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Africa: The nightmare of pregnancy
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Government hospital in Makeni,
Sierra Leone.
(Photo: Nancy Palus/IRIN)
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The brain drain, the lack of appropriate facilities, equipment and drugs and the inequity in the access to the services between urban and rural populations hinder Africa from reaching the health-related MDGs, warned the Third World Network-Africa (TWN-A, organization based in Accra that integrates Social Watch). Governments should focus “as a matter of urgency” on the maternal and child healthcare services as first steps.
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Canada: National clamour for the missing and murdered aboriginal women
The Sisters in Spirit, part of the Native Women’s Association of Canada, dedicated this Tuesday, like every Oct. 4 since 2005, as a day of vigil to honour the lives of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls, with rallies and other events in nine provinces including Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec and Nova Scotia as well as the Northwest Territories.
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Fiscal tightening, a suicidal policy
An UNCTAD report warns against fiscal rigour as a suicidal policy, since it “weakens recovery, hampers improvement in public revenues and even reduces fiscal revenue by hindering economic growth. However, as Roberto Bissio argues in his column for Agenda Global, the fiscal rigour fashion is spreading not only among rich countries that are heavily indebted but now also among developing countries that do not have this problem.
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European Parliament considers Polish petition favoring same-sex couples
The European Parliament’s Committee on Petitions discussed on Tuesday a formal complaint submitted last year by the Campaign Against Homophobia (KPH, focal point of Social Watch in Poland) against the regulations that prevent same-sex couples to formalize their relationship abroad.
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Bangladesh: Men and women fight for equal rights to the land
The Government of Bangladesh must take steps to ensure women’s equal rights to land and inheritance, urged civil society organizations. "Men and women have to fight together to establish women's right," said M Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, member of Equity and Justice Working Group (EquityBD), an alliance of several Bangladeshi groups and individuals.
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Bahrain: Harsh prison sentences to doctors, nurses and paramedics
Abdullah Al-Derazi, secretary general of the Bahrain Human Rights Society (BHRS, focal point of Social Watch), said he hoped the 20 doctors, nurses and paramedics condemned to 5, 10 and 15 years imprisonment on Thursday by a military court would have their sentences reduced on appeal before being pardoned.
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