The Global Health Gateway's many feature articles, book and film reviews, and personal stories are all archived here for you to peruse...

Watching this film will challenge your idea of 'progress', and leave you with plenty to ponder and talk about with friends. Join discussion on the Forum, and see more Books and Films.  [Directed by Chris Malloy. Running Time: 87 minutes] 

180 Degrees South is a powerful documentary that forces its audience to consider the impact of humankind's relentless quest for progress. The film follows Jeff Johnson, a charismatic adventurer as he retraces the footsteps of his heroes, Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins (founders of Patagonia and The North Face adventure wear companies, respectively) on a mission to climb Cerro Corcovado in Patagonia. His quest takes him along the Pan American highway, over the Pacific Ocean, and (due to nautical mishap) to Easter Island before reaching his final destination.

The focus shifts when Johnson reaches Easter Island and takes on a more contemplative tone as he learns the story of Easter Island's moai, the monolithic stone head statues that dot the island's coastline. Construction of these moai from volcanic stone was a colossal undertaking. To produce, transport and erect these statues demanded widespread deforestation and to enable this, the island's natural resources were ravaged. As a result, 18 different plant species were extinct, and the tiny island struggled to provide for its inhabitants. A striking parallel is drawn between the demise of Easter Island and the dam construction planned along the Aysen waterways of Patagonia to fuel the growing demand for energy from Santiago and Chile's ever-hungry mining sector. The cinematography here is striking as the frame shifts from the reflective, almost regretful faces of the moai to the bustling city of Santiago.

Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) was established in 2009 with the purpose of achieving an equitable standard of health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (ATSI).

They work to achieve this purpose through advocating for the provision of more allied health services to ATSI communities, providing high quality training for allied health providers working in this setting, as well as ongoing support for these individuals. IAHA enjoys support from some of the leading allied health professional bodies in Australia including the Optometrists Assosciation of Australia, Audiology Australia, the Australian Association of Occupational Therapists and the Australian Physiotherapy Association.

The IAHA website provides opportunities for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians interested in allied health to network and share information and ideas, as well as a wealth of information about the variety of allied health roles, training and scholarship opportunities and links to other relevant institutions. The website provides videos of passionate Indigenous allied health professionals sharing their career paths, which is a great source of inspiration, particularly for those who are yet undecided about which area of allied health they would like to pursue. For those further along their career path, there are links to placement, scholarship and job opportunities for working with ATSI communities.

You can explore the IAHA website at http://www.indigenousalliedhealth.com.au/ or for those looking to get more involved, details for becoming a member are available at http://www.indigenousalliedhealth.com.au/get_involved/index.cfm?loadref=5 .

13th October 2011 is World Sight Day so the Global Health Gateway will carry this focus on 'Eye Health' throughout the month!  Read more about World Sight Day below, revisit previous Feature Articles and join discussion on the Forum. 

The World Health Organisation and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness together form Vision 2020; a global initiative advocating for the prevention of avoidable blindness. Headlining their yearly calendar is World Sight Day on the second Thursday of October each year, which aims to promote visual impairment and blindness as major global public health concerns which require the attention of the public, the health sector and government bodies. 

While there have been significant improvements in the rates of visual loss due to infectious disease, visual impairment and blindness remains a significant global public health concern, one that is often overlooked. The burden of visual impairment can be difficult to appreciate from the comfort of a developed nation perspective, perhaps because there is revenue for investment not only in treatment but also in educational, social and occupational rehabilitation for those affected. In settings with limited resources, blindness is often both consequent to and cause of socio-economic disadvantage. Without the infrastructure to support those affected, educational opportunities, employment prospects and even social interactions are limited. 

There are still 284 million people estimated to be affected by visual impairment or blindness globally, with the majority of cases occurring in the developing world. This is despite the fact that nearly 80% of these cases are avoidable, while sight restoration and blindness prevention strategies are considered some of the most cost-effective interventions in health care. 

In recognition of World Sight Day 2011, this month we will be featuring the story of Kerryn Hart, an optometrist from Victoria who has worked in a variety of developing world settings, most recently as an Australian Youth Ambassador for Development in Cambodia. Watch this space for an upcoming profile on the Fred Hollows Foundation, and more information on international ophthalmology training opportunities. 

> Find out more about World Sight Day 2020
> Find out how you or your institution can get involved in Vision 2020