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The Monetary Cost Of HIV/AIDS In The Bahamas
Related to country: Bahamas

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Million-Dollar Annual HIV Bill:
By Macushla N. Pinder -
Nassau, Bahamas:



The government spends more than a million dollars a year on antiretroviral medication for approximately 1,600 people living with HIV in The Bahamas.

Health officials say, though, that expenditure could skyrocket if more and more people become infected. HIV treatment usually involves three drugs taken together.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that in most cases, a first line regimen should consist of two drugs.

In The Bahamas, the price of this drug regimen cost just under $500 per person annually.

But the antiretroviral drug combination could change.

One reason may be due to treatment failure; that is when the drugs have failed to work and are not slowing down the replication of HIV in the body.

According to health experts, the new second line regimen will ideally include at least three new drugs.

There is also a third line therapy, sometimes called salvage or rescue therapy, a term that describes treatment regimens for people who have few or limited anti-HIV drug options.

"The higher you go, the more expensive the drug," Director of the National AIDS Program Rosamae Bain said during an interview with the Bahama Journal.

"So, it’s really important for people to adhere to their’s doctor’s appointment, have the necessary bloodwork done and take treatment."

The cost of anti-HIV drugs has dramatically decreased in recent years primarily thanks to the Bill Clinton Foundation, which slashed the prices of 16 AIDS treatments in developing countries like The Bahamas.

It was back in 2003 that the Clinton Foundation and four pharmaceutical companies reached an agreement to reduce the cost of HIV/AIDS drugs and diagnostic tests by between 50 and 90 percent, making care and treatment much more affordable in about a dozen Caribbean nations like The Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

Agreements have also been reached in several African countries, among them Mozambique, Rwanda and Tanzania.

"Year’s ago, it cost $12,000 per person per year. Today, it’s just under $500," Nurse Bain explained.

"Because of this, we have been able to put an extensive amount of people on medication. In 2002, we had only 300 people on medication because of the astronomical cost. We must now look at getting the others into care."

Statistics show that there as a result of the medication, there has been a "drastic" reduction of 50 percent in the number of people who have died from AIDS in recent years.

"Albeit, 69 percent of all those who have developed full blown AIDS have died," Nurse Bain said.

At last count, 5,582 people were living in The Bahamas with HIV compared with the 1,767 infected with AIDS, a total of 7,349.

August 30, 2008

August 30, 2008 | 10:23 AM Comments  0 comments



Bahamian Education For Bahamians In The Bahamas
Related to country: Bahamas

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

A ‘Bahamian’ Education In The Bahamas:
By Sasha L. Lightbourne -
Nassau, Bahamas:


In addition to certain requisite universal knowledge, students in Bahamian schools must also be made familiar with that which is uniquely Bahamian, according to a senior education official. Elma Garraway, permanent secretary in the ministry of education, said that there are certain standards that are required of all students at given levels.

"There are certain skill competencies, certain concepts they must know and certain bodies of knowledge that they must be able to understand at certain levels in schooling, she said.

"While we have universal bodies of knowledge and universal concepts, there is certain information that must be relative to one’s culture, country, history and geography."

Mrs. Garraway’s comments come as minister of education, Carl Bethel, recently expressed the need to ‘Bahamianize’ the curriculum in primary and high schools throughout the country.

He said education is not only an academic phenomenon but also a cultural one.

"By ‘Bahamianizing’ the curriculum what we are saying is that if we are teaching the ABC’s for pre-schoolers, while we can say ‘B’ is for ‘bananas’, we can also say ‘B’ is for Bahamas," she said. "Our officers have been working very hard to ensure this happens."

The permanent secretary said that in the past Bahamian textbooks have been produced by the ministry.

"When I was at the College of the Bahamas, it along with the Bahamas Hotel Association developed the first series of textbooks for social studies and tourism education from the first grade into sixth grade," Mrs. Garraway said. "They centered around Bahamian concepts, ideas and social studies areas."

In more recent times, the ministry has a writing unit dedicated to producing Bahamian literature for students, according to the permanent secretary.

"They have written language arts books for the third, fourth and fifth grades and in those levels children see Bahamian people some whom they may know and so all the comprehension passages in addition to those that are universal have Bahamian content, and that is the idea."

Mrs. Garraway said Bahamianizing the curriculum is good for developing good citizenship.

"It is also good for building self-esteem especially in the young ones," she said. "Our students need to be able to understand our model of democracy, the role of a family island senior administrator, why is it that a local government election must be held and the electoral process mirrors that of a national election.

"All of that helps general education of children and getting them to live successfully in a democratic society."

August 29, 2008

August 29, 2008 | 1:10 PM Comments  0 comments



How Russia Clobbered Georgia and Lost the War
Related to country: Russia

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

(Prof. Piotr Dutkiewicz for RIA Novosti) - Some critics have pointed to the conflict in Georgia as another example of botched Bush administration foreign policy, but in fact America's real strategy was brilliantly executed and it achieved exactly the intended outcome. Unfortunately it's not an outcome that brings nations together or makes the world a safer place.

