Tag Archives: Huffington Post

May 13, 2013

HIV: Let’s Finish The Job

Categories: Commentary
Tags: , , , , , ,

By Beth Skorochod, Senior Technical Advisor, Sexual Reproductive Health and TB Department, Population Services International

Pililani Julius is twenty-three years old, from Mtambalika village in the Mulanje district of Malawi. Already the mother of two children, Pililani recently lost her third child, a death likely due to pediatric HIV complications. At the time, Pililani did not know that she was HIV positive — meaning that she was unable to take life-saving treatment that could have prevented transmission to her baby.

Today, Pililani is pregnant with her fourth child — and, this time, she is armed with knowledge. Prior to becoming pregnant, Pililani and her husband had watched an open-air drama performance run by PSI/Malawi, which explained the importance of knowing one’s HIV status and of taking treatment to prevent transmission during pregnancy. Pililani and her husband are now on treatment, protecting their own health and future as well as that of the new baby on the way.

Pililani’s story is an important and hopeful reminder of one of the global health community’s greatest success stories: the prevention, and hopefully, soon-to-be elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Today, thanks to the combined efforts of governments, companies, NGOs, health professionals, researchers and everyday volunteers, more children are born free of HIV than ever before.

January 31, 2013

Barbara Bush: Technology and Innovation Supporting Global Health

Categories: Global Health Beat
Tags: , , , , , ,

Social entrepreneurs gathered this past December at the Social Innovation Summit to share lessons on how to create social good through technology and innovation. PSI Board Member and Global Health Corps co-founder Barbara Bush was one of the event’s featured speakers. Brian Sirgutz of the Huffington Post caught up with Barbara after the event to talk about technology and social good through the lens of global health.

Here is a selection of the discussion:

Brian: Your supporters include top names in information technology, like Cisco and Hewlett Packard. (Note: Cisco sponsors the ImpactX section). Can you talk a little about those relationships and how they add to your mission?

We’ve actively worked to build relationships with non-traditional partners that share our values — innovators like Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Cisco who are leading the charge to build products and systems that connect communities, and increase information sharing.

Interestingly, global health organizations desperately need many of the skills employees at multi-national corporations like HP and Cisco have. Cisco employees who are experts in management information and technology systems have mentored some of our fellows working in Malawi with Elizabeth Glaser Pediatrics AIDS Foundation to build out stronger electronic medical records and data tracking systems.

January 25, 2013

Even From Davos, Family Planning Gets a Fresh Look

Categories: Global Health Beat
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

2012 may be remembered for many things good and bad, but one undeniably positive story is the way in which family planning and women’s reproductive choices and rights came back into the sunlight after too many years in the shadows of the global health and development agenda.

The July 2012 London Summit on Family Planning featured pledges of new resources to help some of the 220 million women in the world who want the means to plan the timing and size of their families, but aren’t able. But even more crucial than new money was new advocacy. Presidents Kikwete of Tanzania, Museveni of Uganda and Kagame of Rwanda took the podium personally to embrace the cause of saving women’s lives through access to modern contraception, as did Melinda Gates, whose powerful leadership voice will resonate for years on this topic.

July 27, 2012

The Faces of HIV in Zambia, Part 3: Meeting Nghimunya

Categories: Commentary
Tags: , , , , ,

In May, Debra Messing went to Zambia on a trip with PSI and Alere, the largest manufacturer of HIV testing technology. While there, she met with families, communities, health ministers, and doctors to learn about what HIV interventions are producing results on the ground — and what gaps need to be filled. This week, Debra is in Washington, D.C. to participate in the 2012 International AIDS Conference. Below is the third in a series of three personal journal entries that she wrote while in Zambia. Read Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

Wednesday, May 23: Counseling and testing center in Kanyama

I went through the counseling and testing process this week because I figured I needed to walk the walk if I was going to tell others, particularly couples, how important and easy it is to get tested. I think getting tested is one of the most sincere acts of love a couple can show for one another.

The testing center was at the local YWCA in Lusaka. I decided to get tested with Marshall, my friend and colleague from PSI, to send a message about the importance of couples getting tested. The clinic was clean, bright, and friendly. The counselor who tested us was incredibly thorough and professional and really helped me relax. We had our results in 20 minutes — so quick! I was surprised by how easy and painless the whole process was — and it was completely confidential. And for couples, it provides an open and honest environment to talk about risk, to disclose your status, and to chart your path together.

If either one of us had tested positive, the counselor would have walked us through exactly what we needed to know to stay healthy and live positively. It really was a fantastic experience. But as uplifting as the experience was, I kept thinking about Connie and the children she lost, and aboutIrene and how sick she became before she knew her status and could access medication. We need more people to get tested.

