Cell Phones Create Lifesaving Connections

About 50 percent of the population in Honduras lives below the poverty line. It may be surprising that about 75 percent of the population owns or has access to a cell phone. Why would someone who struggles to get by each day spend money on a mobile phone?

The main purpose of a mobile phone is connection. For many of impoverished Hondurans living in rural areas, this connection could mean a great difference in livelihood. Not only do many people want to stay in touch with relatives and friends who have moved away, but also the mobile phone connects rural Hondurans to medical services even if they are miles away. They can reach doctors during a medical emergency, or even receive text message reminders on when to take medicine.

Cellular network providers have picked up on the emerging market that is the developing world. Digicel, a network provider in both Honduras and Panama increased its costumer base by approximately 46 percent last year. The company now has about 1.6 million subscribers between Honduras and Panama.

Digicel and other cellular networks have realized the potential that mobile phones have in the developing world, both for their company, and their costumers.

-Sami Ressler

SOURCE: HONDURAS WEEKLY

USAID Funded Initiative Helping to Better the Lives of Young Mozambique Girls

Communities in Mozambique, like many other areas of Sub-Saharan Africa are fighting to better the lives of their children, who will come to endure the harsh realities of the AIDS/HIV virus, poverty, and lack of education among many others. According to the USAID, young women in Africa have increasingly become victim to the hardships of teen pregnancy, dropping out of school, and prostitution.

The Avante Raparigas! (Go Girls!) initiative is a local program in Mozambique that aims to educate and encourage communities in improving communication with young girls about topics such as risky sexual behavior, peer pressure and, alcohol abuse. All too often young girls are having to endure dangers and difficulties that affect the ability to better their futures. This initiative, funded by the USAID through PEPFAR (The U.S. President's Emergency Plan and AIDS Relief) and implemented by John Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs, uses visuals, brochures, manuals and, training programs to reach local communities.

The Go Girls! program has been increasingly improving outlooks for the future of young girls in local communities. According to the USAID, "...just one year into the program, teen pregnancies in the Mogovolas District of Nampula Province...dropped all the way to zero." Such a great success provides a platform for young girls to continue schooling, improve community relationships and build trust. Participants of the program stated that, they felt a greater sense of safety at school if their teachers were in the program. This has prompted teachers from other communities to begin exploring the possibility of replicating the program across Mozambique.

Without continued foreign assistance funding and funding for the USAID, program successes such as these will be greatly affected, reducing the possibilities for young women to better their lives through continued education. Please continue to support foreign assistance funding by calling your congressional leaders weekly.

-Kelsey Christianson

SOURCE: USAID

Technology At Its Best

Who would have thought ten years ago that cellphones would help to save lives! This is exactly what happened in Africa where people are using cell phones to remind themselves to pick up a fresh batch of anti-AIDS drugs. In order to boost health by targeting the continent's 624 million mobile phone subscribers, some African countries are using cell phones to send a health-related text message to the clients or to call for health related emergencies. The free texts from South Africa's largest HIV treatment site are an example of this. The txtAlert reminder costs only 14 US cents per patient per month making it the cheapest technology there, and about 10,000 people have already subscribed for this system. As a result, missed appointments at the centre fell from 15% in mid-2007 to just 4% today.

In West Africa, 2,200 doctors in Ghana and 143 doctors in Liberia have signed on to anti-poverty group Africa Aid's MDNet network, allowing them to call or text other physicians for free. In Ghana, a national directory helps find the number to call. Already more than 2.5 million calls have been made so far on the network. Africa is poor in landlines and hospital beds but rich in cellphones. For this reason, from Rwanda to Uganda to Senegal, cell phones are now being used as a tool to solve many problems of daily life. While cell phones are being used for applications from quizzes promoting good behaviour in Uganda, they are being used to coordinate health workers in Senegal, and solve problems such as lack of specialists and specialized services in rural areas in Rwanda.

