Is this political move for 2012 election in Kenya or there is truth on it. Lets wait for the charge they will face.
Occampo's Six names for ICC court
1. FRANCIS MUTHAURA
2. WILIAM RUTTO
3.HENRY KOSGEY
4. HUSEIN ALI
5. JOSHUA ARAP SANG
6.UHURU KENYATA
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Why is Africa in such a mess?
Why is Africa in such a mess?
http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/-/689364/1071802/-/view/printVersion/-/156btsfz/-/index.html
By Harold Acemah
Posted Tuesday, December 14 2010 at 00:00
In October 1993, I bought a little book titled, Tiny Roland: the ugly face of Neo-colonialism in Africa by an EIR Investigative Team. EIR stands for Executive Intelligence Review, based in Washington DC, USA.
The thesis of the book, which at that time I found outrageous, but which I am now more sympathetic to, was that Africa is on its deathbed, its people relentlessly mowed down by starvation and disease. Among the perpetrators of this holocaust are the International Monetary Fund, the former colonial powers, the transnational corporations and commodity cartels such as the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
On this list, one should add African leaders and the elite. Increasingly, I believe we, the elite of Africa, are the primary enemies of ordinary Africans. We, and especially our leaders, have let Africa down, very badly. Current events in Ivory Coast confirm the tragic role African leaders have and continue to play in the destruction of Africa. I fear Uganda is next.
According to EIR, one man above all the rest, bears special personal responsibility for turning the 1960s dreams of independence into a nightmare. His name is Roland Walter "Tiny" Roland, boss of a British Transnational Corporation, LONRHO. LONRHO is acronym for the London Rhodesia Company. For decades this shrewd fellow was the most powerful Western businessman in Africa. He had access to all African Heads of State and government as well as African freedom fighters, guerrillas and even bandits.
He would do business with African leaders, while funding guerrillas fighting the very leaders he was wining and dining with. He was a practitioner of the dictum: Never put all your eggs in one basket.
The introduction to the EIR book on Tiny Roland is prophetic. It begins with a short three-word sentence: "Africa is dying". It denounces Tiny Roland and asserts that "the list of African leaders and guerrilla leaders with whom Tiny Roland has had intimate financial dealings reads so much like a Who is Who of modern African history. It includes past and present leaders of Uganda and Kenya. Like all devious types, Tiny Roland had a tragic end and is no more.
Aside from the treacherous behaviour of African leaders, Sub-Saharan Africa is simply poorly led, by mediocres, conmen, frauds and drop-outs. Since the advent of independence in the 1960s, Africa has had far too many tyrants and gangsters as leaders, far too few statesmen, let alone merely competent office holders at political and bureaucratic level. Too often African leaders reject sound policy advice and refuse to take the long or broad view of their job.
For example, how can anybody justify and rationalise the sale of Uganda Commercial Bank (UCB), Apollo Hotel, Uganda Hotels and Uganda Electricity Board, to mention but a few, under the guise of liberalisation and privatisation. All these parastatals were making profit, but more important, they were owned by the people of Uganda. UCB was fondly and rightly called "The People's Bank". UEB was sold to ESKOM, a company owned by the government of South Africa. It defies logic and one does not need a PhD in Economics to see through the absurdity of the actions of African leaders.
The few African leaders who seem to be progressive at the beginning of their tenure of office soon revert to the familiar form of autocratic one-man rule. Some are literally insane and remind me of the Roman Emperor Caligula. Take the example, Master Sgt. Samuel Doe and Sgt Jean Bedel Bokassa. The former became a General and Life President of Liberia while Bokassa crowned himself Emperor of the Central African Republic. He was following the footsteps of his hero, Napoleon Bonaparte of France.
Today, another crazy young man called Yahya Jammeh who has terrorised tiny Gambia for years, now wants to be crowned "King of Gambia" and establish a dynastic rule in that ruined and impoverished strip of land which is too small as a runway for the airbus 380 Jumbo Jet. And the international community is just watching. For the enemies of Africa it confirms their worst fears and prejudices about Africans. During the 1960s many of these types used to patronisingly argue that Africans are barbarians and not yet ready for self-government, let alone independence.
When one looks at the map of Africa from Zimbabwe to Somalia to Eritrea and Gambia and in between, it is painful for me as pan-Africanist to nod my head and in silence admit that these enemies of Africa were perhaps partly right. We Africans are our own worst enemies. Let us stop blaming colonialism, the slave trade, imperialism, etc for our own self-made tragedy.
Our education has failed to remove the village mentality in most of our leaders. All we think and talk about is "eating" or "manger" in French. Some allege they have killed an animal and must be given eternity to feast on the carcass. With such mind-sets Africa may indeed sooner, rather than later, die. Yes, Africa is dying. Our primary challenge is to save Africa from imminent death and keep the hopes of our people alive.
