July 2010

Obama Administration Names Eight ‘GHI Plus’ Countries

The Obama Administration has selected eight countries to serve as learning labs for a new global health strategy aimed at reducing maternal and child death and combating preventable diseases as part of the Global Health Initiative (GHI). 'GHI Plus' countries "will provide enhanced opportunities to build upon existing public health programs; improve program performance; and work in close collaboration with partner governments, across U.S. government agencies, and with global partners." Administration officials from Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nepal, and Rwanda will receive technical assistance and other resources, which they hope will help U.S. officials involved in the strategy to "learn how to streamline and integrate disease programs managed by disparate U.S. agencies and to work more closely with foreign governments to combat killer diseases," such as malaria and tuberculosis. The experiences gained from the work in these eight ‘GHI Plus’ countries will be used to inform how the U.S. works with recipient countries of U.S. global health assistance in the future.

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On June 14th 2010, a discussion on vector control as a measure to control and eliminate malaria took place on Capitol Hill, Washington DC. The panel was hosted by Africa Fighting Malaria, the Malaria No More Policy Center, Friends of the Global Fight Against Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria and Syngeta in conjunction with the Congressional Malaria Caucus. As part of the briefing, Mark Green highlighted the extraordinarily successful MEEDs program in Zanzibar. The successes from previous innovative uses of technologies are demonstrated by programs like MEEDs. It is our duty to make sure we can tell of future successes with new tools.

A UN report released Wednesday by Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon pointed out that eleven African countries are on the list of 20 countries making the most overall progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. The countries are Benin, Mali, Ethiopia, Gambia, Malawi, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Uganda, Ghana, Rwanda, and Togo.

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Malaria Policy Center Associate Ben Brophy recently travelled to Senegal for the first time. Ben shared his story on the "Malaria Watch" blog:

"I’ve been working for Malaria No More for just over a year and a half and have loved the cause every step of the way. For me, investing in the fight against malaria just makes sense. There’s been demonstrated return on investment, economic benefits and lives saved. Quite simply, the statistics made a powerful case to me. Perhaps most compelling, we can end malaria deaths by 2015, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

There is, however, a difference between knowing and seeing."