Can the fund by IMF save the world economy Essay

Can the fund by IMF save the world economy - Essay Example The functions of the IMF are quite broad and it ranges from enhancing monetary cooperation between nations to maintaining an acceptable level of balance of payment. Other functions include promoting stability of exchange rate, ensuring smooth flow of capital and providing funds to nations. Providing financial assistance is one of the major functions of the IMF so that problems relating to balance of payment can be reduced (Weiss, â€Å"International Monetary Fund: Background and Issues for Congress†). Monitoring the fiscal and monetary functions of nations under its membership and technical advice are also functions of the IMF. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the role of IMF in helping to protect the world economy. The paper is divided into five main sections. The chapter of literature review focuses on the key economic theories in explaining the role of the IMF. The methodology chapter briefly discusses the methods of conducting this essay and the section on results provides empirical verification of the ways in which the countries has performed with the help of the funds provided by the IMF. Historically, the mechanism of working of IMF is rooted in the Keynesian macroeconomics. The IMF is essentially a monetary organization that focused on the monetary help to adjust balance of payment of a country. The works of Friedman (1950 cited in Davidson 64) regarding floating exchange rates and monetarism had influenced the functioning of the IMF. Keynes was one of the founding fathers of the IMF and he had applied his countercyclical monetary and fiscal policies to combat unemployment and recessions. However, over the years the functioning of the IMF had changed dramatically with the evolution of the new classical macroeconomic ideas. The proponents of the Keynesian and the post Keynesian theories had suggested that uncontrolled flow of capital makes countries highly vulnerable to events like banking crisis and

Book report on The stranger by Albert Camus Essay

Book report on The stranger by Albert Camus - Essay Example Albert Camus is considered to the French author of the Modernism era, and he is also famous by its philosophical views and journalistic articles. The philosophy of absurd has remained to be his notable contribution in the field of literature of that period (McCarthy, 5-6). This man has an individual and extraordinary world perception that he effuses in his creations. â€Å"The Stranger† has been first published in the year 1942 (McCarthy, 1). Albert Camus has had 29 years old, and that was a period of war and devastation. His father has been killed in the whirlpool of events that happened in the previous war (McCarthy, 3). That is why we may lead to personal and historical references while reading the book. Camus represents his own pattern of live vision that may seem ridiculous and irritating for the society. Still, this pattern may be understood from different perspective that author suggest us to query. The setting of the novel is the French colony of Algiers and the time is introduced the period before World War II. â€Å"The Stranger† represents two parts of the story that are thematically and logically divided. The main character is named Meursault. There are a few secondary characters in the story which help to develop the plot. The slant on the novel is tragic with the philosophical implications. The atmosphere is gloomy and dull with calm and confident inclusions. Novel â€Å"The Stranger† suggests to the audience the story about allegedly ordinary person Meursault who remains to be the recluse man with small needs and paltry subsistence. He is engaged in boring work, and lives in a small and dirty room. Physical necessities form more important value for Meursault than some entire personal feelings and moral dogmas. This man is viewed as a protagonist of the story. We also may regard him as anti-hero of the novel due to some perspective. Camus involves the readers into contradictory

The Abolition of Man Cs Lewis Review Essay Example for Free

The Abolition of Man Cs Lewis Review Essay The Abolition of Man was written by C.S. Lewis in 1943. It was subtitled Reflections on education with special reference to the teaching of English in the upper forms of schools†. C.S. Lewis was born in 1898 and died in 1963 (same day as Robert F. Kennedy). He was a fiction and non-fiction writer whose most popular non-fiction work was â€Å"The Chronicles of Narnia†. Lewis was a Classicist who agreed philosophically with Plato and Aristotle and also considered himself a â€Å"Pagan in a World of Apostate Christians†. Lewis was also a friend of JRR Tolkien. The Abolition of Man is listed as #7 on the top 200 greatest works of the 20th Century. In Abolition Lewis writes of two opposing views: The World off the Green Book vs. the World of the