"I wish it could be duplicated in every African country. If only they could hook up every single health worker -- nurse, midwife -- onto the system," said Ghanaian paediatrician Frank Serebour. Seeing the massive positive impact of cell phones in Africa and how they can enrich peoples'lives, we wish that too.

-Nisha Noor

SOURCE: GOOGLE NEWS

5 More Million US$ Against HIV/AIDS in Bahamas

US Ambassador to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas Nicole Avant announced in the Caribbean Regional HIV Prevention Summit celebrated yesterday that the US will provide with 5 million US$ over the next five years in support of the country's fight against HIV/AIDS. The money will come from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, a US Government initiative to combat the disease around the world. This money will complement the existing US Foreign Aid efforts against HIV/AIDS in Bahamas.

US foreign aid against HIV/AIDS in Bahamas, (some 50,000 US$ a year) was distributed by the Embassy in form of small grants for organizations and NGOs that promote HIV/AIDS prevention, public awareness, and also for those that fight HIV/AIDS social stigma. The new PEPFAR funding will support Bahamas's efforts in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

- David Nebreda

SOURCE: The Bahama Journal

Senegal Success In Its Struggle Against Malaria

Malaria is one of the most destructive diseases that mankind faces today. According to Global Malaria Partnership, this illness affects to 227 million people, the vast majority of them in Africa, and kills almost 1 million every year, with strong incidence in children under five and pregnant women. Malaria is also the cause of aproximately 40 percent of public health expenditures in Sub-Saharian Africa, and dramatically lowers life expectancy and public health in the countries of the region. Although treatments for this disease exist, they have failed to reach the affected population in enough quantities to deal with the problem. Anyways, the best way to fight malaria is by prevention, and many governments and international organizations such as the World Health Organization lead campaigns in this way. There are two main ways of prevention: vaccines and preventive treatments on one side, and protection against malaria vectors (mosquitoes) on the other.

There is still a lot to do, but some countries are already showing considerable progress in their struggle. For example, Eritrea or Rwanda report a 50% decrease in malaria cases, but most of the advancements are located in non-African countries. So when we hear things like the news coming from Senegal, we must feel glad and hopeful.

Senegal officials state that today, after a 5 year campaign, 8 out of 10 Senegalese homes now own at least one insecticide-treated bednet, one half of the pregnant Senegalese women have recieved at least two doses of "Anti-malarial Preventive Treatment," and the diagnosis of the disease has almost doubled. All these efforts are now giving encouraging results: cases have gone down 41% and child mortality rate has been lowered by 30%. And the situation continues to improve. This is the result of strong efforts, good planning, solid cooperation between the Senegalese Government, other countries and NGOs, and a true commitment to the future of their people.

- David Nebreda

SOURCE: African Leaders Malaria Alliance

Every Family in Central Africa Republic receives an anti-malaria mosquito net

Thousands of Americans joined in on the UN’s rally to protect Central African Republic (CAR) from malaria, the leading killer of children five and under. So today, Nothing But Net, Population Services International and UNICEF accomplished their goal of providing every family in CAR an anti malaria mosquito net. That is about 1 million nets within six months. In total Nothing But Nets, the grassroots campaign to prevent malaria in Africa has raised over $35 million dollars to go towards the 4 million nets distributed throughout Africa. Celebrities, such as Mandy Moore, are joining in on the campaign to help raise awareness and donations. Each net lasts up to three years and is able to protect a family of four during the night. The nets are an easy way to prevent a disease that kills a child every 45 seconds, and only cost $10 a piece.

-Teal Peterson

SOURCE: Population Service International

African Women & Unplanned Pregnancies

More than 250 health professionals, advocates and parliamentarians from countries in Africa and other regions recently gathered in Accra, Ghana to address the issue of unsafe abortion. Unsafe or clandestine abortion is the norm in most of Africa and can lead to serious health complications or death. Approximately 26,000 African women die as a result of unsafe abortion every year. And over 90% of African women of childbearing age live in countries with limited or no access to safe abortion procedures. Unsafe abortion is not only one of Africa’s biggest threats to women’s health, but it can also be detrimental to community ties and families, thereby exacerbating the struggles of living in poverty.

