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- Prevention of individual or small scale acts of violence from becoming mass atrocities
- Protection of internationally-guaranteed rights of individuals and civilian populations
- Prosecution of those who violate human rights
- lymphatic filariasis
- blinding trachoma
- sleeping sickness
- leprosy
- soil-transmitted helminthes
- schistosomiasis
- river blindness
- Chagas disease
- visceral leishmaniasis
- guinea worm
- Enhance the transition to low emission development via investments in clean energy and sustainable landscapes for climate change mitigation;
- Grow resilience of people, places, and livelihoods through investments in climate change adaptation; and
- Strengthen development outcomes through the integration of climate change in USAID programming, learning, policy dialogues, and operations.
Sujal Parikh Memorial Symposium for Health and Social Justice
February 2nd, 2012Sustainable Connections & Collaborations for Health & Human Rights
A joint conference of:
The 2nd annual University of Michigan Sujal Parikh Memorial Symposium for Health & Social Justice
and
The Physicians for Human Rights National Conference
March 24th to 25th, 2012 in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Featuring keynote speakers Drs. Arash and Kamiar Alaei, Iranian physicians and brothers imprisoned for over two years for their work on fighting HIV/AIDS. Learn more at http://iranfreethedocs.org/.
Program and confirmed speakers available here.
Sustainable Connections & Collaborations:
Sujal Parikh was a University of Michigan medical student and NIH Fogarty Scholar who held leadership positions on the Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) Student Advisory Board, as well as in AMSA, GHEC, UAEM, UM Center for Global Health, and UVP. A passionate believer in the collective power of committed individuals to advance health and social justice, Sujal leveraged his networks within these organizations to make each of them stronger. Sujal’s unique gift for bringing people together in pursuit of common goals inspired the theme for this year’s joint conference. Learn more about Sujal here.
The Sujal Parikh Memorial Symposium:
The Sujal Parikh Memorial Symposium on Health and Social Justice began as a collaborative effort among friends, colleagues, and representatives of the numerous global health organizations to which Sujal contributed. The 2011 symposium, The Social (Justice) Network, brought together diverse students and professionals to learn from one another, create lasting connections, and generate new ideas for the advancement of health and social justice. Together, we established a community committed to carrying on Sujal’s work and ensuring that his spirit continues to inspire a better world. More information on the 2011 symposium is available here.
The Physicians for Human Rights National Conference:
PHR is an independent organization that uses the integrity of medicine and science to stop mass atrocities and severe human rights violations against individuals. The organization was founded in 1986 on the idea that health professionals, with their specialized skills, ethical duties, and credible voices, are uniquely positioned to protect human rights. PHR uses its investigations and expertise to advocate for the:
PHR’s National Student Program provides health professional students with opportunities to learn about, advocate for, and develop leadership in the field of human rights. Information about PHR’s 2011 National Conference is available here.
We are honored to be sponsored and hosted by the University of Michigan Center for Global Health, the U of M Medical School, the U of M Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, the U of M School of Public Health, and Global REACH, and to be supported by the Michigan Student Assembly.
Combating Neglected Tropical Diseases
February 2nd, 2012In response to a 2010 World Health Organization report Working to overcome the global impact of neglected tropical diseases, this week, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank, 13 pharmaceutical companies, the governments of the U.S., U.K. and U.A.E. and other global organizations committed to a new, coordinated effort to advance progress towards controlling 10 neglected tropical diseases by the end of the decade and improve the lives of the 1.4 billion affected by such diseases globally. Guiding this effort, the World Health Organization released targets and a strategy, Accelerating work to overcome the global impact of neglected tropical diseases—A roadmap for implementation.
These neglected tropical diseases include:
Check out the related webcast and infographic
Global Fund’s 10th Anniversary
January 29th, 2012This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Global Fund to Finght AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. This short film by Adrian Steirn presents the story of the Global Fund’s work to collaborate with key international figures in the first ten years of its fight against these global pandemics.
