Tag: Impacts

  • Researchers use 3-D printing, sensors to create models for hydropower testing

    Researchers use 3-D printing, sensors to create models for hydropower testing

    Hydropower developers must consider many factors when it comes time to license a new project or renew an existing one: How can environmental impacts be mitigated, including to fish populations? Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have landed a unique solution: using 3-D printing and sensors to create fake fish for turbine testing.

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    https://techxplore.com/news/2020-03-d-sensors-hydropower.html

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  • COVID-19: IFRC, UNICEF and WHO issue guidance to protect children and support safe school operations

    GENEVA/NEW YORK – The International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC), UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) today issued new guidance to help protect children and schools from transmission of the COVID-19 virus. The guidance provides critical considerations and practical checklists to keep schools safe. It also advises national and local authorities on how to adapt and implement emergency plans for educational facilities. 

    In the event of school closures, the guidance includes recommendations to mitigate against the possible negative impacts on children’s learning and wellbeing. This means having solid plans in place to ensure the continuity of learning, including remote learning options such as online education strategies and radio broadcasts of academic content, and access to essential services for all children. These plans should also include necessary steps for the eventual safe reopening of schools.

    Where schools remain open, and to make sure that children and their families remain protected and informed, the guidance calls for:

    • Providing children with information about how to protect themselves;
    • Promoting best handwashing and hygiene practices and providing hygiene supplies;
    • Cleaning and disinfecting school buildings, especially water and sanitation facilities; and
    • Increasing airflow and ventilation.

    The guidance, while specific to countries that have already confirmed the transmission of COVID-19, is still relevant in all other contexts. Education can encourage students to become advocates for disease prevention and control at home, in school, and in their community by talking to others about how to prevent the spread of viruses. Maintaining safe school operations or reopening schools after a closure, requires many considerations, but if done well, can promote public health.

    For example, safe school guidelines implemented in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone during the outbreak of Ebola virus disease from 2014 to 2016 helped prevent school-based transmissions of the virus.

    UNICEF is urging schools – whether open or helping students through remote learning – to provide students with holistic support. Schools should provide children with vital information on handwashing and other measures to protect themselves and their families; facilitate mental health support; and help to prevent stigma and discrimination by encouraging students to be kind to each other and avoid stereotypes when talking about the virus.

    The new guidance also offers helpful tips and checklists for parents and caregivers, as well as children and students themselves. These actions include:

    • Monitoring children’s health and keeping them home from school if they are ill;
    • Encouraging children to ask questions and express their concerns; and
    • Coughing or sneezing into a tissue or your elbow and avoid touching your face, eyes, mouth and nose.

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    https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/10-03-2020-covid-19-ifrc-unicef-and-who-issue-guidance-to-protect-children-and-support-safe-school-operations

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  • France pledges US$100 million (€90 million) for WHO Academy

    France pledges US$100 million (€90 million) for WHO Academy

    Geneva: France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Mr Jean-Yves Le Drian, and Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,  Director-General of WHO today met at the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations in Geneva to discuss the WHO Academy, which will be the world’s largest and most innovative lifelong learning platform in global health.

    The WHO Academy aims to reach millions of people worldwide, offering high-tech learning environments at a “hub” in Lyon with “spokes” in the six WHO regions. The Academy will provide learning opportunities for leaders, educators, researchers, health workers, WHO staff and the broader public, and will deliver high quality, multilingual learning, both online and in-person, alongside a cutting-edge simulation centre for health emergencies.

    The discussion today follows a Declaration of Intent signed by Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic and Dr Tedros on 11 June 2019, and a pledge by France in the amount of US$ 100 million (€ 90 million) to WHO to support the creation of the WHO Academy, which will be established as an internal division within WHO.

    “Technology and innovation in learning are creating exciting new opportunities to accelerate progress towards health for all in every country,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. “The WHO Academy will support millions of learners to maximize health impacts with the best evidence, adult learning approaches and state-of-the-art technologies.”