Mr Achema is a political scientist, consultant and a retired ambassador based in Arua
hacemah@gmail.com
http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/-/689364/1071802/-/view/printVersion/-/156btsfz/-/index.html
By Harold Acemah
Posted Tuesday, December 14 2010 at 00:00
In October 1993, I bought a little book titled, Tiny Roland: the ugly face of Neo-colonialism in Africa by an EIR Investigative Team. EIR stands for Executive Intelligence Review, based in Washington DC, USA.
The thesis of the book, which at that time I found outrageous, but which I am now more sympathetic to, was that Africa is on its deathbed, its people relentlessly mowed down by starvation and disease. Among the perpetrators of this holocaust are the International Monetary Fund, the former colonial powers, the transnational corporations and commodity cartels such as the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
On this list, one should add African leaders and the elite. Increasingly, I believe we, the elite of Africa, are the primary enemies of ordinary Africans. We, and especially our leaders, have let Africa down, very badly. Current events in Ivory Coast confirm the tragic role African leaders have and continue to play in the destruction of Africa. I fear Uganda is next.
According to EIR, one man above all the rest, bears special personal responsibility for turning the 1960s dreams of independence into a nightmare. His name is Roland Walter "Tiny" Roland, boss of a British Transnational Corporation, LONRHO. LONRHO is acronym for the London Rhodesia Company. For decades this shrewd fellow was the most powerful Western businessman in Africa. He had access to all African Heads of State and government as well as African freedom fighters, guerrillas and even bandits.
He would do business with African leaders, while funding guerrillas fighting the very leaders he was wining and dining with. He was a practitioner of the dictum: Never put all your eggs in one basket.
The introduction to the EIR book on Tiny Roland is prophetic. It begins with a short three-word sentence: "Africa is dying". It denounces Tiny Roland and asserts that "the list of African leaders and guerrilla leaders with whom Tiny Roland has had intimate financial dealings reads so much like a Who is Who of modern African history. It includes past and present leaders of Uganda and Kenya. Like all devious types, Tiny Roland had a tragic end and is no more.
Aside from the treacherous behaviour of African leaders, Sub-Saharan Africa is simply poorly led, by mediocres, conmen, frauds and drop-outs. Since the advent of independence in the 1960s, Africa has had far too many tyrants and gangsters as leaders, far too few statesmen, let alone merely competent office holders at political and bureaucratic level. Too often African leaders reject sound policy advice and refuse to take the long or broad view of their job.
For example, how can anybody justify and rationalise the sale of Uganda Commercial Bank (UCB), Apollo Hotel, Uganda Hotels and Uganda Electricity Board, to mention but a few, under the guise of liberalisation and privatisation. All these parastatals were making profit, but more important, they were owned by the people of Uganda. UCB was fondly and rightly called "The People's Bank". UEB was sold to ESKOM, a company owned by the government of South Africa. It defies logic and one does not need a PhD in Economics to see through the absurdity of the actions of African leaders.
The few African leaders who seem to be progressive at the beginning of their tenure of office soon revert to the familiar form of autocratic one-man rule. Some are literally insane and remind me of the Roman Emperor Caligula. Take the example, Master Sgt. Samuel Doe and Sgt Jean Bedel Bokassa. The former became a General and Life President of Liberia while Bokassa crowned himself Emperor of the Central African Republic. He was following the footsteps of his hero, Napoleon Bonaparte of France.
Today, another crazy young man called Yahya Jammeh who has terrorised tiny Gambia for years, now wants to be crowned "King of Gambia" and establish a dynastic rule in that ruined and impoverished strip of land which is too small as a runway for the airbus 380 Jumbo Jet. And the international community is just watching. For the enemies of Africa it confirms their worst fears and prejudices about Africans. During the 1960s many of these types used to patronisingly argue that Africans are barbarians and not yet ready for self-government, let alone independence.
When one looks at the map of Africa from Zimbabwe to Somalia to Eritrea and Gambia and in between, it is painful for me as pan-Africanist to nod my head and in silence admit that these enemies of Africa were perhaps partly right. We Africans are our own worst enemies. Let us stop blaming colonialism, the slave trade, imperialism, etc for our own self-made tragedy.
Our education has failed to remove the village mentality in most of our leaders. All we think and talk about is "eating" or "manger" in French. Some allege they have killed an animal and must be given eternity to feast on the carcass. With such mind-sets Africa may indeed sooner, rather than later, die. Yes, Africa is dying. Our primary challenge is to save Africa from imminent death and keep the hopes of our people alive.
