year's observance was 'Combat drug resistance : No action today, no cure tomorrow' .

Under the sponsorship of National Rural Health Mission, the observance function at Manipur Press Club, Majorkhul, was organised jointly by Vision Foundation, Manipur and Nahakpam Foods and Beverages.

Chairperson of Manipur State Social Welfare Board RK Nayansana Devi; Associate Professor of Gastro-intestinal Surgery, RIMS Dr Aribam Devadutta Sharma and Consultant Urologist of Chamber Hospital Medical Care & Research Centre, Imphal Dr N Jitendra Singh attended the observance as chief guest, functional president and guest of honour respectively.

In the key note address, general manager of Nahakpam Foods & Beverages, Nahakpam Shanta Singh explained that World Health Day is being observed under the supervision of World Health Organisation on April 7 every year to highlight key health issues and encourage people of all ages to lead a disease free life.

So, World Health Day provides a unique opportunity to all the people across the world to come together and promote actions that can improve our health collectively.

Social worker K Satyajit shares his thought on World Health Day

Describing discovery of anti-microbial medicines as one of the most significant advancement in health care history of humankind, he observed that today none of us can imagine living in a world without anti-microbials.

But increasing use of anti-microbials has led to resistant to these medicines causing deaths, greater suffering, disability and higher health care cost.

So, there is the need to control misuse of anti-microbials and spread public awareness in this regard.

Otherwise, risk on human lives from infectious diseases would become uncontrollable and could derail the progress made towards reaching the health related United Nations Millennium Development Goals by 2015 .

Speaking as chief guest of the observance, RK Nayansana Devi pointed out the need for public awareness on resistance to drugs from constant abuse.

We should consult the doctors before using any drugs, she exhorted, while expressing concern over increasing drug abuse in Manipur.

Speaking on the same line, Dr Jitendra Singh observed that drug resistance will remains in Manipur as long as there is no awareness on the side-effects of using drugs without consulting the doctors among the people.

Dr Aribam Devadutta Sharma too pointed out that an evolutionary pressure has come about today as a consequent of misusing drugs and multi-drug resistance has make the people sick for a whole life.

Furthermore, he pointed out that there is no protocol for use of antibiotics in Manipur so far.

Some people give antibiotics to sick people when they have viral fever.

This is wrong.

People having viral fever do not need antibiotics.

So, doctors should be consulted before using any drugs, he advised.