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Medicines or Exercise?

The largest benefits were seen among people with depression, pregnant and postpartum women, healthy individuals, and people diagnosed with HIV or kidney disease…reports Asian Lite News

Researchers from the University of South Australia recommend physical activity to be a mainstay strategy for controlling depression as a new study demonstrates that it is 1.5 times more beneficial than psychotherapy or the most popular medications.

The review, which was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, includes 97 studies, 1039 trials, and 1,28,119 participants. It is the most extensive to date. It demonstrates how much better the signs of sadness, anxiety, and distress are when people are physically active. Specifically, the review showed that exercise interventions that were 12 weeks or shorter were most effective at reducing mental health symptoms, highlighting the speed at which physical activity can make a change.

The largest benefits were seen among people with depression, pregnant and postpartum women, healthy individuals, and people diagnosed with HIV or kidney disease.

According to the World Health Organization, one in every eight people worldwide (970 million people) live with a mental disorder. Poor mental health costs the world economy approximately USD2.5 trillion each year, a cost projected to rise to USD6 trillion by 2030. In Australia, an estimated one in five people (aged 16-85) have experienced a mental disorder in the past 12 months.

Lead UniSA researcher, Dr Ben Singh, says physical activity must be prioritised to better manage the growing cases of mental health conditions.

“Physical activity is known to help improve mental health. Yet despite the evidence, it has not been widely adopted as a first-choice treatment,” Dr Singh says.

“Our review shows that physical activity interventions can significantly reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety in all clinical populations, with some groups showing even greater signs of improvement.

“Higher intensity exercise had greater improvements for depression and anxiety, while longer durations had smaller effects when compared to short and mid-duration bursts.

“We also found that all types of physical activity and exercise were beneficial, including aerobic exercises such as walking, resistance training, Pilates, and yoga,” Singh said.

Senior researcher, UniSA’s Prof Carol Maher, says the study is the first to evaluate the effects of all types of physical activity on depression, anxiety, and psychological distress in all adult populations.

“Examining these studies as a whole is an effective way for clinicians to easily understand the body of evidence that supports physical activity in managing mental health disorders. We hope this review will underscore the need for physical activity, including structured exercise interventions, as a mainstay approach for managing depression and anxiety,” Maher said. ( ANI)

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Lebanese cancer patients struggle to find medicines amid crisis

For those who are unable to pay for their medicines, they have to stop their treatment, which could have a detrimental effect on their health…writes Dana Halawi

Abbas Nasreddine, a Lebanese citizen in his 60s, has been battling lymphatic cancer for more than two years. But four months ago, he was forced to stop treatment temporarily due to a lack of cancer medicines in Lebanon.

Nasreddine, who was prescribed Imbruvica for life, was finally able to purchase his medicines from the local market recently. Still, he is not sure if he could buy it in future as Lebanon’s lingering financial crisis has made it increasingly difficult to obtain such medicines.

“I am very worried, because I do not know if my treatment could continue or not,” he said.

Since Lebanon was hit by a financial crisis in 2019, the value of the Lebanese currency against the U.S. dollar has decreased by more than 90 percent. Lebanon’s central bank has steadily reduced subsidies for a variety of commodities that were pegged to a fixed exchange rate, Xinhua reported.

Lebanon still subsidizes patients suffering from a number of chronic diseases, such as cancer. However, due to a lack of medicines, wealthier patients have to buy medicines either on the black market or from other countries through family or friends at higher prices.

For those who are unable to pay for their medicines, they have to stop their treatment, which could have a detrimental effect on their health.

Mohamed Jaber, a pharmacist and secretary-general of the Order of Pharmacists of Lebanon, blamed the drawn-out procedure of Banque Du Liban (BDL), Lebanon’s central bank, for the medicine shortage.

Due to the financial crisis, the BDL asks medicine importers to obtain prior authorization. Such authorization is necessary for BDL to open letters of credit, which is required to import subsidized medicines, said Jaber.

The procedure usually takes a long time and delays the delivery of new shipments, sometimes making it difficult for patients to receive what they need, he said.

The shortage of cancer medicines has forced a big number of patients to stop their treatment, which has led to the deterioration of their health, said Nizar Bitar, a hematology and oncology medicine professor at the Sahel hospital in Beirut.

“Cancer patients have to take their medicines regularly, on time and in accordance with specific guidance. Because of a lack of medicines, we were sometimes obliged to provide outdated or less effective treatments to patients rather than new ones that would have improved their quality of life,” Bitar said.

Bitar said that some treatments involve the prescription of several medicines, but when one of them is unavailable, the doctor is compelled to change the treatment without being able to evaluate its consequences properly.

