Also in global health news: Urban malnutrition in CAR; U.S. HIV travel ban; East Africa hunger

Sep 25 2009

Urban Malnutrition Increases In CAR

"The global financial crisis has led to an alarming rate of urban malnutrition in the south of the Central African Republic, where diamond mines have closed as demand for the gems falls, the medical relief group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) says," Reuters AlertNet reports (Fominyen, 9/24). In a related blog post, Reuters AlertNet writes that aid agencies are warning that without additional support from donors, the Central African Republic could "start sliding backwards after three years of progress at a time when humanitarian assistance was raised" (Fominyen [2], 9/24).

Lifting Of U.S. HIV Travel Ban Might Be 'Coming Soon'

The Obama administration "has taken a new step toward lifting" the HIV travel ban, "a possible indication that a full repeal is coming soon," the Washington Blade reports. "A memo issued Tuesday by U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services instructs officers to place on hold any green card applications for foreign nationals that would otherwise be denied simply because of HIV status. These holds will continue until the release of the final rule change, which is expected later this year from the Department of Health & Human Services" (Johnson, 9/23).

Media Outlets Examine Worsening Hunger Crisis In Eastern Africa

Bloomberg examines the worsening hunger crisis in Eastern Africa, where "[a]bout 20 million people in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda will need life-saving assistance until at least December," according to a Save the Children press release (Gale, 9/23). Reuters AlertNet examines the effects of the drought on Somalia, where according to the country's U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator Mark Bowden, "3.6 million Somalis - more than a third of the population - already depend on food aid" - a number likely to grow as the country faces "its worst drought in nearly 20 years" (Nyakairu, 9/22). Deutsche Welle examines how aid agencies are struggling to meet the needs of the people of the people of East Africa (Amies, 9/23). The Guardian's blog, "Katine Chronicles," examines how the World Food Programme's funding shortfall could affect the people of Uganda (Kelly, 9/23).