Access to Safe Drinking Water Marks First MDG Achievement

Photo: Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty Images

United Nations announced today that the first Millennium Development Goal (MDG) has been met 5 years ahead of schedule.  The proportion of people without access to safe drinking water has now been cut in half since the end of 2010 (89% - 1% more than the goal set by world leaders), leaving only 11% of the world's population still stripped of their basic right of access to a safe water source.  UNICEF and WHO both deem this victory undeclared.  Millions of people from these poverty stricken nations are still in desperate need of access to water and basic sanitation, and are in great need of our attention.  Sure, this marks a special day in history, but the fight to eradicate global poverty is far from being over.  The water target is one of eight MDGs created to improve hundreds upon millions of lives living in extreme poverty.   

World Health Organization Director-General Margaret Chan states that "providing sustainable access to improved drinking water sources is one of the most important things we can do to reduce disease.  But this achievement today is only the beginning.  We must continue to ensure this access remains safe.  Otherwise our gains will be in vain." 

-Georisa Chang

SOURCE: The Washington Post

India's Greatest Public Health Achievement

"It gives me great pleasure to announce that the World Health Organization has taken India's name off the list of polio-endemic countries,"said Ghulam Nabi Azad, India's Minister of Health and Family Welfare, at the Polio Summit. The World Health Organization took India's name off of the list of polio-endemic countries on Saturday, 25 February.

Only recently, in 2009, India had nearly half of the world's polio cases. Considering this, the announcement is India's biggest public health achievement. It is due to a collaborative effort between the Union, State governments, UNICEF, WHO, Rotary International, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, that this achievement was possible. Within recent years, polio immunization rounds in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the most effected by polio, reached up to 99 per cent.

Even after this major public health win, the Indian government is aware that they must stay vigilant. "We are highly mindful of the risks that persist, not only on account of residual indigenous transmission but also from other countries," stated Mr.Azad. Polio summit attendees discussed how to finally eradicate polio in India.

-Akshika Patel


SOURCE: UNICEF

UN Moving to Reduce Indoor Pollution in Afghanistan

With 95 percent of its 30million people burning wood and other solid fuels in their homes, Afghanistan is ranked among the top ten nations with the worst indoor pollution. Recently, the UN World Health Organization discovered that 5,400 Afghans die yearly from inhaling smoke due to indoor heating and cooking. Furthermore, the usage of dung and wood for fuel is placing pressure on already diminishing resources. The UN Environment Program (UNEP) revealed that 30 years from now, Afghani forests will no longer exist.

The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, a UN supported program, is pushing 100 million homes to adopt clean stoves and fuels by 2020. By bringing together local metal-smiths, engineers and environmental experts in Bamiyan province, this program has designed prototypes for clean cook stoves. These stoves will cut the estimated 1.6-1.8 million premature deaths each year caused by indoor emissions.

This year is the UN International Year of Sustainable Energy for All. Initiatives such as the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstove contribute to the universal achievement of access to modern energy services and renewable energy. By pursuing projects that focus on sustainable energy services, we may see these goals reached.

-Akshika Patel


SOURCE: UN News Centre

Vaccinating the Children of Haiti

One of the biggest killer of Hatian children isn't an earthquake, its disease. However, 30 percent of newborns are not protected against tetanus and only 59 percent of 5 year olds are immunized against polio or measles, as according to 2009 statistics. Thankfully UNICEF has established hundreds of clinics that give routine immunizations that protect from polio, diphtheria, tetanus and measles-rubella.

UNICE has created the Reach Every District program, RED, to ensure every child in Haiti is immunized. This initiative hopes to provide resources to target populations. RED is actively providing assistance to 36 communities which have the lowest vaccine coverage. The RED program has been shown to work, with visible results, in Africa.

In cooperation with the Haitian government, the World Health Organization (WHO), and other partners, UNICEF holds vaccination days. Each vaccination costs approximately US$7-20. UNICEF and the WHO are looking to partner with the Global Alliance on Vaccination and Immunization (GAVI). This partnership would allow UNICEF and WHO to distribute three new vaccines over the next two years.

