Stories about Health from March, 2011
Jamaica: The Sea & Radioactivity
“The news out of Japan gets grimmer by the day”: Labrish Jamaica is concerned.
Haiti: Monsanto's Agenda
Haiti Grassroots Watch takes “a closer look” at Monsanto's seed distribution in the wake of last year's devastating earthquake.
Venezuela: H1N1 Cases on the Rise
The H1N1 virus has hit Venezuela. While writing this post, on March 28, the number of people infected with the virus is 415. Using Twitter, Venezuelans are sharing their frustration at the increasing number of cases as they tweet the latest official information and encourage each other to take precautions.
India: Online Solution To Help Save On Medicines
Living in the Past has a brilliant idea – to launch an informative website (with SMS based service), which will provide information about cheap medicine with identical compositions to help the poor in India.
Russia, Japan: Sakhalin Residents’ and Chernobyl Survivors’ Reactions to Fukushima
Ksenya Semenova writes on OpenDemocracy.net about the reactions of Sakhalin residents to the situation in Japan: “I have some friends in Japan […]. From their relations and from the internet they have discovered what's going on in the Russian Far East at the moment. They sigh deeply and smile ruefully,...
Russia: Heroin Epidemic; Attitude to Sex
Posts about heroin epidemic and attitudes to sex in Russia – at OpenDemocracy.net.
Russia: Life With Autism
At OpenDemocracy.net, Dmitry Golubovsky and Svetlana Reiter write about the lives of autistic people in Russia.
Ecuador: Investigation Around Newborn Deaths Continues
According to Ecuador's latest census, more than 14 million people live in the country, but there is still no consensus on the national infant mortality rate. Recent incidents have called attention to health care practices in neonatal units in Ecuadorian hospitals, triggering an investigation around newborn deaths in the country.
Japan: Hoarding Water in Wake of Radiation Fears
South Korea's blogger/citizen news site, Wikitree posted a photo sent by a Japanese net user which shows people hoarding bottled water in big supermarket chains in Tokyo, reflecting heightened fears of radiation contamination.
Paraguay: Photo Blog Reveals Dangers of Childbirth
Most Paraguayans are not aware of the high rates of death from childbirth and abortion in the country. These issues are rarely reported on mainstream media. This is why running into Rodrigo Alfaro’s photo blog post on death from childbirth in Paraguay is horrifying and shocking --even for a Paraguayan.
Trinidad & Tobago: Upsetting Issues
From the state of health care to advertising campaigns, Plain Talk posts a list of all the things that are upsetting him.
Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago: On Nuclear Power
Guyana-Gyal just doesn't get “the benefits of nuclear power”, while Coffeewallah says: “The nuclear crisis has huge long term implications for the future use of nuclear power world-wide.”
Malaysia: Twestival Kuala Lumpur 2011
Twestival Kuala Lumpur 2011 will be held this week in support of a Malaysian NGO for single mothers and children living with AIDS/HIV.
Cuba: Linares to be Released
Havana Times reports on the imminent release of political prisoner Ricardo Librado Linares “with which only two of the 75 Cuban dissidents sentenced in 2003 will remain in prison”; Uncommon Sense explains why his release is both “personal” and “a big deal”.
China: Day two of salt-buying panic
With supermarkets in many Chinese cities now out of salt, Roland Soong at EastSouthWestNorth has published a second post on the panicky salt buying spree, comparing discussion of the frenzy on Twitter and domestic microblog Sina Weibo. “To summarize Chinese reactions to the Japan earthquake: hoard salt, create rumors, scare...
Japan: Radiation levels and the human body
To “put the radiation levels at Fukushima into perspective”, @gakuranman translated an infographic of radiation levels and their effects to the human body. He has also been updating his website with ongoing announcements.
Japan: Iodine Distribution Needed
@Traysizzzle writes: “I hope #Japan starts distributing #iodine asap to anyone close to the radiation…it's not #Chernobyl but its prognosis is not good…”
Ukraine, Japan: Drink Red Wine to Reduce Radiation Toxicity
@DJLoli shares a health tip that was popular in Ukraine in 1986: “If u r in the area affected by Japan radiation: drink red Wine to get it out. It what helped us in Ukraine during #Chernobyl. […]” (Here's an article on a 2008 study that showed that “resveratrol, the...
Cuba: Brother of Hunger Striker Detained
“The joy of the announcement Thursday evening that Cuban prisoner of conscience Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet was about to be released from jail, was tempered by the news that another dissident, Rolando Rodríguez Lobaina had been arrested”: Uncommon Sense has the details.
India: Euthanasia Debate Re-kindled
The Indian blogosphere is buzzing with mixed emotions after the Supreme Court of India rejected the mercy killing petition filed by journalist Pinki Virani on behalf of Aruna Shanbaug who has been cared for and kept alive for 37years at the KEM hospital, Mumbai, India. Conversations abound on blogs, forums, comments on published news posts, Twitter and Facebook.
International Solidarity Campaign: the “Acqua for life challenge”
“The Acqua for Life project aims to provide tens of millions of litres of clean water to the communities who most need it. The operation is due to start in Ghana and will support the Smart Water for Green Schools project. In this west African country, almost 40% of the...
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