Obama Evening News & Roundup -- World Health Day

And millions more have experienced "deepening poverty, school dropout and discrimination as a result of the epidemic."

The study, titled "Children and AIDS", points out that last year most of the 2.1 million children under five who were living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, were infected before their birth, during delivery or while breastfeeding.

And young people aged 15-24 accounted for about 40 percent of the new HIV infections among all people over 15.

The study goes on to note that children and teens are at the biggest risk of contracting AIDS/HIV and are the least equipped to stop it. This is in part thanks to George Bush's abstinence-only policies as well as his refusal to fund any contraception providers in Africa.

The report called for the following solutions:

First, strengthen communities and families whose role is crucial to every aspect of a child-centered approach to AIDS;

Second, reinforce health, education and social welfare systems which are key to effective interventions to support children affected by HIV and AIDS;

Third, integrate services for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission in maternal, newborn and child health-care programmes and;

Fourth, consolidate data and measurement in order to document advances and shortfalls and strengthen commitment.

One fifth of EU children are growing up in poverty:

Minimum levels of expenditure on addressing the causes of child poverty should be introduced across the European Union, according to a parliamentarian tasked with analysing the problem.

Some 19 million children live in poverty in the EU, about a fifth of the bloc's citizens below the age of 18.

While Gabriele Zimmer, a German left-wing member of the European Parliament (MEP), described the statistic as "almost unbelievable", she indicated that it would be even higher if it was expanded to include young asylum-seekers and undocumented migrants. Zimmer is currently preparing an official report for the Parliament on child poverty.

As expenditure on child welfare varies considerably between the EU's 27 countries, Zimmer is urging that the idea of setting common rules for what proportion of national income should be devoted to education, child health, social housing and related services should be examined. "We need a discussion about the level of minimum subsistence," she told IPS. "This is necessary."

One of the problems cited is the fact that Reaganite economic policies are driving businesses out of countries with a high standard of living, such as Sweden, into countries with a lower standard of living, such as Latvia. And more:

In a study published last year, the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) examined relative poverty among children -- growing up in a household with less than half of the average national income -- in 21 industrialised countries, mostly in Europe. It found that hardship was lowest in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden but highest in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Britain and the U.S.

A vote for McCain would be a vote for a third term of Bush. And if he were to get elected, childhood poverty would not get any better than it is now. It is a crime that we are the wealthiest nation in the world, yet we can't provide for our children so that they don't have to grow up in poverty. Poverty in childhood leads to poverty in adulthood, creating a drag on the economy.

This is what will happen if John McCain gets elected and continues the Bush policy of gutting consumer protection laws:

NGOs are stepping in to support consumers in the absence of a law to protect them.

Twenty-five associations now work in the field of consumers' protection, according to the Tanmia (Development) independent group. Six months ago the Consumer Protection Association in Oujda (CPAO), a city 635 km east of Casablanca, with a population of nearly a million, opened a centre Le Guichet du Consommateur to deal with complaints from consumers.

The office has so far handled 180 cases, according to Moroccan daily al-Ahdath al-Maghribia. The centre also provides consumers with necessary information and advice.

"But associations could do more if there were a modern law to protect consumers," Mohamed Abou Lifida, president of the Consumer Protection Association in Berrechid (CPAB), 32 km east of Casablanca told IPS.

A consumer protection bill has been pending since 1998 "and even revised several times in a way that would not allow enough protection for consumers," he said.

"In the absence of law, other means to protect consumers remain inefficient," Mohamed Yasser Gmira, member of the Moroccan Human Rights Association (AMDH) told IPS.

This is believed to limit the action that consumer protection associations can take, "and explains why most of them focus on communication with consumers rather than effective measures to protect them," Gmira says.

As the law stands, associations cannot complain against practices. That is for consumers to do – and they are not given the rights to. "There is a political push to stop the bill because it is against the interests of economic lobbies," Gmira said.

Let's just use toys as an example -- there were a ton of diaries last fall on toys that were not safe here in the US. But in Morocco, the situation is even worse. Toys that even the Bush administration would not allow to be imported are being sold to Morocco. Schools with asbestos in them are still being used, creating problems for otherwise-healthy mothers and children. Consumers are not allowed to choose among banks.

Not all the news is bad; Chile's new government is making strides in reaching out to its native population:

The new "Social Pact for Multiculturalism" addresses three main areas: political systems, rights and institutions; integrated development of indigenous communities; and multiculturalism and diversity. These are to be added to the guidelines for action presented by Bachelet in April 2007.

In the first area, the president announced that she would promote direct participation by indigenous people in Congress, regional legislatures and local councils. "I want indigenous representatives in parliament," said Bachelet, to a round of applause.