Tao. â€Å"Abolition of Man† is a short philosophical work about moral education. In Chapter 1 â€Å"Men Without Chests† the Tao is described as a broad generalization of traditional moralities of the East and West consisting of Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, Confusion, Jewish, Muslim, and Socratic ideologies. The Tao is the sole source of valued judgments and something we cannot change otherwise the Tao would cease to exist. Within the Tao judgments are either right or they are wrong. Within the â€Å"World of the Green Book† all valued judgments and morality are subjective. The green Book itself is really an English textbook used in English upper advance primary schools. The text of the Green book teaches students that sentences containing the predicate of value are not statements about qualities in their subjects but rather unimportant statements about the speakers own feelings. Lewis believed that this philosophy was out of place in an English text book, regardless o f its validity, and proceeds to tear the philosophy apart. The Green book states that objects can merit our approval or disapproval. Lewis describes The Mind of Man in a platonic division of three: Head- the Center of man’s intelligence Stomach- The center of man’s desire Chest- The center of man’s will Lewis argues that removing all sentiments from the mind (as rationalists try to do) produces â€Å"Men Without Chests†. Lewis believes that making valued judgments are an essential part of clear thinking. In Chapter 2, â€Å"The Way†, Lewis hacks away at all other alternative system of values. Lewis goes on to argue that no one can debunk the Tao. To debunk the Tao and have a defensible position against it, one must invoke it. While attempting to debunk the Tao all other systems such as Progressivism, Utilitarianism, and instinct based ethics can be debunked themselves. â€Å"Debunking the Tao debunks itself† Lewis write of other systems. Lewis states that all other systems fall apart among further examination and people who try to debunk the Tao are trying to substitute some other system for it. In Chapter 2 arbitrary goals of other systems are described as necessary, progressive, and efficient. Lewis asks of these systems: Necessary for what? Progressing towards what? Affecting what? What are these goals and why are they desirable? The Tao states that â€Å"certain states of affairs are intrinsically meritorious†. To Lewis, Utilitarianism fails because it is a social ethic and that it lacks personal obligation. Instinct based ethics are our moral values that are derived from animal instincts. Lewis asks â€Å"Do our animal instincts make our morality?† Concerning ethics Lewis tells us that ethics are not something that tell us what we actually do but rather ethics is about telling us what we OUGHT to do, should do, should have done, ought to have done, and OUGHT to be doing. He goes on to say that basing our ethics on instincts does not make sense and that basing ethics on instincts is basing ethics on what people tell us to do. â€Å"People say different things†¦so do our instincts. Our instincts are at war with each other.† There are times in which we should control and suppress our instincts and that there is no one great instinct we should obey. In summation, ethics cannot be derived from our instincts. Chapter two ends with Lewis concluding that the Tao is the sole source of all valued judgment and that nothing is intrinsically evil. All evil is the result of twisting something good and that moral progress is â€Å"timeless, constant, and unchanging.† Lewis referred to chapter one â€Å"Men without Chests† as the present, chapter two â€Å"The Way† as the past, and chapter three â€Å"The Abolition of Man† as the future. The Abolition of man comes in when one tries to exercise the Tao from humanity, because man cannot be man without it. The Tao is a defining characteristic of man, found in no animals, and nowhere else in the universe that we know of. â€Å"To become a race that rejects the Tao is to become something other than human.† I have to admit, â€Å"The Abolition of Man† is one of the hardest reads I’ve ever had. I think if there was some way to modernize it and translate some of what Lewis was talking about it could end up b eing one of the great works of the 21st century. All in all I have probably read this book three times and I’m still a bit confused. My take on it is this; Lewis describes a principle of right and wrong. There is no grey area of the Tao, it is what is intrinsically good in the universe regardless of which philosophy you choose to follow. By trying to discredit what is intrinsically good you are discrediting yourself as any argument that stands against what is all good must contain something that is bad†¦therefore it is wrong to even try. Ethics are not instinctive and instincts themselves, although natural, are not always good just because they are instinctive.