First, it's important to note that this dispute is not and never was exclusively about Georgia or South Ossetia, which are the unfortunate, tragic victims of collateral damage in the geopolitical maneuvering that we are witnessing. It is not about Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili miscalculating the Russian response to his attack or overestimating the amount of support he would get from the West, both of which he did. President Saakashvili is really just a colourful bit-player.

Nor is this a case of an emboldened Russia striking back at the West for its support for Kosovo's independence, or the Orange Revolution, or the eastern Europe missile defence shield, though all of those things are factors.

Simply put, this was about the U.S. depositioning the only nuclear power in the world that consistently challenges it on foreign policy issues, such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. It was a fully successful but wrong-headed attempt to undermine Russia's global status by setting a trap that Russia had to fall into. And it was about creating a villain for U.S. domestic political reasons.

Of course the U.S. realized that once pushed into this corner, Russia had no choice but to respond to the Georgian attack on its lawfully present peacekeepers and on South Ossetian civilians. Not to counter-attack would have put Russia in an untenable position. It could not claim to be able to protect its friends, allies and satellites from foreign intervention. It would have reverted to the Russia of 20 years ago - largely irrelevant, a non-entity.

American policymakers knew the trap they were setting. Going back at least to the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, the United States has enforced its own "sphere of influence" policy. It knew exactly how far it had to push to provoke a reaction. Is there any way the US would sit idly by if Russian-backed Cuba tried to forcibly oust US forces from that island? Or if Russia built a missile defense system in Venezuela?

Nor did the Americans simply lose control of the hot-headed and impulsive President Saakashvili. The pundits on the ground in Tblisi have a saying: "Saakashvili doesn't go to the bathroom without calling the U.S. Embassy." The Georgian president was played masterfully by the U.S.

What country bombs its own citizens while they sleep? Would Ottawa bomb Quebec if it voted to separate? Would Belgium bomb Antwerp? Would Spain bomb its Basque regions? Even China, arguably the most repressive regime on the planet, does not bomb Tibet. The fact that Saakashvili bombed and rocketed civilian buildings in the middle of the night is a pretty good indication that he doesn't consider them citizens.

The result of Russia's counter-strike has been exactly what the U.S. wanted. Russia's political influence in the world is now diminished. With the international community almost unanimous in its condemnation of Russia, it no longer has the credibility to criticize the U.S. for its military adventures. And the powerhouse Russian economy also sustained serious damage. Foreign investors are now delaying or cancelling projects and the Russian stock market is paying the price. Meanwhile, the U.S. and its tiny partner get to express their moral outrage while painting the Russian bear as irascible and expansionist.

This was a carefully developed and magnificently executed strategy. But it fails to recognize how important it is to have Russia inside the community of nations rather than cast a pariah state.

Russia has more neighbours than any other country in the world, and many of those neighbours are countries that we need to engage. The world is not a safer place without Russian involvement in the containment of nuclear proliferation. In fact, Russia plays a critically important role in maintaining a dialogue with countries like Iran that have nuclear ambitions.

Likewise Russia's help is essential in the global war on terror. The U.S. simply cannot go it alone and hope to have any meaningful success over the long term. But now Washington says Russian Navy ships are no longer welcome to take part in the Active Endeavour counterterrorism and nonproliferation operation in the Mediterranean. That helps no one.

The world needs a cooperative and productive relationship between Russia and the U.S. - a relationship built on reciprocity. Rather than undermining and vilifying Russia, a more productive strategy for the U.S. would be to engage with Russia as much as possible as a partner on the world stage. Both Russia and the United States have legitimate national and international interests. Both can realize their interests. It is not a zero sum game. Russia does not need to be made to lose in order for the U.S. to win.


17:08 | 27/ 08/ 2008

Prof. Dutkiewicz is Director of the Institute of European and Russian Studies ata Carleton University and a member of the Valdai Club .

The opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.

rian.ru

August 27, 2008 | 11:25 PM Comments  0 comments



Western leaders blast Russia for recognizing Abkhazia, S.Ossetia
Related to country: Russia

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

MOSCOW, August 26 (RIA Novosti) - Foreign leaders spoke out Tuesday against Russia's decision to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia, while people in the Georgian breakaway regions greeted the news with raucous celebrations.

Britain, the United States, Germany, France and Italy expressed their support for Georgia's sovereignty. The British Foreign Office said Russia's decision did not contribute to a peaceful settlement in the Caucasus and was out of line with its international commitments.

"We reject this categorically and reaffirm Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity," a Foreign Office spokesperson said.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called Russia's recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia "regrettable."

