International News Briefly

Disabled Peoples' International issues special bulletin on the Tsunami

DPI produced an extra edition of its e-news bulletin to share information about what people can do for those that were affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Asia and in Africa that took place on December 26, 2004. Eleven countries were affected by the disaster: Malaysia, Myanmar, Seychelles, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia, Maldives, Thailand, India, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. The disaster's death toll is nearing 160,000 people, and according to one UN official, that total could surpass 200,000 people before long. Kevin Kennedy, the director of the Coordination and Response Division of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, says that the relief effort is making great strides, but the urgent needs of many victims have not yet been met. Not only are people with pre-existing disabilities affected by a lack of access to aid, but more people are becoming disabled because of this disaster. DPI wants to make sure that people with disabilities are considered in all relief efforts. To find out more about the aftermath and about what one can do to help out during this crisis, visit http://www.dpi.org/en/resources/current_news/01-11-05_tsunami.htm.

Disabled persons must be included in the design, implementation and evaluation of policies, programs that affect their lives

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in his message on International Day of Disabled Persons, 3 December 2004, said that persons with disabilities are the best experts on how to remove barriers to their participation, and must be included in the design, implementation and evaluation of policies and programs that affect their lives.The full text of his message reads is posted on DPI's website at http://www.dpi.org/en/resources/current_news/12-10-04_annan.htm

Amnesty International: Human rights imperative for mental health reforms

The only way to ensure respect for human rights in mental health systems and in-patient facilities is through effective enforcement of international human rights standards, principally through rights-based national legislation, Amnesty International said on the eve of the World Health Organization's (WHO) European Ministerial Conference on Mental Health in Helsinki, Finland, on 12-15 January 2005. In Europe, one fifth of children and adolescents experience developmental, emotional or behavioral problems, and one in eight have a mental disorder. Many of these disorders are recurrent or chronic. Mental disorders affect one person in four in their lifetime, and can be found in 10 per cent of the adult population. To read the Amnesty International report online, visit http://news.amnesty.org/index/ENGIOR400012005 .

Afghanistan: About 250,000 landmine victims struggle to make a life

Despite having one of the highest numbers of landmine victims in the world, Afghanistan has been slow to reintegrate its disabled war victims. The figures are staggering. The country has more than a million people living with disabilities, according to the Afghan Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled (MOMD) and a quarter of them - at least 250,000 - are victims of landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXOs). The number is rising, with at least 40 people still falling victim to mines each month, as people return to villages that used to be on front lines. But this figure has now fallen considerably compared to the last few years when 300-400 people became victims of UXOs and mines every month. To read the IRIN News report online, visit http://www.plusnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=44269&SelectRegion=Central_Asia

Netherlands' hospital euthanizes babies

Raising the stakes in an excruciating ethical debate, a hospital in the Netherlands - the first nation to permit euthanasia - recently proposed guidelines for mercy killings of terminally ill newborns, and then made a startling revelation: It has already begun carrying out such procedures in a handful of cases and reporting them to the government. The announcement by the Groningen Academic Hospital came amid a growing discussion in Holland on whether to legalize euthanasia on people incapable of deciding for themselves whether they want to end their lives - a prospect viewed with horror by euthanasia opponents and as a natural evolution by advocates. To read the entire AP report online, visit http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/world/10304249.htm?1c

Dutch told of child euthanasia

Dutch doctors have reported 22 mercy killings of terminally ill babies since 1997, according to a new study. None of the doctors involved were charged, although euthanasia for children is illegal in the Netherlands. The report, in the Dutch Journal of Medicine, is the first detailed examination of child euthanasia. The study's authors want to address under-reporting of the practice and encourage doctors to report cases without fear of prosecution. The cases involved babies with extreme spina bifida, a disabling birth defect. The study showed that prosecutors had decided not to file charges as long as four unofficial rules were met. To read the BBC article online, visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4198993.stm .

Church of England Changes Stance on Euthanasia

The Church of England took a radical step towards backing 'mercy killing' of terminally ill patients last night after one of its leading authorities said that there was a 'strong compassionate case' for voluntary euthanasia. Canon Professor Robin Gill, a chief adviser to Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, said people should not be prosecuted for helping dying relatives who are in pain end their lives. Last week Gill was sent by Williams to give evidence to a parliamentary committee investigating euthanasia. Gill's stance marks a major shift by the Church of England and was welcomed by groups campaigning for a change in the law to allow for people to be helped to die under strictly limited circumstances. To read the report in the The Observer - UK, visit http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,1391582,00.html .

BBC reports on Euthanasia comment by medical ethics expert fuels controversy

A medical ethics expert has said she would consider euthanasia if she became a "nuisance" in old age, sparking anger among charities for older people. Baroness Mary Warnock told the Sunday Times: "One of the things that would motivate me is I couldn't bear hanging on and being such a burden on people." While her stance was applauded by pro-euthanasia activists, Age Concern labelled the remarks "outrageous." A spokeswoman for the charity said the elderly should not be seen as a burden. The baroness, who is 80 years old, said she would not go into a retirement home, saying they are a "terrible waste of money that my family could use far better." To read the BBC article online, visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4090463.stm .

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