Stories about Health from June, 2012
China: Support for ObamaCare
At Tea Leaf Nation, David Wertime looks at reactions to the US Supreme Court's vote yesterday in support of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). “Evil capitalism. Why...
Arab World: People With Disabilities Raise Their Voices!
An online campaign was launched to shed light on the struggle of people with disabilities and their neglected rights. Campaign founder Abdallah AlShalaqi, an activist from Saudi Arabia said it aims at raising community’s awareness of the rights of people with disabilities; breaking media silence about it; and giving a message to government officials to take action towards this issue.
Uganda: Breaking the Culture of Silence Around Health Rights
A video produced by Results for Development, an international non-profit organisation whose mission is to unlock solutions to tough development challenges, was released online recently to encourage Ugandans to break the culture of silence and take control of their health rights.
Sri Lanka: State Of The Government Hospitals
Nanadasiri Wanninayaka writes about the state of the government officials in Sri Lanka.
China: Victim of Late Term Abortion Labelled as Traitor
The father of the aborted seven-month-old fetus, Deng Jiyuan, upon interviewed with a German reporter was labelled as traitor of the country and the local government mobilized residents to protest...
Costa Rica: Thousands March in Capital for Human Rights
Thousands marched in the capital of San José on June 16, claiming equal rights for same-sex couples, the legalization of In-Vitro Fertilization and the separation of State and Church.
Trinidad & Tobago: Speaking Out Against Sexual Abuse
The case of a 12-year old girl, who recently gave birth to her stepfather's child in Guyana, gets Outlish talking about feminism, education and the everyday reality of women in the Caribbean, while journalist and blogger Lisa Allen-Agostini says it is time to speak out about child sexual abuse.
China, Hong Kong: ‘Happy Ad’ for Student Abortions Ignites Debate
A hospital in mainland China has advertised a special installment payment package for university students, for getting abortions conveniently in the event of accidental or unwanted pregnancies. The hospital's marketing poster has caught the attention of Hong Kong's netizens.
Puerto Rico: Concerns About Wind Energy Proposal
“Don Quijote felt he needed to defend himself from giants. I need to protect my family from these giants that are being installed in a densely populated area. Not only...
Colombia: 72-year-old Man Demands A Decent Life
Via Facebook, Arlovich Correa [es] shares the story of a 72-year-old Colombian man who decided to climb to the top of an antenna, putting his life in danger, to demand...
China: Late-Term Abortion Forced by Corrupt Officials
Images of a woman forced to undergo a late-term abortion in Ankang Shaanxi Province in China have been circulating widely in Chinese social media and micro-blogging platforms triggering furious reactions.
Zambia: Meet a Blogger Who Tackles Health Issues
One Zambian female blogger tackles an issue other Zambian bloggers don’t touch — health. Meluse Kapatamoyo has written about dementia, fibroids as well as malaria eradication and the use of beads for family planning among other health conditions on her blog.
South Korea: Birth Control Regulation Changes Provoke Debate
The Korean Food and Drug Administration has announced that emergency contraceptives, known as morning-after pills, will become available over the counter. However, non-emergency oral contraceptives have become a prescription drug. This sudden reversal on birth control drug regulations has sparked heated discussions online.
Prominent AIDS/HIV Doctor-Activist Kicked out of China
Deanna Dong from Tea Leaves Nation blogs about Chinese micro-bloggers’ comments on the leaving of prominent doctor-activist Dr. Lu Guogan, whose non-profit AIDS/HIV clinic in Guangxi province was recently shut...
Bulgaria: “Victim of Beauty” – or Violence Disguised as Fashion
12 Magazine, a fashion publication, ran a series of ad images [bg] of women disguised as having been victims of harsh violence – with this warning: “[…] Images are not...
Egypt: Is Mubarak Dead?
Is ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak dead? This question is being raised on social networking sites for the umpteenth time. Here is how Twitter users reacted to the latest rumours.
Living with HIV in Kazakhstan
On the Kazakh photo blog Vox Populi, Gulnar Bazhkenova presents a powerful photo essay [ru] with the stories of people living with HIV/AIDS in Kazakhstan. These individuals have decided to disclose...
The Evolution of African Social Welfare Systems
The implementation of national social welfare systems is still in its evolutionary phase for many African countries. The achievement of the systems currently in place are discussed by social protection experts in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Kenya: Urban Gardening Taking Root
In Kenya, city dwellers are learning different techniques to grow food for consumption and sale even in reduced spaces. For people with low or no income, urban gardening may be the key to food security. These videos show how food can be grown in containers and using limited space and resources.
Greece: Community Project for “Authentic Natural Food”
“Hippocrates believed food was the human's medicine. Today, food is the reason that people need medicine”. That's what Radiki (‘Chicory’ in Greek) states, a small community project in Raches village [el] in...
Turkmenistan: The Karate-Chopping, Record-Breaking President
In Turkmenistan, the state-controlled media tirelessly praise President Berdimuhamedov and the 'achievements'. Many Turkmens use news forums and social media to say what they really think about their leader and his accomplishments.