· December, 2011

Stories about Health from December, 2011

Russia: AIDS Epidemic – “Shame Russia Shame”

RuNet Echo  30 December 2011

International organizations are taking notice of Russia's AIDS epidemic and the hurdles the country faces in combating it. Recent international attention has been directed toward Russia's healthcare system, the stigma attached to those infected, and Russia's drug policies. Donna Welles reports.

China: Dairy Company's Website Hacked by Angry Netizens

  29 December 2011

The latest round of tainted milk scandals broke out last week in China. The country's biggest dairy producer, Mengniu Dairy Co., admitted that some of its milk products contained aflatoxin – a cancer-causing substance. To express their anger, Chinese info-activists hacked Mengniu's official website last night (December 28, 2011). Below...

China: Top 10 Problems in 2011

  27 December 2011

Paul from ChinaSMACK translated Chinese Academy of Social Science's survey on the top 10 problems in 2011 as perceived by Chinese people.

Barbados: leptospirosis outbreak

  24 December 2011

A government press conference addressing a leptospirosis outbreak prompts Barbados Free Press to ask some questions: “Why must every new leptospirosis outbreak be a surprise? Why are Barbados governments incapable of implementing and carrying through with long-term plans about issues that are foundational to the health and safety of citizens?”

Japan: Life Decisions in the Face of Radiation Fear

  22 December 2011

The decision to move away differs from the more reactive evacuations that occurred this spring after the initial nuclear disasters. A blogger who decided to stay calls for a more logical understanding of the nuanced undercurrents of our emotional struggles.

Brazil: Bishop Points Out Rape as Women's Excuse for Abortion

  17 December 2011

Luis Soares, from the blog Pragmatismo Político (Political Pragmatism) quotes [pt] Bishop of Guarulhos, in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, Luiz Gonzaga Bergonzini, who said that “women lie when they say they were raped”. In the bishop's mind, he adds, women lie in order to have abortions, because the...

Poland: Change to Drug Law, Change in Policy?

  15 December 2011

On December 9, an important change was introduced to Poland's drug policy: an amendment to the law on illegal drug possession came into force, which would allow prosecutors to abandon initiation of the criminal procedure against those in possesion of drugs. Anna Gotowska reports.

Brazil: Central Bus Station Reflects Precariousness of Human Rights

  14 December 2011

Emmanuel Rodrigues, writing for the Brazilian blog Eleições Hoje (Elections Today), comments on [pt] the precarious situation of homeless people and others who ramble around the central bus station of Brasilia, Brazil's capital. Rodrigues makes a comparison with the overall situation of the country and the denial of rights to...

Haiti: Celebrity Visits Overshadow Real News

  12 December 2011

“I just don't get it. Why is it newsworthy that Kim Kardashian was in Haiti?”: Toussaint on Haiti “continue[s] to be baffled by the relative media silence around the effort of Haitians to hold the United Nations accountable” and asks: “How can we maintain attention on this issue until it...

Madagascar: Debating the Worth of Foreign Direct Investment

  4 December 2011

While Madagascar attempts to find a way out of a prolonged political crisis, Malagasy bloggers are discussing the value of foreign direct investments. Many Malagasy believe that Madagascar, like many other African countries is rich with natural resources but that the land has been plagued by poor governance and unfair trade deals.

Zambia: How Netizens Observed World AIDS Day

  2 December 2011

Zambian netizens on various social media sites observed the World Aids Day, which falls on December 1, with a call for people to know their HIV status. Zambians, who say “if you are not infected, you are affected” know better about the effects of HIV/AIDS which has for the last 30 years claimed many lives in the country.

Mozambique: Reactions to an Everyday Urban Tragedy

  1 December 2011

Last week, Mozambican readers of the newspaper @Verdade reacted to the tragic and all-too-normal story of a man who was left to die near a Maputo marketplace after apparently suffering alcohol poisoning. Nearby police allegedly took over 24 hours to react. Residents in the vicinity said they were scared to intervene.

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Juhie Bhatia
Juhie Bhatia is the Global Health editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.