For African countries as it is with any country – like the U.S. for instance – a controversial debate arises when considering whether or not abortion should be made legal. However, it must be noted that evidence has shown that around the world, abortion happens at about the same rate in regions where it is highly restricted and where it is broadly legal. So, the threat of unsafe abortion to women’s lives is an issue that clearly needs to be addressed. An alternative solution to unwanted pregnancies is to increase prevention strategies – make sure that women have access to and information about effective contraceptive methods. This is where African governments also need to step in to protect its women. Government leaders must start paying attention to the evidence that will help guide them toward laws and policies that will better protect women and build stronger families, communities and, ultimately, nations.

-Clare O.

SOURCES: The Guardian, WHO

Corruption and Aid

One of the questions that we frequently get asked is: "Why do you support giving aid to corrupted countries where the money won't actually reach the people?"

This is a perfectly legitimate question that strikes at the heart of developmental aid. Everyone has heard stories of the corrupt African dictator who lavishly squanders his wealth while his people struggle with sickness and poverty. And of course, no one wants to donate money that they believe isn't going to help the poor.

We have two main responses for that. The first is that we support programs such as the Millennium Challenge Account, which provides specific benchmarks for countries on a variety of objectives (ranging from corruption, to open elections, to open markets) that they must meet before they receive any aid. Nations that fail to meet these standards do not receive aid. Developed by the Bush administration, this has given nations incentives for reducing corruption.

The second response is that there are ways to disperse the money so that the corrupted individuals simply are uninterested. Dictators don't care about bed nets - one of the most effective malaria prevention techniques. They care about money, guns, and food supplies.

For example, USAID has recently begun a program to circumcise males in Zimbabwe in an attempt to reduce HIV infection rates. The money that USAID has pledged to this program (which is funded by Congress, which funds them based on your calls and letters) goes straight to the doctors and nurses administrating the procedure, bypassing government officials.

Thousands of lives saved and Mugabe doesn't see a dime. That's uncorrupted aid at its best.

-Corey Cox

SOURCE: Associated Press

Anti-Polio Campaign

Yesterday in Côte d’Ivoire a U.N. supported campaign began in an effort to reach 72 million children across Africa and continue efforts to completely eradicate polio from the continent.

While there is no cure for polio, there is a vaccine. So this week approximately 300,000 health workers are going door-to-door to deliver the oral vaccine to high risk children in 15 countries.

African leaders are all cooperating and synchronizing immunization efforts in order to keep the virus from infecting more people. This government cooperation and support has helped to slash the number of outbreaks. Nigeria, which never fully stopped polio transmission, has reduced the virus by 98% in the past year. Last week Nigeria immunized 30 million more children. The campaign to eradicate polio will also hit Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Angola, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.

-Kelli Hanson

SOURCE: UN News

Stop TB Partnership Releases Global Plan

Worldwide 9 million people become sick with active TB and 2 million die from it each year; however, yesterday the WHO-hosted Stop TB Partnership released a Global Plan to address the gaps in TB research and to provide new approaches for diagnosis and treatment, including a new rapid TB test.

Over the next five years, the plan, if fully funded by international donors, could cut TB deaths in half. While TB is curable, the current treatment requires that the patient take a combination of drugs for six months. There is still no vaccine to prevent the most common form of the disease, pulmonary TB, and there are many instances of drug-resistance TB. In most countries, labs are still using old methods of diagnostics. The new Global Plan is supposed to address these issues. The Director-General of WHO, Dr. Margaret Chan, believes that the new Global Plan, if fulfilled, will save 10 million lives. There is still a funding gap for this initiative; however, if international donors fill this gap, great progress could be made towards controlling TB.

To learn more about the Stop TB Partnership please go to their website.

