Global Voices » Health

Mozambique: Medical Professionals Announce Strike

Janet Gunter — Mon, 20 May 2013 06:48:53 +0000

Screenshot from press conference video

Medical professionals in Mozambique have announced they will strike. They consider that they were “humiliated, insulted and disdained” in their last meeting with government. This current strike follows a strike earlier this year by doctors. The video announcement is available with subtitles in English, and a number of languages.
(more…)

“Lift your Skirt, Save a Life” Cervical Cancer Ad Divides Singapore

Mong Palatino — Sun, 19 May 2013 16:30:26 +0000

To remind Singaporeans about the free Pap smear screenings this month, the Singapore Cancer Society came out with a “Lift your skirt. Save a life” ad which sparked a lively discussion on whether it was creative, effective, or offensive.

The campaign featured local celebrities replicating the iconic pose of Marilyn Monroe in her film The Seven Year Itch. The campaign poster can be seen on bus shelters and train stations.

According to the Singapore Cancer Society, cervical cancer is a major health issue in the country:

Cervical Cancer ranks no. 9 among the cancers diagnosed in Singaporean women. Each year, 200 women are diagnosed with the disease and 70 of them die from it. It is a highly preventable and curable disease.

From 1 to 31 May 2013, all female Singaporeans and PR aged 25 – 69 years old, can enjoy FREE Pap smear screening at participating clinics island-wide.

At least 178 clinics are offering free Pap smear screenings this month. There were mixed reactions to the ad. Some praised it for being catchy while others thought it was a fashion or slimming ad. Others criticized it for being too sexual.

“Lift your skirt. Save a life” ad to promote awareness on cervical cancer. Image from Facebook page of the Singapore Cancer Society

Everything Also Complain believes a simple reminder that there are free pap smear screenings would have been enough:

…you don’t need a controversial headline to grab the attention of Singaporean women. One four letter word starting with the letter F would do the trick: FREE, and that magical word that possesses Singaporeans into queuing long hours for stuff they don’t need is restrained here by small caps and boring font

a musliminah in NL also thinks the same way:

the idea behind the sexualised women was catering to the male gaze, suggesting voyeurism and sexual availability of women. This copywriter thinks that puns hardly work in ads, while others thought that it's not a good idea to sexualise ads which carry an important message.

What word would trigger the Singaporean mindset to pay attention to this ad? For the next campaign, I suggest the following headline:

FREE Pap Smears!

That oughta attract attention and get women to sign up for the free checkups. :)

Mr Brown supports the cause but is not happy with the campaign theme:

I am all for cervical cancer awareness but really? “Lift your skirt, save your life.”?

While you are at it, why not “Open your legs, save your life.”?

Or “Drop your panties, save your life.”?

Or “Upskirt your downturn, save your life.”?

In any case, despite the fracas, cancer is serious stuff and I shall provide the link to the info for free pap smear screenings in May

Writing for the Breakfast Network, Wesley Gunter defends the ad:

…if an ad like this CAN make more women go for PAP smears because it GRABS their attention and saves their lives, hasn’t it met its objectives?

The only thing that is “sad” about this whole affair is how this creative attempt was so readily shot down before it was given a chance to see if it actually works.

Linda Black, one of the models who participated in the ad, is proud over the success of the campaign:

I am so proud of the campaign, and I think it was beautifully shot and lovingly edited with women’s health issues at heart. I stand by that, and I will defend it and my decision to be a part of it.

That being said, the campaign is a major success – loads of people are talking about it, or have heard of it, and a kernel of truth has been planted: when was the last time you ladies have had your screening? Isn’t it marvelous that in this country, the powers that be care enough about you to give you your rightfully deserved screening for FREE?

Chinese React to Angelina Jolie's Mastectomy

Oiwan Lam — Fri, 17 May 2013 03:52:49 +0000

Off Beat China translated Chinese netizens’ reaction to Angelina Jolie's double mastectomy. Comments are mixed, some find the act courageous, some say it is over-reaction.