    By propelling and strengthening digital innovations and lifelong learning opportunities around the world, the WHO Academy will play an instrumental role towards achieving WHO’s triple billion goal by 2023 and the health Sustainable Development Goals: 1 billion more people will benefit from universal health coverage; 1 billion more will be better protected in health emergencies, and 1 billion more will enjoy improved health and wellbeing.

    The funding from France represents a commitment to accelerate the development of the WHO Academy, and confirms the engagement of France — a longstanding partner of WHO and a key actor in global health – and its strong support to the ambitions of 13th WHO General Programme of Work to ensure healthy lives and well-being for all ages. 

     

    France pledges US$100 million (€90 million) for WHO Academy
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    https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/24-02-2020-france-pledges-us100-million-for-who-academy

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  • Female Genital Mutilation Hurts Women and Economies

    Female Genital Mutilation Hurts Women and Economies

    Female genital mutilation (FGM) exacts a crippling economic as well as human cost, according to World Health Organization (WHO).

    “FGM is not only a catastrophic abuse of human rights that significantly harms the physical and mental health of millions of girls and women; it is also a drain on a country’s vital economic resources,” said Dr Ian Askew, Director of WHO’s Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research. “More investment is urgently needed to stop FGM and end the suffering it inflicts.”

    New modelling reveals that the total costs of treating the health impacts of FGM would amount to USD 1.4 billion globally per year, if all resulting medical needs were addressed. For individual countries, these costs would near 10% of their entire yearly expenditure on health on average; in some countries, this figure rises to as much as 30%.

    The interactive modelling tool that generated these data was launched on the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation.

    Severe physical and mental health impacts for women and girls

    Women and girls living with FGM face serious risks to their health and well-being. These include immediate consequences after being cut, such as infections, bleeding or psychological trauma, as well as chronic health conditions that can occur throughout life.

    Women who have undergone the procedure are more likely to experience life-threatening complications during childbirth. They may face mental health disorders or suffer chronic infections. They may also have pain or problems when they menstruate, urinate or have sexual intercourse. 

    All of these conditions warrant much-needed medical attention and care.

    “High healthcare costs for countries mount because of the tragic personal impacts on women and girls. Governments have a moral responsibility to help end this harmful practice,” says Dr Prosper Tumusiime, Acting Director for Universal Health Coverage and the Life Course in the African Regional Office of WHO. “FGM hurts girls, imposes lifelong health risks on the women they become, and strains the healthcare systems that need to treat them.”

    Preventing FGM brings major benefits for women, girls, communities and economies

    Using data from 27 high-prevalence countries, the Cost Calculator demonstrates clear economic benefits from ending FGM. If it were abandoned now, it shows that the associated savings in health costs would be more than 60% by 2050.

    In contrast, if no action is taken, it is estimated that these costs will soar by 50% over the same time period, as populations grow and as more girls undergo the procedure.

    Since 1997, great efforts have been made to end FGM, through work within communities, research, and changes in legislation and policy. 26 countries in Africa and the Middle East now explicitly legislate against FGM, as well as 33 other countries with migrant populations from FGM-practicing countries.

    WHO is also working with countries to raise awareness of the harmful impacts of the practice among their health workers, and to engage them in prevention efforts.

    “Many countries and communities are showing that abandoning female genital mutilation is possible,” states Dr Christina Pallitto, scientist at WHO. “If countries invest to end female genital mutilation, they can prevent their girls from undergoing this harmful practice and promote the health, rights and well-being of women and girls.”

    Female genital mutilation is internationally recognized as a human rights violation. It has no medical benefits and causes only harm. WHO’s position is that FGM must never be carried out.

    Further information

    The FGM Cost Calculator will be available here, as of 00:30 CET 6 February 2020:
    www.who.int/news-room/detail/06-02-2020-economic-cost-of-female-genital-mutilation

    More on FGM

    Notes for Editors

    About FGM

    FGM includes procedures that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. More than 200 million girls and women alive today are estimated to have undergone the practice across 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where FGM is concentrated.

    FGM is mostly carried out on young girls between infancy and 15 years of age.

