Radio România Internațional

Tag: health

  • October 28, 2019 UPDATE

    October 28, 2019 UPDATE

    Government – The permanent bureaus of Romania’s Chamber of Deputies and Senate on Monday decided that the ministers of the new cabinet be interviewed on Tuesday and Wednesday and the investiture vote be cast on November 4th. Meanwhile, the leader of the National Liberal Party PNL continued negotiations with the parliamentary parties to get the needed 233 votes for his government to be validated. In exchange for their vote in Parliament, the Save Romania Union party announced they signed a political agreement with the Liberals which stipulates, among others, the return to the system of electing mayors in two rounds. The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats conditioned their support of the Orban government on changing the legislation in the justice field only through parliamentary debates and on forbidding migration of MPs, local councilors and party members from one party to another. The People’s Movement Party wants a re-launch of relations with the Republic of Moldova and the elimination of special pensions granted to military staff. The Social Democratic Party and Pro Romania party said they would vote against the new government. If it is invested, the new cabinet will replace the outgoing Social Democratic government led by Viorica Dancila, which was dismissed through a motion of no confidence.



    Vote — The Romanian Foreign Ministry on Monday started sending to Romania’s diplomatic missions and consular offices abroad the materials necessary for the presidential election vote. For the 835 polling stations to be organized in the Diaspora, the Foreign Ministry will send around 4,483,907 ballots and 7,739 rubber stamps for the first round of voting. As a first at this presidential election, the voting process will take place during 3 days for each round of voting, to avoid queuing, namely on 8, 9 10 of November in the first round and on 22, 23 and 24 of November in the second round. Also, Romanians abroad who registered online can use postal vote. Around 43 thousand Romanians from abroad have chosen the postal voting.



    Health — Romanians are becoming more aware of the importance of a healthy lifestyle and this is shown by their concern with what they eat. 69% of Romanians say they choose natural products and 68% opt for foodstuffs made in Romania, shows a recent study. Also 35% of Romanians watch TV shows, blogs and websites that deal with health issues, nutrition and sports. 32% say they do physical exercise at least once a week. Of them the most active are the young people in the 16-29 age bracket, 56% doing physical exercise. Last but not least, 34% of Romanians take dietary supplements or various herbal supplements to prevent certain ailments.



    Tennis — The Romanian Simona Halep (5 WTA) on Monday defeated 3-6, 7-6, 6-3 the Romanian-born Canadian player Bianca Andreescu (4 WTA) in the so-called purple group at the Champions’ tournament in Shenzhen, China. Also on Monday, in the same group, the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina (8 WTA) defeated Karolina Pliskova (2 WTA) from the Czech Republic 7-6, 6-4. On Sunday, on the first day of the competition, world leader Australian Ashleigh Barty defeated the Swiss Belinda Bencic (7 WTA) and the Japanese Naomi Osaka (3 WTA) defeated the Czech Petra Kvitova (6 WTA). Simona Halep played in the final of the Champions’ tournament for the first time in 2014 when she was defeated by the American Serena Williams. (update by L. Simion)

  • Romanians and Seasonal Allergies

    Romanians and Seasonal Allergies

    Seasonal allergies have become commonplace among the conditions that affect Romanians in growing numbers from one year to the next over the last few decades. In Romania, things are not that different from the rest of Europe, where around 21 to 23% of people have allergic rhinitis, while 30% of them suffer from hives. In addition, studies show that over the next 5 to 7 years, one of out two children will manifest one form or another of allergy. In Romania, for the last three years or so, a certain form of allergy has become more and more widespread, the so-called ambrosia allergy, caused by the plant called Ambrosia Artemisiifolia, the common ragweed. It manifests by a variety of symptoms, such as rhinitis, reddened eyes, and itching, which is interferes severely with a patients day to day functioning. In very polluted cities, like Bucharest, allergies are more and more severe and widespread. We spoke about this rising phenomenon with an allergy specialist, Dr. Violeta Perla:

