Stories about Health from September, 2011
Cuba: Jailed Activists
Uncommon Sense continues to keep a close eye on three members of the Damas de Blanco who were arrested recently, as well as political prisoner Sara Martha Fonseca, whose son was allegedly attacked after trying to obtain information about his jailed parents.
Brazil: Blogging Carnival in Defense of Abortion
The Brazilian blog Blogueiras Feministas (Feminist Bloggers) has selected [pt] a series of posts about the women's right to abortion following a blogging carnival that took place on September 28.
China: Sex Education
While young people are interested in sex, 65.9% has not received any sex education and misled youngsters see abortion as a way of contraception. (More from China Hush)
China: Chinese restaurant secrets
Ministry of Tofu translated a post from Sinablog exposing how some of the Chinese restaurant use chemicals to add favor and color to their food.
Trinidad & Tobago: Non-Communicable Diseases
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar recently brought the issue of non-communicable diseases to the attention of the United Nations; aka_lol agrees: “It will be no point taking guns and drugs of the streets while letting killer foods roam the country like an honorary citizen with diplomatic immunity.”
Jamaica: Acts of Creation
“I think that is part of the reason that we look behind in the toilet bowl. We want to see exactly what it is we have created”: Under the Saltire Flag writes a scatological post that will, astonishingly, get you looking at creativity from a different angle.
Mozambique: Sant'Egidio Community Fights Back Against HIV/AIDS
Lack of access to care for HIV positive people has been well documented on the African continent. Many initiatives strive to show that things could improve with collective effort, and among them is the Drug Resource Enhancement against AIDS and Malnutrition (DREAM) program.
Cuba: Hunger Strike for Human Rights
Pedazos de La Isla posts an interview with Rufina Velazquez, speaking out on behalf of her activist father, who has been on a hunger strike to demand respect for the human rights of all Cubans.
Cuba: Talented Singers
Havana Times interviews Cuban singer Evelyn Garcia Marquez “who comes from a family of recognized musicians” and posts an update on the health of popular singer-songwriter Sara Gonzalez, who is recovering from surgery.
Pakistan: Dengue Crisis Worsens
Mohammad Yusha reports that the mosquito-borne Dengue fever crisis has worsened in the Punjab region of Pakistan.
Russia: A 2007 Paper on HIV/AIDS
Donna Welles posts her 2007 paper on “how the peculiarities of the Russian culture, government, economy, etc. all make the country extremely vulnerable to the AIDS epidemic.”
Ukraine: Photographing the TB Epidemic
Ukrainian photographer Maxim Dondyuk (@dondyuk) is documenting the TB epidemic in Ukraine: “Each day 30 people die. Each year takes more than 10,000 lives.” Dondyuk's powerful, heartbreaking photographs of TB patients can be viewed online on his Tumblr blog [ru], his website, and on Lightstalkers.com [en]. On Sep. 15, an...
Russia: Connecting Neighbors, Saving Lives
The creators of a website that enabled Russians to help each other during wildfires in 2010 have now redesigned the site to enable citizens to assist each other in new ways - including mapping willing blood donors in locations across the country.
Haiti: Waste Management by Troops
mediahacker looks at the issue of UN troops and waste management in Haiti, asking, tongue firmly in cheek, “Does this only become a big deal if it causes an outbreak of deadly disease? Or is living with swarms of mosquitoes and an overpowering stench in the area an acceptable level...
Ukraine: Photos From Sevastopol's City Hospital #1
English Russia translates LJ user aquatek-filips’ photo report [ru] from the City Hospital #1 in Sevastopol, Ukraine.
Trinidad & Tobago: Addiction Advice
“What every single one of us have found is that at some point…it stops being your decision. You lose control over it, and using becomes involuntary. Willpower has nothing to do with it at that point”: Plain Talk blogs about addiction and offers solid advice to families.
Pakistan: The Dengue Crisis In Punjab
After the recent heavy rains, dengue fever has turned into an epidemic in Punjab, reports Chowrangi.
Cambodia: SMS versus Malaria
Mobiledia reports how Cambodian health workers use mobile phone texting to fight Malaria.
China: Scenes from the tobacco harvest
Mike Frick from DANWEI visited the tobacco field in Yunnan and presented a very detailed picture of the tobacco industries in China.
Russia: Digital Graveyard Launched
Pomnipro.ru, the website advertised as the ‘social network for the deceased,’ had been launched in Perm, lenta.ru reported [ru]. Despite the groups dedicated to the dead have existed before in Odnoklassniki and Vkontakte, it is the first specialised online memorial in RuNet.
Russia: Teenager-oriented Cigarette Branding Abandoned
Donskoy Tabak, Russian tobacco company, criticised by the bloggers for its controversial ad campaign and branding oriented at teenagers and young women, had abandoned the idea of the new line of cigarettes “Sweet Dreams,” Alexey Navalny reported [ru].