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Australian kids can’t run, jump, throw: Study SYDNEY: Australia may pride itself on its sporting prowess, but a new study has revealed that most of its children struggle to run, jump, kick and catch a ball. Research led by the University of Sydney has uncovered an overall decline in children’s ability to perform the skills at the appropriate agewith most seven year olds yet to have mastered leaping, running and jumping. “The majority of our children don’t have these skills,” Louise Hardy from the university’s School of Public Health told AFP yesterday. “It’s a total myth that kids will naturally acquire these particular skills. They do need some tuition.” The study, which analysed data gathered in 2010 from up to 8,000 school children aged five to 16 years from New South Wales state, found that girls performed better at movement skills such as running or leaping. But boys had a greater mastery of those used in ball sports such as kicking and catching. Overall, the data revealed a poor performance on movement skills, with only about 30 percent of children aged nine and 10 able to run properly. And only about five percent of girls at this age had mastered throwing or kicking a ball. Hardy said the key reasons for the poor performance on these skills was the lack of sports teachers in primary schools in New South Wales state, the country’s most populous, and the fact there were not enough parents kicking a ball around with their kids. By high school, most students had improved but Hardy said that the slow development of these activity goals could have health consequences for later in life. Research suggested that if a child failed to master the basic “building blocks” of physical activities, they would not have the skill or confidence to do them and this could impact their overall fitness, she said. The research, conducted in collaboration with the University of Wollongong and Southern Cross University, raised serious issues because low fitness is associated with an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease, Hardy said. “It’s just important that we get our kids out there moving, and teaching them how to move properly,” she said.—AFP KITGUM: Augustine Languna’s eyes welled up and then his voice failed as he recalled the drowning death of his 16-year-old daughter. The women near him looked away, respectfully avoiding the kind of raw emotion that the head of the family rarely displayed. “What is traumatizing us,” he said after regaining his composure, “is that the well where she died is where we still go for drinking water.” Joyce Labol was found dead about three years ago. As she bent low to fetch water from a pond a half mile from Languna’s compound of thatched huts, an uncontrollable spasm overcame her. The teen was one of more than 300 young Ugandans who have died as a result of the mysterious illness that is afflicting more and more children across northern Uganda and in pockets of South Sudan. The disease is called nodding syndrome, or nodding head disease, because those who have it nod their heads and sometimes go into epileptic-like fits. The disease stunts children’s growth and destroys their cognition, rendering them unable to perform small tasks. Some victims don’t recognize their own parents. Ugandan officials say some 3,000 children in the East African country suffer from the affliction. Some caregivers even tie nodding syndrome children up to trees so that they don’t have to monitor them every minute of the day. Beginning today, Uganda hosts a four-day international conference on nodding syndrome that health officials believe will lead to a clearer understanding of the mysterious disease. World Health Organization officials in Uganda said the conference will be attended by about 120 scientists from all over the world. Anthony Mbonye, of Uganda’s Ministry of Health, said the conference will allow scientists to share knowledge about the disease. Scientists are working to find the cause of the disease, which is stretching health care capacities here and testing the patience of a community looking for answers as to why it attacks mostly children between the ages of 5 and 15, why it’s concentrated in certain com- HEALTH&SCIENCE munities, and whether it is contagious. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has been investigating nodding syndrome at the request of the Ugandan government, has ruled out 36 possible causes since 2009 and is carrying out a clinical trial for potential treatments. In mid- February the lead investigator said on a visit to Uganda that there is now “clear evidence that this is an epidemic” about which very little is known. “We did repeated exams on several of these children and found that some of the children had stayed the same, some of the children had gotten worse, none of the children had improved,” said Scott Dowell, director of CDC’s Division of Global Disease Detection and Emergency Response. Researchers are focusing on the connection between nodding syndrome and the parasite that causes river blindness, Dowell said, though it is not yet clear there are any links. Onchocerciasis, or river blindness, has been around for a long time, but nodding syndrome is somewhat new, he said. “And we also know that there are many parts of the world that have onchocerciasis but have no evidence of nodding syndrome.” Many residents here in the northernmost reaches of Uganda, nearly 300 miles from Kampala, say they think the disease is rooted in violence. Locals have said it’s the only explanation for the disease’s prevalence in places most affected by the legacy of a brutal war carried out by Joseph Kony, the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army, a rebel group. Kony and the group have waged a campaign of murder, rape, and the abduction of boys and girls who go on to become killing machines or sex slaves. “We the Acholi have suffered a lot, and I am asking why,” said Benjamin Ojwang, an Anglican bishop in the area. “In the absence of Kony, we were beginning