Japan's Pregnancy Handbook Plan Forgets Men

Keiko Tanaka — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:43:37 +0000

To counter the dropping birth rate, the Japanese government is proposing compiling a handbook with information on pregnancy and family planning to educate teenage girls on the subject. This plan to distribute the so-called “women's handbook” has been met with criticism by women's groups, which argue that the issues of pregnancy involve both men and women. (more…)

Trinidad & Tobago: Smoking Ad Loophole

Janine Mendes-Franco — Wed, 08 May 2013 01:11:19 +0000

I don’t think this cigarette newspaper ad was necessary and it was in very poor taste.

aka_lol takes issue with a cigarette advertisement, which apparently found loopholes around the prohibitions applied to such advertising under the Tobacco Control Act.

Remembering Dennis Kimambo

Global Voices — Tue, 07 May 2013 17:03:08 +0000

Rising Voices note: This tribute post was written by Janet Feldman, upon learning about the death of Dennis Kimambo of the Rising Voices grantee project REPACTED on April 29, 2013. At the time of publication, the circumstances surrounding his death are still being investigated.

When I first heard the news that Dennis Kimambo had been missing for over a week, I was worried, but envisioned him in a rural part of Kenya, conducting an HIV/AIDS educational outreach, or in Dubai, where he had been invited at one point to play in a golf tournament, one of his favorite pastimes.

After the news came that his body had been discovered on April 29, and that he had met a violent death, I could not fathom or accept it. Stan Tuvako, a close friend of ours and the person who actually introduced us, said in the aftermath of the announcement: “it was shocking how much violence this man of peace encountered.” That this courageous soul faced violence and death again and again over the decade I knew him, and continued to do the work for which he seemed born, was just one of the remarkable qualities we so loved and admired in him.

Dennis Kimambo

Dennis had a motto: “humanity before politics.” During the 2007-2008 post-election conflict in Kenya, which threatened to spiral into civil war, Dennis and many others faced threats to their lives and safety on a daily basis, yet continued to reach across political and cultural lines in attempts to quell the violence and encourage tolerance, understanding, and cooperation.

I knew Dennis virtually for many years before we met in 2007, the only time I would ever see him in person. Our relationship was forged via email and phone, and built on several mutual passions, including the use of arts and media to address HIV/AIDS and health issues, the empowerment of young people, and the peaceful resolution of conflict. I was a mentor in the beginning, but felt like a student myself as he forged ahead in the many forms of activism that distinguished his brief but meaningful life.

Dennis began his career in several youth groups based in his hometown of Nakuru, Kenya. After we met, he became one of the mainstays in the ActALIVE arts coalition I founded in 2002, whose mission was to bring together artists and others using creative approaches to health and development issues, specifically focusing on HIV/AIDS.

In 2001, Dennis and young theatre artists from the Nakuru Players Theatre Club founded the theatre-for-development nonprofit, REPACTED (Rapid Effective Participatory Action in Community Theatre Education and Development), which uses a new and unique form of audience participation and interaction–called “magnet theatre”–to educate young and old, women and men, prisoners, and people already HIV-positive on health issues, behavior change, stigma and discrimination, and self-empowerment. The “Mr. and Miss Red Ribbon” contest, held each year on World AIDS Day (December 1), is an innovative beauty pageant emphasizing the importance of self-esteem and healthy lifestyles for those who are HIV-positive.

Several other opportunities emerged that would carry Dennis and his peers in new directions, including a grant from the MTV “Staying Alive” Foundation that funded HIV/AIDS education and prevention efforts among the male and female inmates at the prison in Nakuru. The grant also allowed community-theatre outreaches to young people to educate them about HIV/AIDS, encourage use of prevention measures, and promote voluntary counselling and testing (VCT).

Dennis (on the right) and colleagues at the REPACTED offices in Nakuru. Photo by David Sasaki and used under a CC BY-NC 2.0 license.

Dennis and other members of ActALIVE in Kenya, India, Thailand, Nigeria, USA, Uganda, South Africa, and elsewhere became involved in 2005 in the first World AIDS Day activities of the Global Peace Tiles Project, an arts endeavor using collaged tiles as a means to convey messages about peace, health education, HIV/AIDS prevention, and sustainable development.

In 2007-2008, Dennis and other peace activists in Kenya faced perhaps their greatest challenge to date: quelling the violence that was threatening to kill thousands and destroy the fabric of Kenyan society. He and a group of Kenyans and others from around the world, myself included, became involved in a project called “Pyramid of Peace,” a name coined from an acrobatic act created by the Nafsi Afrika Acrobats based in Nairobi, whose theme is peaceful co-existence among the various tribal groups in Kenya.