Mr Achema is a political scientist, consultant and a retired ambassador based in Arua
hacemah@gmail.com
Thursday, December 9, 2010
PhD Scholarship
1) 3 years-PhD-scholarship within the EU-funded research project
"Governance of Natural Resources by Smallholders in the Brazilian Amazon"
Closing date: 10 Dec 2010
Contact: Dr. Benno Pokorny, benno.pokorny@waldbau.uni-freiburg.de
2) University of Göttingen, 12 Doctoral Researchers and 1 Postdoc in Agricultural and
Development Economics
Closing date: 10 Jan 2011
Contact: Prof. Dr. Matin Qaim (mqaim@uni-goettingen.de) Georg-August-
Universität Göttingen
________________________________________________
1) 3 years-PhD-scholarship within the EU-funded research project "Governance of
Natural Resources by Smallholders in the Brazilian Amazon"
Closing date: 10 Dec 2010
The Institute of Silviculture at the University of Freiburg is seeking a candidate for a
3 years-PhD-scholarship available within the EU-funded research project
"Governance of Natural Resources by Smallholders in the Brazilian Amazon"
(Governança de Recursos Naturais por Pequenos Produtores Rurais da
Amazônia). The PhD grant amounts to about 1,075 EUR per month. In addition
travel costs for field work in Brazil are funded. The topic of the PhD research will be
negotiated with the successful candidate and should be related to the context
described below.
A significant proportion of the forests in the Brazilian Amazon is formally dedicated
to poor smallholders including settlers and traditional communities. To effectively
use the economic potential of these forests as well as other natural resources
represents an enormous challenge for the families in the context of rapidly
advancing agricultural frontiers dominated by powerful actor groups. In this
situation, the families need to reorganize their strategies for using natural resources
and have to find ways of getting these strategies formally acknowledged. As
conventional expert driven approaches for market integration suffered from major
incompatibilities with local realities, it is worthwhile to explore opportunities for the
promotion of local initiatives developed by the smallholders themselves in
accordance with their interests and capacities. But, little is known about how to
make use of this potential. In this situation, the project brings together smallholders,
governmental agencies and development organisation to work about local
governance systems for the use of natural resources in the two municipalities
Medicilândia and Porto de Moz located in the State of Pará in the Eastern Amazon.
The PhD research will focus on the families settling along the Transamzon highway
in the municipality of Medicilândia.
Candidate's profile:
- MSc (equivalent) degree
- Good knowledge of English (compulsory)
- Working knowledge of Portuguese (or at least Spanish)
- Preferably with some field experience in the Amazon basin
- Preferably with some background in tropical forestry, community forestry, rural
development and transdisciplinary research
- Fulfils faculty requirements for studies at PhD level
- Willingness to travel frequently and to remote areas
- Ability to work in a team
Please, send or email a detailed letter of interest, curriculum vitae, and the names
and contact information of at least two references until 10th December 2010 or until
filled to:
Dr. Benno Pokorny
Institute of Silviculture
Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Sciences
Tennenbacherstraße 4
79106 Freiburg
Germany
Email: benno.pokorny@waldbau.uni-freiburg.de
Phone: +49-761-2033680
Fax: +49-761-2033781
____________________________________________
2) University of Göttingen, 12 Doctoral Researchers and 1 Postdoc in Agricultural and
Development Economics
Closing date: 10 Jan 2011
The University of Göttingen has position openings for 12 doctoral researchers and
one postdoc in agricultural and development economics to join the new DFG-funded
Research Training Group (RTG) "Transformation of Global Agri-Food Systems"
(GlobalFood). The positions are available from April 2011. The RTG will carry out
research on restructuring agricultural markets, including the growing role of
international food standards, changing consumer preferences, and the rapid
expansion of supermarkets. Projects will particularly analyze the implications for
supply chain governance, international trade flows, market efficiency, and impacts
on rural poverty, food security, and nutrition in developing countries. All research
and training activities will be carried out in close cooperation with the International
Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Further details about the RTG and
application requirements can be found on the RTG website (www.uni-
goettingen.de/globalfood). Screening of applications will begin on January 10, 2011
and will end when the positions are filled. The University of Göttingen strives to
increase its proportion of female staff and specifically encourages qualified women
to apply. The University is an equal-opportunity employer and strives for staff
diversity
Prof. Dr. Matin Qaim
Lehrstuhl: Welternährungswirtschaft und Rurale Entwicklung
Department für Agrarökonomie und Rurale Entwicklung
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
Platz der Göttinger Sieben 5
37073 Göttingen
Tel.: 0551-39-4806
Fax: 0551-39-4823
Email: mqaim@uni-goettingen.de
____________________________________________
Source: ATSAF
Dear all please see this for your action
Nicole Flick
Geschäftsstelle des ATSAF e.V:
Universität Hohenheim, Schloß 15/122
70593 Stuttgart
Tel.: +49-(0)711-4706900
Fax.: +49-(0)711-459-22652
Email:atsaf@atsaf.de
URL:http://www.atsaf.de
"Governance of Natural Resources by Smallholders in the Brazilian Amazon"
Closing date: 10 Dec 2010
Contact: Dr. Benno Pokorny, benno.pokorny@waldbau.uni-freiburg.de
2) University of Göttingen, 12 Doctoral Researchers and 1 Postdoc in Agricultural and
Development Economics
Closing date: 10 Jan 2011
Contact: Prof. Dr. Matin Qaim (mqaim@uni-goettingen.de) Georg-August-
Universität Göttingen
________________________________________________
1) 3 years-PhD-scholarship within the EU-funded research project "Governance of
Natural Resources by Smallholders in the Brazilian Amazon"
Closing date: 10 Dec 2010
The Institute of Silviculture at the University of Freiburg is seeking a candidate for a
3 years-PhD-scholarship available within the EU-funded research project
"Governance of Natural Resources by Smallholders in the Brazilian Amazon"
(Governança de Recursos Naturais por Pequenos Produtores Rurais da
Amazônia). The PhD grant amounts to about 1,075 EUR per month. In addition
travel costs for field work in Brazil are funded. The topic of the PhD research will be
negotiated with the successful candidate and should be related to the context
described below.
