The New Nation - Internet Edition

Rifat Zafreen

Half of the world population is women. So, women can play a huge role in the progress and welfare of a country. Their contribution really counts. As a person a woman has some duties and responsibilities to her society, nation and so country. In the same way society and country also have many duties to her. If women can build up themselves by enjoying their social rights, only then it is possible for them to move forward their hands to their country.

This is true that physically men-women are not alike, but in question of intelligence, workability and potential, there is no difference and this is an established truth. So, to differentiate men-women, raising point of 'superioror inferior', 'able-unable' is meaningless and pointless in this modern era of the Chauvinistic civilisation. But male chauvinistic society still tactfully captures women, bars them and thus destroys their rights and ceases their existence enclosing their periphery which makes their active entity inactive.

At this stage of the century while we, the human beings claim ourselves highly civilised and intelligent, we avoid, exploit, suppress half of the population of women. Our claim really sounds empty and bottomless. Women race are aware of their rights today. Now they can realise, it is no liberty without having their economic liberty. The horizon of their sight, realisation, thoughts widens now. They can feel, it is the right time to establish their rights and involve themselves in national development.

The position of women is very important in any civilised society. It is not their only duty to do chores and raise children, they understand now that they are also capable of doing any creative and development work with men shoulder to shoulder. And this realisation, refined sensation is now deep-rooted in them due to having modem education. Previously though the women could feel and realise this, but it was unexpressed and unimplemented, but today at this age this truth has become a real truth and highly expressed, widened and implemented. All these have become possible only because of receiving modem education by them.

Now this might be a question-what is modern education. And the answer is that education is modern education that contributes in expressing the potential and ability of women according to the workability and power of the women of their own circle and effort. That is modem education which teaches them about their rights, along with how to come out of the so-called rituals and trends and superstitions of these so-called rituals and trends are against women's progress and liberty that make them dependent economically and mentally, let them and teach them to sacrifice their self-respect and thus make them paralysed completely.

At the start of twenty-first century women liberation has spread widely. As a result their steps to different fields of work is highly noticeable and thus their potential is highly proved, appreciated and praised. Women now have realised, their duty is not only in the role of a wife and mother, and not only in performing duties perfectly at home. According to their educational qualification, physical fitness and intelligence, it is their responsibility to establish them in the right places, right for them, they feel. It has become part of their existence. Today they know, it is not complete keeping half of the population-women-deprived and disconnected. Like the broken wings of a bird which cannot fly, socio-economic activities are also in vain if the women are kept and if they remain off screen and off stage. Barring women means a huge misuse of labour, talent and education that stop the rise of economic growth. It becomes a wall in the way of a full bloomed civilisation.

So, to be a partner of women development, it is not enough to change the mindset of the women only, rather that of the men and the society and so of the whole country equally. For this awareness, change in our mentality and evolution of thoughts can play a vital role. Women need to come forward being inspired with the light of thoughts of not denouncing their self respect and liberty, rather of achieving and establishing their own rights. They need to involve themselves in versatile professions getting relieved from the so-called, typical thoughts and sentiment.

But there is also no way to ignore and disagree that at least some changes have aroused the awareness of the women that there has come some positive changes.

And because of those changes, they have spread them in many ways in many forms. So women are today teacher, doctor, lawyer, engineer, artist, journalist, agriculturist, scientist, writer and so on. Even they have proved their brave potential in the unusual and brave profession for women like driving train and flying plane. They prove their efficiency and mastery there. Women now work in police and defence force efficiently applying their intelligence and wisdom which unquestionably proves their capability. This very scenario was impossible to the male dominating society once which women have made that possible with their own eligibility.

So, it is the duty of women to receive modern education to flourish their hidden talent and prove their capability in this competitive age. The society need to realise the truth that it is not possible to have real development keeping women in chains and oppressing them as it indicates, takes forward and highlights the backwardness of the society. Only this true realisation can bring and ensure the overall development of the country and so can help flourishing the civilisation. It is our duty to realise this fact which is today's need. Let it be the need, promise and voice of women to receive modem education and work shoulder to shoulder with men to enlighten the society and brighten the civilisation.

-PID Article

Md. Omer Farupue Dewan

Thyroid gland is situated at the front of neck and release important hormone thyroxin, which uses body to increase body metabolism and physical and mental development in case of infant.