-Kelli Hanson

SOURCE: WHO

Medical Relief for West Africa

For many people throughout the world, access to even the most basic healthcare is impossible. For children and adults suffering from disabilities, this lack of access makes small health issues much larger as they go untreated. Along the coast of West Africa, the Africa Mercy ship provides specialized surgery to the poor. Part of the non-denominational global non-profit organization Mercy Ships, the ship has docked at countries like Senegal, Gambia, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Benin, Togo, and Sierra Leone for nine or ten month stays. The free surgeries include reconstructive, ophthalmic, dental, obstetric fistula and orthopedic surgery. In the most recent stay in Benin, Africa Mercy impacted over 300,000 people, performing more than 100,00 surgeries on 67,000 direct patients, according to the Mercy Ships Public Relations Liaison, Kathy Gohmert. The 450 person volunteer crew comes from 40 different countries.

The Africa Mercy does not just provide health care, they also send out teams into the field to build capacity to support the health care infrastructure in country. This include education and training for health care professionals to increase the sustainability and delivery of service long after the Africa Mercy leaves. Despite the many challenges facing Africa, the work of the Africa Mercy, especially in the health care sector, "is a testament to the fact that a commitment to bringing healing channelled by passionate people from across the world can make a difference in the lives of thousands" like the family featured in the clip above.

-Erica Stetz

SOURCE: The Mercy Ships

New Cookstove Alliance

There's a new program that brings environmentally-safe and non-toxic cooking stoves to the under-developed world. Did you know that indoor air pollution is the fourth greatest health risk factor in developing countries? Can you guess the other three? Unclean water and sanitation, unsafe sex, and undernourishment. Yup, you got it!

There has been little focus on replacing these cookstoves in the past. Stoves that are coming on the market for as little as $20 are 50% more efficient than the current cooking methods which are often open fires or crude clay domes. A more expensive model ($100) can capture 95% of the harmful emissions and use the same amount of energy while burning far less fuel.

-Shereen Alibhai

SOURCE: http://povertynewsblog.blogspot.com & NY Times

The Importance of Women's Health

Did you know that investing in women's health contributes to not only economic growth, but builds and secures nations? The launch of The Global Strategy for Womens and Children's Health can be found here.

Fact: Maternal deaths worldwide dropped 34% from 1990 to 2008, a decline attributed to increased training of midwives, strengthening of hospitals and health centers, among other factors.

Taking a closer look we see that the strategy focuses largely on the ways that already effective, qualified, and known services are delivered and implemented.This contributes to over 170 countries and organizations worldwide. Encouraging women to have better health care, take advantage of health services, and educating women on foundations and resources is just the beginning.

What's being done, you ask? "A diverse group of stakeholders, including the World Bank, pledged more than $40 billion toward the plan, which aims to prevent the deaths of more than 15 million children under five; 33 million unwanted pregnancies; and 740,000 women from dying from complications relating to pregnancy and childbirth, before 2015."

-Shereen Alibhai

SOURCE: Chicago NOW, World Bank Blog

Rwanda Combats Pneumonia in Children through Bottom-Up Approach

Today, pneumonia is a leading cause of death in children worldwide, claiming nearly 2 million children under the age of five per year. In Rwanda, the combined commitment of international organizations, health care professionals, and families has led to a decrease in the tragic effects of this widespread condition, due to the introduction of a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine called PCV7.

The vaccine was first introduced in Rwanda in April of 2009 through support from UNICEF and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI). It helps prevent pneumococcal disease, which is the leading cause of pneumonia itself. Rwanda is the first low-income country to incorporate PCV7 into its routine immunization program.

The success of PCV7 in helping prevent pneumonia thus far is largely due to the community health education that has accompanied introduction of the vaccine. Local officials stress the importance of spreading information about nutrition, family planning, and hygiene, in addition to administering the vaccine itself.

-Elizabeth Newton

SOURCE: UNICEF