    “Particulate pollution in itself does not necessarily trigger allergies, but the Diesel particulates that have flooded Bucharest and busier cities, with very large fleets of cars, increase the potential of pollution for causing allergy. Their allergenic potential rises 400 to 600 times, and that explains why in urban environments the severity of allergies is much higher than in the countryside. Youd expect things to work the other way around, to have more allergies in the countryside, where pollen is prevalent. In fact, allergies are more severe in cities, where pollen exists in smaller quantities, but where the potential is higher because of Diesel emissions and many other kinds of emissions. A Pandoras box was opened with the emergence of ambrosia allergies. In Romania this type of allergy has not yet begun to be contained. The number of patients is on the rise, and the severity is rising too. Most patients begin with seasonal allergic rhinitis and reddened eyes, and after a few years associated asthma develops, also seasonal, but which can become chronic. Finally, which makes it even worse, the patient may develop an allergy to fresh fruit and vegetables.”

    Naturally, people seek remedies for allergies, even though they cannot be cured completely, but they can be kept in check with drug treatments, says Dr. Violeta Perla:

    “The regular therapy only keeps under control the manifestations of the condition, and does not operate on the mechanism that produces it. The only thing that we can do to improve to a certain degree the daily life of the patient is by applying specific allergenic immunotherapy. These are a kind of therapeutic vaccines that allow a normal life, even when exposed to pollens. These vaccines render symptoms minimal, preventing the condition from worsening, in order to prevent complications and allow patients to go about their daily life.”

    Unfortunately, these vaccines are costly, just as the tests and treatment are, and can be unaffordable for Romanians. A recent study from an insurance company tried to calculate the costs incurred by patients treating allergies. Here is actuary director Marius Constantinescu:

    “We followed the convoluted path that an insured person has to follow, an allergy patient. Initially they go to their family physician because of symptoms. The latter analyze the situation, make a diagnosis, and the patient is sent to a specialist, be it dermatology or alergology. Each physician prescribes certain tests. Every step of the way incurs costs, because most tests are performed in private clinics, which increases the bills. A consultation, for instance, is 200 lei at the least. Overall, these tests, consultations and treatments may reach upwards of 4,000 lei annually, about 900 Euro, which the patients have to fork out themselves if they are not insured.”

    A large part of these costs, therefore, are covered by the patients themselves, even though they are part of the public health insurance system. However, the number and complexity of tests and treatments covered by the public system is very limited. Physicians dealing with allergy conditions are confirming this, telling us that many patients dont have a choice and have to cover these expenses, which can get very high.

    However, there are also private insurers for healthcare, providing optional policies. These, unfortunately, are only accessible to patients with above average incomes. Taking that into consideration, some insurance companies have put together special affordable policies for allergy sufferers. They start from 1,600 lei per year, and cover a wide array of procedures anywhere in the country. Here is Alexandra Durbaca, executive with an insurance company:

    “In my opinion, nowadays a parent pays more than 1,600 lei per year for medical investigations for a healthy child with occasional conditions. In the case of a sick child, costs rise considerably. Over the last years, we have seen parents gravitating more and more towards the private insurance sector. The costs of a policy are no longer prohibitive, as they used to be, or how most people believe they are. What is important is for people to get informed and to seek out these financial solutions, because they can find them in Romania now.”

    Right now, the Romanian Parliament is debating a bill aimed at protecting people with allergies and associated conditions.

  • Women’s Health and Domestic Violence

    Women’s Health and Domestic Violence

    In Romania, information on womens health and measures against domestic violence have a hard time reaching the people directly interested in them. Statistics exist on the effects of the lack of information. For instance, one in five women have never been to the doctor for a check-up, and 20% of pregnant women never went to the doctor during their pregnancy. As many as 10% of mothers who give birth in the country are minors, while Romania ranks among the countries with the highest incidence of breast and cervical cancer. In order to address the situation, a feminist organization Filia Center has come up with a project called Bona Dea, promoting womens health and safety. Andreea Rusu, representing Filia Center, took part in the project, and told us about their aims and what they have achieved since last August:



    Andreea Rusu: “With this project, we wanted to provide women with a safe space where they could talk about their issues, but also get useful information from experts. We went to 18 village clusters where we talked about maternal health and breastfeeding, about preventing breast and cervical cancer, and about preventing and combating violence against women. We also went to 6 cities, where we talked on the same topics, adding to these labour market discrimination against women and combating sexual harassment. In six months, we met with around 1,700 women, and travelled 11,000 km to get to 85 meetings. Unfortunately, we noticed that lack of information is rampant not only in rural, underdeveloped areas, but also in cities. For instance, Romania ranks very low in the EU in terms of prevention of breast and cervical cancer. We rank first in the number of deaths caused by this type of cancer. This also happens because women dont know how to identify the early signs for this disease.”



