25-10-2022

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 20224Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alame-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.comTuesday, October 25, 2022A realistic view onfighting corruptionWhat the realistic view ought to be isthat corruption in Bangladesh has notbecome unusually thicker in recenttimes. It is a systemic problem that the countryhas suffered from for a long time underdifferent governments.Corruption or the depthof it or its pervasiveness has a long history inthis land.If a body like the Transpareny InternationalBangladesh (TIB) existed in the eighties,specially during the rule of the autocraticgovernment, then that body would also likelyfind Bangladesh as a very seiously corruptionriddled country.Bangladesh was ranked as themost corrupt country on earth in the list ofcorrupt nations published by TransparencyInternational Bangladesh ( TIB) on 18 October,2005. This was the fifth year in a row thatBangladesh had topped the corruptionperception index of TIB.The corruption issue was overplayed by asection of media to imprint in voters' mindduring last year's national elections as if theincumbent government in Bangladesh has beenthe most corrupt. As it is, Bangladesh hasclimbed far up the ladder in corruptionperception specially under the presentgovernment. After the abysmal record ofcorruption as the most corrupt country for fiveconsecutive years in 2005, Bangladesh in thecorruption perception index stood at number143 among 180 sampled countries in 2017whereas its ranking in 2005 was 180th or at thevery bottom of the list. Thus, it is irrefutablyproved that Bangladesh's corruptions havesubstantially decreased in recent yearspropaganda to the contrary notwithstanding.Now, instead of mud slinging with thecorruption issue, what should be important onthe part of everyone concerned is to contributeto the clamour that the country needsinstitutional reforms or effective institutionalmechanisms set up in various spheres as thebest antidote against corruption. The AntiCorruption Commission lacks abilities indifferent ways to be able to strike at corruptionwith greater sustainable effectiveness.Therefore, the imperative is to empower itadequately with unflinching political resolvebehind such a move.Government needs torealize that people in general did not approve ofthe manner in which the ACC functioned underprevious governments-- sometimes actingoppressively against corruption suspects and inothers not succeeding in establishing the guiltscharged against the suspected ones. Thus, ACCearned a bad name for both gross inefficiency aswell as for unduly harassing individuals orinstitutions. But these sad aspects have notmeant that people want the ACC's zest forfighting corruption was turned off. They areonly for ACC doing its work properly under thepresent government that would seem notarbitrary and lead to successful prosecution.Thus, it would be a mistake for thegovernment to think that people have noappetite for the ACC or its activities. Any actionseen as deliberately weakening the ACC,therefore, will only erode esteem for thegovernment in the conception of the rank andthe file of the people. The notion will build thatnow in power the ruling party only wants toprotect corruption. That could be telling onthem in future voting contests. Governmentneeds to bear all of these considerations inmind.Government departments spawn the mostcorruption in Bangladesh and theparliamentary committees could play a veryimportant role by putting into sharp focus suchcorruption and building up the pressure fortough measures against the same.The creation of an ombudsman wassuggested long ago to handle cases ofcorruption alleged by members of the public.But such an ombudsman has not beenappointed. Clearly, the outcry to strengtheninstitutional capacities against corruptionneeds to be louder from the media and civilsociety. They should pile up enough pressure onthe political parties to go for the above reformsand more at the earliest.Planned farm management can remove the gloom ofthe educated youth and put smiles on their facesDue to the globaleconomic recession,not only getting agovernment or privatejob, but getting a jobadvertisement hasbecome a golden deertoday. Thousands ofeducated youngpeople have been sweating for a long time tofulfill the dream of