Health

Swedish Vattenfall in controversy over mine workers health in Namibia

africasc_admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 11:10:47 -0500

Swedish mainly state owned energy company Vattenfall's import of uranium from Namibia has shown the difficulty of being a nation of good-doers at all levels. The company is blamed for not worrying enough for Namibian mine workers health, but passes on some of the responsibility to the Swedish Governments recently implemented "partner cooperation" policy which recommends increased trade with Namibia.

In this case a report by a Namibian think tank, stating that Namibian workers are exposed to unacceptable levels of radiation which runs against a newly implemented Swedish partner co-operation policy pointing out Namibia as a favoured trading nation.

Swedish Vattenfall states in its defense of the company's purchase of uranium from Namibia that it fulfills all environmental, workplace and legal requirements after criticism in a report that Namibian mine workers are not adequately protected.

The company's head of environment, Agneta Rising, states that pictures broadcasted on a Swedish news channel, following a report on labour conditions at the Rössing mine, were "strong" but that Vattenfall stands by its decision to purchase from Namibia, which is one of four supplier of uranium to Vattenfall operated nuclear power plants. The other supplier countries are Canada, Australia and Russia.

Ms Rising states hat controls are very tight before any contras are entered into, including that the Vattenfall gets full insight into the suppliers operations.

"Radiation levels at the Rössing mine are on par with the natural background radiation levers. At these levers there is no correlation between radiation and health concerns", states Agneta Rising.

Vattenfall's view is contradicted by a report by the Labour Resource and Research Institute in Namibia which states that workers in the uranium mines run the risk of being exposed to radiation, but when they get sick they have great difficulty to prove that there is a correlation and therefore they don't get paid compensation.

The report, by the institutes head Hilma Shindondola-Mote, also states that workers are generally badly informed about the health risks they run.

As the nuclear power is on the rise, due to carbon emission related global warming the nuclear energy industry will find itself becoming ever more scrutinized not the least by think tanks and the media.

Vattenfall states it doesn't takes political decisions, but relies on the Swedish Foreign office for guidance. And the Swedish Governments officially adopted line is to encourage trade with the South West African desert nation through its freshly adopted policy of so called partnership cooperation - a policy that replaces development co-operation in countries that are too rich to benefit from financial assistance.

With some 20 percent of Vattenfall's uranium needs supplied by Namibia, uranium is the South West African desert Nations major export to Sweden by far.

Novo Nordisk suspected of bribing doctors with trip to South Africa

africasc_admin — Thu, 06 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Were a group of Danish doctors and nurses invited by Novo Nordisk to a conference in South Africa in 2006 actually there on a covert holiday trip? The Danish Prosecutor thinks so and have opened an investigation. Read more in A-Scan's comment.

Swedish Match choose to cash in instead of investing more in South Africa

africasc_admin — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 07:18:35 -0500

Swedish Match has become the first Swedish multinational company to disinvest from South Africa since 1994 by selling its assets in the country to Philip Morris in July. The purchase value, $ 222 million means that Swedish Match makes a nice net profit but it also means that the company leaves a fast growing emerging market to a global competitor in the Other Tobacco Segment (OTS).
It also appears as Swedish Match's global strategy goes up in smoke, as it seem to give up the ambition to become the world leader on high end tobacco, including pipe tobacco, cigars and Swedish style snuff.
Swedish Match became the market leader in South Africa when it purchased a local family owned empire less than ten years ago. It has put a fair amount of work into rationalising the factories and clean them up.
The reward was a solid market share in South Africa, an estimated 31 percent, despite that Swedish Match South Africa (SMSA) did not even sell cigarettes - a business the company has disinvested from in a conscious move to distance itself from the anti-tobacco lobby worldwide.
One reason for the company's disinvestment from South Africa may be that it showed very difficult to introduce its pet product, Swedish snuff in the country, which left the company with a portfolio of products that was local and sold at the low end of the market.
South Africa forbids tobacco marketing which did not exactly made it easier for the company's executives to find way's to get South Africans to stuff their upper lips with those Swedish goodies.
SMSA is the market leader in the South African pipe tobacco and snuff categories, which represent an estimated 31% of total tobacco consumption. In 2008, SMSA reported net revenues of ZAR 687 million. Its principal brands include Boxer, Best Blend and Taxi.
"This financially attractive acquisition represents an excellent strategic fit for our business in South Africa," said Jean-Claude Kunz, President of PMI`s Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa Region. "We firmly believe that merging the two businesses will provide us with the talent, infrastructure and expertise to further build and grow our portfolio of strong brands in this important market."
Swedish Match says that the transaction is subject to approval by the South African regulatory authorities, including the country’s competition commission- and tribunal. These regulatory bodies are by no means any pushovers and the outcome should not be taken for granted. The process is expected to take until the end of 2009.

