Toye Samuel LAGOS, Mar 9 2009 (IPS) – In 2008, as many as a thousand children were hospitalised with diarrhoea and vomiting after taking My Pikin teething syrup. At least 84 children are known to have died. Investigations by Nigeria s Federal Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation (WHO) found the syrup, whose…
Apostolis Fotiadis ATHENS, Apr 6 2009 (IPS) – For more than a decade migrants and refugees have been landing up at a slum in Patras town in the hope of catching a boat to Italy. The settlement they live in close to the port in this town of 160,000 located 220 km south-west of Athens,…
William Fisher NEW YORK, May 7 2009 (IPS) – A leading human rights organisation is charging that an American Psychological Association (APA) task force formed to advise the U.S. military on prisoner interrogations was stacked with Defence Department and [George W.] Bush Administration officials and rushed to conclusions that violated the Geneva Convention. Newly released…
Mantoe Phakathi MBABANE, Jun 10 2009 (IPS) – As the global economic downturn begins to take its toll on developing countries, Swaziland s health system already strained by the burden of HIV/AIDS has come under severe threat. The third of the national health budget which comes directly from donor agencies is abruptly drying up. The…
Emilio Godoy MEXICO CITY, Jul 2 2009 (IPS) – Health ministers and representatives of 43 countries and the World Health Organisation (WHO) began to meet Thursday in the Mexican resort city of Cancun to discuss a common strategy to curb the spread of the H1N1 flu virus. We have to review our history, what we…
Joyce Mulama NAIROBI, Aug 6 2009 (IPS) – Dwindling donor support in the face of rising contraceptive demand, combined with diminishing government budgets could make already widespread shortfalls in the provision of contraceptives worse. African reproductive health experts are suggesting that the private sector could be the key to filling the gap. Research by the…
Julio Godoy BERLIN, Sep 3 2009 (IPS) – Fifteen years after 179 nations agreed to implement a plan of action on sexual health, a woman still dies every minute because of inadequate pregnancy and birth services, according to the World Health Organisation. These alarming figures were under the spotlight at the opening of a forum…
Adam Morrow and Khaled Moussa al-Omrani CAIRO, Nov 17 2009 (IPS) – As authorities consider suspending a whole academic year to check the spread of swine flu among school children there is a feeling that measures to contain the H1N1 virus known to be less dangerous than the one responsible for seasonal flu are going…
Nalisha Kalideen JOHANNESBURG, Oct 22 2009 (IPS) – Eleven years ago, Raloke Odetoyinbo had been married for two years and a month when she found out she was HIV positive. Graça Machel: hold government to account on prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS in mothers and children. Credit: Erik Forster/CEPA In that moment she thought she…
Baradan Kuppusamy KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 11 2009 (IPS) – Melinda Teoh, 42, had a life that could easily be the envy of many except that it took an unexpected turn just when she thought she had it all. Two lovely children, a well-paying, high-profile job, a suburban home in an upscale neighbourhood, expensive cars and…