2008

AIDS - Latin America: Neglect, 'Ageism' Put Older People at Risk: Inter Press Service - December 29, 2008; Marcela Valente*; BUENOS AIRES, Dec 29 (IPS) - AIDS prevention campaigns tend to target the young, who make up a large percentage of those infected with the disease. But experts in Latin America say that people in older age ranges with an increasingly active sex life are being neglected, and are at risk because of lack of information.
GENDER-SOUTH AFRICA: 'A Real Man Does Provide Care': Inter Press Service - December 25, 2008; Kristin Palitza; MTHATHA, South Africa , Dec 25 (IPS) - Sonwabo Qathula puts on his apron and starts peeling a pile of butternuts, while a pot of rice boils on the stove next to him. The 50-year-old is preparing lunch for poor and orphaned children who attend a rural school in the Eastern Cape. When the meal is ready, he dishes out the
POLITICS-US: Scientists Hail Return to Fact-Based Policies: Inter Press Service - December 22, 2008; William Fisher; NEW YORK, Dec 22 (IPS) - Key appointments announced by President-elect Barack Obama suggest that science will soon make a major comeback in the U.S. government. The outgoing administration of President George W. Bush has been harshly criticised by many members of the nation s scientific community for allowing ideology
AIDS-South Africa: Balancing Individual Rights Against Public Health: Inter Press Service - December 22, 2008; Mercedes Sayagues; PRETORIA, Dec 22 (IPS) - Public health and individual human rights are poor friends. What may be good for society may be bad for the individual, or the other way round. And nothing sharpens this tension as starkly as AIDS. Does a mother s right to refuse HIV testing prevail over the baby s right to a healthy life? Shou
Q&A: Failure to Translate Women's Legal Rights into Action: Inter Press Service - December 18, 2008; Kristin Palitza interviews NOKUTHULA MAGUDULELA, executive director, Agenda Feminist Media; DURBAN, Dec 18 (IPS) - Each year, for 16 days in December, the world s focus shifts towards taking action against gender-based violence. Governments and civil society organisations raise awareness around women s rights and lobby for gender equality. But activists lament that little action is taken throughout the rest o
Zimbabwe: Shady Dealings With Antiretrovirals: Inter Press Service - December 12, 2008; Ephraim Nsingo; HARARE, Dec 12 (IPS) - The current political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe is dealing a blow to the provision of free treatment and care to people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs). While there has been a significant decline in the country s HIV prevalence rate from 18.1 percent in 2005 to 15.6 percent in 2007, activists
Universal HIV Testing Raises Hopes and Fears: Inter Press Service - December 10, 2008; Nastassja Hoffet; UNITED NATIONS, Dec 10 (IPS) - While prospects remain dim for a successful HIV vaccine in the near future, public health experts and AIDS advocacy groups are pinning their hopes on a new strategy released by the Geneva-based World Health Organisation (WHO) that could end the disease s endemic phase within a decade. Ac
Caribbean: Despite Successes, Too Many Dying of AIDS: Inter Press Service - December 9, 2008; Peter Richards; PORT OF SPAIN, Dec 9 (IPS) - Every day, 55 people in the Caribbean are infected with the HIV virus and 38 of them die of the disease. That s 20,000 new infections and 14,000 deaths annually. Too many people are still dying of AIDS in the Caribbean, said Dr. Karen Sealy, director of the UNAIDS Caribbean Region
Zambia: Violence Against Women on the Rise: Inter Press Service - December 5, 2008; Danstan Kaunda; LUSAKA, Dec 5 (IPS) - There will be no peace, security and sustainable economic development in Zambia as long as women s rights continue to be treated as a secondary issue, said Non-Governmental Organisation Coordination Committee (NGOCC) chairperson Marian Munyinda. She stressed the fact that gender-based violence (GB
Africa: Breaking the Cycle of HIV Transmission: Inter Press Service - December 1, 2008; Zahira Kharsany interviews DAVID ALNWICK, UNICEF HIV Advisor; JOHANNESBURG, Dec 1 (IPS) - According to the United Nations Children s Fund, early diagnosis and treatment greatly increase survival rates for HIV-positive newborns. but fewer than one in ten infants born to HIV-positive mothers in 2007 was tested for HIV within two months of birth. Children and Aids: Third Stocktaking
Q&A: "Less Funding Could Lead to Millions of AIDS Deaths": Inter Press Service - November 28, 2008; Thalif Deen interviews BERTIL LINDBLAD, director, UNAIDS Office in New York; UNITED NATIONS, Nov 28 (IPS) - The global economic crisis is threatening to undermine yet another key development goal set by the United Nations: reversing by 2015 the AIDS epidemic still devastating millions of people worldwide. The continued refrain that there is too much money for AIDS is misleading, says Dr. Peter
Australia: Do More Regionally to Stop HIV/AIDS Gov't Told: Inter Press Service - November 28, 2008; Stephen de Tarczynski; MELBOURNE, Nov 28 (IPS) - While HIV infection rates remain relatively low in Australia , the peak non-governmental organisation representing the country s community-based response to HIV/AIDS wants the government to do more to fund prevention measures here and in the region to counter rising infection rates. We ma
Q&A: Escalating Violence Against Women in Swaziland: Inter Press Service - November 27, 2008; Mantoe Phakathi interviews Hlobisile Dlamini-Shongwe, gender activist; MBABANE, Swaziland , Nov 27 (IPS) - Still wearing a campaign t-shirt with the slogan FED UP: with violence against women , Dlamini-Shongwe, the public relations officer for the Swaziland Action Group Against Abuse (SWAGAA) is fresh from the Nov. 25 launch of the16 days activism against gender-based violence at Jubilee
Cuba: Films that Tackle Touchy Social Issues: Inter Press Service - November 26, 2008; Dalia Acosta; CIENFUEGOS, Cuba , Nov 26 (IPS) - Viviendo al límite (Living to the Limit), a documentary by Cuban filmmaker Belkis Vega that follows the lives of five HIV-positive people, will be shown for the first time on Cuban television this week, four years after its release. Films dealing with social issues often have a long ro
