Human being is a creature created by God to fear terror. It is as if terror is not caused by man and woman. Any man or woman who engages in terror is a son or a daughter of someone human. Only that the terror causer has a different way of looking at the world and that which goes on day-to-day in life.

How do we explain the deeds of school children who one day arrives in the school geared to kill schoolmates and teachers? Do we say they are crazy? Do we say they are from failed homes? There is no simple answer and yet we tend to conclude that such youngsters are committing such deeds because of abuse in their lives.

Imagine if all those who are abused one way or another in this world were to purchase a gun, rounds of ammunition or explosives and decide to harm those who come closer to them. Then we would have a mad world.

Sometimes we hear experts conclude that people who resort to harmful behaviour are persons who like to destabilise the world and the surroundings they come from. Are we right on this? From my own view, I do not think so.

Now Europe is dead scared of terror now that we hear� some people were planning to bomb and flatten the Chinese embassy in Norway and also cause harm in other European countries. This will most definitely make life difficult for those who work in the embassy and other European cities, yet there is nothing they can do to stop such attack if it were to happen now or in the future. This is sad because it is not easy to control the mind or minds of people who want to revenge one way or another.

The man facing charges in Norway is reported to have decided to harm the Chinese embassy because as he has been reported saying, the Chinese government has killed his people, the ethnic group that he comes from in China. How can such a problem be solved, when a person plans or is involved in planning an act of revenge that which he believes will pay for that which he has lost in the hands of the government?

European cities report that they may soon be under attack. What is causing people to plan to attack European countries? Of course the attacks will not be justified but there are questions as to what Europe has done to attract hate forcing a person or people to plan to attack massively, forcing the European countries to live in daily constant fear of being attacked.

I fear the attacks on innocent people will soon occur in European cities. And yet I question what makes people attack indiscriminately. It is a fact that when we hear that someone has committed terrorist acts, there is always a given reason as to what has caused such person to act in that manner.

Many countries send soldiers to countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, Congo and other regions in the name of stopping terrorism or help stop ethnic killings. What in many cases comes out of that as reported often is the murdering of innocent civilians in those countries. We hear of rape cases by soldiers in Congo, men who are send there to help the country and yet they prey on the weak by raping children� and women. Can such actions force some people to plan terror and commit terror in the countries where the visiting soldiers come from? Certainly yes! This is what we now see and hear was to happen in Norway against the Chinese because someone is angered by what he terms attrocities against his ethnic group back home in China.

What would happen if no soldiers were send to other countries where they go and kill and misbehave raping women? May be this is a good thought because this may stop acts of terror that we see growing day by day worldwide.

I am of the opinion that ongoing terror activities could be reduced if nations respected one another and not show superiority that undermines others. Likewise, I believe terror could be reduced to the minimum if all nations respected one another and not look down on one another’s religion but instead view one another as equal partners on this earth that we all love and cherish.

By Chief Editor Korir, African Press International.

Sustained commitments necessary to secure future progress

28 September 2010 | GENEVA / NAIROBI / WASHINGTON D.C� Significant progress has been made in several low- and middle-income countries in increasing access to HIV/AIDS services, according to a new report released today. The report Towards Universal Access by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) is the fourth annual report for tracking progress made in achieving the 2010 target of providing universal access to HIV prevention, treatment and care.

The report assessed HIV/AIDS progress in 144 low- and middle-income countries in 2009 and found:

� 15 countries, including Botswana, Guyana and South Africa, were able to provide more than 80% of HIV-positive pregnant women in need, the services and medicines to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission;

� 14 countries, including Brazil, Namibia and Ukraine, provided HIV treatment to more than 80% of the HIV-positive children in need;

� Eight countries, including Cambodia, Cuba and Rwanda, have achieved universal access to antiretroviral treatment (ART) for adults.

