Global Health Hub: news and blogosphere aggregator » MDGs

Global Fund Warns Nigeria

GHHub — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:17:55 +0000

For not remitting Nigeria’s counter-part fund for the treatment of TB, HIV/AIDS and malaria on time, Global Fund officials met the Federal Government where they raised the issue before President Goodluck Jonathan, warning that Africa may not meet the MDGs if Nigeria fails in achieving the goals.

via allAfrica.com: Nigeria: TB, HIV/Aids, Malaria Fund – Global Fund Warns Nigeria (Page 1 of 4).

The Limits of Institutional Reform in Development: a big new book by Matt…

From Poverty to Power — Fri, 03 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

There’s nothing like an impending meeting with the author to make you dig out your scrounged review copy of his book. So I spent my flight to Boston last week reading Limits (sorry the full title is just too clunky). And luckily for the dinner conversation, I loved it. Limits is about why change doesn’t happen,

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The Limits of Institutional Reform in Development: a big new book by Matt…

20 Fragile, Conflict-Affected States Make Progress Toward MDGs, World Bank…

Kaiser GH Update — Thu, 02 May 2013 21:57:00 +0000

“Twenty of the world’s most troubled countries have made progress in efforts that range from reducing poverty to improving the education of girls and cutting down on the deaths of women in childbirth, the World Bank said on Wednesday” in a new report (.pdf), Reuters reports. Each country has met the requirements for at least one Millennium Development Goal (MDG), while “[a]nother six are on track to meet the goals by the deadline in 2015, with the progress visible in part due to better data collection and monitoring,” the news agency notes, adding, “Data gathered in 2010 and earlier had found none of these states had met any of the MDGs” (Yukhananov, 5/1). “The 20 fragile and conflict affected countries which have met one or more targets are Afghanistan, Angola, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Comoros, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Iraq, Kiribati, Liberia, Libya, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Sudan, Syria, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, and West Bank and Gaza,” according to a World Bank press release, which notes Nepal is the only country among the list to have met the MDG for maternal mortality. The analysis is based on the Global Monitoring Report’s data, the press release states (5/1).

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20 Fragile, Conflict-Affected States Make Progress Toward MDGs, World Bank…

Vaccine Ping-Pong: GAVI and MSF’s Advocacy Campaign for Vaccine Access

APHA — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:47:00 +0000

MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières, also known as Doctors Without Borders) recently posted a set of three animated videos about child vaccines as part of their latest advocacy campaign. The first one, titled “We Need Better Tools to Save Lives” is pretty straightforward – it’s a basic explanation of what is needed to vaccinate children, how MSF struggles to fill that need, and a quirky analogy about what it is like to not have that need filled. Simple enough. The second video is a lot more direct.

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Vaccine Ping-Pong: GAVI and MSF’s Advocacy Campaign for Vaccine Access

21st Century Progress in Africa: Eradicating Hunger and Poverty (MDG1) in…

TEDxChange — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:35:00 +0000

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21st Century Progress in Africa: Eradicating Hunger and Poverty (MDG1) in…

Anyone fancy a post-2015 wonkwar? Me v Claire Melamed on the biggest…

From Poverty to Power — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:22:00 +0000

I’ve been good friends with Claire Melamed for ages, but recently we’ve found ourselves on opposite sides of the post-2015 debate. As ODI’s growth andinequality supremo, Claire is deeply immersed in the ever-proliferating discussions, whereas I decided early on that I had massive reservations about the whole process. So for your amusement (and who knows,

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Anyone fancy a post-2015 wonkwar? Me v Claire Melamed on the biggest…

Development cooperation post-2015: from switching the poles to ditching the…

International Health Policies — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 16:10:00 +0000

By Pierre Massat (ITM, Quamed) Last Friday the Belgian Directorate General for Development Cooperation (DGD) organized a conference entitled “Development Cooperation in the Health Sector: Still the same approach ?” While the goal was mainly to discuss how the Belgian development cooperation in the health sector should adjust to the differences between low-income countries, fragile states and (a growing number of) middle-income countries, the conference protagonists also used the occasion to take a critical look at today’s development cooperation in general in Belgium. Two speakers were invited: Dr. Georges Dallemagne, member of the Chamber of Representatives (CDH), former Director-General of Handicap International, former Vice-Director-General of MSF), and Prof. Dr. Bruno Gryseels, Director of ITM.

