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USAID Administrator shares vision for agency reform

During a speech at the National Press Club on Friday, USAID Administrator Rajiv spoke about ongoing efforts to reform the agency he oversees, noting the importance of improving development strategies targeting women, among other things, All Headline News reports (6/20).

22 Jun 2010

Also in Global Health News: WHO scraps drug development group; Access to medication in Philippines; Yellow fever vaccine shortage; HIV-positive employee protection

Lancet World Report examines how "[d]isappointment over a long-awaited report on improving drug research and development for neglected diseases" led the WHO to form a new Consultative Expert Working Group (CEWG) to strategize around drug research and development. The formation of the new group comes after the report from the previous working group (EWG) was questioned due to "what some perceived to be a missed opportunity, unclear methods, a lack of transparency and signs of industry interference" and after "suspicions of impropriety" surfaced.

21 Jun 2010

U.S. releases statement on Global Health Initiative

The U.S. government continues to lay the groundwork for efforts under the U.S. Global Health Initiative (GHI), announcing the first round of "GHI Plus" countries, as well as the program's governance structure. GHI is a six-year, $63 billion initiative to help partner countries improve measurable health outcomes by strengthening health systems and building upon proven results. It places a particular focus on improving the health of women, newborns and children.

19 Jun 2010

Study measures relationship between individual exposure to arsenic and mortality risk

More than 20 percent of deaths in a study of 12,000 Bangladeshis were attributable to arsenic exposure from contaminated drinking water, new research reports.

19 Jun 2010

Obama administration names eight 'GHI Plus' countries

"The Obama administration has selected eight countries to serve as learning labs for a new global health strategy aimed in part at reducing maternal and child deaths and combatting preventable diseases," the Wall Street Journal reports. "The move is among the first steps in the administration's" roll-out of the Global Health Initiative and "comes amid mounting concerns about how much support President Barack Obama will win from Congress for a proposed 9% increase in global health spending for fiscal 2011," the newspaper reports.

19 Jun 2010

New partnership established to reduce newborn mortality

The U.S. Agency for International Development signed a Memorandum of Understanding this week with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Laerdal Medical AS, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and Save the Children. The objective of this Global Development Alliance is to reduce newborn mortality by expanding access to high-quality, affordable newborn resuscitation training materials and devices, improving the competence of birth attendants to resuscitate newborns, strengthening health systems and promoting global commitment and resources for life-saving newborn care.

19 Jun 2010

Recent releases in Global Health

The U.N.'s plan to improve maternal health is lacking "the one element that will make it work. Human rights," according to blog post on Huffington Post. "Medical causes of maternal death - hemorrhage, sepsis, hypertension, unsafe abortion, HIV and AIDS - are inextricably linked to human rights. Each one of these instances can be prevented or treated by simply respecting women's human rights in health policies and delivery of services, and addressing systemic gender inequality."

19 Jun 2010

New data shows racial-ethnic groups living in similar environment differ in cardiovascular risk profiles

Racial-ethnic groups living in a similar environment and with access to universal healthcare differed strikingly in their cardiovascular risk profiles according to new data presented today at the World Congress of Cardiology Scientific Sessions in Beijing, China.

18 Jun 2010

New multimillion dollar BSL-3 laboratory complex at Nigerian National TB and Leprosy Training Center

This week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director, Dr. Tom Frieden, visited the Nigerian National TB and Leprosy Training Center (NTBLTC) to tour a multimillion dollar laboratory complex established by the Institute of Human Virology (IHV) of the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, and the Institute of Human Virology-Nigeria. This U.S.-Nigeria partnership was established in 2004 through funding from the CDC and the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

18 Jun 2010

New polio strategy builds on 99% drop in Nigeria cases but faces 50% funding shortfall

In Geneva this Friday, a broad range of stakeholders will formally launch the new Strategic Plan 2010-2012 for eradicating wild poliovirus.

18 Jun 2010

NPR's Morning Edition examines Global Health Initiative

NPR's Morning Edition examines the Obama administration's Global Health Initiative (GHI) and efforts to combat HIV/AIDS. The $63 billion dollar "initiative preserves the Bush AIDS relief plan," known as PEPFAR, and aims "to allow patients to get care at one location rather than having to seek care at different places. For example, family planning at one facility and HIV care at another," NPR notes.

18 Jun 2010

Infant nevirapine more effective in preventing HIV transmission than maternal antiretroviral therapy

The largest study to date to examine methods to prevent HIV infection among breastfeeding infants concludes that giving antiretroviral drugs to HIV-infected breastfeeding mothers in sub-Saharan Africa or giving an HIV-fighting syrup to their babies are both effective.

