The Hill: House Dems introduce $2B funding bill for Zika virus
“House Democrats on Monday introduced a bill to boost the nation’s response against the Zika virus with nearly $2 billion in emergency funds. The legislation would meet President Obama’s $1.9 billion funding request in full — an approach that has been repeatedly ruled out by House GOP leaders…” (Ferris, 4/25).

Roll Call: Senators Seek to Settle Zika Bill’s Cost
“Senate appropriators are aiming to wrap up this week their negotiations on how they’ll pass an emergency spending package to address the Zika virus as well as its cost, sources familiar with the negotiations told CQ Roll Call on Monday…” (McCrimmon, 4/25).

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Agence France-Presse: WHO warns of potential for ‘marked increase’ in Zika cases
“The World Health Organization warned Monday of the potential for a ‘marked increase’ in the number of Zika infections in the coming months, and its spread to new parts of the world. With mosquito season arriving in Europe, ‘the possibility of local transmission combined with the likelihood of onward sexual transmission could see a marked increase in the number of people with Zika and related complications,’ WHO Assistant Director-General Marie-Paule Kieny told a scientific Zika conference in Paris…” (Le Roux, 4/25).

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CNN: World Malaria Day: Funds dwindling after ‘success’
“Bold U.N. targets to eradicate malaria are likely to be missed if governments continue to cut back aid budgets due to waning political commitment, according to a report in The Lancet. Countries with a good track record in combating the killer disease, such as China, Mexico, Turkey, and South Africa, are set to see 30 percent less funding in coming years as aid money is diverted elsewhere, the report adds…” (Moisescu, 4/25).

The Guardian: Nigeria urged to focus on malaria as other countries edge towards elimination
“Donors and governments must continue to fund the fight against malaria in Nigeria, where, despite impressive progress in reducing the number of deaths, about 100,000 people still die from the disease every year, says the head of the Malaria Consortium’s Nigeria office…” (Chonghaile, 4/25).

Huffington Post: Bill Gates Has A Plan To Eliminate Malaria Once And For All
“Malaria kills hundreds of thousands of people every year — but with the right investment, Bill Gates is hoping to eliminate the disease entirely. Gates discusses his new approach to tackling the disease in a video released on Monday, for World Malaria Day, featuring U.K. Chancellor George Osborne…” (Grossman, 4/25).

U.N. News Centre: On World Malaria Day, U.N. says world closer to eliminating ‘ancient killer’
“A year after the World Health Assembly resolved to eliminate malaria from at least 35 countries by 2030, a new World Health Organization (WHO) report released [Monday] — on World Malaria Day — shows that the goal, although ambitious, is achievable…” (4/25).

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The Guardian: With $1bn, blinding trachoma can be eliminated in four years — experts
“Eliminating blinding trachoma worldwide within four years is ‘highly doable’ but it would cost US$1bn, the world’s leading eye health experts estimate. The ambitious goal is backed up by the findings of a global mapping project, presented at the World Health Organization’s Alliance for the Global Elimination of Trachoma by 2020 (GET 2020) in Sydney on Tuesday…” (Wahlquist, 4/25).

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Reuters: WHO says Angola yellow fever danger greatest in urban areas
“Travelers to Angola must be vaccinated against yellow fever and carry a valid certificate to prove it, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday, advising that people are at greatest risk in large urban areas including the capital Luanda…” (Nebehay, 4/26).

Reuters: Malaria deaths rising in Angola as health crisis spreads
“Deaths from malaria in Angola this year look set to outstrip 2015 as a health crisis that includes one of the country’s worst yellow fever outbreaks in decades spreads, the World Health Organization said…” (Coroado/Brock, 4/26).

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Thomson Reuters Foundation: Girls in Guinea cut at earlier age as female support for FGM rises: U.N.
“Girls in Guinea are increasingly being subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM) before the age of 10, and support for the practice among women and girls in the West African nation is on the rise, the United Nations rights office said on Monday…” (Guilbert, 4/25).

U.N. News Centre: U.N. report reveals increasing incidents of female genital mutilation in Guinea, including on infants
“… ‘Although female genital mutilation appears to be decreasing worldwide, this is not the case in Guinea, where this practice is widespread in every region and among every ethnic, religious, and social group,’ said U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein in a press release on the report…” (4/25).