    About the FGM Cost Calculator

    The WHO FGM Cost Calculator shows the economic cost of treating the health complications caused by FGM across 27 high-prevalence countries. These costs were calculated using the WHO One Health tool and other available scientific evidence.

    Users of the tool can calculate costs by country in a ‘business as usual’ scenario; a scenario of partial abandonment of FGM, and full abandonment of FGM over a 30-year period. In addition, the distribution of costs by different types of health complications is presented by country.

    The tool does not consider other indirect costs that hit families and communities, or the socio-economic impacts of the practice, which would be significantly higher still.

    The 27 countries modelled include Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Còte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Iraq, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Soudan, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Togo, United Republic of Tanzania, Yemen.

    Female Genital Mutilation Hurts Women and Economies
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    https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/06-02-2020-female-genital-mutilation-hurts-women-and-economies

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  • Landmark – The Inside Story of America’s New Health Care Law and What It Means for Us All

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    Book Review: Landmark – The inside story of America’s new health care law and what it means for us all

    Landmark is a collection of essays written by various reporters, editors and national staff of ‘Washington Post’ followed by the actual text of the bill. It provides a comprehensible summary of the legislation and examines its impacts on Americans on various categories and on health care system as a whole. In addition to this, it gives a very rich historical background and perspective. Such as how the legislation came together, the events and negotiations, the political challenges and obstacles, etc etc

    The book has a systematic structure and is divided into three sections. The first section provides behind the scene reporting about the way the law came up. The second section highlights the effects and impacts of the new law whereas the third section is a summary of the legislation.

    For a lot of people, the presence of the historical background makes it a worthwhile read as it also covers a lot about the national healthcare coverage. People also find it a worthwhile read because it gives a proper and detailed coverage as compared to the fragmented and sensational media coverage.

    Although the bill seems to be corrupted in a few places, the authors still manage to convince you that the law will change the way doctors make business and also mark a change in the patients experiences.

    This book will increase your knowledge on the issues related to this bill and your ability to discuss and debate on the issue will also be enhanced. This book provides a very balanced perspective and should be read by all.

    Landmark is a well written analysis of the new health care reform bill, all of the contributors clarify specific areas of the bill, recommended.

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    Source by Jami Kiya

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  • Benefits of Appointing a Doctor Through the Online Scheduling Services

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    The busy and fast life and the unbridled lifestyle have created numerous negative impacts on our body as well as on our health. As a consequence, medicines and doctors have become the regular necessities of our lives. Medical emergencies are needed to be handled immediately as negligence can provoke harmful results. The instant involvement of a medical practitioner can save the life of your loved ones. But to visit a doctor, we need to get an appointment first, which can be quite a time-taking process and chances is there to get the help late.

    Doctors do have a very busy schedule and it is quite doubtful to get them exactly at the time of your requirement. In such a condition, the online scheduling services can be proved pretty beneficiary for all those who have an urgency to consult a doctor. It is pretty fast and quick and the websites are easily accessible. But most of all, these sites provide a list of doctors and medical practitioners, from where you can simply pick up the right one for you. Below are some of the advantages you can get, if you book an appointment online from these scheduling services.

    Time-saving

    Time is a big factor at the moment of the crisis. A little wastage of time can create an unfulfilled loss forever. The appointment scheduling websites utilize the time in a tactful way. From cardiologists to the general physician, they provide a list of doctors who are specialists in various medical fields, which makes your pursuit quite easy and effortless.

    All-time availability

    A crisis can occur even at the midnight. You don’t know when you will need to consult a medical expert. These online sites offer you the freedom to schedule an appointment according to your convenience, without creating a disturbance to the doctors apparently.

    The contact details in handy

    Finding a doctor is not enough. You need the proper address of the medical specialist and need to acquire the contact information too. An online scheduling service puts all these details on the website beside the names, designation and the images of the doctors.

    Easy to assess

    These scheduling sites provide a detailed profile of the specialists, including their qualification and the previous works they have handled, by which you can compare their expertise. This helps you to pick up the suitable one for you.

