To the Point

AIDS in Africa

Perhaps the worst public health issue since the Black Plague, painfully little is being done to combat the spread of AIDS in Africa. Crucial anti-retroviral drugs are prohibitively expensive, and soft loans from the World Bank don't provide sufficient accelerated access. The fight requires international effort from public, private, and non-governmental organizations. Are they working together for the common good or passing the buck? We hear from a health researcher and journalist who have been followed the epidemic, Doctors Without Borders, a US drug industry trade representative and the acting head of the World Bank's African AIDS Campaign Team. (Sara Terry guest hosts.) Newsmaker: Serbs Convicted of Rape and Torture at War Crimes Tribunal - A UN tribunal has convicted three Bosnian Serbs for the rape and torture of Muslim women during the Bosnian war in the first international trial of wartime sexual enslavement. Mary Adele Greer, of the Coalition for International Justice, calls the landmark verdict a powerful weapon in the fight for women's rights and international law. Newsmaker (local broadcast only): Update on Serbian War Crimes Rape Convictions - A UN judge has handed down convictions to three Bosnian Serbs for the rape and torture of Muslim women during the Bosnian War. Peggy Kuo prosecuted the case in which sixteen women testified despite their fear of retaliation and social repercussion. She interprets today's verdict as a promise that they will no longer suffer in silence. Reporter's Notebook: Clinton Continues to Dominate Headlines - A month after the inauguration, Bill Clinton is still stealing the spotlight. Howard Kurtz, of The Washington Post, says we've become addicted to the roller coaster melodrama of the Clinton Presidency. He's also wagering on Senator Hilliary Clinton's press conference to get more coverage than a less-than-scintillating George Bush.