their parents, brothers andsisters, and they have not been able to get a job.In the midst of the global economic recessionand the corona epidemic, the pilgrims whowant to fulfill their dreams are disorientatedand tired today. Those who thought that aftercompleting their education, removing theconcentrated darkness of sorrow, the world willbe bright with the light of happiness, today theyare locked in four walls under the terribleclutches of Corona. Students today are truly outof luck as job advertisements have stopped.According to International Labor Organization(ILO) data, one in four youth in Bangladesh isunemployed (27.39%). Educated youth areaffected in three ways in the long-runningepidemic. On the one hand unemployment,education and training are also disrupted.Students who used to earn two-four paisa byprivate tutoring and ride sharing, are closedtoday due to the fluctuation of oil prices in theglobal market. On the one hand, the studentstoday are lost way thinking about the bloodshoteyes of some people in the society and thecursed life of unemployment. Today there is noone to guide the wayfarers who have lost theirway. On the one hand, due to less advertisementof government jobs, retrenchment of workers inprivate jobs, return of expatriate brothers to thecountry, the employment situation is in a stateof chaos today. In such a situation, it is reallyThe actual occupant of the post,Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani, is a nobodywith zero parliamentary support who isentirely beholden to those who placed him inpower. There are excellent reasons whyhundreds of thousands of Iraqis broughtBaghdad to a halt in August over Al-Sudani'scandidacy.In 2010, when Al-Maliki was prime minister,he appointed Al-Sudani minister of humanrights - at a time when there were no humanrights to administer. During this black phase ofIraq's history, Al-Maliki co-opted militia forcessuch as Asa'ib Ahl Al-Haq, the Mukhtar Armyand the Imam Ali Brigades to embark on bloodysectarian purges and to assassinate journalists,activists and political opponents. Al-Malikiweaponized the judiciary against his enemiesand purged Sunni fighters who had risked theirlives combating terrorist groups.As chairman of the commission for de-Baathification, Al-Sudani assisted Al-Maliki inpurging hundreds of Sunnis and political rivalsfrom administrative roles. The IraqiCommission of Integrity estimated that $500billion was corruptly siphoned off from the Iraqibudget during Al-Maliki's tenure, much of whichwent toward funding paramilitary violence.Such were the industrial-scale crimes againsthuman rights and interfaith coexistence on Al-Maliki and Al-Sudani's watch that, in 2014, Iraqdisintegrated altogether and much of thecountry became a playground for the twinplagues of Daesh and Al-Hashd Al-Sha'abimilitias, which took crimes against humanity toentirely new levels of horror and cruelty.As prime minister, Al-Sudani (a long-standingmember of Al-Maliki's Dawa party) will be solelyaccountable to Al-Maliki and his paramilitaryHashd allies who brought Iraq back to the brinkof civil war in their dogged efforts to secure hiscandidacy. A large part of the blame for thisIran has been stepping up its drone gameand devoting considerable resources to adomestic drone program. Some of thesedrones are armed, others have only areconnaissance role, some - such as theMojer-6 drone shot down by an Americanfighter jet last week over Iraqi Kurdistan - cando both.Tehran also has an inventory of so-called"suicide drones," such as the Shahed-136,which are packed with explosives andcrashed into a target instead of returning tobase. The end result of Tehran's efforts hasbeen an extensive inventory of drones thathas allowed it to project power across theMiddle East at a relatively low cost. Thesedrones have also been used by Iran's proxiesacross the region, such as the Houthis inYemen.Last week's Iranian drone and missilestrikes in northern Iraq were part of agrowing trend. Other recent strikes have hitcivilian targets in Saudi Arabia and the UAE,and last month Iranian drones operated bydifficult to say what is going to happen to thepilgrims who wish to fulfill their dreams.Suffering a lot of pain and suffering when thetarget unemployed educated youth dream ofbecoming an entrepreneur, thousands ofquestions nestle in their minds. The dream thatwas