The International Policy Network has a summary of a new report that claims that Governments are responsible for the fact that poor people in developing countries do not have access to medicines and medical care. It isn't the big drug companies fault that medicines are too costly.
Find it at http://www.policynetwork.net/main/press_release.php?pr_id=89
An opposing viewpoint is found in an editorial against big medicine companies. The author claims that children in developing countries are dying because they can't get medicines for treatable diseases due to their poverty.
This is found at: http://www.stopchildpoverty.org/learn/bigpicture/health/pharmaceutials.php
A CNN news report says that poor heart patients in the USA reduce their purchases of medicine that they should be taking in order to by food for their families. Due to their poverty, they prioritize between food and medicine.
It was written in 1998 but this report is at:
http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/9803 /31/cardiology.wrap/index.html
Several years ago Sepp Hasslburger wrote how traditional medicines are more prevalent in many parts of the world and the poor use these rather than new products. In South Africa, it may be that traditional medicines are use for AIDS treatment more than ARV's.
Read about this at:
http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/2004/02/16/south_africa_traditional_medicine_to_fight_aids_poverty.htm
Medicines Transparency Alliance (MeTA) held a workshop in October of this year but only the goals and agenda was found. They are concerned with increasing accessibility of medicines for the poor. I'd like to find out what conclusions they may have made.
http://www.dfidhealthrc.org/meta/documents%5CMeta%20equity%20meet%20Oct%2007%5CMeTA%20worshop%20%agenda%20final.pdf
An interesting site that I found offers free medicine – but not any kind or all medicines – to those who qualify who live in the USA. These are provided by the drug manufacturers. The site is http://www.themedicineprogram.com/free-medicine.html
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Saturday, December 1, 2007
TRENDS OF TOBACCO USE WORLDWIDE
I grew up in a home where smoking was a constant practice by my mother.
Because I seemed to be always having respiratory problems, perhaps
that's why I never chose to pick up this habit. After moving out during
college years, I discovered that these allergy problems re-occurred whenever I was around someone smoking. My mother quit very late in her life (after age 70) but I believe it was only because she went to a hypnotist, as she always said that it was impossible for her to stop. She died of congestive heart failure at age 81 - I wonder how long she could have lived if she hadn't smoked? If Tobacco use would be stopped, there would be a great effect on global health!
Here are some sites which give information on trends - they also have links to many more sites with good information.
(1)
Child and Teen tobacco use – primarily concerned with the USA, but has
good information about reasons young people become smokers and
discusses some tobacco products that are produced in India and Malaysia
that I was not aware of that are being introduced into world markets.
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_10_2X_Child_and_Teen_Tobacco_Use.asp
(2)
World Health Organization’s index including the WHO’s Tobacco Treaty,
the initiatives that they are promoting for tobacco free environments
and how reported deaths from other causes really should be attributed
to smoking.
http://www.who.int/tobacco/en/
(3)
Smoking Statistics – worldwide statistics are staggering. Did you know
that about one third of adult males around the world smoke? Between
80,000 and 100,000 youth start smoking every day? How about one death
due to smoking every 8 seconds! The Chinese smoke 3 million cigarettes
every minute! This site also gives the suggested trend of smoking on
the globe as well as the advertising expenditures that promote this
practice.
http://quitsmoking.about.com/cs/antismoking/a/statistics.htm
(4)
The Food and Agriculture Agency of the United Nations predicts that the
growth rate of smoking will be slowing – but it is still about one and
a half percent a year.
http://www.fao.org/english/newsroom/news/2003/26919-en.html
(5) ProCor’s
Global Tobacco News Update [Thanks Liz for a Smoking reference in your
blog] has many stories of what is happening around the world concerning
the use of tobacco.
http://www.procor.org/section_news.asp?section=S1&SiteCode=procor〈=L1&pn=1
Because I seemed to be always having respiratory problems, perhaps
that's why I never chose to pick up this habit. After moving out during
college years, I discovered that these allergy problems re-occurred whenever I was around someone smoking. My mother quit very late in her life (after age 70) but I believe it was only because she went to a hypnotist, as she always said that it was impossible for her to stop. She died of congestive heart failure at age 81 - I wonder how long she could have lived if she hadn't smoked? If Tobacco use would be stopped, there would be a great effect on global health!
Here are some sites which give information on trends - they also have links to many more sites with good information.
(1)
Child and Teen tobacco use – primarily concerned with the USA, but has
good information about reasons young people become smokers and
discusses some tobacco products that are produced in India and Malaysia
that I was not aware of that are being introduced into world markets.
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_10_2X_Child_and_Teen_Tobacco_Use.asp
(2)
World Health Organization’s index including the WHO’s Tobacco Treaty,
the initiatives that they are promoting for tobacco free environments
and how reported deaths from other causes really should be attributed
to smoking.
http://www.who.int/tobacco/en/
(3)
Smoking Statistics – worldwide statistics are staggering. Did you know
that about one third of adult males around the world smoke? Between
80,000 and 100,000 youth start smoking every day? How about one death
due to smoking every 8 seconds! The Chinese smoke 3 million cigarettes
every minute! This site also gives the suggested trend of smoking on
the globe as well as the advertising expenditures that promote this
practice.
http://quitsmoking.about.com/cs/antismoking/a/statistics.htm
(4)
The Food and Agriculture Agency of the United Nations predicts that the
growth rate of smoking will be slowing – but it is still about one and
a half percent a year.
http://www.fao.org/english/newsroom/news/2003/26919-en.html
(5) ProCor’s
Global Tobacco News Update [Thanks Liz for a Smoking reference in your
blog] has many stories of what is happening around the world concerning
the use of tobacco.
http://www.procor.org/section_news.asp?section=S1&SiteCode=procor〈=L1&pn=1
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