U.N. News Centre: Iraq: Displaced girls, women face increasing risk of sexual violence, U.N. warns
“An estimated 20,000 women and girls in Iraq are at an increased risk of sexual violence as a result of the mounting crisis in northern and western parts of the country, warned the United Nations [on Monday], urging immediate action to ensure their protection…” (6/30).

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Inter Press Service: Looking to Africa’s LDCs to Learn How to Save the Lives of Millions of Mothers and their Babies
“Every year, three million newborn babies and almost 6.6 million children under five die globally, but if the rest of the world looked towards the examples of two of Africa’s least-developed countries (LDCs), Rwanda and Ethiopia, they would perhaps be able to save these children…” (Bikitsha, 6/30).

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News outlets continue coverage on the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, as governments and health ministries try to contain the disease.

Reuters: Fear, suspicion undermine West Africa’s battle against Ebola
“…With West Africa facing the deadliest Ebola outbreak ever, with 400 dead so far … fear and mistrust is driving dozens of victims to evade treatment, frustrating foreign and local doctors trying to contain the epidemic. The outbreak in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia has left some of the world’s poorest states, with porous borders and weak health systems undermined by war and misrule, grappling with one of the most lethal and contagious diseases on the planet…” (Fofana, 6/30).

Associated Press: Liberia vows prosecution for hiding Ebola patients
“Liberia’s president warned Monday that anyone caught hiding suspected Ebola patients will be prosecuted…” (Raye-Layleh, 6/30).

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Xinhua News: Death toll from cholera outbreak hits 63 in S. Sudan: WHO
“The World Health Organization (WHO) said it has intensified its response to the cholera outbreak in South Sudan after 63 people have lost their lives and 2,340 people [have been] treated for the disease…” (Mengjie, 6/30).

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U.N. News Centre: Palestinians in Syria’s Yarmouk camp now without aid for one month — U.N.
“The United Nations agency charged with ensuring the well-being of Palestinian refugees across the Middle East has warned today that, despite reports of a truce between the Syrian government and armed groups inside Yarmouk camp, it is still unable to carry out humanitarian operations there…” (6/30).

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IRIN: Text and voice messages help close Bangladesh health gap
“Bangladesh is moving to boost maternal health services in poorly served rural areas by targeting voice and text messages at expectant and pregnant mothers and their families. The aim is to educate and support mothers in places where health services are weak…” (7/1).

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News outlets report on different ways researchers and health officials are trying to prevent mosquito-borne illnesses.

Bloomberg Businessweek: Mosquitoes With Lethal Genes to Help Brazil Fight Dengue
“…Brazil will probably be the first nation to approve large-scale releases of male mosquitoes with a lethal gene that causes their offspring to die before reaching adulthood, according to Hadyn Parry, chief executive officer of Oxitec Ltd., a U.K. biotechnology company that has developed the technology…” (Kitamura/Khan, 7/1).

Huffington Post: This Newspaper Repels Mosquitoes, Makes Us Want To Give Print Another Chance
“…The paper combined citronella essence — a highly effective and all-natural repellent — with the newspaper’s ink, enabling readers to coat their skin with a repellent that could keep mosquitoes away. It introduced its first life-saving edition on World Health Day in April. Papers sold out by 10 a.m. and readership increased by 300,000 people, according to an ad released by the newspaper…” (Goldberg, 6/30).

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The following opinion pieces address issues surrounding maternal and child health.

Huffington Post: Not Just Baby Steps: Global Action Gives All Newborns a Fighting Chance to Survive and Thrive
Katie Taylor, deputy assistant administrator in USAID’s Bureau for Global Health

“…This week, USAID is joining a global movement to give newborns a fighting chance to survive and thrive during the most perilous period of life — during delivery and the post-natal period when prematurity, asphyxia, and infection pose grave threats to their survival. Action to prevent newborn deaths is a vital element in all we are doing to end preventable child and maternal deaths — and helping to save newborns helps us to save moms, and can enable these fragile beings to become healthy children…” (6/30).