    As part of the Bona Dea project, representatives of the Filia Center were able to confirm the statistics, and to understand the mentality and customs behind them.



    Andreea Rusu: “In Romania, we still have this idea of not talking about sexuality, or contraception, or even sex education. That is taboo. This happens although, according to UNICEF, the average age people start their sex lives at is 15 and a half. However, many women lack access to information. For instance, many dont know what an ectopic pregnancy is. Best case scenario, they heard someone else had it and got scared. They dont understand why they have to go to the doctor during pregnancy. A lot of times, they see it as a luxury and dont understand that the health of the baby depends on medical check-ups. They hide behind some myths.”



    This may be precisely why the first such contacts under the Bona Dea contract were more difficult, as recalled by another participant in the program, Elena Samoila:



    Elena Samoila: “Women were very reluctant at first. This was my impression… everything seemed strange to them, they didnt know us… they didnt know what to expect, and why they would have to take time out of their day to come to our meetings. However, after the first meeting, the one on maternal health and breastfeeding, we saw that they were interested in getting informed. Which is why they came back, they asked questions, and were very active in our discussions.”



    Andreea Rusu told us that they had a very different experience with local administrators and police:



    Andreea Rusu: “Unfortunately, sometimes the authorities are either incompetent, or ill-willed. On the bright side, we met some extraordinary people too: social workers or health workers, who go out into the community every day, who know peoples problems, and know how to help them. We met some extraordinary women in the police, who were really getting involved. It is true that we have had some ugly interactions with the authorities, but they pale in comparison to the good experiences, learning experiences for us.”



    Local police involvement is crucial in enforcing legislation against domestic violence. In Romania, one in four women is physically or sexually assaulted by their partner or former partner. Over 20,000 cases of battery or other kinds of violence among family members were filed with the police in 2017, and the situation improved in July 2018, when legislation on restraining orders came into effect, called provisional protection in Romania. 150 such orders were issued within 10 days of the law being introduced. Andreea Rusu told us that the first hurdle is the fact that the authorities themselves have to get used to this situation:



    Andreea Rusu: “If among the authorities the mentality persists that a womans place is in the home, where she has to clean and raise the kids, then the information that they have to disseminate is distorted. If a police agent believes that a woman deserves a beating for failing to clean up the house, then it stands to reason that they would not issue a restraining order, and would not protect her rights.”



    Elena Samoila picks up from there:



    Elena Samoila: “Clearly a woman suffering domestic violence will not have the courage to complain to a police agent, to get the protection she is entitled to. This restraining order legislation was introduced so that a police agent can issue it on the spot, by filling in a form. With this order, the aggressor can be removed from the premises for up to five days. In this time, the victim has the possibility to initiate court proceedings and get an extension from the court.”



    The Bona Dea project started in the summer of last year, and will be completed at the end of this month, when the representatives of Filia Center hope to register a drop in the lack of information.



    (translated by: Calin Cotoiu)

  • Newborn Health in Romania

    Newborn Health in Romania

    The proper equipping of neonatal clinics is essential for the good management of premature birth cases. In Romania, the neonatal mortality rate is twice the European average. This rate is a good indicator of the gap between Romania and the more developed European countries. In Romanias poor counties, the neonatal mortality rate is double the one in the big cities, where neonatal clinics have modern medical equipment, according to a report by Salvati Copiii Association. Gabriela Alexandrescu, executive president of Salvati Copiii, tells us more about it:



    Gabriela Alexandrescu: “A national equipping program has not been implemented in Romania since 2007. Given the high number of premature birth cases, the equipment was intensely used. Moreover, the number of beds in neonatal ICUs is half the one needed. Consequently, many departments received more newborns than they were able to accommodate. The lack of equipment able to provide vital support was one of the causes. Another cause is the education of mothers, the number of visits to general practitioners and scarce pregnancy monitoring. Almost half of the pregnancies in Romania are not monitored by a physician. A lot of women give birth in maternity hospitals that do not have the equipment, the expertise and the legal right to care for newborns weighing less than one and a half kilos.