Portrayal Of Drugs In Television And Movies

Portrayal Of Drugs In Television And Movies Television seems to glorify drinking alcohol and the use of nicotine whether actors are bellying up to Joes Emerald City Bar in Greys Anatomy or swigging a martini at MacLarens on How I Met Your Mother, (McKean, 2006) television seems to say drinking alcohol is sexy, popular and okay. Alcohol gets free exposure on prime-time television. In shows such as CBS Two and a Half Men, Foxs Happy Hour and ABCs Brothers and Sisters, cocktails and cigarettes have replaced the usual cup of coffee after work. These shows portray negative messages that drinking after work or at social gatherings is socially accepted. Reality shows such as Intervention and Celebrity Rehab depict the full range of alcohol and illicit drug use with real life footage of heroin, crack cocaine, meth and other addictions. These shows illustrate the physical and mental destruction of what can happen to a person when they use drugs. Shows such as Intervention and Celebrity Rehab show the downfall and the reality of drug use. While other shows seem to venerate the use of alcohol with humor and sex, these shows depict how strong addiction can be and how families are affected by drug use. Shows such as these send a strong message to viewers about the realities of drug use and the reality of treatment. There is no pretty picture painted about an easy recovery neither does it glamorize a cool picture of heroin, meth, crack, inhalants and alcohol. The reality is clear, it sends the message dont do drugs because this is what will happen to you, your family and your life. A positive aspect of the prime time television and alcohol use is that when an underage person is depicted as using alcohol they portray the consequences and turn into a positive learning experience. The negative aspect of alcohol and drug use in television is that it sends a negative message to teenagers, its says its cool to drink and smoke. According to Kids Health.com kids and teens ages eight to eighteen spend nearly four hours a day watching television ( The Nemours Foundation, 2010). This is about three times the time amount they spend listening to the radio. Children are greatly influenced by what they watch and many of them idolize stars from these shows and want the mimic what they watch, especially if the use of alcohol, nicotine and illicit drugs are glamorized. These shows depict unsafe behavior and often there are no consideration about the consequence of on the use of alcohol, smoking and use of drugs. Alcohol and nicotine seem to be a favorite among prime time shows; illicit drug use is mostly portrayed in movies. Illicit drugs use and alcohol are hyped up in movies more so than in prime time, but some movies also send a message how drugs can lead to destruction and the struggle to overcome addiction. In 1995, The Basketball Diaries staring Leonard DiCaprio portrayed the true story of Jim Carroll a teenagers struggle with heroin addiction whose only desires are the game of basketball and heroin. In The Basketball Diaries Jims the only escape from a best friend that is dying and a coach who is a child predator is heroin. In a downward spiral Jims addiction for heroin leads him into the streets where he steals, robs and prostitutes himself. It is only through a friend and his relentless pursuit of his desire for Jim to be clean that he overcomes his addiction and fulfills his dreams. The message in The Basketball Diaries relays how drug addiction can destroy your dreams lead you int o a path of crime and self destruction. The message in this movie was a detail of how a lifestyle can easily be misled through the use of drugs and the struggle a person will have to take to overcome that addiction. This move portrayed a very effective message; drugs can destroy all your dreams, lead you into a life where basically you would sell your soul to get your next hit. It also showed the struggles to overcome addiction and how positive your life can become once you decide to make positive choices in your life. As much as alcohol and drug use may be glorified in prime time television, there are also antidrug advertisements that try to educate parents and children on peer pressure and the effects of drug use. In 1998 Congress created The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign in collaboration with Partnership for a Drug-Free America the goal of this campaign is preventing and reducing youth drug abuse across the nation. The main goal of this campaign is to create advertisements that deliver antidrug use and the dangers of that behavior to youths. According to The Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) 2009 there is a correlation between increased teen exposure to anti-drug messages on television and a decreased likelihood of trying drugs over the past ten years. Four out of ten teens agreed that anti-drug messages made them more aware of the risks of using drugs and less likely to try the drugs (Drug Enforcement Administration, 2010). In one of the many advertisement the campaign has pr oduce, The Human Puppet the advertisement depicts a girl is passed out on a chair with her friends gathered around her, they are painting her face and have strapped her arms with scarves and are moving her hands as she is a puppet. The girl is in an unconscious state and never reacts to what her friends are doing to her they make reference to the fact that she is passed out and thrashed and that she will have a major headache in the morning. Eventually they walk away from her, leaving her slumped in the chair (The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, 2009).This was an excellent advertisement, and depicted the reality of what can happen when you consume alcohol as a teenager and the embarrassing situations that you place yourself in. The advertisement also pointed out the reality of what your friends can and will do to you when you passed out from alcohol use. The one weakness that was noted in this advertisement was that some kids may think that it was