-Akshika Patel


SOURCE:UNICEF

AIDS Prevention Program Spares 100,000 in India

There was some potentially exciting news which came out of the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation last week. A released program assessment in “The Lancet” medical journal showed that an estimated 100,000 people in India may have escaped HIV infection over a five year span.

The Gates Foundation has spent $258 million on it’s Avahan AIDS prevention project in India, a country in which 2.4 million people are infected with the immune deficiency. The Avahan project has become one of the largest programs which attempts to curb expansion of this fast growing world epidemic.

Looking at Avahan from 2003 to 2008 the assessment saw a drop in each of the observed six Indian States, ranging from 2% up to 13%. The broad program focuses on a handful of effective ways to reach vulnerable groups, including needle exchanges, safe-sex counseling, and condom distribution. The program aimed to reduce the number of infections within the general population by targeting groups, which are at a higher risk of spreading the disease.

The greatest success was seen in three of India’s populous southern states, where the epidemic is largely spread through sexual transmission. In the northern states of Manipur and Nagaland, where drug injections are more responsible for HIV progress was much less dramatic.

As with many studies, the Gates Foundation mentions in the Avahan report that the conclusions presented do come with a certain degree of uncertainty, and the co-authors also note the presence of other HIV prevention programs running in the area.

Experts from the World Health Organization commented on the report saying that despite many remaining questions about the project's overall success, the findings are an encouraging first step.

The Gates foundation has spent another $80 million on Avahan since 2008, and is currently shifting responsibility over the Indian government.

-Joshua Rogers

SOURCE: CBS News | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Today Is World Malaria Day!

World Malaria Day is here again! Every year World Malaria Day is celebrated on April 25 around the world in an attempt to raise awareness and recognise the global effort to eradicate this deadly disease. The theme of this year's World Malaria Day is 'Achieving Progress and Impact' which emphasises the international community's renewed efforts to make progress towards zero malaria deaths by 2015.

The fight against malaria involves access to affordable, safe and effective treatments across the world, as well as protective insecticide treated nets and other preventive measures. The slogan of the celebration for the WHO African Region is "Together, we can achieve more". This year’s celebration marks the end of the UN Decade to Roll Back Malaria (2001-2010).

The World Health Orgaisation's statistics show that malaria infects more than 500 million people per year and kills more than a million. The majority of these deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa. But recently Africa showed significant progress in eradicating Malaria as 11 countries had reduced the burden of malaria by at least 50 percent at the end of 2010.

In celebrating World Malaria Day this year, Hollywood stars raised $750,000 to end Malaria in Africa through the event "Hollywood Bites Back"." Celebrities such as John Mayer, Orlando Bloom, Ted Danson and Elizabeth Banks also recorded public service announcements about the disease, which reached millions nationwide and culminated in the live comedy show.

The day is not far away when all of us can bite back and send Malaria to museum!

-Nisha Noor

SOURCE: AFRICAN BUSINESS REVIEW

Donation By Bill Gates And Abu Dhabi Prince To Vaccinate Children

Borgen Project: In order to vaccinate children in Afghanistan and Pakistan against Polio and other diseases, Bill Gates from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Abu Dhabi's crown prince, Sheik Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan will each donate $50 million. Both the donors said that two-thirds of their donations will fund a pair of vaccines against Pneumonia, Diphtheria, Whooping Cough and other ailments afflicting young children in Afghanistan. The rest of the fund will be given to World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF to provide Polio vaccines among Afghan and Pakistani children.

Gates recently told the Associated Press that eradicating Polio is his top priority, and that he is planning to announce a major donation to the effort in Davos, Switzerland on Friday.

-Nisha Noor

SOURCE: YAHOO NEWS

Groundbreaking Study Introduces A New Sustainable Way To Reduce Infant Mortality

A Pakistan-based study published recently in the Lancet shows that instead of relying on technological measure, simple counseling on maternal and infant care can largely reduce the infant mortality problem. Funded by the World Health Organization and Save the Children's Saving Newborn Lives Program, and supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the study integrated counseling on newborn health practices into Pakistan's public health system in the rural district of Hala. More than 3 million infants die annually which is 40% of 8.1 million annual child deaths. But it has been estimated that, only in Pakistan, this simple measure could save 100,000 lives per year.