Huffington Post Canada: On Canada Day, Let’s Celebrate Maternal Health
Russell Williams, president of Rx&D

“…As we reflect on Canada Day, we can be very proud of the role we play globally in maternal child and newborn health. Prime Minister Harper has personally driven the issue and helped shape the global strategy. … A stated goal of the Saving Every Woman Every Child Summit is to end preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths within a generation. We are eager to get to work and contribute to what is being called the final push. We believe collaboration is the catalyst to get us there” (6/30).

Lancet Global Health: How to reach every newborn: three key messages
Tanja Houweling of the Institute for Global Health at the University College London, and colleagues

“The Every Newborn Action Plan (ENAP) launched on June 30-July 1, 2014, envisages a world without preventable deaths of newborn infants. The challenge is not technical (effective interventions exist), but instead social. … We summarize lessons from an international workshop, New Evidence Supporting Equity in Newborn and Maternal Health in South Asia, held for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in Kathmandu, Nepal, on May 8-9, 2014. Three key messages on how to reach poor people emerged — universalize, soft-target, and monitor…” (6/30).

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CNN: Why children in Central African Republic should matter to us all
Mia Farrow, UNICEF goodwill ambassador

“…Within Central African Republic, every system has crumbled. Malnutrition and disease stalk children. … Yet in the midst of this grim scenario, there are unsung heroes: Doctors and health workers are risking their lives to save the wounded and the sick. Religious leaders, both Muslim and Christian, are sheltering displaced families regardless of ethnicity or religious preference. … In the face of the enormity of this tragedy, and the many other conflicts around the world, it is understandable that we would feel helpless. However, we should be inspired by the heroism and determination of those frontline humanitarian workers…” (6/30).

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Houston Chronicle: HIV in the Middle East: Women at risk
Ariana Marnicio, research analyst for the Women and Human Rights in the Middle East Program at Rice University’s Baker Institute

“…The majority of the reported cases of people living with HIV [in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region] have been male, though experts have suggested that the epidemic is becoming more feminized. It is critical not only to curb the spread of HIV, but also to educate and protect women who may be less knowledgeable about the disease. … The U.S. and other international organizations can help by establishing clinics to treat those living with HIV, as well as educate individuals who could be at risk, including married, monogamous women, without judgment and with full anonymity” (6/30).

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World Health Organization: Landmark global action plan outlines strategy to prevent 2.9 million newborn deaths
“…New financial, policy, and private sector commitments to save newborn lives from 40 partners [are] to be announced at 2014 Partners’ Forum. Investments in quality care at birth could save the lives of three million babies and women each year who die needlessly around the world, according to a new global action plan launched [Monday] at the Partners’ Forum in Johannesburg…” (6/30).

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Two “Impatient Optimists” blog posts discuss maternal and child health.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s “Impatient Optimists”: Success Factors for Women’s and Children’s Health: Saving Lives in Nepal
Praveen Mishra, secretary of the Ministry of Health and Population in Nepal, discusses factors that contribute to Nepal’s success in maternal and child health efforts (6/30).

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s “Impatient Optimists”: 21st Century Progress in Africa: Achieving MDG 5 in Rwanda
Niiamah Stephens, program officer for Africa on the global policy and advocacy team at the Gates Foundation, highlights Rwanda’s efforts to achieve the fifth Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of reducing maternal mortality (6/30).

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UNAIDS: African Union: translating political commitments into action
“African Heads of State committed to sustain efforts to ending AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria by adopting the recommendations stated in an AIDS Watch Africa report — including prioritizing AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in the new development goals in order to ensure that the continued international financing of the response will not be threatened — during the 23rd African Union Summit, held from 20 to 27 June in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea…” (6/30).

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Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s “Impatient Optimists”: Reimagining Aid: A Call for Fresh Thinking
Gargee Ghosh, director of development policy and finance at the Gates Foundation, discusses the Global Development Network’s (GDN) recently launched “Next Horizons Essay Contest on The Future of Development Assistance.” She notes, “They are looking for your ideas and solutions in the form of an essay of not more than 5,000 words. GDN will award up to 20 recipients $20,000 for the best articulated ideas…” (6/29).

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