Quick and painless
India has launched the first rapid test for kala-azar, which is quick, painless and can be used in the remote areas that lack hospitals. It is a full proof and effective method and costs 20 per cent less than the current cost of diagnosis. Kala-azar is caused by the parasite Leishmania donovani, which is transmitted to people by the bite of sandflies. The new test uses a strip of special paper with a ?dot´ containing a protein made by the parasite. The test can detect the parasite within 15 days of infection, which is important as symptoms appear only after the parasite has completed an incubation period of up to three months. All India Institute of Medical Sciences has developed the test.
At snail´s pace
As per latest information regarding the cases pending in various courts?from Supreme Court to subordinate courts?33 thousand 635 cases are pending in the Supreme Court whereas the number of pending cases in the High Courts is 33 lakh 41,040. The subordinate courts have reported the number of pending cases at over 2 crore 53 lakh.
Munificent donors
In England, evangelical Christians give nine times more to charity than the average householder, donating more than 12 per cent of their net income each year. Evangelicals in Britain are more generous than even American evangelical Christians, who give 10 per cent of their income away. From Britain, India recieved Rs 676.14 crore in donations (2003-04) under Foreign Contributions (Regulation) Act (FCRA).
This fact was revealed in a survey carried out by Christian Research for the Kingdom Bank, set up by Assemblies of God, an international Pentecostal Church, to offer banking with ?Christian ethos?. Evangelical churches are the fastest-growing segment? indeed the only growing segment of all the Christian denominations in Britain. Other church leaders have often wondered how these churches generate such large cashflows. The survey found that evangelical Christians give 7.5 per cent of their income to the church, 3 per cent to Christian charities, averaging ?3,000 a year per household.