The research trial trained Pakistan's "lady health workers" in Hala to provide counseling on maternal and newborn health care, partnered with local birth attendants, and make home visits to teach simple newborn care methods. These include, early and exclusive breastfeeding, delayed bathing, and recognizing early signs of serious infant illness. Due to this trial, infant mortality and stillbirth dropped there by 15-20% in only 2 years. According to the scholars and trainers, this low-cost low-tech groundbreaking study can have a huge impact in other developing countries where people cannot afford expensive treatment. The study also shows that reducing infant mortality in this way is not only achievable but also sustainable.

-Nisha Noor

SOURCE: SAVE THE CHILDREN

Optimism for UN’s Promises on Maternal Health

According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report, a woman in Sierra Leone faces a 1 in 21 chance of dying during pregnancy or childbirth, whereas the risk of maternal mortality for a British woman is 1 in 4,700. The discrepancy between maternal health care in a developing country and a developed country is vast as you can tell.

The UN aims to save the lives of 16 million women and children by year 2015. This UN initiative is more promising than past initiatives because of the high level of government/political involvement. Countries of the G8 have committed to the cause as well as some developing countries who promised to make major policy and financial pledges. Afghanistan committed to triple public spending on health care. And Niger pledged to introduce legislation to lift the legal age of marriage to 18 and to increase female literacy.

The WHO will also create a timeline for progress on maternal health while a group of 25 appointed global leaders gather information for this report – which will also shed light on what countries are fulfilling their commitments, thereby holding them more accountable.

-Clare O.

SOURCE: The Guardian

New Meningitis Vaccine

A new, affordable meningitis vaccine is reaching millions of people in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger starting this week. PATH and the World Health Organization, (with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), developed MenAfriVac, the first vaccine to provide sustained protection against the meningitis strain that causes most outbreaks of bacterial meningitis in Africa. More than 450 million people are at risk of contracting this particular strain and it can also explode in large epidemics. The disease kills one in ten people who get sick, and leaves a quarter of survivors deaf or with other severe disabilities. But now millions of people have a better chance at a healthier and brighter future by getting this lifesaving vaccine, which comes at an affordable cost – just less than US $0.50 per dose.

-Clare Ortblad

SOURCE: Gates Foundation Blog

Hope for Haiti

The World Health Organization is is taking action to ensure cholera will be prevented, focusing on the outbreak in Haiti. Cholera is a species of Vibrio bacteria that produces a deadly toxin. Because cholera spreads in areas where there is untreated sewage, and contaminated water, the people in Haiti have clearly been affected.

Currently there are 12 cholera treatment centers being built to support isolation and treatment of cases: six in Artibonite, one in Central, and five in Port-au-Prince.

WHO's Region for the Americas (PAHO) continues to mobilize international experts including epidemiologists, risk communication, case management, laboratory, water and sanitation, logistics, and LSS/SUMA (humanitarian supply management system) to Haiti and also to the Dominican Republic.

-Shereen Alibhai

SOURCE: WHO

What If Malaria Struck Your Hometown?

Imagine a sudden outbreak of malaria in your hometown and hundreds of people fall ill. People rush to the nearest hospital to get treated, but then doctors discover that malaria parasites have developed resistance to multiple malaria medicines. Scenes of this outbreak are depicted in this video clip from GOOD Magazine’s Channel. This may seem unlikely for U.S. residents but this happens in many parts of the world, especially in Africa.

According to a 2009 World Health Organization study, roughly 3.3 billion people - half of the world's population - are at risk of malaria. People living in the poorest countries are the most vulnerable. Malaria is a serious concern in Africa, where an African child has on average between 1.6 and 5.4 episodes of malaria fever each year.

There is hope for people vulnerable to the disease. Organizations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are making progress in their fight against malaria. Between 2000 and 2006, several countries in Africa saw a 50 percent decrease in malaria thanks to a combined set of effective interventions, including insecticide-treated bed nets and indoor spraying of homes with insecticides to control mosquitoes, and drug treatments to prevent and cure malaria.

- Clare O.

SOURCE: World Health Organization