more humorous than educati onal. There should have been more depiction of what can happen when a kid drinks too much alcohol such as loss of body function or alcohol related illnesses. Overall these campaigns have been shown to work The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign began in July 1998 and its primary focus was on reducing marijuana use among adolescents. The data collected from the beginning of PATS in 1998 compared to the data collected in 2008 shows that the use of the media campaign has significantly increased the teen awareness and decreased the use of marijuana in teens (Drug Enforcement Administration, 2010). The policies that are in place to deal with the portrayal of drug addiction are planned through The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the primary function of this office is to establish policies, priorities, and objectives for the Nations drug control program. The goals of the program are to reduce illicit drug use, manufacturing, and trafficking, drug-related crime and violence, and drug-related health consequences (Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2010). The policies that have been established for drug addiction are the following that were obtained from the Criminal Justice Policy Foundation: Americans For Safe Access (ASA) an aggressive grassroots campaign working to push the Bush administration off its anti-medical marijuana crusade and allow states the right to choose and govern medical marijuana laws. Common Sense for Drug Policy (CSDP) a non-profit organization dedicated to expanding discussion on drug policy and raising questions about existing law and educating the public about alternatives to current policies. Criminal Justice Policy Foundation (CJPF) a non-profit foundation working on innovative solutions to problems facing the criminal justice system. Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) the nations leading organization working to end the war on drugs. Drug Reform Coordination Network (DRCNet) opposes the prison-building frenzy and supports rational policies consistent with the principles of peace, justice, freedom, compassion and truth. Human Rights and the Drug War a multi-media project that combines the stories and photos of Drug War POWs with facts and figures about the US Drug War, to confront the conscience of the American people and encourage individuals to take action for social justice. Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) a progressive think-tank with a project on U.S. drug policy and U.S. involvement in Colombia. Interfaith Drug Policy Initiative (IDPI) organizes people of faith to promote drug policy reform; i.e., moving from prohibition laws toward reasonable and compassionate drug regulation, education and treatment. Judges Against the Drug War provides an extensive online database of judicial opinions critical of the governments War on Drugs. The database represents judicial dissent against drug prohibition in state and federal jurisdictions from 1970 to the present date. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) current and former members of law enforcement who support drug regulation rather than prohibition. Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) works to minimize the harm associated with marijuana both the consumption of marijuana, and the laws that are intended to prohibit such use. Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) non-profit research and educational organization that assists scientific study of the risks and benefits of MDMA, psychedelic drugs and marijuana. National Drug Strategies Network (NDSN) coalition of organizations that offer information about drug control strategies. National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) a nonprofit public-interest advocacy group that represents the interests of the tens of millions of Americans who smoke marijuana responsibly. Parents Ending Prohibition Parents Ending Prohibition is a non-profit organization, designed to bring together parents and other concerned citizens to protect our children from the devastating harms created by our nations war on marijuana. Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) working to involve youth in the political process, and promoting an open, honest, and rational discussion of alternative solutions to our nations drug problems. Unitarian Universalists for Drug Policy Reform (UUDPR) a continental coalition of Unitarian Universalists leading the denominations efforts to develop and promote more just and compassionate drug policies (Criminal Justice Policy Foundation, 2010) In addition to these policies The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent United States government agency. The FCC was established by the Communications Act of 1934 and is charged with regulating interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable (The Federal Communications Commission, 2009). The division of the FCC that administers policies and license is the Media Bureau. This office controls what is viewed on television and although there are some limitations due to the First Amendment Act. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is another office that regulates how drugs are portrayed on television. The FDA monitors how pharmaceutical companies advertised their drugs on television. Pharmaceutical companies are allowed to claim the benefits of their product but they must also provide a website or referenced publications where consumers can find out more details regarding the products (Mosher Akins, 2007, p. 345). In 1994 T he Dietary Supplemental Health and Education Act was passed, this act established policies on the sale and advertisement of dietary aides on television. The influence that television has on our youth today is overwhelming and it is important that use of drugs, whether legal or illegal are monitored and regulated. The government as well as parents and guardians have a responsibility towards our future generation and it is important that we influence our children in the right direction.

