Mithre J. Sandrasagra
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 12 2007 (IPS) – They re going to kill him because he killed somebody, so when they kill him, who do we get to kill? asked the 10-year-old daughter of Christina Lawson at the time of her father s execution by the U.S. state of Texas in 2005.
State executions leave such children confused and traumatised and entire families, too. Some are so affected that they are driven to the brink of insanity, a groundbreaking report entitled Creating More Victims: How Executions Hurt the Families left Behind graphically illustrates.
It has been published by Murder Victims Families for Human Rights (MVFHR), a Massachusetts-based organisation representing the family members of the victims of murder and state executions.
Families of the…
Kristin Palitza
DURBAN, Jul 1 2008 (IPS) – Refugees and migrants do not have adequate access to health care services in South Africa, aid organisations and NGOs say. This is particularly detrimental for those who are HIV-positive and in need of continuous antiretroviral (ARV) medication: interrupted treatment can mean illness, development of drug-resistance and ultimately death.
Migrants are at elevated risk for HIV/AI…
KANO, Oct 8 2009 (IPS) – Cowpeas are of vital importance to the diets and livelihood of millions of people in West and Central Africa. But the crop is notoriously difficult to store beetles and other pests can destroy an entire granary full of cowpeas within 12 months.
In September, ten people died – twenty mo…
Mario Osava* – Tierramérica
RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb 22 2010 (IPS) – Limiting your cholesterol through diet may not be enough to maintain cardiovascular health in polluted cities like São Paulo in Brazil: the particulates suspended in the air alter the molecular composition of LDL, popularly known as bad cholesterol, making it even more dangerous.
Polluted cities are a health risk, especially for the poor. Credit: Alejandro Arigón/IPS
The structure of LDL (low density lipoprotein) facilitates …
Brahima Ouédraogo
OUAGADOUGOU, Jul 31 2010 (IPS) – The government of Burkina Faso has embarked on the construction of 55,000 latrines each year to improve access to proper sanitation for the population from the present 10 percent to 54 percent by 2015.
Public toilet in Ouagadougou, built during an earlier sanitation drive in 2007. Credit: Brahima Ouédraogo/IPS
According to the authorities, the average rate of access to sanitation in urban areas is …
School feeding programme in Togo. Credit: WFP/João Cavalcante
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Jan 21 2020 (IPS) – If well planned, coordinated and implemented, a government funded school feeding programme for all primary school children can be progressively transformative. Such a programme, involving government departments and agencies working together, can benefit schoolchildren, their families, farmers and public health, now and in the future.
Jomo Kwame Sundaram
Such a scheme should comprehens…
BANGKOK, Thailand, Aug 30 2022 (IPS) – Asia and the Pacific is the most digitally divided region of the world, and South-East Asia is the most divided subregion. The Covid-19 pandemic detonated a “digital big bang” that spurred people, governments and businesses to become “digital by default;” a sea change that generated vast digital dividends. These benefits that have not been distributed equally, however. New development gaps have emerged as digital transformation reinforces a vicious cycle of socioeconomic inequalities, within and across countries.
Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana
Bridging these divides and ensuring advances in technology can benefit…