Inequalities and environmental challenges threaten progress in Asia
Slums of Calcutta
Inequalities between the rich and the poor as well as environmental challenges threaten development in Asia, according to the UN's 2011 Human Development Report. The annual report which provides rankings of national achievement in health, education and income in 187 countries worldwide says that despite progress, many people are still living in poverty in the region. The highest ranking Asian country is Japan which is twelfth while the lowest is Afghanistan at 172nd. India is ranked at 134. Daniel Dickinson asked Bill Orme from the United Nations Development Programme why India is ranked so low.
UN helps over 4.5 million refugees return to Afghanistan
A return convoy that will take the refugees back to Afghanistan
The attack that killed three staff members of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Kandahar, Afghanistan, has demonstrated the risks humanitarian workers face in the country each day. UNHCR, which has been working in Afghanistan since the 1980s, and has facilitated the return of over 4.5 million refugees from Pakistan and Iran is at particular risk. But attacks such as the one in Kandahar are a daily feature in this part of the world, even as the government gears up for peace talks with the Taliban, an insurgent group that once controlled the country. However, as Jillian Hocking reports, refugees continue to make their way back home.
WIPO and Indian organization tackle tropical diseases
Patients attending malaria blood tests
People who are most burdened by tropical diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and leprosy are getting a boost from the World Intellectual Property Organization, WIPO. WIPO is collaborating with leading pharmaceutical companies to promote new drugs and vaccines that address these diseases that are often referred to as "neglected". An Indian pharmaceutical company has joined the collaboration. Gerry Adams spoke to Christian Wichard, Deputy Director-General of WIPO, about how countries like India can benefit through the sharing of information.
Presenter: Aditya Mehta
Production Assistant: Sandra Guy
Duration: 10'00"