    As for the causes of child mortality in Romania, Gabriela Alexandrescu says they are social and cultural, but are also related to the lack of medical services in the less developed regions of Romania.



    Gabriela Alexandrescu: “It is a cluster of factors: education, the lack of basic services at the level of communities, especially in rural communities, where there is a major shortage of family physicians, a shortage of check-up procedures for pregnant women, many womens impossibility to travel to town to have their pregnancy tests. This has created a pretty difficult situation for families in Romania. The reported infant mortality rate has doubled, we also have discrepancies across the country, between various counties. We have more than 23 counties where the reported mortality rate lies above the rate at national level, with the counties of Botosani and Calarasi sadly being at the top of the list. Mortality rates for these counties are 3 times higher than in Cluj or Bucharest.



    In 2017, the child mortality rate stood at 7.2 per one thousand live births, with premature birth being the main cause of death. Salvati Copiii Association got actively involved in the efforts to properly supply medical units with the required equipment.



    Gabriela Alexandrescu: “We at Salvatii Copiii Association have been trying to make up for that kind of shortage. In recent years, since 2012, we have donated more than 515 pieces of equipment to 88 maternity hospitals, for 42,000 newborns. We have invested more than 4 million Euros, which we have received from corporate and individual donors. Everything was done with the support of people from Romania. Because we have seen and understood that, rather than waiting for the ministry and the authorities to earmark the sums needed, it was in our power to save our children. If we are unable to ensure our childrens right to live, what else is there worth talking about?



    In Romania, there are many cases of congenital heart defects among newborns. Many children are born with such problems and the only hospital where they can have treatment immediately after they were born is the Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and Transplant in Targu Mures. The medical staff there works on a 24/7 basis, yet their effort is not enough. Out of the around 1,000 heart surgeries per year that are necessary, the hospital in Targu Mures only conducts around 230. Meanwhile, other doctors face equipment shortages. Here is the head of Neonatal Clinic of the University Emergency Hospital in Bucharest, Adriana Dan, with details:



    Adriana Dan: “Neonatal hospitals in Romania are rated according to levels of competence and facilities. There are relatively few 3rd-degree maternities, the best-equipped and best-prepared in terms of human resources. There are around twenty such units in Romania. They are capable of providing care in the premature births with the greatest needs. We run with limited, obsolete and overused equipment. In order for premature babies to survive, it is essential that we have incubators, ventilators, vital functions monitoring equipment, high-quality single-use consumables to prevent the multiple complications that infants with weak immune systems may have.



    We also asked Adriana Dan what neonatologists feel when they succeed in their profession in spite of the shortcomings in the healthcare system:



    Adriana Dan: “On one hand, we are happy that we can help a frail soul and a family that has so much wanted and expected this child. On the other hand, it is a matter of professional pride, when we see that what we do is important. At our annual meetings on November 17, when World Prematurity Day is celebrated, we get to meet the children we have saved and who are two, five years old or have even reached school age. It is such a joy to be able to know that part of what a child is has been possible thanks to you. It is something special.



    This kind of satisfaction will most likely be only felt by a physician who saves the life of a newborn. But for more such performances, Romania needs state-of-the art neonatal hospitals. In 2019, “Salvati Copiii Romania is purchasing equipment for 49 maternity hospitals.



    (translated by: Elena Enache, Eugen Nasta)

  • March 26, 2019 UPDATE

    March 26, 2019 UPDATE

    CONSULTATIONS President Klaus Iohannis Tuesday had consultations with representatives of civil society regarding the justice referendum. The President last week said he was almost determined to call a referendum coinciding with the European Parliament election of May 26. The president’s announcement followed the Constitutional Court’s ruling sanctioning a referendum on the same day as the European Parliament election. On Wednesday the head of state will also hold talks with representatives of magistrate associations on the current state of affairs in the judiciary.




