Also in Global Health News: Undernutrition in Afghanistan; Namibia's HIV clinics, outreach programs

Nov 2 2009

Lancet World Report Examines Undernutrition in Afghanistan

A Lancet World Report examines the deadly toll undernutrition is having on the people of Afghanistan, where the "issues of poverty and undernutrition have received curiously little attention: about a third of the population, more than 7 million people, are food insecure, according the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP). Another 8.5 million people are on the borderline," the journal writes. The report examines how the conflicts in Afghanistan, as well as issues of poverty, severe weather conditions, and gaps in awareness about nutrition contribute to the country's hunger problems (Loewenberg, 10/31).

PEPFAR-Supported ARV Clinic Opens In Namibia

The first of five new clinics offering antiretroviral therapy opened Friday at the Okongo Hospital in Namibia, the Namibia Economist reports. The clinics are supported by about $1.4 million "in funding from the U.S. government through the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the President's Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)," the newspaper writes (10/30).

PlusNews Examines How Distance, Transportation Create Barriers To HIV Treatment In Namibia

PlusNews examines the challenges associated with providing HIV treatment in Namibia, "a vast country, with wide open spaces and a population density of less than 2 people per square kilometre." Because many people living with HIV live great distances from clinics where therapies are offered and lack the ability to pay for transportation, the article examines how some groups are bringing HIV outreach services to remote regions. The article also examines how food shortages have further compromised patients' ability to access HIV treatments  (10/30).