Germany's Angela Merkel said Russia's decision was "totally unacceptable," adding that she hoped the European Union would say the same. France also called the decision "regrettable," while Italy said the move was illegal.

Georgia called the decision to recognize the republics "an unconcealed annexation" and said its ties with Russia would now "stall for a long time, if not for good."

Georgia attacked South Ossetia on August 8 in an attempt to regain control over the separatist republic, which split from Tbilisi in the early 1990s. Most people living in South Ossetia have Russian citizenship and Moscow subsequently launched an operation to "force Georgia to accept peace." The operation was concluded on August 12.

Russia's president signed decrees Tuesday recognizing South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states and called on other countries to follow suit.

"This is not an easy decision, but it is the only way to protect people's lives," Dmitry Medvedev said in a televised address a day after both houses of Russia's parliament voted unanimously on resolutions asking the Russian leader to recognize the independence of the two republics following requests from their leaders.

Russian officials have said Georgia lost its right to the two regions following its military offensive against South Ossetia, in which hundreds of people died and thousands were forced to flee the devastated capital, Tskhinvali.

21:33 | 26/ 08/ 2008

rian.ru

August 27, 2008 | 12:52 AM Comments  0 comments



NATO – the paper alliance
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

(John Laughland for RIA Novosti) - As the dust settles on the conflict in South Ossetia - and as it vanishes progressively from the headlines in the Western press - one thing has become overwhelmingly clear. It is that Georgia will now never join NATO and that the balance of power in the world has therefore shifted radically as a result of this little six-day war.

During the conflict, many people in the Russian media (and in the country at large) seemed obsessed with the negative coverage of Russia's position in the Western media. It is certainly true that the media all over Western Europe and North America gave heavy prominence to the Georgian position and was very anti-Russian in tone. It is also true that this negative coverage comes after a long period of deterioration in relations between Russia and the West, which seemed to reach a new peak just after the South Ossetian conflict when Condoleezza Rice travelled to Warsaw to sign the agreement to station the new anti-missile shield in Poland.

On the other hand, while much political reality can be created (or at least influenced) by the virtual reality of TV, it is an inescapable truth of human history that the key questions of politics - especially the one about who has the right to rule - are usually decided by force. In the case of South Ossetia, the West's blandishments against Moscow - whose hypocrisy must be very irritating for Russia's leaders - are in fact nothing but psychological compensation for the fact that Western leaders know, in their heart of hearts, that they cannot and will not fight Russia over Georgia.

Russia is the second most heavily armed country in the world, and a serious nuclear power. The West, meanwhile, is fighting protracted wars in Iraq and Afghanistan which mean that its hands are tied behind its back. If the NATO states are not prepared to go to war with the Russian army over that small parcel of territory around Tskhinvali of which few people in the West had even heard before the violence erupted, then Georgia can never join the Alliance because NATO membership means precisely that members must fight for each others' territorial integrity.

More than ten years of promises that Georgia would be invited to join NATO have therefore just been quietly shelved (even if the West does not admit this openly). Moreover, not only Georgia's accession but the whole process of further NATO expansion is now on hold. If Georgia does not join NATO, then nor will Ukraine. The accession of the two Black Sea states to the Atlantic Alliance was part of the same strategic plan which went up in smoke as soon as Russian troops entered Georgia.

It is no coincidence, indeed, that tensions within the pro-Western bloc in Ukraine itself exploded just after the Ossetian conflict. President Yushchenko has accused his own prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, of treason for trying to curry support in Moscow for her own presidential ambitions. In a startlingly Soviet-style reflex, he has announced that he will set his secret services loose on her. Madame Timoshenko denies the charges, of course, but she has no doubt concluded, like many Ukrainians, that her vast and mainly Russian-speaking country can in fact never be part of a military alliance whose nuclear missiles are directed against fellow Russians within the Russian Federation itself.

This is a historic turning point. Ever since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the West has expanded its influence ever deeper into former Soviet territory. The Caucasus was one focal point for this expansion because of the oil pipelines bringing Caspian oil to the West. Russian troops are now within an hour's drive of that pipeline and there is nothing the West can do about it. It is also doubtful, incidentally, whether the famous missile shield, which Russian leaders rightly interpret as an anti-Russian project, can ever actually work. The project of NATO expansion having now been arrested, perhaps for ever, the aim of creating a unipolar world around the world-wide projection of American power is now a thing of the past.

Of course all this was foreseen long ago - in song, and by a Georgian. NATO is now like Bulat Okudjava's famous soldier: "He wanted to transform the world so that everyone would be happy. But he only hung by a thread for, you see, he was in fact made out of paper."

12:57 | 25/ 08/ 2008


John Laughland is a British historian and political analyst, and director of studies at the Institute of Democracy and Cooperation in Paris.

The opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti

rian.ru

August 26, 2008 | 12:25 AM Comments  0 comments



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