Around the world, the most common cause of congenital hypothyroidism is iodine efficiency, but in most of the developed world and areas of adequate environmental iodine, cases are due to a combination of known and unknown causes. Most commonly there is a defect of development of the thyroid gland itself, resulting in the absent (athyreosis) or underdeveloped (hypo plastic) gland.

Congenital Hypothyroidism (CH) is a serious condition of newborn babies, which leads to permanent mental and physical retardation if not identified within first few weeks of life.

Unfortunately clinical symptoms are often late and nothing can be done at that point to save those children from permanent mental and physical handicap ness.

To identify the babies in early stage screening of babies in first few days of life is the only choice and is an established procedure for long in almost all the developed countries.

Even in developing countries like Thailand, Vietnam and Philippines this screening programme is now a national programme of their own and some of those countries have achieved a target of 90% to screen their newborns to identify congenital hypothyroidism.

Bangladesh is an iodine deficient area and thyroid related diseases are common in our country. The latest national survey shows that about 17% of the population is suffering from thyroid disorder.

Incidence of congenital hypothyroidism in Bangladesh is not yet known. However, it has been found that incidence of CH is higher in iodine deficient areas.

Preliminary study shows an incidence of 1:2300, which is also much higher than world incidence (1:4000). Probably deficiency of thyroid hormone plays an important role in our higher infant mortality rate.

The present birth rate of the country is 1.8% and with that birth rate some 24 million babies are born each year. With a suspected incidence rate of 1: 1000 some 2400 babies are born with CH and going added to our population each year.

These large numbers of babies are not only becoming burden for the family or society but also causing a great loss in our national economy.

BAEC (Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission) is working for the last 5 years to develop the technology of newborn screening in collaboration with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

It is the right of newborn to be screened from congenital diseases and WHO has accepted this in its chatter of 1968.

Now it is working in national level to know the exact situation of congenital hypothyroidism in the country. Nuclear medicine technique is quite effective for newborn screening.

But 100% of the babies born in the country could not be shortage of manpower. The Ministry of Health (MOH) has to take over this programme to cover, our total birth neontes in the whole country as universal immunisation.

BAEC has taken an initiative

* To identify babies born with congenital hypothyroidism.

* To collect a meaningful data for professionals and policy makers.

* To achieve the above objectives a newborn screening centre will be established in the Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Ultrasound (INMU), Dhaka that will serve the nation by identifying babies born with congenital hypothyroidism and other inborn error of metabolism.

* To save our children from mental and physical retardation due to congenital hypothyroidism.

* To evaluate the situation of congenital hypothyroidism in Bangladesh.

* To achieve a national mandate for newborn screening so that ministry of health took this project as national programme as universal immunisation of children.

Nearly 100,000 of thyroid patients are getting services from nuclear medicine centres every year. BEAC has set a target upon the matter.

A total number of 200,000 newborns will be screened in a period of 4 years in Dhaka city and adjacent to Centre for Nuclear Medicine & Ultrasound at Dinajpur, Rangpur, Bogra, Rajshahi, Khulna, Faridpur, Barisal, Chittagong, Comilla, Sylhet and Mymensingh and some remote areas.

The initiative will be implemented with a base at Institute on Nuclear Medicine & Ultrasound (lNMU), Dhaka involving other 11 Centres for Nuclear Medicine & Ultrasound (CNMU) of BAEC located in different parts of the country.

After working on it a demographic picture on congenital hypothyroidism in our country will come out as an output of the initiative as will as a large number of our children will be identified who born with CH and will be saved from mental and physical retardation who will get an opportunity to live a healthy lives and will thus contribute to our national economy.

To combat against CH, massive public awareness is the most important component.

Actually, most of our even literate people do not know about the harm ness of CH. It is now happening because of our ignorance. Even we do not know that this commodity remains within our race. But nobody wants his/her child CH problematic.

Therefore, our 'child can be born at any Hospital even at any place we would scream him/her within the 'time for his/her better future. MOH (Ministry of Health) has to take over this programme to cover the whole country.

BAEC can give technical knowledge, laboratory support and training facility to MOH. Ministry of Information particularly Press Information Department can take massive publicity through media for public awareness

-PID Article