What they didn't tell you in 2007

Being New Year's Eve, the paper today has been full of "2007's Greatest and Biggest" - the things that made headlines in the past year. I found an interesting article on 2007's most underreported stories, though, that covered some of the things we didn't hear, but perhaps should have. Here is a selection from Medecins sans Frontieres' Top 10 list for 2007:

1. Somalia ... again.
The information age has given us a short attention span for human tragedy. A one-off tsunami that comes complete with dramatic images? We're transfixed. A 15-year-long humanitarian crisis that leaves hundreds of thousands of people homeless, waterless, foodless? Doesn't sell newspapers, so we don't talk about it much.

2. Zimbabwe ... again.
When our cricketers boycott a visit, we're interested. When 3,000 people a week die of AIDS-related illness, we're not all that keen to know. Another of Mugabe's grand achievements: the near collapse of a once decent health system.

3. A mega-killer disease outbreak
Our media loves to put the spotlight on the Meningococcal "outbreaks" that occur each year, when one or two people succumb to the disease. Nobody bats an eyelid at the 2 000 000 (that's 2 MILLION) people who die each year from tuberculosis. We're still using a dodgy test from the 1800s that only detects half of the incidences. Never mind. Tuberculosis is slowly developing drug resistance, so it's only a matter of time before it reaches the non-third-world population again. Perhaps then we'll put some money into research and development...

4. Shock! Miracle food can cure malnutrition!
I know the dilemma. Back in 1985, images of large-eyed and malnourished children staring at the camera drew a huge compassionate response, but now we're a little desensitised to the whole thing. But it is a little-known fact that a nutrient-rich alternative is potentially available to stave off malnutrition. Food that doesn't need refrigeration and can be delivered to hungry children who need it. Imagine if the front page headlines told us there was the potential to feed the hungry? ... Nah, you're right. The cocaine-using footballer is a much better seller...

5. Sri Lanka ... again.
See number 1. Except this time, the conflict between the Tamil tigers and Government forces has been going on for 25 years, not 15. Sorry, the media's not interested. Britney's 16 year old sister just got knocked up!!!

6. Democratic Republic of Congo ... again.
Once again it seems that conflict in African provinces doesn't make for good headlines. Never mind that Hutu rebels from the Rwandan conflict appear to have crossed the border to fight. Never mind that MSF have treated approximately 7400 rape victims at one hospital over 18 months. It's a long way away. Almost as far from us as Poor Anna Nicole Smith in the Caribbean...

7. Entire population of Sydney flees their homes! Well... not really...
Imagine the fuss that would be made if that really happened. Similar numbers have apparently had to leave their homes in Colombia as a result of the war over cartel control. But then, it's a long way away, so we don't talk about it much.

...I won't reproduce the entire list here. Go and visit the site. All 10 of the issues need to be read more than the fluff we've been fed this year.