KFF Daily Global Health Policy Report

In The News

USAID Administrator Mark Green, Ivanka Trump Announce New Partnerships, Grants Under Women's Global Development And Prosperity Initiative

Devex: Ivanka Trump’s global women’s initiative sees $10M boost in new partnerships
“U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Mark Green and presidential adviser Ivanka Trump on Monday launched $10 million in new partnerships and activities for the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative. They also announced three new grants as a part of the second round of the WomenConnect Challenge. The new partnerships will work with private sector and government actors in Southeast Asia, Asia, Africa, and Latin America to support women’s economic empowerment initiatives, with the new activities leveraging an additional $5 million in private sector funding…” (Welsh, 11/19).

Additional coverage of the announcements is available from Epoch Times, Fox Business, and IBT.

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WHO, African Union Sign MoU To Express Mutual Commitment To Global Health, Expand Cooperation To Achieve Goals

U.N. News: U.N., African Union make significant joint commitment to global health
“In the drive towards universal health coverage, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the African Union (A.U.) Commission cemented their mutual commitment to global health by signing on Monday an historic agreement. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and A.U. Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at WHO Headquarters to expand their relationship and cooperation in this arena…” (11/18).

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Experts At African Population Conference Urge Governments To Focus On Family Planning To Reduce Political Crises

Xinhua: Experts urge African gov’ts to prioritize family planning to reduce crises
“Governments of African countries should prioritize family planning to help reduce political crises, experts have said on the sidelines of the 8th African Population Conference (APC) being held here 40km south of the Ugandan capital of Kampala. High population growth, together with high unemployment rate, is part of the cause of political crises which end up derailing development, they said…” (11/19).

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Media Outlets Report On Global Approval Of Ebola Vaccine, Challenges Of Ebola Prevention Efforts In DRC

Global Press Journal: Ebola Prevention Measures in DRC are Scaring Away Patients with Other Ailments
“…[D]octors say the special [patient screening] measures in place to detect and fight Ebola, which has killed 2,193 people in DRC since August 2018, put sick people off seeking treatment for other conditions which could also be fatal…” (Luneghe, 11/16).

IBT: Ebola Virus Vaccine Approved Worldwide, Saves Hundreds Of Thousands Of Lives
“The World Health Organization (WHO), within 48 hours of the approval of the European Commission of the vaccine this week, stated that it is now available for global use. This came to light as the health body verified that the treatment is safe for use worldwide…” (Digon, 11/18).

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Donors Pledge $2.6B Toward Polio Eradication Efforts At Conference In Abu Dhabi

Reuters: Donors pledge $2.6 billion for ‘last mile’ of polio eradication
“Donor governments and philanthropists pledged $2.6 billion on Tuesday to help fund a worldwide polio eradication plan that has taken decades to reach what global health specialists say is now the ‘last mile.’ The funding — almost of half of which came in a single donation from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — will be used to immunize 450 million children against polio each year, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement…” (Kelland, 11/19).

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Ending Outdoor Defecation Can Have Huge Benefits For Vulnerable Populations, Expert Says Ahead Of World Toilet Day

U.N. News: ‘Transformational benefits’ of ending outdoor defecation: Why toilets matter
“Ending the practice of defecating in the open, rather than in a toilet, will have ‘transformational benefits’ for some of the world’s most vulnerable people, says the U.N.’s partner sanitation body, the WSSCC (Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council). Ahead of World Toilet Day, which is marked annually on 19 November, WSSCC’s acting Executive Director, Sue Coates, has been speaking to U.N. News about how to end open defecation…” (11/18).

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Close Contacts Of 3 Plague Patients In China Show No Signs Of Disease, Authorities Say

Reuters: Close contacts of China plague patients released after showing no symptoms: official
“Some people who had been in close contact with pneumonic plague patients from Inner Mongolia have been released from medical observation, China’s health authority said on Monday. Out of 46 close contacts of the two now-quarantined pneumonic plague patients, 42 were released from medical observation and four were still under monitoring, the health commission of the autonomous region said in a statement on its website…” (Liu/Shen, 11/18).

Washington Post: A hunter ate wild rabbit and got bubonic plague, sending 28 people into quarantine
“A hunter who killed and ate a wild rabbit on the Mongolian steppe contracted bubonic plague, Chinese health officials said Monday, days after two other people from the same region were diagnosed with an even deadlier strain of the disease. The hunter, a 55-year-old man in China’s Inner Mongolia, contracted the disease on Nov. 5 and came into contact with 28 people who were subsequently quarantined, Chinese officials said, according to the Associated Press. None of them have shown signs of a fever or other symptoms, the AP reported…” (Horton, 11/18).

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Haiti President Warns Of Humanitarian, Food Security Crisis In Country As Protesters Demand His Resignation

Reuters: Exclusive: Haiti’s president warns of humanitarian crisis, calls for support
“Haiti needs international support to tackle an unfolding humanitarian crisis, President Jovenel Moise said in an interview, two months into anti-government protests that have exacerbated food insecurity in the Americas’ poorest nation…” (Marsh/Paultre, 11/17).

DW: Haiti’s president warns of humanitarian crisis as protesters demand resignation
“…Almost 3.7 million people are in urgent need of help to meet their daily food requirements according to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). Humanitarian organizations are struggling to provide aid due to protester barricades blocking roads, as well as gang violence and other crimes. The WFP has announced it would launch air and maritime transport operations, but said it first must raise $2.9 million (€2.6 million)…” (11/18).

