Mario Osava

SAO PAULO, Dec 17 2005 (IPS) – The death of a woman in childbirth is a horrific blow to a family preparing for what is meant to be a joyous event, the arrival of a new life. In Brazil, the loss is made even more painful by the fact that over 90 percent of these deaths are preventable.
Carmem Carneiro, a journalist in the southern Brazilian city of Porto Alegre, is still grieving the death of her daughter Marina, who died while giving birth in March.

Her death has torn the whole family apart, said Carneiro, who is also the mother of five other children. Her 19-year-old son is currently receiving psychiatric treatment to deal with the loss, and her youngest son, 17, went to live in another city because he just can t cope with his sister s death. Another of …

Diego Cevallos* – Tierramérica

MEXICO CITY, Feb 1 2006 (IPS) – There are many who predict that future wars will be over water supplies, but the wait won t be long for witnessing some intense skirmishes, expected in March at the 4th World Water Forum between those who favour and those who oppose privatisation of this essential resource.
Every day around the world, 2,000 to 5,000 people die from causes related to water shortages or poor water quality, and one billion people do not have ready access to water. The investments needed to ensure universal access are huge, and although governments assume most of the costs, private sector participation in water services is growing exponentially.

The World Water Forum in Mexico is the fourth, following those held in Morocco (1…

Sanjay Suri

LONDON, Mar 9 2006 (IPS) – The decision by Brazil to join an innovative immunisation programme can have long-term health benefits, and more-long term consequences for financing development.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced in London Thursday that Brazil will contribute 20 million dollars over 20 years to the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm).

Brazil joins six European nations France, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Britain in committing funds to the innovative financing mechanism.

IFFIm was introduced to provide funding for new and under-used vaccines for treatment of conditions such as hepatitis and yellow fever. The global programme caught particular attention because it was held up as a prototype of …

Peter Richards

PORT OF SPAIN, Apr 11 2006 (IPS) – When his parents died from AIDS last year, John (not his real name) did not expect to be abandoned by his surviving relatives.
But the stigma surrounding the disease here remains potent. Left to fend for himself, John, 12, has become one of a growing number of young people who are being shunned by close relatives and friends, even as the authorities move to stamp out discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS. He now resides at a home for abandoned children in south Trinidad.

Even grandparents, aunts and uncles seem very reluctant to step forward and say this is my family member, I am going to continue caring to see about this individual s education, health and welfare , said Amery Browne, technical director o…

Moyiga Nduru

JOHANNESBURG, May 8 2006 (IPS) – As the rape trial of former South African deputy president Jacob Zuma wrapped up Monday with an acquittal for the defendant, calls were sounded for the verdict not to be seen as undermining the fight to curtail rape.
Tomorrow if you go to the Johannesburg court, you ll get six other women waiting for their rape cases to be heard, Dawn Cavanagh of the Johannesburg-based Gender AIDS Forum, a non-governmental organisation, told IPS in front of the city s High Court.

So, the struggle continues.

The judge in the case, Willem van der Merwe, expressed similar sentiments as did members of the tripartite alliance, made up of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), the South African Communist Party, and the Congress o…

Franz Chávez

LA PAZ, Jun 12 2006 (IPS) – While the birth of a child generally represents joy and life, in Bolivia, new motherhood is all too often plagued with fear, uncertainty and even death of mothers and newborns, report organisations dedicated to maternal and child health.
These social institutions and international organisations, grouped under the National Plan for Safe Births and Maternal Health , paint a picture of a few encouraging improvements on an otherwise bleak landscape.

Haiti and Bolivia have the highest pregnancy and birth risk levels in Latin America, according to the State of the World s Mothers 2006 report, published by the international Save the Children organisation.

The 2003 National Demographic and Health Survey conducted by Bolivia s …

Kristin Palitza*

DURBAN, Jul 25 2006 (IPS) – Civil society organisations in South Africa are preparing to push government to meet its commitment for setting national targets on HIV/AIDS, made at the recent United Nations General Assembly Special Sessions on HIV/AIDS (UNGASS).
The first special sessions on HIV/AIDS were held in 2001, when U.N. member states signed a declaration of commitment on HIV/AIDS that recognised the need for concerted action against the pandemic. This was in acknowledgement of the fact that HIV prevention and treatment initiatives were failing to reach many of those most vulnerable to HIV.

UNGASS then convened from May 31 to Jun. 2, 2006, to enable countries to report back on their progress in achieving earlier commitments.

South African…

Patricia Grogg* – Tierramérica

HAVANA, Aug 31 2006 (IPS) – Since 1999 there haven t been any cases of hepatitis B amongst Cuban children ages five and under, thanks to a locally produced vaccine that is also being exported to 20 countries the star among the products of this island nation s biotechnology industry, whose flagship institution was founded two decades ago.
All Cuban citizens born after 1980 received the hepatitis B vaccine, produced by the centre for genetic engineering and biotechnology, CIGB, and certified in 2001 by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Every year, hepatitis B causes 520,000 deaths worldwide, according to the WHO.

It is our most important product in terms of volume of production, export and impact on society, says Pedro A. Lóp…

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