17 Jun 2010

Opinions: Maintain fight against HIV/AIDS; Ending PMTCT; Impact of U.S. health reform on foreign-trained physicians

Following a recent trip to the largest HIV/AIDS clinic in Uganda, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon reflects on the recent progress made in the fight against the disease in a McClatchy opinion piece. Though "Uganda was the epicenter of the AIDS epidemic. …Uganda is also a success story," Ban writes. "A decade ago, fewer than 10,000 people were on the new generation of antiretroviral drugs that suppress the disease and offer the promise of a normal life.

17 Jun 2010

Also in Global Health News: Clinton to Haiti; Global Fund suspends Zambian aid; Ugandan health workers; MDG summit; Rwandan health insurance; HIV drugs in Kenya

Reuters reports that former President Bill Clinton will return to Haiti to "jump-start" the country's post-earthquake reconstruction. Clinton will head the first meeting of Haiti's reconstruction commission, "part of a sorely needed effort to better coordinate international aid efforts, [Prime Minister Jean-Max] Bellerive said." Bellerive hopes the meeting will "establish clear-cut guidelines" for distributing more than $5 billion in aid from 140 countries following the Jan. 12 earthquake (Brown, 6/16).

16 Jun 2010

Canada invites Africa, Caribbean, South American leaders to meeting during upcoming G8 summit

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Sunday invited several leaders from Africa, the Caribbean and South America "to a meeting on development and security issues, to be held on the sidelines of the G8 summit later this month," Agence France-Presse reports.

15 Jun 2010

Opinions: Haitian housing; U.S. foreign aid

"The only thing that seems to be moving relentlessly ahead in Haiti is the weather, with punishing heat and near-daily thunderstorms settling in for the summer - and the hurricane season that just begun," according to a New York Times editorial highlighting some of the problems with the Haitian reconstruction effort.

14 Jun 2010

TIME series examines global health

As part of a special package about global health, TIME magazine visits what is known as "the most malarial town on earth" - Apac, Uganda - and examines global malaria control and efforts to eradicate the disease.

14 Jun 2010

Capitol Hill briefing addresses neglected tropical diseases

At a Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) briefing, held in conjunction with the Congressional Malaria and NTD Caucus in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, "U.S. researchers, pharmaceutical companies and government officials [said] they are making progress in an effort to curb [NTDs], but that they need more money and outside help," VOA News.

14 Jun 2010

Global Programme seeks to eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis by 2020

Representatives from more than 50 countries attended the Sixth Meeting of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GAELF) in Seoul last week, to review the progress of the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (Global Programme), which seeks to eliminate the disease by 2020.

14 Jun 2010

CPHA celebrates 12 great achievements of public health in Canada

The Canadian Public Health Association opens its doors this Sunday June, 13, 2010 to the public, introducing a walking tour of the 12 great achievements of public health in Canada. The 15,000 square foot CPHA Centenary EXPO titled This is Public Health features a dynamic display of visuals that highlights the importance of public health and its fundamental impact on the health of Canadians over the last 100 years.

10 Jun 2010

Global Health News and Research

USAID Administrator shares vision for agency reform

Also in Global Health News: WHO scraps drug development group; Access to medication in Philippines; Yellow fever vaccine shortage; HIV-positive employee protection

U.S. releases statement on Global Health Initiative

Study measures relationship between individual exposure to arsenic and mortality risk

Obama administration names eight 'GHI Plus' countries

New partnership established to reduce newborn mortality

Recent releases in Global Health

New data shows racial-ethnic groups living in similar environment differ in cardiovascular risk profiles

New multimillion dollar BSL-3 laboratory complex at Nigerian National TB and Leprosy Training Center

New polio strategy builds on 99% drop in Nigeria cases but faces 50% funding shortfall

NPR's Morning Edition examines Global Health Initiative

Infant nevirapine more effective in preventing HIV transmission than maternal antiretroviral therapy

Opinions: Maintain fight against HIV/AIDS; Ending PMTCT; Impact of U.S. health reform on foreign-trained physicians

Also in Global Health News: Clinton to Haiti; Global Fund suspends Zambian aid; Ugandan health workers; MDG summit; Rwandan health insurance; HIV drugs in Kenya

Canada invites Africa, Caribbean, South American leaders to meeting during upcoming G8 summit

Opinions: Haitian housing; U.S. foreign aid

TIME series examines global health

Capitol Hill briefing addresses neglected tropical diseases

Global Programme seeks to eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis by 2020

CPHA celebrates 12 great achievements of public health in Canada

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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