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- UN warns of new bird flu developments
A mutant strain of bird flu is spreading in China and Vietnam and a resurgence of the disease into previously flu-free countries is possible, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization warns. Migrations of wild birds over the past two years have brought the H5N1 to Israel, Bulgaria, Nepal and other countries for the first time. The Washington Post/The Associated Press (8/29)       - Food sovereignty activists meet in Austria
 Delegates from several dozen countries met last week in Austria to discuss their experiences in Europe with so-called food sovereignty, an outgrowth of the La Via Campesina movement driven by small-scale farmers and the landless in the developing world, including projects such as trying to limit the influence of agribusiness and organizing community-based agriculture. The Guardian (London)/Poverty Matters blog (8/26) - Pakistan anti-polio campaign gets $72 million boost
The Pakistani government has signed deals with the UN children's agency and the World Health Organization to dedicate $41 million to help sustain the country's campaign to eradicate polio. An estimated 32 million children are vaccinated annually in Pakistan, yet 75 new cases of the disease already have been reported this year. The Nation (Pakistan) (8/27), Pakistan Today (8/26) - Address vitamin A deficiency to reduce child mortality
 Providing vitamin A supplements to children in the developing world cuts child mortality rates by 24% and could save over a half a million lives every year, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal. Vitamin A helps promote a robust immune system and addressing deficiencies could also help reduce measles and diarrhea, researchers said. BBC (8/26) - Pakistani women battle Swat valley militancy
A schoolgirl and the first woman to study to become a lawyer in Swat, in the northwestern region of Pakistan, talk about the effects of the Taliban militancy that targeted more than 50,000 students in 400 schools until the country's army again wrested control of the region in 2009. "One of my objectives for taking up law after the conflict is that I wanted to convey to the world that the people of Swat are not fundamentalists, they are not terrorists," says Saima Anwer, the law student. BBC (8/27) - Strong growth is expected in mHealth sector
MHealth industry insiders and observers predict massive growth for the industry over the next five years, including multi-billion dollar markets for health care related applications, Wi-Fi and patient monitoring. More than 80% of U.S. medical professionals already own smartphones providing evidence of broad acceptance of new technologies by the medical community. MobiHealthNews.com (8/26) - Low cost cellular telephones aid Africa mHealth development
Low price cellular telephones are helping advance mHealth opportunities across Africa prompting developers to examine possible applications to address public health challenges. One application being developed for the Kenyan market provides symptom checkers, medical alerts and a searchable database of medical facility locations. MobiHealthNews.com (8/19)  | - New efforts to end Syria crisis
The head of the Arab League, Nabil al-Arabi, was slated to visit Syria in a renewed effort to end the crisis in which the United Nations estimates 2,200 people have been killed since March. The Syrian regime is under increasing pressure to end its crackdown against unarmed anti-government protesters, as the Turkish president said he had lost confidence in President Bashar al-Assad, Syrian businessmen are reaching out to Western diplomats, and even Iran, Syria's closest ally, called on the regime to recognize its people's "legitimate" demands. BBC (8/28), The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (8/28), The Guardian (London) (8/28) - Report links Palestinian economic strife to aid, Israel
A recent United Nations report on the Palestinian economy says that foreign aid is "propping up an unsustainable situation" in which people's top three strategies for combating poverty are borrowing, deferring payment of utility bills, and reducing the quality and quantity of food they eat. The report, which links conditions to the continued occupation by Israel, comes as Palestinian leaders report "progress" with the position of the European Union over its bid to gain full UN membership next month. The Guardian (London)/Poverty Matters blog (8/24), Google/Agence France-Presse (8/28) Top five news stories selected by UN Wire readers in the past week. - Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.
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