"The proposal that has been analysed in greatest detail is to go back to a draft law presented in 1991 by two lawmakers, proposing the creation of an indigenous electoral district which would be entitled to elect a given number of members of both houses of Congress," Rodrigo Egaña, commissioner for Indigenous Affairs, said after the ceremony.

In the second area, the president said that land would be restored in the immediate term to 115 indigenous communities, and decisions would be made with respect to the applications of another 308 communities. The Land and Water Fund, administered by CONADI, will be overhauled.

Programmes will be set in motion to boost the economic development of native groups, as well as the areas of communications, housing, drinking water, electricity and rural innovation, Bachelet said.

The special indigenous health programme will be strengthened, and actions will be studied to guarantee the right of indigenous peoples to have a say in the education of their children.

The third and final area of the new policy is aimed at "generating cultural change" among the Chilean population. The main novelty is that a "Code of Responsible Conduct" will be drawn up to regulate private and public investment projects in Indigenous Development Areas and on indigenous lands.

The Code "will include the right of indigenous people to be consulted about the projects, to share in the benefits, to be compensated for damages, and not to be relocated from their homes except under the conditions stipulated in the (International Labour Organisation) Convention 169 (on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples)," the president said.

"We are thinking of an indigenous communities’ impact assessment for investment projects," similar to the environmental impact assessment studies that are already required, Egaña said.

UN Millennium Development Goals in jeopardy thanks to Bush administration:

And the positive results, says the United Nations, are in danger of being wiped out by critical new threats, including skyrocketing food and fuel prices, increasing transportation costs, a decline in development aid and a shortage of health workers.

But with the threat of an economic recession in the United States and its negative impact on the rest of the world, along with the dramatic rise in oil prices and foodstuffs worldwide, there is a relatively gloomy outlook for MDGs.

Among the problems around the world:

--The rising number of poor in Africa;
--Half a million maternal mothers dying each year; 10 million children dying before their fifth birthday;
--1.7 million Africans per year becoming infected with AIDS;
--Most African nations not meeting their targets to reduce poverty;
--The World Food Bank needs $500 million just to meet their current commitments;
--Rice prices going up 20% in some parts of the world;

An estimated $6 billion per year is needed to effectively combat the problem of maternal mortality. The problem is that George Bush does not really care about these problems. Instead, he continues to follow the McCain Doctrine of perpetual warfare in Iraq and throw billions of our taxpayer dollars down the black hole of Halliburton, never to return.

Blackwater Fever Spreads in Iraq:

No, not the war criminals, something much worse:

Iraqi doctors in al-Anbar province warn of the spread of Blackwater fever, a complication of malaria. Many Iraqis see that name as ominously one with Blackwater Worldwide, the U.S. mercenary company operating in Iraq.

"This disease is a severe form of malarial infection caused by the parasite plasmodium falciparum, which is considered the worst type of malarial infection," Dr. Ali Hakki from Fallujah told IPS. "It is one of the complications of that infection, and not the ordinary picture of the disease. Because of its frequent and severe complications, such as Blackwater fever, and its resistance to treatment, P. falciparum can cause death within 24 hours."

Blackwater fever is a well-known medical condition, and while it has nothing to do with Blackwater Worldwide, Iraqis in al-Anbar province have decided to make the connection between the disease and the lethal U.S.-based company which has been responsible for the death of countless Iraqis.

The disease is most prevalent in Africa and Asia. The patient suffers severe intravascular haemolysis -- the destruction of red blood cells leading to kidney and liver failure. It also leads to black or red urination, and hence perhaps the name 'Blackwater'.

The deadly disease, never before seen in Iraq on at least this scale, seems to be spreading across the country. And Iraq lacks medicines, hospitals, and doctors to lead a campaign to fight the disease.

It's almost as though Bush were the grim reaper, sewing poverty, disease, and famine around the world. And, under the twisted reasoning of the Bush administration and their puppets in Iraq, government is the problem; therefore, the government must stand aside and let the Iraqi people solve their own problems. After all, government does not solve problems; government IS the problem.

On a similar note (same link), the collapse of the Iraqi government is a reasonable possibility, with people preparing to flee the country in the event of that happening:

"Many have died within the past two weeks in my town," Mahmood Nassir, a schoolteacher from Saqlawiya, north of Fallujah, told IPS. "We know it is a deadly disease, but what can we do about it? We have no government to refer to, and everyone in the Green Zone (the government district of Baghdad) is too busy preparing to escape with their share of the money they stole from us."

