Conservation and sustainable use of plants is the
prime issue on the agenda
of the participants in
the ongoing Food and
Agriculture Organization
(FAO) conference in Leipzig. Germany. According
to the FAO. around three-quarters of the
world's plant species have been lost this
century. The spread of modern. commercial
agriculture and the introduction of new
varieties of crops have been identified as
the main factors leading to the loss of plant
diversity. "Plant genetic resources for food
and agriculture provide the biological basis for world food security and support the
livelihoods of every person on earth," says
the FAO.
A survey conducted by the UN revealed
that the number of people suffering from
AIDS went up by 25 per cent in 1995 and
now totals 1.3 million. Nearly 21 million
adults across the world are infected with
HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Women
make up about 42 per cent of the reported
cases and the percentage is rising according
to the UN report. Most adults get infected
with HIV between the ages of 15 and 24
and most of them die from AIDs-related
diseases before 49. More than 90 per cent
of those infected are from developing
countries, said the survey.
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