SUSHIL KOIRALA, SURYA BAHADUR THAPA MEET Kathmandu, 16 Feb.: Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala and Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP) Chairman Surya Bahadur Thapa met at Koirala's residence at Maharajgunj on Saturday, RSS writes.. Talking to journalists after the meeting, Chairman Thapa said he told Koirala that it would weaken democratic values and norms, if an independent person was made the prime minister. Thapa said this would prove that parties have failed and their existence will be end and urged Koirala to give a serious thinking on it nnnn SECOND PHASE ANTI-FILARIASIS BEGINS Kathmandu, 16 Feb.: A three-day second phase campaign of the Mass Drug Administration (MDA) was launched in 19 districts by the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD) at the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) Saturday against lymphatic filariasis or elephantiasis. The campaign covers nine new districts of the Far-Western Region and Dailkeh of the Mid-Western Development Region. The campaign in being repeated in nine districts of the mid-West. Dugs are being administered 6 million persons between two and 60 years. The campaign isn’t popular in urban areas. . Elephantiasis is the second major disease to cause a permanent, long-term disability after leprosy in the country. Nnnn TWO MILLION DIABETICS IN NEPAL Kathmandu, 16 Feb.: A special programme has been demanded from the Ministry of Health and Population for controlling diabetes, which is a major health problem of the people, The Himalayan Times reports.. Diabetes is caused when glucose level is more than normal in human blood. Our food consists of carbohydrate, protein and fat. When the body does not use it, glucose and sugar is accumulated in blood more than normal. It is estimated that some two million people are affected from diabetes in Nepal so far. Participants of the Third Diabetes Conference organized here today by the Diabetes Nepal suggested that the ministry bring more effective programmes for both awareness and treatment for is control. Once one gets diabetes, it continues all his life and no cure has been found so far. It can be controlled only if attention is given on diet and exercise. At the programme, working papers and lectures will be presented by senior doctors of Nepal, India, USA and UK for informing the doctors, nurses and patients on diabetes. Humour satire artists duo Madan Krishna Shrestha and Haribansha Acharya while initiating the conference made commitment to raising awareness on it. Diabetes specialist Prof. Dr. Satyan Rajbhandari and Prof. Dr. Prakash Pandey said diabetes could be avoided if change is brought in lifestyle. Chairman of the organising body, Roshan Krishna Nyachhyo and General Secretary Kailash Pradhan said time has come for prioritizing diabetes control as other complex diseases attack if one has diabetes. British diabetes expert Brian Firor urged to give attention on its control, as it is a major health problem. nnnn