June 25, 2012

Women’s Empowerment Through Reproductive Rights

Categories: Global Health Beat
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

The outcome document from last week’s Rio+20 meetings was noticeably missing references to “reproductive rights.”  Secretary of State Clinton voiced her support for reproductive rights during her remarks on Friday saying, “Women must be empowered to make decisions about whether and when to have children. And the United States will continue – (applause) – the United States will continue to work to ensure that those rights are respected in international agreements.”

Feminist Genevive Stewart recently outlined in the Huffington Post UK what is at stake for ensuring reproductive rights and why it is an important part of development and women’s empowerment.

The earth’s population is growing at an alarming rate. By 2050, it’s predicted the global population will reach nine billion people. Our planet’s resources simply cannot cope with adding the equivalent of China and India.

The term “population control” is loaded with associations to atrocities committed in the name of ethnic cleansing, eugenics and contempt for the poor.

But Dr Carmen Barroso, of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, believes that it’s imperative to talk about it. “As long as women are not empowered to decide when and how many children they have, they will not lead sustainable lives. And as long as women do not live sustainable lives, there is no sustainability,” she said.

Dr Barroso is not advocating practices like forced sterilisation. She wants to empower women to control their own sexual and reproductive health. “Comprehensive family planning is the most effective form of population control,” she says.

95% of the world’s population growth occurs in areas already struggling with illiteracy, poverty, and civil unrest. More growth means more people living with these hallmarks of extreme poverty.

May 25, 2012

Christy Turlington Burns and Dr. Rao Discuss How Merck for Mothers will Deliver Lifesaving Global Health Solutions

Categories: Global Health Beat
Tags: , , , , , ,

A recent World Health Organization report showed some promising growth in reducing global maternal mortality. It found that the rates declined to 287,000 in 2010 from the 358,000 maternal deaths reported in 2008. That dramatic decline in lives lost is reason to celebrate. However, the report shows that there is plenty of work to be done.

Christy Turlington Burns, Founder of Every Mother Counts, sat down with Dr. Naveen Rao of Merck, leader of the theMerck for Mothers initiative, while at the GBC Health conference in New York last week. PSI will be collaborating with EMC on a Merck for Mothers project in Uganda.

In the conversation shared in the Huffington Post, the two discuss the WHO study and what it means for maternal health. Here is an excerpt:

Christy: So what are your thoughts on the new WHO data?

Naveen: These latest figures are clear progress in the fight to save women’s lives and everyone who worked so tirelessly should be applauded for this wonderful achievement. However, I say that with a major caveat: this reduction in maternal mortality is still not swift enough. As the WHO report states, maternal mortality has decreased by 3.1 percent per year since 1990; that is far below the 5.5 percent annual decline needed to reach MDG 5. The findings demonstrate that we know what works and these efforts are clearly having an impact — which is affirming. Now, we must accelerate this momentum so we can close the gap as rapidly as possible. To do so, we need to think more creatively about how multiple sectors can work together to leverage our respective strengths.

Christy: Can you elaborate on what you mean by that?

Naveen: As we all know, maternal mortality is a complex issue that requires multifaceted solutions. Put simply, no one sector can tackle it alone. What we need is a more concerted effort among government, the business community and civil society — one that harnesses the unique capabilities of each sector to address this issue head on. This of course aligns with the vision outlined in the UN Secretary-General’s Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health.

Christy: Tell me a bit more about Merck for Mothers and why Merck has decided to take on this issue.

Naveen: Maternal mortality is one of the oldest global health crises in the world, and as you well know, it is one that continues to touch everyone — no geography is spared. We at Merck saw this issue as one where we could make a significant impact. We have committed our human and financial resources, research skills, business expertise and capacity for innovation as part of a 10-year initiative called Merck for Mothers. We have three strategies to help the world reach MDG 5: 1) making sure new, innovative maternal health technologies get into the hands of health providers as quickly as possible; 2) increasing women’s access to life-saving solutions, especially in countries with a high burden of maternal deaths; and 3) building support among policymakers and the public alike so we can more rapidly move the needle on reducing maternal mortality.

April 30, 2012

De-Fragmenting Is Not Just for Hard Drives: How to Save Money on Bed Nets

Categories: Global Health Beat
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

By Deputy Editor Tom Murphy

Long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets (LLINs) are an important piece to building a future without malaria. The Results for Development Institute says LLINs can be be produced and provided even cheaper and more efficiently. “According to analysis led by Kanika Bahl and Pooja Shaw from Results for Development’s (R4D’s) Market Dynamics team, improved global incentives and information on cost-effectiveness could save the fight against malaria up to $630 million over the next five years, while encouraging manufacturers to produce better-performing nets,” writes R4D President David de Ferranti in the Huffington Post.



