Over 20M In S. China Face Water Shortages Due To Drought

Chinese state media on Thursday reported regions of southern China “are suffering from the worst drought in decades, leaving millions of people with inadequate water and huge areas of farmland too dry to plant,” the Associated Press reports. “More than 20 million people throughout the southern region are dealing with water shortages and about 16 million acres (6.5 million hectares) of cropland are suffering from drought, the China Daily newspaper reported” (3/18).

New York Times Features ‘Visual Story About TB’

The New York Times’ “Lens” blog reflects on the work of photographer James Nachtwey, who uses his craft to “tell a visual story about tuberculosis.” The blog describes Nachtwey’s journey to seven countries to document the challenges of fighting the disease and the photographs captured. “Focused on making the public aware of the global dimensions of the TB threat, Mr. Nachtwey said he hoped his images would spark new initiatives, further research and an increase in spending on the disease” (Koppel, 3/18).

Business Daily Examines Link Between Population Growth, Poverty In Kenya

Business Daily examines the relationship between the rate of population growth in Kenya and development, as outlined in a November 2009 report conducted by USAID. The article describes the challenges for women in the country to access contraceptives and the government’s recognition of “the tight link between poverty and population growth.” According to the newspaper, Kenya’s National Co-ordinating Agency for Population and Development “is now pushing for family planning to take a central role in the government’s policy agenda to reduce poverty and transform the country into a middle-level income country with a high quality of life and secure environment, as the country’s Vision 2030 policy envisions” (Anyangu-Amu, 3/17).   

Phnom Penh Post Examines Cambodia’s Sanitation Challenges

The Phnom Penh Post examines the challenges Cambodia is facing “to meet global goals to boost sanitation levels,” as documented in the U.N. water and sanitation report released earlier this week. “Studies have shown poor sanitation and hygiene have a severe impact on both health and the economy,” the newspaper writes. “Nearly 10,000 people a year in Cambodia die from diarrhoea and other diseases related to poor sanitation, according to a 2008 study from the World Bank’s Water and Sanitation Programme” (Loy/Sokchea, 3/17).

TropIKA.net Examines How Researchers Are Using ‘Open-Source Principles’ To Bolster Drug Development

TropIKA.net examines the efforts of a collaboration known as the Open Source Drug Discovery Foundation (OSDD), which is using “open-source principles” in hopes of accelerating the development of affordable drugs for diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria and leishmaniasis. “OSDD, the brainchild of India’s Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Delhi, is dedicated to developing drugs more cheaply by copying the model of the immensely successful open-source software movement,” TropIKA.net writes. “OSDD collaborators are working on around 180 projects aimed at combating TB,” according to the news service (Anderson, 3/17).