Posts Tagged ‘GHI’

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Reading List 6/30/2010

June 30th, 2010

New list of reads to help get you through the week! Today we’re reading about great strides and advances in the control and elimination of NTDs – such as the substantial drop in human African trypanosomiasis cases over the last five decades – as well as other developments that pose more as obstacles, such as the re-emergence of Dengue in the U.S. Take a look:

Human African trypanosomiasis: number of new cases drops to lowest level in 50 years, WHO
Community-Based Education Strengthens Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis, Science Daily
Pharmacy students work to close the gap, Charles Sturt University
Foreign Policy Examines GHI, PEPFAR, Kaiser Family Foundation
Researchers In Australia Make Important Malaria Breakthrough, Government of Australia
Do Parasites Make You Dumber?, Cassandra Willyard, ScienceNOW
Dengue Re-emerges in U.S., Spurring Race for Vaccine, Gayathri Vaidyanathan, The New York Times

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Posted in Africa, Global Development, Global Health, NTDs, Public Health, malaria, poverty, reading list

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Global Network Ambassador Tommy Thompson Urges Congress to Fully Fund NTDs

June 29th, 2010

Today, former Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy G. Thompson, who also serves as an Ambassador for the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, submitted a letter to Congress asking for the full funding for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The letter, addressed to Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY), Chairwoman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs and Ranking Member Kay Granger (R-TX), called on Congress to support the president’s full request of $155 million for the treatment of the seven most common NTDs. Thompson noted that after seeing the debilitating effects these diseases have, especially on children whom are “constantly sick….cannot regularly attend school… [and whose] future earning potential can be curtailed by up to 40 percent” as a result of these diseases action must be taken. His request is one that the Global Network, and the entire NTD community, hopes will be granted. The Global Network’s Policy Director, Michelle Brooks stated, “that progress made toward the prevention, control, and elimination of the seven most common NTDs is undeniable, but we are far from our goal of eliminating the world’s seven most common NTDs and need the sustained support and commitment of the United States Government in our global health efforts.” Since 2007, under USAID’s NTD control program over 55 million people in 14 countries have received 221 million NTD treatments. The NTD Initiative is part of President Obama’s Global Health Initiative (GHI) unveiled in May 2009 as a comprehensive whole-of-government approach to meeting global health needs. A leading target of GHI is to reduce the prevalence of NTDs throughout the world by clamping down on the seven most common NTDs.

The Global Network would like to thank Governor Thompson, Congresswoman Lowey, and Congresswoman Granger for their unwavering dedication to global public health and the fight against NTDs. Now everyone will watch and see how Congress in this current budget climate will balance the myriad of competing foreign aid issues—particularly those in global health.

To read Governor Thompson’s letter in its entirety, please visit the Global Network’s website.

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Posted in Global Development, Obama Administration, Politics, Public Health, policy

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Reading List 6/21/2010

June 21st, 2010

New reading list to get your week started off right! Today we’re reading about the lack of attention that “silent killers” receive in the world of global health (the article mentions Dr. Peter Hotez, President of the Sabin Vaccine Institute), the Global Health Initiative’s announcement naming eight additional countries who will receive aid, the WHO declaring Malaybalay City, Bukidnon in the Philippines free from Filariasis, and experts urging the WHO to change its guidelines for clinical diagnosis of the neglected tropical disease Buruli Ulcer. Enjoy the reads!

The AIDS Funding Dilemma, Paul Webster, Miller-McCune
U.S. names eight countries to get health aid, Reuters
WHO declares province ‘Filariasis-free’, Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro
WHO Guidelines on Buruli Ulcer Need Adjustment, Science Daily

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Posted in Global Development, Global Health, NTDs, Obama Administration, Public Health, reading list

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Reading List 5/19/2010

May 19th, 2010

We’ve been getting a lot of interesting analysis and attention on Dr. Hotez’s New York Times editorial, along with his newly published NTD debate paper in PLoS Medicine that have both been released this past week. So on today’s reading list, we’ve provided you with a sample of what people are saying about the pieces and the engaging discussions that they have sparked. We’ve also included materials in other NTD and global health news, particularly about the decrease in deaths of children under five years old, and the importance of water sanitation. Enjoy!