“Countries in all parts of the world are demonstrating that universal access is achievable,” said Dr Hiroki Nakatani, WHO’s Assistant Director-General for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases. “But globally, it remains an unfulfilled commitment. And we must join forces to make it a worldwide reality in the coming years.”

Remarkable progress in Eastern and Southern Africa, the region most severely affected by HIV, offers hope. In this region, HIV treatment coverage has increased from 32% to 41% in one year. And half of the pregnant women were able to access HIV testing and counselling in 2009.

�We�re on the right track, we�ve shown what works and now we need to do more of it,� said Dr Paul De Lay, Deputy Executive Director, Programme, UNAIDS. �But we�re US$10 billion short. At the Global Fund replenishment conference in New York next week countries have a chance to put this right��to make a smart investment and secure the future of the AIDS response.�

In 2009, 5.25 million people had access to HIV treatment in low- and middle-income countries, accounting for 36% of those in need. This represents an increase of over 1.2 million people from December 2008, the largest increase in any single year.

In sub-Saharan Africa, close to one million more people started on ART, the number increasing from 2.95 million at the end of 2008 to 3.91 million at the end of 2009, covering 37% of those in need. Latin America and the Caribbean region reached 50% coverage for ART, East, South and South-East Asia�31%, Europe and Central Asia�19%, and North Africa and the Middle East�11%.

Challenges in delivering universal access

Obstacles to scaling up HIV treatment persist in most countries, including funding shortages, limited human resources, and weak procurement and supply management systems for HIV drugs and diagnostics and other health systems bottlenecks. One third of countries reported at least one or more cases when supply of HIV medicines had been interrupted in 2009.

Prevention efforts to reach most-at-risk populations such as sex workers, drug users, and men who have sex with men are limited. For example, only about one third of injecting drug users in reporting countries were reached with HIV prevention programmes in 2009.

Availability and safety of blood and blood products continue to be a concern for HIV prevention, especially in low-income countries. While 99% and 85% of blood donations in high- and middle-income countries, respectively, were screened in a quality-assured manner in 2009, in low-income countries the comparable figure was 48%.

Results from population surveys in ten countries showed more than 60% of HIV-positive people did not know their HIV status. As a result, many patients start treatment too late.

Around 18% of patients initiating treatment were lost to follow-up during the first year, a large proportion of them dying due to late initiation of treatment.

“The report findings indicate challenges but also clear opportunities for optimizing investments and increasing efficiency. By starting treatment earlier and improving adherence within the first year, we can save many more lives,” said Dr Gottfried Hirnschall, WHO’s Director for HIV/AIDS. “We also need to not only further increase access to key HIV/AIDS interventions but also to pay attention to ensure higher quality of these life-saving services,” he said.

Women and children

Steady progress was seen in access to prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services. A record 53% of pregnant women who needed PMTCT services received them globally in 2009. But still many pregnant women and their infants lacked access to these timely interventions. Care for infants and children require highest attention. Global treatment coverage for HIV positive children was 28% in 2009, a notable progress, but the rate is lower than the ART coverage for adults (36%). And only 15% of children born to HIV-positive mothers were receiving appropriate infant diagnostics.

“Every day, more than 1 000 infants acquire HIV during pregnancy, delivery and breastfeeding. We know how to prevent this,” says Jimmy Kolker, Chief of HIV and AIDS of UNICEF. “While many countries are now showing significant progress, intensified efforts are urgently needed to reach all mothers and children with the most effective treatment and PMTCT interventions for their own health and for the sake of their communities.”

Steps towards universal access beyond 2010

The report called for a clear set of actions to be taken by the international community including:

� renewing political and funding commitments to achieve universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care;

� improving integration and linkages between HIV/AIDS and related services such as tuberculosis, maternal and child health, sexual health and harm reduction for drug users;

� strengthening health systems to achieve broader public health outcomes; and

� taking bold measures to address legal and structural barriers that increase HIV vulnerability, particularly for most-at-risk populations.