cherished at one time dies, burdened bythousands of questions hidden in the darknessof one's mind. Educated youth who want tofulfill their dreams create many excuses in theirminds to push back their dreams. I am a simpleperson, it is not possible to be an entrepreneurwith me. Who will pay so much money, can I?In these thousands of questions, one stepforward and three steps back, the dream ofbecoming an entrepreneur disappears.Thinking about the fate of lakhs of educatedunemployed youth, I decided to say somethingas a former student of Bangladesh AgriculturalUniversity to give strength to the mind as themain weapon of becoming an entrepreneur.Hopefully this register will serve as a tool fortheir financial thinking to become betterentrepreneurs and fulfill their family's dreams.As an animal husbandry graduate I would saythat only integrated farm management can freethe educated youth from the scourge ofunemployment. I think educated youth are notable to become entrepreneurs easily due to lackMD. NAzMUL HASANof proper guidance and scientific knowledge. Itis very important to know some things beforebecoming an entrepreneur.1. It should be ingrained in the mind to hearhow the small entrepreneurs succeeded inrearing chickens, fattening cows, and integratedfarming of fish and ducks.2. You should hear how the farmers copedwith the difficult situations and see how somepeople are successful today and increase yourdesire and courage.3. If you want to see yourself as a successfulentrepreneur, you need to have a clear andsteady mind. One should attend the LivestockStudents who used to earn two-four paisa by private tutoringand ride sharing, are closed today due to the fluctuation of oilprices in the global market. On the one hand, the students todayare lost way thinking about the bloodshot eyes of some people inthe society and the cursed life of unemployment. Today there isno one to guide the wayfarers who have lost their way.Tehran's proxies attacked US forces in Syria.Last October, US and Syrian oppositionforces were targeted by a drone attack on Al-Tanf base in southeastern Syria. At least fivedrones armed with bombs attacked both theUS side of the base and the side housingSyrian opposition fighters. Luckily, therewere no casualties.The Iranian drone threat now extendsbeyond the region, and into Ukraine, whereTehran is now supplying them to Russia. It isno secret that Russian-Iranian militarycooperation has been occurring for years.Russia's stockpile of drones has becomeincreasingly depleted by surprisingly effectiveUkrainian air defenses.Also complicating matters for Russia is theimpact of international economic sanctionsthat make importing the requiredcomponent parts to manufacture dronesmore challenging. As it becomes moredifficult for Russia to replace its battlefieldloses in Ukraine, Moscow will lean on Tehranto fill the gap. Always in need of money, andLUKE COFFEYExhibition Fairs and Fairs organized by WAPSAto cross the Hundred Hills and spark theimagination.4. Advice should be sought from experiencedAnimal Husbandry Officers and VeterinarySurgeons employed in Government and Privatesector. Also read various books related to animals.5. You cannot be a good leader if you thinkonly in your mind. His movement and farreachingthoughts should have a positivemindset. For this purpose, one should watch theevents of KrishiDivanishi, KrishiogJeevan,Krishi Katha, Soil and Man and DiptaKrishi etc.Which will sharpen the positive thoughtshidden in his mind like steel.forever dependent on Russian diplomaticsupport on the global stage, Iran is more thanhappy to oblige.Iranian Mojer-6 drones have already beenshot down in Ukraine, and last weekUkraine's main port city of Odesa cameunder attack by Shahed-136 suicide drones.According to a Ukrainian spokeswoman,"about two dozen" Iranian drones have beenspotted in the skies above Ukraine in recentweeks, and at least half were shot down.The Iranian drone threat will not be goingaway soon. To mitigate its impact, in both theMiddle East and Ukraine, three things mustbe done.First, the US needs to increase its airdefense cooperation with the Gulf states. Notonly would this counter Iran's drones, it couldalso be an important and much neededconfidence building measure betweenregional countries and the White House. Itcould also jumpstart the proposed MiddleEast Strategic Alliance