Given the fact that US soldiers died in the Green Zone for the first time yesterday, that day could come sooner than later, and could spell the end of Neocon dreams to use Iraq as a launch pad for an invasion of Iran and Syria. It would also spell the complete and total failure of the McCain Doctrine.

And this problem in Iraq is compounded by the culture of secrecy that the Bush administration has fostered, and a McCain administration would continue:

"There was a great deal of anger when we wrote about cholera in Iraq last summer," a journalist in Fallujah told IPS. "Neither the government nor the occupation forces would accept our covering such a story."

IPS was not allowed to take pictures at the Fallujah General Hospital. A doctor refused to disclose how many may have been infected or how many may have died.

The spread of this condition follows the outbreak of other diseases. According to the WHO, as of Oct. 3, 2007 cholera outbreaks in Iraq had spread to nine of 18 provinces, and roughly 30,000 people had fallen ill with acute diarrhoea, with 14 deaths.

An Oxfam International report released last July showed that the humanitarian disaster in Iraq is compounded by a mass exodus of medical staff fleeing chronic violence and lawlessness. The report said the lack of doctors and nurses is breaking down a health system now on the brink of collapse.

The report said many hospitals had lost up to 80 percent of their teaching staff.

In Malawi, women walking the streets at night looking for clean water:

Long known as a peaceful and quiet city, especially at night, Blantyre is steadily losing its reputation for tranquility. Residents now find themselves waking up to the hustle and bustle of women carrying metal and plastic buckets as they move around the city most nights and early mornings in search of water.

Water cuts that sometimes last up to three days have become a fact of life in Malawi's commercial hub. And, the parastatal Blantyre Water Board (BWB) -- the city's sole water supplier -- has warned that the cuts are likely to persist until 2013 as it replaces dilapidated water pumps with new equipment.

Businesses in Blantyre have resorted to installing on-site water tanks in an effort to cope with the erratic water supply.

The poor service there has caused disease outbreaks:

Persistent water shortages cause city residents to flush their toilets less frequently and to compromise on other basic elements of household hygiene such as dish washing. As a result, unpleasant odours emanate from houses and the risk of water-borne diseases has become a constant problem.

Cholera used to occur mainly in the rainy season when contaminated water entered the distribution system as a result of floods. Now, there are instances of the disease throughout the year, as poor hygiene is conducive to the spread of the Vibrio cholera bacterium.

If left untreated, cholera causes diarrhoea that can lead to kidney failure and death by dehydration within 24 hours. Since the beginning of this year at least eight people have died in a cholera outbreak in areas around Blantyre, which is located in southern Malawi. Up to 291 cases of cholera were reported within a three-week period in the region.

In Brazil, we can see what happens when a government does not provide basic civil services:

"Those who had this type of virus in 2002 became resistant to that strain. But the western part of Rio de Janeiro has received a large influx of migrants from other regions in the last few years, because of the high level of real estate speculation," he explained.

The incidence of dengue is closely "linked to social questions like living conditions, quality of housing, and the availability or lack of basic sanitation, garbage collection and clean water supplies," said the official.

In areas where these conditions are not in place, dengue is more widespread, said Berbara. He also set forth the "hypothesis" that the higher number of cases in Rio de Janeiro might be due to "the increase in rainfall in this period and thus the proliferation of mosquito breeding grounds in places where water has accumulated, like flooded areas and puddles."

John McCain, remember, believes that government is the problem and is thus not obligated to provide any more services than necessary. This is the sort of mentality that led to the Katrina disaster, resulting in the loss of around 10,000 lives in that disaster. And the fact of the matter is that he is too radical for this country -- his proposed wars in Iran and his plan for perpetual warfare in Iraq would create an even bigger drain on the treasury, meaning less and less resources for local governments to provide basic services like sanitation, garbage collection, and clean water supplies. And his plan to abolish the Federal Minimum Wage would result in even less tax revenues for local authorities.

If we continue down the path of the antitax extremism of the Republican Party, then it will only be a matter of time before such third-world diseases will come to our shores and create a huge public health problem. And fellow antitax extremists like Tim Pawlenty are putting this country well down that path. It seems that people like him and McCain have learned nothing from the Minnesota Bridge Collapse.

Air unfit to breate in Chile:

"It’s as if we were swimming at a beach unfit for bathing. For four or five months a year, the air is unfit to breathe in the Chilean capital, and the government throws out a lifejacket when people are in difficulties, so that they don’t drown," Patricio Pérez of the University of Santiago told IPS.

The expert was referring to the latest measures against air pollution announced Wednesday by the authorities in Santiago, which he described as merely "palliative."