Dennis Kimambo. Photo by David Sasaki and used under a CC BY-NC 2.0 license.

The Pyramid of Peace, created under the auspices of the Lithuania-based think-tank Minciu Sodas, helped members in Kenya to confront violence and seek peaceful resolution to conflict. One unique feature of this endeavor was the use of cellphone credits to help us communicate with each other and also to distribute within areas of conflict to the various factions. Dennis credited this approach with saving his life at one point, when he was confronted by an angry mob.

REPACTED began to incorporate the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) during this time, and the two Rising Voices grants the group received helped immensely to increase and improve their efforts. The first grant enabled the purchase of equipment (video and photo cameras, a computer, and a modem) that allowed REPACTED to introduce a group of 27 young people to the digital world. Blogging was a focal point, and this resulted in invaluable participation in RV's “Blogging Positively” project, which has produced an e-guide, a map of bloggers who write on HIV/AIDS themes, and follow-on discussions about next steps, such as development of a curriculum.

The Rising Voices grant also allowed REPACTED to organize a Youth Media Consultative Forum, to train local residents to gather news and stories and share them with an international audience. Various forms of citizen media were envisioned and used in this project, and magnet theatre formed a central part of these efforts. In addition, REPACTED helped Kenyans displaced by the civil disruptions of 2007-2008 to tell their stories, and in more recent times has organized civic-education activities regarding elections, voting, and constitutional matters, all in hopes of ensuring that history does not repeat itself.

The REPACTED weblog at RV contains four years (2007-2011) of informative and insightful postings about the group and their work.

“Denno,” as his friends often called him, has been described in recent days as a loving father, a wonderful husband, a leader of great vision, a cherished friend, a person of “light,” a force for good, an activist who helped change hearts and minds. He had the dreams of a Martin Luther King, and the courage and determination of a Gandhi. He was a hero to so many of us, and he will be always.

In trying to find a way to recover the inspiration and hopefulness he embodied, and move forward with the work to which Dennis gave his life–and perhaps for which he gave his life (a police investigation is now ongoing as to the motives behind his death)–I am reminded of the lyrics to a song I know he would have loved, called “Times Like These” (Foo Fighters): “it's times like these you learn to live again, it's times like these you give and give again, it's times like these you learn to love again, time and time again.”

Thanks so much for teaching us how to live, to give, and to love, Dennis! You were and always will be a man for times like these, and what you gave to the world will be remembered and cherished time and time again.

Avoid Mycetism, Mushroom Pickers!

Chris Rickleton — Tue, 07 May 2013 04:09:56 +0000

Postage stamps featuring some of Kyrgyzstan's wild mushrooms – edible and non-edible. Images taken from ianbek.kg, used with permission.

“Never eat overripe, clammy, flabby, wormy or spoiled mushrooms,” writes Ian Claytor, translating advice from Kyrgyzstan's Department for Disease Prevention and Expertise in his blog, Postcard from Bishkek. With the mushroom picking season underway in the former Soviet state, the Ministry of Health have come up [ru] with guidelines to help pickers enjoy the pastime safely.

Shanghai is China's Number One Cancer City

Abby — Sun, 05 May 2013 14:07:08 +0000

The cancer rate in Shanghai is 25 percent higher than the national average, over 80 people die from the disease every day, according to the Shanghai Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The pollution, food and water crisis are likely to be the cause of the increased cancer rates. Shanghaiist has more details.

Peru: A Little Girl's Sacrifice

Gabriela García Calderón — Thu, 02 May 2013 17:29:16 +0000

The website Regionlimaaldia.com [es] shares the story [es] of 9-year old Tatiana, who:

[...] didn't hesitate and got her long hair chopped and sold it in order to buy medicines for her mother, who suffers of hypertiroidism that has caused her a tumor located on her neck.

In spite of her sacrifice, Tatiana wasn't able to buy all the necessary medicines, so she asked for help.

Australia: National Disability Insurance Scheme Funding At Last

Kevin Rennie — Thu, 02 May 2013 14:13:57 +0000

The funding of a National Disability Insurance Scheme has been a political football in Australia. Legislation for the NDIS passed with unanimous support in March 2013. Both sides of politics had argued that it should be funded from general revenue. However, the opposition questioned whether the national budget could afford new spending.