According to the Executive Director of the Global Fund Michel Kazatchkine:
“The story about the Global Fund is a story about how the world could actually come together and turn a hopeless situation into one of promise. This amazing film tells that story through the words of some of the people who were crucial in making this dramatic turnaround. It is fantastic to be reminded of how terrible the future looked for global health ten years ago, and how far we have come.”
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recently renewed its commitment to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, giving $750 million through a promissory note. This innovative funding method gives the Global Fund the flexibility and authority to distribute funds efficiently based on immediate needs, leading to greater impact.
SUSTAINABLE CONNECTIONS & COLLABORATIONS FOR HEALTH & HUMAN RIGHTS
January 24th, 2012
USAID Climate Change and Development Strategy
January 22nd, 2012USAID has released its new Climate Change and Development Strategy for 2012-2016, a strategic framework for approaching the barriers and opportunities presented by global climate change. The strategy strives to “enable countries to accelerate their transition to climate resilient, low emissions development to promote sustainable economic growth.”
3 strategic objectives are incorporated in USAID’s strategy:
“…the threat from climate change is serious, it is urgent, and it is growing. Our generation’s response to this challenge will be judged by history, for if we fail to meet it—boldly, swiftly, and together—we risk consigning future generations to an irreversible catastrophe.”
President Obama, United Nations Summit on Climate Change, September 22, 2009
The Global State of Agriculture
January 21st, 2012This infographic from the USAID highlights the escalating need to feed the world’s growing population. It is estimated that the world will need 70% more food by 2050. USAID’s Feed the Future initiative attempts to support innovative farming practices, provide modern agricultural technology to farmers and encourage sustainable agriculture.
Supporting similar goals, the Center for a Livable Future at Johns Hopkins also encourages means to support a growing population’s needs while protecting the environment, biodiversity and the earth’s finite resources.
Check out TEDxManhattan’s “Changing the Way We Eat” held today to explore the current food system and the ongoing efforts to create a more sustainable way of farming and eating, including a talk from the Center for Livable Future’s director Dr. Robert Lawrence, MD.
If you missed the live stream of this event, check out last year’s recorded videos of the talks and look out for the recordings from this year’s event as well.
International Health as an Equity Issue
January 19th, 2012In this 60-Second Health podcast from Scientific American, Paul Farmer purports that equity is the best approach to evaluating and addressing global health issues.
What are your thoughts on framing international health issues in terms of fairness and equity?
Why Invest in Women?
January 11th, 2012The following infographic from USAID graphically illustrates the ways in which investments in females have wide-reaching and significant impacts.
In what ways do you think that investments in females can have an impact?
Maternal and Child Health Questions Answered
January 10th, 2012The following question and answer session was originally posted on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Blog Impatient Optimists January 9. 2011 as part of an ongoing and upcoming commitment to family planning and contraception for women in developing countries. Stay tuned for Part 2 of the conversation coming soon!
Melinda Gates and Nick Kristof Answer Your Questions
Melinda recently returned from a three-day trip to Bangladesh. She, along with Nick Kristof, agreed to answer readers’ questions about development issues focusing on that part of the world. Here is the first installment of the Q&A session reposted from Kristof’s New York Times blog “On the Ground.”
Q. How can a “small” person without a lot of financial resources help the women of the world? What can each of us do to reach out to the women in Africa, Haiti, South America and the Far East? I feel so helpless and it really hurts. –JEANIE, New York City
A. MELINDA: That’s a great question, Jeanie. I believe that each of us can do important and meaningful work to make the world a better place. It’s not about the money. It’s about using whatever resources you have at your fingertips to try to improve the world.
I think that real giving starts with caring about others and wanting to learn more. I encourage everyone to become a student of the causes they care about. And if you are interested in learning about what you can do to help women in developing countries lead healthy and productive lives, you can go to the websites of organizations such as UNICEF, UN Women, CARE, and Save the Children that support programs focused on women. At Nothing But Nets you can purchase a bed net for just $10 to protect a mother and her children from getting malaria.