    VISIT Vaccination, the assessment of medical technology, tobacco control, cancer prevention and antibiotic resistance were among the topics approached in Bucharest on Tuesday by the Healthcare Minister Sorina Pintea and the EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis. Previously, the EU official was also received by President Klaus Iohannis. Vytenis Andriukaitis attended the Global Forum on “Human Rights and a World without Tobacco and called for the elimination of tobacco products from supermarkets, considering it is not rated as foodstuff. Vytenis Andriukaitis is on an official visit to Bucharest over March 26-27, and on Wednesday he will attend the opening of the 4th annual conference on tobacco control organized by the European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention jointly with the Romanian Pneumology Society.




    DST The European Parliament Tuesday voted, by a large majority, to end daylight saving time in the EU as of 2021. Member states will therefore scrap the practice of clock changes twice a year, and will choose to keep either permanent summer time or winter time. Under the draft resolution, the countries that decide to make summer time permanent will change clocks for the last time on the last Sunday of March 2021. Conversely, the countries that opt for permanent standard time will change clocks one final time in October 2021. The European Commission proposed to end biannual clock changes in 2018, after a poll that shows overwhelming support for the move, with 84% of 4.6 million respondents in favour of abolishing daylight saving.




    EU-CHINA Germanys Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emanuel Macron and the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker Tuesday held talks in Paris with Chinese President Xi Jinping about future relations between Europe and China. The Chinese President is on a tour of Europe to gather support for his project, “The New Silk Road, aimed at linking China to Europe by means of a thousand-billion-dollar investment by 2030. Several EU states have signed protocols expressing their desire to join the project, and last week Europes third-largest economy, Italy, currently facing severe economic imbalances, became the first G7 country to sing. European Commission representatives have called for the immediate establishment of a joint strategy, concerned with Chinese investment in key sectors in Member States, such as electricity grids, high-speed rail networks and port infrastructure.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Education for life, in school and at home

    Education for life, in school and at home

    Recently, 154 teachers who are teaching at least 4,200 students from 8 counties of Romania and from Bucharest have benefited from training provided under a project called “For girls and boys run by the Association “Youth for Youth. The purpose of the project is to approach issues specific to puberty with secondary school pupils, especially with 6th and 7th graders.



    They have chosen this age group because they have identified a major lack of information among high school students, although adolescents should have had better knowledge of their body, emotions and dangers specific to their age. The same lack of information is also considered to be partly responsible for certain worrying statistics: annually 10% of women in Romania who give birth are under age, and 6 out of 10 teen mothers have never had access to information about reproductive health. Although public education has provided an optional course on ‘Education for health starting in 2004, which can be taught from the 1st grade to the 12th grade, only 6%-7% of the students in the pre-university system took this course in the 2017-2018 school year.



    This is the context in which the precisely in order to help teachers tackle these sensitive issues with the students. They are sensitive issues both from a psychological and physiological point of view, says Adina Manea, the project coordinator:



    Adina Manea: “The programme addresses form masters, whether or not they teach the optional course ‘Education for health. What we have produced, namely the teaching materials for the teachers and the workbook for pupils, can be used both during the educational class and during the ‘Education for health class, where such classes are held. During puberty, apart from the occurrence of natural hormonal changes which teenagers may or may not understand, which may or may not be explained to them, there emerges a new range of emotions. It is important for them to learn how to deal with these issues. Moreover, at this age, children are very interested in communicating with and relating to the others, including in a romantic way. How we communicate with one another, what persuasive communication means, how we protect ourselves and what virtual communication means, what ones self-image is in the real and virtual environments, are also issues of interest to children. Children are meaner to one another, but they are also vulnerable to ill-intentioned people they may meet online. Young people need to learn how to discriminate between different attitudes.



    Teachers and students have learnt how to better communicate with one another in relation to issues such as the human body and its development during puberty, self-esteem and relationships, ways to prevent violence, values, family and plans for the future. But while pupils are poorly informed on these issues, the question is how prepared teachers are to approach them.



