News Rounds: Two women in South Africa may hold key to AIDS vaccine, how the UN stayed the course in Somalia and more |
Two women unlock possible key to HIV vaccine (IRIN PlusNews) – Two South African women may have helped unlock the key to a vaccine to rid the world of one its deadliest epidemics, according to new research released by South African HIV experts.
Op-Ed: UN’s tireless work gives Somalia a new chance (Washington Post) – A UN official notes that when the going got tough in Somalia, many decided to get going and left (including the US government). But the UN stayed in Somalia. All those years of dogged, dangerous engagement have paid off, this writer says, in bringing this failed state onto a more promising path forward.
To Eradicate Poverty, Water and Sanitation Are Vital (HuffPo) — The CEO of WaterAid says improving access to safe water and sanitation are critical elements to succeeding in the fight against poverty. Well, he would say that wouldn’t he? But he’s also right.
More accepting polio vaccination in Pakistan (ReliefWeb) – Pakistan has witnessed a sharp drop in the number of families refusing to get their children vaccinated against polio, officials said Monday, while lamenting that nearly half a million children were left unvaccinated.
How war crimes trials have been politicised (Newstime Africa) – The International Criminal Court is the only permanent international court with a mandate to prosecute individuals accused of the most heinous crimes – genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. It’s still finding its sea legs and suffers from politics and bias.
Haiti cholera epidemic ‘most likely’ started at UN camp (BBC) – New evidence has emerged about the alleged role of United Nations troops in causing a cholera epidemic in the Caribbean nation of Haiti.
Op-Ed: Do resource extraction and the legacy of colonialism keep poor countries poor? (Guardian) – The second installment in a fairly wonky but interesting analysis of the West’s evolving ideas on aid and development. Here’s a link to the first article, which may help explain why the U.S. government so often confuses aid and foreign policy.