Also in global health news: Combating sleeping sickness in eastern Africa; China commits to developing countries; Latin America development

Sep 23 2009

African Development Bank Gives $70M To Help Fight Sleeping Sickness In Eastern Africa

The African Development Bank on Tuesday announced it will award eastern African countries $70 million to help fight the neglected tropical disease, trypanasomiasis, commonly known as sleeping sickness, over six years, the Monitor/allAfrica.com reports (Pacutho, 9/22).

China Reemphasizes Country's Commitment To Aid Developing Countries

Dow Jones Newswires/Wall Street Journal examines a recent report documenting China's commitment to assist developing countries with "aid distributed through the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, debt relief for the least developed countries, increased grain exports and the provision of training and scholarships for needy countries, according to [the People's Daily], considered the mouthpiece of China's Communist Party." Dow Jones/Wall Street Journal note, the measures "weren't entirely new," and "the report comes as China President Hu Jintao is in the U.S. this week to attend several high-level meetings at the United Nations as well as the Group of 20 nations leaders' summit in Pittsburgh" (9/22). People's Daily/Xinhua summarizes the measures outlined in the report (9/22).

McClatchy Examines Anti-Poverty Programs In Latin America

McClatchy examines the success of several anti-poverty programs in Latin America that offer families cash payments in exchange for parents making sure their children attend school, receive biannual health exams and regular vaccinations. Since implementing one such program in Mexico, "researchers have found that children in Mexico gained an extra half-inch in height on average, while malnutrition dropped nearly 7 percent in children younger than 2 in Colombia, according to the World Bank," the news service writes (Bridges, 9/21).