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- UNICEF: Global austerity is hitting children hardest
Fiscal austerity measures being adopted by governments to combat the global economic downturn are heaping misery upon the world's poor, especially children, who already are suffering from food, fuel and financial shocks, according to a study by the UN Children's Fund. Cuts to wages, benefits and subsidies, as well as tax increases, could have "irreversible impacts" on the most vulnerable in developing countries, UNICEF found. The Guardian (London) (9/25)       - Experts lament water basin tussles
Competing claims on major river basins in Africa, Asia and Latin America may prevent those regions from ramping up food production to meet demand over the coming decades, according to a report from water experts. The basins could help provide sustainable increases to food production that would double current available supply. AlertNet/Reuters (9/26) - Fighting over Gadhafi stronghold is preventing aid deliveries
UN and nongovernmental aid groups are unable to gain access to Sirte, a bastion of support for fugitive Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi, in order to deliver supplies of food and medicine, Panos Moumtzis, UN aid coordinator, said Monday. The prime minister of the former rebels' National Transitional Council, Mahmoud Jibril, is urging the world body to lift remaining economic sanctions on the country while backing NATO in its enforcement of a no-fly zone to protect civilians. Reuters (9/26), The Washington Post/The Associated Press (9/26) - Study backs earlier HIV/AIDS treatment in Haiti
Early HIV/AIDS treatment in Haiti reduces the risk of death by 75%, according to a study published in the journal PLoS Medicine. The cost of launching treatment when patients' immune systems are stronger amounts to $6.25 a month. IRINNews.org (9/26) - Procedure saves women from No. 1 cancer killer
Household vinegar is being used to treat cervical cancer as part of an inexpensive, effective medical procedure that could do for women in poor countries what the Pap smear did for women in rich countries -- help save lives. The potentially one-time procedure, known as VIA/cryo (in which the cervix is brushed with vinegar and any visible spots are frozen off with cryotherapy), is already routine for women between 30 and 44 years old in 29 of 75 provinces in Thailand. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (9/26) - Philippines rolls out e-trikes to cut pollution, costs
 A small fleet of electric-powered rickshaws, or e-trikes, has been introduced to the streets of the Philippine capital, Manila, in a government-backed effort to replace fuel-powered rickshaws and reduce pollution, as well as combat rising fuel prices. "We are going to make it happen because it's the only solution we have. There are communities in the Philippines that are absolutely dependent on tricycles," said Jose Rene Almendras, a spokesman for the country's energy department. BBC (9/26) - Security Council calls for end to Yemen violence
All sides need to work toward a political solution to end Yemen's bloody political crisis and President Ali Abdullah Saleh should resign, the United Nations Security Council says. Yemen has been rattled by a crackdown on pro-reform protesters that began in February, causing the country's economic and humanitarian situations to deteriorate. Forbes/The Associated Press (9/26) - Cuban leaders criticize U.S., yet seek renewed ties
In a speech Monday before the UN General Assembly, the foreign minister of Cuba, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, accused the U.S. of fomenting popular unrest in Syria and Libya and, at the same time, sought to re-establish relations with its North American neighbor on humanitarian and other issues. Former Cuban President Fidel Castro, in a newspaper column, characterized U.S. President Barack Obama's speech to the world body as "gibberish." The Miami Herald (free registration) (9/26), CBS News (9/26), The Telegraph (London) (9/27) - Aid officials, diplomats push for end to Syria crisis
Increasing tensions in Syria threatens to ignite a civil war, and both the government and protest leaders need to work toward a quick resolution of the country's political crisis, says Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the United Nations' Syria humanitarian coordinator. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan predicted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will be ousted from power as pro-reform movements across the Arab world gain ground. IRINNews.org (9/26), Reuters (9/24) - Bill Gates to discuss polio eradication in Nigeria
Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation, will meet with national, state and local government officials and traditional leaders this week to discuss the ongoing campaign to end polio in Nigeria. Mr. Gates will be accompanied by the foundation's chief executive officer Jeff Raikes. The agenda for the visit is focused on efforts to end polio and strengthen immunization against other vaccine-preventable diseases, and to follow up on the Abuja Commitments to Polio Eradication. Click here to read more from the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation.
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