A significant proportion of the forests in the Brazilian Amazon is formally dedicated
to poor smallholders including settlers and traditional communities. To effectively
use the economic potential of these forests as well as other natural resources
represents an enormous challenge for the families in the context of rapidly
advancing agricultural frontiers dominated by powerful actor groups. In this
situation, the families need to reorganize their strategies for using natural resources
and have to find ways of getting these strategies formally acknowledged. As
conventional expert driven approaches for market integration suffered from major
incompatibilities with local realities, it is worthwhile to explore opportunities for the
promotion of local initiatives developed by the smallholders themselves in
accordance with their interests and capacities. But, little is known about how to
make use of this potential. In this situation, the project brings together smallholders,
governmental agencies and development organisation to work about local
governance systems for the use of natural resources in the two municipalities
Medicilândia and Porto de Moz located in the State of Pará in the Eastern Amazon.
The PhD research will focus on the families settling along the Transamzon highway
in the municipality of Medicilândia.
Candidate's profile:
- MSc (equivalent) degree
- Good knowledge of English (compulsory)
- Working knowledge of Portuguese (or at least Spanish)
- Preferably with some field experience in the Amazon basin
- Preferably with some background in tropical forestry, community forestry, rural
development and transdisciplinary research
- Fulfils faculty requirements for studies at PhD level
- Willingness to travel frequently and to remote areas
- Ability to work in a team
Please, send or email a detailed letter of interest, curriculum vitae, and the names
and contact information of at least two references until 10th December 2010 or until
filled to:
Dr. Benno Pokorny
Institute of Silviculture
Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Sciences
Tennenbacherstraße 4
79106 Freiburg
Germany
Email: benno.pokorny@waldbau.uni-freiburg.de
Phone: +49-761-2033680
Fax: +49-761-2033781
____________________________________________
2) University of Göttingen, 12 Doctoral Researchers and 1 Postdoc in Agricultural and
Development Economics
Closing date: 10 Jan 2011
The University of Göttingen has position openings for 12 doctoral researchers and
one postdoc in agricultural and development economics to join the new DFG-funded
Research Training Group (RTG) "Transformation of Global Agri-Food Systems"
(GlobalFood). The positions are available from April 2011. The RTG will carry out
research on restructuring agricultural markets, including the growing role of
international food standards, changing consumer preferences, and the rapid
expansion of supermarkets. Projects will particularly analyze the implications for
supply chain governance, international trade flows, market efficiency, and impacts
on rural poverty, food security, and nutrition in developing countries. All research
and training activities will be carried out in close cooperation with the International
Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Further details about the RTG and
application requirements can be found on the RTG website (www.uni-
goettingen.de/globalfood). Screening of applications will begin on January 10, 2011
and will end when the positions are filled. The University of Göttingen strives to
increase its proportion of female staff and specifically encourages qualified women
to apply. The University is an equal-opportunity employer and strives for staff
diversity
Prof. Dr. Matin Qaim
Lehrstuhl: Welternährungswirtschaft und Rurale Entwicklung
Department für Agrarökonomie und Rurale Entwicklung
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
Platz der Göttinger Sieben 5
37073 Göttingen
Tel.: 0551-39-4806
Fax: 0551-39-4823
Email: mqaim@uni-goettingen.de
____________________________________________
Source: ATSAF
Dear all please see this for your action
Nicole Flick
Geschäftsstelle des ATSAF e.V:
Universität Hohenheim, Schloß 15/122
70593 Stuttgart
Tel.: +49-(0)711-4706900
Fax.: +49-(0)711-459-22652
Email:atsaf@atsaf.de
URL:http://www.atsaf.de
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Second-hand Smoke Kills 160,000 Children Each Year
Second-hand Smoke Kills 160,000 Children Each Year
25/11/2010 - According to a new report authored by the World Health Organization and published in The Lancet, 27.5% of the victims of second-hand smoke are children.
