Aidspan: Global Fund Observer Aidspan, an independent watchdog of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, published Issue 275 of the “Global Fund Observer.” “This issue is devoted exclusively to articles on issues discussed at the Global Fund Board meeting held in Geneva on 16-17 November…” (11/18).

The Guardian: The Gambia bans female genital mutilation “The Gambia has announced it will ban female genital mutilation (FGM) after The Guardian launched a global campaign to end the practice. The president, Yahya Jammeh, said [November 23] that the controversial surgical intervention would be outlawed. He said the ban would…

WHO: WHO launches toolkit to help countries respond to sexual violence “On 25 November, WHO joins partners in calling for the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls to ensure their health, well-being, and human rights. … The organization, together with the U.N. Office on Drugs and…

International Business Times: Silicone vaginal rings protect women against herpes and HIV “…According to researchers from the University Jean Monnet of Saint-Etienne in France, the [silicone vaginal] ring can deliver hydrophilic molecules such as tenofovir, which is active on HIV-1, and acyclovir, which is active on the herpes virus. ……

U.S. Department of State: The United States’ Commitment to the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves: Year Five Progress Report This fact sheet states, “As the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves approaches its fifth anniversary, the United States is pleased to announce that it has not only met, but vastly exceeded…

News outlets report on U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice’s announcement of new PEPFAR targets to prevent HIV among young women and girls in 10 sub-Saharan African nations. Associated Press: U.S. aims to cut HIV infections in young women in Africa “The Obama administration is announcing a $300 million program…

NJ.com: Congress must act to end preventable child and maternal deaths Phyllis AlRoy, group leader for RESULTS in New Jersey “…[The Reach Every Mother and Child Act of 2015 (S.1911 or Reach Act)] will hold USAID accountable to its promises into the future and ensure that ending preventable maternal and…

New York Times: The Tools to Fight HIV Editorial Board “Medical leaders have the knowledge and the tools to greatly curtail the global AIDS epidemic within the next 15 years. The question is whether the nations of the world will invest the resources to do it. … Financing for AIDS…

Reuters Health: Women are missing from HIV drug trials “…In an analysis spanning several decades that included work done as recently as 2012, researchers found that women typically comprised about 11 percent of participants in trials investigating cures for HIV. Similarly, drug studies were only about 19 percent female and…

Woodrow Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program’s “New Security Beat”: A Little Bit of Sugar Helps the Pill Go Down: Resilience, Peace, and Family Planning In a blog post adapted from a commentary on a perspective piece, titled “The Pill is Mightier Than the Sword,” both published in the…