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Aug 13, 2018
Signs of hope emerge against influenza
Hundreds of thousands of people die every year from influenza or a related condition. Unlike chicken pox and many other viruses in which the initial infection often provides lifelong immunity, the flu virus is constantly evolving. As a result, although most children will have been infected by the time they are around 3 years old, they will encounter new bouts of flu every 5–10 years.
Aug 10, 2018
Congo starts vaccinating health workers against Ebola
Congolese officials and the World Health Organization began vaccinating health workers against the deadly Ebola virus on Wednesday, to try to halt an outbreak in Congo’s volatile east.
Aug 7, 2018
Casting a light on the immunisation gap is the first step towards reaching more children with life-saving vaccines
Historically, amongst herding communities in the Afar region of Ethiopia, there has been a distinct aversion to counting. This extends from not sharing the number of cattle in their herds to not recording birth dates and only having an approximate idea of their children’s ages. This can make collecting accurate data about immunisation coverage a complex task, particularly with these populations constantly on the move. Yet it is important that we get it right, because having an accurate idea of where and how many children we are missing with life-saving vaccines is crucial to closing the gap in immunisation.
Aug 6, 2018
Breastfeeding within hour of birth provides baby’s ‘first vaccine,’ says UNICEF
According to the agency, delaying breastfeeding by two to 23 hours after birth increases the risk of dying in the first 28 days of life by 40 per cent. Delaying it by 24 hours or more increases that risk to 80 per cent.
Aug 1, 2018
Cracking the cold chain challenge is key to making vaccines ubiquitous
Over the years vaccines have prevented countless cases of disease and saved millions of lives. Infectious diseases like polio, measles, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), rubella (German measles), smallpox, mumps, tetanus and rotavirus used to be common around the world. Today vaccines can prevent them.
Jul 31, 2018
Closer collaboration between Gavi and The Global Fund in Burkina Faso is making every development dollar count
Gavi’s Ahawo Komi M. Alain and Dr. Jean-Thomas Nouboussi of The Global Fund (TGF) share a common task. Each manages their organisation’s investments in improving the health services in Burkina Faso. Gavi focuses on immunisation. TGF targets the end of HIV, malaria and tuberculosis. While Alain and Jean-Thomas have always worked together to prevent overlap, their collaboration has moved beyond joint planning in Geneva to on-the-ground coordination in Ouagadougou. As well as sharing similar roles, they now synchronise country visits, field trips, support – and innovation.
Jul 24, 2018
Using the power of data to achieve universal health coverage
Achieving universal health coverage (UHC) has very practical implications for women and girls. It means access to primary health services such as routine health screenings, family planning, and vaccinations. Universal health coverage is defined as all individuals and communities having access to high-quality health services without financial hardship. The ambitious goal of achieving UHC worldwide was amplified when it was included as a target under Sustainable Development Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
Jul 19, 2018
Awareness and beliefs about cervical cancer, the HPV vaccine, and cervical cancer screening among Ghanaian women with diverse education levels
Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women in Ghana. Cost-effective tools for the primary and secondary prevention of cervical cancer, such as the Pap test, the HPV DNA test, and the HPV vaccine, are available in hospitals and clinics throughout Ghana. However, participation in cervical cancer prevention behaviors is low among Ghanaian women. Our objective was to determine if there were significant differences in cervical cancer awareness and stigmatizing beliefs about women with cervical cancer between Ghanaian women of different education levels.
Jul 3, 2018
How Ebola vaccines have helped to usher in a new era in the outbreak response
When Ebola flared up in the Democratic Republic of the Congo last month, a wave of international public health workers had just left the country, where they had been deployed to combat cholera. But less than two weeks after leaving, some were rushing back to help with the new crisis.
Jul 2, 2018
The role of the global development community in the data revolution
During a recent stint in India, Priya Jaisinghani Vora, CEO of Future State, focused on the country’s unique approach to privacy and data. The stated goal of the initiative she leads, which is supported by The Rockefeller Foundation, is “to ensure the data revolution helps the world’s poor gain access to new services and information that can improve their lives.”