An investigative study on the use of asbestos and related ailments by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and the BBC has revealed that despite bans and restrictions for the mineral in 52 world countries, it is promoted actively in developing countries. Out of the two million metric tonnes of asbestos mined worldwide in 2009, Russia and Canada are the main producers, whereas, China, India and Mexico are the main consumers.

In India and other developing countries, the demand for asbestos is aided by its role in the production of cheap building materials. Here, asbestos is mostly mixed with cement in the manufacture of corrugated roofing, water pipes and building construction. As the alternatives for asbestos products are expensive, asbestos import and sales continue to thrive despite health hazard warnings.

According to WHO statistics, 125 million people still encounter asbestos in the workplace and the UN agency ILO estimates that 100,000 workers die annually from asbestos-related diseases. These figures do not include the thousands who die outside their workplaces.

Asbestos is a fibrous mineral of the amphibole group used for making fireproof articles and building materials. However, various studies over years have proved beyond doubt that inhaling fibers can cause asbestosis, lung cancer and carcinoma of the mesothelium lining lungs, abdomen or heart called mesothelioma. This led to the outright ban of asbestos in European Union and controlled and limited use in countries like the US.

Canada, who heads the pro-asbestos lobby, is using the mineral very little locally, while exporting the bulk of its production to developing countries; more than half of Canada’s asbestos export is to India. Canadian officials defend this trend saying that controlled use of asbestos is safe. Even if this is true, ensuring controlled use is practically impossible in developing nations, as the workplace safety and environmental laws are far from stringent.

In addition to all this is the health hazard posed by the ship breaking industry in and around the ports of Gujarat, particularly Alang. Almost 55,000 ship breakers work in Alang shipyard, the latest hotspot for mesothelioma in India. As ship breaking is a lucrative business, authorities too turn blind eye to the risk posed by the deadly fiber.

Are we waiting for another Bhopal to wake up from our mercenary-induced slumber?

An herb from the Latin American country of Paraguay, named Stevia, is being proclaimed as the answer to the country’s rising sugar prices and bulging waistlines. The zero-calorie sweetener not only can replace sugar as a sweetening agent, but also can act as a flavor enhancer in food and beverages, claims Sourabh Agarwal, MD, Stevia Biotech Pvt Ltd.

Mr. Agarwal is enthusiastic about introducing stevia into Indian market, reeling under unprecedented high sugar prices. He said, “If you’ve ever tasted stevia, you know it’s extremely sweet. A white powder extracted from the dry stevia shrub leaves is approximately 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar.”

“It is a zero calorie sweetener and without any side effects. It can replace sugar in every aspect,” he added. He points out that the herb is tried and tested by centuries of use as sweetener and flavor enhancer in its country of origin.

Another favorable aspect about stevia is that it can be grown in diverse climatic conditions. Mr. Agarwal is upbeat about the chances of stevia in India. “The climatic condition in our country is suitable for its cultivation,” he said. “It is easy to maintain and can grow anywhere. For commercial farming of stevia, one needs to make sure of factors like temperature, soil type, water type and availability and planting material for maximum yield with a great quality.”

Mr. Agarwal stressed the herb’s advantages for diabetics and in weight loss industry. He said that clinical studies have established the curative properties of Stevia for diabetics by helping reactivate insulin-secreting cells.

Stevia is widely used as a sweetener in Japan and as a dietary supplement in the US and Canada. Stevia Biotech is seeking governmental permission to start its commercial cultivation in the country.

A recent report shows that poor lifestyle habits are a major cause for Obesity and Diabetes in India. India had the highest diabetes count of about 41 million cases in 2007. This is estimated to increase to 70 million by 2025. Lack of physical activity and consuming more calories than you need for energy are other major factors contributing to the rising obesity cases in India. The study shows that Indian cities are not good places to get physical activity like walking or cycling. And more and more people are relying on cars to even travel small distances. Consumption of snacks is also on the rise. Most of the prepared foods have hidden saturated fats, palm oil and sugars to make it cheaper and more filling.

Studies further show that ageing, an inactive lifestyle, unhealthy diets, smoking, alcohol and obesity are driving the onset of adult diabetes. Interestingly, it’s noticed that people moving from village to cities are more prone to obesity and diabetes than people living in their native places. If proper measures to check both the lifestyle disease are not undertaken, the health care costs from these disorders will be quite huge in the coming years. Creating awareness and control over the growing food industry in India will help in controlling the current situation.

Nearly five lakh foreign patients visited India last year for medical treatment. Efforts to boost medical tourism have contributed to this increasing numbers of foreigners visiting India. According to Pradeep Thukral, executive director of Indian Medical Travel Association (IMTA), “Medical travel in the country is picking up as an attractive option for NRIs and foreign patients and nearly five lakh of them came here in search of dirt-cheap treatment in the last one year.”

Usually medical tourism patients are from the US or UK but it expands to other countries as well. Recent economic slowdown has forced many patients to look for options outside their countries for cheaper medical treatment. Low treatment cost, availability of world-class hospitals with latest technology and highly-skilled doctors are some of the factors for India being a hotspot for medical tourism. A heart surgery which can cost as much as 30,000 pounds in the UK and up to USD 60,000 in the US, and a hip replacement that can cost over USD 60,000 in America, costs between USD 3,000 and USD 10,000 and USD 15,000 respectively in India. Many other Asian counties such as Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia also promote medical tourism. The value of the industry is estimated to touch USD two billion by 2012.

Indian hospitals are gearing up for this international demand and hospitals like Apollo Hospitals, Max Healthcare and Fortis are catering to the medical needs of such patients. Most of the treatment includes expensive surgeries like hip replacements surgery, spinal work, bypass or valve replacements, plastic surgery and even cancer cure.