concept. This idea wasfirst proposed by the Trump administration6. You have to overcome hundreds of hurdlesand gain knowledge as well as hope yourself tobe the best agricultural entrepreneur. So toacquire this related knowledge training inpoultry farming, fisheries and cattle rearingshould be done in various term workshops ofthe Youth Development Department and underthe One House One Farm scheme.7. Many people think that I don't have thatmuch money. Can I do business? The dream ofbecoming an entrepreneur is destroyed in thebud by being burdened with such thousands ofquestions. Remember, becoming anentrepreneur doesn't require huge sums ofmoney, it just requires sheer willpower anddesire. So with little capital you too can becomea great agri entrepreneur. Besides, somegovernment projects and bank support canbuild a little seed of your dream. Through theOne Home One Farm scheme, incentives andfinancial assistance to new entrepreneurs to setup farms are aimed at. Moreover, theEmployment Bank, PravasiKalyan Bank,Pallisanchaya Bank and Bangladesh KrishiBank etc. provide loans on easy terms.So the dream should not always be confinedin the depths of the mind, it should make itselfblossom through good care. And you have toawaken the latent talent hidden within you.Remember that no path in life is smooth.Crossing the blood-stained road, climbing themountain of obstacles, showing thumbs to theblood-colored eyes of some people in the societyand saying that it was my dream to become anentrepreneur, all I want. That dream guides myhope today.The writer is a Agriculturist, Manager, DhakaBreeders & Hatchery Limited and FormerStudent, Faculty of Animal Husbandry,Bangladesh Agricultural University.A new era of paramilitary supremacy in Iraqdisaster for Iraqi democracy lies at the door ofMuqtada Al-Sadr, who until recently had thesingle largest bloc in parliament. Had Al-Sadrpossessed a degree of patience and politicalacumen, he could have overcome the Hashd'sblocking efforts and reached an understandingwith the Kurds, Sunnis and independents toform a government. Instead, he threw themother of all political tantrums, pulled hissupporters out of parliament and allowed theHashd to acquire most of the seats he vacated.It initially seemed as if Al-Sadr possessed awinning strategy, as he flooded the Green Zonewith his supporters in a bid to block Al-Sudani'scandidature and force early elections. However,he then staged one of the most humiliatingclimbdowns in modern political history afterTehran coerced Al-Sadr's theological superior,Ayatollah Kadhim Al-Haeri, into withdrawinghis support. With both Al-Sudani and Rashidsuch weak and malleable figures, it is clear whois intended to govern Iraq next.We should not discount the extreme levels ofbad blood between Al-Maliki and the Sadrists,which at times has escalated into assassinationsand bloodletting among each other's footsoldiers. In July, a recording was leaked in whichAl-Maliki, among other insults, denounced Al-Sadr as "a hateful Zionist." Temporarily reducedto enraged impotence, Al-Sadr is probablybiding his time so that his next move inflictsBARIA ALAMUDDINmaximum damage on an Al-Maliki-brokeredadministration. Blame for this debacle also lieswith the Kurdish and Sunni political factions.They know very well that Al-Maliki and theHashd have hostile anti-democratic ambitionsfor Iraq, but they have allowed themselves to bedivided and bought off cheaply at the cost ofIraq's sovereignty. While the KurdistanDemocratic Party and Patriotic Union ofKurdistan jostle over trivial appointments, theyrisk losing Iraq altogether.Former President Barham Salih was widelyseen as a trusted pair of hands. His successor,Abdul Latif Rashid - an independent Kurdwhose main claim to fame is having once beenwater resources minister - will struggle toemerge from Salih's shadow. With both Al-Sudani and Rashid such weak and malleableWith the Hashd hemorrhaging popular support over the pastyear, Tehran worries about the future electability of its Iraqipuppets. Hence, plotting is certainly already afoot for how the nextelections can be undermined - either by preventing them occurringat all or by seeking to dominate the aftermath.figures, it is clear who is intended to govern Iraqnext. However, Al-Sudani is already strugglingto put together a Cabinet, amid reports of fiercerivalry between Hashd