Africa: Cervical Cancer Strikes Poor Women Hardest: Inter Press Service - November 15, 2008; Miriam Mannak; CAPE TOWN, Nov 15 (IPS) - Of the 490,000 women worldwide who are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, 80 percent live in the developing world. Every year, 55,000 women in sub-Saharan Africa alone develop this disease, which is ten times more likely to affect women living with this virus. Before the era of ARVs, we
Chile: 512 HIV-Positive People Not Notified: Inter Press Service - November 13, 2008; Daniela Estrada; SANTIAGO, Nov 13 (IPS) - Chilean Health Minister Álvaro Erazo reported Thursday that 512 people who tested positive for HIV were not notified by the public health system. He acknowledged there were problems and announced several measures to confront the health emergency. The measures will work as long as the necessary
FILM: Swazi Grandmothers Shore Up a Crumbling Society: Inter Press Service - November 13, 2008; Marie-Helene Rousseau; NEW YORK, Nov 13 (IPS) - In a country barely the size of the U.S. state of New Jersey, a disease has taken hold. Nearly 40 percent of Swaziland s population is HIV-positive, and the other 60 percent lives at constant risk for the disease. HIV is a constant presence, weighing down on the lives of the estimated one milli
A Global Health Model, Village by Village: Inter Press Service - November 13, 2008; Michael J. Carter; SEATTLE, Washington, Nov 13 (IPS) - Working for sustainable development in Kenya , which ranks 148th out of 177 countries on the United Nations development index, is a daunting task. The country not only has a 6.1 percent of HIV/AIDS infection among its 37 million people, but nearly 60 percent of Kenyans live on less t
Europe Ignoring TB Research: Inter Press Service - November 13, 2008; David Cronin; BRUSSELS, Nov 13 (IPS) - Funding from the European Union s Brussels headquarters for research into tuberculosis stands at about a fifth of what it should be given the EU s enormous wealth, a new study has found. With TB killing 1.7 million people per year, health policy analysts estimate that 1.45 billion euros (2 bill
South Africa: Through The Eyes of Children: Inter Press Service - November 12, 2008; Kristin Palitza; DURBAN, Nov 12 (IPS) - I didn t know that girls can play soccer. I thought it was a sport only for boys, says Thulile Khanyile. But after a photography and writing project changed her perception of gender roles, the 14-year-old helped start a girl s soccer team at her high school in Nkandla, a rural area in the heart o
Q&A: Major Challenges Will Be Met: Hogan Promises Major Health Care Scale-Up: Inter Press Service - November 12, 2008; Stephanie Nieuwoudt interviews South African health minister BARBARA HOGAN; CAPE TOWN, Nov 12 (IPS) - When Barbara Hogan replaced South African health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang in September, her appointment was praised from all quarters. Hogan, who previously chaired Parliament s finance portfolio committee, is known as an intellectual who stands up for what she believes in and finding
Nepal: Meeting MDG on HIV/AIDS - A Dream?: Inter Press Service - October 28, 2008; Renu Kshetry; KATHMANDU, Oct 28 (IPS) - Shibu Giri, programme officer at the National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nepal , who tested positive in 2000, believed he was fit and fine as his CD-4 count stayed normal. But when he began falling sick frequently and developed candida in his mouth he began to have doubts.
Chile: Achievements in AIDS Fight Marred by Irregularities: Inter Press Service - October 23, 2008; Daniela Estrada; SANTIAGO, Oct 23 (IPS) - Irregularities like delays in notifying 25 people that they were HIV-positive, which led to the deaths of at least two of them, have cast a shadow on Chile s exemplary image in the field of AIDS prevention and treatment. A local TV station reported earlier this month that 25 people who tested p
South Africa: New HIV Vaccine Trials Raise Hopes: Inter Press Service - October 20, 2008; Stephanie Nieuwoudt; CAPE TOWN, Oct 20 (IPS) - After two HIV vaccine trials were halted for safety reasons last year, a new trial is set to commence within the next few months in South Africa and the United States . Scientists will test a new vaccine formula produced in South Africa. It will be the first time a HIV vaccine manufactured in
Time for Joint Action on HIV/AIDS and Violence: Inter Press Service - October 15, 2008; Joyce Mulama; NAIROBI, Oct 15 (IPS) - The war against HIV/AIDS, as it is emerging, will not be won unless sexual and gender-based violence is tackled. Participants at a recent regional meeting looking at linkages between violence against women and girls and HIV/AIDS described the two as dual pandemics that needed to be addressed con
U.N. Prods Drug Firms to Cut Prices for Poorest: Inter Press Service - October 13, 2008; Thalif Deen; UNITED NATIONS, Oct 13 (IPS) - The world s poorest nations continue to suffer from high prices for life-saving drugs and a shortage of generics -- specifically to treat HIV/AIDS -- despite assurances by the some of the major pharmaceutical companies to help lower costs. Governments must act to bring prices down and imp
Swaziland: Torn Social Fabric Leaves Many Exposed: Inter Press Service - September 27, 2008; Mantoe Phakathi; MBABANE, Sep 27 (IPS) - An abandoned straw hut slumps amidst overgrown bushes on a somewhat deserted homestead. Only a foot path leading past it indicates that the place is still occupied. Beside it is the mis-shapen tent that is Joseph Mathe s new home. Mathe emerges from the tent when his name is called. He appears a
Agriculture-Southern Africa: Investment, Information Keys To Productivity: Inter Press Service - September 25, 2008; Busani Bafana; LILONGWE, Sep 25 (IPS) - Sustained investment in agriculture accompanied by effective and inclusive policies are key strategies for Southern Africa to address the global food crisis. This was the declaration made by 200 international delegates -- including farmers, researchers, private sector representatives, media and
IBSA Summit - Will South-South Cooperation Regain Clout?: Inter Press Service - September 23, 2008; Mario Osava; RIO DE JANEIRO, Sep 23 (IPS) - The India-Brazil- South Africa (IBSA) Dialogue Forum will hold its third annual summit on Oct. 15 in New Delhi, India, the first such meeting after this trilateral body of countries of the developing South met with a serious setback at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations.
