Depending on the location of the sac, a child may be weak in the limbs with abnormalities in the feet, may be unable to walk or may walk with difficulty.

Due to nerve damage, children may lack sensation and feel pain in the body, especially the legs. Some children totally lose feelings below the level of the sac and others around the toes, and as a result, injuries may not be felt, while simple burns and wounds may take long to heal.

A child may also not be able to control urine and bowel outflow due to the damaged nerves that control the muscles of the bowel and bladder.

Ends

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The recently released report indicated that Uganda’s population had shot up to 35 million and is largely comprised of the youth.

According to Director of Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment Godbar Tumushabe, the current demographic composition does not foster development and is so dependent on the government and the limited resources.

Tumushabe says that although this population can be a source of labour, it is incapable of steering the country to development.

He is now advising that government invests more in agriculture, health and education among other sectors to improve the quality of population.

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 The part of the earth called Israel and Palestine is a small one, measuring 10,000 square miles at present.

In Israel’s long history, its area, population and ownership varied greatly. The present state of Israel occupies all the land from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean ocean, bounded by Egypt in the south, Lebanon in the north, and Jordan in the East.

The recognized boarders of Israel constitute about 78% of the land. The remainder is divided between land occupied by Israel since the 1967 6-day war and the autonomous regions under the control of the Palestinian autonomy.

Its Gaza strip occupies an additional 141 square miles south of Israel, and it is under the control of the Palestinian authority.
Palestine has been settled continuously for tens of thousands of years. Fossil remains have been found of Homo erectus, Neanderthal and transitional types between Neanderthal and modern man. Archeologists have found hybrid Emmer wheat at Jericho dating from before 8,000 B.C., making it one of the oldest sites of agricultural activity in the world. Amorites, Canaanites, and other Semitic peoples related to the Phoenicians of Tyre entered the area about 2000 B.C.

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How to control premature greying: Hair reflects the quality of blood and the strength of the kidneys. The foods one should avoid in order to check occurrence of premature greying include excessive meat, dairy products and salty, acidic, oily, spicy foods and drinks like coffee, alcoholic beverages or tea.

Scientists say that premature greying is sometimes caused by environmental and underling health factors such as diet. Also note that consuming excessive amount of foods with excessive amounts of iodine can increase the risk of developing thyroid complications such as hitches.

Tobacco can also affect the hair follicle cells thus the early greying. Drug dependence due to chronic ailments such as AIDS/HIV, cancer and thyroid imbalance is well documented to be the main trigger for premature greying. This is because they destabilize hormones that in turn affect the body cells, which have an effect on hair follicles.

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UNU-IIGH Ph.D. Fellowships Programme: The United Nation University International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH) Ph.D. Fellowships Programme seeks six postdoctoral candidates from educational institutes around the world who would benefit from a period of stay to twelve months at UNU-IIGH in Kuala Lumpur.

The programme will be closely related to UNU-IIGH’s own research programmes:-

• Efficiency and Quality of Care in Health Systems
• Newly Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases
• Control of Non-communicable Diseases
• Information Technology in Health
• Climate Change and Health
• Impact of Globalization on Health

Fellowship Application Eligibility:

• Applicants must be at the dissertation-writing stage of their Ph.D.s, with their research proposals accepted by the candidates’ universities.
• Candidates must be able to make use of the UNU-IIGH facilities in Kuala Lumpur to carry out their own research on a topic relevant to current research areas of the UNU-IIGH.

Closing Date: 11th July.

For more information and application, see: UNU-IIGH Ph.D. Fellowships Programme

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Over-sweating is also known as ‘hyperhidrosis.’ This in when a person sweats excessively and unpredictably.

Such people can even sweat when the temperatures are cool or when they are at rest.

The people who sweat a lot have overactive sweat glands. The uncontrollable sweating can lead to significant discomfort, both physically and emotionally.

The causes of uncontrollable sweating are glucose control and anxiety disorders whereas for some, it runs in families.

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Foreign troops are reportedly fighting each other over control of Somali cities and major towns. The garrisons under the command of the African Union are fighting to replace Ethiopian forces fighting the Al Shabaab rebels in the two Somali cities of Baidoa and Beledweyne.

The commanders of the Ethiopian troops say that they will leave Somalia only when stability is established. But the Ethiopian army accepts to allow the African Union troops to take control of Baidoa and Beledweyne.

By Christine Kate

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However, these are not the only factors that made this launch distinctive but the presence of the Vice President, Edward Ssekandi who has launched the project. The launch was also blessed and witnessed by the State Minister in Charge of the Elderly and Disability, Hon. Sulaiman Madada, MPs representing People with Disabilities (PWDs) and several other dignitaries from the central Government and Kayunga District local administration.

“I hereby launch the Membership Empowerment Project), a three year project operational in 12 districts and supported by some development partners,” Sekandi said and added.

“It is my strong conviction that this will reinforce the existing agencies supporting our persons with disabilities.” The project seeks to make sure that persons with physical disabilities enjoy equal rights in all aspects of life and are included equally into development programs and projects such as NAADS, Prosperity for All, Northern Uganda Social Action Fund, among others.

The project is implemented in 12 districts including Kayunga, Kiboga, Mubende (central region); Mbarara, Bushenyi and Kisoro (western); Arua, Oyam and Kitgum (northern); Busia, Palissa and Kaberamaido in the east. It is supported by three organisation of persons with disabilities in Denmark: Danish Handicap Forbund; Danish Brain Injury Support Association; and Disabled Sports Organisation Denmark.

