I'm reading a fascinating book at the moment, called Bury the Chains, by Adam Hochschild. It's the history of the British campaign to abolish slavery. It often astounds me that the history of slavery gets so little attention. I mean, this was human rights abuse, a crime against humanity on a massive scale. I'm talking millions of deaths and millions of people uprooted and transported across the Atlantic to live lives of misery.

On Thursday last week, NGOs and civil society organisations from across East and Southern Africa met in Nairobi Kenay, to launch a campaign to demand access to essential medicines, and an end to the ongoing stock-outs of essential medicines in government health facilities.

The regional campaign is being led by the Nairobi-based organisation Heaith Action International Africa (HAI-Africa), and Oxfam. Country campaigns will take place in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Malawi, Madagascar and Kenya.