Uganda: Women Wield Fair Trade Tools to Beat Poverty: Inter Press Service - September 23, 2008; Wambi Michael; KAMPALA, Sep 23 (IPS) - Producing baskets and mats in central Uganda has traditionally been women s work. Women made these items for use in homes. The National Association of Women Organisations in Uganda (NAWOU) has changed this practice into a powerful force fighting poverty. The organisation has a big crafts collect
Rights: Women Fight to Put Violence on Global Agenda: Inter Press Service - September 17, 2008; Monika Manke; UNITED NATIONS, Sep 17 (IPS) - Joyce and Tanya -- two women of different ages, nationalities, cultures and religions -- share something: both became victims of a missing goal. Combating violence against women is what Ines Alberdi, executive director of the U.N. Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), calls the missing goa
Goal to Halt AIDS by 2015 Recedes Further: Inter Press Service - September 16, 2008; Ida Karlsson; UNITED NATIONS, Sep 16 (IPS) - What if HIV/AIDS was just another chronic disease instead of a widespread epidemic? This could be the case if the world community takes serious action, according to Human Rights Watch and other activists. But today, the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on HIV/AIDS is nowhere near being r
Ethiopia: Understanding Poverty's Impact on Children: Inter Press Service - September 9, 2008; Sisay Abebe; ADDIS ABABA, Sep 9 (IPS) - When the school bell rings, Alemtsehay and her three younger sisters rush home to change out of their school uniforms and into tattered clothes to go out begging around Bole Road, one of Addis Ababa s smarter areas. Accompanied by their five-year-old brother, they roam the streets asking pass
Zimbabwe: NGO Activity Still Limited: Inter Press Service - September 8, 2008; Ephraim Nsingo; HARARE, Sep 8 (IPS) - Despite the Aug. 29 lifting of a ban on the operations of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Zimbabwe , representatives of civil society report they are still unable to operate freely. At least five million Zimbabweans currently need food aid following a poor harvest in the last farming seas
Swaziland: Don't Blame Donor Dependency: Inter Press Service - September 3, 2008; James Hall; MBABANE, Sep 3 (IPS) - What happens to a nation whose people depend on the largesse of international donor agencies for their existence, once support is withdrawn? If forecasts for the small landlocked African nation of Swaziland are an indication, the granting of temporary relief may be followed by a new humanitarian
Swaziland: Women Challenge King Mswati: Inter Press Service - August 27, 2008; Mantoe Phakathi; MBABANE, Aug 27 (IPS) - Hard on the heels of the signing of the Gender Protocol at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) heads of state summit, Swazi women have challenged King Mswati III on the monarchy s lavish lifestyle in the face of abject poverty and disease. The Gender Protocol calls for 50 percent r
Global Agenda Increasingly Disease-Driven: Inter Press Service - August 20, 2008; Michael J. Carter; SEATTLE, Washington, Aug 20 (IPS) - At the end of last month, U.S. President George W. Bush signed a global health package that effectively tripled U.S. spending over the next five years to fight HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in poor countries, to 48 billion dollars. The package, known as the President s Emergency
Safe Sex With HIV - and Without a Condom?: Inter Press Service - August 13, 2008; Daniela Estrada* - Tierramerica; MEXICO CITY, Aug 13 (IPS) - The Swiss Federal Commission for HIV/AIDS set off a small firestorm of debate by asserting that people living with the virus can have sexual relations without a condom and without endangering their uninfected partners, under certain conditions. People living with HIV who are free of other se
US: HIV On The Rise: Inter Press Service - August 12, 2008; Sam Cassanos; NEW YORK, Aug 12 (IPS) - A new study shows that the annual number of HIV infections in the United States is greater than was previously believed. The findings place increased scrutiny on the country s lack of a national HIV/AIDS program as well as the current Presidential candidates plans to combat the epidemic. Th
Uganda: Fight Against AIDS Faltering?: Inter Press Service - August 9, 2008; Joshua Kyalimpa; KAMPALA, Aug 9 (IPS) - Uganda s approach to the fight against HIV/AIDS is under scrutiny by activists. The country has won international acclaim for its 20-year campaign against the AIDS pandemic, but the latest numbers lead some activists believe Uganda is now losing ground. Uganda managed to bring yearly growth in th
AIDS Meet - Fine Words, Few Concrete Actions: Inter Press Service - August 8, 2008; Daniela Estrada and Emilio Godoy; MEXICO CITY, Aug 8 (IPS) - Governments, international bodies and civil society renewed their commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS at the 17th International AIDS Conference, but they will have to work hard in order for this commitment to be reflected in concrete policies, especially on prevention. This week nearly 25,000 del
Q&A: "Latin America Needs a Regional Agenda" on AIDS Funding: Inter Press Service - August 8, 2008; Interview with Lelio Marmora of the Global AIDS Fund; MEXICO CITY, Aug 8 (IPS) - If the economic status of Latin America and the Caribbean continues to improve, the region s share of assistance from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is likely to drop to half the present level, under the current eligibility requirements, says Lelio Marmora, the Fund s
MIDEAST: On HIV and Aids, the Good News from Palestine: Inter Press Service - August 8, 2008; Mel Frykberg; EAST JERUSALEM, West Bank , Aug 8 (IPS) - Palestinians from all ranks of society have pulled together to tackle the issue of AIDS, despite the increasing factional violence and chaos in the Palestinian territories. Hamas, which has authority in Gaza, and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in charge of the West Ba
Keeping Hope Against AIDS Alive in the Labs: Inter Press Service - August 7, 2008; Emilio Godoy; MEXICO CITY, Aug 7 (IPS) - We need to get away from this home-run mentality to research. Science is incremental, said Alan Bernstein, executive director of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise, referring to unrealistic public expectations with regard to the search for an AIDS vaccine and for vaginal microbicides that coul
Indigenous People Speak Out Clearly on AIDS: Inter Press Service - August 7, 2008; Daniela Estrada; MEXICO CITY, Aug 7 (IPS) - In my community, living with HIV is synonymous with death, Fernando Solís, a 34-year-old member of the Cuna ethnic group in Panama , told IPS. Solís, who was diagnosed four years ago, is now working in prevention efforts among other young indigenous people, which he described as the key to e
Global Village or Sexual Minorty Ghetto?: Inter Press Service - August 7, 2008; Zofeen Ebrahim; MEXICO CITY , Aug 7 (IPS) - Dealing with transgenders (TGs) can be confusing. Even the organisers of the 17th International AIDS Conference underway in this city failed to accommodate the third gender by providing them separate toilets. I went to the male toilet only to be told I should go to the female one, where agai
Q&A: "Seven Million People Still Lack AIDS Treatment": Inter Press Service - August 6, 2008; Interview with Pedro Cahn, outgoing president of Int'l AIDS Society* - Tierramerica; BUENOS AIRES, Aug 6 (IPS) - A greater commitment to universal access to anti-HIV therapies and to the defence of health workers in impoverished countries are two achievements noted by Argentine physician Pedro Cahn as president of the scientific society that organised the XVII International AIDS Conference. But it isn
Time To Base Public Policy On Rights: Inter Press Service - August 6, 2008; Zofeen Ebrahim; MEXICO CITY, Aug 6 (IPS) - Preaching abstinence to the young has not worked, nor has sex work been eradicated. Experts gathered here for the 17th International AIDS Conference say it is time to put public policies under the microscope and see why they have failed. Why do policies ostensibly put in place to protect sex
