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3R society
Posted on 14.10.11
In Balangoda, central Sri Lanka, everyone’s helping out with waste management.
Nimal Prematilaka, the city’s public health chief, says the egrets at the Bankeyawatta Solid Waste Management Centre aid pest control by eating flies and maggots. It’s a far cry from the UK, where the gulls that congregate at waste facilities are routinely scared off with [...] -
In the driving seat
Posted on 14.10.11
We return to Iganga, Uganda, and discover how international collaboration on waste management has enabled the council to become autonomous…
Since Uganda gained independence in 1962, the eastern town of Iganga has been dependent on higher authorities for money and in making important decisions.
For 40 years the town has been lobbying for the municipal status which [...] -
Breathe easy
Posted on 08.07.11
A radical German building method calling for high levels of airtightness can offer a solution for internal air quality in buildings. Chayley Collis makes the case for Passivhaus design…
Mould, condensation, house dust mites and cold are major causes of ill health and disease across the world’s temperate and cold zones. The Passivhaus approach to low [...] -
Cutting out HIV
Posted on 08.07.11
Tharagampatty, Tamil Nadu, India
At this barber’s shop, free condoms are part of the service. Local Gandhian charity Inba Seva Sangam provides condoms though 23 barbers as part of its HIV and AIDS awareness programme in this rural corner of Tamil Nadu.
Programme manager John Bosco explains: ‘We identified barbers’ shops as an ideal place to spread [...] -
FHR gets active in India
Posted on 03.05.11
FHR is making new friends in India. The charity is offering four bursaries and working with local NGOs and councils to create work experience opportunities for public health professionals.
Friend of the Human Race is discussing potential hosts’ needs and capacities with a network of NGOs and councils in Tamil Nadu. It is envisaged that through [...] -
Postcard from Cali
Posted on 03.05.11
Stewart Petrie reports from Ventura Beach, California…
The 60th Annual education symposium of the California Environmental Health Association took place in Ventura Beach in April. A varied programme saw excellent attendance with over 456 attendees. The requirement for continuing education credits may well have had something to do with this.
Keynote speakers each morning fired delegates up [...] -
A piece of cake
Posted on 03.05.11
Once famous for bananas, Kulithalai became better known for mosquitoes after rubbish clogged its drains and irrigation channels. Marie-Claire Kidd discovered how solving this problem allowed the town to improve wider public health…
Kulithalai, a growing town of 32,000 people, sits beside the Kaveri river, a green oasis on Tamil Nadu’s dusty plains. Pilgrims travel miles [...] -
What’s left behind
Posted on 03.05.11
Indian produce is laced with pesticide residues, potentially affecting not only consumers’ health, but the country’s exports. Rose Bridger reports…
India’s drive to increase food exports is being impeded by pesticide residues unacceptable in importing countries. Meanwhile, produce on the domestic market is frequently contaminated with residues exceeding less stringent limits.
In 2010, the European Union rejected [...] -
Hygiene in perspective
Posted on 03.05.11
Hygiene does not have to mean war on microbes, says Dr Lucas Dengel. He shares his experience with microbial technology…
When we think of hygiene, we think of getting rid of microbes. Hygiene equals absence of microbes or ‘germs.’ This is reinforced by advertisements for cleaning agents and pest control inputs in journals and cinema, on [...] -
Forward thinking
Posted on 31.01.11
Friend of the Human Race, Amicus Humani Generis, is one year old, and as it takes stock of its progress, it looks forward to a busy 2011.
2010 was the charity’s first active year, and in its first months its secretariat began the process of registering FHR with the UK Charity Commission.
The FHR website went live [...]
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Waste: A dirty word