(NDIS campaigning logo – Courtesy: Every Australian Counts)

On 1 May 2013, Prime Minister Julia Gillard opted for an increase in the Medicare levy instead. She threatened to make it a key issue in the Federal election in September unless Opposition leader Tony Abbott agreed to pass legislation for the levy beforehand. He has relented and given it conditional support.

Julie Novak at group blog Catallaxy Files explains why some oppose the levy:

With many Australians effectively feeling the economic pinch of numerous cash-grab tax increases of recent years, it was with lightning speed that folks generally figured out for themselves that the NDIS levy is merely a crude and nasty generalised income tax-increase con, that won’t cover even the net costs of running the NDIS in its first year of operation.

On the trending twitter hashtag #NDIS, there have been lots of people prepared to pay the levy whether it’s really a tax or not. Weezmgk is amongst them:

‏@weezmgk: Show me a person who begrudges the 0.5% #NDIS levy & I'll show you a person who failed ‘sharing’ in kindy & never has learned the lesson.

RubyRainbow is not happy with the media meme that it has been all about political advantage:

‏@ColouredView: Most journalists simply cannot comprehend, let alone report, that the Govts support for an #NDIS may be because it's the right thing to do?

The OzPolitic forum has been busy discussing its merits. Its New NDIS Levy thread soon became a popular one. John Smith led off:

I personally don't mind paying a little extra for this type of service, especially if it can help a lot of my opponents on this forum, who will most likely complain about it.

Meanwhile a sideshow opened up following controversial remarks by the CEO of Myer, one Australia’s largest retail chains. Bernie Brooks suggested that the levy would affect sales. The backlash was immediate, especially online.

Stafford tweeted:

‏@HollywdBubble: Save $5.76 a week 2 pay 4 the #NDIS by Not making a purchase at Myer, Target, Liquorland, Vintage Cellars, Officeworks or Coles #boycottMyer

Andrew Reid was concerned about Myer's employees:

@surrenderdotty: While I understand the calls for a Myer boycott, let's not forget that a large % of the people it will affect are casual staff. #NDIS

Gary Sauer-Thompson at Public Opinion suggested that the disabled are consumers too:

The Bernie Brooks Myer episode over the proposed funding of the NDIS exposes the nature of business intervention into political debate. It is intervention from the position of self-interest in the form of profits before people.

This ignores that the aim of the NDIS is to redistribute Australia’s considerable per capita wealth to allow around 400,000 of the most disadvantaged in our community a better shot at earning a living.

His second link is to The Conversation where medical specialist and academic Michael Vagg offered this advice:

I have a one particular patient with a lifelong severe disabling illness which she has had since birth, who has now lived 10 years past her predicted life span, and shows every sign of going on longer than that. She has gotten her driver’s license and now has to fundraise to afford a modified car. I’d be happy to organize for Mr Bernie Brooks to give her one, if he is looking for a public gesture to make up for his unintentional but enormously offensive comment.

Myer's Facebook page was the target of lots of negative feedback and threats of a boycott. Elizabeth Streep‘s comment was typical:

I called my mum and asked her what she'd like for mothers day and she replied “ANYTHING NOT FROM MYER!” Mum- happy to oblige.

The apology was quick in coming: Myer apologises for NDIS remarks after social media backlash. It has been a brutal lesson in the power of social media.

No Taxis for the Blind in Singapore?

Chan Myae Khine — Thu, 02 May 2013 07:33:48 +0000

A visually impaired lady from Singapore wrote about the lack of public awareness on the helpfulness of guide dogs as a taxi driver refused to let in her guide dog saying “Dogs are not allowed” on taxis.

Would Singaporeans only accept blind people with their guide dogs when there is a protective Law with penalties?

Marijuana in China

Oiwan Lam — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 06:02:16 +0000

Chengdu Living has an interesting post on the potential disappearance of relatively free weed smoking atmosphere in China as the police has recently started to crack down on Marijuana trade.

