Global Issues
News headlines
The UN Is Hunting for a New Medical Director, Based in New York City
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, May 13 (IPS) - "Are you a senior medical executive with expertise in healthcare management with oversight of clinical services and occupational health at a facility, state, national or international level? The United Nations Secretariat is seeking a Medical Director at the D-2 level in the Department of Operational Support," an ad posting on the UN's job portal reads.
The Commonwealth’s Response to COVID-19
- Inter Press Service
TORONTO, May 13 (IPS) - The Coronovirus pandemic has been an unforgiving test of advanced economies. Health systems in the United States, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK have been put under immense pressure, with shortages of doctors, ventilators, personal protective equipment and the capacity to test for the virus. Their economies have been battered and the consequences are spoken of in terms of the Great Depression.
We Cannot Let the Education Gap Widen at the Start of the Decade of Action
- Inter Press Service
NEW YORK, May 13 (IPS) - Yasmine Sherif is Director, Education Cannot WaitPrior to the COVID-19 pandemic, we estimated that 75 million children and youth - of whom 39 million are girls - were not able to access a quality education in countries impacted by armed conflicts, forced displacement, natural disasters and climate change-induced emergencies. The impact of COVID-19 has both globally and exponentially deepened the already existing critical education crisis.
On the Agenda of Iraq’s New Government: An Empty Treasury, Low Revenue, and COVID-19
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, May 13 (IPS) - While experts acknowledge that addressing the coronavirus is an urgent issue for Iraq's new government, there remain concerns that other long-standing issues might be of higher priority. Iraq's newly-announced leader has brought hope to a country embroiled in a 17-year-long conflict, but authorities must ensure that issues such as swift and rapid response to COVID-19, security concerns, and corruption among others are addressed with urgency, experts said on Tuesday.
Malawi’s Vulnerable Shortchanged in Human Trafficking Prevention Efforts
- Inter Press Service
BLANTYRE, Malawi, May 13 (IPS) - Malawi is a source, destination and transit country for human and sex trafficking. But the poverty-stricken nation, where almost 80 precent of its population is employed by the agriculture sector, doesn't have the funds to combat the crime.Malawi is not doing enough to enforce its laws on human trafficking, resulting in a number of cases against perpetrators being dismissed by the courts, according to a local rights group. But local officials say that this Southern African nation — one of the poorest countries in the world — just doesn't have the financial resources to do so.
Healthy Oceans: Keeping Asia and the Pacific Afloat
- Inter Press Service
BANGKOK, Thailand, May 13 (IPS) - Memories of idyllic beaches and sonorous waves may seem far away while we remain at home. Yet, we need not look far to appreciate the enduring history of the ocean in Asia and the Pacific. For generations, the region has thrived on our seas. Our namesake bears a nod to the Pacific Ocean, a body of water tethered to the well-being of billions in our region. The seas provide food, livelihoods and a sense of identity, especially for coastal communities in the Pacific island States.
Why Some National Health Care Systems Do Better than Others
- Inter Press Service
BERLIN, May 13 (IPS) - In public health discussions, it is generally recognized that the social returns to health care investments are greater than the private returns, and much of such investments should be financed by the state.
Housing is Both a Prevention & Cure for COVID-19
- Inter Press Service
NAIROBI, Kenya, May 13 (IPS) - Public health officials are calling the "stay home" policy the sacrifice of our generation. To flatten the curve of COVID-19 infections, this call of duty is now emblazoned on t-shirts, in street art and a celebrity hashtag.
Protecting Women’s Reproductive Health During the Pandemic
- Inter Press Service
May 12 (IPS) - "When I was 13… I got pregnant from my older brother… He raped me starting when I was 11," a girl from Guatemala told one of us in 2015. She was one of the 2 million girls under 15 worldwide who give birth each year, often due to sexual violence.
COVID-19: Zimbabwe’s Smallholder Farmers Step into the Food Supply Gap
- Inter Press Service
BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe, May 12 (IPS) - Bulawayo, Zimbabwe' second city of some 700,000 people, has experienced a shortage of vegetables this year, with major producers citing a range of challenges from poor rains to the inability to access to bank loans to finance their operations. But this shortage has created a market gap that Zimbabwe smallholders — some 1.5 million people according to government figures — have an opportunity to fill.
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