Pérez’s forecasts about air quality for Santiago’s 6.5 million people are not very favourable. "So far there is no indication that this year will be any better than 2007, which was the worst since 2002," the researcher said.

Santiago, which is home to 40 percent of the Chilean population, has particularly poor ventilation, because it is surrounded by mountains.

Vehicles and factories are the main culprits of air pollution, although in recent years wood smoke from residential fireplaces has made an increasing contribution.

Once again, we see a window of what would happen if some of John McCain's policies were implemented. The Iraq war drains billions of dollars away that could be used for basic public services, like more biodiesel busses or other forms of public transportation. John McCain would likely reduce taxes on gasoline, which would be more of an incentive for people to buy or use cars. His policies, like George Bush's, would be an incentive for people to buy less fuel efficient cars, rather than more fuel-efficient cars.

An Obama administration would be a leader in the global health arena as well as the domestic field:

Advance the Biomedical Research Field: As a result of biomedical research the prevention, early detection and treatment of diseases such as cancer and heart disease is better today than any other time in history. Barack Obama has consistently supported funding for the national institutes of health and the national science foundation. Obama strongly supports investments in biomedical research, as well as medical education and training in health-related fields, because it provides the foundation for new therapies and diagnostics. Obama has been a champion of research in cancer, mental health, health disparities, global health, women and children's health, and veterans' health. As president, Obama will strengthen funding for biomedical research, and better improve the efficiency of that research by improving coordination both within government and across government/private/non-profit partnerships. An Obama administration will ensure that we translate scientific progress into improved approaches to disease prevention, early detection and therapy that is available for all Americans.

Fight AIDS Worldwide. There are 40 million people across the planet infected with HIV/AIDS. As president, Obama will continue to be a global leader in the fight against AIDS. Obama believes in working across party lines to combat this epidemic and recently joined Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) at a large California evangelical church to promote greater investment in the global AIDS battle.

Support Americans with Disabilities: As a former civil rights lawyer, Barack Obama knows firsthand the importance of strong protections for minority communities in our society. Obama is committed to strengthening and better enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) so that future generations of Americans with disabilities have equal rights and opportunities. Obama believes we must restore the original legislative intent of the ADA in the wake of court decisions that have restricted the interpretation of this landmark legislation.

Barack Obama is also committed to ensuring that disabled Americans receive Medicaid and Medicare benefits in a low-cost, effective and timely manner. Recognizing that many individuals with disabilities rely on Medicare, Obama worked with Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) to urge the department of health and human services to provide clear and reliable information on the Medicare prescription drug benefit and to ensure that the Medicare recipients were protected from fraudulent claims by marketers and drug plan agents.

Improve Mental Health Care. Mental illness affects approximately one in five American families. The National Alliance on Mental Illness estimates that untreated mental illnesses cost the U.S. more than $100 billion per year. As president, Obama will support mental health parity so that coverage for serious mental illnesses are provided on the same terms and conditions as other illnesses and diseases.
Protect Our Children from Lead Poisoning. More than 430,000 American children have dangerously high levels of lead in their blood. Lead can cause irreversible brain damage, learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and, at very high levels, seizures, coma and death. As president, Obama will protect children from lead poisoning by requiring that child care facilities be lead-safe within five years.

Reduce Risks of Mercury Pollution. More than five million women of childbearing age have high levels of toxic mercury in their blood, and approximately 630,000 newborns are born at risk every year. Barack Obama has a plan to significantly reduce the amount of mercury that is deposited in oceans, lakes, and rivers, which in turn would reduce the amount of mercury in fish.

Support Americans with Autism. More than one million Americans have autism, a complex neurobiological condition that has a range of impacts on thinking, feeling, language, and the ability to relate to others. As diagnostic criteria broaden and awareness increases, more cases of autism have been recognized across the country. Barack Obama believes that we can do more to help autistic Americans and their families understand and live with autism. He has been a strong supporter of more than $1 billion in federal funding for autism research on the root causes and treatments, and he believes that we should increase funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to truly ensure that no child is left behind.

More than anything, autism remains a profound mystery with a broad spectrum of effects on autistic individuals, their families, loved ones, the community, and education and health care systems. Obama believes that the government and our communities should work together to provide a helping hand to autistic individuals and their families.

All these efforts can be replicated worldwide once they are put into action. And on top of that, Obama would get us out of Iraq, freeing up more money so that we can double the money we can give to foreign relief. He would create a culture of transparency and openness so that we would know about health threats in time to stop them. And he would raise the standard of living of the middle class so that it can generate more tax money at the local level and enable local governments to provide basic services to residents.

