Health News: Kenya Fights Cancer; South Korea Arrests HIV Activists

Dear friends,

This week, we look at a groundbreaking cancer control program in Kenya. We hope this leads to increased government commitment to quality care for cancer patients. In less positive news, we also discuss the disturbing arrests of South Korean activists during a regional AIDS conference. Read the stories below and join the discussion on Twitter and Facebook.

Paul Silva
psilva@sorosny.org
Follow me on Twitter: @PauloNYC

Cancer Control and Palliative Care in Kenya

For the first time ever, Kenya has launched a national strategy to reduce the incidence of cancer within the country and provide quality care for patients and their families. Thanks to advocacy from civil society organizations, palliative care and pain management were included in the strategy. Learn more.

HIV Activists Beaten and Arrested in South Korea

Several activists were beaten and arrested during a peaceful protest against a U.S. trade agreement that could threaten access to affordable AIDS medicines. International AIDS organizations are calling on the South Korean government and the UN to ensure that the police do not take further action against the activists. Read more and watch videos of the arrests.

We're Hiring

• Senior Program Officer—Law and Health Initiative
  (Deadline: October 1, 2011)

What We're Reading

• Global Bodies Call for End to Forced Sterilisation – World Medical Association
• The War on Drugs: Undermining Human Rights – Count the Costs
• How the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement Threatens Access to Medicines – Médecins Sans Frontières
• Living with HIV and Dying of TB – Citizen News Service

From Our Twitter Feeds

• TAKE ACTION: Sign the #IASP declaration on pain treatment as a human right! http://bit.ly/rjIN2W via @CareNotTorture
• A victory for Novartis could spell death for millions: http://bit.ly/p3GvcG #pharma #India via @PauloNYC
• How a Banyan Tree Helped Change #MentalHealth Care http://t.co/GLhNuZH #abuse #deinstitutionalization #Indonesia via @OSMHI
• Finally: States look to ban shackling of #pregnant prisoners during labor, many of whom are imprisoned on drug charges http://t.co/qncV8sk via @BupeBabe
• Call for Abstracts: Revisiting Customary Law and HIV and AIDS in Southern Africa http://t.co/FlIJL0Yl #hiv #aids via @opensociety

Follow all health-related tweets from the Open Society Foundations: @OpenSociety/health-team.