This call to action is consistent with the key strategies proposed by a broad range of stakeholders for the new Global Health Sector Strategy for HIV/AIDS, 2011-2015. WHO is developing the strategy which is meant to guide the next phase of the health sector response to HIV/AIDS, once discussed and ratified by the World Health Assembly next year.

————–

Robyn Bartley

Bartley Robbs Communications

By Agwanda Powerman,

Kisumu, Kenya

Youths in Nyanza have been urged to embrace farming as a major economic activity in readiness for the commissioning of Kisumu International Airport.

Infrastructure specialist in the office of the Prime Minister Sylvester Kasuku says the new Airport will open opportunities for direct exportation of horticultural produce from Nyanza.

Kasuku says the region has rich and fertile soil with favourable weather conditions which needs to be fully exploited for large scale farming.

He says in the wake of the new constitution, the government has opened up avenues for resources through the counties thus the youths in Nyanza should take advantage of that and venture into farming rather than engaging in political violence.

Speaking to the press in Kisumu today, Kasuku confirmed that the exportation of agricultural produce and other cargo will be made possible after the government approved a further Sh. 1.8 billion to set up a standard cargo and storage facility at the Kisumu International Airport.

He dismissed fears by a section of Kallejin leaders that Kisumu Airport will render Eldoret Airport less effective adding that the two airports are strategically placed to improve the economy of the country.

The Kisumu Airport is expected to be officially launched early next year opening doors for improved economic base for Nyanza and its environs.

ENDS.

Some believe traditional ways of resolving disputes should be encouraged to assist with conflict resolution.

By Tajeldin Adam, Assadig Mustafa, Simon Jennings, Blake Evans-Pritchard – International Justice – ICC
ACR Issue 271,
28 Sep 10

The tribal justice system in Darfur is in tatters after years of conflict and political manipulation from Khartoum, but could it be restored and serve an important role in peace-making and reconciliation?

Although the scale of atrocities in the region is such that specialist war crimes courts will inevitably be needed, commentators still believe that traditional justice has much to offer in Darfur.

Local justice in the region is based on customary law rather than the Sudanese penal code. It is part of the formal judicial system, but there are certain restrictions on its operation. For example, it cannot rule on cases of murder and the penalties it can impose are limited.

Darfur has a long history of locally-administered justice, with tribal leaders playing a key role in maintaining security and good relations within and between different tribes.

“Traditional [justice] can play a very important role in reconciliation and mending social fabrics because local leaders are accepted by their communities,” explained Amna Harun, an expert on the subject who advised the Max Planck Institute, a German think-tank, on its recent recommendations for a peace agreement in Darfur.

The strength of traditional justice lies in the fact that the local leaders who administer it have the backing of the majority of the community they represent. Disputes are mostly resolved through the mediation of elders, sheikhs or mayors, with no formal paperwork or official records. This is a system known as judiya. In cases where mediation on its own is not sufficient, customary courts can handle cases such as theft or more minor misdemeanors.

This provides access to justice for those that otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford to go to a higher court.

If a claimant wants to appeal a customary court decision, he can go to the court in the nearest town and seek a decision under official Sudanese law. But for local disputes and low-level crime, tribal justice mechanisms perform an important task.

“For example, if you have a loss of 50 [Sudanese] pounds, you would pay 100 pounds to reach. courts [in the town],” Professor Musa Adam Abdul-Jalil, of Khartoum university, said. “That is why the existence of the traditional court is important for people – it addresses their needs and is based on their traditions.”

Many blame Jaafar al-Nimeiri, who ruled Sudan between 1969 and 1985, for weakening the role of local leaders by setting up regional authorities.

“The political development of Sudan didn’t take into account the role of the traditional administration,” said Sultan Saad Abdel Rahman Baharaldin, the traditional leader of Dar Masalit, homeland of the Masalit people, which is a loosely-defined region around El-Geneina, the capital of west Darfur. “Instead, a new government created institutions assigned to play the role of the traditional administration.”