Ukrainian Lawmakers Propose to Ban Abortions

Tetyana Bohdanova — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:06:33 +0000

In early April, three MPs from the opposition political force “Svoboda” ["Freedom"] registered a bill that would ban abortions in Ukraine. The only exceptions foreseen in the proposal included cases when the pregnancy threatened a woman’s life, when a fetus had grave pathologies, and when the pregnancy was proven to have resulted from rape. This initiative comes only a year since the Ukrainian lawmakers’ last attempt to ban abortions.

In the explanatory note to the bill, the authors of the proposal justified the need for such restrictions with the following arguments [uk]:

Despite the declining tendency, the level of abortions in Ukraine remains among the highest in Europe and amounts to 21.1 abortions per 1,000 women of childbearing age; 45.8 abortions per 100 pregnancies or 84 abortions per 100 births.

[…]

It must be noted, that [when the previous regulations on abortions were adopted] the following fact was not taken into consideration: according to a series of scientific medical researches, a child that is being aborted experiences the same level of suffering as a grown up person who is being tortured to death. Moreover, abortions have negative consequences on the psychological and physical health of all those involved.

[…]

In most [regions] of Ukraine, the number of deaths is nearly three times the number of births. During the last 20 years, the population of Ukraine has decreased by 5 million people (from 52 to 47 million). If such demographic dynamics persist, in a few years immigrants, mostly from Asia, would constitute the majority of the Ukrainian people.

One of the major reasons behind such discontenting demographic tendencies is the legality of abortions.

The lawmakers also stressed the negative attitude toward abortions shared [ru] by all Christian churches of Ukraine.

The proposal has proven quite controversial and sparked active discussions both online and offline.

Many commentators immediately focused on the issue of proving the occurrence of rape in court. Reporters of a major Ukrainian TV channel, TSN, noted that only 10 percent of rape charges become court cases and asked Olexandr Sych, one of the bill’s authors, what a woman should do if she became pregnant but failed to prove the fact of rape. The MP replied [uk]:

I do not work in the law enforcement and do not know what a woman can or cannot prove… But first of all, [she] should lead such a lifestyle as to not be exposed to the risk of rape. In particular, [she should not be] drinking alcohol beverages in a questionable company.

This excerpt was widely circulated online and discussed on Facebook by regular users, journalists and activists.

User Serhiy Masliuchenko wrote [uk]:

This law is yet another attempt of the state and the bureaucrats to interfere with an individual’s life… when [they] lack brains to do something about the economy, science, education, ecology, [they] invent laws like this one […]

User Vasyl Martyuk disagreed [uk]:

I do not consider “Svoboda” to be a cure-for-all, but I support this bill! Ukraine as one of the leaders in the number of abortions – this is terrible!

Facebook user Andrey Anthony wrote [ru]:

Before proposing such laws [you] should restore the order in the country. How can you propose such initiatives in a state where there aren’t even any roads, no rule of law, and endless corruption around? […]

User Elena Bondarenko wrote [ru]:

[This is just] another opportunity for gynecologists to [make a fortune from] underground abortions!!! Are there too few newborns found in dumpsters? Too few in [orphanages]? IDIOTS!! Create social and economic conditions for parenthood, not restrictions!!!

User Marianna Goncharova commented [ru]:

This is one of those cases where gender-sensitive approach is needed. Why is this issue being raised by men? […]

User Vitaliy Diachenko mocked the proposal [uk]:

Svoboda should adopt another law where their members are prohibited from having sex, unless they obtain a written document certifying that the sole intention behind this sexual act is [procreation].

User Yevgeniy Ikhelzon wondered [ru] why so little public reaction followed the introduction of the bill:

[What a] paradox, people who resent Muslims making women wear headscarves, calmly accept deputies attempting to ban abortions […].

Journalist Iryna Slavinska criticized the proposal [uk]:

[…] to fight the high numbers of unwanted pregnancies, sex education should be introduced in schools and there must be places where condoms and oral contraceptives are disseminated free of charge, instead of putting a ban on abortions.

Many users addressed the moral and ethical aspects of abortions. In particular, such a discussion took place on the Facebook page of a physician and activist Evgeny Komarovsky.

User Yulia Zheleznova wrote [ru]:

Those commenting here, unfortunately, have not convinced me otherwise, but only strengthened my previously held convictions. Regrettably, in our modern society there are so many women who do not consider not only the morals aspects of abortions, but even the elementary [issues] of their own health. […] There are no arguments to justify murder. Full stop.

