Eighteen-year-old Maureen Phiri from Malawi knows first-hand about the loneliness of HIV. At age 12, she discovered her HIV status but did not tell her mother. Courtesy: Martina Schwikowski
JOHANNESBURG, Dec 6 2013 (IPS) – Maureen Phiri, 18, has a soft voice and a strong message about HIV and young people in her country. “In Malawi, people are still in denial because of cultural beliefs. Traditional leaders and churches are denying the disease. Let us gather those leaders and hear from young people what is really happening.”
Phiri, an activist who lives with HIV, belongs to the Baylor Teen Club in Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital. The club is part of a programme that pr…
This is the first in a three-part series of about women and Option B+ in Africa
With Option B+, pregnant women are started on lifelong antiretroviral therapy regardless of their CD4 count. Credit: Miriam Gathigah/IPS
NAIROBI, May 26 2014 (IPS) – Kenya’s health sector has been facing significant challenges, ranging from a shortage of health care providers to a series of labour strikes. The problems have not only disrupted health services, but have HIV experts divided on whether to roll out Option B+ nationwide or just to pilot it in high volume facilities such as major referral hospitals.
is the latest treatment option recommended by the World He…
Yasmine Sherif, Director of Education Cannot Wait
NEW YORK, Dec 23 2020 – As Mohammed, a Palestine refugee with impaired vision who attends a specialized UNRWA programme for children with disabilities, told us during our mission to Lebanon a week ago: “I was worried. I was worried that I could not continue my education because the programme was going to be cut. Now I have hope that I can continue to study and make my dream come true.” As 2020 comes to a close and we reflect on Education Cannot Wait’s mission this past year, two things stand out: hope and action. Amidst multiple crises around the globe, exacerbated by the COVID-19 global pandemic, hope has been the fuel driving us all forward to take action to deliver to those left furthest behind. Indeed, while hope is life-…
There is no health without mental health. Credit: Unsplash /Melanie Wasser.
ABUJA, Jun 2 2021 (IPS) – Recently, Naomi Osaka, the number 2 ranked women’s tennis player in the world, she would not participate in the press conference at the French Open (Rolland-Garros) because she wanted to protect her mental health.
The organizers of the tournament were incensed, imposed a fine on her and to disqualify her. Would the organizers have reacted differently if Naomi Osaka said she could not participate in the tournament’s press briefing because of a physical illness, such as a…
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 15 2022 (IPS) – Whether to have children or not is one of the most life-altering decisions a person can make.
But as UNFPA’s report shows, people around the world – especially women and members of marginalized groups – are frequently denied any choice in the matter, with partners, relatives, health care providers and even governments making or strongly influencing these decisions.
“Men have greater decision-making power [regarding contraception]. Women may have to act secretly/discreetly to get contraception services,” a man in India told report authors.
“Men hold the ultimate decision-making power. It is common prac…