One thing that touches me the most when I travel is the fact that so many of the women I meet don’t have a voice—not in their government, often not even in their own household. They want to be able to deliver their babies in a clinic or get their children immunized, but there is no place for them to be heard. They go to incredible lengths to take care of their children, like the group of women I met with today who were at the clinic learning about health and nutrition. This is something they will do for five days a week for five months, to make sure their children are properly fed, thanks to a program put together by the Foundation.
By supporting programs like this, we in the developed world can use our voices to demand that those women have the same basic health services we do.
This is the reason why I’ve started using Twitter and Facebook to share stories and communicate with people who are making a difference—as well as those who are eager to make a difference. I’m a big believer in the power of social networks, whether they are local networks of women working together to improve newborn health in rural Bangladesh, or online networks. Use your own network to spread the word about challenges that these women face or successful organizations that you learn about so others can also become engaged.
A. NICK: Two suggestions for Jeanie’s good question. First, you don’t have to be wealthy to make a difference. Even modest donations do make a difference. For less than $1 a day, for example, you can sponsor a child through PLAN USA (I have a PLAN child in Dominican Republic, whom I visited a few years ago). Or you can browse Kiva.org or GlobalGiving.org and probably find a better use for $25 than you could find at the mall.
But even if you don’t have $25 to spare, there are other steps you can take – such as lobbying for good programs, or for change in bad ones. The CARE action network, for example, suggests who to send emails or letters to on humanitarian causes. Many other organizations have similar online campaigns. You can even introduce your child to freerice.com and, through educational game play there, support food donations. So sure it helps to be a billionaire, and Jeanie is unlikely to affect as many people as Melinda. But I’ll bet that Jeanie or anyone else can affect one or two people or more in ways that are transformative. If you see a girl who can go to school, for example, because someone has paid her school fees through Camfed, and who as a result now has an entirely different future – well, that’s the most gratifying feeling in the world.
Q. I’d like to thank the Gates, and I would like to ask how they factor in the unintended consequences which may result from their work. For example, earlier efforts to use vaccinations and other means to reduce child mortality were extremely successful in the Third World, but the consequence was very rapid and substantial population growth. I’m not suggesting that saving lives is bad; it is the most noble act a person can perform. My question is how does the Gates Foundation estimate the results of their programs, and do you plan additional efforts to ensure that the results of your work, such as population growth, are effectively managed as well? Thank you. –MARSHALL GOLDBERG
A. MELINDA: This is a question that we think a lot about. The foundation is data-driven in everything we do, from making grants to estimating and evaluating their impact. For example, here in Bangladesh, we are funding several research studies to better understand which viruses and bacteria cause the most cases of pneumonia. Only by generating solid data will we be able to make well-informed decisions. And, of course, we need to know if our work is having impact. Measurement and evaluation is built into every single grant so we can analyze the results of programs that we fund.
I want to share with you something that surprised Bill and me when we first started learning about global health. Like many people, we thought that if you made advancements in global health, rapid population growth would result. But, in fact, the opposite is true. When the health of a population improves, family size starts to decrease and population goes down. If a mother knows that her children are going to make it through to adulthood, she will have fewer children. She will have an easier time feeding those children and sending them to school. Life for her family starts to get better by every measure.
I encourage everyone to become a student of the causes they care about.Melinda Gates
But in order for this to happen, family planning is critical. More than 215 million women want to use modern contraceptives but don’t have access. That’s a crime. We need to make sure that every woman is able to choose how many children she wants to have and when she wants to have them.
A. NICK: People often push back at me when I talk about saving lives and say, in effect: There’s no point. Those people who are saved will just have more children until everyone is starving again. That’s a canard. In fact, it’s increasingly understood that one reason people have large families is because they expect some children to die. If they can be assured that their children will live, they’ll have fewer kids (after a lag). That’s why birth rates are already dropping in poor countries. Indians, for example, now have just 2.6 babies – down from almost 6 in 1950. Bangladeshis average just 2.3 babies.
The bottom line is this: the way to deal with population pressures is to support family planning, not to let children die of disease.