    Adina Manea: “The most important thing as far as teachers are concerned is that they intend and are willing to contribute to the childrens good. Teachers also admit that they lack in-depth understanding of certain issues of the younger generations, and that they need support by means of training. From the very start, we have intended to include parents in this discussion. After a period of training, teachers went back to their classes, where they used what they learned during our courses. Furthermore, the teaching staff, the pupils involved in the project, and the volunteers of the Association ‘Youth for youth are organizing activities in which they also invite parents to talk about these issues. Thus, parents are invited to recollect their puberty and the difficulties they had in coping with the issues typical of this age, to realize the importance of supporting their children through this natural process, from puberty to adolescence.



    Of the schools that participated in the project ‘For girls and boys, 29 were from urban areas and 16 from rural communities. It is common knowledge that the rural areas in Romania are quite disadvantaged from many points of view. Here is Adina Manea with more:



    Adina Manea: “We wanted to see the response of the parents and students from rural areas, which, according to statistics, are faced with poverty, lack of opportunities and reduced education level. Plenty of data clearly shows that, at present, rural areas are at a disadvantage against urban areas. We wanted to see if the reaction of people in those areas is as grim as the statistics suggested, but they had a very good response. Everybody was happy with the impact of these courses on children and the way in which the meetings with parents unfolded.



    It remains to be seen to what extent the model of communication between teachers and children implemented by the Association ‘Youth for Youth will be applied so as to boost the level of information and self-awareness among teenagers.



    (translated by: Lacramioara Simion)

  • July 30, 2017

    July 30, 2017

    DEFENCE – The Supreme Defence Council is to convene in Bucharest on Tuesday. The agenda of the meeting, chaired by President Klaus Iohannis, includes a presentation of the Plan of equipment procurement for the Romanian Army in 2017-2026. The plan provides for the implementation of a commitment made in 2015 by all political parties, with respect to earmarking 2% of the GDP for the defence sector for 10 years, starting in 2017. The latest Defence Council meeting was held on July 4, but at that time the Plan for army equipment procurement was withdrawn from the agenda of the meeting, in order to be adjusted to the politically agreed target of earmarking 2% of the GDP to this sector.





    HEALTHCARE – The Romanian Healthcare Minister, Florian Bodog, hopes Parliament will pass the new vaccination law quickly. He also welcomed the decision of Ludovic Orban, president of the National Liberal Party in opposition, to support compulsory vaccination. In turn, PM Mihai Tudose said in an interview on the public radio that the current situation requires the introduction of compulsory vaccination. On Thursday, the Cabinet discussed a draft law on vaccination, laying down responsibilities both for the authorities and healthcare staff, and for parents. The bill is designed to regulate the organisation and funding of vaccination in Romania, as well as to raise awareness on the benefits, safety, quality and possible adverse reactions to immunisation. The bill also provides for a national reserve stock covering at least the annual vaccine needs, with doses valid for at least one and a half years. The bill was drafted after the large number of measles cases and deaths caused by this disease prompted the World Health Organisation to include Romania in the 5 countries that total over 80% of the number of cases reported worldwide.




    SECURITY – The security challenges currently facing Romania and NATO member states will be discussed in an event taking place in Bucharest between July 31 and August 5 and entitled ‘Defence and Dialogue in Eastern Europe’ (DDEE). International experts and Romanian officials will talk about hybrid threats, recent misinformation campaigns and large-scale cyber-attacks. Attending the event organised by Euro Atlantic Diplomacy Society will be around 200 young people from 36 countries.




    NATO – A British destroyer and a Turkish frigate are in the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta for 2 days. They are part of the standing NATO group which, together with Ferdinand frigate of the Romanian Navy have taken part in joint training sessions and in sea traffic monitoring missions. On board the British destroyer, the commander of the standing NATO maritime group James Borley said the Alliance has a constant presence at the Black Sea because some riparian countries are also members of the Organisation.