faction leaders over whogets to benefit from key posts.With the Hashd hemorrhaging popularsupport over the past year, Tehran worries aboutthe future electability of its Iraqi puppets. Hence,plotting is certainly already afoot for how thenext elections can be undermined - either bypreventing them occurring at all or by seeking todominate the aftermath.The worst fears for Iraq are being realized andmatters are set to deteriorate as militias seek toreinforce their already unwieldy presence atevery level of this administration in order toexact control and extract every last corrupt dinarof public money. Outgoing Prime MinisterMustafa Al-Kadhimi had acted as a vital bulwarkagainst Hashd preeminence. Over the comingweeks, watch these militias make a bonfire of hislegacy.Yet, at this moment of apparent victory, theseHashd militias are looking nervously over theirshoulders. To the east of Iraq, for the past fiveweeks a nationwide uprising has been gainingmomentum. Tens of thousands of brave Iraniangirls and women are burning their hijabs andcalling for the downfall of the hated ayatollahsand Revolutionary Guard commanders whocontrol the Hashd.The Iraqi Hashd and all Iran's other clientmilitias are living on borrowed time. Maybe notthis year, but sometime soon, enoughcourageous Iranians will take to the streets toerase their hated tyrant regime once and for all.At that moment, the Hashd, Hezbollah andthe Houthis should ensure that their bags arepacked and plane tickets purchased; becauseonce their Iranian masters have beenvanquished, nobody will be there to protectthem from public wrath for the damage theyhave wreaked upon their respective homelands'sovereignty, stability and identity.Baria Alamuddin is an award-winningjournalist and broadcaster in the Middle Eastand the UK. She is editor of the Media ServicesSyndicate and has interviewed numerous headsof state.Baria Alamuddin is an award-winning journalistand broadcaster in the Middle East and the UK. Sheis editor of the Media Services Syndicate and hasinterviewed numerous heads of state.The Iranian drone threat and how to counter itas a way to deepen US engagement in theregion while increasing burden sharing. For anumber of reasons, it never got off theground. Perhaps the growing aerial threatfrom the Iranian drone and missile strikeswill restore it to the agenda.Second, more needs to be done to reducethe Iranian drone threat to Ukraine. The USand its allies should be providing moreadvanced air defense systems to Ukraine,such as the Patriot missile system. Whilesome progress has been made to bolsterUkraine's air defenses, more can be done.Also, Middle Eastern countries that have a lotof experience dealing with Iranian drones,such as Israel, should be working closely withKyiv to share intelligence and best practicesto defeat these drones.Finally, the Biden administration and itsEuropean allies should pull out of the talkswith Iran in Vienna over its nuclear program.Luke Coffey is a senior fellow at the HudsonInstitute. Twitter: @LukeDCoffey

TUESDAy, oCToBEr 25, 20225viNAyAK PrASADThe most common source ofplastic pollution in ourenvironment is not bottles,plastic bags or food wrappers,but cigarette butts. Smokersstub out nearly 800,000metric tonnes of cigarettesevery year, enough butts tocover New York's CentralPark. They are in everycountry on the planet, fromcity streets to rubbish tips,rivers and beaches.Cigarettes contain singleuseplastics because they areengineeredandmanufactured that way. Buttstake a decade to degrade,releasing more than 7,000toxic chemicals into theenvironment. Wildlife is alsoat risk: researchers foundpartly-digested cigarettebutts in 70% of seabirds and30% of sea turtles sampledfor one study.If cigarettes were treatedappropriately as single-useplastics, they couldtheoretically be banned.It's not just cigarettesleaving a plastic trail. InSouth Asia, smokeless andchewing forms of tobaccosuch as gutka and khaini aresold in plastic pouches,millions of which litter theenvironment.Vaping, electronic tobaccoand nicotine products arecreating a new wave ofpollution, from the mining ofmaterials for batteries tometal and plastic wasteleaching into soil and water.In a report last year, the USEnvironmental ProtectionAgency highlighted howlithium ion batteries areentering municipal wastesystems as consumersincorrectly dispose ofelectronic tobacco