Also in global health news: Vietnam PEPFAR funding; remote village health care; HIV in India; UNICEF budget; mapping drug shortages

Sep 3 2009

PEPFAR To Continue Funding Projects In Vietnam

PEPFAR will continue to fund HIV/AIDS programs in Vietnam, Hoang Thanh Hai, a spokesperson, said on Tuesday at a memorial for 100 people who died as a result of complications from the disease, Bernama reports. "Since 2004, PEPFAR has provided $320 million to help Vietnam provide comprehensive services on taking precautionary measures against the disease and care and treatment of HIV" patients, the news service writes (9/2).

Seattle Times' Blog Examines How Nonprofit Delivers Health Care To Remote Areas

The Seattle Times' blog, "The Business of Giving" examines nonprofit VillageReach's strategy "to get health care into the heart of remote communities that others haven't managed to reach - the so-called 'last mile' - and pay for it with a for-profit energy business." VillageReach developed a "logistics model for delivering and tracking vaccines in remote settings similar to the way UPS might deliver its packages," the blog writes. Its program in Mozambique has helped increase vaccination rates from 68 percent to 95 percent, according to an independent study (Heim, 9/1).

National AIDS Control Organization To Open District Units In India

In order to stop the spread of AIDS, the National AIDS Control Organization will open eight district level units in India, the Statesman reports. The article includes information about additional efforts by the organization, including a safe sex awareness campaign (9/1).

UNICEF Could Lose Up To 10% Of Budget Over Next 2 Years

UNICEF, which is funded through voluntary contributions mostly from governments, could lose up to 10 percent of its budget in 2010 and 2011 because of the global recession, Ann Veneman, head of the agency, said in an interview, Reuters reports. "We haven't seen the increases year to year that we have been seeing in some previous years but we actually haven't seen a decline," Veneman said, adding that the agency is "not anticipating increases in our budget," but that it is expecting "slight declines, maybe up to 10 percent." (Dmitracova, 9/1).

Kenyan Group Uses Text Messaging, Online Maps To Document Drug Shortages

Kenya-based Health Action International-Africa recently used text messaging and online mapping technology "to create a vivid picture of out-of-stock medicines across Kenya, as well as Uganda, Zambia and Malawi," SciDev.Net reports. The group said they would like to collaborate with the Kenyan government to prevent drug shortages (Makoni, 9/1).