[E-rundbrief] Info 524 - Action against GMO-rice for children

So Mär 25 11:26:20 CEST 2007

E-Rundbrief - Info 524 - Dr. Mira Shiva/ Dr. 
Vandana Shiva (Indien)/ International Peoples 
Health Council (South Asia): Children With 
Diarrhoea need Rice Kanji, Not Cannibal Rice. GMO action alert.

Bad Ischl, 25.3.2007

Begegnungszentrum für aktive Gewaltlosigkeit

www.begegnungszentrum.at

==============================================================

GMO ACTION ALERT

Children With Diarrhoea need Rice Kanji, Not Cannibal Rice

Dr. Mira 
Shiva 
Dr. Vandana Shiva

Initiative on Health, Equity and 
Society                              Navdanya / RFSTE

International Peoples Health Council (South Asia)

California based Ventria Bioscience has been 
given preliminary approval to grow a rice 
containing human genes on 3000 acres in Kansas.

The claim is that food products using the human 
proteins from rice could help save millions of 
children who die of diarrhoea and the resulting 
dehyrdration. The company plans to harvest the 
proteins from the rice and use them in drinks, 
desserts and muesli bars. Children with 
diarrohoea are not given muesli bars. Rehydration needs liquids, not solids.

The best rehydration for breast fed babies is 
mothers milk. Ventria is in fact using the 
lacto ferrin found in breast milk to produce 
the transgenic rice. Breast fed babies can 
directly get lacto ferrin in breast milk instead 
of getting it through Ventrias genetically 
engineered rice with human genes in it.

Older Children, do not need the cannibal rice 
either. Oral rehydration is an established, time 
tested, safe method for diarrhoea and prevention of dehydration.

Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) / Oral Rehydration 
Solution (ORS) was considered the greatest 
medical revolution of the 20th century. It saved 
lives of millions starting from 1971 Bangladesh 
war of Independence and has been successfully 
used in the developing countries war for child 
survival. Diarrhoea and acute respiratory 
infection have been identified as the two major 
causes of infant mortality, worsened by the malnutrition of children.

While UNICEF / WHO ORS packets have been 
promoted, it has been the home made ORS called 
Jeevan Jal Salt sugar solution that has saved 
lives of children, especially where the free, low 
cost UNICEF ORS packets did not reach, and costly 
commercial ORS packets are the only alternative 
and the later are not easily affordable. A packet 
costs Rs. 6  10/- i.e for one litre. Over two 
packs may be required for each episode of 
diarrhoea. Large numbers of the afflicted 
children come from poor families whose income may 
be less than the cost of the packet.  For over 
two decades anganwadi workers and village health 
workers, trained mothers and the community in 
making and using homemade ORS for the children with diarrhoea.

In India, for centuries, diarrhoea has been 
treated with home fluids for rehyrdration eg. 
Rice Kanji, Coconut Water, Butter Milk, Aniseed Water.

Rice Kanji not only provides calories to the 
child with diarrhoea, but it has an added 
advantage that it does no cause OSMOTIC 
DIARRHOEA. Butter Milk, besides providing fluid 
to compensate for the fluid loss in diarrhoea, it 
has natural Lacto Baccillus which helps in 
controlling diarrhoea. Lacto Baccillus capsules 
are being prescribed for diarrhoea care commercially.

When simple, low cost, locally available 
culturally appropriate safe and effective options 
for addressing diarrhoea care exist, as stated 
and promoted by International Public Health 
bodies such as UNICEF and WHO, International 
Peoples Health Council, there is absolutely no 
scientific, basis for a genetically modified rice 
with human genes to be introduced in the name of diarrhoea care.

Respected public health advocates David Werner of 
Health Wrights and David Sanders in Questioning 
the Solution had dealt with the politics of the 
ORS. They show that promotion of cereal based 
oral rehydration solution was delayed till the 
pharmaceutical companies could get their cereal 
based ORS packets commercially produced. This 
happened even though community health oriented 
health personnel, whether in India or Mozambique, 
recognised the value of cereal-based fluids and 
supported and promoted rice kanji  the rice fluid 
obtained by boiling rice. On epidemiological 
grounds, availability of clean drinking water and 
effective sewage treatment would be more useful 
in addressing water borne diseases like diarrhoea 
especially in the Third World. Promoting 
genetically modified rice with human genes in the 
name of diarrhoea care is an insult to the very 
concept of comprehensive health care  it is an 
unadulterated marketing stunt in the name of a 
diarrhoea care. The effective solution for which 
already exists and needs to be implemented and 
promoted as part of health literacy. Children 
need clean water and rice Kanji. They do not need untested cannibal rice.

===========================================================

Zusammengestellt von:

Matthias Reichl, Pressesprecher/ press speaker,
     Begegnungszentrum fuer aktive Gewaltlosigkeit
     Center for Encounter and active Non-Violence
     Wolfgangerstr. 26, A-4820 Bad Ischl, Austria,
     fon: +43 6132 24590, Informationen/ informations,
     Impressum in: http://www.begegnungszentrum.at
Spenden-Konto Nr. 0600-970305 (Blz. 20314) 
Sparkasse Bad Ischl, Geschäftsstelle Pfandl
IBAN: AT922031400600970305    BIC: SKBIAT21XXX 