Q&A: "Condoms Have To Be Used To Be Useful": Inter Press Service - August 5, 2008; Interview with Nazneen Damji of UNIFEM; MEXICO CITY, Aug 5 (IPS) - Of the over 30 million people living with HIV, half are women and the rate of infections in women is rising, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. What s more, women s rights groups say gender inequalities are fuelling the epidemic -- there is an irrefutable feminisation of HIV. On the sideline
Not Enough AIDS Funds and Not Always Well Spent: Inter Press Service - August 5, 2008; Emilio Godoy; MEXICO CITY, Aug 5 (IPS) - Developing countries are in need of large sums of money to fight diseases like HIV/AIDS, but international aid will not entirely cover their needs. An example of the financial demand is the application by Latin American and Caribbean countries for 600 million dollars, submitted to the Global
Stepping Up the Response to AIDS: Inter Press Service - August 4, 2008; Daniela Estrada; MEXICO CITY, Aug 4 (IPS) - It is necessary to evaluate the current global architecture for responding to the AIDS epidemic, move forward with studies on HIV rates, and implement effective prevention strategies, said the experts meeting at the 17th International AIDS Conference, which opened Sunday in Mexico. The extrao
March Sets Tone For AIDS Conference: Inter Press Service - August 3, 2008; Zofeen Ebrahim; MEXICO CITY, Aug 3 (IPS) - The rain gods failed to dampen spirits of activists gathered at the old city centre of Zocalo to protest discrimination against those with the HIV virus. Hundreds of activists dressed in bright tribal costumes, women dressed as skeletons and one gay man wearing tights assembled ahead of the s
Q&A: "The Momentum of AIDS Prevention Is Waning": Inter Press Service - August 1, 2008; Interview with Luis Soto Ramirez, co-chair of AIDS 2008; MEXICO CITY, Aug 1 (IPS) - Mexican virologist Dr. Luis Soto Ramirez, co-chair of the 17th International AIDS Conference, which opens Sunday in the Mexican capital, says that ramping up prevention efforts is the most urgent step to be taken in the fight against HIV/AIDS. While rushing from one commitment to another in t
People Living with HIV Lead the Fight for Life: Inter Press Service - July 31, 2008; Emilio Godoy; MEXICO CITY, Jul 31 (IPS) - Anuar Luna was diagnosed with HIV 17 years ago. I had to overcome feelings of guilt, fear and shame before I became a leader in the HIV-positive community, she said Thursday at the opening of Living 2008: The Positive Leadership Summit, in the Mexican capital. Luna is now one of the leading
Europe: Transition Brings AIDS: Inter Press Service - July 31, 2008; Claudia Ciobanu; BUCHAREST, Jul 31 (IPS) - Poverty and social displacement, increased availability of drugs, and chaos in the healthcare systems that accompanied transition from state socialism to the market economy have contributed to the spread of HIV in Eastern Europe. Russia and the Central Asian countries that were once a part of
US: AIDS Plan Stronger But Still Flawed, Groups Say: Inter Press Service - July 30, 2008; Annie Brown; WASHINGTON, Jul 30 (IPS) - HIV/AIDS activists Wednesday hailed President George W. Bush s reauthorisation of the President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to 48 billion dollars for fiscal years 2009 to 2013 as a major step in the global fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Paul Davis, director of Hea
South-East Asia: Record Gain in Antiretroviral Coverage: Inter Press Service - July 30, 2008; Marwaan Macan-Markar; BANGKOK, Jul 30 (IPS) - They may be known in South-east Asia for their poverty, but that has not stopped Cambodia and Laos from caring for people living with HIV/AIDS. Both countries have increased the supply of the life-prolonging anti-AIDS drugs at home.
Latin America: AIDS Threat Still Looming: Inter Press Service - July 29, 2008; Emilio Godoy; MEXICO CITY, Jul 29 (IPS) - The HIV/AIDS epidemic remains stable in Latin America and the Caribbean, mainly affecting high-risk groups like gay men and sex workers, according to the UNAIDS report for 2008, released Tuesday. Last year, 140,000 new infections were reported in the region, bringing the total number of peop
U.N. Claims Major Progress in AIDS Fight: Inter Press Service - July 29, 2008; Nergui Manalsuren; UNITED NATIONS, Jul 29 (IPS) - Although the global percentage of people living with HIV has stabilised since 2000, the overall number of people living with HIV has increased due to new infections each year and wider access to antiretroviral therapy, says the new UNAIDS report on the epidemic. Peter Piot, the head o
Culture-South Africa: Made in Khayelitsha, Sold in New York: Inter Press Service - July 25, 2008; Stephanie Nieuwoudt; CAPE TOWN, Jul 25 (IPS) - Entering the Monkeybiz shop, one is confronted with hundreds of brightly coloured beaded animals, dolls, place mats and pictures. You find yourself smiling involuntarily. Just look at the beautiful work. How can you resist it? asked Emma Johnson, an American tourist who visited the shop twice
Swaziland: AIDS Creating a Society in Distress: Inter Press Service - July 24, 2008; James Hall; MANZINI, Jul 24 (IPS) - In a narrow and still winter-brown valley, little more than a crevice between rocky mountains, Gogo Ndlovu looks after her five young orphaned grandchildren. The slight, stooped grandmother leans over her stick at the edge of a field planted, with the help of neighbours, with maize. The stalks a
Swaziland: Swazi Children Seek Hope in the Face of AIDS: Inter Press Service - July 24, 2008; James Hall; MANZINI, Jul 24 (IPS) - In a narrow and still winter-brown valley, little more than a crevice between rocky mountains, Gogo Ndlovu looks after her five young orphaned grandchildren. The slight, stooped grandmother leans over her stick at the edge of a field planted, with the help of neighbours, with maize. The stalks a
Philippines: Catholic Church Damns The Pill: Inter Press Service - July 23, 2008; Stella Gonzales; MANILA, Jul 23 (IPS) - As World Population Day was being marked on Jul. 11, Tess and Andy were attending a family planning seminar as a requirement for their forthcoming wedding. It turned out to be window into one of the major problems besetting the Philippine population programme. Because their seminar was conducted
Activists Hail Senate Approval of Major AIDS Bill: Inter Press Service - July 17, 2008; Jim Lobe; WASHINGTON, Jul 17 (IPS) - AIDS and global health activists are hailing Wednesday s approval by the U.S. Senate of an unprecedented five-year, 48-billion-dollar bill to fight AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis overseas, particularly in Africa. The bill also overturned a 21-year-old law that bans most foreign visitors who
Q&A: Providing ART to international migrants makes sense for all: Inter Press Service - July 15, 2008; Interview with Joanna Vearey, a researcher with the Forced Migration Project, University of the Witswatersrand; JOHANNESBURG, Jul 15 (IPS) - South Africa has become a destination for people from across the continent and beyond. But in spite of migrants having a legal right to free antiretroviral treatment (ART) for HIV, they are being turned away from government clinics. Ensuring the right to ART is upheld for foreign migrants l
G8: Leaders Produce More Than NGOs Expected: Inter Press Service - July 8, 2008; Ramesh Jaura; TOYAKO, Japan , Jul 8 (IPS) - Three key documents - on African development, food security, and corruption -- emerging Tuesday from the summit of major industrial nations leaders seem to have taken non-governmental organisations (NGOs) by surprise in delivering more than expected, even if they did not please all. In
G8: Japanese Commitment to Africa Challenged: Inter Press Service - July 7, 2008; Ramesh Jaura; TOYAKO, Japan , Jul 7 (IPS) - Japan received kudos Monday from the leaders of seven African states as they met with their counterparts from the group of eight (G8) major industrialised nations in Toyako on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. But others raised doubts over the extent of commitment to Africa by Japa
G8: 'Investment In Health Is Effective Aid': Inter Press Service - July 3, 2008; Interview with Jon Liden of the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis; GENEVA, Jul 3 (IPS) - Japan wants next week s summit of seven major western industrial nations and Russia (G8) to urge the international community to push towards combating HIV/AIDS. It sees this as a critical objective of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that are meant to be achieved by 2015.
