Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Desmond Tutu, the former Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, has warned it is not possible to win the war on terror as long as conditions that drive people to desperation continue to persist. "There is no way anybody is going to win the war on terror as long as there are conditions in so many parts of the world that drive people to acts of desperation because of poverty, disease and ignorance," said Tutu. Some people attending the forum in the past have questioned whether it has made a difference, but church leaders say it has brought the concerns of poor communities onto the global agenda.
Equity in Health
Tutu warns ahead of World Social Forum, war on terror cannot ignore poverty
Nzwili F: Ecumenical News International, 19 January 2007
World Social Forum: just another NGO fair?
Manji F: Pambazuka News 288, 26 January 2007
The World Social Forum, which took place in Nairobi, Kenya for the first time in Africa, was supposed to be a forum for the voices of the grassroots. But Firoze Manji writes that, despite the diversity of voices at the event, not everyone was equally represented.
World Social Forum: Small ways to solve big problems
Mulama J: OneWorldSouth, 22 January 2007
According to global anti-debt organisations, African countries spend about 15 billion dollars per year repaying debts, in a continent where more than half of the population lives on less than a dollar a day. The continent also has been dogged with the highest rates of HIV/AIDS and illiteracy. Analysts argue that this situation could be reversed if governments spent more money on health care, education and other public service sectors, rather than on debt repayment. The issue of HIV/AIDS dominated the addresses at Uhuru Park, as speakers reiterated that it remained the greatest challenge African countries, and offered suggestions for countering the challenge.
Heads, tails or equality? Men, women and reproductive health in Zambia
Centre for African Family Studies
This report is on male participation in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) examined within a wider context of gender relations and the family. It is the result of two collaborative surveys, one quantitative and one qualitative, which were conducted in rural and urban areas of the Copperbelt Province in Zambia. During the quantitative survey data was collected from men and their partners. The qualitative survey collected data through focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and two small community workshops.
The State of the World’s Children 2007
UNICEF, December 2006
This report examines the discrimination and disempowerment women face throughout their lives – and outlines what must be done to eliminate gender discrimination and empower women and girls. It looks at the status of women today, discusses how gender equality will move all the Millennium Development Goals forward, and shows how investment in women’s rights will ultimately produce a double dividend: advancing the rights of both women and children.
The World Distribution of Household Wealth
World Institute for Development Economics Research of the United Nations University (UNU-WIDER)
A new study on The World Distribution of Household Wealth by the World Institute for Development Economics Research of the United Nations University (UNU-WIDER) launched on Tuesday 5 December 2006. The most comprehensive study of personal wealth ever undertaken also reports that the richest 1% of adults alone owned 40% of global assets in the year 2000, and that the richest 10% of adults accounted for 85% of the world total. In contrast, the bottom half of the world adult population owned barely 1% of global wealth.
Women facing mental-health problems in Darfur
The Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN), 15 December 2006
A significant number of displaced women in South Darfur, western Sudan, suffer from depression and experience suicidal thoughts because of largely unaddressed mental-health problems, according to a study by the International Medical Corps (IMC).
21st Plenary Assembly of SADC Parliamentary Forum held at Mogale City, South Africa
Southern African Development Community (SADC) Parliamentary Forum, 10-16th November 2006
The 21st Plenary Assembly of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Parliamentary Forum was held at Misty Hills Country Hotel, Mogale City, South Africa under the theme: Enhancing the Role of Parliaments in Governance and Development at Regional Level: Trade and Development Issues Relating to the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP)/European Union (EU) Negotiations. This document highlights the key points raised at the assembly.
Achieving the Millennium Development Goals: Does Mental Health Play a Role?
Miranda JJ, Patel V: PLoS Med 2 (10), October 2005
There is compelling evidence that in developing countries mental disorders are amongst the most important causes of sickness, disability, and, in certain age groups, premature mortality. Mental health–related conditions, including depressive and anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug abuse, and schizophrenia, contribute to a significant proportion of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and years lived with disability (YLDs), even in poor countries. Apart from causing suffering, mental illness is closely associated with social determinants, notably poverty and gender disadvantage, and with poor physical health, including having HIV/AIDS and poor maternal and child health. Yet mental health remains a largely ignored issue in global health, and its complete absence from the MDGs reinforces the position that mental health has little role to play in major development-related health agendas. This article seeks to question this assumption. Using evidence on mental health in developing countries, it argues that addressing mental health problems is an integral part of health system interventions aimed at achieving some of the key MDGs.
Challenges and solutions to fight disease and improve health in Africa
Regional Office for Africa, World Health Organisation (WHO AFRO), 2006
This World Health Organisation report focuses on the health of the 738 million people living in Africa. It provides a comprehensive analysis of key public health issues and progress made on them in the Africa region. The report finds that whilst AIDS continues to devastate the region, the number of HIV-positive people on antiretroviral medicines increased eight fold from December 2003 to December 2005. Also, most countries are making good progress on preventable childhood illness: polio is close to eradication and 37 countries are reaching 60 per cent or more of their children with measles immunisation.