AIDS and mothers’ rights

This piece is about female condoms. I bring them up for discussion because they are currently out of the limelight. When they first appeared, they seemed full of promise – a method of protection against pregnancy and HIV which could be used and controlled by women. In practice they pose problems – including the fact that they are a bit of a joke. So this is a reminder of the key facts and issues.

Hesperian (who produce and supply “Where there is No Doctor” and “The Midwife Book”) are looking for NGOs and people in the health field who will work with their online HL Materials Workshop. They will help in the design and customising of flyers, poster and brochures, offering professional back-up in return for feedback. Contact hesperian@hesperian.org

Networklearning’s Key Information Sheet on Advocacy – what is it, why is it important and the 10 steps to success – is now available in Arabic (3-page PDF). » Download directly from the Library Simple Devices to Assist the Physically Disabled is a manual of drawings of simple aids for the physically handicapped that can be made anywhere. There is now a version with Arabic introduction and notes (59-page PDF). The pictures themselves are self-explanatory. » Download directly from the Library

The International AIDS Conference took place in Mexico in August and Aidsmap has full reports plus downloadable resources developed specifically for this conference.

Big business, with its pursuit of profit at all costs, creates some huge problems in society. Such as poisoned environments, factories run with slave labour… and the process of globalisation is spreading them everywhere. So what can the little person do? Just this: make a conscious choice not to participate – and actively search out better alternatives. Because while the world is awash with stuff we don’t need, we definitely do need more ethical entrepreneurs. And, at the same time, conscious consumers. A nice example is Sanchi Bags, recently started up in India with the vision to promote the use of eco-friendly products and empower women. The idea is that the fashionable bags – including ones for laptops and tablets – will attract youth into the “go green” movement and become trendsetters across generations. The bags are made from locally-sourced biodegradable material and, most importantly, manufactured in their own households by suburban and rural woman homemakers. You can connect with Sanchi via their facebook page www.facebook.com/sanchibags

Two colleagues have done a literature review on the Information needs of health care workers in developing countries with a focus on Africa. Their damning conclusion: “Health care workers in developing countries continue to lack access to basic, practical information to enable them to deliver safe, effective care.