Some cancer patients in Lebanon have expressed their worry and concerns over the country’s failure to ensure necessary treatments for patients with cancers and other chronic diseases.

Fawzia Fayad, a woman who failed to survive cancer under the medicine shortage, was among one of a few outspoken Lebanese to voice concern about the country’s medicine shortage. She passed away on March 3 at 24, after failing to get proper medication.

In the past few months, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has on many occasions called on international bodies and donor countries to support Lebanon’s cancer-fighting patients amid the current economic crisis.

At a parliamentary health committee meeting on Monday, he promised to allocate more funds for cancer medication.

However, Jaber believed that the Lebanese government wouldn’t be able to resolve this problem anytime soon because of the severe financial crisis.

The best solution now is to allow importers to bring in non-subsidized cancer medicines to ensure they are available on the local market, even if at higher prices, he added.

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Covid-hit Africa yearns for Indian medicines, vaccines

“However, India must move fast to ensure that it does not lose out on an opportunity. It needs to leverage its strength and position as a global leader in this area,” an industry source said…reports Mahua Venkatesh.

As the 55-member African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) – touted as the biggest deal since the World Trade Organisation– gets shape, the authorities are keen to push forward an agreement seeking enhanced collaboration and partnership with India in the field of affordable medicine and vaccine production.

Though India is currently focused on delivering Covid 19 vaccines to its own citizens, several countries are pushing New Delhi to resume exports of the jabs, which are priced more competitively compared to other vaccines.

As the Covid 19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of availability of affordable medicines and vaccines, the role of India, as the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer would be enhanced, especially at a time when vaccine protectionism has become a major challenge.

“However, India must move fast to ensure that it does not lose out on an opportunity. It needs to leverage its strength and position as a global leader in this area,” an industry source said.

Foreign policy watchers said India is looking to ink a comprehensive deal with the AfCFTA which is aimed at creating a single market comprising 1.3 billion people with a combined GDP of about $3.4 trillion.

David Ong’olo former chairman, Competition Authority of Kenya said that the immediate agenda for AfCFTA should be the issue of affordable medicine and vaccine production.

“I feel India can play a big role in this. The country is already the largest vaccine manufacturer, going ahead we need to look at ways by which India can also collaborate in investing in setting up vaccine manufacturing facilities in various countries in Africa,” Ong’olo said, adding that India and Africa have traditionally shared “very cordial trade” relations.

While many countries produce vaccines, not all of them have been exporting.

The pricing strategy of the vaccines developed by the rich nations — home to Big Pharma — has also caused concerns for many nations.

Covid 19 vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna are high priced and most developing and poorer nations will not be able to afford the jabs, essentially leading to an overdependence of the drugs made in India.

For Africa, the most critical issue at this point is to provide vaccines for all its people.

A press statement released in July after the 16th CII-Exim Bank Digital Conclave on India Africa partnership, said that the Covid-19 pandemic has provided the impetus for a stronger partnership between the two with potential benefits to both as they build back sustainably after the crisis.

Energy and geopolitical expert Narendra Taneja, said that India should be looking at Africa from three different angles.

“Africa is a very important continent, not only for India, (but) for the whole world. I mean, I have also said that, you know, this century people keep saying that this is (an) Asian century. And I always argue this is Africa’s century, because by 2050, India, China and all of these countries will peak and they will need Africa, the market, in order to sustain their growth and prosperity,” he said.

India has already increased its engagements with Africa.

In June, foreign minister S Jaishankar visited Kenya. Soon after, in the first week of July, Ministry of External Affairs secretary (Economic Relations) Rahul Chhabra visited Ghana’s capital Accra, which is the headquarter of the AfCFTA.

“India has increased its economic activities in Africa, its investments have risen significantly in the last few years but now New Delhi must work out a mechanism with the AfCFTA to be able to expand bilateral trade further,” Pradeep S Mehta, Secretary General, CUTS International said.

Modi’s focus on Africa

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, soon after he assumed office in 2014, outlined his Africa strategy. In 2015, a mega India Africa summit was held in New Delhi, which was attended by 54 nations. Modi said that Africa will remain at the centre of India’s attention.

“We will work with you to realize your vision of a prosperous Africa, based on inclusive growth, empowered citizens and sustainable development; an integrated and culturally vibrant Africa; and, a peaceful and secure Africa, which has its rightful global place and is a strong partner for the world,” he said in his address.

According to a report published by Observer Research Foundation (ORF) the AfCFTA provides a number of opportunities for the Indian firms and investors to tap into a larger, unified, simplified and more robust African market. “It is critical for India to view Africa not just as a destination for short-term returns but as a partner for medium and long-term economic growth,” the report said.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

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