SHIFT IN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH FUNDING WITH NEW UNITED STATES PRESIDENT

17 November 2008 [MEDIAGLOBAL]: As the transition team of President-Elect Barack Obama readies for the coming change in administration, one pronounced divergence from President George Bush’s policy will be a lift of the freeze on U.S. funding to the United Nation’s population agency (UNFPA), which funds maternal and reproductive health services throughout the developing world. At the launch of UNFPA’s annual report, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney said, “We are about to see major cultural change in Washington. One big change is that UNFPA will be funded.” The administration of President Bush has blocked Congressional UNFPA funding since the beginning of his term. Though UNFPA does not include abortion in its roster of reproductive health and HIV-prevention programs, the Bush administration has stated that the agency’s presence in China implicitly condones the nation’s one-child policy. The blocking of funds is in line with the Bush administration’s broader international policy on reproductive rights, such as the Hyde amendment, which curtails all support for international agencies and non-governmental organizations linked in any way to abortion. It prevents organizations receiving USAID family planning funds from using their own, non-U.S. funds from providing legal abortion services, lobbying their own governments for abortion law reform, or providing medical counseling or referrals regarding abortion. All of these policies are likely to see immediate change during the Obama administration. But while Akinrinola Bankole, Director of International Research at the Guttmacher Institute, agreed that the change in U.S. administration could have a potentially profound impact on reproductive health and abortion access throughout the world, he also emphasized the role of governmental reform in countries where abortion is restricted. “As important as [a change in the Hyde amendment] is, it is not likely to go a long way to making abortion safer in the absence of law reform,” he told MediaGlobal.

A UNFPA reproductive health meeting in Dang Valley, Nepal. (Jesse Laymon/CC)

SEVERE MALNUTRITION IN CHAD REQUIRES URGENT RESPONSE

14 November 2008 [MEDIAGLOBAL] : In response to the results of a survey showing high rates of malnutrition among children under five in Chad’s western Kanem region, the United Nations Office for Coordination of Human Affairs (OCHA) called for humanitarian aid in Chad. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Chad Representative Marzio Babille said, “The data indicate a critical threshold of malnutrition, and we need to urgently plan activities to prevent excess mortality and morbidity caused by possible outbreaks.” UNICEF Chad Communication Specialist Cifora Monier told MediaGlobal, “UNICEF is supporting seven therapeutic feeding centers, which cover the 12 refugee camps in Eastern Chad,” and “These therapeutic feeding centers also cover over ten internally displaced people (IDP) sites.” Overall, the program covers more than 200,000 children under the age of five years. As part of the nutrition program, UNICEF provides intrants and drugs to treat acute malnutrition, necessary materials and equipment for four therapeutic feeding centers and 19 supplementary feeding centers, located in refugee camps, training of staff to treat acute malnutrition, and nutritional surveillance. One intrant that has been used in countries to treat acute malnutrition is Plumpy’nut, a high protein, peanut-based paste that requires no preparation or refrigeration. “Plumpy’nut has been used in Chad for the treatment of severely malnourished children in all therapeutic feeding centers since the beginning of 2007,” and is provided by UNICEF, said Monier. In terms of surveillance, the most recent survey is being done in the IDP sites throughout the East of Chad.

GOVERNMENTS BEAR RESPONSIBILITY FOR BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS, PUBLIC SAYS

12 November 2008 [MEDIAGLOBAL]: The vast majority of citizens around the world believe their governments should be responsible for ensuring basic standards of living, including the basic requirement for food, education, and healthcare, according to a new poll of public opinion. Individuals were asked questions such as: “Do you think the [country’s] government should be responsible for ensuring that its citizens can meet their basic need for food, OR do you think that is NOT the government’s responsibility?” The survey, which was conducted in 21 countries, including Argentina, China, France, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, and the United States, found that the majority of the public strongly favored government accountability when it came to basic social welfare. Steven Kull, the director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes, the organization responsible for the study, told MediaGlobal that he hoped the results would influence government policies, but that it was equally important to inform the public. “Clearly there is universal consensus that governments have a responsibility to address the social and economic needs of their citizens,” he said.

ACTION NEEDED AGAINST WHEAT KILLING FUNGUS

12 November 2008 [MEDIAGLOBAL]: Representatives of major wheat producing countries called for urgent preventative measures against a wheat killing fungus known as Ug99, reports the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). Previously Ug99 was found present in East Africa and Yemen and in March of this year it was also reported to be present in Iran. Since the pores of this fungus can travel and spread by wind there is concern of an Ug99 epidemic, but weather conditions this past year were not favorable for the spread and development of the fungus. “It was too dry in countries such as Ethiopia, Iran, and Syria for the rust pathogen to develop. Accordingly, the level of the disease severity was low. The higher the severity of the disease, higher the production of spores of the fungus in the field and the quicker the build-up of the pathogen population. The larger the pathogen population, the quicker its spread to other areas and the higher the risk of epidemics cause devastating yield losses,” Wafa Khoury, a Plant Pathologist for FAO, told MediaGlobal. Currently, FAO states that affected countries at risk should develop contingency plans to prevent such epidemics from occurring. The organization notes that these countries should share surveillance information and that a global early warning system should be instantly established. Unfortunately, since Ug99 travels by air there are no direct measures to stop the spread of this fungus, says Khoury, but replacing susceptible varieties of wheat is one strategy to follow.