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced today that 165,000 of the world’s children die from passive smoking. In other words, children make up 27.5% of 600,000 the people that die of passive smoking (second-hand smoke) around the world every year.
The data for the report, authored mostly by academics from the WHO’s Geneva-based Tobacco Free Initiative, came from a global poll in 192 countries. Its findings were published in famed international medical journal, The Lancet.
More specifically, deaths related to second-hand smoke are due to heart disease, cancer, lung infections, asthma and other diseases. These causes of death aren’t so different from those that lead to the deaths of 5.1 million smokers – making smoking-related diseases the world’s leading preventable illnesses.
“Together, tobacco smoke and infections lead to substantial, avoidable mortality and loss of active life-years of children,” states the report.
Across the developed and developing world, there is a very large discrepancy in the adult-to-child mortality rates. In wealthy European countries, 35,388 adults die from smoking, as compared to 71 children. In Africa, on the other hand, the ratio is staggeringly reversed at 9,514 to 43,375.
According to the report, two-thirds of the child deaths occur in Africa and Asia. Children aren’t able to easily escape second-hand smoke from their parents. As such, they are more likely to develop asthma and other respiratory problems.
There is a large gap in laws protecting people from second-hand smoke, says the report. Only, 7.4% of the world’s population lives in countries where laws prohibiting smoking in public places are in effect. Because of this and smoking in children’s home environments, 40% of children are exposed to children.
According to WHO estimates made at the beginning of the decade, smoking will soon lead to endemic rates of cancer in the characteristic of the developing world, while chronic diseases (cancer and heart disease) have been more characteristic of the developing world. The anticipated shift in this traditional balance will certainly be affected by speculation that by the mid-2020s, 85% of all smokers will come from countries in the developing world.
Earlier this year, WHO chief Margaret Chan criticized corporate tobacco giants (the so-called Big Tobacco) as targeting women and girls in the developing world through marketing campaigns. In the last decade, production and consumption of cigarettes in the developing world has risen to rates of 70% of global totals. As of 2008, China was home to just below 30% of the world’s smokers while India was home to over 10%. These countries have the largest-growing populations in the world and smoking is often seen as a status symbol. Indonesia, Russia and the US are each home to roughly 5% of the world’s smokers.
As part of their recommendations, the Who authors recommend that all countries implement the WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The Framework advocates higher taxes on tobacco, plain packaging and bans on tobacco advertising. Only 17 countries have imposed such bans. The latest additions – Colombia, Djibouti, Guatemala, Mauritius, Panama, Turkey, and Zambia – came in late 2008. Experience from difference countries shows that heart attack rates drop 10-20% after a smoking ban is imposed. Already, over 150 countries are signatories to the Framework.
Education campaigns on the dangers that second-hand smoke pose to women and children are also a proposed solution. This will better enable families to protect themselves and the health of children.
25/11/2010 - According to a new report authored by the World Health Organization and published in The Lancet, 27.5% of the victims of second-hand smoke are children.
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced today that 165,000 of the world’s children die from passive smoking. In other words, children make up 27.5% of 600,000 the people that die of passive smoking (second-hand smoke) around the world every year.
The data for the report, authored mostly by academics from the WHO’s Geneva-based Tobacco Free Initiative, came from a global poll in 192 countries. Its findings were published in famed international medical journal, The Lancet.
More specifically, deaths related to second-hand smoke are due to heart disease, cancer, lung infections, asthma and other diseases. These causes of death aren’t so different from those that lead to the deaths of 5.1 million smokers – making smoking-related diseases the world’s leading preventable illnesses.
“Together, tobacco smoke and infections lead to substantial, avoidable mortality and loss of active life-years of children,” states the report.
Across the developed and developing world, there is a very large discrepancy in the adult-to-child mortality rates. In wealthy European countries, 35,388 adults die from smoking, as compared to 71 children. In Africa, on the other hand, the ratio is staggeringly reversed at 9,514 to 43,375.
According to the report, two-thirds of the child deaths occur in Africa and Asia. Children aren’t able to easily escape second-hand smoke from their parents. As such, they are more likely to develop asthma and other respiratory problems.