South Africa: Refugees Denied Access to Health Care: Inter Press Service - July 1, 2008; Kristin Palitza; DURBAN, Jul 1 (IPS) - Refugees and migrants do not have adequate access to health care services in South Africa , aid organisations and NGOs say. This is particularly detrimental for those who are HIV-positive and in need of continuous antiretroviral (ARV) medication: interrupted treatment can mean illness, development
Zimbabwe: Women Bear Brunt of Violence: Inter Press Service - June 28, 2008; Ephraim Nsingo; HARARE, Jun 28 (IPS) - We are too familiar with the violence that was meted upon numerous of us from 1890 when the colonialists came into our country right up to the most recent elections. Chief among these forms of violence is sexual violence, and it concomitant implication, HIV infection. Zimbabwean women now have th
Malawi: Water Woes in Model Hospital: Inter Press Service - June 23, 2008; Pilirani Semu-Banda; LILONGWE, Jun 23 (IPS) - Gladys Mawera s face is contorted with pain ű both she and her newborn baby survived a complicated birth three days ago, but she has not been able to take the painkillers and antibiotics prescribed to her by the medical personnel at the Chiradzulu District Hospital in southern M
Civil Society Warns Food Crisis Can Eat Into MDG Gains: Inter Press Service - June 20, 2008; Joyce Mulama; GLASGOW, Jun. 20 (IPS) - Progress that has already been achieved towards Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) may be reversed due to the current global food crisis, it is emerging at the eighth CIVICUS World Assembly. The Jun. 18-21 event being held in Glasgow, Scotland, for the third year in a row, brings together abou
AIDS Activists Urge Major Funding Push for G-8: Inter Press Service - June 18, 2008; Jim Lobe; WASHINGTON, Jun 18 (IPS) - AIDS and global health activists are calling on the U.S. Senate leadership to urgently approve a record five-year, 50-billion-dollar bill to fight AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis primarily in Africa so that President George W. Bush can take it with him when he meets with other western leaders
Rights: Scant Compassion for Migrants with HIV: Inter Press Service - June 17, 2008; Am Johal; UNITED NATIONS, Jun 17 (IPS) - Even as people who migrate from their homelands run a higher risk of contracting the HIV virus, they also are far less likely to receive adequate healthcare, and often face deportation or other harsh treatment in destination countries, activists say. The International Organisation for Mig
Cultural Double Standards Undercut HIV/AIDS Fight: Inter Press Service - June 13, 2008; Thalif Deen; UNITED NATIONS, Jun 13 (IPS) - The United Nations says religion and culture continue to have a significant impact -- both good and bad -- on the spread and prevention of HIV/AIDS worldwide. The practice of male circumcision, prevalent in some cultures, has decreased the risk of HIV transmission in men, while male sexua
Africa: HIV/AIDS Reduces Children's Education Chances: Inter Press Service - June 12, 2008; Miriam Mannak; CAPE TOWN, Jun 12 (IPS) - Children who live in communities with an HIV prevalence rate of 10 percent or more have half a year of schooling less than children in other communities. In this way the negative consequences of HIV/AIDS are felt beyond the families that are directly affected. These facts were presented at a W
Universal HIV/AIDS Treatment Goals Receding: Inter Press Service - June 11, 2008; Haider Rizvi; UNITED NATIONS, Jun 11 (IPS) - As millions of people across the world continue to die from HIV/AIDS, top U.N. officials and civil society leaders are reiterating calls for increased funding to fight the deadly epidemic. There were more than two millions death last year, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told delegates
Q&A: "Criminalisation of HIV/AIDS Will Not Help Us": Inter Press Service - June 11, 2008; Interview with HIV/AIDS activist Gracia Violeta Ross Quiroga; UNITED NATIONS, Jun 11 (IPS) - As the United Nations winds down a major two-day conference to take stock of the global response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the problem of persistent discrimination against people living with the virus has been high on the agenda. This is somewhat ironic, civil society groups say, in light
Africa: Women Say Regional AIDS Plan Falls Short: Inter Press Service - June 10, 2008; Nergui Manalsuren; UNITED NATIONS, Jun 10 (IPS) - Despite the admirable progress made by some African countries in preventing and treating HIV/AIDS since 2000, 14 million Africans have died of AIDS in that time span, and an additional 17 million have been infected, says a new report on HIV/AIDS on the continent. According to the report
South Africa: Children in the Path of the Pandemic: Inter Press Service - June 6, 2008; Kathryn Strachan; JOHANNESBURG, Jun 6 (IPS) - There is barely a path leading down the steep incline and through the dense bush to the Mabuyakhulu homestead. It would be easy to pass by without finding 13 year old Zanele and her eight year old sister Andiswa who stay there on their own. Their father died long ago and their mother is in h
Canada: Safe Injection Site Mired in Political Squabble: Inter Press Service - June 6, 2008; Am Johal; VANCOUVER, Jun 6 (IPS) - The Canadian government has decided to appeal a British Columbia Supreme Court decision allowing North America s first supervised injection site, the facility known as Insite in Vancouver s Downtown Eastside neighbourhood, to remain open without a federal government exemption. The court case wa
South Africa: Research is about changing lives: Inter Press Service - June 3, 2008; David Dickinson**; Johannesburg, June 3 (IPS) - I live in a country where it has become normal to bury men and women in their thirties. At least it is so at township funerals. At the cemetery while the women, standing to one side, sing hymns, the men labour in relays to fill the grave. We work shoulder to shoulder, but we do not share wh
Development: Japan's More Is Not Enough: Inter Press Service - May 28, 2008; Ramesh Jaura; YOKOHAMA, Japan , May 28 (IPS) - Japan is receiving kudos for what UN Deputy Secretary General Asha-Rose Migiro has called the country s strong commitment to Africa s development. But praise for Japan at the fourth round of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) that kicked off Wednesday in J
Faith-based Groups Fight for a Better World: Inter Press Service - May 27, 2008; Thalif Deen; HIROSHIMA, May 27 (IPS) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated that nearly 30 to 70 percent of the sprawling health infrastructure in the African continent is owned or run by faith-based organisations. And globally, one-third of all AIDS patients are now cared for under the auspices of the Catholic Church.