Baharaldin notes that, in some cases, an official was given the mandate usually assigned to a traditional leader, even though they did not have an understanding of the tribal customs and problems being faced.

“[This] led to clashes between these newly-created bodies and the traditional administration,” he said.

The recent fighting in Darfur, which began in 2003, has also led to the diminishing role of community elders, as settlers from outside the region have moved in, without knowledge or respect for local customs.

“All [those] who were born and raised in Darfur have a culture that is compatible with today’s custom and traditions,” Baharaldin said. “[But] those who came to Darfur recently came with new… traditions that do not recognise the existing norms, and this can create difficulties.”

In October 2009, an African Union panel, led by former South African president Thabo Mbeki, published a series of recommendations on bringing a lasting peace to Darfur.

At the heart of these recommendations were three interrelated issues: peace, justice and reconciliation.

The 148-page report notes that there are “established practices and traditions which can be used to promote reconciliation and to settle intra- and inter-community disputes” and that greater support should be offered to these. But such local mechanisms, states the report, have become too politicised to work effectively.

One specific issue that traditional justice can help address is the resolution of conflicts over land.

When people were forced to leave their farms, settlers often moved in and occupied those lands in the absence of their owners.

“For example [local courts] can identify a piece of land as used or owned by a particular person for 50 years,” Abdul-Jalil, from Khartoum university, said. “If the conflict parties go to this traditional court they will receive decisions based on the knowledge and the archive of the members of these courts.”

Baharaldin is optimistic that such a system can be restored and serve a useful purpose, “These courts can play a significant role and contribute towards solving a lot of disputes.”

This has already happened in South Sudan, a region that has also been ravaged by years of bloodshed.

“It is a mistake to assume that war destroyed traditional justice mechanisms [in the south] altogether,” said Cherry Leonardi from Britain’s Durham university. “Local justice is functioning here – and it draws on a strong culture.”

Leonardi notes that last year the government of South Sudan introduced legislation that formally recognised the role that a chief could play in administering justice.

Riek Machar, the vice-president of Sudan, from the Nuer tribe, welcomes the contribution that traditional courts are starting to play.

“Dealing with the local chiefs has always been an important way of governing South Sudan, even during the war,” he said. “The chiefs still have their power and the [2005] interim constitution recognises this.”

Machar estimates that more than 70 per cent of cases may go through local courts.

“We are a heterogeneous society,” Machar said. “Even if South Sudan becomes an independent nation, it will be heterogeneous. That is why we need this system of justice.”

But, for Darfur, significant challenges remain.

The arming of militias there, and also in South Sudan, has made it difficult for traditional leaders to exert their authority.

“One of the consequences of this process is the prevalence of firearms in the hands of young people who revolted against the traditional wisdom of the elder tribal leaders,” Professor Suliman Baldo, Africa director for the New York-based International Centre for Transitional Justice, said.

Another problem that needs to be dealt with is external meddling in traditional political structures.

“The government [has selected] traditional administration leaders who are loyal to the current regime instead of leaving it up to the tribal groups to select their leaders, according to their traditions and customs and other considerations practiced through history,” Baldo said.

One internally-displaced person from Abu Shok in North Darfur, who declined to be named, said, “You don’t see any role of the traditional administration. In many cases, they speak in the name of the people but they don’t represent them, especially in the camps.”

For its part, Khartoum denies any political interference.

“This is not true; the selection of the traditional leaders depends on legal basis and specific requirements,” Abdullah Amin, the commissioner of Zalingei, west Darfur, said. “That is to say, if we look at the different components of the traditional administration – such as sheikhs, mayors, and its entire leadership – we see that they are elected and nominated by their people.”

If traditional justice can somehow re-establish itself in Darfur, in the same way that is starting to do so in the south, many think that this could give the peace process a real push.

