By MediaGlobal
POLIO COMPLETELY ERADICATED IN SOMALIA
25 March 2008 [MEDIAGLOBAL]: As a result of extensive community support and effective vaccine distribution, Somalia is polio-free, with no reported cases since March 2007, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) announced this week. The initiative, made up of numerous partners, including the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International and UNICEF, has been working to eliminate polio in Somalia since the country became re-infected in 2005, after the disease was initially eradicated in 2002. “Together with our partners, we [were] able to support countries in training vaccinators, mapping which areas to cover, [and to] ensure sufficient supply of vaccine and logistics of vaccine distribution, ensure cold-chain for vaccine is functional, and conduct active disease surveillance,” Oliver Rosenbauer of the WHO told MediaGlobal. In 1988 polio was endemic in 125 countries, and was responsible for paralyzing more than 350,000 children every year. Since then, polio incidence has been lowered by more than 99 percent. In 2007 only 1,308 cases were reported worldwide. However, while the elimination of polio in Somalia is a significant victory, continued vigilance is needed, the WHO cautions. “The risk to polio-free areas will remain until polio has been eradicated in the four remaining endemic countries—Nigeria, India, Afghanistan and Pakistan,” Rosenbauer said. “While the polio virus continues to circulate there, it could again be exported to re-infect other countries.” The GPEI is thus continuing its work, drawing on the lessons learned from the successful program in Somalia. “Strong efforts are ongoing to rapidly finish polio in these remaining four endemic countries, and we are seeing progress,” Rosenbauer added. “The success in Somalia shows that the eradication strategies can work everywhere, [even] under the most challenging circumstances.”
VACCINE TO PREVENT HIV INFECTION IS UNLIKELY, CONCEDES AIDS COMMISSION
26 March 2008 [MEDIAGLOBAL]: “If the AIDS epidemic is not handled with urgency, an additional 5 million people will be infected and 2 million people will die of AIDS by 2020,” Dr. C. Rangarajan, Chairman of the Commission on AIDS in Asia told MediaGlobal. “While the prevalence rate is low, 5 million people are living with HIV in Asia,” he added. Releasing a report by an independent commission on AIDS in Asia at the United Nations on Wednesday, Rangarajan said that even after two decades, AIDS remains the most likely cause of death and work days lost among 15 to 44 year-olds in Asia. In a conversation with MediaGlobal, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Peter Piot, said that the Commission has concluded that there will be no HIV vaccine. “It is the smartest virus we can think of,” he said, adding that the pharmaceutical company Merck had developed a vaccine, but it was not effective. “To be realistic, we will have to go back to the drawing board,” he concluded. In response to a recommendation by the Commission that UNAIDS be more specific in dealing with the needs of Asia, Piot conceded that he was now working toward developing a regional strategy by launching a campaign “Know Your Epidemic.”
AFRICA-ASIA TRADE HAS DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL
26 March 2008 [MEDIAGLOBAL]: Trade between Africa and Asia could further the economic development of both continents if gains are properly harnessed, according to United Nations analysts. The rapid development of many Asian nations has fuelled a growing demand for the raw materials and commodities that Africa can provide. Between 2000 and 2006, Africa’s exports to Asia more than tripled, to $50.2 billion. “It’s a benefit for both,” Rob Voss, Director of the policy and analysis division at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, told MediaGlobal. “In the short term it’s beneficial to the [African] countries in part because they are able to benefit from high commodity prices.” But while many of the commodities that African nations rely on for export incomes are currently experiencing record high prices, their value on the global market is notoriously inconsistent. “Oil prices and mineral prices, they typically fluctuate,” Voss cautioned. “They [developing nations] should not expect that the prices will remain high.” Instead, he said, such countries should use their income from the current favorable trade climate to invest in economic and social development, particularly by establishing infrastructure that will allow the economic gains generated by trade with Asia’s booming economies to outlast the value of any single commodity. “The challenge for the Least Developed Countries in particular is how they can convert those resources into diversifying their own economies,” he said.