andnicotine products in thehousehold bin, becausethey're branded "disposable".The problem is global.Despite pledges from tobaccocompanies that they willeventually stop sellingcigarettes, 6tn are producedevery year. Andmanufacturing, sales andwaste from electronic tobaccoand nicotine products areincreasing globally as tobaccogiants seek to replace lostrevenue as smokers quit ordie.The industry uses a rangeof corporate socialresponsibility initiatives topaint itself green. Clean-ups,anti-littering campaigns andother gestures distract thepublic. Partnerships withenvironmental institutes andministries on reforestationand forest preservationprojects mask how growingtobacco crops lead todeforestation anddesertification in countrieslike Brazil and Tanzania.Plastic pollution by tobacco companiesSmokers stub out nearly 800,000 metric tonnes of cigarettes every year. Photo: Emmanuel DunandIn Mali and Senegal in westAfrica, the industry-ledProject Waterfall sought toimprove access to water. Asimilar initiative in BurkinaFaso aims to providedrinking water, even thoughthe country's laws prohibittobacco-sponsoredinitiatives. The last time thegovernment evaluatedtobacco use among thepopulation was 2013, whenalmost one quarter of all menwere smokers.In the US, around a fifth ofadults smoke, while slightlyless than a fifth of adolescentsuse e-cigarettes. The tobaccoindustry has fundedconservation organisationsthat include Keep AmericaBeautiful, the National Fishand Wildlife Foundation andthe Center for WatershedProtection.In the Philippines, wheremore than 40% of mensmoke, the tobacco industryhas partnered withgovernment agencies onenvironmental projects,including a river clean-upand an anti-litteringcampaign. If countries haveratified the WHO frameworkon tobacco control (a globalhealth treaty) - and mosthave - this type of partnershipis in violation. The treatyobliges government not tointeract with tobaccocompanies other than whenstrictly necessary. This, ofcourse, doesn't stop tobaccocompanies from wooingpolicymakers.There are two main goals ofpublic relations activities fortobacco companies. The firstis that, from a regulatoryperspective, they need to beable to manufacture, sell andprofit from products thatdamage the environment. Ifelectronic cigarettes wereregulated out of the hands ofchildren, it would not onlyprotect them from addiction,but also protect theenvironment.The second is to portraythemselves as sustainable toinvestors. British AmericanTobacco has featured on DowJones Sustainability Indexfor 20 years now and PhilipMorris on the ClimateDisclosure Project's A List.An industry that createsnearly 800,000 metrictonnes of toxic waste a yearfrom cigarette butts sits oddlywith environmentalsustainability. There's noescaping the reality: tobaccowaste continues toaccumulate because theseaddictive products are notenvironmentally friendly butare designed to hook newcustomers and perpetuateconsumption.This could change. A UNplastics treaty is on the table,offering a global mechanismto tackle the lifecycle ofplastics. Many authoritiesaround the world - includingIndia, Rwanda and the USstate of California - have putin place or are consideringpolicies to ban single-useplastics. These policiesshould include the plasticwaste coming from tobaccoand nicotine products,including electronicproducts.Governments should alsorequire the tobacco industryto clean up the waste thatresults from its products andpay for the environmentaldamage. And they canimplement the WHO treaty,which has provisions to helpgovernments protectthemselves from being thetargets of industry-sponsoredPR campaigns.Governments, investorsand the global communityshould refuse to accept thetobacco industry'sgreenwashing sleight ofhand. Despite sustainabilityclaims, its new portfolio ofproducts could end upfurther polluting in terms ofenergy consumption,materials and waste.MSF expresses sorrow for usingimages of child rape survivorDAviD BATTyThe international presidentof Médecins Sans Frontièreshas apologised for publishingphotographs of a teenagerape survivor from theDemocratic Republic of theCongo on its website,following criticism that theimages were unethical andracist.Dr Christos Christou alsoannounced that the medicalcharity had tightened itsguidelines on photographingvulnerable minors, such assurvivors of sexual abuse,requiring that they shouldnot