Also at the launch, UNAPD’s treasurer Ark Goffin Candria, handed over a copy of the Accessibility Standards to the vice president and asked him to support UNAPD in her endeavour to make the Standards part of the upcoming Building Control Act. Candria noted that one of the biggest challenges persons with physical disabilities face is the inaccessible physical environment. He explained that most of the services are offered in inaccessible building and places, making it impossible for many PWDs to access services. He said with the adoption of the Standards as part of the law, UNAPD hopes that the law will be observed and enforced by the relevant agencies to make building and other facilities usable to all people. Sekandi hailed UNAPD for coming up with the Standards and pledged to push for annexing of the same to the Building Control Act. He also handed over three wheel chairs donated by UNAPD to persons with physical disabilities. Sekandi also   commissioned the International Day for Persons with Disabilities in Kayunga, ahead of the national celebrations that were observed in Lira district on December 3, 2012. The function was organised by Sulaiman Madada, the MP for Bbaale County in Kayunga, partly to thank his voters for reelecting him into Parliament and to commission several development initiatives in the district. PWDs MPs Hellen Asamo, Alex Ndeezi and William Nokrach attended the ceremony. Several officials from the central Government and Kayunga district local government witnessed the ceremony.

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The bill now awaits EAC Heads of State assent to it before it becomes law in the five East Africa Community member states of Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania.

The Bill moved by Patricia Hajabakiga, Member from Rwanda aims at providing a legal framework for the preservation of a clean and healthy environment through the prohibition of manufacturing, sale, importation and use of polythene materials.

Justifying the move to have the regional law in place, Hajabakiga stated that the Bill is intended to control the use of polythenes while advocating for the total ban of plastics.

The mover notes several dangers of plastics and polythene materials notably soil degradation through burning of wastes, harmful emissions of toxics and the endangering of human and animal lives.

She further indicates that while plastics can be burned, they emit chemicals and the corresponding photo-degradation has consequential impact on human and infrastructure.
The MP says countries such as Bangladesh, Botswana, Israel, Rwanda and France among others have since enacted a similar law.

The Chairperson of the Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources Committee, Hon Safina Kwekwe whose Committee the Assembly mandated to look through the Bill, remarked that the Committee had met various stakeholders in the Partner States during the public hearings.

The meetings were called to create awareness of plastics and visit plastic manufacturers with a view to interfacing with them and suggesting for improvements on the Bill

In its report, the Committee states that Rwanda which has an existing law in place supported the Bill while requesting for inclusion of a clause on alternatives to polythene materials as well as an incentive programme.

Uganda on its part, enacted a law for the control of polythene materials in 2009 although the law is yet to be fully implemented. There are challenges with respect to disposal of such wastes owing to absence of recycling facilities, the Committee reported.

Stakeholders in Kenya were of the view that while polythenes are an environmental menace, a balance needs to be struck between eradicating them on the one side and the promotion and protection of investments on the other.  Generally, the stakeholders in Kenya suggested adjustment to specifications of polythene materials other than total ban and the introduction of a levy to allow the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) to manage the waste.

The United Republic of Tanzania generally supports the Bill on the understanding that only plastic bags should be banned and not all polythene materials. The same is the case with the Republic of Burundi. In Zanzibar, the report notes – issues concerning the environment are non-union and in 2008, the isle took the initiative to ban the use of plastics with a three year transitional period provided for in the law, expiring last year.

Stakeholders during public hearings however raised counter arguments including loss of income, jobs and reduced revenue affecting the economies. The issue of measuring of the microns, the House was told, is expensive even though it was suggested that balancing of revenues earned by governments compared to the very act of checking the environment should be taken into consideration.

During debate, majority of Members rose in support of the Bill.   Hon Emerence Bucumi hailed the Assembly’s decision to protect the environment noting that the region should emulate Rwanda’s example.  “We must protect the environment and share common interests in our desire to ensure a healthy environment, Hon Bucumi said.  Hon Christophe Bazivamo remarked that plastic bags were not only a menace to the environment but also harmed livestock as well.  Other Members in support were Hon. Dr. George Nangale and Hon Margaret Zziwa.

The Minister for EAC Hon Peter Munya reiterated the support of the Council of Ministers to the Bill.  “Polythene waste is a major hindrance in urban and rural areas and attempts to ensure solid waste management is thus essential and welcome.  The envisaged law in the Council’s view, shall control pollution and save both flora and fauna, he said.  Further attempts to ban the plastics in the region have not been entirely successful in the Partner States save for Rwanda and it is now time to collectively act”, Hon Munya said.

The Minister also presented mind boggling statistics of the use of plastic bags noting that the continent was most affected.

Amendments that sailed through during the debate include a change in title with the replacement of the word polythene with plastic to read “The East African Community Plastic Control Bill”.  This, Members agree has a wider scope and is consequential.

The Bill shall now go through the succeeding stages of assent with the Speaker of the Assembly expected to submit the amended /Assent copies to the Heads of State for assent.  Should it be assented (signed) to by the five Heads of State, then it shall become law.  In event that one or some (or all) Heads of State do not assent to the Bill then it shall be returned to the Assembly.

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Katongole has also denied media reports that KCCA has taken over control of the daily management of public transport in Kampala.

Katongole further assured drivers that KCCA will have no choice but to renew the contract of UTODA when it expires on October 30^th 2014.

Katongole told the drivers in Kampala today that KCCA under the laws don’t have powers to collect revenue direct from taxi parks.

Katongole told drivers that the president and the government in general is backing UTODA to remain in the transport command in Uganda. Recently many drivers in Kampala protested against what they called mistreatment by UTODA.

Ultimate Media

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