The Humanization of Modern-Day Film Vampires Essay -- Movies

The Humanization of Modern-Day Film Vampires His thirsts have not changed. He craves the taste of blood, the warm, life-sustaining liquid that flows so gently from the necks of his victims into his own foul mouth. He continues to hunt in the night, cursed forever from the purity of sunlight, and his immortal body still remains ageless, untouched by the rugged sands of time and trauma. Yet somehow the vampire is different than he once was. He is richer, more human in color. His clothes are no longer binding and elaborate as the capes and suits of old; he often opts for simple denim or leather pants and coats. In fact, the modern vampire can often be mistaken for any other man or woman out for a midnight stroll. These observations all show evidence of the humanization of vampires in pop culture, an evolution from the soulless, purely evil animals they once were to merely darker versions of man. As humans struggle to control their own inner desires under the burden of society, increasingly protagonist vampires question and fi ght to suppress their own dark thirsts. It is this denial of nature unknown to the strictly evil vampires of old that identifies the modern-day film vampires more closely with their human counterparts today. Vampires, in retrospect, weren’t always the socially in-tune creatures that they are today. For what reasons did these changes occur? According to social critic I.C. Jarvie, â€Å"if we look again at the movie past . . . we find that the critical posture, the portrayal of society, has long been an important subtradition of the American cinema† (Social Criticism xiii). Thus, if we refer back to some of the earliest vampire films, we might receive some clues about the nature of the society that bir... ...to pursue it. As Benjamin Hoff remarks in the Tao of Pooh, â€Å"when you know and respect your own Inner Nature, you know where you belong† (41). Perhaps, in modeling what were once seen as beasts after us, we are learning to accept rather than shun our own primitive natures. Our place in the world is as creatures that are human. Works Cited Day, William Patrick. Vampire Legends in Contemporary American Culture. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2002. Hoff, Benjamin. The Tao of Pooh. New York: Penguin Books 1982. I.C. Jarvie. Movies and Society. New York: Basic Books, Inc., 1970. I.C. Jarvie. Movies as Social Criticism. Metuchen: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1978. Ursini, James and Alain Silver. The Vampire Film. Cranbury: A.S. Barnes and Co., Inc., 1975 Waller, Gregory A. The Living and the Undead. Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1986.

Directed Writing †Welcoming Speech Essay

You are the school head prefect and your principal is asking you to prepare a welcoming speech in conjunction with the enrolment of 800 new form 1 students to your school Prepare a welcoming speech and use the following points to assist you in the preparation of your speech: *To ensure the discipline of school is strictly adhered to. *Demerit points awarded to students who breach the code of conduct. *Behave properly and talk politely with seniors and other visitors. *Proper attires at all times,no punk hair/coloured hair. *Get active and enrol in club and socities activities *Strictly no celullar phones. *Maintain and uphold the school acdemic achievements Your speech must follow the proper format. Higher marks awarded on language,presentation and clarity. This text is not edited: You may please identify any grammatical /spelling errors or on ideas and presentation. A very good morning for our beloved principal Mr. Haji Ismail bin Haji Syafiq, respected teachers and all my friends. This morning, I felt very honoured to speak to our junior level 1 about 800 of them. Welcome to SMK Pengkalan Chepa 2, Padang Tembak. You are now members of this school and so it is very important for you to protect the good name of this school. As the Head Prefect of the school, it is my duty and responsibility to ensure that these discipline code are strictly adhered to Firstly , you cannot bring mobile phones, cannot have colored hair, your school uniform must not be tight.The hair should be short and the shoes must be all white.Leather shoes are strictly not allowed except for the prefects where they are allowed to wear black leather shoes.All forms of jewelleries are not allowed to be wear inside the school compound. Remember , If you fail to comply with these regulations,then punishment shall be imposed on you.You will be most likely suspended or expelled from school. The members of this school are encouraged to be polite and well behaved not only among yourselves but also to your seniors in form 2,3,4 and 5.In addition you are also compelled to behave in front of the teachers.If there are visitors such as parents and any officials from any organisation outside there,you are required to wish them and respect them.This is our culture in this school and everybody must behave so that we can uphold the image and reputation of this school. Dear friends, It is also important for you to be enrolled in societies and clubs that we have in this school.We have many of them and some include mathematics,sejarah, english and bahasa melayu.As for the clubs,we have taekwando,silat gayong and chess.You can enrol in clubs and socities that you think,you can carry them until you reach form5. For your information ,this school use demerit points for each offence committed by each student. If the students collect more than 10 demerit points,then the student can be penalized and their parents will be call out. . Remember,. I hope that you all as a new student can uphold the school’s name.