HUNGER PERSISTS IN IRAQ AS ACCESS TO FOOD IMPROVES

12 November 2008 [MEDIAGLOBAL] : A recent survey shows that despite improved access to food and the overall security situation in Iraq, a staggering one million people are still food insecure, reports the World Food Programme (WFP). The Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Assessment (CFSVA) is based on data collected by the Iraqi government in every district of all 18 governorates of Iraq, and the survey is meant to be used by the government as a tool to set out strategies and policies to deal with the most vulnerable populations in the country. Iraq does have a “Public Distribution System” (PDS) established which distributes monthly food rations to Iraqis but this system is not capable of reaching all corners of the country. Furthermore, there are currently 1.5 million Iraqis displaced, due to conflict and insecurity, and they are frequently unable to register for PDS in their new place of residence. “This is a major cause of food insecurity as many poor households are heavily reliant on the PDS, without which the nutritional welfare of those households are at stake,” Natasha Scripture of WFP told MediaGlobal.

OVER $2 BILLION GRANTED TO FIGHT AIDS, TUBERCULOSIS AND MALARIA

10 November 2008 [MEDIAGLOBAL]: The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced Monday the approval of $2.75 billion in grants over two years to benefit 94 projects, the largest amount the Global Fund has approved at one time. The Global Fund works in 140 countries and has granted $14.4 billion since its inception. Global Fund Communications Officer Nicolas Demey told MediaGlobal, “With round eight approved, new countries in the Global Fund portfolio are Cape Verde, Democratic Republic of Korea, Fiji, Mauritius and Solomon Islands.” Demey explained that one of the Fund’s basic principles is “performance-based funding,” meaning countries only receive money based on results of their programs. In the most recent round of funding, therefore, India did not receive the approximate $128 million it applied for because, Demey said, the approach was not as sturdy as it needed to be. Another country that will be monitored is Zimbabwe, which was granted $169 million on the condition that its future behavior is up to standards. Zimbabwe will only receive money if the country agrees that the government will not interfere with the funding. Overall, “It is our hope that all approved programs will be successful and strengthen the fight against the three diseases significantly,” Demey said. The ninth round of Global Fund funding will be approved in November 2009.

NATO AND THE NETHERLANDS STEP UP TO TAKE OVER ESCORTING FOOD-AID SHIPS GOING TO SOMALIA

10 November 2008 [MEDIAGLOBAL]: The Netherlands has volunteered to provide naval escorts for ships carrying food aid to Somalia along with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces, which began providing escorts early last month. This will be the second time the Netherlands has supported the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) with naval support. Last spring the Netherlands had supplied the WFP with the same escorts, ending their service in June. Together, NATO and the Netherlands offer an opportunity for the WFP to expand their much-needed aid to Somalis. “WFP having three naval escort vessels available, instead of what was one since mid-November, means that we hope to have a succession of ships loaded with WFP food heading to Somalia,” WFP Spokesperson Peter Smerdon told MediaGlobal. In total since October, when NATO began accompanying the shipments, six ships carrying 48,400 metric tons of food aid have reached Somalia. According to the WFP, to feed the 2.4 million Somalis depending on the WFP food shipments, 40,000 metric tons need to get to Somalia each month. “Ninety percent of WFP food for Somalia goes by sea,” Smerdon explained, making the presence of these naval escorts, which protect the ships from being raided by pirates, a necessity. Due to the food crisis ravaging the Horn of Africa, its waters have grown increasingly dangerous this year. Last year there were only 31 reported pirate attacks, while so far this year there have been over 80 attacks and hijackings in Somali waters.

AT GENEVA MEETING, UNEP URGES STATES TO FIND SAFER ALTERNATIVES TO CONTROL MALARIA

10 November 2008 [MEDIAGLOBAL]: Last week, a three-day meeting in Geneva drew in nearly 100 experts and government delegates to discuss alternatives to DDT, a pesticide used for killing mosquitoes that spread the malarial parasite. Currently DDT is listed as one of the Stockholm Convention’s controlled substances and organic pollutants. However, many countries that struggle with controlling malaria are granted exceptions by the Stockholm Convention that allow the use of DDT on walls in homes and buildings to protect humans from contracting the disease. At the meeting, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) focused on encouraging governments and NGO’s to invest in finding and using greener, safer DDT alternatives. Aside from being a pollutant, there is also added risks to human health. “One of the properties of [DDT] is that it can enter the environment and travel to distance places far away from their source of release,” Program Officer at the Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention, Paul Whylie told MediaGlobal. “So while DDT is sprayed indoors to fight malaria, unsuspecting persons and wildlife may be accumulating the chemicals in their bodies.” While precise data on what these medical repercussions may be is not yet conclusive, the environmental impact of organic pollutants is. “There are many other approaches available including environmental management, biologicals and other non-chemical methods that can support the fight to control the anopheles mosquitoes that carry the malaria parasite,” Whylie said. Unfortunately, one of the biggest obstacles facing the development of alternative solutions is funding. “Hopefully, this intention to bring the various shareholders together will stimulate more financial resources being available to support further work to develop sustainable alternatives to DDT,” Whylie explained.

Clutch of mallard eggs contaminated by DDT. (National Geographic Image Collection)