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Development cooperation post-2015: from switching the poles to ditching the…

Continued Political, Financial Support Needed To Reduce Global Malaria…

Kaiser GH Update — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 21:30:00 +0000

“With the globally agreed target of reversing the incidence rate of malaria by 2015 now in sight, top United Nations officials [on Thursday] urged the international community to stay committed to protecting people from this preventable disease and to scale up key interventions such as the provision of insecticide-treated mosquito nets,” the U.N. News Centre reports, noting April 25 marked the annual World Malaria Day, with this year’s theme, “Invest in the future. Defeat malaria.” In statements, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Financing the Health Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and for Malaria Ray Chambers, and Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Executive Director Mark Dybul all stressed political will, financial support, and continuing cooperation to beat malaria, according to the news service (4/25).

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Continued Political, Financial Support Needed To Reduce Global Malaria…

The Daily Impact: Leaders Gather in for Global Vaccine Summit

PSIHealthyLives — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:54:00 +0000

April 24, 2013 The Gates Foundation is hosting the first Global Vaccine Summit in Abu Dhabi that will bring together the world’s leaders and propel progress towards vaccine coverage. The Summit, focused on the power of vaccines, is being held during World Immunization Week (April 24-30) to continue the momentum of the Decade of Vaccines – a vision and commitment to reach all people with the vaccines they need. Ending polio is a critical milestone in this vision. Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will deliver a keynote to celebrate progress and honor the individuals, communities, partners and nations that have made success possible. The speech will be webcast live at www.globalvaccinesummit.org.

Sustained Funding For Malaria Efforts Needed To Maintain Momentum

Kaiser GH Update — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 21:59:00 +0000

“When in the year 2000 African leaders first decided to put a Malaria Day on the calendar of the world, the ravages of malaria were barely visible to global decision-makers in prosperous countries,” Fatoumata Nafo-Traor, executive director of the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership and a former minister of health in Mali, writes in the Huffington Post’s “The Big Push” blog. “African leaders’ Abuja commitment to tackle malaria set in motion events that were to change the fate of millions,” she continues, highlighting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the global partnership to Roll Back Malaria. She adds, “Today the malaria map is shrinking,” and she provides some statistics. “But the gains that have been made so far remain fragile. The push to roll back malaria cannot afford to stop here,” she states.

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Sustained Funding For Malaria Efforts Needed To Maintain Momentum

Vaccines in Developing Countries: Why the High Prices?

PLoS Medicine Blog — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Kate Elder and Jennifer Cohn from Médecins Sans Frontières question why new vaccines are so expensive. Global health leaders will gather in Abu Dhabi on April 24-25 for a Vaccine Summit to discuss recent accomplishments and seek ways to expand the impact of childhood vaccination under the Decade of Vaccines (DoV), an initiative for collective action announced by Bill Gates at the 2010 World Economic Forum. Promoting greater affordability and accessibility—key tenets for increasing immunization coverage—should be at the top of the agenda. The past few years have brought many positive developments, with childhood vaccination now saving an estimated 2-3 million lives each year. But huge gaps remain. In 2011, over 22 million children—20% of the global birth cohort—did not receive the full WHO-recommended package of basic vaccines. Teams from Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) see the consequences of these gaps every day in the children we treat—among refugee populations, people caught in conflict, or in more routine settings of maternal and child health clinics.

Vaccines in Developing Countries: Why the High Prices?

Examining The Role Of Partnerships In Achieving MDGs

Kaiser GH Update — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 22:01:00 +0000

Noting there are “less than 1,000 days until the 2015 deadline for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),” Zach Silberman, a policy associate with the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, writes in the coalition’s blog, “One thing is for certain: the MDGs galvanized the global community to work together towards improving the lives of those in the developing world and represent a significant step towards a more global approach to development.” He notes “the role of partnerships is increasingly important for any future goals — and those struggling to cross the 2015 finish line,” and continues, “Make no mistake: the next 1,000 days will be crucial for achieving and sustaining the MDGs. It is also the time when the world will decide upon the next round of goals, and the United States has the opportunity to be a leader in the process” (4/22).

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Examining The Role Of Partnerships In Achieving MDGs

Not Your Typical Vaccine Conference

GatesFoundationBlog — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:35:00 +0000

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Not Your Typical Vaccine Conference

World Immunization Week: Leaders and Laggards

CGDev — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:26:07 +0000

This is a joint post with Denizhan Duran. Immunization saves millions of lives, is among the most cost-effective health interventions ever developed, and has attracted a great deal of attention and funding from public and private donors in recent years. Indeed, global health leaders have committed to making this the ‘Decade of Vaccines’ with the vision of delivering universal access to immunization by 2020, and the World Health Organization has put out a Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) to serve as a blueprint to achieving this goal. The plan – which was endorsed by 194 countries – has ambitious goals and indicators such as eradicating polio by 2018, meeting 90% coverage targets in every region, and exceeding the Millennium Development Goal on reducing child mortality by 2020. But achieving these goals is contingent upon closing a funding gap that is estimated to be $23 billion in the next decade.