Development: U.S. Might Just Choke the WHO: Inter Press Service - May 21, 2008; Aileen Kwa; GENEVA, May 21 (IPS) - As the 61st annual World Health Assembly gathers in Geneva this week, a major issue that the world s governments are struggling with is patents on medicines, and whether the option to digress from a strict patent system should be endorsed by the United Nations World Health Organisation (WHO). Th
UN Sees Major Successes in Child Survival: Inter Press Service - May 19, 2008; Thalif Deen; UNITED NATIONS, May 19 (IPS) - The developing world is making significant progress in child survival despite the fact that nearly 2.2 billion children worldwide continue to battle poverty, sexual abuse, forced military conscription, labour exploitation and HIV/AIDS. Of the 191 countries with available data, 129 are on
Burma: Public Health Ailing Even Before Cyclone Struck: Inter Press Service - May 19, 2008; Marwaan Macan-Markar; BANGKOK, May 19 (IPS) - Even before Cyclone Nargis tore through Burma s populous Irrawaddy Delta, the country s public health system was ailing. It struggled to survive on a slow drip of funds from the state s coffers. Such neglect was courtesy Burma s military rulers. The junta spends more of the country s earnings fr
Environment: Only the Cover Is Green: Inter Press Service - May 14, 2008; Julio Godoy; BONN, May 14 (IPS) - Notice how green the public relations campaigns of multinational corporations have become. Major companies, from beer producers to airlines to automobile makers, want to tell you they re doing their bit to save the environment from global warming and loss of biodiversity. What these companies actua
Environment: "Doctor" Nature in Danger: Inter Press Service - May 3, 2008; Stephen Leahy* - Tierramérica; CAPE TOWN, South Africa , May 3 (IPS) - When we harm nature, we are harming ourselves, says Aaron Bernstein, a doctor at Harvard Medical School and one of the authors of the upcoming book Sustaining Life: How Human Health Depends on Biodiversity . Few people realise that our health is directly tied to the health of the
Q&A: Circumcision an "Opportunity To Take Great Strides Forward" Against HIV: Inter Press Service - April 30, 2008; Interview with Mark Heywood; JOHANNESBURG, Apr 30 (IPS) - Results from trials in South Africa , Kenya and Uganda in 2006 showed that male circumcision reduced the transmission of HIV from women to men by up to 60 percent. On the basis of these results, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS and the World Health Organisation hav
Tanzania: A Hazardous Route to the Cradle: Inter Press Service - April 25, 2008; Sarah McGregor; DAR ES SALAAM, Apr 25 (IPS) - Tatu Shabani Tumbo s first born was diagnosed with strength-sapping anaemia, and died a toddler. Doctors had no medical explanation for the sudden death of her second child at age one. She then tried to get pregnant a third time, initially without success. It is painful for someone to lose
Africa: Millions of Children Falling Through the Cracks: Inter Press Service - April 21, 2008; Thalif Deen; UNITED NATIONS, Apr 21 (IPS) - A significant proportion of the world s 2.2 billion children, many of whom are victims of violence, sexual abuse, labour exploitation and preventable diseases, are from the crisis-plagued African continent. As the United Nations points out, too many of the world s children, largely Africa
Brazil: Full Frontal Attack on AIDS Among Gays: Inter Press Service - April 14, 2008; Fabiana Frayssinet; RIO DE JANEIRO, Apr 14 (IPS) - The poster, reminiscent of the film American Beauty, features a nude young man in a sensual pose lying on (and partly covered by) masses of pink condoms, with the legend Do whatever you want but do it with a condom. It is part of a new Brazilian campaign against HIV/AIDS aimed at gays.
Australia: Vaccine Therapies Need Boost - Scientists: Inter Press Service - April 14, 2008; Neena Bhandari; SYDNEY, Apr 14 (IPS) - While millions of children s lives have been saved as a result of a successful worldwide campaign to boost vaccination programmes, governments across the world are failing in following through on their commitments to health aid and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Wealthy countries such a
Family Planning Gets Mere Sliver of Aid Pie: Inter Press Service - April 11, 2008; Thalif Deen; UNITED NATIONS, Apr 11 (IPS) - The United Nations warns that a sharp decline in international funding for reproductive health is threatening global efforts to reduce poverty, improve health and empower women worldwide. This is especially evident in the case of funding for family planning where absolute dollar amounts a
Uganda: "God Should Be So Kind That I Can Have Contraceptives": Inter Press Service - April 10, 2008; Kwamboka Oyaro; NAIROBI, Apr 10 (IPS) - For many of Africa s women, getting access to family planning services is difficult at the best of times. When war intervenes they can find themselves without any services at all, even as they become more vulnerable to sexual violence -- the situation in northern Uganda being a case in poin
Tanzania: Slowly, a More Enlightened Approach to Drug Addiction: Inter Press Service - April 8, 2008; Sarah McGregor; DAR ES SALAAM, Apr 8 (IPS) - If the first step to overcoming drug addiction is admitting you have a problem, then Tanzania may be on the road to recovery. Medical officials in this East African country say the government has in the past been reluctant to accept substance dependence as a serious health problem, seeing i
Uganda: Smaller Families, Manlier Men: Inter Press Service - April 7, 2008; Kwamboka Oyaro; NAIROBI, Apr 7 (IPS) - For Ugandan men, the equation is often a simple one: an abundance of children equals virility and security. This deeply rooted belief has frightening implications, however. According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, the population of the East African country -- now 31 million -- will exceed 36
U.N. Aims For an AIDS-Free Generation: Inter Press Service - April 3, 2008; Thalif Deen; UNITED NATIONS, Apr 3 (IPS) - The United Nations is intensifying its worldwide efforts to help create a new generation of children who will be born free of HIV/AIDS, a disease that has particularly devastated parts of sub-Saharan Africa. While the news is mixed , achieving an AIDS-free generation is possible , predicts
Ethiopia: A Leader Who Is Living History: Inter Press Service - April 3, 2008; Ramesh Jaura; BERLIN, Apr 3 (IPS) - Ethiopia is better known for recurring droughts and famines, a protracted civil conflict, and a border war with Eritrea . It is one of the poorest countries in the world, and a large percentage of the population lives in absolute poverty. But there is of course more to this Eastern African sta
Development: U.N. Poverty Goals Face New Threats: Inter Press Service - April 2, 2008; Thalif Deen; UNITED NATIONS, Apr 2 (IPS) - The U.N. s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), aimed primarily at reducing poverty, hunger, disease and illiteracy, are being undermined by a rash of new problems threatening to cripple the ongoing efforts by developing nations to reach their targets by 2015. With less than seven years to
