UN reported: news on the United Nations system at work.

• Author: Sethna, Zahra

Can This Disaster Be Averted?

On 1 July, the World Food Programme (WFP) launched massive appeal to provide emergency food relief to six countries in southern Africa where a severe food crisis is affecting nearly 13 million people. It asked for $507 million to fund an operation that will feed 10.2 million people until the next main harvest in March 2003. "Southern Africa is already facing an extremely severe crisis, which will only worsen in the coming months", said James Morris, WFP Executive Director. The current emergency, caused by drought, lack of seed and fertilizer, cattle disease and inadequate access to markets and health services, is exacerbated by huge HIV/AIDS infection rates in an area where people are already mired in chronic poverty.

Data on More Affordable AIDS Drugs

Less than 5 per cent of the world's 40 million people living with HIV/AIDS can afford AIDS treatment. Most of the developing countries lack access to even the basic drugs needed to treat minor ailments. Often, essential drugs, including painkillers, antibiotics and tuberculosis drugs, are in desperately short supply. Even with significant recent reductions in the prices of anti-AIDS drugs, high prices prevent many from buying enough medicines.

Aiming to close the AIDS treatment and information gap in the developing world, a new United Nations survey helps poor countries track HIV medicines, testing kits and suppliers, and provide information on cheaper alternatives and appropriate suppliers for these drugs. Over 120 pharmaceutical products are covered in the updated "Sources and Prices of Selected Drugs and Diagnostics for People Living with HIV/AIDS", released by the UN Children's Fund, UNAIDS, the World Health Organization and Medecins Sans Frontieres. In addition to listing anti-retroviral medicines, it provides information on drugs used to treat a range of opportunistic infections and for pain relief, as well as for use in palliative care, treatment of HIV/AIDS-related cancers, and management of drug dependence.

Dust to Dust, to Hope

This year, dust from China reached North America, disrupting air travel and causing health problems. Land degradation, often considered a local issue, is now blowing across national boundaries and having an international impact. Dust storms are increasing, affecting areas that had previously never been thought of as having a problem. It affects as much as two thirds of the world's agricultural land, according to the UN...