· January, 2013

Stories about Health from January, 2013

Why Death for Distributing Polio Vaccine in Pakistan?

  31 January 2013

Aid workers administering polio vaccination projects across Pakistan are increasingly coming under attack from Islamist militants. While some Pakistanis accuse humanitarian organizations of spying on behalf of the United States, many employees remain determined to stay in the country.

Japan Gears Up for the Open Data Revolution

  31 January 2013

Following the death of Aaron Swartz, an open data activist, the issues around open access and data ownership have been reignited around the world. But for Japan, the seeds of open data just started being planted in the beginning of 2013.

‘Student Hair Revolution’ in Thailand

  30 January 2013

Kaewmala writes about the complaint of many Thai students against the official school hair policy of “crew cut for boys and ear-lobe-length bob for girls.” Some student groups want to scrap the hair policy which is criticized as a violation of children's rights. The author added: “If Thai teachers had...

Colombia: Campaign Against Smoking

  28 January 2013

Las Colombianadas del Facebook posts a video [es] where two children ask smoker adults to light up a cigarette for them. The adults refuse, claiming their are too young and it's wrong, but they are surprised when the children handle them a paper with the message: “You are worried about...

Skills of a Chinese Police Porn Examiner

  23 January 2013

Alia from China Beat puts together a picture about the work and requirement of being a police Porn examiner in China: To be a porn examiner, one has to be an “outstanding, well-behaved and highly politically-sensitive” police officer who “won’t have any problems after watching porn materials.”

Haiti: Water & Cholera

  16 January 2013

Was there a simultaneous sabotage of Haiti's municipal water systems while the country was grappling with cholera? kiskeácity links to the details.

An Alawite Nurse in a Sunni Hospital in Syria

Traveling through rebel-held parts of Latakia province, in the Jebel Turkman region, we met 34-year-old Umyara, an Alawite nurse working in a field hospital. In Latakia, a stronghold of President Bashar al-Assad, Sunnis and Alawites have lived side by side for centuries. Now, with intense fighting in the Alawite-led regime and the mostly Sunni-led Free Syrian Army, many fear the animosity could spread to civilians across the religious divide.

Should Prostitution be Abolished or Regulated? Part I

  8 January 2013

Two hundred NGO's from across Europe gathered at the European Parliament in Brussels on December 4, 2012. They called for the abolition of prostitution and presented the outlines of a potential abolitionist policy for Europe. For these organisations, criminalization of prostituion is the key to counter human trafficking for sexual purposes. In Europe and around the world, sex workers disagree with the proposed measures and ask for more respect for their rights.

Row over 3rd Generation Contraceptive Pills in France

  4 January 2013

The “new” pills are not without risks. The risk of phlebitis or pulmonary embolism is increased two fold, from 2 to 4 accidents per 10,000 users. This increase might seem low in terms of public health but it is significant at the individual level considering the fact that other satisfactory alternatives are...

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