Asia: Report Faults Gov't Complacency on AIDS: Inter Press Service - March 26, 2008; Nergui Manalsuren; UNITED NATIONS, Mar 26 (IPS) - Some 10 million Asian women sell sex, and at least 75 million men buy it regularly, while male-to-male sex and drug injecting add another 20 million or so to the number of those at high risk of HIV infection, says the first report by the Commission on AIDS in Asia. Chakravarthi Rangarajan
Cuba: Women Talk to Women about HIV/AIDS Prevention: Inter Press Service - March 26, 2008; Dalia Acosta; PINAR DEL RÍO, Cuba , Mar 26 (IPS) - Prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, the AIDS virus, has become the centre of the lives of a small group of women in the province of Pinar del Río, in the west of Cuba. Coordinated by the Women s Project in the Provincial Centre for Prevention of STIs
Angola: Free Rein for Human Traffickers: Inter Press Service - March 20, 2008; Mario de Queiroz; LISBON, Mar 20 (IPS) - There is little awareness on the problem of trafficking in persons, mainly women and children, in Angola , and no laws for cracking down on the growing phenomenon. Paulino Cunha da Silva, head of cooperation and exchange in the Angolan Interior Ministry, admitted at a workshop held in Luanda Tues
EU Complains Again About Affordable Medicine: Inter Press Service - March 19, 2008; David Cronin; BRUSSELS, Mar 19 (IPS) - The European Union has made a fresh complaint to Thailand over policies aimed at guaranteeing that the poor are not deprived of vital medicines. Shortly before leaving office, former Thai health minister Mongkol Na Songkhla issued compulsory licences in January this year, overruling patents on
Cuba: Transvestites and Crossdressers Key Workers Against AIDS: Inter Press Service - March 17, 2008; Dalia Acosta; PINAR DEL RIO, Cuba , Mar 17 (IPS) - Activism against AIDS is uniting a group of transvestites and crossdressers in western Cuba in a project that is going beyond peer education and making inroads into the world of culture. The time has come to take us seriously. We are in a position to demand our place in society, to
Swaziland: "Leadership Doesn't Act Like It Is a Crisis": Inter Press Service - March 11, 2008; James Hall; MBABANE, Mar 11 (IPS) - A substantial increase in the number of Swazis requiring food aid has raised questions in this Southern African country. Why the rise, and how long are the higher numbers likely to prevail? More fundamentally, what has caused such widespread and enduring hunger to begin with? We need to dig deep
US: Rare Consensus Behind 50-Billion-Dollar AIDS Plan: Inter Press Service - February 28, 2008; Jim Lobe; WASHINGTON, Feb 28 (IPS) - In an increasingly unusual display of bipartisanship, both the White House and the Republican and Democratic leadership of the House of Representatives have agreed on a bill that, if passed, would provide 50 billion dollars to fight AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis over the next five years. Th
Rights: Gender Equality Gets a Drop of the Funding Bucket: Inter Press Service - February 22, 2008; Thalif Deen; UNITED NATIONS, Feb 22 (IPS) - The United Nations has never run out of statistics to reinforce its arguments against one of the most troubling issues the world over: gender discrimination. The Asia Pacific region alone is losing between 42 billion and 47 billion dollars annually because of women s limited access to emp
Rwanda: Cutting Edge HIV/AIDS Prevention Presents Challenges: Inter Press Service - February 21, 2008; Aimable Twahirwa; KIGALI, Feb 21 (IPS) - Certain medical workers in Rwanda have expressed concern about the country s campaign to promote male circumcision as a means of curbing the spread of HIV. They fear that in a country with low levels of knowledge about sexual health, people could mistakenly believe the procedure offers complete p
Thailand: New Gov't Opposes Cheap Generic Drug: Inter Press Service - February 21, 2008; Marwaan Macan-Markar; BANGKOK, Feb 21 (IPS) - Shortly before he left office in January, Thailand s former public health minister, Mongkol Na Songkhla, offered a gift of hope to the country s poor. But that promise -- to supply cheaper, generic anti-cancer drugs --now hangs in the balance. Mongkol s push to secure the generic drugs by issuin
Tanzania: No Spending on Those Who Steal, Says Bush: Inter Press Service - February 17, 2008; Sarah McGregor; DAR ES SALAAM, Feb 17 (IPS) - U.S. President George W. Bush, on a five-nation tour of Africa, has showered praise on the anti-corruption efforts of Tanzania s president, Jakaya Kikwete, whose government is receiving substantial aid from Washington. You are a strong leader, Bush said Sunday during a press conference giv
Politics: Bush Bids Farewell to Africa: Inter Press Service - February 15, 2008; Abid Aslam; WASHINGTON, Feb 15 (IPS) - In an attempt to polish his image and advance U.S. interests in the twilight of his presidency, George W. Bush is visiting Africa. Bush s second visit to the continent takes him to Benin , Tanzania , Rwanda , Ghana , and
Widows Face a Life of Quiet Destitution: Inter Press Service - February 12, 2008; Nergui Manalsuren; UNITED NATIONS, Feb 12 (IPS) - Many years ago, as Dr. Mohini Giri was walking down a street in Vrindavan, India -- known as the City of Widows -- she noticed the body of a woman who had passed away on the road. Animals were feasting on the corpse, and no one had tried to move her or cremate her. Giri asked a few yo
Rights: Hiroshima Forum to Focus on Children Under Siege: Inter Press Service - February 11, 2008; Thalif Deen; UNITED NATIONS, Feb 11 (IPS) - The world s 2.2 billion children are under siege -- battling poverty, hunger, military conscription, sexual abuse, labour exploitation and HIV/AIDS, according to the United Nations. The world body estimates that over 600 million children live in absolute poverty worldwide; about 218 milli
Rights-South Africa: "We Are Just Helping Desperate People Here": Protesters speak out against the raid of a church housing refugees: Inter Press Service - February 9, 2008; Davison Makanga; CAPE TOWN, Feb 9 (IPS) - A police raid on a Methodist church which provides shelter to hundreds of refugees in the South African financial centre of Johannesburg is continuing to draw angry responses. Displaying banners and wearing T-shirts with the slogan Refugee Rights Are Human Rights , Zimbabwean migrants took to t
Kenya: Violence Threatens Progress in HIV/AIDS Fight: Inter Press Service - February 8, 2008; Abra Pollock; WASHINGTON, Feb 8 (IPS) - In what has been labeled an emergency within an emergency , thousands of people living with HIV/AIDS who have been displaced by Kenya s recent political violence are struggling to access their life-saving antiretroviral drugs, reported the World AIDS Campaign this week. United Nations agencies
Africa: No Sex, Please - You're HIV-Positive: Inter Press Service - February 8, 2008; Sharon Davis; ABUJA, Feb 8 (IPS) - HIV/AIDS policies and programmes disregard the sexual needs of people living with the virus, claim a number of HIV-positive women who attended the third Africa Conference on Sexual Health and Rights -- held this week in Nigeria . The initiatives focus on prevention and treatment, they add, ignoring
