 | | | | Update | | 13 December, 2006 | | | | | Warm wishes to all this holiday season | |  | | Well, I thought this year went by very fast. It's nearing 2007 already! I would like to thank you for your participation, advice, encouragement, and contributions this year. Best of the Season to all of you. | |
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| | | I would also like to thank, in particular, The Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (who have managed to secure funding for Health and Media regional courses based in Malaysia and the Caribbean early next year) and all the other organisations and individuals who helped to organise and develop our Health and Media in-country courses and other activities in 2006 - not least, all the hardworking course participants. | | | And, how about our website and listserv? Twelve months ago the Health and Media website had and average of 78 visits per day. This month, we are averaging around 233 visits per day - and, our listserv members have now more than doubled this year. There are now 327 of us in over 50 countries. | | | I will be getting one last update out before the end of the year so feel free to send your greetings and comments to our final listserv Update of 2006. | | | Too much information in this update to be writing about here so have a quick skim over the headlines, and check out the recently updated "resources" section of the Health and Media website. It's now filled with all kind of useful reports, reporting manuals, guides, and health information - all free. Have a look: http://healthandmedia.org/publications.html | | take care,
Colin Lloyd,
Health and Media listserv moderator and editor,
Cape Town, South Africa |
| | | | >> NEW MEMBERS | | | New listserv members include: Waweru Mugo, a Kenyan freelance print journalist based in Nairobi; Shoaib Zada, a radio producer from Campus Radio FM 107, at Peshawar University, in Pakistan; Cape Town based, Michael Duffett, a television producer working for such programmes as South Africa's premier news magazine show, "Carte Blanche". Micheal is also director of his own production company, Face 2 Face Films, Shuriah Niazi, from CNBC Awaaz Television in Bhopal, India; Gerald Businge, who is a consultant with Ultimate Media Consult (U) Ltd in Kampala, Uganda. Gerald also signed up additional colleagues at Ultimate Media Consult (U) Ltd, and wrote, "We are a company of journalists/communicators supplying news to different media houses in Uganda and internationally through a network of Journalists. This is in addition to our other services in the print and electronic media, advertising, information communication campaigns, video documentation and research. Our member media practitioners will greatly enjoy opportunities offered by this forum." | | | | | | 1. Your emails |
| | | | >> MEMBER EMAILS | | | According to science: Libyan HIV accused are "innocent"
Julie Clayton, SciDev.net, London, England
Dear All, Are you following the story about the six healthcare workers accused of deliberately infecting children with HIV by the Libyan authorities? They are completely innocent according to the scientific evidence - which is being ignored and refuted by the authorities. They are facing a possible death sentence. Their sentence is due on December 19th, so this week is an opportunity to cover the scientific evidence in advance for your media outlet if you or your mentees have not already done so. For background see this link http://www.connotea.org/tag/Libya | | | | Report: Africa falls short of Abuja Declaration
Andualem Sisay, print journalist, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
The Ethiopian government�s expenditure on health is so low that the country ranks among the last on the list of World Health Organization Africa member countries. Ethiopia ranks 43rd out of 46 member states, says a 2006 WHO report. more | | | Sickle Cell Medicine, NICOSAN, update
Lukiah Lucky Nakabembe Mulumba, Pediatric Intensive Care RN, BSN, USAF, Chairperson, UASCRF, San Antonio, Texas, USA
We are fine over here in Texas, and life continues to be busy. Remember I had mentioned to you about the research going on with Sickle Cell disease management. Well, the same company that approved the use of NICOSAN* for sickle cell patients, seems to have increased interest to do more. Also, one of the members Mr. Jim Madsen is campaigning for us to see if we can get the NICOSAN donated to many Ugandans who cannot afford it. Once again, thank you so much for your support towards all African health problems and especially SCD. Happy holidays, | | * NICOSAN� is an anti-sickling drug developed by Nigerian scientists at the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD). In clinical studies conducted under NIPRD�s auspices, the drug has shown to substantially reduce the degree of sickling of the red blood cells of those afflicted with the disease. While not a cure, the clinical trials have confirmed that the large majority of patients taking NICOSAN� no longer experience sickle cell �crises� while on the medication, and even among those whose crises are not eliminated, the number and severity of the crises are substantially reduced. more details | | | Ethiopian health organisation making progress
Behailu Shiferaw, senior reporter, Ethiopia
I really appreciate the information in the last update about the bird flu workshop. My organisation, the Ethiopian Volunteer Media Professionals Against AIDS (EVMPA) is an indigenous NGO that strives to enhance the media's role in the fight against AIDS and related issues. We have distributed over 130,000 copies of "Lambadina", this year, making it the biggest health newspaper in the Ethiopia. We have also developed another proposal to produce a similar publication focussing on malaria, as a result of a recent local malaria reporting workshop organized by SciDevNET. I hope the Health and Media listserv will be another step toward the betterment and broadening of our activities. | | | | | | >> NON-MEMBER EMAILS | | | Scholarship at Columbia University
Josh Friedman Director, International Programs Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Prospective applicants from Africa, Israel and Central Europe reminded that the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism has new full or partial scholarships for international students from Africa, Israel and Central Europe. Application deadline is January 3, 2007. For more details: http://www.jrn.columbia.edu/ | | | | | | 2. Health News |
| | | SA Health Minister not seen on World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day has come and gone, but there is still no sign of South Africa's health minister, Dr. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, who has questioned the link between HIV and AIDS, and suggested that a potion of garlic, beet root and potato can keep the disease at bay.