“The most important characterisation of traditional administration is preserving security, because leaders know each other and their tribes,” Harun said. “[This] qualifies them to know more about their problems and then how to wisely come up with a suitable solution.”

————–
Tajeldin Abdhalla Adam is a Radio Dabanga reporter and IWPR trainee. Assadig Mustafa is working with Radio Dabanga. Simon Jennings is an IWPR reporter in The Hague and producer of a Radio Dabanga show about justice issues. Blake Evans-Pritchard is IWPR’s Africa editor.

(Institute for War & Peace Reporting.)

By Prem K. Bhandari

It is critical for every woman, regardless of age, to be able to recognize the symptoms, risk factors, and preventive measures for the killer diseases that inflict women throughout the world. Prem K. Bhandari, a well known researcher and author of �Heal & Prevent Stroke & Heart Disease�, describes in his book �KILLER DISEASES OF WOMEN� the most prominent causes and the symptoms of life-threatening diseases.

In �Killer Diseases of Women�, the author outlines the root causes, symptoms, and risk factors of many killer diseases like:

Breast cancer, esophageal cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic disease, skin cancer, stomach cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, urinary bladder cancer, uterine cancer, vaginal cancer, stroke, hemorrhage, coronary heart disease, heart attack, hepatitis, cirrhosis and cancer of the liver, kidney stones, nephritis, kidney tumors, hernias, emphysema, chronic obstructive bronchitis, asthma, influenza, pneumonia, pleurisy, osteoporosis, bone fracture, bone cancer, septicemia, diabetes and its effects, Alzheimer�s disease��..etc.,

along with the recommendations to avoid disability and premature death.

The knowledge of various killer diseases will enable women to start managing their health conditions better by taking preventive and remedial measures right from the start when the symptoms first appear. Bhandari strongly believes that knowledgeable women will be able to cut down their dependency on the medical community and the associated costs by as much as 90%, depending upon the age.

By Presidential Press Service
Nairobi, September 29th 2010

The Government is committed to entrenching the new constitution and
facilitate the growth of the new Republic, President Mwai Kibaki has said.

Noting that there was need to stay focused on this noble duty, President
Kibaki noted that side-shows should not distract the nation from
successful implementation of the new constitutional order.

Thanking Kenyans for demonstrating solid commitment to good governance by
overwhelmingly voting for the new constitution, the Head of State affirmed
that good governance is the key to a country’s development.

President Kibaki reiterated that the accomplishment has bequeathed future
generations of a country with strong institutions for the practice of
democracy and application of law and justice.

The President made the remarks today during the official opening of the
2010 Nairobi International Trade Fair at Jamhuri Park Showground.

“Moreover, there will be opportunities for participation of all Kenyans in
the development of our country and greater opportunities for individual
development, particularly the growth of our youth, women and the
physically challenged,” the President noted.

In this regard, the President advised Kenyan youth to take advantage of
the Kenya Youth Enterprise Fund that has now been established in all parts
of the country.

He thanked Kenyan youth for supporting reforms in the country and assured
them of government support.

President Kibaki termed the Trade exhibition a precious forum to promote
domestic and international trade potential particularly due to Kenya ‘s
strategic location in the region.

Further, noted the Head of State, the event provides an occasion for
citizens to familiarize themselves with modern agricultural production
trends while at the same time establishing business contacts world over.

He asserted that Kenya was the primary communication and financial hub of
the East African Customs Union comprising of five countries with an
estimated population of over 120 million people.

Kenya also belongs to the 450 million people rich Common Market for
Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) which represents an enormous
investment opportunity, observed the President.

The Head of State said that the Government remained steadfast in pursuing
sound policies that are business friendly to ensure the country remains a
preferred financial and trading hub.

“These include controlling the inflation rate, ensuring predictable
foreign exchange rates and an interest rate regime that is favourable to
both borrowers and depositors.  We are also at the forefront of the ICT
revolution that enables quick and secure settlement of trade
transactions,” the President affirmed.

