From the Scriptures

"Happy are those who are concerned for the poor, the Lord will help them when they are in trouble"

Psalms  41.1

YOUTH WORLD

CHOICE
Rev. Suresh Pawar, Religioius Works Department

Our life is full of choices one way or the other. Almost every day we are faced with it. Sometimes we make the right choice but sometimes we go wrong. Sometimes it is a temporary one and sometimes it is permanent.

One of the most precious gifts God has given us is to make our own choice. He has given us this 'free will'.

Do we make the right choice when we are faced with the decision to obey Him?

Let us look at a few examples:

Firstly, Adam and Eve were given the freedom to make a choice - to obey God's command or be rebellious and disobey. Unfortunately they chose to disobey Him. The result was that not only he and his family had to suffer the consequences, but also the entire human race.

Secondly, the people of Israel had God as their King. But they preferred an earthly king like their neighbors. It was their choice and God gave them earthly kings, and most of them failed miserably. This affected the entire nation.

Thirdly, we read in the parable of the prodigal son, how he made the wrong choice to leave his father's house and the consequences he suffered. But later he took the right decision to come back home to his father.

Finally, our Lord himself of his own free will he gave up all he had, took the nature of a servant and became obedient unto death even the death on the cross for our redemption. Many rejected him - they made the wrong choice.

How about you? Can you take the decision to love the Lord, follow and obey him?
Can you with Joshua say, 'as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord'?

Remember, many a time the choice you take or the decision you make will also affect others.
Golden Verse: Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. Remember the Lord in everything you do, and He will show you the right way. (Proverbs 3:5,6)
For your personal meditation and guidance read: Deuteronomy ch.30: 15-20 and St. Luke ch.15: 11-32.

(Pass the cursor over the bible headings above to read the selections)

"Antibiotic resistance is one of the world's most pressing public health problems today"
--- World Health Organization

"Antibiotics have been given for everything from headaches to ingrown toenails; they are swallowed, sucked, injected and smeared; they are painted on cuts, dumped into wounds, fed to the chickens and pigs and spread on the floors of the hospital wards."
-Dr. Richard Novick, Professor of Microbiology, New York University Medical School

DO'S AND DONT'S

1. Do not take antibiotics without your doctor's advice.
2. Do not take antibiotics for viral infections like cold, cough & flu
3. Do not take antibiotics prescribed for you for some past illness.
4. Do not take antibiotics prescribed for somebody else even if you feel that your disease is similar.
5. Do not pressurize your doctor to prescribe antibiotics for you.
6. Use the antibiotics as advised by your doctor. Do not skip the doses. Complete the course even if you feel better earlier

When used for viral infections, antibiotics DO NOT
· Shorten the course of the illness,
· prevent complications of the viral infection or
- prevent bacterial super infection.

Antibiotics, also known as antibacterials, are drugs that are used to treat infectious diseases caused by bacteria. The discovery of antibiotics in the middle of the last century is without doubt one of the most important milestones in modern medicine. It revolutionized medical care and brought about a dramatic decline in the numbers of death and disability due to infectious diseases. However, this happy state of affairs was too good to last for long. Within a few years of their discovery it was found that these antibiotics were not as effective against certain infections as they once were. The reason was that some of the bacteria had altered themselves in such a way that they were no longer being killed by antibiotics, that is, these bacteria had become Antibiotic Resistant. Now more than five decades after the discovery of Penicillin (the first antibiotic that was discovered) we find that more and more infectious diseases are becoming resistant to treatment with antibiotics. The reason for this is the indiscriminant use of antibiotics the world over. This article discusses some of the causes and consequences of antibiotic abuse.

What are antibiotics used for?
Infectious diseases are commonly causes by two types of microorganisms or germs, namely, viruses and bacteria. At the outset it should be made clear that antibiotics are effective only against those diseases caused by bacteria. They are absolutely ineffective against viral infections. Much of the antibiotic abuse could be avoided if doctors and patients remember this amazingly simple fact!

What are the diseases for which antibiotics are useless?
The following diseases are caused by viruses and hence antibiotics are useless.
· Flu.
· Viral fevers.
· Illnesses associated with cough and running nose.
· Majority of the sore throats.

What are the diseases for which antibiotics are essential.
Some of the common infections for which antibiotics are essential are typhoid, pneumonia, urinary infection, bacterial sore throat and middle ear infections.

Is it possible to differentiate a viral from a bacterial illness?
A qualified doctor can in most instances differentiate a viral from a bacterial infection. However, it should be remembered that it might not be always possible to do so especially in cases of young infants.

Why is indiscriminate antibiotics use bad?
Indiscriminate use of antibiotics leads to the following problems.
· Development of antibiotic resistant bacteria - the so-called super bugs.
· Exposure of the patient to unnecessary side effects of the antibiotics.
· Increase in the cost of treatment.
· Delay in the correct diagnosis of the disease in question. This is particularly true in the case of typhoid and urinary tract infections and in children.
· Antibiotic use is linked to the development of breast cancer in women.

Whys is antibiotic resistance a serious problem?
When a bacterium becomes resistant to the commonly used antibiotics, it means that the disease caused by it can no longer be treated by common antibiotics. These infections will then have to be treated by newer and stronger antibiotics. Some of these newer antibiotics apart from being prohibitively expensive also carry the risk of greater side effects. The duration of treatment also becomes longer which results in increasing hospital stay and loss productivity. Finally, the rate of treatment failure of drug resistant infections is high which results in greater numbers of death and disability. The greatest danger of these resistant bacteria is their ability to spread to other people in the community and cause disease outbreaks. Treatment of such infections requires greater resources, something that many countries cannot afford. Tuberculosis, typhoid and pneumonia causing bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics in many parts of the world including our country. That is why antibiotic resistance has been called one of the world's most pressing public health problems today.