Swedish cholera vaccine saves lives

africasc_admin — Thu, 21 May 2009 16:00:00 -0500

JOHANNESBURG. Swedish Cruell SBL Vaccines is able to continue its support of aid organizations in their work against cholera because Swedish tourists and others are buying cholera vaccines to safeguard precious holiday time, the company said. The company is supplying vaccines for a mass vaccination effort in Zanzibar at the moment.

While the cholera bacteria can destroy a tourist holiday, cholera isn't just a problem for travelers, but can be a deathly disease for many people living in Africa, the company points out. With the campaign “One World Vaccine,” Cruell SBL Vaccines wants to show that its cholera vaccine Dukoral is important both as a vaccine for travelers and as a life-saving measure in developing countries.

Sida demands Aids support back

africasc_admin — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 06:56:02 -0500

JOHANNESBURG. Sida, The Swedish Development Agency, is demanding that an Aids organization in Southern Africa pay back hundreds of thousands of SEK in aid because the head of the organization dipped into the pot for private use.

Swe humanitarian aid to Zim continued

africasc_admin — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 08:17:29 -0500

JOHANNESBURG. Sweden is continuing to give humanitarian assistance to the vulnerable people of Zimbabwe, but substantial reforms must be initiated before Sweden can begin cooperating with the Zimbabwean government.

“The people of Zimbabwe enjoy great support from the rest of the world. Sweden is prepared to provide additional humanitarian support, but increased involvement in the country requires that implementation of reforms is immediately begun and that they have an impact in society,” says Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson.

BBC: Mbeki blamed for 330,000 deaths

africasc_admin — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:32:48 -0600

A prominent South African Aids activist has told the BBC that former President Thabo Mbeki should be made answerable for his decision to block HIV medication in the country, the BBC reports. A recent Harvard School of Public Health study Mbeki's 1999 decision to declare available drugs toxic and dangerous caused 330,000 deaths.

The activist Zackie Achmat, who leads the Treatment Action Campaign, said Mr Mbeki had ignored the scientific evidence, according to the BBC that quoted him as saying that Mbeki had "blood on his hands".

Achmat called for Mbeki to be summoned to a judicial inquiry or the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

"Dr. Garlic" gone; Opportunity knocks

africasc_admin — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 05:51:06 -0500

JOHANNESBURG. Sweden's Minister for Trade Ewa Björling sees great potential for cooperation with the current South African government (now that it has changed its face) in the battle against HIV/Aids here, she tells Africascan. When Thabo Mbeki was recently ousted as the country’s President, Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, also known as Dr. Garlic or Dr. Beetroot, was also moved from her post.

Barbara Hogan was instead installed to head up the health department under Kgalema Motlanthe’s transition government.

“Now we have the chance,” Björling said, during her two-day visit to South Africa last week. “We have to push on - quickly.”

Nobody knows what’s in store after next year’s election - which ANC President Jacob Zuma is tipped by many to win. But right now, at least, there seems to be a window of opportunity to efficiently discuss HIV/Aids prevention and treatment.

“Now there is a Health Minister who the first thing she does is to say that 'now we are going to focus on HIV',” said Björling.

And while that may seem like stating the obvious for a health minister in a country with one of the highest HIV-prevalence rates in the world, this was clearly not the sentiment of the previous South African government.

“The previous government … with the Health Minister and Mbeki … denied how HIV is transmitted, denied the importance anti-retroviral medicines … and promoted the use of onions and beetroot instead,” said Björling, who also is a Doctor of Medicine and a docent in virology, specializing in HIV.

“Now that’s pretty hard to stomach,” she said. “Misinformation has been spread on the highest political levels.”

Hogan’s stance and approach to the epidemic seems worlds apart, and the minister has already begun reaching out to foreign governments and others who stand ready to assist the country in dealing with the HIV/Aids crisis.

”She has already contacted the Swedish embassy,” said Björling. And Sweden is ready to assist. “Sweden is going to help South Africa develop a new (national HIV/Aids) strategy … (with) technical development assistance,” she said.

Some of the ingredients that Sweden sees as vital components of a national HIV/Aids strategy for South Africa, and areas in which it would like to offer technical assistance, are: the distribution of information; prevention; condoms; and a focus on research initiatives, Björling explained.

”It’s a big job we have in front of us,” she concluded.

Sweden increases IDA funds

africasc_admin — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 09:58:19 -0500

STOCKHOLM. The Swedish government has decided to allocate SEK 6.1 billion to the International Development Association (IDA) over the period 2008-2017 - about a 33 percent increase, the Swedish Government Offices announced. IDA is the part of the World Bank that focuses on the poorest countries.