Underlining the importance of the agricultural sector, President Kibaki
said there was need to inject a business attitude to agriculture by
transforming the sector into a commercial enterprise that attracts high
productivity.

“This sector continues to be the key driver of our economy.   The sector
accounts for 24 percent of the National Gross Domestic Product, provides
61 percent of our foreign revenue and supports the livelihood of 78
percent of our rural people,” said the President.

He said that the government had identified several critical areas and had
taken concrete measures focusing on modernization of agriculture and
maximization of returns to farmers.

He remarked, “For example the government is now an active player in the
provision of subsidized and affordable fertilizer and seeds to farmers.
In this programme the Government has distributed fertilizer worth 9.7
billion shillings and seeds valued at 800 million shillings.  The net
effect was a bumper crop this year, to the extent that we are now
experiencing a challenge of low prices and inadequate storage facilities
at the farm.”

The President noted that despite the various challenges afflicting the
sector, the government’s provision of subsidized fertilizer and seeds to
farmers had immensely contributed to revival of the sector and attainment
of bumper harvest this year.

“In particular, the prolonged drought of 2008, reversed the impressive
agricultural growth rate of an average of 5.2 percent attained in 2006 and
2007, to an average of negative 3.5 percent in 2008 and 2009. I am,
however, encouraged to note that we have weathered these challenges and
are now back on track to recovery,” the Head of State noted.

During the occasion, President Kibaki directed the Ministry of Agriculture
to with immediate effect establish a warehouse receipt system that could
enable farmers to store their grains in certified National Cereals and
Produce silos.

Moreover, the Head of State assured that the Government had provided 700
million shillings to establish appropriate community based storage
facilities installed with proper drying and post harvest management
systems with the aim of raising the country’s Strategic Grain Reserve to
the target of 8 million bags.

Other measures taken by the government to revamp the sector, the President
said, included expansion of irrigated acreage as well as rebuilding of
agriculture research and extensions services.

“Last year we achieved a 100 percent success rate by irrigating an
additional 46,000 acres of land.  A total of 90,000 tons of rice and
36,000 tons of maize were produced.  We will continue to allocate more
resources so that we can put one million acres under irrigation in the
next five years,” remarked the Head of State.

He said that additional extension workers would be hired while through
collaboration with development partners agricultural mechanization
services with tractors would be revamped at a cost of Shs 3.2 billion.

President Kibaki said, “Mechanized agriculture will lower production
costs, increase land yields and improve the timeliness of agricultural
operations.  This will result in rising incomes, increased social welfare
and economic growth.”

With regard to infrastructure, the Head of State affirmed that the
Government had embarked on an aggressive programme to modernize the local
roads network.

“In our urban centers, we are building city by-passes, overpasses and
other link roads that will facilitate faster transportation of goods and
passengers,” stated the President.

He disclosed that Shs 104 billion had been allocated for roads development
while new road corridors to link Kenya with neighbouring countries had
been initiated.

President Kibaki said, “Infrastructure is very important to agricultural
development.  For this reason, we have continued to invest heavily in
developing all aspects of infrastructure including roads, railways,
electricity, water supply, air and maritime transport as well as the
telecommunications sector.”

Earlier the President toured various winning stands including the Ministry
of Agriculture, NSSF and the International exhibits pavilion. President
Kibaki later presented prizes and certificates to winning exhibitors in
various classes.

The Minister for Agriculture Sally Kosgei in her speech outlined the
various measures the Government was taking to revamp food production and
maximize farmers’ earnings.

Dr Kosgei said the government will continue to work with the private
sector and development partners to make Kenya self sufficient in food
production.

The Minister also expressed appreciation to the US government for
supporting government initiatives to eradicate famine in the country.
Other speakers included ASK National Chairman Mrs. Alice Kalya and the
chairman of Nairobi International trade fair Mr. John Nthuku.