Clostridium Difficle Infection In Health-Care Workers Essay

According to Bouza (2005), Clostridium Difficile is a bacillus that is gram positive and forms spores. Its main mode of distribution is the environment whereby it also colonizes 3-5% of all healthy adults without causing any symptoms that can be noticed. At infancy, clostridium difficile colonizes between 2% and 70%, but the rates decrease with advancement in age and falling to about 6% when the infant grows to two years. Above the age of two, the rate of clostridium difficile is much similar to that of an adult, around 3% (APIC, 2008). The strains responsible for the production of clostridium difficile are characterized by their ability in the production of both toxins A and B. The most common and rampant symptom of CDI is diarrhea that is not always bloody, but can range from the soft and unformed stools to the watery and mucoid stools. Other outstanding symptoms include abdominal pains and fever and cramping in others. Clostridium difficile spores are highly resistant to destruction by most of the environmental agents and conditions. Their resistance can go as far as resisting some of the chemicals used in disinfection (Zanotti-Cavazzoni, 165). Therefore, this gives clostridium difficile the ability to survive for months or longer in the environment and even in healthcare facilities and the surrounding community. Mainly, the spread of clostridium difficile is through the transfer of spores from a contaminated environment to the patient, or perhaps through the hands of health care givers who do not follow proper hygiene and gloving practices. The only proper control measure that can be adopted is the thorough disinfection and cleaning of the patient’s environment and also through the physical removal of the spores. In recent decades, there has been a recorded increase in the number of reported rates of clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD). There has also been a recording in the increase in the number of outbreaks accompanied by severe disease and also an increase in mortality. The increase in CDAD is mainly characterized by the following; changes in the use of antibiotics, a change in infection control practices or the emergence of new strains of clostridium difficile that have increased virulence or antimicrobial. It is also important to comprehend the life cycle of clostridium difficile in order to understand how to control it and if possible, prevent it. Its life cycle begins in the spore form whereby they are because they are resistant to heat, antibiotics or even acid. In a hospital setting, clostridium difficile can be found in bedding, medical equipment, and furniture and on the caregivers. Upon ingestion, the spores pass through to the intestines whereby they germinate and later colonize the colon. Studies have indicated that this bacterium colonized about 21% of patients who are in the process of receiving antibiotics and at the same time admitted to a general hospital. Through the release of both toxins A and B, clostridium difficile later induces diarrhea and colitis. However, the major risk factors associated with clostridium difficile are advancement in age, hospitalization, and antimicrobials. There are two major reservoirs of clostridium difficile in the healthcare setting, which are humans (asymptomatic and symptomatic) and inanimate objects (medical equipment and furniture). The level of environmental contamination depends primarily on the severity of the disease of the patient. However the asymptomatic colonized patients should be regarded as the potential primary source of the contamination. Clostridium difficile infection is more rampant among the elderly in the society. The main reasons for this are not fully, but it can be attributed to the fact that the elderly patients have a much less effective barrier to infection. The importance of having age as a risk factor is characterized by the age distribution in lab reports as was received by CDSC during the research period of 1990-1992. Results showed that there was a bias for adults over the age of 65 and they were more susceptible to having severe cases of clostridium difficile infections. There have also been suggestions that clostridium difficile is endemic in facilities that are considered long-stay for the elderly. However, other studies indicate that the difference in the endemic nature of clostridium difficile may be as a result of case mix whereby patients are from other facilities whereby the infection rate was high. Also, clostridium difficile is endemic in many of the long-stay facilities because the elderly t end to stay longer in the acute wards than the other younger generations. Therefore, their increased risk of infection is