    Reliable and convenient

    In case of a manual consultation, in spite of standing for a long time in the queue, chances are high of getting late due to the doctor’s delay or for the lack of time. But if you book an appointment online, these things don’t create any effect at all. You can easily get your work done in an expedient and hassle-free manner.

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    Source by Luther Martin

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  • How To Rescue Love And Heal A Relationship Or Fix A Broken Marriage

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    Many couples experience rainy weather in their relationship at one point or another in their lives.

    This is very natural since there are a lot of aspects that can develop common relationship problems and disputes in between couples and sometimes, nobody wants to pave the way.

    This is where most of the relationship issues begin, when both partners do not recognize their faults and imperfections, and both are attempting to point out that they are best and it is always the other who is incorrect.

    Disputes should never be reason enough to end a relationship. There are still easy ways to heal a relationship and effective rekindling the old love.

    Interact with your Partner

    Interaction is among the most effective keys to complete a relationship rescue strategy.

    Because increasingly more couples these days breakup without even acknowledging the real reason things go wrong, this must considered on the to-do list of how to fix the broken marriage.

    That’s why family counseling can open newer doors for seeing the light in repairing the relationship issues.

    The Course in Miracles asks us to contemplate, “How much do you want salvation.”

    Partners need to talk things over and voice out their sides and open up their grudges prior to being far too late when things are getting rather out of hand.

    Through interaction, both will have a clear image of exactly what is going on, why the conflict is happening, and exactly what relationship rescue approaches can be done to exceed this duration.

    When to Keep Quiet

    Silence could not be the best solution for a reliable relationship rescue, but it does contribute a lot so a relationship struggle doesn’t worsen.

    Frequently, when couples are having conflicts, they have the tendency to talk excessively and say things that can be hurtful, thus they disregard one of the most important parts of a relationship which is listening.

    When to keep quiet and peaceful throughout a heated argument is something couples need to learn, because it’s always best not to raise voices, yell at each other, and worse, resort to physical violence to silence the other.

    When both are angry, they must let their heavy emotions subside first before speaking because typically, a mad person speaks even without sense and never takes any reason.

    Spend some Time Alone at Times

    Previously I discussed and reviewed the many tidbits and free advice available online for saving the marriage or a love relationship when both parties are willing and ready to heal.

    If communication and keeping silence did not work as part of the relationship rescue plan, having time to be alone could be a good thing to do for the meantime.

    Conflicts have two impacts: one is to reinforce the relationship and two is to break the relationship.

    If these disputes repeat in circles every day, the tendency is that both partners will be fed up, and thus the very first thing that concerns their mind as a solution is to end the relationship.

    If both have some space for a while and try to reassess their sensations and recognize where their errors are, this can be avoided.

    Give some Space

    When he or she is not around, this can be a reliable common relationship problems solution due to the fact that in some cases individuals realize the importance of their partner.

    These are some of the effective ways that couples can do in order to achieve an effective relationship rescue and rekindling the old love.

    Both partners need to recognize that ending the relationship is not always a good path to take just to end a dispute, however rather follow these relationship rescue techniques to resolve them.

    With all these things in mind, no matter what common relationship problems can be found in the relationship, both partners can get through these and make their relationship even stronger.

    Finding Strength

    Try to remember that unsettled arguments and disputes have a few effects, and one is to strengthen the relationship and open each other’s eyes, and another is to end the relationship.

    These are some of the efficient lessons that can be learned in family counseling, and what to address so that you may save your relationship.

    Both partners need to realize that leaving the relationship is many times not the best solution to end a conflict, however instead follow these marriage tips to solve them.

    With all these things in mind, no matter what common relationship problems creep in, both partners can get through these and make rekindling the old love even more powerful.

    Try to look at the strong components for healing a love problem so that a wonderful relationship is lived.

    (I suggest searching the net for further helpful and healing material on trying to save your relationship and addressing the issues that could potentially reach the end of the line and become too hard and disastrous to handle.)

    To saving your relationship!

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    Source by James Nussbaumer

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