MARKET ACCESS IS KEY TO MAKING GLOBALIZATION WORK FOR LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
28 March 2008 [MEDIAGLOBAL]: The Least Developed Countries (LDCs) need international support to become full participants in an increasingly globalized world economy, UN officials and country representatives said at a follow-up meeting to last July’s Ministerial Conference of the LDCs, held Friday at UN headquarters. “The world cannot be a safe place to live unless we ensure an equitable and sustainable development for all,” said Ambassador Kenan Tepedelen, the coordinator for Turkey’s relations with the LDCs. “Meeting the formidable challenges facing the LDCs in particular and enabling them to enjoy sustainable development [is] a collective responsibility for the entire international community,” he said, pledging Turkey’s commitment to economic collaboration with the world’s poorest countries. Market access is essential for development, said Cheick Sidi Diarra, High Representative of OHRLLS, the UN office that oversees the LDCs. July’s Ministerial Conference, held in Istanbul, issued a declaration calling on all countries to “provide immediate, predictable, duty-free and quota-free market access on a lasting basis to all products originating from the LDCs.” Since 2005 this status has been granted to 97 percent of goods from the LDCs. “But the remaining three percent for us could comprise things that are very important to LDCs. That’s why we are asking to go a little bit further,” Diarra told MediaGlobal. “What we are looking for is one hundred percent coverage.” The Least Developed Countries have earned the right to preferential treatment, Diarra said, and such status is necessary if globalization is to have significant positive effects on their economies. “The LDCs are on a good path, they have made a lot of progress in terms of economic growth. In order to make this irreversible and sustainable, their concerns should be taken care of,” he said.
COMMUNITY EDUCATION INTEGRAL TO WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN SIERRA LEONE
28 March 2008 [MEDIAGLOBAL]: Eight months after Sierra Leone passed groundbreaking women’s rights legislation, UN representatives, NGO workers and community members came together this week in Freetown to raise awareness of the new laws. A three-day workshop included detailed explanations of the three Gender Acts, which protect women from forced or underage marriage, criminalize domestic abuse and allow wives to inherit property. Over a hundred people, a quarter of them men, participated in question and answer sessions and role-playing exercises, Orla Fagan, Gender and Election Specialist for UNIFEM in Sierra Leone, told MediaGlobal. “The momentum for sensitization has really just begun, with many radio programs now discussing the implications of the Acts for women everywhere in Sierra Leone,” she said, stressing the need to educate both men and women in rural areas, where traditional courts and codes of justice still hold sway. UNIFEM will also begin a joint program with the International Rescue Committee to “mobilize a core group of stakeholders committed to putting the new laws into practice, to build the capacity of key institutions to effectively implement the laws and to raise public awareness of the new laws nationwide,” she said. “Sierra Leoneans are silent about gender violence and human rights abuse against women,” said Catherine Greywood, Program Coordinator of the Grassroots Empowerment for Self Reliance (GEMS), which worked with UNIFEM and the UN Integrated Office in Sierra Leone to organize the event. “The workshop aims at encouraging women to speak out against ill-treatment meted on them by men.”
SATELLITE IMAGING TECHNOLOGY ALLOWS BETTER PREDICTION OF BIRD FLU OUTBREAKS
28 March 2008 [MEDIAGLOBAL]: In Thailand and Vietnam, innovative use of satellite imaging technology has enabled scientists to better understand the factors that contribute to the perpetuation and spread of H5N1, a highly pathogenic strain of bird flu. By overlaying patterns of bird migration, agricultural practices and outbreaks of avian influenza, scientists from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and associated research centers were able to identify ducks, rather than chickens, as the major conduits of bird flu in the area. Outbreaks were found to occur more often when duck populations swelled, which often occurred in synch with agricultural cycles, as ducks subsist off of rice grains left over after the harvest. “Rice cropping intensity turns out [to be] a very viable predictor of a disease in birds” Jan Slingenbergh, FAO Senior Veterinary Officer, told MediaGlobal. “It is remarkable because there is as such no direct link between the rice cropping activity and the behavior of a disease. It all works indirectly.” These findings, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States, provide valuable insight into the specific factors driving the spread of bird flu in these two countries. It is hoped that with such specific information, efforts to control the pandemic can be better targeted and achieve greater success. In the meantime, the satellite methodology is now being turned to other countries in the region affected by bird flu, notably Indonesia and China, in hopes of identifying country-specific methods of control. “We now know much better where and when to expect H5N1 flare-ups,” said Slingenbergh. “This helps to target prevention and control.”
AGRICULTURAL SLOWDOWN IN ASIA TAKES HEAVY TOLL ON POOR
28 March 2008 [MEDIAGLOBAL]: Funding for agriculture in Asia and the Pacific is declining, contributing to a decrease in crop yields and stymieing the growth of a sector that employs 60 percent of the region’s working population, according to a report released Thursday by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). A widespread neglect of agriculture at the policy level is widening gaps between rich and poor, trapping 218 million people in poverty, according to the report. On a national level, stagnant farm economies have had a disproportionate effect on the poorer countries of the region. “Productivity gaps between middle income South East Asia and low income countries of South Asia are pretty big,” Dr. Shamika Sirimanne, Chief of the Socioeconomic Analysis Section of ESCAP’s Poverty and Development Division, told MediaGlobal. More funding is needed to develop new crop varieties and farming technologies in order to increase production in the region. “Research done elsewhere, particularly like the New Rice for Africa that is more suited for dry climates, would be relevant for some parts of Asia and the Pacific,” Sirimanne said, stressing the importance of joint research. “Asia is still doing R[esearch] and D[evelopment] on improved seeds, new seeds, etc., but the interest and funding – of largely publicly-financed ventures – have gone down over the years,” she said. Rising global food prices, due in part to heavy farm subsidies in industrialized countries, are also increasing economic pressures. “The newly introduced subsidies on biofuel crops are encouraging U.S. farmers to divert wheat, maize, etc., away from food to biofuel production,” Sirimanne explained. “This is one major reason behind the recent rise in staple food prices. It is the poor in [the] Asia-Pacific [region] who are the most affected because most of their income is spent on food.”