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New York Times: Tanzanian Women Face High Rates of Abortion-Related Deaths
“Unsafe abortions kill many Tanzanian women, according to a recent study, but the deaths result from several factors and women in some regions die much more often than others. … The study, done by the Guttmacher Institute, Tanzania’s national medical research institute, and the country’s leading medical school, and published in PLOS One, was based on surveys of hospitals and clinics and interviews with Tanzanian doctors…” (McNeil, 4/25).

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Huffington Post: Ending Malaria For Good
Tedros Adhanom, minister of foreign affairs and former minister of health for Ethiopia

“…Defeating malaria is absolutely critical to ending poverty, improving the health of millions, and enabling future generations to reach their full potential. … We must continue to expand partnerships across borders to secure the financial and technical resources we need to make and sustain progress…” (4/25).

Huffington Post: U.N. Special Envoy for Malaria: Now is Our Moment to End Malaria
Ray Chambers, U.N. special envoy for health in Agenda 2030 and for malaria

“…The last 15 years have shown us that only when we double down on efforts and move collectively toward clear, time-bound goals can we prevail over [malaria,] this age-old scourge. It is this formula that has catalyzed our progress to date and will be instrumental in propelling us forward. … On this World Malaria Day, … [t]he end of malaria is within our grasp. Now it is our collective obligation to meet the call…” (4/25).

Project Syndicate: Malaria’s Deadly Comeback
Thierry Diagana, head of the Novartis Institute for Tropical Disease in Singapore, and Nick White, professor of tropical medicine at the Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit in Bangkok

“…We may be winning many battles against malaria, but familiar warning signs indicate we could lose the war. The spread of artemisinin resistance in Asia today threatens the lives of children in Africa tomorrow. That’s why we need effective action to prevent the spread of artemisinin resistance, including urgent investments in the next generation of antimalarial treatments…” (4/25).

The Lancet: Malaria: can we mention the e-word yet?
Zoë Mullan, editor of The Lancet Global Health

“…The concept of Florida and Texas remaining malarious, at some low level, in the 21st century is inconceivable. Why should sub-Saharan Africa be denied the ambition of being malaria-free? [At the annual meeting of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health in San Francisco earlier this month, the director of WHO’s Global Malaria Programme, Pedro Alonso] was clear: we’re not planning eradication at this stage, but, by 2030, it is something we should be very serious about contemplating once again” (4/24).

Huffington Post: Winning the Malaria Fight
Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, former president of the United Republic of Tanzania

“…Eliminating malaria on the African continent is no longer an impossible dream. It will take strong and focused leadership, but I believe we can be the generation that makes history and frees Africa from malaria once and for all” (4/24).

Project Syndicate: Opening up Malaria Research
Patrick Vallance, president of research and development at GlaxoSmithKline, and Tim Wells, chief scientific officer at the Medicines for Malaria Venture

“…With the establishment of a strong, collaborative research community and the increasingly free flow of knowledge, we are now better placed than ever to step up our efforts [against malaria], and to encourage others to follow suit. In an area where commercial gains are limited, but the potential for vastly improving the health and economies of entire countries is enormous, scientists must continue to break down silos and collaborate for the global good” (4/25).

Devex: We can beat malaria if we move faster
Egon Weinmueller, vice president for global public health at BASF and chair of the vector control team at CropLife International

“…If we are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of ending malaria epidemics by 2030, we need to develop a more streamlined approach to getting [new insecticide] products approved and providing normative guidance. The countries affected need to know what to do when they detect resistance, and when and how to implement innovative products. … Elimination of malaria is possible, but only if we tackle resistance faster” (4/25).

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Huffington Post: Just Another Week in Global Health?
Aaron Oxley, executive director of RESULTS U.K.

“…Immunization has given us one of the most colossal successes we have had in global health but progress has stalled. … [W]e need to simultaneously do more to support increased domestic and international financing which strengthens immunization and health systems if we are to achieve universal immunization. There are some inequities in the world that we know will take a long time to overcome, but we can do something right now to stop children all around the world dying from preventable diseases…” (4/25).

Huffington Post: Vaccines: A Global Health Success Story That Keeps Us On Our Toes
Flavia Bustreo, assistant director general for family, women’s and children’s health at WHO, and vice chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and Marie-Paule Kieny, assistant director general for health systems and innovation at WHO

“…In order to keep pace with new threats, investment in research and development must continue with the same intensity that we have seen in recent months. The new 2030 sustainable development agenda is calling on governments to support research and development for new vaccines so that diseases like dengue, Ebola, malaria, and Zika can become diseases of the past … As we mark World Immunization Week 2016, let’s continue to write the history of vaccination, celebrate the research and development successes, and work to ensure people of all ages receive the vaccines they need to help them stay healthy throughout their lives” (4/25).

