KFF Daily Global Health Policy Report

In The News

World Faces Widespread 'Chronic Or Recurrent' Clean Water Shortages By 2050, U.N. SG Guterres Says

Associated Press: U.N. Chief Warns of Serious Clean Water Shortages by 2050
“Secretary-General António Guterres warned Tuesday that by 2050 global demand for fresh water is projected to grow by more than 40 percent and at least a quarter of the world’s population will live in countries with a ‘chronic or recurrent’ lack of clean water. He told the Security Council that ‘strains on water access are already rising in all regions,’ noting that three-quarters of the 193 U.N. member states share rivers or lake basins with their neighbors…” (Lederer, 6/7).

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Number Of Cholera Cases In Yemen Rises To More Than 100K, Nearly 800 Dead, WHO Says

Reuters: Yemen cholera cases pass the 100,000 mark: WHO
“The number of suspected cholera cases in war-torn Yemen has risen to more than 100,000 since an outbreak began on April 27, the World Health Organization said on Thursday. … ‘To date, 101,820 suspected cholera cases and 789 deaths have been reported in 19 governorates,’ WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told Reuters…” (Miles, 6/8).

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U.N. WFP Cuts Emergency Food Aid To 400K People In Northeast Nigeria Citing Lack Of Funding

Reuters: Funds shortage forces U.N. to cut emergency food aid for 400,000 in Nigeria
“The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has had to scale back plans for emergency feeding of 400,000 people in Boko Haram-hit northeast Nigeria due to funding shortfalls, a top U.N. official said on Wednesday. … The U.N. says it needs $1.05 billion this year to deal with the crisis — one of three humanitarian emergencies unfolding in Africa — but has only received just over a quarter of that…” (Cropley, 6/8).

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WHO Reports 3 Unrelated MERS Outbreaks In Saudi Hospitals, 3 New Cases In UAE, Qatar

CIDRAP News: WHO reports 3 Saudi hospital MERS clusters, new cases in UAE, Qatar
“The World Health Organization (WHO) [Tuesday] provided new details about three unrelated hospital MERS-CoV outbreaks that as of May 29 had infected 12 people, and Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health (MOH) [Wednesday] announced five more cases, including at least four tied to the hospital cluster in Riyadh. … [T]he WHO also noted what appear to be three new cases in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar, all of which involved direct links to camels…” (Schnirring, 6/7).

Reuters: Three Saudi hospitals report MERS outbreaks since April, WHO says
“…The hospitals were in the capital Riyadh, in Bisha city, and in Wadi al-Dawasir in Riyadh province, the same town that reported a MERS hospital outbreak in April, although the WHO did not say if the new outbreak was related to that…” (Miles, 6/7).

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WHO Urges Nations In Europe, Americas To Watch For Potential Uptick In Hepatitis A Cases Among MSM

Reuters: WHO warns hep-A outbreak may be exacerbated by gay pride season
“An outbreak of hepatitis A has spread over the past year among gay men in Europe, the United States, and Chile, and upcoming gay pride events and a vaccine shortage could worsen the situation, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday. The WHO said in a disease outbreak statement that any country noticing an unusual increase in cases among men who have sex with other men should report it to the WHO…” (Miles, 6/7).

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Financial Times Special Report Examines Access To Health Care

Financial Times: FT Health: Access to Healthcare
“Growing and aging populations around the world are creating stronger demand for health care. Yet limited money and out of date infrastructure mean policymakers in rich and poor countries alike are faced with the challenge of making sure their citizens have access to the resources they need…” (Multiple authors, 6/7).

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In 10 LMICs, 1 In 3 HIV Patients Has Advanced Disease At Treatment Initiation, Study Shows

VOA News: Study: 1 in 3 Patients Starts HIV Treatment Late in 10 Countries
“A large team of international researchers has found 30 percent of HIV-positive individuals in nearly a dozen countries delay starting life-saving drugs. A study spearheaded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at the prevalence of HIV in Haiti, Vietnam, Nigeria, Namibia, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia…” (Berman, 6/6).

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Editorials and Opinions

U.S. Congress Should Fully Fund Disease Prevention Efforts; Trump Should Immediately Appoint Qualified Science Adviser

The Hill: America can’t afford to cut money from its war against infectious diseases
Richard J. Kuhn, director of the Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology, and Infectious Disease at Purdue University

“It’s true that an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure, and it’s a critical lesson for Washington to remember as it considers budgeting for those who are our first line of defense against infectious diseases. … Fully funding these efforts makes clear … that combating emerging threats is a national priority and that the United States is committed to leading the world in this arena. … [I]t is … troubling that the president does not yet have a science adviser who can inform him of the need for adequately resourced preparation for infectious diseases and emerging threats. Appointing a science adviser who recognizes the danger posed by emerging threats is a vital step for the president to take to keep Americans safe, and I implore him to make such a hire an immediate priority. Disease prevention and preparing for emerging threats are two areas that we simply cannot risk ending up in the endless partisan crossfire of Washington. Those drafting budget proposals should remember that, if nothing else, an ounce of prevention is a lot cheaper in the long run than scrambling to create a pound of cure” (6/7).