“GREEN PASSPORTS” TO RAISE AWARENESS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
30 March 2008 [MEDIAGLOBAL]: The United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) has launched a campaign to make tourists aware of the contribution they can make to the environment. The “Green Passport” campaign is internet-based and will be giving green travel tips to vacationers around the globe. “By browsing the Green Passport website consumers will be able to find practical tips to help them reduce their environmental and social footprint while they are on vacation,” said Stefanos Fotiou, head of UNEP’s tourism unit. As tourism increases around the world, the amount of waste produced could have harmful effects on the environment. This campaign hopes to reduce some of that waste by giving travellers a few simple pointers. Tips include using less energy and buying locally made souvenirs. “We have thought about offering flyers or a hard copy version of the green passport at airports, train stations and other transportation hubs,” Fotiou told MediaGlobal. “We want to see the response to the website and then decide on the next steps of the campaign.” Reaching out to those who live in developing countries and do not have access to the Internet will be a challenge, Fotiou added. “This is why we have started a pilot [program] in Brazil where we will produce printed material. On the basis of this pilot additional demonstration projects could be implemented in other countries.”
GLOBAL HAPPENINGS
For April
International Banana Conference 2008 – Mombassa, Kenya (7-11 April 2008): Organized by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, the conference focuses on banana and plantain research across Africa, lessons learned and the way forward. A major objective of the conference is to foster international partnerships. Email: t.dubois@cgiar.org _Website: www.banana2008.org
Unite for Sight’s 5th Annual International Health Conference – Yale University, New Haven, USA (12-13 April 2008): The conference will bring together 180 expert speakers in international health and development, public health, eye care, medicine, social entrepreneurship, nonprofits, philanthropy, microfinance, human rights, anthropology, health policy, advocacy, public service, environmental health and education. Website: http://uniteforsight.org
Prince of Wales’ Business and the Environment Programme - Cambridge, UK (15-18 April 2008): The University of Cambridge Program for Industry, Business & the Environment Program is the premier international forum for executive learning and leadership for sustainability. The six annual Senior Executives Seminars held around the world aim to help a select group of highly influential decision-makers understand the challenges and opportunities. Website: http://www.cpi.cam.ac.uk
The Global Travel and Tourism Summit – Dubai, UAE (20-22 April 2008): Set in a unique format – The Round – the Summit will engage invited participants in real dialogue on issues that affect the industry and the world at large. Invited participants include the Chairs and Chief Executives of the Travel & Tourism industry, heads of government, international experts and the global media. Website: http://www.globaltraveltourism.com/
Africa: International Conference on African Culture and Development – Kumasi, Ghana (21-26 April 2008): The conference is designed to draw attention to a missing link in attempts to develop the African continent – culture. Website: www.icacd.ccoghana.org
Rethinking Poverty: Making Policies Work for Children – Conference and Call for Papers. New York, USA (21-23 April 2008): UNICEF and the Graduate Program in International Affairs at the New School will jointly host an international conference to review and mobilize the international agenda on ending child poverty and reducing disparities. Website: www.crin.org
NEW: Global Youth Enterprise Conference – Washington, DC. September 15-16, 2008. Call for proposals is open! Deadline: April 18, 2008.
Designed as a participatory learning event, this conference aims to support youth enterprise and entrepreneurship programs and policies achieve greater effectiveness around the world. Website: www.youthenterpriseconference.org
SOURCE: South-South Solutions http://tcdc1.undp.org/enews/index.html
Development agencies and non-governmental organizations are welcome to send details of upcoming conferences for inclusion in our HAPPENINGS column.
Contributors: Nosh Nalavala, Joseph Deaux, Adelia Saunders and Sarah Long
MediaGlobal is a leading provider of information on global development issues facing vulnerable countries in Africa and Asia. Leaders of developed countries, the global media (with media in developing countries), policymakers in donor countries, non-governmental organizations, Permanent Representatives of Missions to the United Nations and key personnel in the United Nations Secretariat, its agencies and managers in the field worldwide read MediaGlobal’s newswire stories. Contact: media@mediaglobal.org . United Nations, Room S-301, New York, NY 10017. Tel: (212) 963-9878. Fax: (609) 716-1297 Website: www.mediaglobal.org
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