Full Washington times report
Young broadcasters take to the airwaves in Mozambique Child-to-child programmes began as a one-time broadcast to mark the International Children's Day of Broadcasting started by UNICEF a decade ago and have developed into long-running shows. The issues the young presenters discuss on air range from children�s rights and racial discrimination to sexuality and HIV/AIDS.
Full article and video at UNICEF
AIDS Programs Fail to Reach High-risk Groups: U.N.
Surveillance for the HIV virus is weak in most of the world and prevention and treatment programs often fail to reach high-risk drug users, homosexuals and sex workers, the World Health Organization said on Friday.
More information
Clinton Helps Broker Deal for Medicine to Treat AIDS
With the financial backing of a group of nations led by France, former President Bill Clinton announced Thursday that his foundation had negotiated deeply reduced prices for 19 AIDS drugs to treat children.
More information
Tackling Diseases That Devastate the Poor
With funding from the Gates Foundation, Reed is bridging the gap between academia and private industry, tackling neglected diseases such as tuberculosis, leprosy and leishmaniasis, a disfiguring and often fatal disease transmitted by a sand fly.
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Africa Faces Growing Obesity Problem
Africa, a continent usually synonymous with hunger, is falling prey to obesity.
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Study: Break From Medications Dangerous
One of the largest-ever studies of HIV treatment has found that patients who temporarily stop taking their powerful medicines more than double their risk of dying.
More information
Kenya: Plan to Free Inmates With HIV Or AIDS Prisoners with AIDS will soon be released in Kenya if a draft Bill is passed into law.
More information
Bird Flu Hits Second South Korea Farm
A second chicken farm in South Korea has been found to contain the H5N1 form of bird flu.
More information
Singapore Forms Panel to Fight HIV
Singapore has formed a national policy committee to combat the rise of HIV cases.
More information
Latest World Health Headlines
Latest HIV/AIDS Headlines
Latest Malaria Headlines
Latest News from World Health Organisation | | | | | | 3. Opportunities |
| | | | Radio Fellowship in the US | | National Public Radio Fellowships for Young Journalists The NPR Kroc Fellowship was established to identify and develop a new generation of extraordinary journalists for the public radio system. Deadline December 31, 2006 | | more information: http://www.npr.org/fellowships | | | | | | 5. Resources |
| | | Report for journalists: Antiretroviral treatment
Antiretroviral Drugs for All? Obstacles to Access to HIV/AIDS Treatment. Published by the Panos Global AIDS Programme, this report provides the news media with the basic information to initiate debate and stimulate key questions that will enable the public to focus on the realities of antiretroviral (ARV) drug provision in their own communities.
More information
Essay: Cure for the Asian Flu
In this essay, Ruth Levine argues that the international health community can learn much about global connections and global infectious disease control from the financial sector.
More information
Building Communication Skills:
"Training Community Mobilizers for Polio Eradication in Uttar Pradesh". This document examines UNICEF India's experience in working with local community members as front-line communicators to promote and maintain positive immunisation behaviour.
More information
Poor Bird Flu Records Hamper Tracking Efforts
According to this article, poor reporting of avian influenza in wild birds is impeding critical information about how the virus spreads.
More information | | | | | | 5. Sickle Cell Information Links |
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| | | | | CONTENTS |
| | | 1. Your emails | | | 2. Health News | | | 3. Opportunities | | | 4. Upcoming events | | | 5. Resources | | | 6. Sickle Cell Links | |
| | | TRANSLATIONS |
| | | | photo contest winner |
| |  | | | Global Health Council's Annual photo contest 2006 winner, Tanya Harajouqa. This photo, taken by Tanya Habjouqa, was taken in Deliej, Sudan, outside of an International Medical Corps clinic. Here, a mother brings her sick baby to the IMC clinic, resting in the shade, placid as she waits her turn to see the doctor. | | more information | | | | new newspaper |
| |  | | | Congratulations to listserv member Priestley Habru, who, along with three other colleagues, has launched a new weekly newspaper in the Solomon Islands called The Island Sun. | | | sources |
| | | Some of the information provided in the Health and Media Listserv update is sourced from the following organisations: | | | Int'l Centre for Journalists | | | The Communication Initative | | | Global Health Reporting | | | Pambazuka News | | | Medical News Today | | | Reuters | | | BBC News | | | Harvard World Health News | | | All Africa News | | | Global Health Council | | | The Malaria Journal |
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