    TERRORIST PLOT – The Australian security forces have foiled a presumably Islamist terror plan to detonate a bomb targeting an airplane, and four individuals have been arrested, PM Malcolm Turnbull has announced, according to AFP. He added that security was tightened in Australian airports. A total of 12 terrorist plots have been foiled in Australia and some 60 people have been sent to court since the alert level was raised in September 2014. Australia is taking part in the US-led international coalition conducting air raids against the Islamic State jihadist group in Iraq and Syria since the summer of 2014.




    SPORTS – Romania won 8 medals, 5 silver and 3 bronze, at the 2017 summer edition of the European Youth Olympics Festival, which came to an end on Saturday in Gyor (Hungary). On the last day of the competition the Romanian athletes won 3 more silver medals. The womens handball team lost the final to the host team, Hungary, 30-23, the tennis player Nicholas David Ionel was defeated in the final by the Italian Lorenzo Rottoli, and athlete Cristian Gabriel Voicu won the silver in the 800 m race. Romanias delegation in this edition of the Festival was made up of 77 athletes, competing in athletics, cycling, gymnastics, handball, swimming, judo, rowing and tennis.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • 20 May, 2016

    20 May, 2016

    APPOINTMENT — Economist Vlad Voiculescu, former head of cabinet in the Ministry of Finance, is being sworn in today as Minister of Health. He has 10 years experience as a financial consultant in Vienna, and has had various charitable activities in health in Romania. He replaces the former minister, who handed in his resignation on May 9 against the backdrop of the scandal of disinfectants in Romanian hospitals.



    FILM — The movie Baccalaureate, by Crisitan Mungiu, which had its premiere Thursday night at Cannes, was a hit with critics in France. They expect the director to win a second Palme dOr, and a possible award for best male lead for Adrian Titieni, the protagonist of the movie. According to a French website, Mungiu is one of the favorites in the competition, running against another Romanian, Cristi Puiu, who recently premiered his film Sieranevada, which also received critical praise. A third Romanian movie is in the running, this time for the Un Certain Regard award, Dogs by Bogdan Mirica.



    CRASH — Egyptian army sources announced they found fragments of the EgyptAir plane that crashed on Thursday 290 km north of Alexandria. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said there were no clues on causes of the crash. US analysis on satellite images have yielded no indication of an explosion, and experts have not ruled out any cause for the crash, including technical difficulties, terrorism, or a deliberate act on the part of the pilot or crew. The so-called Islamic State alleged they downed the airliner.



    NATO — Montenegro, of the former Yugoslav federation, is now formally the 29th NATO member. The protocol was signed on Thursday in Brussels by NATO foreign ministers, including Romanian head of diplomacy, Lazar Comanescu. The membership comes into effect in two years, and in the meantime Montenegro has the role of observer at NATO meetings. This is the third state in the West Balkans, after Croatia and Albania, to join NATO, to the chagrin of Moscow, which sees this as an attempt to diminish its influence in the area. The parliaments of the 28 member states have to ratify the membership. The meeting continues with talks on cooperation with the EU. This is the last major event ahead of the NATO summit in Warsaw, in July.



    COUNCIL — The EU Council of Justice and Home Affairs convenes today in Brussels. On the agenda are the recent proposals of the EC on migration and waiving visas for Turkish citizens. Participants will discuss the Commission recommendations on mandatory quotas and sanctions imposed on states which refuse to take in refugees. In its present form, the visa waiver for Turkish citizens applies for stays of up to 90 days, and does not apply to work.



    TENNIS — Two Romanian tennis players, Sorana Carstea and Andreea Mitu, play today in the last qualifying round at Roland Garros, the second Grand Slam of the year, with 32 million dollars in prize money. Carstea plays against Elise Mertens of Belgium, while Mitu faces offf against Swiss Viktorija Golubic. Four other Romanians play in the competition, Simona Halep, Irina Begu, Monica Niculescu, and Alexandra Dulgheru. In the mens competition, Romania has only one representative, Adrian Ungur.

  • How healthy is the food we buy in Romania?

    How healthy is the food we buy in Romania?

    Surveys reveal that in recent years Romanians have become
    increasingly careful about the food they eat. They check the labels on food
    packages and are often ready to pay more for healthier food. People are aware
    that a growing number of producers add all sorts of unhealthy substances to
    their foodstuffs so that their products should sell better. So what and how we
    eat is a hot topic in Romania today.