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More News In Global Health

ABC: Asia is ‘doing better,’ so a review is asking why we should keep giving foreign aid (Clarke, 11/18).

AFP: Renewables could cut power generation health impact by 80 percent (11/19).

Devex: When global health goes local: Tackling infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance in Kenya (11/19).

Devex: Development impact bond targets sanitation in Cambodia (Saldinger, 11/19).

Devex: In India, a sanitation worker dies every 5 days. Here’s how to change that (Root, 11/19).

Livemint: Health ministry signs pact with Gates Foundation for support in innovation (Sharma, 11/18).

New York Times: She Takes a Hands-On Approach to Health Care (Weintraub, 11/19).

New York Times: Samoa Closes Schools as Measles Epidemic Kills at Least 16 (Kwai, 11/18).

Outbreak News Today: Angola reports dozens of polio cases in 2019 (11/18).

UPI: UNICEF: Children’s lives improving, but poorest still vulnerable (Sakelaris, 11/18).

Xinhua: Escalated Libyan conflict inflicts devastating impact on health care: U.N. envoy (11/19).

Xinhua: FAO pledges support for prudent use of antimicrobials in Africa (11/18).

U.N. News: One-third of Afghans need urgent humanitarian aid, millions suffer ‘acute food insecurity’ (11/18).

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Editorials and Opinions

U.S. Should Be Leader On Global Reproductive Rights, U.S. Rep. Frankel Writes In Opinion Piece

The Hill: U.S. must lead the charge on global reproductive rights — not stand in the way
U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.)

“…[L]ast week, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and I were joined by 36 members of Congress to introduce a resolution that calls on the U.S. to recognize reproductive rights as human rights and celebrates 25 years since the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). … Our resolution, introduced to coincide with the [recent ICPD25] summit, recognizes that the U.S. must remain committed to achieving the goals of gender equality and reproductive freedom to support sustainable global development. … The Trump administration’s dangerous policies must be reversed. That work, as referenced in our resolution, must begin with reinstating funding for UNFPA, repealing the [Mexico City policy, also known as the] global gag rule, and increasing U.S. funding for family planning programs to ensure that all women can meet their contraceptive needs” (11/18).

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CDC, U.S. Government Working With Countries, Partners To End TB, Official Writes In Opinion Piece

The Hill: CDC answers call for accountability in global tuberculosis response
Rebecca Martin, director of CDC’s Center for Global Health

“…Just over one year ago, at the United Nations High Level Meeting on Tuberculosis, global leaders recognized the continuing threat of TB, including the growing numbers of multi-drug resistant cases of which fewer than 20 percent are cured. … [They] unanimously signed the ‘Political Declaration on the Fight Against Tuberculosis,’ reaffirming the ambitious END TB targets and committing themselves to deliver funding … The U.S. government remains the largest single donor for research, development and programs in this fight. … [E]very country must answer the call to end the global TB emergency. Just over one year ago, we stood at a critical juncture with an opportunity to elevate worldwide leadership and commitment in the fight against TB. Today, CDC, working with countries and national and global partners, remains laser-focused on the commitments made to achieve lasting impact in stopping the threat that TB poses to our national and global health security” (Martin, 11/18).

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From the Global Health Policy Community

Human Rights Watch Research Addresses HIV Treatment Access In UAE Prisons

Human Rights Watch: UAE: Groups Press to Aid Prisoners With HIV
In this article, Human Rights Watch discusses its research on HIV treatment access in Emirati prisons. The article also includes the response of UAE government to the allegations outlined in the research (11/19).

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U.N. Agencies Discuss Importance Of Toilets To End Open Defecation, Recognize World Toilet Day

UNHCR: Bringing toilets into the home boosts refugees’ health and security
This story, written by Sanne Biesmans in DRC’s Mulongwe settlement, discusses the importance of toilets in refugee settlements and UNHCR’s efforts to support their construction. According to the story, “Bringing a toilet into a compound provides real benefits to refugees’ health and security. It cuts environmental pollution, reduces the transmission of communicable illnesses such as diarrhea and even lowers the risk of sexual assault…” (11/18).

WHO Regional Office for Europe: World Toilet Day highlights the continuing struggle for safe water and sanitation across the pan-European region
“Over 31 million people in the pan-European region lack access to basic sanitation services and 314 000 people still practice open defecation. … World Toilet Day, celebrated on 19 November, is an important occasion that reminds us of the need for safe sanitation services for the well-being of all…” (11/19).

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4 European Countries Pilot Joint, 'Intersectoral' Effort To Address TB, HIV, Hepatitis

WHO Regional Office for Europe: Four countries pilot a joint, multisectoral response to tuberculosis (TB), HIV and viral hepatitis
“Following the launch in 2018 of the United Nations Common Position on Ending HIV, TB and Viral Hepatitis through Intersectoral Collaboration, Belarus, Georgia, Portugal, and Tajikistan agreed to lead the way on adopting an intersectoral approach in their response to the 3 diseases. The Common Position, signed by 14 United Nations agencies, addresses the social, economic, and environmental determinants of the 3 epidemics through action in areas outside the health sector. … The 4 pilot countries have already developed some forms of cooperation between sectors, particularly with the social sector, local governance, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that provide different forms of support to patients suffering from these diseases or under long-term treatment. These range from providing financial aid and food aid to ensuring patients’ protection in social networks and, in some cases, supporting family members as well…” (11/19)

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