ABSTRACT
Herbal traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) are an increasingly popular alternative therapy globally. Due to the complex chemical composition of herbal products, and with research showing that consumers from Western countries are more likely to take multiple herbal products at one time, the lack of understanding of the potential side effects of herbal TCM may pose a significant risk to health and wellbeing. This may be particularly so now that herbal preparations are being promoted for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 symptoms, often in association with Western medicines such as paracetamol. Of interest are the potential adverse effects of herbal TCMs on the kidney. Many factors can lead to the development of renal injury including intrinsic toxicity, plant misidentification, adulteration, contamination, and of increasing importance, interactions with conventional drugs and other herbs. This review evaluates and summarises some of the key aspects of TCM-induced nephrotoxicity and the current scope of herb-drug and herb-herb interaction that may cause adverse effects.
ABSTRACT
It has been demonstrated in a number of communities that the rates of serious crimes such as homicides and intimate partner violence have increased as a result of lockdowns due to COVID-19. To ascertain whether this is a universal trend the electronic autopsy files at Forensic Science South Australia, Adelaide, Australia, were searched for all homicides occurring between January 2015 and December 2020. There were 92 cases with 17 homicides in 2015 out of a total of 1356 cases (1.3%),18 in 2016 (18/1340 = 1.3%), 23 in 2017 (23/1419 = 1.6%); 14 in 2018 (14/1400 = 1.0%), 15 in 2019 (15/1492 = 1.0%) but in 2020 there were only 5 (5/1374 = 0.4%) (p < 0.02). Thus the incidence of homicides has fallen significantly in South Australia since the beginning of the pandemic. As the occurrence of serious crimes of violence and homicide has not followed a standard pattern in different communities it will be important to evaluate specific populations and subgroups rather than merely relying on accrued national data or extrapolating from one country to another. Pathologists, epidemiologists and health officials will need to specifically monitor local trends to understand more clearly what effects, if any, the pandemic has had on particular subgroups of deaths in order to more clearly understand causal relationships.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Suicide , Cause of Death , Communicable Disease Control , Homicide , Humans , Pandemics , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
Child labour is a global phenomenon occurring predominantly in countries with lower socioeconomic status and resources. Societal and familial poverty, loss or incapacitation/illness of parents, lack of social security and protection, and ignorance about the value of, or limited access to, education are among the myriad reasons for the involvement of children in the workforce. Child labour is a barrier to the development of individual children and their society and economy. Global estimates indicate that 152 million children (64 million girls and 88 million boys) are working, accounting for almost one in 10 of all children worldwide. Currently the COVID-19 health pandemic and the resulting economic and labour market consequences are having a major impact on people's lives and livelihoods. Unfortunately, impoverished families and their children are often the first to suffer, which may push many more vulnerable children into child labour situations. Child labour in India is more prevalent than in many other countries, with approximately 10 million children actively engaged in, or seeking, work. This paper focuses on the issue of child labour, its causes and its ill effects. Further, it also reviews the international legal framework relating to child labour and legislative issues in India. There is clearly an urgent need for this issue to be effectively addressed and resolved.