Dear friends,

This week’s health update looks at two very different approaches to drug treatment in Peru and Portugal. We also feature the latest update in an ongoing legal case against the U.S. anti-prostitution pledge and discuss how social media can be used to empower patients.

Join the conversation on our blog, Facebook, or Twitter.

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

Death, Drug Treatment, and Christ’s Love

A tragedy struck the "Christ is Love" drug treatment center in Peru, where residents trapped behind the facility's locked doors were burned alive. The story is unfortunately one of many tragic accounts from so-called treatment centers that offer harsh discipline and physical abuse in place of medication and counseling.

In Times of Austerity, a Threat to Portugal’s Drug Policies

Fiscal austerity measures could threaten the future of Portugal's exemplary harm reduction services. But short-term cost-saving measures could prove costly further down the line.

What You Can’t Say Might Hurt You

Federal courts have repeatedly invalidated a U.S. policy known as the “anti-prostitution pledge.” The policy undermines global HIV efforts and violates free speech rights. Now the Obama administration must decide whether to appeal to the Supreme Court or finally retire this policy.

Social Media and Health Care

Social media platforms have emerged as popular spaces for patient support groups and communities of people living with chronic medical conditions. In a guest blog post, Stanford-NBC News Global Health Media Fellow Joyce Ho discusses ways in which health organizations and patient groups are using social media to connect with each other, share medical information, and engage in advocacy.

Film Screening: They Took My Choice Away

Location:	OSI-New York
Event Date:	March 1, 2012
Event Time:	5:30 - 7:00 p.m.

The Open Society Foundations will host the New York premiere of "They Took My Choice Away." The short film looks at the personal story of one woman in Namibia who was sterilized by her doctor without her consent. The film premiere will feature a discussion with filmmaker Bob Sacha and Lydia Guterman of the Campaign to Stop Torture in Health Care.

What We're Reading

• Community Workers Help to Bridge Treatment Gap in Mental Health
  The Guardian
• The Diabolical Consequences of the EU-India Free Trade Agreement
  AIDS-Free World
• EU Drive to Protect Drug Firms Puts Fight Against AIDS at Risk
  The Independent
• Rise in Sterilisations Worries Disability Commissioner
  ABC News (Australia)
• Janusz Palikot’s “Cannabis Stunt” Overshadowed a More Complex Debate About Drug Policy Reform in Poland
  Open Democracy

From Our Twitter Feeds

• Drug Decriminalization in the UK: Is There a Disconnect Between Politicians and the Public? http://tinyurl.com/7c737fp via @jhuwprice
• Amazing activist and @OpenSociety grantee Mama Africa calls on Namibia lawmakers to legalize sex work to reduce HIV: http://t.co/VJNTSLUs via @PauloNYC
• Great post from Elisha Dunn-Georgiou of PAI on why women's health advocates should support the #GlobalFund: http://bit.ly/A95aRY #HIV #AIDS via @skowalski
• Scientific community condemns US ban on federal funding for syringe exchange, calling it "deadly public policy": http://bit.ly/zGOlLH via @BupeBabe
• Communicating the Cause: NGOs and Social Media in Uganda http://blog.soros.org/2012/02/communicating-the-cause-ngos-and-social-media-in-uganda/ via @Brettdav
• Kristof brings attention to lack of pain medication: http://tinyurl.com/6svq69a. Essential read for anyone interested in opioid availability! Via @IPCINYC
• Discrimination against #IntellectualDisabled continues - must accelerate NHS reforms. http://gu.com/p/35eg7/tw via @OSMHI

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