The Shift Movie....

A perfect example of a tribute to Global Health Leadership

Male circumcision in Africa

A latest news event from the BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6502855.stm

"The World Health Organization and UNAIDS said circumcision should be added to current interventions to reduce the spread of HIV...WHO and UNAIDS said access to the procedure should be urgently scaled up in areas with high rates of heterosexual infection and low rates of male circumcision."

There are a few issues I have with this:

First, just as there are social/cultural qualms about using condoms, I imagine there would be similar, if not stronger cultural issues with the recommendation of circumcision to certain African populations. Although this seems like a reasonable preventive strategy, I wonder if anyone consulted with community stakeholders to discuss the feasibility of implementing this plan. I can imagine nurses and other skilled health workers in birthing centers trying to coerce mothers to circumcise their baby boys.

Second, does this recommendation from the WHO come with a plan action? Will they involve the community?

Abbot Pharmaceuticals to Remove HIV Rx from Thailand

Check out this quick video from BBC News...type in "Thai protests over HIV drugs access" into the search and click on the video that comes up on the right hand side of the page.

I must say...sometimes I wonder whether intellectual property rights involving highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) are valid in developing worlds where they are fighting HIV. Basically, Abbott Laboratories are pulling a highly successful HAART Rx from the Thai market because the Thai government allegedly violated a patent law in manufacturing one of Abbott's earlier versions of the Rx. I don't know anything about IP rights, but I really don't know how this is legal? People's lives are at stake, and the US Pharm Giant is putting pressure on a small developing country to pay high HAART prices. Does anyone know about any subsidies that Big Pharm offers to the developing world? Perhaps Bill and Melinda need to open a pharm co?

Reflections on Beyond Scarcity: Power, poverty and the global water crisis (UN 2006)

I think we have all seen videos like this before...seeing water pipes funnel through piles of human excrement and then the poor fellow down the way drinking from these pipes. I believe we understand the gravity of this problem. One thing that caught my attention was that the journalist said that in order to make dents in this problem, African governments need to make a decision today to combat this problem. While I very much agree with this statement, it may be very difficult to actually address these problems when there is so much corruption in these very governments. This corruption I'm sure makes the allocation of resources to the problems of sanitation and potable water very difficult to address. Seems like the key is, how do we make sanitation and clean water monetarily attractive for governments so that they will look at it as a business venture and rather than a public health problem? If we shift the perspective in addressing this problem, could we talk corrupt governments into properly directing funds?

Another Interesting Newsreel

Edited post....forgot to add one important point...

OK, OK, OK, I had to do it...so I know the last "newsclip" I took from google video may have been framed out of context (apparently...) but I just couldn't help myself and I wanted to post another clip from FOX News, my favorite news source. The point to this clip is that whether or not it is a spoof, it's out there and worth thinking about. And yes, while Obama may be a smoker (gasp!), I hear he's trying to quit (good for him). But interestingly, the argument that Obama has this "dirty little secret" is hardly a vice compared to our lovely president's "dirty" cocaine use and other little unreported secrets. But in all seriousness, whatever FOX news is trying to do is pretty ridiculous (perhaps a fictitious spoof or parody? or am I giving them too much credit?).

First and foremost, I cannot believe how FOX brings on an African American to discredit Barack Obama's character. As if to say, "hey everyone, this black guy thinks Barack is a big phony. If his own people distrust him, then maybe you should too!" I think these low blow strategies FOX is using are downright ludicrous. Second, I LOVE how Obama's face is plastered right next to a Marlboro box, as if FOX is trying to make it seem like he's endorsing the product. Second, I just can't believe they are making it seem like he has something dark and dirty hiding in his closet? It's just like Dr. Calderon says, "we all have skeletons in the closet!" And yes, Obama probably does too, but compared to the present administration, I bet Obama's dirty laundry is a walk in the park! I think FOX's attempts to smear Obama's reputation with these absurd allegations (just to poke fun or not) really detracts from the true potential stewardship and leadership abilities candidates have to offer. Further, pictures of Barack Obama next to Marlboro ads leaves lasting negative impressions to the uneducated viewer. Obviously, someone is threatened at FOX news. Let's talk politics and get riled up! It's fun! What do you guys think?

"Unbiased Media" Strikes Again...

In wake of the almost Hollywood-like excitement occurring over Barack Obama's official announcement for the presidency of the USA...I want to post an interesting video that I found on YouTube yesterday while I was looking for clips of his speech in Springfield, IL. It would seem that one side is very threatened by Senator Obama's charmismatic and phenomenal presence and felt the need to produce this rubbish. CNN, I'm ashamed. If this is what is considered news, then I have to say that I am happy that my homepage is set for another news site. By the way, for the record, I'm very excited about Barack Obama's announcement. :)

Just Like Us...

Who would have thought that watching Angelina Jolie in Namibia would have taught me an important life lesson? Among all the wonderful things she is doing in third world countries, she has managed to stay rooted and she left me with one important message. "The people in these poor areas are just like us...they have dreams, they want to send their children to school, they want a better life..." or something to that effect! For me, although I knew the impoverished people of Africa, Chiapas, MX, and other parts of the world were suffering and wanted a better life, it struck me that particular day when I realized they want to be educated and empowered just like we are. I know, it may seem petty that I have "just realized" this. You can imagine that I felt pretty moved by this simple discernment. I guess, for a long time, I felt like I needed to "help these people" with respect to health care and socioeconomic factors...very broad and abstract topics. But, when there is a face and someone puts it into perspective, in this case Angelina Jolie, and relates the idea in a way I can understand in my heart of hearts...my own visions become clear to me.

This was further elucidated today, as I watched the required class video on the Grameen Foundation. I saw these lovely women, who came from destitution and morphed into entrepreneurship! Amazing! We have something in common, them and I, to be successful. To create, develop, plan, collaborate, and work hard. All they needed was a chance. The answer was simple, of course, microloans to create a foundation. I always knew simplicity (Occam's Razor) provided the answers to complex problems. This was testament to that.