In The News

Between Famine and Politics, Zambians Starve

Henri E. Cauvin August 30, 2002
The debate over the use of genetically modified foods in the developing world has reached a critical point of urgency – life or death. While 14,000 tons of corn meal sit untouched in Zambian warehouses, lodged between political and economic concerns, millions starve daily. The President of Zambia, Levy Mwanawasa, fears that the influx of GM corn will cause mutations in corn grown in the region...

Mining Company to Offer H.I.V. Drugs to Employees

Henri E. Cauvin August 7, 2002
AIDS has had a devastating impact on the mining industry in southern Africa. Anglo American P.L.C. estimates that 28 percent of its workers are afflicted, and after months of indecision, the company has finally decided to provide them with antiretroviral drugs. This is a significant step in the fight against AIDS; the influence of a major company may provoke governments in Botswana and South...

Aids to slash South African savings funds

James Lamont August 5, 2002
The Aids crisis in South Africa is presenting new challenges to the pension fund industry. As death rates increase – life expectancy for males is expected to fall to age 38 by 2010 – the costs of death benefits and taxes will halve many pension funds. These predictions have led some portfolio managers to limit contributions to death benefits. South African companies still don’t see Aids as...

Belgium Bans Gum, Tablets and Drops with Fluoride

Anon. July 31, 2002
In a move thought absurd by the Belgian Dentists Federation, the Belgium government will ban the sale of all products containing fluoride except for toothpaste. While this ban is the first of its kind for the EU, Belgian Health Minister Magda Aelvoet, a member of the Flemish Green Party, plans to discuss this move with other members of the union. The reason for the proposed ban is that a study...

An Age-Old Quest Could Be at an End: Chinese Hail Viagra

Elisabeth Rosenthal April 23, 2002
Traditional Chinese medicine has several treatments for curing impotence, or simply for stimulating more sexual energy. Two years ago, however, Viagra was made legal and introduced in China with immediate success. There are certain parts of China where Viagra is sold almost everywhere – including candy stores and soda stands. However, as Viagra’s demand grows, so does the production of imitation...

Spread of AIDS in Rural China Ignites Protests

Elisabeth Rosenthal November 12, 2001
For the first time, China announced its observance of World AIDS day. However, lack of AIDS awareness and unrest in some provinces prove that China still has a long way to go to address the epidemic. Several provinces in rural China, whose HIV incidence is still undetermined though believed to be very high, have either been ignored or suppressed by the government. Protesters and journalists were...