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World Immunization Week: Leaders and Laggards

Government Spending Watch – a new initiative you really need to know…

From Poverty to Power — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:54:19 +0000

I’m consistently astonished by how little we know about the important stuff in development. Take the Millennium Development Goals – the basis forinnumerable aid debates, campaigns, and negotiations. A large chunk of the MDG agenda concerns the size and quality of public spending – on health, education, water, sanitation etc. So obviously, the first thing

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Government Spending Watch – a new initiative you really need to know…

Birth Registration Key To Achieving MDGs

Kaiser GH Update — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:39:00 +0000

With “less than 1,000 days to go until the 2015 deadline for the world’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) …, [t]he international community is busy examining the progress we’ve made and all the work remaining if we are to realize the vision that was laid out 12 years ago,” Nigel Chapman, CEO of Plan International, writes in the Huffington Post’s “Impact” blog. But “[h]ow can we measure our progress towards the MDGs when not all children are counted?” he asks, noting, “There are six million stateless children in the world, according to the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.” He states, “Birth registration is key to the achievement of many of the MDGs,” noting, “There are goals for reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, increasing access to primary education and promoting gender equality, to name but a few. Birth registration has implications for all of these.”

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Birth Registration Key To Achieving MDGs

U.N. Secretary General Calls For Renewed Focus On MDGs As Deadline Nears

Kaiser GH Update — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 21:31:00 +0000

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday “rallied the United Nations community in a Call to Action, capping off a week of activities to spur accelerated progress in the 1,000 days to the end of 2015 — the target date for achieving the eight anti-poverty Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),” the U.N. News Centre reports (4/12). “‘Over the next 1,000 days, let us give 1,000 percent,’ the secretary general told delegates and U.N. staff gathered at the U.N

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U.N. Secretary General Calls For Renewed Focus On MDGs As Deadline Nears

U.N. Secretary General, Pope Francis Discuss Joint Efforts To Attain MDGs

Kaiser GH Update — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 23:16:00 +0000

“United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Pope Francis underlined a joint effort to attain peace, social justice and the Millennium Development Goals [MDGs] worldwide in the first meeting between both leaders since the new pontiff was appointed in March,” Devex’s “Development Newswire” reports. “The two world leaders met on Tuesday in the Vatican City to mark the continuation of a history of cooperation between the U.N. and the Holy See,” the news service notes. “Ban, among the first world leaders to meet the new pontiff, asked Francis for support on his five-year program to promote international solidarity, conflict prevention, and equitable and sustainable economic development,” Devex writes.

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U.N. Secretary General, Pope Francis Discuss Joint Efforts To Attain MDGs

USAID Marks 1,000 Day Milestone Until 2015 MDG Target Date With Digital…

Kaiser GH Update — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 21:16:00 +0000

“On April 5, USAID joined U.N. Foundation’s Momentum 1000 and millions around the globe in a digital rally to mark the 1,000 day milestone until the 2015 target date to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): A promise made to free people from extreme poverty and extend hope and opportunity to the millions living in developing regions,” the agency’s “IMPACTblog” writes. “In commemoration of the April 5 milestone, USAID hosted a Twitter chat with Policy Director Steve Feldstein, who discussed USAID efforts to meet President Obama’s [call] to end extreme poverty within the next two decades,” the blog notes. “In addition, USAID participated in a Google Hangout, hosted by U.S. News and GAIN, to discuss progress made on global food security and nutrition as well as overall efforts to create a more nourished, food secure world,” the blog writes, adding the agency also “hosted a Twitter chat with global health adviser Kamiar Khajavi on USAID’s work with meeting MDG #4, which is to reduce child mortality.” The blog provides a link to a Storify feed of the digital conversation (4/9).

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USAID Marks 1,000 Day Milestone Until 2015 MDG Target Date With Digital…

Post-2015 Must Address Poverty, Food Security

Kaiser GH Update — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 21:06:00 +0000

Mark Suzman, managing director for international policy, programs and advocacy at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, writes in the foundation’s “Impatient Optimists” blog, “Last week saw two key events related to the Millennium Development Goals: the kickoff on April 5 of an ambitious global campaign focused on accelerating progress over the last 1,000 days before the 2015 deadline and a critical meeting on April 4 in Madrid to assess how hunger, food security and nutrition should be tackled in any post-2015 framework.” Suzman discusses the development of possible goals surrounding agriculture and nutrition, continuing, “As the world rallies behind the next set of MDGs, whatever shape they take, it’s important to stay focused on the best investments we can collectively make to ensure a better chance at a productive life for as many of the world’s citizens as possible” (4/9).

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Post-2015 Must Address Poverty, Food Security