Adding to the same discussion, user Olga Shandra wrote [ru]:

I think abortion is a choice of every individual woman, [based on] her moral and ethical principles, and definitely not the MPs, psychologists, public moralizers and so on.

User Enela Adonieva wrote [ru]:

I am against abortions. But a woman should have a choice. And it is not to be made by politicians.

Currently, abortions in Ukraine are legal until the 12th week of pregnancy (the 22nd week in emergency cases). Ukraine is one of the leading countries in Europe in the annual number of abortions, although there is a clear downward tendency. “Abortion tourism” from the neighboring countries where the laws are more restrictive, such as Poland, has also been documented.

Public Trust Wiped Away; Jamaicans at Risk from Tainted Toilet Paper

Janine Mendes-Franco — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 01:26:32 +0000

The poop has been hitting the proverbial fan in Jamaica recently over the sale of substandard toilet paper that has allegedly caused a slew of rashes and vaginal infections.

Active Voice explained:

The truth is we don’t know much. The Bureau of Standards claims to have found four brands that may be ‘contaminated’ but refuses to name them. Instead they are laboriously naming dozens of other loo paper that have alledgedly passed their tests. It leaves Jamaicans in a quandary. Should people like my friend Heather who invested in a case of toilet paper dump the lot because its not on the BOS list of safe tissues? Is it even safe to take a dump?

Annie Paul, the blogger, went on to chronicle some of the most outstanding tweets about the issue, but she was surprised to learn that:

This tissue issue had reared its head as far back as February this year albeit in a slightly different context. As a Gleaner article dated Feb 3, 2013, Shoddy imported tissue raises stink, has it:

Scores of Jamaicans are purchasing substandard toilet tissues and putting themselves at risk of serious health problems.

Sources in the health and manufacturing sectors last week confirmed that a large quantity of substandard toilet tissues is being imported into the island, mainly from Asia.

Paul surmised:

Perhaps we should consider whether this whole folderol is just a tissue of lies concocted by local toilet paper manufacturers to protect themselves against ‘foreign’ (read Chinese) imports of the sanitary product.

In the meantime the Jamaican Bureau of Standards (BOS) is digging in its heels and refusing to divulge the names of the contaminated toilet tissue brands.

Twitter, meanwhile, under the hashtag #TissueIssue, was on a roll, with some users offering useful information, others posting photos and most commenting on the situation:

@deronearcher: #InJamaica everyone stop talk bout the IMF and talking about the #TissueIssue Lol

‏@kishnicks: The PNP is an absolutely genius organization. What better distraction to the state of affairs than make us focus on the #TissueIssue #BS

Cucumber Juice pulled no punches, saying:

I’ve known for some time that Jamaica was up shit’s creek but the past few days have been a revelation. What a day it is when you cannot be certain if the toilet paper you have in your home is safe…

So far, the Bureau of Standards Jamaica and the Jamaica Ministry of Health have refused to name three brands of toilet paper and one brand of paper towel that have “ high bacteria counts” (problem #1). Flat out refusal. Instead the Jamaica Bureau of Standards provided lists of paper products…wait no, I’m not sure if all paper products are now being tested (problem #2)…right so let me rephrase: the Bureau of Standards Jamaica has chosen to only provide lists of toilet paper and paper towels that have been tested and found to not have “high bacteria counts.” A simple “pass” is noted. So if your preferred brand ~~the brand that you can now afford~~ is not on the list does that mean it failed the test or it hasn’t been tested yet? (problem #3)
How do we know that the list isn’t being manipulated to push sales toward certain brands or why certain brands haven’t (yet) been tested? (problem #4)

The Bureau of Standards Jamaica claims that it cannot name the four dangerous brands because — brace yourselves — they’re afraid of lawsuits. And the fear of lawsuits comes because there was no acceptable bacterial level for toilet paper in the first place. The argument then is that because there was no standard, the four dangerous brands cannot now be named for not living up to a standard (problem #5). Regardless of the fact that there is a high bacterial count…so high that even in the absence of standards there is a clear problem. Regardless of the fact that a product that comes into contact with genitalia – one of the body’s most sensitive areas – when used as the product is expressly intended to be used has a high bacterial count and has already caused illness. Call me crazy but those brands of toilet paper are not fit for their express, particular purpose.

