What We’re Reading 3/15/10

Mar 15th, 2010 10:56 AM UTC
By Robyn Mitchell

Reuters: Donors asked for $4.3 billion for vaccines for poor
The GAVI Alliance (Global Alliance on Vaccines and Immunization) said Monday that a further $4.3 billion is needed if it is to meet its goal of supplying life-saving immunizations to millions of children in poor countries by 2015. According to Reuters, GAVI has almost completed a large-scale campaign to supply so-called pentavalent, or five-in-one, vaccines to fight a range of preventable diseases including hepatitis B, tetanus and whooping cough in developing countries. The scale of GAVI’s buying and distribution power allows it to secure much lower prices for vaccines, which are then supplied to poor nations at a fraction of their cost. In a statement to potential donors, the vaccine organization emphasized that “With $7 billion, (GAVI) will be able to fully roll out pentavalent vaccine and introduce new vaccines against pneumococcal disease and rotavirus diarrhea in over 40 countries. These last two vaccines alone can save one million children by 2015.”

The Vancouver Sun: Tiny sprinkles could have big impact fighting malnutrition
The Vancouver Sun explores the growing area of micronutrient powders, or “sprinkles” that, when shaken over food, add a potent boost of iron and essential vitamins that are helping to fight childhood malnutrition. Henk-Jan Brinkman, an economist and senior adviser with the UN’s World Food Program, said studies have tracked children into adulthood and found striking differences in income between those who received adequate nutrition in their earliest days, and those who did not. Brinkman was in Ottawa this week to talk about low-cost solutions to hunger and poor nutrition around the world, part of a wider effort to push governments to meet the Millennium Development Goals set in 2005. According to the Sun, the topic has gained momentum since Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced in January that maternal and child health will top the agenda during this summer’s G8 meeting.

The Financial Times: Agriculture: a growing investment
The Financial Times reports that in spite of its central importance to society, agriculture is a sector that has long been misunderstood or ignored by investors, but this may be set to change. Factors such as climate change, rising food prices, a growing global population and the availability of fresh water are all contributing to a growing concern over the ability of the global agricultural sector to feed the world. According to the Times, many of these factors are linked by the need to do more with less and to eliminate waste in the supply chain, including the development of more robust, higher-yielding seeds that are more resistant to disease, pests or drought. Despite continued controversy over their use, there are likely to be more genetically modified (GM) crops. Said one source, “The need for the agricultural sector to address such serious issues creates opportunities, from the seed to the supermarket.”

The New York Times: Haiti’s Do-It-Yourself Recovery (Op-Ed)
Journalist Lawrence Downes argues that despite the Haitian government’s reputation as “hopeless,” the Haitian people are showing “powerful tendencies toward self-organizing, adaptability and cooperation.” During a recent visit to the earthquake-ravaged country, Downes found that Haitians are now “juggling new jobs” to rebuild their country, including becoming carpenters, earthmovers and deconstruction contractors, as well as “entrepreneurs, planners and organizers, working together when there is no one else to help.” Said Downes, “In the second world, where the Haitians are, people can’t afford to wait for helping hands. Life is improvised, fluid, dire, sometimes desperate but not panicked. The people seemed immune to whining. They were busy doing what needs doing.”

TAGS: What We're Reading