be identified visually orby name.He said the new rules alsoclarified that anyone agedunder 18 could not, on theirown, give informed consentto be photographed. Themeasures come in responseto concerns raised about theorphaned 16-year-old girlfrom DRC, who the aidorganisation said had givenconsent to the publication ofphotos that showed her faceand mentioned her real firstname.In a statement publishedon MSF's website, Christouwrote: "We acknowledge thatthe publication of theseimages was a mistake, andwe are sorry. We must alwaysMSF's international president, Dr Christos Christou, said the medicalcharity should have protected the 16-year-old girl shown in the photographs.Photo: MSFavoid exposing, exploiting orendangering victims ofviolence and abuse. And wemust ensure that our vitalwork of bearing witness tosuffering and abuse does notcause further harm."The revised [guidelines]requires that we change thename and obscure the visualidentity of minors who arevictims of abuse, exploitationor who are suffering from ahighly stigmatisedcondition."He acknowledged that inthe case of the girl from DRC,who had been gang-raped byarmed men two monthsbefore the photoshoot, MSFshould have done more toprotect her."As an orphan, she had noparent or guardian tosupport her," Christou wrote."We recognise that we shouldhave taken additional stepsto protect this survivor'sidentity, considering herstatus as a minor."He also said that MSFwould review its contactswith photographers andphoto agencies to addressconcerns raised in an openletter signed by doctors,photographers and humanrights activists that themedicalcharitycommissioned, publishedand allowed the sale ofphotographs thatendangered and exploitedvulnerable black people,including children.Christou's announcementwas welcomed by theorganiser of the letter, BenChesterton, director of theUK film production companyDuckrabbit.John BartlettThe Chilean state hasapologised to a woman whowas forcibly sterilised bydoctors because she was HIVpositive.The woman, known only asFrancisca and then 20, wasdiagnosed with HIV in March2002 while pregnant with herfirst child. But while she wasunder anaesthesia during aCaesarean section, doctors ata public hospital performed asurgical sterilisation on thegrounds that it would beirresponsible for an HIVpositivewoman to have morechildren. When Franciscawoke up after the operation,she was informed by a nursethat she had been sterilisedwithout her consent."This act of reparationreaffirms the Chilean state'scommitment to attempting torepair the damage caused bythe actions of its employees,"said Antonia Urrejola, Chile'sChile government apologizesfor forced sterilizationforeign affairs minister, whopresented the formal apologyalongside President GabrielBoric on Thursday afternoon."It also underlines thisadministration's commitmentto making sure that women'sreproductive rights and sexualand reproductive autonomyare not affected in the waythey were in [Francisca's]case."In 2020, the UNAidsprogramme estimated thatthere were 77,000 peopleliving with HIV in Chile.According to the organisation,women living with HIV aremore likely to be victims ofviolence while undergoingreproductive healthprocedures.Social and economicinequalities also exacerbatethe risks for women.Francisca lived in a poor ruralcommunity and had neverhad access to sexual orreproductive education.She had received noguidance as to the risks,advantages, and alternativesof sterilisation, despite a legalrequirement for informedwritten consent from thepatient.In 2007, Francisca filed acriminal complaint againstthe doctor, who claimed tohave obtained verbal consent,and her case was dismissed ayear later when a court ruledPresident of Chile, Gabriel Boric, right, and the Minister of ForeignAffairs, Antonia Urrejola, in Santiago, Chile. Photo: Alberto valdésthat it did not constitute acrime.Two years later, the casewas brought to the Inter-American Commission onHuman Rights by the Centerfor Reproductive Rights andVivo Positivo, twoorganisations acting onFrancisca's behalf.On 3 August 2021, theChilean state signed asettlement accepting itsresponsibility.The agreementmade Chile responsible forcompensating Francisca forthe damages caused,providing a housing subsidyand healthcare for both herand her son, and committingto raise awareness of HIV andreproductive rights."I receive the apologyoffered