ODDS AND ENDS:

Yes, Obama really does refuse to take money from lobbyists.

You see, I am a registered lobbyist for a non-profit organziation.  We are a non-partisan, non-political membership organziation, we do not have a political action committee and strictly observe a policy of non-particpation in any event that even remotely appears political.  I serve as their legislative rep, trying to ensure that expertise of our membership is heard by public officials on issues related to their area of expertise (public safety).

I guess given the fact that I was not a corporate/industry lobbyist, I never really considered that Obama's no-lobbyist money ban would apply to me, but it did!  The letter thanked me for my interest in the campaign, but stated flately that my donation was not acceptable.  

It's not often you get told that you are persona non grata and end up praising the person who exiled you.  But that what I am doing.  Obama actions are living up to his words.  Through the actions of his campaign he is demonstrating that his values are real and his commitment is certain.

Another aspect that is quite impressive to me is that the Obama campaign has a mechnism set up to check each donation, even one as small as mine, against the lobbyist database, and then return it.

If I ever doubted the sincerity of the Obama Campaign, this action removed any questions.

General Robert Scales calls for the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq:

Setting a withdrawal timetable from Iraq might be a shaky strategic move, but it would provide a morale boost for service members and their families, a former Army War College commandant said Wednesday.

Retired Army Maj. Gen. Robert Scales Jr., testifying before the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee about U.S. military strategy in Iraq, said he has no doubt that a major withdrawal of combat forces is coming because the U.S. has "run out of military options" and cannot indefinitely sustain troop levels.

"Regardless of who wins the election and regardless of conditions on the ground, by summer the troops will begin to come home," said Scales, who headed the war college in 1997. "The only point of contention is how precipitous will be the withdrawal and whether the schedule of withdrawal should be a matter of administration policy."

White House and Pentagon officials have resisted efforts by some lawmakers to set a fixed timetable for withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from Iraq, arguing that insurgents and other groups would try to use the dates to their advantage.

Scales, who was one of the creators of the Army After Next program in 1995 that helped plan for transforming the force, agreed that following a fixed withdrawal schedule "is not a good idea in an insurgency because the indigenous population tends to side with the perceived winners."

"However, some publicly expressed window of withdrawal is necessary, for no other reason than to give soldier’s families some hope that their loved ones will not be stuck on a perpetual rollercoaster of deployments," he said.

More and more generals are now following the lead of Wes Clark in standing up to the occupation of Iraq. And more follow:

General William Odom:

Good morning Mr. Chairman and members of the committee. It is an honor to appear before you again. The last occasion was in January 2007, when the topic was the troop surge. Today you are asking if it has worked. Last year I rejected the claim that it was a new strategy. Rather, I said, it is a new tactic used to achieve the same old strategic aim, political stability. And I foresaw no serious prospects for success.

   I see no reason to change my judgment now. The surge is prolonging instability, not creating the conditions for unity as the president claims.

   Last year, General Petraeus wisely declined to promise a military solution to this political problem, saying that he could lower the level of violence, allowing a limited time for the Iraqi leaders to strike a political deal. Violence has been temporarily reduced but today there is credible evidence that the political situation is far more fragmented. And currently we see violence surge in Baghdad and Basra. In fact, it has also remained sporadic and significant inseveral other parts of Iraq over the past year, notwithstanding the notable drop in Baghdad and Anbar Province.

   More disturbing, Prime Minister Maliki has initiated military action and then dragged in US forces to help his own troops destroy his Shiite competitors. This is a political setback, not a political solution. Such is the result of the surge tactic.

   No less disturbing has been the steady violence in the Mosul area, and the tensions in Kirkuk between Kurds, Arabs, and Turkomen. A showdown over control of the oil fields there surely awaits us. And the idea that some kind of a federal solution can cut this Gordian knot strikes me as a wild fantasy, wholly out of touch with Kurdish realities.

   Also disturbing is Turkey's military incursion to destroy Kurdish PKK groups in the border region. That confronted the US government with a choice: either to support its NATO ally, or to make good on its commitment to Kurdish leaders to insure their security. It chose the former, and that makes it clear to the Kurds that the United States will sacrifice their security to its larger interests in Turkey.

   Turning to the apparent success in Anbar province and a few other Sunni areas, this is not the positive situation it is purported to be. Certainly violence has declined as local Sunni shieks have begun to cooperate with US forces. But the surge tactic cannot be given full credit. The decline started earlier on Sunni initiative. What are their motives? First, anger at al Qaeda operatives and second, their financial plight.

Katrina Vanden Heuvel on the Responsible Plan to End the War:

Obama on the war at the Rice hearings in 2005: