Social development
Minister dismisses lawmaker’s HIV concerns
Cambodia’s Health Minister Mam Bunheng said on 9 March that he was unconcerned by a letter sent to him by the head of the National Assembly’s health commission last month concerning a spate of recently discovered HIV cases in Kandal province. Keep reading ...
Religious leaders take stand on violence against women
Religious leaders from four major faiths in Myanmar called for an end to violence and discrimination against women during an International Women’s Day debate in Yangon over the weekend. The three-hour discussion was organised by UN Women and Religions for Peace, a Yangon-based interfaith group bringing together ...
B70bn loan offer for affordable housing
Thailand’s Finance Ministry plans to offer 70 billion baht in pre- and post-financing loans for its affordable housing scheme under the Pracha Rat (People’s State) initiative, finance permanent secretary Somchai Sujjapongse said. Of the total, 40 billion baht will be for post-financing and the remaining 30 billion ...
Hanoi air pollution ‘hazardous’
Hanoi air pollution is at hazardous levels, threatening the health of those with respiratory diseases and endangering public health in general, according to Air Quality Index statistics.The index is published on the website and provides real time air quality and pollution monitoring of cities worldwide. Keep ...
UN chief calls for empowerment of women as “agents of change”
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in a message to mark International Women’s Day on 8 March, has called for the empowerment of women as “agents of change” to address pressing problems. In poor parts of the world today, women still risk death in the process of giving ...
Sceptics question police push for female recruits
Cambodia’s National Police chief had said he wants to increase female recruitment into the force this year, in part to reduce “inappropriate” clashes between male police and female protesters, though observers were sceptical that simply hiring more women would solve endemic problems in the force. In ...
Laos reports local transmission of Zika virus: WHO
Laos is the latest country to report a local transmission of Zika virus, according to the World Health Organization, as fears mount over the mosquito-borne illness that has been linked to birth defects. Asia has seen only a sprinkling of cases of the virus, but a ...
WHO warns of fake drugs
Beware of fake hepatitis medication. The World Health Organization has warned hepatitis C patients that counterfeit medications are being sold in Myanmar. Drugs branded as “Ledso” and “Dakavir” are fakes, according to an alert put out by the WHO. Keep reading ...
In fight against malaria, NGO explores clothes that bite back
Health specialists met in Yangon on 3 March to discuss insect-fighting clothes as a way of eliminating malaria in Myanmar. NGO Malaria Consortium has been testing its insect-treated arsenal with a local at-risk group: rubber tappers in Thanbyuzayat who work in plantations at night when infective mosquitoes ...
New law bans beggars, permits buskers
Thailand’s National Legislative Assembly has approved law that bans street beggars but will allow buskers provided they have a licence. The military-appointed assembly approved the Begging Control Act by 178 votes to two with seven abstentions. The law forbids all begging and sets out punishments for anyone who ...
