The legacy of HIV, the contraception conundrum, malnutrition and the role of health workers in reducing child mortality are just some of the many issues that affect the developing world, yet are ones that aren’t given enough publicity.
The Guardian International Development Journalism Competition aims to put these issues back on the news agenda, by encouraging enthusiastic broad-minded writers to research and investigate these issues so they get the attention and prominence they deserve – and the competition is open to students.
In 2009, Open University PhD student Alison Buckler finished second in the competition finals with a special commendation for her article, Dying for children. She spent a week in Nepal carrying out research for her article and blogged for Platform about her experiences.