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Blind Optimism: Challenging the Myths about Private Health Care in Poor Countries
In the past few years Oxfam has found a number of influential donors
and international organisations increasingly advocate for private
sector health care delivery as a solution to slow progress on health
in poor countries.
Blind Optimism explores in depth the evidence available against a
number of arguments and assumptions made in favour of private sector
health care provision. It also looks to those developing countries
that have achieved significant successes in scaling up towards
universal and equitable access to health care and the policies they
have pursued.
Anna Marriott, for Oxfam International. -
Study on vaginal gel to prevent HIV in women shows promising results
An investigational vaginal gel intended to prevent HIV infection in
women has demonstrated encouraging signs of success in a clinical
trial conducted in Africa and the United States. Findings of the
recently concluded study, funded by the National Institute of Allergy
and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the NIH, were presented at
the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in
Montreal.
The study investigators found the microbicide gel -- known as PRO 2000
(Indevus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Lexington, Mass.) -- to be safe and
approximately 30 per cent effective (33 per cent effectiveness would
have been considered statistically significant). This is the first
human clinical study to suggest that a microbicide -- a gel, foam or
cream intended to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV and other
sexually transmitted infections when applied topically inside the
vagina or rectum -- may prevent male-to-female sexual transmission of
HIV infection.
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A Breathtaking Aspiration for AIDS
It sounds too good to be true, and it may prove to be so in the real world, but researchers at the World Health Organization have come up with a suggestion to drastically reduce the transmission of AIDS and virtually halt the widening epidemic in Africa within a decade.
On this 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day, after repeated failures to create an effective vaccine, the provocative 'thought experiment' at least lifted our spirits.
The New York Times -
New Health-Related Blogging Campaign Starts February 14th: Please Join Us!
This Valentine's Day (February 14), Global Voices--a leading participatory media news room for voices from the developing world--will be launching a campaign called "Teach Someone You Love to Blog or Micro-Blog." Please participate in this exciting project by following the simple steps on this post:http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/02/11/on-valentines-teach-someone-you-love-to-blog-or-micro-blog/
Global Voices and its outreach arm, Rising Voices, are at the forefront of citizen-journalism activities related to issues such as health, development, and ICTs. This "teach-in" marks the start of a series of health-related activities specifically focusing on HIV/AIDS. -
Perspective: Why we need harm reducation to reach universal access goals
Address by Michel Sidibe, Executive Director of UNAIDS
Donor Conference on Harm Reducation, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 28/01/2009I am deeply honored and privileged to join you for this important meeting for three reasons:
First, we are witnessing a revolution in practice - a revolution which brings altogether users and ex-users, human rights advocates, public health practitioners and of course those who have the financial resources to make a difference - to address a pressing problem for which there are straight-forward evidence-informed solutions.
Second, I am genuinely pleased to be here in the Netherlands - which has not only taken the initiative to convene this conference on harm reduction - but has of course been a pioneer in proving that it can work and must work. -
Duo to race for a cause
PUNE: They're on a mission, and they're having some very serious fun trying to meet their goal. Meet US-based social worker Karen McCready and
UK-based student Tim Lloyd, who, apart from going about their daily professional lives, are learning to drive an auto rickshaw these days.The duo, under the team name of Pune Rebels', will be embarking on the 3,500-kilometre-long Rickshaw Run' from Shillong to Goa, to raise funds for their favourite Indian AIDS charities. The team will cover this distance in an autorickshaw in 15 days starting April 11 in Shillong.
Chitra Nair, for Times of India -
Rickshaw Riding for HIV Awareness
On the 11th of April 2009, two Wake Up Pune volunteers will be undertaking a weird, wonderful, and wacky 2-week rally across India in an auto rickshaw to raise money for charity and raise awareness about HIV/AIDS!
Karen McCready (USA) and Tim Lloyd (UK) will be driving a rickshaw from Shillong in the northeastern state of Meghalaya, through Darjeeling, Bihar, Jharkhand, down the eastern coast of Orissa, across Andra Pradesh to Hyderabad, and through Karnataka to Goa as part of the Adventurists' Rickshaw Run. They will be undertaking this adventure to raise money for two wonderful organizations doing community-based public health work in India - Frank Water Projects and Deep Griha Society.
To learn more about their project visit Karen and Tim's Website and show your support by joining their Facebook Group or making a donation.
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Can India learn from Cambodia’s Successful HIV Program?
An Interview with Dr. Mean Chhivun-Gaining Ground Against AIDS: The Cambodian Solution
July 2008-Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in the world, but it is also one of the few where HIV/AIDS prevalence is in decline-a success story that has been attributed in good part to the countrys national prevention and treatment program. As director of Cambodias National Centre for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STIs (NCHADS) since 1998, Dr. Mean Chhivun has been deeply involved with planning and implementing the countrys AIDS control efforts. In this interview, he speaks about how and why HIV/AIDS is losing ground in Cambodia.
Treat Asia -
After currency, condoms on India-Nepal smugglers’ list
KATHMANDU: After drugs and counterfeit Indian currency, smugglers
operating in India and Nepal through the open border between the two
countries have now added a new commodity to their list - condoms.
The new crime came to light after Indian police recently came across
two suitcases stuffed with condoms at the railway station in border
town Rupaidiya, Nepal's official media said Saturday.
Times of India
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'Paragrams' by WPSHOWER