In attendance were Cabinet Ministers, Assistant Ministers, members of
parliament, Chief of General staff Jeremiah Kianga, members of diplomatic
corps, COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli and Nairobi Mayor Geoffrey
Majiwa among other dignitaries.

Ends.

PAKISTAN: Using SMS to pinpoint humanitarian needs

Photo: Edgar Mwakaba/IRIN

ISLAMABAD, 28 September 2010 (IRIN) – Innovative mobile phone technologies and applications are poised to help save lives and bring relief to millions of people in Pakistan affected by floods since late July.

To meet the need for timely information, to identify requirements in flood-hit areas and to determine the precise locations of displacement, a portal called Pakreport was set up by a group of individuals soon after the calamity began.

The map on the portal pinpoints areas where assistance is needed and enables affected individuals (and organizations working to help them) to directly report and access information. Information can be sent in by sending an SMS to 3441. The reports are then verified by administrators.

Pakreport.org is not the only initiative of this kind.

US Agency for International Development administrator Rajiv Shah recently invited people during a radio programme to share the latest information and updates on Pakistan flood recovery efforts by SMS-ing the word “FLOODS” to 7111. The “FLOODS” group is available on all mobile phone networks and allows users to join or initiate discussions by sending messages to all group partners. The service, known as Humari Awaz, was launched in October 2009 by US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton during a visit to the country.

�We are pleased that Pakistan has a forum for information sharing that people everywhere can use to engage each other in the flood relief effort,� said Shah, according to the US State Department blog.��Information sharing can help connect people to resources to aid in disaster recovery and to engage one another in problem-solving.�

There are 99 million mobile phone subscribers out of a total population of 170 million people, according to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority.�Mobile phones make sense in a country where the land-based telecommunications network still reaches only a relatively small number of people.

Significant innovations

It is a wonderful tool, especially in a situation like the one we face

Maurizio Giuliano, public information officer for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said Pakreport and other innovations were of significance.

A brief developed by OCHA said humanitarian work had been aided by technologies using satellite data and GIS technologies. �Using their maps, organizations are able to do things such as quickly get an understanding of the spatial aspects of the emergency, understand where relief efforts are being undertaken (or not undertaken), better target their relief efforts, better coordinate with others, and simply have large reference maps for planning purposes.�

Other texting services, including FrontlineSMS developed in the UK to empower small, local NGOs, are also in use.

�We use a range of mediums, including the FrontlineSMS service for our work,� Maria Ahmed, mass communictions team leader at the International Organization for Migration in Islamabad, told IRIN. �There has to be a mix of means used, especially as not many people are literate, so the SMS and other services act as a back up to the other methods we use to access information.�

Shared data

Andrej Verity, an information management officer with OCHA, said he could see a role for his organization and others like the UN Development Programme or the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction in working with governments to get a data sharing system established, perhaps first in the most disaster prone countries.

Photo: David Swanson/IRIN

Some experts suggest to establish a data sharing system to identify the worst affected areas at early stages of crises (file photo)

�Imagine if a short code [special four-digit phone number] was already established, the website set up, and processes to handle the information defined [before an emergency]. When something strikes, the people, and government, would know how to use the system – no sales job required. At that point, we would have a great �early assessment� of the situation because people could be SMS-ing almost from time zero. I know that many would be very hesitant to call such an approach an official assessment, but it could be used to help identify what could be the worst affected areas and then organizations could target verification assessment missions in these locations.�

Faisal Chohan, an Islamabad-based technological entrepreneur and innovator and a key member of the Pakreport team, told IRIN: �Pakreport.org provides two kinds of interfaces to interact with the organizations and individuals. It provides them the opportunity to share their data with geo-coding with the outer world openly, and at the same time access information from other organizations.�

The portal is based on Ushahidi software, developed in Kenya�to track data and information about people in crisis situations. The word �Ushahidi� means �testimony� in Swahili and the website was initially developed to map reports of violence in Kenya after elections in 2008.

