A major challenge facing developing countries is how to allocate scarce capital, especially public capital, for the provision of basic services. Electrification, as part of an integrated service delivery package, is both a large draw on public funds and also an important catalyst for economic development. One of the major benefits of electrification, but one that is not included in traditional cost-benefit analysis, is the avoided health costs of fuels such as wood, coal and paraffin. March 2005

chernobyl and cancer: The 1986 Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident has led to higher incidence of thyroid cancer in the Republic of Belarus, according to a report published by Martin Mahoney of

Despite many studies looking at levels of indoor air pollution, successful initiatives to reduce the burden of ill health are few. One reason may be some commonly held beliefs, especially among those not directly involved in household energy, on some key issues in this field. ITDG has been collaborating on smoke alleviation with the University of Liverpool and other groups internationally for several years. This discussion is based on approaches adopted through two on-going projects funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) in Kenya, Nepal and Sudan. March 2005

Antimicrobial compounds are commonly included in poultry diets for promoting of growth and control of diseases. The European Union banned feed grade antibiotic growth promoters, due to, not only cross-resistance, but also to the risk of possible drugs multiple resistances in human pathogenic bacteria. Only two such drug-related compounds are planned to remain in use (Gill, 1999; Bach Knudsen, 2001; Schwarz et al., 2001; Shane, 2001). Feeds containing no chemical additives are increasingly used in poultry nutrition.

Of all dyes produced across the world, 11 per cent goes out as effluents. 2 per cent from manufacturing and as much as 9 per cent from colouring. Each year, India produces 64,000 tonnes of dyes, 7,040 tonnes of which are directly discharged into the envir