Brooke blogs about global health, water and sanitation. Prior to joining ONE, Brooke worked as a research intern at the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases. She also previously lived in Ecuador, where she taught English at a public university and volunteered at a women and children’s hospital. Brooke received her B.A. in International Studies and Anthropology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is currently enrolled in the MPH Global Health graduate program at George Washington University.
Late last week, the US Government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) signed an impressive landmark $600 million compact with the Government of Indonesia to reduce poverty through economic growth. For the first time in an MCC compact, it includes a $131.5 million nutritional component aimed at reducing and preventing low birth weight, stunting and malnourishment of children in selected provinces.
Photo credit: Compassion International
Research shows more than one-third of children under five in Indonesia are stunted, which can lead to higher infant and child mortality, increased susceptibility to infection and illness, reduced adult physical stature and impaired cognitive abilities — all of which result in long-term economic losses for individuals and the society at large. You may be surprised to learn that after two years of age, the effects of stunting are practically irreversible and have a life-long impact on an individual’s productivity. The community-based health and nutrition project will work to prevent stunting and mitigate its impact by strengthening community engagement, nutrition and sanitation services delivery and national awareness and advocacy.
At the signing ceremony in Bali, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, “The scientific research is overwhelmingly clear: If you want a healthier, better educated workforce, it starts in those very early months of life. And ultimately, an early focus on nutrition can reduce poverty, promote broader prosperity, and improve the security and stability of communities and nations.”
The community-based health and nutrition project, which is being designed by Indonesia and is a country priority, is projected to benefit up to 2.9 million children and their families in up to 7,000 villages by developing the human capital necessary to increase worker productivity, reduce poverty and stimulate the economy. The preliminary estimate for the economic rate of return for this project is 13 percent.
As Secretary Clinton noted, the evidence base on the benefits of supporting early-life nutritional interventions is clear. The MCC has already been hugely successful in working with countries to support economic growth and improve the lives of millions of people through innovative and results-oriented programs. We are pleased to see through the latest compact, the MCC has demonstrated not only is investing in nutrition for pregnant women, infants and young children the right thing to do, but it is also the economically smart thing to do.
As you probably have gathered by now, today is World Pneumonia Day. You may have just had one of two reactions: “Oh no, not another one of those wonky global health holidays” or “Yes! Time to get out my pneumonia-fighter costume from last year!”
Eunice, head nurse at Lagata Health Facility in Kenya, gives a baby the pneumococcal vaccine
Tremendous progress has been made in the fight against malaria and reaching the goal of zero malaria deaths is back in sight. The Roll Back Malaria Partnership released a report highlighting a decade of progress in malaria control since the Partnership’s formation. Globally, malaria deaths have been reduced by an estimated 38 percent with 10 African countries and Zanzibar cutting malaria cases and deaths by 50 percent or more since 2000. More than 400 million long-lasting insecticide treated bed nets had been delivered to African countries by end of 2010, enough to cover nearly 80 percent of people at risk of malaria in the whole of Africa. These efforts are paying off: in sub-Saharan Africa alone, the lives of 1.1 million children under five have been saved.
Finalists were recently announced for “Saving Lives at Birth: A Grand Challenge for Development”– a giant science fair of sorts for innovators from around the world. This isn’t the kind of science fair with erupting fizzy volcanoes and a Styrofoam solar system — the winning projects from this fair could save millions of mothers and children globally.
In March, I attended the launch of the Grand Challenge, where Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stressed the need for innovators to get creative and develop proposals for new technologies and create more reliable and efficient ways to deliver health services. More than 600 applications were received for the Grand Challenge from around the world, and 77 finalists were selected to compete in the final stage for the ultimate prize — part of $50 million to make their invention a reality and save lives.
Check out this short documentary of the challenge to see some of the inventions.
I was thrilled to have the opportunity to interview Ann Gavaghan, chief of staff at the State Department’s Office of the US Global AIDS Coordinator, about the future of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the tremendous success of PEPFAR. Below are Gavaghan’s on-the-record responses, including a special message for ONE members.
Maamohelang Hlaha kisses her son who was born HIV-free after receiving PEPFAR-supported prevention of mother-to-child transmission services. Photo credit: Reverie Zurba/2010.
We were thrilled to hear from UNAIDS that 6.6 million people are now on treatment globally, thanks in part to the enormous success of PEPFAR. What do you think has contributed to this success and what more needs to be done?
There are several factors that have contributed to this success -– first, the infrastructure is now in place to support treatment, so that care is more accessible for people, even at the village level. Clinics are able to provide treatment; it’s no longer just limited to the hospital level.
In addition, drug prices dropped dramatically, making care more affordable. And people in communities also are more active in seeking treatment because they have seen the impact it had on their families and friends.
In just a few minutes, Bruce Aylward, assistant director-general at the World Health Organization for polio eradication will lead a live chat on what it will take to make polio the second disease ever to be eradicated. Dr. Aylward’s TED talk will begin with the questions “How do you get so many different players to agree on something so complex and spread out both in time and geography?” and “Why must polio be eradicated and not simply controlled?”
Tremendous progress has been made towards polio eradication. Polio is endemic in only four countries today, compared to 125 countries in 1988 and since then roughly 2.5 billion children have been vaccinated against polio worldwide. In the same period, the global number of polio cases has been reduced by more than 99 percent, from 350,000 cases a year to under 1000 cases in 2010.
Tune in and be sure to leave any comments or questions you have while watching below or Tweet them directly to me, @RiledupB.
At the recent UN High Level Meeting on AIDS, world leaders made a critical step in the right direction with the launch of a global plan to eliminate new HIV infections among children by 2015 and to keep their mothers alive. Last fall, ONE members tirelessly advocated for the Global Fund during our “No Child Born with HIV” campaign, and we’re pleased that this plan will help us work towards turning that goal into reality.
Tremendous gains have been made in recent years in reducing HIV infections among children and scaling up the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV, yet much work remains. In 2009, an estimated 370,000 new infections occurred among children, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa. The global strategy identifies two top goals: to reduce the number of new infections among children by 90 percent and reduce the number of AIDS-related maternal deaths by 50 percent. Under the plan, resources will be channeled to 22 priority countries, where nearly all HIV-positive pregnant women live.
ONE is campaigning to ensure that the Congressional budget does not cut foreign assistance programs like Feed the Future that help people break the cycle of poverty and hunger.
The Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in 60 years. More than 11 million people, mostly nomadic pastoralists and farmers in south-central Somalia, north-eastern Kenya, and south-eastern Ethiopia, are severely lacking access to food.
2011 marks 30 years since the first cases of AIDS were documented. Take a closer look at the specific, achievable goals we must hit by 2015 to make this year the beginning of the end of AIDS.
As aid agencies warn more than 9 million people could be affected by a food crisis in East Africa, world leaders are failing to keep their 2009 promises to tackle the causes of chronic hunger and support farmers in the world's poorest countries.