Nicaragua: Despite Efforts, MDGs Still Distant Goals: Inter Press Service - February 7, 2008; José Adán Silva; MANAGUA, Feb 7 (IPS) - Despite the social plans implemented by the government of Daniel Ortega, Nicaragua has made little progress towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), say independent analysts. Ortega, who took office in January 2007, has launched programmes like Zero Hunger in rural areas, Zero Usu
Tanzania: A Presidential Seal of Approval: Inter Press Service - February 6, 2008; Sarah McGregor; DAR ES SALAAM, Feb 6 (IPS) - U.S. President George W. Bush will spend most of his time during a five-nation tour of Africa later this month in Tanzania , to spotlight development gains in the East African nation. This is a success story, said U.S. embassy public affairs officer Jeffery Salaiz of Tanzania, during a pres
Pakistan: Ailing Gitmo Prisoner May Die Says His Lawyer: Inter Press Service - February 6, 2008; Zofeen Ebrahim; KARACHI, Feb 6 (IPS) - Saifullah Paracha, a Pakistani national incarcerated in the United States military prison in Guantanamo, Cuba since September 2004, suffers from a serious heart condition and may not live unless provided special care, says his lawyer. The government of Pakistan cannot sit by and allow this t
Argentina: Transvestites Find a Voice: Inter Press Service - February 5, 2008; Marcela Valente; BUENOS AIRES, Feb 5 (IPS) - With the support of one of Argentina s leading public universities, a group of transvestites have launched a magazine aimed at reaffirming their identity and giving them a voice, as they tend to be ignored or given stereotypical coverage by the mainstream press. The publication is the first
Rights: Ignoring Girls' Welfare Carries High Price: Inter Press Service - February 1, 2008; Abra Pollock; WASHINGTON, Feb 1 (IPS) - Investing in young women and girls in developing regions must be a top priority for governments, multilateral agencies and the private sector, say the authors of a report released here this week. Titled, Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda, the 89-page report highlighted the s
Rural Zimbabwe Fertile Ground for HIV/AIDS: Inter Press Service - January 31, 2008; Ignatius Banda; TSHOLOTSHO, Zimbabwe , Jan 31 (IPS) - They left the country in search of jobs to better their lives, but village elders in rural Tsholotsho, say young men who left home to fend for their families are losing their lives at alarming rates to HIV/AIDS related ailments. Tsholotsho, about 150 kilometres south-east of Bulawa
Q&A: 'Half Our Job Is Done If We Have The Imams On Our Side': Inter Press Service - January 31, 2008; Interview with Donya Aziz, ex-parliamentary secretary for population; KARACHI, Jan 31 (IPS) - At 31, Dr Donya Aziz, was the youngest legislator to join the previous Pakistan Muslim League (Q) government. Busy running for the February elections, Aziz wants to get back into the assembly and resume the work she had to leave off when President Pervez Musharraf clamped emergency rule on Nov.
South Africa: 'We Need All Hands on Deck to Solve The Crisis': Inter Press Service - January 29, 2008; Interview with Graeme Bloch of the Development Bank of South Africa; CAPE TOWN, Jan 29 (IPS) - Teachers who are not trained properly, teacher strikes and HIV/AIDS are taking a huge toll on the educational system in South Africa . Thousands of children leave our schools without the foundation skills to enable them to enter further study programmes or to obtain skilled jobs, says Graeme
U.S. AIDS Plan Still Falling Short, Groups Say: Inter Press Service - January 29, 2008; Abra Pollock; WASHINGTON, Jan 29 (IPS) - Health worker shortages in sub-Saharan Africa and a disproportionate HIV/AIDS burden on women in the region necessitate an increase in funding for the President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) prior to a congressional vote next week, human rights groups and advocates say. First intr
UN Chief Calls for 2010 MDG Targets: Inter Press Service - January 26, 2008; Ravi Kanth Devarakonda; DAVOS, Jan 26 (IPS) - UN Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon has called on world leaders to agree some 2010 milestones towards achieving the 2015 Millennium Development Goals. The early target would include lifting 75 million people out of extreme poverty in Africa, admitting 25 million more children in school, saving four m
Loss of 9.7 Million Children Unacceptable, Says UNICEF: Inter Press Service - January 22, 2008; Thalif Deen; UNITED NATIONS, Jan 22 (IPS) - The sharp decline in deaths among infants and children worldwide during the past century is one of the great success stories in international public health , the U.N. children s agency UNICEF said Tuesday. The annual number of child deaths has been halved, from roughly 20 million in 1960
Asia: Religious Leaders Tackle HIV, AIDS: Inter Press Service - January 19, 2008; Jaime Lim; BANGKOK, Jan 19 (IPS) - The Korean superstar RAIN was roped in by the Christian relief group World Vision last year to help promote awareness of HIV and AIDS, especially among the youth. Over in Fiji , people living with HIV can get internship opportunities at the World Council of Churches (WCC) in the Pacific.
Swaziland: Income Rating Hobbles Aid Effort: Inter Press Service - January 17, 2008; James Hall; MBABANE, Jan 17 (IPS) - Amanda Dube is literally dirt poor . Fierce bush fires ravaged Swaziland for months in 2007, and repeatedly swept over the hilly area of Mliba where she lives. Fires burned the trees and vegetation on the small sloping plot where the widowed mother of three attempts to scratch out a maize crop.
World Bank, India Confront Corruption: Inter Press Service - January 13, 2008; Abid Aslam; WASHINGTON, Jan 13 (IPS) - Indian health projects are under the microscope following revelations of fraud and corruption in five ventures backed and overseen by the World Bank. Under scrutiny in the unfolding scandal, which broke in 2005, are bank and government staff, private companies, and non-governmental organisati
Swaziland: Urban Youth Slipping Through The Cracks: Inter Press Service - January 10, 2008; James Hall; MBABANE, Jan 10 (IPS) - As the new school year begins here many destitute or orphaned children are in need of assistance to pay for their educations. An unknown number of urban youngsters, however, are slipping through the social welfare net. Impoverished children in the country s urban areas might run into the thousan
Congo: Fear, Stigma Undermine Fight Against Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission: Inter Press Service - January 8, 2008; Arsčne Séverin; BRAZZAVILLE, Jan 8 (IPS) - At the Integrated Health Centre of Bissita, located in the Bacongo area of Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo, pregnant women seated on a long bench wait to have prenatal examinations. A member of this talkative group, Sylvie Bakani*, wears a concerned expression. Due to delive
Science: Experimental Drugs Flourish in China: Inter Press Service - January 7, 2008; Stephen Leahy; BROOKLIN, Canada , Jan 7 (IPS) - China s booming medical biotechnology industry is producing controversial drugs and gene therapy treatment programmes for domestic use, as well as to treat critically ill foreigners seeking potential cures unavailable elsewhere. China s Beike Biotechnologies harvests stem cells from the

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