At a recent sanitation roundtable discussion at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), a public policy think tank in Mumbai, Chairman Sudheendra Kulkarni said that Mahatma Gandhi believed sanitation was more important than political independence. In 2010, the UN declared access to sanitation a human right. Despite the increased emphasis, says Dhaval Desai, a senior researcher at ORF, the two are rarely linked. “If one agrees that there is a connect between lack of access to clean and hygienic sanitation and global statistics on poverty, malnutrition, infant mortality, maternal health, diseases, education, and gender, then it is impossible to deny sanitation as an intrinsic human rights issue.” Desai, who specializes in water and sanitation issues, discussed with us the importance of this human rights issue and some promising ways forward. Read more or join the discussion.
Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 12/09/2013 – 00:00
এইচআইভি/এইডসের সার্বিক প্রকোপ বাংলাদেশে এখনো নিম্ন, ১% এরও কম জনসংখ্যা এই রোগে আক্রান্ত হয়। তবে, ঝুঁকিপূর্ণ আচরণের উচ্চ প্রকোপ, যেমন,যৌনকর্মী এবং তাদের ক্লায়েন্টের মধ্যে অরক্ষিত যৌন-সঙ্গম এবং মাদক ব্যবহারকারীদের মধ্যে সুচ ভাগাভাগির সঙ্গে মিলিত হয়ে প্রতিবেশী দেশে (যেমন থাইল্যান্ড হিসাবে) এই ধরনের রোগের সূচকীয় বিস্তার, বাংলাদেশকে ভবিষ্যতে এইচআইভি মহামারীর উচ্চ ঝুঁকিতে রাখে।এই ঝুঁকি উপাদান ছাড়াও, বাংলাদেশের উচ্চ জনসংখ্যার ঘনত্ব, অত্যন্ত নিম্নমানের জীবনযাপন, কম উৎপাদনশীলতা, বেকারত্ব, এবং লিঙ্গ বৈষম্যের উপস্থিতি ও এইচআইভি সংক্রমণে উল্লেখযোগ্য ভূমিকা রাখে। Read more or discuss.
The overall prevalence of HIV/AIDS is low in Bangladesh, as less than 1 percent of the population is infected. However, the high incidence of risky behaviors, such as unprotected sex between sex workers and their clients, and needle-sharing among drug users, coupled with the exponential spread of the disease in neighboring countries (such as Thailand), puts Bangladesh at high risk for a future HIV epidemic. In addition to these risk factors, the high population density, extremely low living standards, unemployment, and gender inequality present in Bangladesh are underlying contributors to HIV infection. Read more or discuss.
Submitted by Editor — Mon, 12/02/2013 – 00:00
De acuerdo a Juan José Calva, en el artículo “25 años de SIDA en México,” uno de los ejemplos mundiales en los países en desarrollo es Brasil, que ha logrado brindar acceso universal a tratamientos de terapia antirretroviral en su población afectada por el VIH/SIDA. El éxito en esta cobertura ha dependido de tres factores: el compromiso oficial a través de la legislación para asegurar que todos los ciudadanos que lo requieran reciban la terapia, la capacidad del sector público para manufacturar medicamentos, y una enérgica acción de la sociedad civil. Leer más o discutir.
In the article “25 Years of AIDS in Mexico,” Juan José Calva takes Brazil as a prime example of a developing country that has been able to provide universal access to antiretroviral therapeutic treatments for the population affected by HIV/AIDS. The success of this medical coverage has depended on three factors: the official legal commitment assuring that all citizens who need treatment will receive it, the capacity of the public sector to manufacture drugs, and a strong civil society. Read more or discuss.
Submitted by Maria Fernanda Carvallo — Mon, 12/02/2013 – 00:00
According to the 2010 sentinel survey of Nigeria, Lagos has an HIV prevalence rate of 5.1 percent. The survey shows that the majority of the state’s HIV presence is in urban areas; the rural prevalence is only 1.3 percent. In light of the high and growing HIV prevalence in Lagos, a number of agencies, private firms and civil society organisations are working hard to spread the word about HIV prevention and to care for patients. Read more or join the discussion.
Submitted by Wura — Mon, 12/02/2013 – 00:00
Colombia no ha escapado del castigo del HIV. Según datos del Sistema de Vigilancia Epidemiológica (SIVIGILA), al que deben ser reportados todos los casos identificados, desde el año 1983 hasta el 2011, último del que se disponen datos completos, se conocen 86.990 casos de HIV/Sida, de los cuales 10.676 han fallecido. En Bogotá se han detectado hasta septiembre del 2013 23.330 casos, un 40 por ciento del total a nivel nacional. Sin embargo, es importante destacar que esto se debe a su elevada población, como lo ilustra que en el 2011 se reportaron 8,7 casos por 100.000 habitantes, mientras 8 departamentos superaban 20 casos por 100.000 habitantes, y los dos en cabeza, Barranquilla y Quindío superaban 30. Leer más o discutir.