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Europe Can Lead Way To Polio Eradication

EurActiv: The international legacy of European science, aid, and polio eradication
David L. Heymann, head and senior fellow of the Chatham House Centre on Global Health Security

“…We cannot afford to lose sight of our ultimate goal: [polio] eradication. While some believe the economic cost of eradication is too high, the cost of not staying the course is even higher. It’s only by getting to zero cases anywhere in the world that children everywhere will be protected. And now that we are a stone’s throw away from ending polio for good, it’s more important than ever for … international commitment to science, foreign aid, and polio eradication. … Europe has led the world in scientific innovation, overseas aid, and polio eradication, and at the Atlanta Rotary Convention on 12 June, 40,000 Rotarians and global health leaders will unite to ensure the polio effort is effectively funded so it can reach every last child with the polio vaccine. In this new era of sustainable development, it’s critical that the European Union continues to play a leadership role in one of the most sustainable global public goods imaginable: the eradication of the second human disease in history” (6/7).

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Scientific Analytical Framework Could Help Countries Make Progress Toward Achieving SDGs

Project Syndicate: A Scientific Method for the SDGs
Anne-Sophie Stevance, science officer at the International Council for Science, and David McCollum, research scholar at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis

“…If our leaders are ever to realize the world envisioned in the [Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)], they will need a roadmap for navigating the complex policymaking terrain. … The International Council for Science (ICSU) recently brought together 22 scientists from various fields … to come up with SDG-specific insights for world leaders to follow. By studying how different goals and targets relate to one another, we developed an independent analytical framework to help leaders prioritize policies within their own countries. … Our analytical framework can help countries figure out which SDGs benefit others, and which do not. With it, policymakers can prioritize goals and investments; map existing resources and identify budget gaps; and establish mechanisms for sharing data and information across sectors. … [E]ach country will need to monitor its progress toward each SDG, and revise its approach as needed. This will require diligence from all policymakers. But the potential return on investment, not least a better planet for generations to come, is enormous…” (6/6).

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From the Global Health Policy Community

FHI 360 Podcast Discusses U.S. Foreign Aid Budget, SDGs With Brookings Institution's George Ingram

FHI 360’s “Degrees”: The changing face of U.S. foreign aid
FHI CEO Patrick Fine writes, “In this episode [of ‘A Deeper Look’ podcast], I talk with George Ingram, a senior fellow in the Global Economy and Development program at the Brookings Institution, co-chair of the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network, and chair emeritus of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. How will the U.S. Congress handle the FY18 budget? What have we learned from past U.S. administrations? And where do the Sustainable Development Goals fit into the current environment? George shares his insights on these issues and more…” (6/7).

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CGD's Glassman Suggests WHO Should Appoint Its Own Chief Economist

Center for Global Development’s “Global Health Policy Blog”: Where Does WHO Get Its Economic Advice?
In this blog post, Amanda Glassman, chief operating officer, senior fellow, and Board secretary at CGD, argues that the WHO should appoint its own chief economist, writing, “[T]oo often, the rhetoric and recommendations coming from some parts of WHO show so little understanding of basic health economics that we may be doing more harm than good. … [W]hat needs to happen to bring more rigor to health economics advice from WHO? In my view, WHO needs its own chief economist — to assure that targets, guidelines, lists, and policies all benefit from fifty years of theory and empirical evidence that have informed the better health systems of the world in their quest for [Universal Health Coverage (UHC)]” (6/7).

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World Bank Economist Discusses Benefits, Challenges Of Public, Private Sector Health Care

Brookings Institution’s “Future Development”: A letter to Oxfam: Reframing the questions around private-sector health care
Jishnu Das, lead economist at the Development Research Group at the World Bank and visiting fellow at the Center for Policy Research, discusses findings from a 2009 Oxfam paper on private health care in low- and middle-income countries and deconstructs the paper’s arguments against broader implementation of private health care. He writes, “I agree that it is right to argue for investments that improve public care and build state capacity. At the same time, we will not get there by downplaying the enormous challenges we face or by demonizing the private sector. … [T]he private sector provides comparable or higher quality care than the public sector, but even with public subsidies, it will be extremely hard to use this advantage to provide care for the poor” (6/7).

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Humanosphere Examines U.K. Election's Potential Impact On Foreign Aid, Global Development

Humanosphere: Where Britain stands on foreign aid-development and why it matters worldwide
Humanosphere correspondent Tom Murphy discusses the U.K. election and examines how its results could impact the U.K.’s role in foreign aid and global development. Murphy writes, “Differing priorities between each of the parties indicates a potential shift in [Department for International Development (DfID)] programs depending on the electoral outcome. U.K. citizens concerned about foreign aid will take some solace in the fact that all of their choices will largely protect the budget and adhere to the global goals and programs established in recent years, including the Paris Climate Accords” (6/7).

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