Millions could be spared with funding increase, VOA News
Researchers Call for ‘Social Offset’ to Tackle NTDs, Science Daily
Neglected diseases: Teach or treat?, Megan Scudellari, The Scientist
WHO says under-5 deaths drastically reduced, Afrique en ligne
Nigeria: When Water Becomes a Curse, World News
South Africa: Benefits of Working Together on Water, Terna Gyuse, All Africa

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Posted in Africa, Global Development, Global Health, NTDs, Obama Administration, Public Health, Water and Sanitation, poverty, reading list

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Reading List 5/13/10

May 13th, 2010

New list of articles for your reading pleasure! Today we’re reading about new grants awarded by The Gates Foundation for public health advances, a brand new river-blindness disease workshop opening in Monrovia, Liberia, and of course, NTDs!


Ramp Up Efforts on Global Health, Josh Lozman and Erin Hohlfelder, The Huffington Post
Gates Awards Research Grant to Tackle Malaria, Malaria Consortium International
7 UC scientists win Gates global health grants, University of California
River-Blindness disease workshop opens in Monrovia, Liberia Broadcasting System Online
The Forgotten Sick, David Molyneux, Daily News Egypt

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Posted in Africa, Global Development, Global Health, NTDs, Obama Administration, Public Health, malaria, reading list

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Reading List 3/18/10

March 18th, 2010

Today we’re reading a couple of pieces about the ongoing fight against Guinea worm, including a rather encouraging piece out of Mali, and a profile of the director of USAID.

MALI: Hoping to eradicate guinea worm in two years, IRIN Africa

Parasite lost: Exterminating Africa’s horror worms, Debora MacKenzie, New Scientist

USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah outlines priorities, role for business, Kristi Heim, Seattle Times

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Posted in Africa, Global Development, Global Health, NTDs, Obama Administration, Public Health, U.S Government, Uncategorized, policy, reading list

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Reading List 3/12/2010

March 12th, 2010

Today we’re reading about an ongoing debate in the global health field, about the unfortunate state of donations to GAVI, and another analysis of Bill Gates & Bill Clinton’s testimony to Congress in favor of global health spending.

The Other Health Care Debate, Chris Collins, Huffington Post

Donors scaling back and not scaling up funding for GAVI at critical juncture, Karen Grepin’s Global Health Blog

Giving Congress the Good Global Health Stories, Te-Ping Chen, Global Health at Change.org

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Posted in Global Development, Global Health, NTDs, Obama Administration, Politics, policy, reading list

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Global Network Joins Call to Fully Fund International Affairs Budget

March 5th, 2010

When the Obama Administration released its FY 2011 budget, it included $58.5 billion for International Affairs. This includes $8.8 billion allocated for global health issues. However, the United States’  struggling economy, record budget deficit, and huge debts has led to mounting political pressure to cut spending, including, unfortunately, the International Affairs account which supports global health initiatives and  a number of development programs that life people out of poverty and promote stability worldwide

Fortunately, the community is united! We’ve joined with a coalition of other non-profits, NGOs, faith-based organizations, and others to send a letter to members of the US House of Representatives and Senate, emphasizing the importance of the International Affairs budget in U.S. foreign policy. The full text of the letter is below.

If you’re interested in joining the dialogue, call your congressman to tell them you support U.S. foreign assistance.

Dear Member of Congress:

We the undersigned organizations support the president’s request of $58.5b, as the minimum amount needed for the International Affairs account for FY11. This amount is expected to be 1.4% of total outlays of federal spending in FY11.

Our support is based on factors as varied as our specific missions themselves. But we are united around a common belief that the budget for International Affairs is critical to U.S. foreign policy and our shared future with people and nations around the world.