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Washington Post: Letter to the Editor: How Americans help Africans fight HIV
Zeda Rosenberg, founding chief executive of the International Partnership for Microbicides

“…Important HIV prevention programs funded by U.S. taxpayers can significantly reduce new infections among vulnerable girls and women so they can stay healthy and thrive. … There will be no silver bullet to stop HIV. A combination of programs such as DREAMS and new female-initiated prevention tools are needed. Continued U.S. investment in the development of HIV prevention tools would make a big difference for women in Africa” (4/25).

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President’s Malaria Initiative: A Decade of Progress: 10th Annual Report to Congress
“…The U.S. government’s leadership and its financial and technical contributions through the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) have been central to the remarkable achievements of the past decade. The story of U.S. leadership in the fight against malaria is one of immense success and progress…” (4/25).

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U.S. Department of State’s “DipNote”: Battling Humanity’s Greatest Killer
Timothy Ziemer, U.S. global malaria coordinator, discusses U.S. efforts to end malaria and highlights the President’s Malaria Initiative’s (PMI) 10th Annual Report to Congress, which documents U.S. progress against the disease. Ziemer notes, “The efforts of PMI have paid off. Working with host-country governments, donor governments, multilateral agencies, non-governmental organizations, and academic and research partners, six million deaths have been averted…” (4/25).

ONE Blog: World Malaria Day: Celebrating frontline health workers and the programs that support them
Cornelia Lluberes, research assistant for global health policy at the ONE Campaign, discusses the role of frontline health workers in the global malaria response, noting, “Much of the progress in the fight against malaria is attributable to U.S.-supported programs like the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Both PMI and the Global Fund have worked hard to build robust and sustainable health systems needed to fight malaria, particularly by investing in frontline health workers (FHWs)” (4/25).

Friends of the Global Fight Blog: The Role of Vector Controls in the Fight Against Malaria
John McMannis, communications manager at Friends of the Global Fight, writes, “[W]e recently spoke with Dr. Dan Strickman from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. As the senior program officer for vector control, Dr. Strickman plays a crucial role in the Gates Foundation’s strategy for eliminating malaria, ‘Accelerate to Zero.’ Our conversation illustrated the foundation’s comprehensive approach toward ensuring that we have the tools necessary to eradicate malaria…” (4/25).

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Woodrow Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program’s “New Security Beat”: Family Planning, Reproductive Health Crucial to Zika Response, Says Chloë Cooney
In this podcast, Sean Peoples, multimedia producer at the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program, highlights remarks from Chloë Cooney, director of global advocacy at the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, on how the Zika outbreak “demonstrates the critical need of government support for sexual and reproductive health care” (4/22).

Council on Foreign Relations’ “Women Around the World”: It’s Time to Break Barriers to Maternal Health and Rights
Serra Sippel, president of the Center for Health and Gender Equity, discusses barriers to advancing maternal health, writing, “To break these barriers to maternal health, we need greater leadership and a coordinated global movement to advance the health and human rights of all women and girls. … When the health and rights of all women and girls are respected, protected, and honored, they can live the lives they want and build communities that are safe, just, and thriving” (4/25).

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Center for Global Health Policy’s “Science Speaks”: Report proposes innovative approaches to spurring global health innovations
Rabita Aziz, policy research coordinator for the Center for Global Health Policy, reports on an event to launch the Global Health Technologies Coalition’s “most recent policy report on advancing global health research and development. … In addition to better coordination with international partners, the report also recommends improved alignment and transparency of global health research and development efforts across U.S. agencies, including through an across-agency, coordinated global health research and development strategy…” (4/25).

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Global Health Governance: Special Issue: Ebola: Implications For Global Health Governance
An introduction states, “In this special issue, we bring together academics and experts to think critically about what the Ebola outbreak and the response to it tell us about global health governance and its future. The authors take on a variety of different elements, looking at the International Health Regulations, the role of regional organizations, encouraging international cooperation on health emergencies, the role of the military, and the lessons we can learn from other disease outbreaks. … [W]e aim to generate discussion and deep thinking about what the international community can learn from this outbreak so that it does not repeat the same mistakes and shortcomings in the future…” (4/25).

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