State Department Blog Post Discusses USAID’s Maternal, Child Health Efforts August 31, 2015 News Summary U.S. Department of State’s “DipNote”: Around the World in Videos: How USAID is Helping Curb Child and Maternal Deaths Alfonso E. Lenhardt, deputy administrator and acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), discusses USAID’s efforts to curb maternal and child deaths globally and presents four videos that…
Humanosphere Blog Posts Examine Attacks On Aid Workers August 31, 2015 News Summary Humanosphere: Visualizing the disturbing trend of aid workers under attack Humanosphere founder Tom Paulson and Mugdha Galande, a Masters student at the University of Washington, present information and data visualizations on attacks on aid workers. “…As the interactive map below illustrates (based on data from the Aid Worker Security Database),…
Disease Transmission Model Provides Estimates For Wild Poliovirus Elimination Probability In Nigeria August 31, 2015 News Summary PLOS ONE: Has Wild Poliovirus Been Eliminated from Nigeria? Michael Famulare of the Institute for Disease Modeling “provides estimates for the probabilities of poliovirus elimination in Nigeria” using data based on a poliovirus disease transmission model. The results of the study suggest “the probability of [wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1)]…
U.S., Pharmaceutical Companies Should Work With, Not Against, Indian Drug Industry August 31, 2015 News Summary SciDev.Net: Focus on Private Sector: India’s generic drug wars Maha Rafi Atal, PhD candidate at the University of Cambridge “…Indian companies provide cheap generic drugs to countries across the world and account for 80 percent of donor-funded HIV treatment — a set-up now threatened by U.S. pressure [to introduce ‘data…
U.K. Public Should Contribute More To Protect Yemen’s Children August 31, 2015 News Summary Huffington Post: Childhood Under Attack in Yemen David Bull, executive director of UNICEF U.K. “…Yemen’s children did not start this war, but are bearing the worst of its terrible impact. Despite the grave needs, [UNICEF U.K.’s] response is woefully underfunded. We have only 16 percent of the funds we require…
Singapore Lifts Restrictions On Short-Term Visits By People Living With HIV; Ban Remains In Place For Long-Term Visitors August 31, 2015 News Summary Associated Press: Singapore softens ban on HIV-positive visitors “Singapore said Monday it has lifted a two-decade ban on HIV-infected people from entering the country, but will limit their stay to a maximum of three months. The Health Ministry said the ban was lifted on April 1, ‘given the current context…
India’s 15-Year Campaign Leads To Virtual Elimination Of Maternal, Newborn Tetanus Deaths August 31, 2015 News Summary New York Times: India Virtually Eliminates Tetanus as a Killer “A year after eliminating polio, India has scored another public health victory. Following a 15-year campaign, the country has virtually eliminated tetanus as a killer of newborns and mothers…” (McNeil, 8/28).
U.N. Security Council Condemns Use Of Sexual Violence, Sexual Enslavement In Iraqi, Syrian Conflicts August 31, 2015 News Summary U.N. News Centre: Security Council condemns use of sexual violence as ‘tactic of war’ in Iraq and Syria “The United Nations Security Council [on Friday] condemned the use of sexual violence, in particular sexual enslavement and sexual violence ‘related to or resulting from forced marriage, committee, including as a tactic…
WHO, Tanzanian Health Officials Work To Stem Cholera Outbreak Affecting More Than 400 People August 31, 2015 News Summary VOA News: WHO: Tanzania Cholera Epidemic Worsens “The World Health Organization and Tanzanian Ministry of Health are stepping up efforts to contain and discover the source of a cholera epidemic that so far has killed eight people and infected more than 400 others. WHO data indicate the fast-spreading epidemic broke…
Millions Face Ongoing Humanitarian Needs In Ukraine As Winter Approaches, U.N. Says August 31, 2015 News Summary U.N. News Centre: U.N. relief wing cites major access challenges in eastern Ukraine, where millions need supplies ahead of winter “Sounding the alarm on behalf of relief agencies working to meet ongoing needs and jump-start critical preparations for winter in strife-riven eastern Ukraine, the United Nations humanitarian wing has reported…