to find relative peace. When are our people going to rest?” A MONDAY, JULY 30, 2012 Mysterious nodding disease afflicts young Ugandans Some 3,000 children in East Africa suffer from affliction KITGUM: In this photo of Monday Feb. 20, 2012, Ugandan children sit in a classroom in Kitgum, Uganda. Uganda this week hosts a four-day international conference on nodding syndrome that health officials believe will lead to a clearer understanding of the mysterious disease. —AP disease as strange as nodding head gives people a sense of hopelessness and helplessness, said N.K. Okun-Okaka, a retired veterinarian who has the status of a village elder. “They can only do something about it if they know the cause, how it is spread. My heart goes out to these children. We feel very sorry and we feel like we do not live in the modern world,” he said. Ugandan health officials have known about the disease for nearly 10 years. By 2006, after Kony was repulsed from Ugandan territory, health care providers had diagnosed several cases of epilepsy without stopping to ask why. “This thing is old,” said Emmanuel Tenywa, a World Health Organization official in northern Uganda. “After the war there were so many cases of epilepsy. That’s how this thing started.” Yet serious steps to manage the disease were taken only in the last year after a group of parliamentarians accused the authorities of criminal negligence. The government then announced a $2.2 million plan. But the cash has been slow to reach treatment centers. Sick children have remained stuck in villages where biting poverty sometimes combines with the inattention of caregivers. Children have been badly burned after falling in fires. Others have died falling into water, like Languna’s 16-year-old girl. And it is common to see children tethered to trees by caregivers too busy to look after them. In Languna’s household alone, eight children suffer from the disease, including a 12year-old boy whose growth is so stunted he looks half his age. Languna has given up on all of them. “We lost a child who was so promising,” he said. “But what pains us more is that these ones you see are destined to (die).” Investigators said they are not certain the disease is non-communicable, but they advise against alarm. In the absence of definitive answers, some here have been taking matters in their own hands by isolating the sick. At the Okidi primary school, which Labol attended before she drowned, teachers once attempted to segregate the children and then dropped the idea after being criticized. —AP
Greetings Hurraaa! Cross and Dante are two day. May the good Lord bless you as you grow to be a blessing to our family. Greetings from mom and dad. Announcements Indian Embassy passport and visa Passports and Visa applications can be deposited at the two outsourced centers of M/S BLS Ltd at Sharq and Fahaheel. Details are available at www.bls-international.com and www.indembkwt.org . Consular Open House Consular Wing is providing daily service of Open House to Indian citizens on all workings days from 1000 hrs to 1100 hrs and from 1430 hrs to 1530 hrs by the Consular Officer in the Meeting Room of the Consular Hall at the Embassy. For any unaddressed issues, Second Secretary (Consular) can be contacted. Furthermore, the head of the Consular Wing is also available to redress grievances. Indian workers helpline/helpdesk Indian workers helpline is accessible by toll free telephone number 25674163 from all over Kuwait. It provides information and advice to Indian workers as regards their grievances, immigration and other matters. The help desk at the Embassy (Open from 9AM to 1PM and 2PM to 4:30PM, Sunday to Thursday) provides guidance to Indian nationals on routine immigration, employment, legal and other issues. It also provides workers assistance in filling up labour complaint forms. For any unaddressed issues, the concerned attachÈ in the Labour section and the head of the Labour Wing can be contacted. Legal Advice Clinic Free legal advice is provided on matters pertaining to labour disputes, terms of contracts with employers, death/accident compensation, withholding of dues by employers, etc. by lawyers on our panel, to Indian nationals on all working days between 1500hrs to 1600hrs. Ambassador’s Open House The Open House for Indian citizens by the Ambassador is being held on all Wednesdays at the Embassy for redressal of grievances. In case Wednesday is an Embassy holiday, the meeting will be held on the next working day. Register and Win promotion at Q8India.com City Centre, Kuwait’s premier mega-market, in association with Q8India.com, a leading online Indian community portal, is holding a monthlong ‘Register and Win’ promotion campaign. Any resident in Kuwait can participate in the promotion by visiting www.Q8India.com and registering their name, email and phone number. A winner will be picked each day (except Friday), from the list of names registered on the previous day, and receive a free shopping voucher worth KD10 from City Centre. Student Visa Day at US Embassy held T o support Kuwaiti students currently studying or planning to study in the United States, the US Embassy’s Consular Section, in cooperation with the National Union of Kuwaiti Students (NUKS) - US Branch, held a Student Visa Day on July 18. The Consular Section allotted 200 appointments for student visa applicants, coordinating closely with NUKS-US Branch representatives to ensure that a successful event be held. Encouraging Kuwaiti students to pursue higher educational opportunities in the US is one of the top priorities of this US Mission. For instructions on how to apply for a student visa to the US, please see our website for more information: http://kuwait.usembassy.gov/student3.html. To avoid delays during periods of high demand, students are encouraged to apply for their visa as early as possible. Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20 I PC ‘Leniency of Islam’ An unprecedented initiative of KTV2 (English channel) is the new program by the name ‘Leniency of Islam’ presented by Shaikh Musaad Alsane and directed by Hamid Al-Turkait. The program is mainly meant to address the expatriates living in Kuwait. Religious questions are received through the program email qislam@tv.gov.kw and sms can be sent to- 97822021 and answered by the lecturer and Imam in Awqaf Ministry Shaikh Musaad Alsane - a Master Degree holder in Sharia and fiqih from Kuwait University. So don’t forget to watch the program every Friday at 1:00 pm. Registration for Ramadan STARS Squash Tournament begins Once again this year, the stage is set for the fourth annual ‘Ramadan STARS Squash Tournament’ to be held from August 3 to 9 at the Kazma Sporting Club, Adailiya. Abdulrahim Al- Awadi, the Chairman of the Higher Organizing Committee has announced that doors are now open for registration to all those who are interested in participating, stating that the deadline for registration will be August 1. The participation in 30 WHAT’S ON ACK students visit Warba Bank’s call center Warba Bank recently hosted a group of students from the Australian College of Kuwait (ACK) during a field visit through which they got introduced to the work nature of the call center and its significance in serving clients with the most integrated facilities. On this occasion, Ahmed Al Bukhari, Call Center Manager at Warba Bank, said, “We were very pleased to receive the (Islam Presentation Committee) and all its branches is opening free Arabic Language Course for non- Arab ladies accessible in beginners and advance levels. Class will commence from September 14, 2012. ACK students in the bank and to introduce them to the daily work system at the call center. The students expressed great interest in the several products and services offered by the bank, in addition to the unique communication facilities and skills applied by the center which adopts state-of-the-art technologies and leading strategies for best customer service.” He added, “Our clients can contact us at 1825555 to receive all the information they need about our different products and services, and to inquire about their balance, apply for new accounts, or to receive new credit cards. The center also offers information about the bank’s deposits and Murabaha, while customers can register in the short message service (SMS). The center is also ready to serve its investors and provide information for all their inquiries.” Free Arabic course in IPC Islamic and Quran courses are also presented in different languages. Registration is on! Call the nearest IPC branch: Rawdah: Offers 2 alternatives for Level 1 - Call: 22512257. Once a week class (4-month course) and this tournament is open to all and will fall under three categories this year. The first category is for amateurs from ages 17 and above, second category is for professional players from ages 20 and above and the third category is for ladies 17 and above. Following its last three years of grand success, the 4th annual Ramadan STARS Squash Tournament is being organized during Ramadan for squash lovers who will have an opportunity to practice the sport while being encouraged to develop their skills in a healthy, competitive and social environment. Al-Awadi, the Chairman of the Higher Organizing Committee, commented, “In our last tournaments, we have received very positive feedback and have witnessed a huge number of interested participants thus giving us immense encouragement to hold an exciting tournament this year. The 2012 squash tournament offers a great opportunity to all squash players to accept another challenge and build on their sports skills in midst of a friendly atmosphere. I highly encourage all interested players to maintain their level of activity during Ramadan while balancing fitness and fasting and to register before the deadline ends”. All details pertaining to the tournament and means to participate can be found on the tournaments facebook page under ‘Ramadan Stars Squash Tourney’ or follow the official twitter page @RamadanStars for updates. The registration is taking place at GO SPORT store located at The Avenues Mall. MONDAY, JULY 30, 2012 On her part, Tara Norris, Senior Instructor and Academic Coordinator at the ACK thanked Warba’s management for hosting them at their premises and for supporting such visits which enrich the skills and knowledge of the students. This initiative is a reflection of the bank’s commitment towards the youth and the constructive communication built with leading educational institutions. Sahara Kuwait Resort blood donation drive S ahara Kuwait Resort recently organized a blood donation drive with the coordination of Kuwait Blood Bank. Many staff and guests contributed to this humanitarian cause which is common practice annually. twice a week class (2-month course). Salmiya: 25733263/97533263; Kheitan: 24730137/99285459; Mangaf: 23723002 ext. 124/123; Jahra: 24558830/97533948. Alawadi also pointed out the great interest the ‘Ramadan Stars Squash tournament’ received from the private sector, where companies took the initiative in sponsoring the tournament. Alawadi expressed his gratitude and thanks to Kazma Sporting Clun, Go Sport, Comtel, Vio, Unite Colors and Alawadi Photography guaranteeing unique prizes for all winners. Your health & Ramadan You are invited to “Your Health & Ramadan Dasman Diabetes Institute” from 9 am till 2 pm, today 15th July.* Blood Glucose Monitoring. * BMI Calculation * Blood Pressure Monitoring. For any inquiries, please contact us on: www.facebook.com/dasmaninstitute Burgan Bank Ramadan timing Burgan Bank announced its new branch timings which will be applicable all throughout the holy month of Ramadan. All Burgan Bank branches will commence work in one shift from 10 am to 1:30 pm. Additionally, the Airport branch will be open seven days a week in the mornings from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm and in the evenings from 9:30 pm to 11:30 pm. On this occasion, Burgan Bank extends its best wishes to everyone during the holy month of Ramadan.
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