Health

The Jogini tradition has been part of southern Indian life for many centuries.  It is recognised as a form of modern day slavery whereby girls as young as 4 years-old are dedicated in marriage to a local deity and must then prostitute themselves to men as an act of worship.

Menstrual management can be difficult at the best of times.  Women with no disposable income may use multiple pairs of underwear, kitchen sponges or dirty rags in place of tampons and sanitary pads.  Due to the unhygienic nature of these ‘pieces’, they regularly experience rashes, sores, bruising and infections.

Cambodia’s wartime callouses have begun to heal over however much work remains to be done in building the capacity of orthotic services.  Whilst some government support has been reserved to fund prosthetics for victims of land mines, much less is on offer to those with debilitating diseases such as club foot, polio and cerebral palsy.

Uganda has seen and suffered under almost twenty years of war between The Lord’s Resistance Army and government forces.  During this time, heinous atrocities were committed including massacres, torture, rape and abductions of young ones to become child soldiers and child brides.

As in most developing nations, Sri Lankan society carries a certain degree of stigma toward the disabled, especially those with a congenital impediment or missing limb(s).  In spite of free public health services, the provision of prosthesis and orthotics for disadvantaged individuals does not attract any government funding but is instead heavily reliant on the non-profit sector.

As Indonesia is midway through epidemiological transition, its health system must strain under simultaneous burdens of infectious and degenerative illnesses.  Health inequity is a deep-seeded problem as locational disparities exist in institutional capacity, access to services and prevalence of disease.

Service delivery in Papua New Guinea is expensive and logistically difficult because of a combination of topography, governance and economic capacity.  The health sector is of particular concern as HIV prevalence is highest in the region, immunisation rates have stagnated, infant and maternal care services are limited and preventable diseases such as measles, pneumonia and diarrhoea cause extensive morbidity and mortality.

During the dry season many thousands of Bangladesh’s ‘extreme poor’ live on chars (sand islands) that are washed away each year when the monsoonal rains come.  The low-lying terrain means that up to one quarter of the country suffers severe flooding from swollen rivers and sea level rise. Whilst jeopardising the safety of residents (especially women and children), rising floodwaters cause great loss of homes and harvests.

Having suffered recent civil unrest, Timor-Leste remains fragile and in need of long term developmental support.  Public services are weak and economic capacity is low, particularly in isolated regions including the Oecussi enclave, Suai, Los Palos, Viqueque and Atauro Island.  Communicable diseases like malaria, diarrhoea and respiratory infections are highly prevalent and health risks are exacerbated by contaminated water and inadequate sanitation.

Out of a context of tension, torture, trauma and treason the fragile state of South Sudan was conceived in 2011. Ongoing warfare has severely stunted development as its economy is one of the world’s weakest, maternal mortality is one of the world’s highest and infrastructure is inadequate at best.

Ethnic tension is rampant in Burma.  Skewed spending on defence has stagnated economic growth and development indicators are ubiquitously dubious.  The government refuses basic services to some minorities and the military targets them in ruthless bouts of conflict.  An epidemic of statelessness has emerged whereby many Burmese are internally displaced or have taken refuge in neighbouring countries.

In the hilltop highlands of Nepal’s North East, locals live a traditional subsistence existence.  Village life is built around small scale farming and yak grazing with some young men finding employment as Sherpas in mountaineering tourism.  

Though there is no known cure for neither AIDS nor Cerebral Palsy, HIV-infected patients and those disabled by CP can enjoy improved health outcomes through medical attention, good nutrition and a positive mindset.

The National Department of Social Welfare estimates that there are approximately 220,000 children living on the streets of towns and cities across the Philippines.  Some willingly leave their households to escape domestic violence, neglect or hunger; others are forced out by their parents to beg, scavenge or even sell themselves into prostitution or labour.