There is a large gap in laws protecting people from second-hand smoke, says the report. Only, 7.4% of the world’s population lives in countries where laws prohibiting smoking in public places are in effect. Because of this and smoking in children’s home environments, 40% of children are exposed to children.
According to WHO estimates made at the beginning of the decade, smoking will soon lead to endemic rates of cancer in the characteristic of the developing world, while chronic diseases (cancer and heart disease) have been more characteristic of the developing world. The anticipated shift in this traditional balance will certainly be affected by speculation that by the mid-2020s, 85% of all smokers will come from countries in the developing world.
Earlier this year, WHO chief Margaret Chan criticized corporate tobacco giants (the so-called Big Tobacco) as targeting women and girls in the developing world through marketing campaigns. In the last decade, production and consumption of cigarettes in the developing world has risen to rates of 70% of global totals. As of 2008, China was home to just below 30% of the world’s smokers while India was home to over 10%. These countries have the largest-growing populations in the world and smoking is often seen as a status symbol. Indonesia, Russia and the US are each home to roughly 5% of the world’s smokers.
As part of their recommendations, the Who authors recommend that all countries implement the WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The Framework advocates higher taxes on tobacco, plain packaging and bans on tobacco advertising. Only 17 countries have imposed such bans. The latest additions – Colombia, Djibouti, Guatemala, Mauritius, Panama, Turkey, and Zambia – came in late 2008. Experience from difference countries shows that heart attack rates drop 10-20% after a smoking ban is imposed. Already, over 150 countries are signatories to the Framework.
Education campaigns on the dangers that second-hand smoke pose to women and children are also a proposed solution. This will better enable families to protect themselves and the health of children.
Uganda: A Generation of Children Without AIDS?
Uganda: A Generation of Children Without AIDS?
29/11/2010 - Most of the children with HIV/AIDS living in Uganda are infected by their mothers, despite the existence of effective treatment to prevent it.
With World AIDS Day a mere two days away, national governments, United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations across the globe are gearing up advocacy and public engagement efforts. Realizing human rights for people living with HIV/AIDS, decreasing prejudice and preventing new infections through greater awareness and funding are some key priorities.
According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, about 2.1 million of the 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS around the world in 2008 were children aged 15 or younger. Most children with HIV (about 90%) were infected by their mothers, who passed it down during pregnancy, labour and delivery or through breastfeeding.
In Uganda, the number of women receiving medication to prevent mother-to-child-transmission (MTCT) of HIV has increased dramatically since the start of the new millennium. But, while the absolute number of pediatric infections has fallen since the mid-1990s, the decline has slowed and stabilized over the past five years.
According to the Uganda Pediatrics Association, Uganda is home to 110,000 HIV-positive children under the age of 15. Each year, MTCT is the main reason behind most of Uganda’s 25,000 new pediatric HIV infections. In other words, children represented 20% of the country’s 123,000 new infections last year.
A particular affront to child rights is that less than half of HIV-positive Ugandan children (42%) are getting access to the anti-retroviral medication that they need—as compared to 61% of adults. Those most likely to have access to medical treatment and medication live in the capital city of Kampala, leaving much of the population—especially those in rural areas—marginalized.
Children with HIV face all the same stigmas that adults do. Fear and misunderstandings about the virus can lead to severe social exclusion that prevents children from being able to socialize with other children, attend school or even access local health facilities. Too often, they are robbed of the childhoods they should otherwise have enjoyed.
Children are also made vulnerable when their parents—particularly their mothers—die of AIDS-related diseases. Globally, there are 17.5 million AIDS orphans, most of them living in sub-Saharan Africa.
But, with a real and sustained commitment to the prevention of MTCT—and a scaling up of prevention programs—an entire generation of children born free of HIV/AIDS is within reach.
29/11/2010 - Most of the children with HIV/AIDS living in Uganda are infected by their mothers, despite the existence of effective treatment to prevent it.
With World AIDS Day a mere two days away, national governments, United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations across the globe are gearing up advocacy and public engagement efforts. Realizing human rights for people living with HIV/AIDS, decreasing prejudice and preventing new infections through greater awareness and funding are some key priorities.
According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, about 2.1 million of the 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS around the world in 2008 were children aged 15 or younger. Most children with HIV (about 90%) were infected by their mothers, who passed it down during pregnancy, labour and delivery or through breastfeeding.
In Uganda, the number of women receiving medication to prevent mother-to-child-transmission (MTCT) of HIV has increased dramatically since the start of the new millennium. But, while the absolute number of pediatric infections has fallen since the mid-1990s, the decline has slowed and stabilized over the past five years.