Q. I attended a talk once with the British economist Benny Dembitzer. He thinks that too much money is spent on the fight against malaria and other diseases, believing that a child may be saved from malaria today but could die from diptheria tomorrow. Instead, he’d rather see that money spend on primary education. As a molecular biologist, I think that the fight against insect transmitted diseases can be won, but I can understand the argument. Do you think that a point might be reached at which we have to say: Enough’s enough. Let’s give everyone bed nets and we can fight malaria through bringing people out of poverty? –ROBERT JONES
A. MELINDA: I hear that question a lot, and I don’t think it is either or. We have to do both. It is incredibly important not only to invest in health, but also to invest in efforts that stimulate economic growth, expand access to opportunity, and help the poor raise themselves out of poverty. Take agriculture, for example. We invest in agriculture because we believe that if smallholder farmers, the majority of whom are women, had access to better information and higher yielding and more resilient crops, they could better feed their families, earn higher incomes, and become self-sufficient.
On the health front, we’ve learned that in addition to causing some children to die, infectious diseases take a massive toll on those who get sick but survive. For instance, some studies have shown that children who suffer from cerebral malaria have more trouble paying attention and remembering information. The same holds for children suffering from diarrhea and for those who are undernourished, especially newborns and infants. Over 80 percent of calories in the first year of a baby’s life goes towards brain development. If that energy is used instead to fight malaria or diarrhea, the brain may not develop properly. And then children can’t live up to their full potential, no matter how good a primary education they receive. Good health is fundamental to breaking the cycle of poverty.
Just this morning, I met a beautiful little girl named Shrabonti in Mirpur, a slum in the Northwest of Dhaka, while visiting a study site exploring the link between intestinal infections, nutrition, and cognitive development. Shrabonti, who shares her name with the rainy season, looked fairly normal, until I realized that she was already 20 months old.
Melinda Gates met a 20 month-old and her mother in Mirpur, a slum in the Northwest of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
She only weighed 19lbs, the size and weight of a healthy nine-month-old. Shrabonti had already been sick 27 times in her short life, including seven bouts of diarrhea. I was left thinking—life shouldn’t be so hard for her. How do we make sure that all children like Shrabonti have the greatest chance of living up to their full potential?
A. NICK: Should American presidents focus on the economy or on national security? Obviously, the answer is both. We have many priorities and we’re fated to juggle them all. In the same way, combating malaria is important not only to save lives but also to promote economic development – but education is also critically important to build skills and transform economies and societies. So I agree with Melinda that we don’t have the luxury of picking and choosing a single target; to make a difference, we have to be jugglers.
That said, I think Robert is right that we have to scrutinize the challenges and figure out where we can be more cost-effective. One of the things that the development community has gotten better at doing is introducing metrics and rigor to see what kinds of interventions get the most bang for the buck. I do think that the evidence is pretty good that work in both education and public health tend to be highly cost-effective, and also are mutually supportive. Deworm kids and give them bed nets, and they’ll miss less school. And as they become better educated, they’ll become more concerned with their own health and will have fewer children whose health they’ll take better care of. We’re already seeing this virtuous cycle in action right now, which is why Africa is economically the fastest growing part of the world today.
Cervical Cancer Awareness Month
January 7th, 2012January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. Globally, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in females and the most common cause of cancer deaths in women in the developing world, affecting over 500,000 women and killing more than 250,000 women each year. Fortunately, many are striving to improve these grim statistics.
For example, JHPIEGO is working to protect women and girls with strategies like HPV vaccination and improved screening.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, lead by Dr. Carrie Kovarik, are using innovative techniques like mobile phone based telemedicine to improve screening for cervical cancer in resource-challenged countries.
The Global Initiative against HPV and Cervical Cancer also has several programs to fight against cervical cancer including education, strengthening HPV vaccination programs and improving screening and treatment programs for cervical cancer.
What other innovative programs are you aware of to fight this deadly disease? What approaches do you think will be most successful at eradicating cervical cancer globally?