to me by the Chileanstate… [but] it must be clearthat I was not the only one,"Francisca said at the time."I am happy to know thatmy case can serve to endstereotypes about peopleliving with HIV, and toimprove healthcare for otherwomen." Reproductive rightshave only recently liberalisedin Chile.Until 2017, abortion wascriminalised in allcircumstances, even when itwas necessary to save thewoman's life. It is now legal inthree cases - when themother's life is at risk, in theevent of a nonviablepregnancy, or if the pregnancyresulted from a rape.SArAh JohNSoNEvery day on the respiratoryward at one of Kyrgyzstan'sbiggest hospitals, AidaiTemiraly Kyzy, a 24-year-oldnurse, puts on the music andleads her patients in the KaraJorgo, the national dance ofthe central Asian country.This involves a range ofbody movements and leaveseveryone smiling - but Kyzy isnot doing it for fun. Thesession is part of a treatmentprogramme offered to peoplewith severe chronicobstructive pulmonarydisease (COPD) - a common,preventable and treatablelung condition."Almost all patients, beforedoing this, complain ofshortness of breath, a coughand say they have no physicalaptitude," she says. "But, evenon the second or third day,the improvement isnoticeable. Physically, theycan do more."I've seen patients withreally low mood transformand, by the end, they smileand are so grateful," saysKyzy.COPD develops frommidlife onwards; symptomsinclude breathlessness, achronic cough, often withphlegm, and tiredness. It isusually caused by smoking,but also by air pollution.There is no cure, and if leftuntreated it can lead topremature death. If detectedearly, it can be treated andmanaged.It is one of the top threecauses of death worldwide,and 90% of deaths occur inlow- and middle-incomecountries. Globally, there are3 million deaths a year fromCOPD but this number isexpected to rise to 5.4 millionby 2060, according to thelatest report from the GlobalInitiative for ChronicObstructive Lung Disease."In Kyrgyzstan, COPD is avery serious problem," saysProf Talant Sooronbaev,director of the NationalCentre of Cardiology andInternal Medicine, located inBishkek, the capital city.Although official figures putthe prevalence at between30,000 and 40,000 cases, hecites research that suggestsup to 200,000 people, out ofDetection of chronic lung disease lies below radarNurse Aidai Temiraly Kyzy dances the Kara Jorgo with patients.a population of about 6.5million, have the disease."We have patients whodon't understand why theyhave a cough, or problemswith breathlessness. TheyPhoto: Collecteddon't visit health services andremain undiagnosed," hesays.The number of sufferers isexpected to rise. Sooronbaevsays the country has morethan 500,000 smokers, andthere is widespread indoorpollution caused by people inmountainous and remoteregions heating their homeswith wood, dung or coalduring long and harshwinters.Sooronbaev decided to act.Treatment for COPD in manycountries involves prescribingoxygen, inhalers andantibiotics, which patientshave to buy. In Kyrgyzstanthis can cost more than amonthly salary. Sooronbaevand his team startedexperimenting withpulmonary rehabilitation, aphysical exercise programmedesigned in 2016 for peoplewith lung conditions, as partof an EU-funded researchproject called Fresh Air.Over the years, theprogramme has evolved, andincorporated patientfeedback. Now it is beingadopted by Kyrgyzstan'shealth ministry, and isalready in place in threehospitals and two GPsurgeries. It runs for sixweeks, with a couple of twohoursessions a week. Addedto lectures, dietaryinformation and patientsupport groups is a regime ofphysicalexerciseincorporating elements ofvolleyball - which is popularin Kyrgyzstan - walking,cycling on exercise bikes, anddance. The idea is thatpatients can continue withwhat they are taughtafterwards at home.Dr Azamat Akylbekov, apulmonologist in Bishkek,has seen the transformativeeffect. "I remember onewoman who was 63," he says."She cried because she hadsevere shortness of breath,coughed all the time, wasdependent on oxygen, andtook a lot of strong antibioticsand inhalers. She was reallydepressed." She was invitedto take part in the programmeand the results surprised him."Afterwards, she was like aflower - she smiled and herbody language was moreactive. That sticks in mymind."

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