According to the Uganda Pediatrics Association, Uganda is home to 110,000 HIV-positive children under the age of 15. Each year, MTCT is the main reason behind most of Uganda’s 25,000 new pediatric HIV infections. In other words, children represented 20% of the country’s 123,000 new infections last year.
A particular affront to child rights is that less than half of HIV-positive Ugandan children (42%) are getting access to the anti-retroviral medication that they need—as compared to 61% of adults. Those most likely to have access to medical treatment and medication live in the capital city of Kampala, leaving much of the population—especially those in rural areas—marginalized.
Children with HIV face all the same stigmas that adults do. Fear and misunderstandings about the virus can lead to severe social exclusion that prevents children from being able to socialize with other children, attend school or even access local health facilities. Too often, they are robbed of the childhoods they should otherwise have enjoyed.
Children are also made vulnerable when their parents—particularly their mothers—die of AIDS-related diseases. Globally, there are 17.5 million AIDS orphans, most of them living in sub-Saharan Africa.
But, with a real and sustained commitment to the prevention of MTCT—and a scaling up of prevention programs—an entire generation of children born free of HIV/AIDS is within reach.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
"STOP AIDS NOW" IT CAN BE DONE PLAY YOUR PART
World AIDS Day 2010
1/12/2010 - As the world marks World AIDS Day 2010, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon challenges the world to prevent new HIV infections.
Yesterday, in anticipation of World AIDS Day, a joint report was released by multiple UN agencies on issues surrounding children and HIV/AIDS. The report, entitled Children and AIDS: Fifth Stocktaking Report, 2010, was published by UNICEF, UNAIDS, WHO, UNFPA and UNESCO.
Since the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were created at the United Nations (UN) Millennium Summit in September 2000, many countries have been successful in bringing down their rates of HIV/AIDS. MDG #6 aims to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases. It is intimately linked to the realization of other goals, including goals to reduce child and maternal mortality rates.
Both new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths have come down 20% over the past 30 years, but there are still 10 million HIV-positive people who don’t yet have access to treatment. Also among the success is that targeted investments in social services have helped to reduce inequality in access to education between orphans and non-orphans. Today there are 17.5 million AIDS orphans—14.1 million whom live in sub-Saharan Africa.
Developing countries have been the most affected by HIV/AIDS, which is linked to inter-generational cycles of poverty. Today, 97% of all new HIV infections occur in low and middle-income countries.
While 1 in 20 young people in southern Africa suffer from HIV/AIDS, the absolute number has fallen from 5.7 million in 2001 to 5 million at the end of last year. Still, without action, AIDS will kill half of all 15-year-olds living in Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa by the year 2012.
This year, as the international community marks World Aids Day on December 1st, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon believes that our way forward is utterly clear. Our mission, he says, is to ensure “universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support” for those affected by the pandemic.
With only a month to go in the countdown to 2011, Mr. Ban has issued a bold challenge for the coming decade: “zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths.” Bold ideas and strong commitments to making them reality is exactly what is needed.
If the world is to meet Mr. Ban’s “3 Zeroes," tackling and preventing mother-to-child-transmission (MTCT) will prove essential. Every year, 370,000 babies are born HIV-positive. According to yesterday’s Stocktaking Report, women who are in the advanced stages of AIDS are more likely to pass the disease onto their babies.
Even so, optimistic evidence has convinced WHO Director-General Margaret Chan that the elimination of MTCT is very possible. In developing countries, 53% of HIV-positive pregnant women had access to the necessary medication that prevents them from passing on the virus to their children—up from 45% in 2008. Treatment is affordable and effective, yet innovative solutions to improve access to and usage of the treatment will prove essential to ensuring meaningful progress.
1/12/2010 - As the world marks World AIDS Day 2010, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon challenges the world to prevent new HIV infections.
Yesterday, in anticipation of World AIDS Day, a joint report was released by multiple UN agencies on issues surrounding children and HIV/AIDS. The report, entitled Children and AIDS: Fifth Stocktaking Report, 2010, was published by UNICEF, UNAIDS, WHO, UNFPA and UNESCO.
Since the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were created at the United Nations (UN) Millennium Summit in September 2000, many countries have been successful in bringing down their rates of HIV/AIDS. MDG #6 aims to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases. It is intimately linked to the realization of other goals, including goals to reduce child and maternal mortality rates.
Both new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths have come down 20% over the past 30 years, but there are still 10 million HIV-positive people who don’t yet have access to treatment. Also among the success is that targeted investments in social services have helped to reduce inequality in access to education between orphans and non-orphans. Today there are 17.5 million AIDS orphans—14.1 million whom live in sub-Saharan Africa.
Developing countries have been the most affected by HIV/AIDS, which is linked to inter-generational cycles of poverty. Today, 97% of all new HIV infections occur in low and middle-income countries.