Sincerely,

  1. Academy for Educational Development
  2. Action Against Hunger
  3. African Diaspora for Change
  4. Aid to Artisans
  5. American Red Cross International Services
  6. American Refugee Committee
  7. Better World Campaign
  8. Bread for the World
  9. CARE
  10. Church World Service
  11. Concern America
  12. Congressional Hunger Center
  13. Disciples Justice Action Network (Disciples of Christ)
  14. Episcopal Relief & Development
  15. FACE AIDS
  16. Friends Committee on National Legislation
  17. Friends of the Global Fight
  18. Friends of the World Food Program
  19. Global Campaign for Education
  20. Global Health Council
  21. Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Sabin Vaccine Institute
  22. Helen Keller International
  23. INMED Partnerships for Children
  24. InterAction
  25. International Association of Black Professionals in International Affairs
  26. International Center for Research on Women
  27. International Relief and Development
  28. Joint Aid Management
  29. Lutheran World Relief
  30. Malaria No More
  31. Management Sciences for Health
  32. Mercy Corps
  33. Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network
  34. Mothers Acting Up
  35. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
  36. National Education Association
  37. National Association of Evangelicals
  38. National Peace Corps Association
  39. New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good
  40. NuVsionPAC
  41. ONE
  42. Outreach Internationa
  43. Oxfam America
  44. Pact
  45. Pathfinder International
  46. Physicians for Human Rights
  47. Plan USA
  48. Plant With Purpose
  49. Population Action International
  50. PSI (Population Services International)
  51. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Washington Office
  52. RESULTS
  53. Save the Children
  54. Sierra Club
  55. Trickle Up
  56. United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society
  57. United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries
  58. US Fund for UNICEF
  59. White Ribbon Alliance
  60. Women Thrive Worldwide
  61. World Vision
  62. World Wildlife Fund

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Posted in Global Development, Global Health, NTDs, Obama Administration, Politics, U.S Government, policy

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New Scientific Paper Examines the Lack of Scientific Interest in Neglected Tropical Diseases

February 3rd, 2010

As part of the global health community, we are always working to raise the profile of the neglected tropical diseases. 

A paper  released in the January 26th, 2010 edition of the online peer-reviewed scientific journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, looks at the lack of research and attention given to the NTDs.  Author Dieter Vanderelst,an economist at the University of Antwerp, argues that scientific research into the NTDs lags behind other diseases which have a similar burden around the world. Not only does this disparity exist, but it is likely underestimated.

The researchers write that, “The disproportionally low research interest in NTDs is doubly worrying if one considers that the DALYs associated with NTDs are generally assumed to be underestimated.” DALYs are a public health measurement that takes into account the years of life a person loses due to either illness or death from a specific disease. Although there has been measurable growth in the body of research around the NTDs, this has been largely attributed to the creation of the NTD specific PloS journal.

Similarly, resources for NTDs are growing due to the increased interest in global health and now many new partners are working on cost effective and efficient solutions and interventions.  “It will be necessary for civil society, scientists, and policymakers alike to break this cycle so that some of the most common infections among the 2.7 billion people living on less than US$ 2 per day receive the attention they deserve.” Although progress is being made, there is still a lot of work to be done.

With the release of President Obama’s proposed FY11 budget allocating $155 million towards NTD control and elimination efforts it seems as if the Administration is making NTDs a significant priority. In particular, the Administration is seeking to reduce the prevalence of NTDs globally by 50% within 70% of all of the affected population, eliminate onchocerciasis in Latin America by 2016, eliminate lymphatic filariasis globally by 2017, and eliminate leprosy globally. With this new focus on NTDs, and the associated increase in resources, perhaps the research gap for NTDs will begin to close.

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Posted in Global Health, NTDs, Obama Administration, Politics, Public Health, U.S Government, policy, poverty

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Reading List 2/2/10

February 2nd, 2010

With the release of Obama’s proposed FY11 budget yesterday and the $155 million allocated to NTDs specifically, we’re reading many different articles about the Administration’s 9% increase in global health funding. We’re also reading about the recent $13 million grant that the Gates Foundation has given to The Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis to eliminate  elephantiasis (lymphatic filariasis) and river blindness (onchocerciasis), in the developing world. Lots of exciting things happening for the NTD community!

  1. White House Proposes 9% Increase in Global Health Funding, Betsy McKay, WSJ
  2. Obama Boosts Funding for Tropical Diseases, Maggie Fox, Reuters
  3. Obama Budget Aids War Zones, Global Health Programs (Update1) , Indira A.R. Lakshmanan, Bloomberg
  4. Extra Money for Science in Obama’s Budget, Donald McNeil, New York Times
  5. The President’s Budget: Neglected Tropical Diseases, Erin Hohlfelder, ONE.org Blog
  6. Gates Foundation Commits $13 Million to Eliminate Two Tropical Diseases, Philanthropy News Digest
  7. The Gates Foundation’s expansion of its support, and the thinking that lies behind it, Paul Chinnock, TropIKA.net

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Posted in Africa, Global Development, Global Health, NTDs, Obama Administration, Politics, Public Health, U.S Government, policy, poverty, reading list

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