Millions of people are on the brink of starvation in southern Africa, warns the United Nations this week, partly because attempts to limit the spread of HIV have failed. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has left millions of agricultural workers dead, land unfarmed, and families with no money to buy food, it says, and unless concerted action is taken now to stem the spread of AIDS many other regions could face similar crises in the future. According to a report by UNAIDS (the joint UN programme on HIV and AIDS) and the World Health Organisation, nearly one in five adults in Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe has HIV or AIDS, and 14 million people in the region are threatened by famine.
Equity in Health
Failure to tackle AIDS puts millions at risk of starvation
Family planning in sub-Saharan Africa: Progress or stagnation?
Cleland JG, Ndugwa RP and Zulu EM: Bulletin of the World Health Organisation (89): 137-143, February 2011
The primary objective of this paper was to review progress towards adoption of contraception among married or cohabiting women in western and eastern Africa between 1991 and 2004 by examining subjective need, approval, access and use. Indicators of attitudes towards and use of contraception were derived from Demographic and Health Surveys and trends were examined for 24 countries that had conducted at least two surveys between 1986 and 2007. In western Africa, the subjective need for contraception remained unchanged; about 46% of married or cohabiting women reported a desire to stop and/or postpone childbearing for at least two years. The percentage of women who approved of contraception rose from 32 to 39 and the percentage with access to contraceptive methods rose from 8 to 29. The proportion of women who were using a modern method when interviewed increased from 7 to 15% (equivalent to an average annual increase of 0.6 percentage points). In eastern African countries, trends were much more favourable, with contraceptive use showing an average annual increase of 1.4 percentage points (from 16% in 1986 to 33% in 2007).
Famine, Fears Spark Debate Over Biotech Food
Drought and famine stricken nations in southern Africa should not reject donations of genetically modified food, officials from the United States, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization argued at the WSSD last week. The statements come in response to recent decisions by Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe to reject offers of U.S. aid due to concerns about biotechnology.
Fatal injuries among urban children in South Africa: Risk distribution and potential for reduction
Burrows S, van Niekerk A and Laflamme L: Bulletin of the World Health Organization 88: 267–272, April 2010
The objective of this study was to determine the leading causes of fatal injury for urban South African children aged 0–14 years, the distribution of those causes and the current potential for safety improvements. Injury surveillance data was obtained from the National Injury Mortality Surveillance System 2001–2003 for six major South African cities varying in size, development and sociodemographic composition. The study identified the leading causes of fatal injury in childhood as road traffic injuries – among vehicle passengers and especially among pedestrians – drowning, burns and, in some cities, firearm injuries. Disparities between cities and between population groups were largest for deaths from pedestrian injuries, while differences between boys and girls were greatest for drowning deaths. The study concluded that, in the face of the high variability observed between cities and population groups in the rates of the most common types of fatal injuries, a safety agenda should combine safety-for-all countermeasures and targeted countermeasures that help reduce the burden for those at greatest risk.
Feachem Says Global Fund Could Dry Up By the Middle of Next Year
Richard Feachem, director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, said that the fund will run out of money by the middle of next year unless it receives new donations, the Boston Globe reports. The fund has received $2.1 billion in pledges but has collected only $500 million.
Further details: /newsletter/id/29384
Few Countries on Track to Curb Maternal, Child Mortality Rates
US News and Report, 11 April 2008
Three-quarters of the 68 countries most in need of improving mother and child mortality rates have made little, if any, progress in meeting internationally set goals over the past three years, according to a series of new reports. The Countdown to 2015 for Maternal, Newborn and Child Survival, an international group that monitors these goals, still holds hope that progress can be made quickly in these underachieving nations, according to reports in a special edition of The Lancet. The medical journal looks at the group's efforts in 68 "priority" or "countdown" countries, where 97 percent of the maternal and child under-5 deaths occur worldwide. The group has set goals to reduce child mortality rate by two-thirds and maternal deaths by three-quarters by 2015.
Fight for your rights, despite globalisation, women urged
Integrated Regional Information Network, 22 January 2007
Women, especially in the developing world, who continue to bear the burden of the negative impact of globalisation, must fight for their rights, a Kenyan civil rights activist said on Monday at the World Social Forum (WSF). Anna Tibaijuka, the executive director of UN Habitat, said globalisation had contributed to the suffering of women as they continued to bear the burden of its negative impact. Participants spoke against violence, saying they wanted the world to continue to hear their voice. A woman from Bangalore, India, who asked to be referred to as Shokun, said violence was a major cause of death for women in India.
Fighting malaria in Africa by linking with other disease initiatives
The global community is committed to cutting by half the number of deaths worldwide from malaria by 2010. In Africa, progress has been slow towards achieving the objectives set by the continent's leaders in April 2000 to help reach this goal. Programmes to reduce malaria could be far more effective if they are linked to existing initiatives to prevent other diseases.
Finally a yes on ARV's
After years resisting demands to supply antiretroviral drugs, the South African government will soon begin to provide ARVs through the public health system. By the end of September, an operational plan for ARV roll-out should be unveiled.
Further details: /newsletter/id/30007
Five-Year Review Of The Abuja Call For Accelerated Action Towards Universal Access To HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Services By 2010 Progress Report (2006-2010),
African Union
The 2010 AU Summit reviewed the status of implementation of the Declarations and Plans of Action on the 2000 Abuja Summit on Roll Back Malaria (RBM) and the 2001 Abuja Summit on HIV/AIDS, TB and Other Related Infectious Diseases (ORID). The document provides an update on the progress 2006-2010 on these commitments. Since 2006, significant progress has been made by Member States towards universal access to health services in general and HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in particular. The report indicates that in spite of the commendable progress made, this is still insufficient to attain the Abuja target of universal access to HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria services by 2010. The ‘final push’ towards universal access should be advanced through intensified implementation of national programmes with the support of the UN system and international partners, further mobilization with more rational use of resources, and better harmonization and coordination of partnerships at national, regional and continental levels. Reducing the impact of the three diseases would significantly propel efforts to achieve, not only MDG 6 and other health related MDGs, but also development goals related to women's and children's rights to health, education, nutrition and equality, as well as the reduction of extreme poverty.