    Despite food experts warning people to be careful about
    the food they buy and despite the many checks conducted by the authorities, the
    problems are far from being solved. One third of the checks carried out by the
    consumer protection body at produce markets and shops are the result of the complaints
    made by consumers. More than 7,000 such complaints were registered last year
    alone. Here’s what this young woman from Bucharest told us:




    Unfortunately,
    I don’t think the food we buy is quite okay. The content is not the same with
    what you read on the label, you often read one thing on the label, and find
    something else inside. Many food additives are also used and I read that they
    are dangerous for our health and create dependency. Fruit is imported and
    almost tasteless, and no longer tastes like the fruit we used to eat when we
    were children. As for meat, it depends where you buy it. In most cases, it is
    full of spices to conceal the colour of old meat. If you buy a whole chicken,
    you will sometimes notice that its bones break very easily because of the way
    they reared, through intensive farming, not to mention that they contain lots
    of hormones.




    Another
    person we interviewed on the street said she would rather buy her food straight
    from farmers if she had this option:




    I
    have my doubts sometimes. I’m more interested into organic food and countryside
    products but if that’s not available I don’t have a choice, I have to buy it
    from the shops. Cheese, for example, contains all kind of powder. I think most
    of the products we buy are genetically modified. But I have no choice, do I?




    A
    survey conducted by Gfk Romania has revealed that seven out of ten Romanians
    believe a healthy lifestyle means eating fruit and vegetables. Unprocessed food
    is also associated with healthy living. Indeed, more and more Romanians are
    drawn to a vegetarian diet. However, modern food industry has been going
    through a series of changes, says the president of the Consumer Protection
    Association Costel Stanciu:




    Counterfeiting
    in the Romanian food industry appeared in the 1990s, more precisely after 1998,
    when the food production standards that had been in place until then became
    optional. As they were no longer required to comply with certain industry
    standards, food producers created their own standards. There were some who
    continued to use healthy recipes, but their products did not sell very well and
    either went bankrupt or they, too, started counterfeiting the food.




    Wholemeal
    bread is the most counterfeited product in Romania. Instead of ground wheat, it
    contains banned colouring agents. A recent survey conducted by the Consumer
    Protection Association has revealed that 6% of the amount of sliced bread sold
    in Romania is not prepared according to the traditional recipe. With 97 kg per
    person, Romanians are the largest consumers of bread in Europe. Costel Stanciu
    tells us more:




    Counterfeiters
    replace wheat flour with flour of lower quality, such as bean flower and soy
    flour, and add lots of unsuitable additives. In the sample of bread we checked
    we found traces of cysteine, thickening agents and preservatives. We also found
    palm oil and margarine that have nothing to do with the traditional bread
    recipe.




    The
    Agriculture Ministry has admitted that half of the domestic bread production is
    not subject to taxation so bread quality and safety cannot be controlled. Apart
    from a product’s expiry date, Romanians mostly check the list of food additives
    on the label of food packages, but in the end their decision to buy a product
    is based on its price rather than its quality. The president of the Trade
    Unions Federation in the Food Industry Dragos Frumosu, tells us more:




    There
    are the big companies whose products comply with all quality, health and safety
    standards, but there are also producers that do not respect the recipes
    entirely and are more interested in making a profit. What we, consumers, can do
    is not to buy the products that do not comply with the stated recipes and
    product quality standards. Some processed meat producers told me they are
    sometimes asked to make products that shouldn’t exceed a certain cost. Keeping
    the costs down means producers will not be able to respect a certain recipe and
    that they have to put more fat and less meat in the product. This product will
    be less healthy. What I find increasingly worrying is seeing products’
    shelf-life is becoming longer and longer. This is possible because of the use
    of food additives, which, up to a certain amount, are not harmful to people’s
    health. We must be aware, however, that we find these additives not only in
    processed meat, but also in bread and sweets.




    Given that for
    75% of Romanians price is the only criterion used when buy food and that fast
    food is the number one choice for many of the people with low and medium
    incomes, it’s no surprise that a quarter of Romania’s adult population and 10%
    of its children suffer from obesity.