Health officials in the United Kingdom are warning of possible catastrophic consequences after the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. One of the reasons antibiotic resistance is on the increase is the fact that bacteria are adapting quicker than researchers can develop new drugs to fight them, according to England's chief medical officer. "Antimicrobial resistance poses a catastrophic threat. If we don't act now, any one of us could go into hospital in 20 years for minor surgery and die because of an ordinary infection that can't be treated by antibiotics," Sally Davies, the chief medical officer for England, told Reuters. She added that there have only been a few drugs successfully developed and made available on the market in the past few decades which led to the current situation. It also means that procedures that were once thought to be routine may pose a serious health risk to patients.

Pray: for the work of medical researchers as they seek to find new solutions to this problem. (Ac.10:38)

More: http://global.christianpost.com/news/catastrophic-antibiotic-threat-untreatable-infections-coming-uk-and-us-doctors-warn-91611/

The number of confirmed and suspected cases of legionnaires' disease in Edinburgh had risen to 80 by last Saturday withevery prospect of further cases being confirmed. Patients being treated in Scotland's biggest outbreak of the disease include 15 cases in intensive care. On Friday the North British Distillery in Edinburgh was served with an improvement notice by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). However, both the firm and health inspectors said the order did not mean that its three cooling towers were the definitive source of the outbreak. The Health and Safety Executive and Edinburgh City Council are continuing their investigations into the possible source of the outbreak. Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's Health Minister said: ‘Although there has been a rise in the number of confirmed cases, it is reassuring to see that the number of suspected cases is decreasing and that 16 people have now been discharged from hospital.’

Pray: for all those affected by the disease and for the authorities to be able to resolve the problem at its source. (Ps.116:15)

More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9321587/Cases-of-legionnaires-in-Edinburgh-rise-to-80.html

Christian social policy charity CARE has welcomed the findings of a major review into the commercialisation and sexualisation of children. The review, headed up by Mothers’ Union chief Reg Bailey, makes a number of recommendations aimed at tightening up regulations on sexualised media, marketing and retail. They include putting age restrictions on raunchy music videos and banning sexy billboard ads near schools. The Bailey Report also recommends an end to the sale of inappropriate clothing for children such as padded bras or T-shirts emblazoned with provocative slogans such as ‘porn star’. Magazines and newspapers with sexualised images on the front page should be kept out of the sight of children and parents should be given the right to choose at the point of purchase whether they want adult content on their home internet, laptops or smart phones. Broadcasters will also be under pressure to pay greater attention to the concerns of parents.

Pray: for the authorities to increase the pressure on all those who seek to gain from sexualisation of children. (Mk.7:20-22)

More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/care.welcomes.review.on.sexualisation.of.childhood/28105.htm

Care Not Killing, an alliance of over 40 organisations, has today called on the Secretary of State for Health and the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, to carry out an urgent investigation into the way assisted suicide is covered by the BBC and its link to English suicide rates. CNK Campaign Director Dr Peter Saunders, said, 'A programme featuring celebrity author Terry Pratchett was shown on BBC2 on Monday night following a huge amount of advance media publicity. It breaches international guidelines on suicide portrayal and, as such, poses a significant risk to vulnerable people. There is a real risk that copycat suicides will follow the screening. The WHO international guidelines on suicide portrayal refer to over 50 published studies, systematic reviews of which have consistently drawn the same conclusion, that media reporting of suicide can lead to imitative suicidal behaviours’.

Pray: that this programme will not lead to an increase in copycat suicides. (Dt.30:19)

More: http://www.christianconcern.com/our-concerns/end-of-life/care-not-killing-warns-of-dangers-of-copycat-suicide-following-screening-of

The social care system is failing to meet the needs of disabled people of working age, the Bishop of Carlisle has said. The Right Reverend James Newcome made the comments in support of the report, 'The Other Care Crisis', published this week by Scope, Mencap, The National Autistic Society, Sense and Leonard Cheshire Disability. The report warns that chronic underfunding of care services is being exacerbated by cuts to local services, depriving tens of thousands of disabled people without the support they need. Four in 10 disabled people are failing to have their basic needs met and the lack of funding is hindering their independence, with nearly half of disabled adults reporting that services are not supporting them in getting out into the community. 'Without support, disabled people find themselves unable to wash, dress, leave their house or communicate with others. This can leave them unable to work, study and contribute to society.'

Pray: that at a time of economic restraint no group is abandoned and appropriate support is maintained. (Matt.22:39)

More: http://www.christiantoday.co.uk/article/disabled.contribution.hindered.by.care.crisis.bishop/31484.htm

The campaign coincides with the EU-wide Safer Internet Day and seeks to help families protect themselves from inappropriate content, including pornography, violence in video games, films, the promotion of alcohol or tobacco, and other age sensitive content. The campaign highlights the changing nature of technology from passive radio and TV to handheld mobile phones and the challenge of a new and largely unregulated environment in which content is increasingly consumed by users online. The Protecting Families Online campaign is calling for the introduction of measures to give parents greater parental control, including robust age verification to access age sensitive content and opt-in/opt-out filters that can stop certain content coming into the home via the internet. It is encouraging parents to make use of family protection resources and put into place the proper restrictions on computers, mobile phones, games consoles and other devices that have access to the internet.

Pray: that this campaign will be effective in challenging parents to protect their children from inappropriate internet content. (Ps.5:11)

More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/new.campaign.to.protect.families.online/27489.htm

Using cannabis as a teenager or young adult increases the risk of psychosis, a report suggests. The study published in the British Medical Journal involved tracking 1,900 people over a period of 10 years. Although the link between cannabis and psychosis is well established, it had been unclear whether cannabis triggers the disorder. The participants in the study, aged between 14 and 24, were assessed for cannabis use and psychotic symptoms at three points over a 10-year period. It was found that cannabis use ‘significantly’ increased the risk of psychotic symptoms. Sir Robin Murray, professor of psychiatric research at the Institute of Psychiatry, said the study added ‘a further brick to the wall of evidence’ showing that use of traditional cannabis is a contributory cause of psychoses like schizophrenia. He said it was one of 10 prospective studies all pointing in this same direction.

Pray: that this report will strengthen the argument against cannabis-use and lead to new legislation against it. (Pr.5:1)

More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12616543

Anti-poverty campaigners are urging people to switch off Facebook for a day in protest against the company's alleged tax avoidance. The Facebook blackout was initiated by Church Action on Poverty after it emerged that the company had paid £196,000 in corporation tax on estimated UK sales of £175 million in 2011. Facebook users are being urged to share images advertising the day-long initiative on 1 December and leave a message telling their friends why they are switching off. CAP is hoping the message will go viral and alert other Facebook users about the company's contentious tax practices. National Co-ordinator Niall Cooper said: ‘Despite media coverage, many of Facebook’s 43 million users will be unaware of the company’s tax dodging. CAP is engaging in the protest as part of a wider effort to make the Government clamp down on tax dodging.’ (See also Prayer Alert 47-2012)

Pray: for the success of this campaign against the companies which are avoiding corporation tax. (Mk.12:14)

More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/campaigners.to.switch.off.facebook.over.tax.dodging/31148.htm