Colombia has not escaped the devastating consequences of the AIDS epidemic. According to the Sistema de Vigilancia Epidemiológica (Epidemiology Watch Service, SIVIGILA), there have been 86,990 cases of diagnosed HIV/AIDS from 1983 and 2011, and 10,676 fatalities (reporting HIV/AIDS diagnosis to the SIVIGILA is mandatory). Bogotá registered 23,300 cases from 1983 to September 2013, which is 40 percent of the national total. However, this is due more to the large population of the Colombian capital rather than high rates of infection, as the region recorded only 8.7 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, while eight other departments recorded over 20 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, and two of them, Barranquilla and Quindío, reported over 30 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Read more or join the discussion.
Submitted by Jorge Bela — Mon, 12/02/2013 – 00:00
The AIDS crisis continues to loom large in India, with more than 2.5 million people infected with HIV. The country has taken steps toward addressing the issue, including launching a National AIDS Control Program. Still, the virus has taken the lives of millions of mothers and fathers, and UNICEF estimates that there could be as many as 4 million children affected in India, including those living with HIV — estimated to number nearly 100,000 — those orphaned by AIDS, and those whose parents are living with HIV. Read more or join the discussion.
Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 12/02/2013 – 00:00
Event: The International Conference on Urban Health 2014
4–7 March 2014 
Manchester, United Kingdom
The International Conference on Urban Health is considered to be the world’s premier international forum for information-exchange among urban health stakeholders. The main objective of ICUH is to gather scientists, practitioners, policy makers and community organizations across disciplines and geographic boundaries from high and low-income settings. Delegates can expect plenary talks from some of the biggest and most influential names in urban health and other related fields, along with workshops and exhibits from organizations across the world of health and beyond. Learn more.
Segundo a Coordenação Nacional de Saúde Mental, Álcool e Outras Drogas, três por cento da população brasileira sofre de transtornos mentais severos que precisam cuidados contínuos e nove por cento da população apresenta transtornos leves que precisam de tratamentos eventuais. Leia mais o discutir.
According to Brazil’s National Coordination of Mental Health, Alcohol, and Other Drugs, three percent of the country’s population suffers from severe mental disorders that require continuous treatment, care, and support, and around nine percent of the population has mild mental disorders that require sporadic treatment. Read more or join the discussion.
Submitted by Catalina Gomez — Mon, 10/07/2013 – 00:00
La situación de los habitantes de la calle se considera como uno de los problemas más complicados de resolver en las grandes ciudades latinoamericanas. Según un censo elaborado en 2011 por la Secretaría de Integración Social (SIS), en Bogotá se identificaron 8.385 habitantes de calle, un 86.9 por ciento de los cuales son hombres, y el 8.4 por ciento son menores de 18 años. El 17.9 por ciento son jóvenes entre 19 y 25 años, y el 38.9 por ciento son adultos entre 26 y 40 , quedando un 32 por ciento, de adultos mayores. Otro dato interesante de este sondeo es que el 58 por ciento se dedica a la recolección de objetos de reciclaje, el 34 por ciento a mendigar, el 28 por ciento a servicios no cualificados y el 10.7 por ciento a delinquir. Aunque es posible que estas cifras no recojan el número total de habitantes de la calle, quizá en una proporción considerable, sí que son reveladores en su estructura demográfica y en sus ocupaciones. Leer más o discutir.
Homelessness is one of the most complex and difficult to address problems in all large Latin American cities. A census led in 2011 by the Secretaría de Integración Social (SIS), found 8,385 homeless people in Bogotá. Of those, 86 percent were male. 8.4 percent were under 18 years old, 17.9 percent between 19 and 25, 38 percent between 26 and 40, and 32 percent were older than 40. As for their occupation, 58 percent were garbage recyclers, 34 percent begged, and 10.7 percent stole and robbed as a form of living. Although it is almost certain that this survey did not register much of the homeless population, it is still quite revealing regarding the population’s demographics and occupation. Read more or join the discussion.
Submitted by Jorge Bela — Mon, 10/07/2013 – 00:00
The issue of mental health stigmatization in Accra is of great concern to individuals, families, civil society groups, and many religious bodies. There is stigmatization about the condition, stigmatization concerning the persons with the condition, and stigma is also attached to the people who work in the area of mental illness. These concerns affect the resources and quality of life of the mentally challenged. In addition, its economic and social impact on the person, the family, and the workers are enormous. Read more or join the discussion.
Submitted by Felix Nyamedor — Mon, 10/07/2013 – 00:00 