GAPPD presents opportunity to meld global, local agendas

"Beyond integration across the two diseases, the [Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhea (GAPPD) released by the WHO and UNICEF last week] is an opportunity to meld global and local agendas, giving national governments a comprehensive tool to determine the specific plans, investments, and partners needed to address the unique needs of their countries and achieve the greatest health impact for their citizens," PATH CEO Steve Davis writes in the Huffington Post's "Global Motherhood" blog. But "[g]lobal prioritization can only make a difference if it spurs complementary urgency among national governments where diarrhea and pneumonia still claim far too many lives," he continues, adding, "Engagement among national officials, health ministers, civil society, the private sector, donor agencies, multilateral institutions, and vulnerable communities is an ideal reflection of the GAPPD's integration of prevention and treatment strategies and its combined focus on diarrhea and pneumonia."

PATH "will be partnering with governments, international organizations, private-sector entities, and others to maximize utilization of critical interventions proven to reduce illness and deaths from these killers of children -- and holding ourselves accountable for achieving clear results," Davis writes. "With support secured from the world's leading health authorities, the call now shifts to national governments to translate this global framework into reality in the clinics and communities that battle childhood diarrhea and pneumonia every day," he continues. Davis concludes, "Today's launch of the GAPPD with its complementary resources is a reminder of the crucial value of collaboration and integrated efforts: Global and local officials must work together. Stakeholders such as civil society and the private sector must work together. Governments must engage health workers who must in turn work with their communities, so that diarrhea and pneumonia can be overcome ... together" (4/16).