attributed to the increased exposure to antibiotics and nosocomial pathogens. There are several patient care activities that provide a rife opportunity for the fecal-oral transmission of clostridium difficile (CDC). Such activities include; sharing of electronic thermometers that have been used for measuring rectal temperatures, oral care or suctioning whereby the hands or equipment have been contaminated, administration of contaminated food, medication or with contaminated hands and emergency procedures like intubation. Other factors like poor hand hygiene, improper environmental and equipment cleaning and disinfection have also been reported as a cause for infection and spreading of clostridium difficile. It has been rubber stamped that the environment is the major medium of spreading for clostridium difficile whereby it has been spread so widely that that it is impossible to point out a single location that has not been contaminated. However, the environment of the infected patients is rifest with clostridium difficile, for instance, the toilets, floors, si nks and linen. Despite disinfection, clostridium difficile spores are found to exist longer than five months. Prevention and control of clostridium difficile is the responsibility of every individual who is aware of its existence. Therefore, prevention measures must be endorsed by everyone, and especially in care giving facilities whereby individuals are more likely to spread the infection. Standard precautions refer to those practices at work that are applied to every person regardless of their confirmed or perceived infectious status. Standard precautions are the front line in the war against clostridium difficile. They help control the rate of infection from person to person, even in the most prolific risk scenarios. They include; hand hygiene before and after contact with the patient, the safe use as well as disposal of sharps, the use of protective equipment and the processing of reusable medical equipment. The proper handling of linen, safety in the management of waste as well as aseptic non-touch technique should also be in the standard precautions to be implemented in hospital facili ties. However, when the first line of defense does not seem to work efficiently, there should be a backup plan in place. Thus, when standard precautions do not seem to do the job, transmission based precautions should be implemented. These are additional work practices for individually identifiable situations that are put in place to interrupt the transmission of clostridium difficile. These precautions are tailored to specific infections and their mode of transmission. They include; continued implementation of standard precautions, having patient dedicated equipment, proper handling of equipment, enhanced cleaning and disinfection of the patient’s environment and the restriction of patients within the facilities. Since healthcare settings differ greatly in terms of their day-to-day functioning, it is hard to come up with a management proposal that would fit all facilities. Therefore, all healthcare facilities should conduct infection prevention risk assessment on a regular basis alongside adoption of detailed protocols and processes for infection control. In acute care setting, personal protective equipment should be provided for nurses and visitors outside the room of a patient who has confirmed clostridium difficile infection. Healthcare givers should use gloves and gowns in order to prevent further spread of infection. Conducting effective hand hygiene is necessary for limiting the spread of clostridium difficile. They should be performed frequently and with the following considerations; should be performed using the Four Moments of Hand Hygiene, should be performed at the point-of-care using a dedicated staff sink or the use of hand wipes that have been impregnated with antimicrobials or alcohol and soap. In acute care setting, especially where the elderly are residing proper care has to be considered primarily because they are more susceptible to infection (Rupnik, 2007). One such measure of preventing clostridium difficile infection is placing the suspected or confirmed patients with CDI in a confined room that has dedicated toilets, sinks and personal equipment. Moreover, there is little need for special treatment for linen in an acute setting for both confirmed and suspected patients. Linen for symptomatic and asymptomatic patients should be in the same way. The soiled linen should be carefully. For example, it should be placed in a no-touch receptacle in order to avoid contamination of both the environment and the persons around. In cases of outbreaks, routine infection control measures are of grave importance in order to prevent the spread of