“The World Bank and the IDA is one of the most relevant development actors with regard to policy development and funding globally. From a Swedish perspective, the final result of the IDA15 replenishment should be regarded as having been successful, with a clear breakthrough for Swedish policy priorities,” says Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson.

The total volume of replenishment and the combined resources for loans and donations from the IDA15 in the next three years amount to USD 41.6 billion, USD 25.1 billion of which consists of donor contributions. The Swedish share of the IDA15 is 2.96 per cent, which makes Sweden the tenth largest donor.

Sweden considers that the IDA is a relevant and effective channel for international development cooperation. The IDA gives a strong focus to results-based management and efficiency issues, which are also priority issues for Sweden.

The IDA’s prioritization of Africa (with more than 52 percent of the resources expected to go to African countries), climate and fragile states is well in line with Swedish priorities in development cooperation. The enhanced focus of the IDA15 on the climate is welcomed by Sweden. The climate issue will be integrated into the IDA’s core activities and initiatives will primarily be directed at adaptation measures in the poorest countries, and also to some extent at clean energy and energy-efficiency. Countries that are affected by conflict, termed ‘fragile states’, is another area that has recently been given greater priority in the IDA, and they are one of the World Bank’s six strategic themes.

Almost half of all the countries receiving funds from the IDA are fragile states. In 2007, a new strategy was adopted to increase the World Bank’s flexibility, speed and effectiveness in the area. The World Bank plays a key role when post-conflict countries seek to normalise their economic relations with the rest of the world. The World Bank’s cooperation with the UN on these issues has also been strengthened.

The focus of the recently concluded World Bank annual meeting was the financial crisis. Subjects of discussion were how the World Bank can protect those who are most vulnerable and what action the international community, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank should take to deal with the crisis.

The Governors were agreed that the most vulnerable people in the poorest countries must be protected and that rapid measures must be taken to calm the financial unrest. It was important to do this without losing the focus of the Millennium Development Goals. The President of the World Bank Robert Zoellick stressed the need for continued support to poverty reduction and for donor countries to live up to their commitments on the volume of development assistance.

Swedish NGOs: kids need HIV sex info

africasc_admin — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 02:47:44 -0500

JOHANNESBURG. Save the Children – Sweden, and The Swedish Association for Sexuality Education (RFSU) has launched a report about children’s rights and sexuality in the context of HIV/Aids in Africa – treating children as sexual beings who need information and services to protect themselves from HIV/Aids. “The report clearly shows that children have the same concerns about sexuality as adults,” the organizations say about the report.

The report also presents children’s views on how best they can prevent themselves from HIV infection, an calls on authority figures in children’s lives, as well as decision makers, to change their perceptions and take this into account. “In order to make policies and develop programmes which respond to children’s needs, parents, teachers, health providers and policy makers have to listen to the views of children.”

Speaking at the Johannesburg launch of the report, Save the Children - Sweden’s new regional representative Timothy Bainbridge said that sex is strangely often not covered in the Aids debate and that children are often not asked their opinion. “That means we are missing half the population,” he said. “Children are telling us that they should not be viewed as passive victims of HIV.”

As adults, we have a duty to inform the children, he concluded: “This report will help us as duty bearers – as adults and care-givers to open of the discussion with children about these issues.”

The report was written by Sarah C. Thomsen, commissioned by Save the Children – Sweden, and RFSU. The research didn’t involve field work, but is a desk review of 24 such existing studies, done in 13 countries, during 1996 through 2006.

Statistics in regards to children and young adults contracting HIV are chilling. Forty-five percent of all new HIV infections are children, age 15 to 24. And each day 1400 children in the world die of HIV-related illnesses.

The study shows that one in three children have sex before the age of 15, but that information is a powerful tool in delaying children’s sexual debuts.

A guest speaker at the launch, Jody Kollapen, the Chairperson of the South African Human Rights Commission, said the report highlights a crucial part of the fairly new South African Constitution: Children as bearers of rights.

However, we must not forget the parents in this mission, he cautioned. “The report perhaps could have spent a bit more time on the role of the parents,” he says, especially, as the report points out, that they are an important source of information for the children.

In the era of new technology and new discussions about children’s legal rights, “parents often have a sense of being left behind,” he explains.

Culture and custom still play a large role in South Africa, where many still live under the authority of tribal chiefs, therefore, traditional leaders and parents must also be included in this process.

However, in regards to many issues in today’s South Africa,“there is still too large a gap between (the implementation) of the Constitution and the reality on the ground,” he points out.

So to some, words on a piece of paper, such as a report, or even the Constitution, may not mean as much to some, so that must also be taken into account, he explained. ”You must find different ways of influencing the hearts and the minds of the people,” he said.

The report ‘Tell me More!’ can be downloaded on the organization’s website: http://www.savethechildren.se/Publications/