R4D estimates 560 million LLINs will be needed through 2015. To maintain universal coverage, it will cost $2.4 billion. Finding space to save over $600 million can help to ensure all the LLINs are delivered while keeping costs low in a time when international aid spending is coming under tighter constraints.


A set of six recommendations are outlined in the report:


1. Ensure policies and incentives to procure the most cost-effective nets;

2. Rationalize fragmentation in net specifications to optimize VFM;

3. Urgently develop a clear “path to market” for innovative vector control LLINs to address the resistance threat;

4. Employ strategic procurement practices to maintain a competitive supply base;

5. Diversify the LLIN consumer base beyond the three major donors;

6. Build an in-country evidence base to evaluate the drivers of net use.



					

		        	


            
                
	

		

            			

				April 19, 2012			

			
                            
Ashoka Champion’s Solution to Maternal Morality in Nigeria
            
                            
            									

				Categories: Global Health Beat			

													

				Tags: , , , , , 			

						
                            
                        
		


				

			


Ifeyinwa Madu Egwaoje, an Ashoka young champion, has made it her lifelong commitment to reduce maternal mortality in her home country of Nigeria. She explains in her TEDxTU talk (above) the importance of empowering women through health.


Thanks to Ashoka, she is currently working with the Birthing Project USA to directly learn from how the program reaches mothers in Louisiana and Mississippi. The new experiences and lessons will help Ifeyinwa to develop new ideas for addressing the issue of maternal mortality in Nigeria.


In the Huffington Post, Ifeyinwa explains how she plans to implement her ideas. She writes:


A fairly large settlement, Evboroko is located in Ovia North East local Government area of Edo State. The community has about 1,500 residents and their main occupation is farming. This community, inhabited by mainly the Urhobo-speaking people, is about forty minutes’ drive from Benin City. Evboroko women are beautiful, strong and hardworking farmers, whose realities are different from most women in metropolitan cities. They lack access to quality health care because there are no hospitals or health centers around their community, the closest primary health center (PHC) is 20 minutes away from Evboroko and the PHC is closed most of the time with health personnel absent from work.



					

		        	


            
                
	

		

            			

				March 28, 2012			

			
                            
Video: Alleviating Poverty Through Social Innovation
            
                            
            									

				Categories: Global Health Beat			

													

				Tags: , , , , , , 			

						
                            
                        
		


				

			
ViewChange, a project of Link TV, debuted “ViewChange: Unleashing Innovation” today on the Huffington Post Impactpage. The release coincides with the start of the Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship. Partnering with McKinsey’s Social Sector Office, the special highlights social innovation happening around the world that seeks to find sustainable poverty alleviating solutions. From the Huffington Post:


“ViewChange: Unleashing Innovation” features the winners of McKinsey & Company’s Social Innovation Video Contest, which received nearly 150 videos from 30 different countries. Hear from first-place winner Embrace, a San Francisco-based initiative ending infant mortality in the developing world with micro-sized sleeping bags. And find out more about second-place winner APOPO, a Tanzania-based venture that trains rats to save lives through measures such as sniffing out bombs and even Tuberculosis in human samples.


In addition to these social entrepreneurs, “ViewChange: Unleashing Innovation” also features those who are driving social change, including Bill Clinton, McKinsey & Company’s Lynn Taliento, ONE chairman Tom Freston and top Obama counterinsurgency strategist Dave Kilcullen.



					

		        	


            
                
	

		

            			

				March 13, 2012			

			
                            
Ashley Judd: Why AIDS Won’t Win
            
                            
            									

				Categories: Commentary			

													

				Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 			

						
                            
                        
		


				

			
The following post is by PSI board member Ashley Judd and originally appears on the Huffington Post.


“Where is Lesotho?” my friend asked me as I was sorting through my mail.


I held the envelope in my hand, staring at the smudged postmark that read “Maseru, Lesotho.” As I opened it I imagined the worst. Lesotho, a landlocked kingdom surrounded by the nation of South Africa, has faced one of the world’s fiercest HIV/AIDS epidemics. Last year, more than one in five adults in Lesotho was HIV-positive, a statistic that has ravaged families and filled orphanages across the country. I imagined that the letter was from a grad school classmate or global health colleague, informing me that the situation in Lesotho was getting worse.


I couldn’t have been more wrong.


The letter, written by a young woman named Limakatso Mokobocko, filled me with hope. It was a testament to why we can create an AIDS-free generation: the power and commitment of youth.


Limakatso is an on-air radio host for the Silk-eeTM female condom program, an initiative operated by PSI, Johnson & Johnson, and the United States Agency for International Development to empower young women to protect themselves from HIV and unintended pregnancies. Her letter recounts, in painful detail, the horrors inflicted on her country by HIV, by gender inequality, and by cultural taboos that prevent young women from asking simple questions about sex that could save their lives.