While 1 in 20 young people in southern Africa suffer from HIV/AIDS, the absolute number has fallen from 5.7 million in 2001 to 5 million at the end of last year. Still, without action, AIDS will kill half of all 15-year-olds living in Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa by the year 2012.
This year, as the international community marks World Aids Day on December 1st, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon believes that our way forward is utterly clear. Our mission, he says, is to ensure “universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support” for those affected by the pandemic.
With only a month to go in the countdown to 2011, Mr. Ban has issued a bold challenge for the coming decade: “zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths.” Bold ideas and strong commitments to making them reality is exactly what is needed.
If the world is to meet Mr. Ban’s “3 Zeroes," tackling and preventing mother-to-child-transmission (MTCT) will prove essential. Every year, 370,000 babies are born HIV-positive. According to yesterday’s Stocktaking Report, women who are in the advanced stages of AIDS are more likely to pass the disease onto their babies.
Even so, optimistic evidence has convinced WHO Director-General Margaret Chan that the elimination of MTCT is very possible. In developing countries, 53% of HIV-positive pregnant women had access to the necessary medication that prevents them from passing on the virus to their children—up from 45% in 2008. Treatment is affordable and effective, yet innovative solutions to improve access to and usage of the treatment will prove essential to ensuring meaningful progress.
AIDS DAY 1ST DECEMBER 2010 Toward HIV/AIDS Policy in Organizations/Internal Mainstreaming
Yesterday was AIDS Day wolrdwide. it was the time to reflect on the issue of HIV/AIDS. Discussion in Voice of America yesterday revealed that, South Africa is Leading in issues of new infection. In Kenya there has been trial for HIV Vaccination but the results up to now is not promising. In his remarks Prof. Omu Anzala said Vaccine is possible it is only a matter of time. It was also noted that women still face a challenge of weak negotiation power for save sex. What drawn my attention was contribution by Tanzanian by the name of Alex who said People in Tanzania can not afford to buy condoms instead they wash the used condoms and reuse it again. To me this is not true and a man seems to lack reliable data to draw his statement. It is good that if you have not done any research understand that you dont have right to speak. this is because you may find yourself misleading the community. Voice of America is TV which is followed by people from different part of the wolrd and thus infomation we give should be relevance and accurance.
To other people from Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria said the issue of Poverty and Ignorance is not necessary the causes of high spread of HIV/AIDS. You are my witness that the higher percentage of people dying with diseases are those who are highly educated. Forexample we have witnessed Universities loosing Most of their Professors because of diseases. the Question is are they ignorance and poor?.
In our Organization we do live with people living with HIV/AIDS. The big challenges is how to overcome stigma and discrimination. Most of Organization in Tanzania Including mine lack Policy to address HIV and AIDS in the work place. Most Organizations in Africa are slowly waking up, as HIV/AIDS are threatening their perfomance and effectiveness. there is loss of staff through sickness, death, care for relatives, and funerals, reduced perfomance of staff because of sickness or distraction and rising medical expenditures.
Internal Mainstreaming is very vital to protect the organization's ability to work, protect human rights by breaking the silence around HIV and AIDS. It can also support individuals to claim their rights through providing infomation to make infomed decisions and by increasing access to treatment, care and suport. workplace policy and Programmes should also attend to the way in which HIV and AIDS can wide gender inequalities.
Lastly In case your organization real need HIV/AIDS Policy/Internal Mainstreaming dont hesitate to contact me as I have wide experiences in preparing this important document to different Organization.
To other people from Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria said the issue of Poverty and Ignorance is not necessary the causes of high spread of HIV/AIDS. You are my witness that the higher percentage of people dying with diseases are those who are highly educated. Forexample we have witnessed Universities loosing Most of their Professors because of diseases. the Question is are they ignorance and poor?.
In our Organization we do live with people living with HIV/AIDS. The big challenges is how to overcome stigma and discrimination. Most of Organization in Tanzania Including mine lack Policy to address HIV and AIDS in the work place. Most Organizations in Africa are slowly waking up, as HIV/AIDS are threatening their perfomance and effectiveness. there is loss of staff through sickness, death, care for relatives, and funerals, reduced perfomance of staff because of sickness or distraction and rising medical expenditures.
Internal Mainstreaming is very vital to protect the organization's ability to work, protect human rights by breaking the silence around HIV and AIDS. It can also support individuals to claim their rights through providing infomation to make infomed decisions and by increasing access to treatment, care and suport. workplace policy and Programmes should also attend to the way in which HIV and AIDS can wide gender inequalities.
Lastly In case your organization real need HIV/AIDS Policy/Internal Mainstreaming dont hesitate to contact me as I have wide experiences in preparing this important document to different Organization.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)