The blogger, Alice Clare, continued:

Instead of naming the four brands and giving clear, explicit, firm guidance about how the public should proceed, the Ministry of Health is doing a belated silent recall and seizure action. The lack of urgency and the silence when dealing with a public health emergency is dangerous; this is a time when clear information is needed, not half-assed updates peppered with fear and uncertainty. And that vacuum of information breeds panic among the public.

The argument that testing is preliminary or that there are no standards holds no water for me. People are already sick…that is how the GOJ found out that there was a problem. By now testing should perhaps be in its third round; now is the time to request foreign help if you cannot manage because there is a clear and present danger to the health of Jamaican residents and citizens.

She went on to make her case for a proper recall:

Even if there are no standards required by the government agency responsible for setting standards, that the product cannot be used safely and for its intended purpose seems sufficient to publicly announce its recall so that the Jamaican public can protect itself. If not a recall then a clear, explicit, detailed public advisory including the names of the brands instead of incomplete lists…? Because that’s the bottom line: the public needs to be aware so that it can protect itself. It’s not like this is a brand of paper plate or garden hose: IT IS TOILET PAPER. WE ALL USE IT.

To her, the government's refusal to offer adequate information about such a present health threat reflects deeper issues of transparency and good governance:

I forget that this is the Government of Jamaica and for whom transparency, accountability and safeguarding the public are not priorities if even considerations. Regardless of whatever P is in charge.

Alice Clare went on to pose a series of pressing questions:

With none of the dangerous brands being named, what should people do about rolls of toilet paper and paper towels that have already been bought?

How will the GOJ [Government of Jamaica] inform a vulnerable public that it should not be using at least four brands of toilet paper if you can’t — or won’t — name the brands?

How will the GOJ inform a vulnerable public that A, B, and C are symptoms of The Toilet Paper Infection and that those who show these symptoms should see a doctor immediately? Is there sufficient medication available on the island for treating The Toilet Paper Infection? If not, is that being addressed?

If the GOJ does not name the dangerous brands, how will it ensure that the compromised tissue is returned — by consumers, retailers, distributors, wholesalers, supermarkets, the corner shop, the street vendor — to a designated place and safely disposed of?

Are the infections known to be caused by the bacteria on these four brands chronic or acute? Is there a test for the infection? If the four brands are not named, how will people know that they may be at risk?

What’s the source of the contamination? How did the contamination happen? What’s being done to prevent further contamination?

Is there a pattern involving this kind of contamination, the four brands of toilet paper, the country or countries or origin? If re-exportation is done, who will notify the new destination countries that there’s a problem? The Jamaican public may not be the only public that needs to know this information.

Why doesn’t the Bureau of Standards Jamaica have any standards for the quality of toilet paper being supplied to the Jamaican public? What other standards has the Bureau of Standards Jamaica failed to establish and enforce?

The post concluded:

This is not the first incidence of a public health issue being dealt with in silence (Chinese restaurant illnesses, baby formula drama, 2012 dengue outbreak): why are the agencies meant to either establish standards or protect the public health lax in naming culprit products…or disseminating needed public health guidance? If the issue is Jamaica’s libel laws, when will they be amended to allow the GOJ to fulfill its public health role? The law cannot be a muzzle when the safety of a population is at risk.
And is it that, in effect, the Bureau of Standards Jamaica has indemnified companies that offer dangerous products on the market?

Where does the Jamaican public sign up to sue the Government of Jamaica for negligence?

Latest developments suggest this will likely never happen. As one Twitter user said just a couple of days ago:

‏@suebellaC: …And just like that the #TissueIssue came and went…

The thumbnail image used in this post is by SCA Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget, used under an Attribution 2.0 Generic Creative Commons license. Visit SCA Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget's flickr photostream.

Mapping Tool to Track Insecticide-Resistant Mosquitoes

Rakotomalala — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:23:36 +0000

Cameroonian blogger Edouard Tamba posted on twitter about the first online mapping tool to tool to track insecticide resistance in mosquitoes that cause malaria : IR Mapper.

Interactive map that consolidates reports of insecticide resistance in malaria vectors onto filterable maps via irmapper.com