Looking for a breakthrough

Word about the Pakreport map and portal is apparently spreading among flood victims. �I have heard about this website through some NGOs. I may send a message to them if we continue to receive too little help,� Sayed Khan, 32, in Nowshera District of Khyber-Paktoonkhwa Province, told IRIN.

OCHA�s Verity, however, cautions: �Regarding Pakreport specifically: I am not 100 percent sure that Pakreport.org has proven to be as successful as Ushahidi was in Haiti. I believe this is due to the longer delay in getting it set up, the slightly more convoluted texting procedure, and literacy issues.�

Pakreport�s Chohan said a proposal for assistance had been put to all five companies running cellular phone networks in Pakistan. �In Haiti the operators played a very active role in the spreading of the message. We are looking for the same from the operators from Pakistan but still need a breakthrough,� he said.

Currently, word about the work of Pakreport.org is being disseminated through the media, SMS campaigns and relief organizations. More help is being sought from humanitarian organizations to spread the word about the technology.

�It is a wonderful tool, especially in a situation like the one we face,� said Asad Ali, 25, a volunteer working among flood victims in the city of Thatta in Sindh.

On submitting and using information, Pakreport.org says:

�Humanitarian agencies will undoubtedly observe first-hand the current situation and needs in disaster-affected areas. They are urged to upload these observations and valuable information on the portal to ensure that all stakeholders and agencies in the area can benefit from cooperation. Humanitarian agencies can also subscribe to Pakreport.org, receiving verified reports to supplement their own information and to send to their staff.�

On verifying the reports, Pakreport.org says:

�Humanitarian organizations can also help the team to moderate the reports submitted to the portal. This collaboration will help avoid misleading reports from distorting the data.�

kh/at/cb source.irinnews

KENYA: Infant male circumcision for HIV prevention “promising”

Photo: Stanford School of Medicine

KISUMU, 28 September 2010 (PlusNews) – Circumcising infant boys could become part of Kenya’s voluntary male circumcision programme, at present restricted to over-15s, if an ongoing pilot project in the western province of Nyanza recommends it.

June Odoyo, of the University of Manitoba project, told IRIN/PlusNews that the programme, which seeks to test the acceptability and safety of the procedure as well as the ability of medical staff to provide infant circumcision, had so far proved successful.

“The prospects for it are promising and it has proved viable,” he said.

The pilot, which began in October 2009 and is due to end in October 2010, involves training nurses and clinical officers to provide infant circumcision at five government health facilities in Kenya’s Nyanza province.

It is being conducted by the University of Manitoba under the leadership of the Nyanza Province Male Circumcision Task Force, which is part of the National AIDS and Sexually transmitted infections Control Programme.

Acceptance

Despite initial resistance from cultural leaders in the region, male circumcision has been widely accepted in Nyanza, with more than 110,000 men undergoing the procedure since 2008. According to Odoyo, acceptance for infant circumcision was likely to be more varied.

“While the acceptance among parents is reasonably high, it is also very variable depending on where the health facility is situated,” he said. “Rural areas experience high cases of cultural resistance to the programme, while the acceptability in urban areas is comparatively high.”

Benefits

Odoyo noted that infant circumcision was preferable because it used a special tool known as the Mogen Clamp, takes a relatively shorter time to heal and does not involve stitching as is the case for adult circumcision. Studies show a lower rate of complications with infant circumcision.

A 2010 Rwandan study published by the Public Library of Science found that infant male circumcision was highly cost-effective when compared to circumcision among other age groups.

Male circumcision has been shown to reduce men’s risk of becoming infected with HIV through heterosexual intercourse by up to 60 percent. UNAIDS and the UN World Health Organization have issued guidelines on the scale-up of male circumcision for HIV prevention.

ko/kr/mw source.irinnews