Stories about Health from January, 2009
Palestine: “They used our clothes as a toilet”
Bloggers in Gaza are gathering information about what happened during the recent Israeli attacks. In this update, we hear from families whose homes were looted and left covered with faeces by Israeli soldiers, learn what the effects of DIME weapons are, and are told the story of a father whose baby daughter was shot, his wife breastfeeding the girl as she bled to death.
Indonesia: Fatwa against smoking, yoga, vasectomies….
Indonesian bloggers are reacting to the Fatwa issued by the Indonesian Ulema Council which included, among others, a ban on yoga that contain Hindu elements, a ban on vote abstention, a ban on smoking in public places, and a ban on vasectomy.
R.E.S.C.A.T.A.R.: Dengue: Manu militari contra la irresponsabilidad
Carlos Rodríguez of Rescatar [es] writes that is shameful that the local government must threaten property owners to keep their land free of standing water, which is a breeding ground...
Ethiopia: What a Difference Water Makes
At the end of last year, five families decided that visiting Ethiopia with their daughters would be the best way for them to see what their donations to provide fresh, clean and safe water sources were doing to change the lives of families and complete villages. Through their blog and videos, they have been able to share the importance of charity:water in making this possible, and hopefully raise more donations and engage more people to help.
Jamaica, Zimbabwe: Hunger Strike
“Do people in Jamaica and the Caribbean care enough about events in Zimbabwe to lend their help to this call for moral action?”: Annie Paul has a friend who is...
Ukraine: Medical Center for Street Children
Scenes from the Sidewalk posts pictures and writes about the only medical center in Kyiv “where street children can get medical attention without documents”: “Many At-Risk Children or street children...
Israel: Where is Mahmoud al-Zahar?
Senior Hamas official Mahmood el-Zahar is no where to be seen. Gilad Lotan tunes into to the whispers making rounds on the blogs about his possible whereabouts.
Russia: “Economic Shock Therapy”
Sean's Russia Blog cites the director of the Serbsky State Scientific Center for Social and Forensic Psychiatry, who says that “since the financial crisis requests for psychologists have grown by...
Bhutan: Becoming Liberal To Sex
Freedom in Bhutan writes that the Bhutanese society is becoming liberal to sex. The free distribution of condoms have a role to play in this.
Cuba: Political Prisoners
Diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense reports on the experience of some of Cuba's political prisoners because he believes that “it is a truth that one day will set them, and their...
Barbados: Help Needed
“If you need an ambulance in Barbados…call a newspaper reporter!”: Barbados Free Press hates “the ‘island time’ third world standards and attitudes that keep us down.”
Haiti, U.S.A.: Obama & Abortion
Haitian diaspora blogger Finian says: “This is where Obama loses my support. I believe abortion on demand is wrong.”
Bulgaria: School Access for Disabled Kids
Maya's Corner translates excerpts from Mogilino, a Bulgarian-language blog, on how the “Bulgarian authorities deprive disabled children of education.”
Taiwan: Photos of industrial town
Daliao Township in Kaohsiung County has been the site of several poisonous gas leaks in the past two months. The EPA came under fire for its poor handling of the...
Brunei: Better pay for doctors
Brunei doctors are asking for higher salaries: “Doctors deserve a high salary. After all those long demanding years of study and training; and the demanding long hours of work day...
Indonesia: Psychological tests for police
Jakarta's Police Department ordered its members to undergo psychological examinations to “gauge their ability to endure harsh street conditions in the city.”
Bolivia: Dealing With Dengue Fever
Heavy rains in the Bolivian Orient help create the breeding ground for mosquitos that spread the virus that causes dengue fever. There is also a much more severe form which causes dengue hemorrhagic fever and has already caused 3 deaths in the country. One blogger writes about firsthand experience with this illness.
Cuba: Quelling the Rumours
Child of the Revolution confirms that recent rumours of Fidel Castro's demise have been just that – thanks to reports from Havana that the president of Argentina met with him...
Trinidad & Tobago, Bahamas: Start at Home
While Alien in the Caribbean [Trinidad & Tobago] encourages those with dysfunctional families to finally break free, Doing Theology from the Caribbean [Bahamas] suggests that peacemaking begins at home.
Iran: AIDS Doctors face prison
Physicians for human rights site reports that Kamiar and Arash Alaie are sentenced to terms of three and six years respectively. This site calls this imprisonment as first test of...
Bangladesh: Drug Users And HIV
HIV infections are on the rise in Dhaka city, the capital of Bangladesh. Photo Journalist Monirul Alam posts a photo in his Photoblog showing street drug users injecting with used...
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