· August, 2008

Stories about Health from August, 2008

Kenya: Reproductive Rights Bill Sparks Abortion Debate

  28 August 2008

A bill proposed by Kenyan women's rights groups, which would make it easier to have an abortion, has re-sparked the debate about legalizing abortion. The procedure is currently illegal in Kenya, unless the pregnant woman's life is in danger. Many religious leaders and politicians in the country have spoken out...

Japan: Ministry study on biological roots of withdrawal and rage

  28 August 2008

Starting next year, a team of researchers recruited by the Japanese Ministry of Education will commit themselves to studying the connection between brain structure and sociability. Their aim will be the analysis of structures of the brain that control mechanisms such as sleep rhythm and stress tolerance, in order to prevent -- and eventually cure -- those disorders which affect social relations.

Cambodia: Sex workers, 100% condom use and human rights

  25 August 2008

Cambodian sex workers have taken to the internet to make their plight and fight for human rights better known. In Cambodia, a 100% condom use law which states that sexual exchanges with clients have to take place with condoms on sounds like a good idea, but it has been turned against those it is supposed to protect, by being used as a means to imprison sex workers, using the fact that they carry condoms with them as evidence for them doing sex work.

Breastfeeding in Thailand

  24 August 2008

absolutelybangkok.com is worried that Thailand has the lowest exclusive breastfeeding rate in Asia and one of the lowest in the world.

Egypt: Death of Three Arab Cultural Icons

The Arab world lost three of its cultural icons in the spam of a month. They are Egyptians philosopher Dr Abdelwahab El Mesery and film maker Yousef Chahine and Palestinian poet Mahmood Darwish. Egyptian Blogger, ElGharep, or The Stranger, reflects on the loss in this post [Ar].

Bhutan: Reduced Maternity Leave?

  19 August 2008

Recently Bhutan government has proposed reduction of maternity leave from 3 months to 45 days only in a draft revision of the labor act. Tshokey in Kuzu Bhutan weblog builds a case against the reduction stating why the leave is important for the newborn and the mother and what the...

China: Liu Xiang is after all still a hero

  19 August 2008

“There are heroes in this world, but there are no supermen. And the hero is not necessarily the person who wins the gold medal.” My1510‘s Rose Luqiu looks at the psychology of Liu's withdrawal, both from the perspective of athlete and audience: Liu Xiang and the Media, translated by Roland...

Costa Rica: Cancer Patient Update

  19 August 2008

The anonymous cancer patient from Costa Rica that has been documenting his illness at Diario de Un Enfermo de Cáncer [es] updates his readers after his recent surgery, which indicated that doctors found the cancer early enough to start preventative treatment, which was a relief to him and his family.

Trinidad & Tobago: Dengue Meggie?

  18 August 2008

Attillah Springer refers to a photo of the Minister of Health “looking for all intents and purposes like he’s giving the people of Trinidad and Tobago a great big meggie”, and wonders “if the meg means that he was only kicksing about there not being a dengue outbreak or that...

China: Liu Xiang is out and we are sad

  18 August 2008

The news that Liu Xiang has injured his foot and temporarily unable to compete shocked China over lunchtime Monday. He Caitou has reposted the fastest-rising thread at Baidu (first posted a month ago) in which someone claims they dreamt this was going to happen.

AIDS 2008: Lifting the Travel Ban on HIV-Positive People

  16 August 2008

The XVII International AIDS Conference ended in Mexico City last week, leaving participants with much to focus on until the next conference, which takes place in Vienna in 2010. One of these areas of focus are the travel restrictions imposed on HIV-positive people entering a country for the short or...

China: Sneak peek inside Athletes’ Village

  16 August 2008

Still at the Catch Up Lady‘s blog, we had to give big props to this post too, ‘Bikes in the Athletes’ Village: An Olympic Revolution’: “One of the best “insider” stories that came out of the afternoon was the inside scoop on the collapsible bikes that all the athletes’ are...

About our Health coverage

Juhie Bhatia
Juhie Bhatia is the Global Health editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.