the clostridium difficile infection to patients who have not yet been affected. The antibiotic policies have to be monitored as well as their compliance in order to successfully control the spread of infection. Hand washing procedures should be followed to the latter by any person who is in contact with infected patients such as doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and students. Nurses present challenges in combating clostridium difficile outbreaks especially because of the necessity to create a homely environment for the patients. This means that they have to constantly check in with the patients and therefore they become constantly at risk of infection themselves in proper precaution is not taken. For patients in the elderly acute care wards, the surroundings are also tailored to ensure a comfortable stay in the hospital. Therefore, their soft furnishings and carpeted floors provide a challenge in cases of outbreaks. For instances like this, preventive methods of combating the spread of clostridium difficile have to be implemented. One such measure that should be used during cleaning is steam. Although the heat does not kill the pathogen, it helps in the containment of its spread. Patients are also susceptible to contracting infection from the care devices used in the hospital. Such devices include electronic thermometers or glucose measuring devices. These devices are in constant use and may be used by a variety of patients. These devices are with pathogens derived from body fluids. Thus it is important to have measures in place to sterilize these devices especially more thoroughly in times of outbreaks. Another piece of communal apparatus used in wards is the linen, clothing, uniforms, lab coats and isolation gowns. Because clostridium difficile is commonly in the environment and can last for more than five months, these pieces of clothing are always in contact and possible contaminations are likely (Dubberke, 17). However indirect contact of such clothing comes from bedpans, toilets and sinks of patients who are either suspected or confirmed to be infected. The presence of soiled linen is also an area of importance that should be looked into carefully. Because bed linen is in hospitals and wards, they should be cleaned and sanitized before they can be issued to a different patient. In order to help combat the spread of clostridium difficile, the CDC has come up with the Spaulding classification system, which identifies three risk levels that are associated with surgical and medical instruments (Michel, 1095). These levels are; critical, semi-critical and noncritical. Critical items include needles, indwelling urinary catheters and intravenous catheters. These are the items that normally enter the sterile tissue, the vascular tissue or through which blood flows. Based on one of the accepted sterilization procedures, the equipment has to be sterile before penetrating any tissue. Semi-critical items include thermometers, electric razors and podiatry equipment and they are as those that touch mucous or skin which is not intact. They require meticulous cleaning and thereafter followed by high-level disinfection. Disinfection is done using a chemo sterilizer agent that is approved by the FDA. In conclusion, clostridium difficile has been on the rise in recent decades and it is only through proper prevention and control measures that it can be. Since it can live in an environment in spore form for up to five months, it poses a challenge in terms of containment. On the other hand, the elderly are more susceptible to clostridium difficile primarily because of their low immunity and their prolonged stay in hospitals. However, with proper care, chances of outbreaks can be kept at a minimum and more lives can be through prevention instead of cures. References DelmÃÆ' ©e, Michel. â€Å"Clostridium Difficle Infection In Health-Care Workers.†Ã‚  The Lancet  334.8671 (1989): 1095. Print. Dubberke, Erik. â€Å"Strategies for prevention of Clostridium difficile infection.†Ã‚  Journal of Hospital Medicine  7.S3 (2012): S14-S17. Print. â€Å"Patient Cloth Chairs and Clostridium difficile Outbreak.†Ã‚  American Journal of Infection Control  37.5 (2009): E102-E103. Print. Rupnik, Maja.  Abstract book: Clostridium difficile : organism, disease, control & prevention. s.l.: [Organizing committee ICDS], 2007. Print. Zanotti-Cavazzoni, S.l.. â€Å"Analysis of an outbreak of Clostridium difficile infection controlled with enhanced infection control measures.†Yearbook of Critical Care Medicine  2010 (2010): 164-166. Print. â€Å"clostridium difficle.†Ã‚  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 Mar. 2013. Web.  30 Apr. 2014. http://www.cdc.gov/HAI/organisms/cdiff/Cdiff_infect.html Source document