Also In Global Health News: Pneumonia, Polio in India, Health Effects of Rape
Disease That Kills More Children Than Any Other Needs More Advocates, Opinion Piece Says
According to the WHO and UNICEF, pneumonia kills more than two million children each year, but it "gets very little attention from donors or the public health community," New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof writes in an opinion piece. The disease kills "more children than any other around the world," he writes. According to Kristof, pneumonia is the "orphan of global health, attracting negligible investment," but with the first World Pneumonia Day scheduled to be observed later this year and other efforts, the disease is "finally beginning to get traction." Kristof writes, "Children with AIDS and malaria already have advocates, so anyone looking for a cause should grab pneumonia and run with it" (Kristof, New York Times, 5/10).
Malnutrition, Diarrhea, Unhygienic Drinking Water Compromise Effectiveness of Polio Vaccine in India
Despite the government making great strides in recent years to administer the polio vaccine to children living in parts of western Uttar Pradesh, the ability of the vaccine to offer protection from polio is compromised by malnutrition, diarrhea and unhygienic drinking water, Livemint.com reports. The article also examines how development and health issues might play into the regional elections (Chandran, Livemint.com, 5/10).
Study Documents Health Effects of Rape on Women in Swaziland
Young girls and teenagers who were raped or coerced into sex have higher lifetime risks of venereal diseases, pregnancy complications and depression, according to a new study based on interviews with 1,244 females in Swaziland, the New York Times reports. The study, which was published in the journal Lancet, was conducted by UNICEF and the CDC (McNeil, New York Times, 5/12).
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