Recent releases: Climate change, health; ITNS; Mexico H1N1; Policy Tracker; TB treatment; blogs

Sep 21 2009

Lancet Editorial, Comment Address Climate Change, Health

In addition to the Lancet's recent publication of an opinion piece and letter by 18 doctor association leaders about the potential health risks associated with climate change, the journal includes an editorial about sexual and reproductive health and climate change and a comment on the upcoming Copenhagen conference in December (9/19).

Release: U.S. Malaria Net Project Creates African Industry

The NetMark project, a USAID-funded public-private partnership to prevent malaria -"helped sell 50 million bed nets in seven countries, crafted a voucher system" to distribute them for free or at partial cost, and received $88 million in private investments to expand business - according to an Academy for Educational Development release. Though the project ends September 30, the bed net market endures in seven countries where it operated - Nigeria, Senegal, Mali, Ghana, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Zambia (9/17).

JAMA Commentary Examines Lessons Learned From How Mexico Handled H1N1

In a JAMA Commentary, a pair of health experts report their findings from interviews with Mexican citizens and health officials about successes and failures with the country's response to H1N1. Though "[m]uch remains to be learned from the data being gathered on Mexico's public health experiment with nonpharmaceutical interventions… perhaps the most immediately valuable lesson learned from spring 2009 is that Mexico's transparency and rapid response not only helped other countries react properly but also set a high bar for how the 21st-century global community must cooperate to share information about impending epidemics," the authors conclude (Stern/Markel, 9/16).

House Introduces Legislation Aimed At Health Technology For Developing Countries

Rep. Albio Sires, D-N.J. on Monday introduced a bill to establish a "Health Technology Program" within USAID to "develop, advance, and introduce affordable, available, and appropriate technologies specifically designed" to improve health conditions in developing countries (9/14). A companion bill was introduced in the Senate in early August (8/4). More information on recent U.S. global health policy developments is available on Kaiser's Policy Tracker tool.

PLoS Medicine, Global Alliance For TB Drug Development Examine TB Treatment Regimens

Two studies (here and here) appearing in PLoS Medicine identifiy gaps in the international tuberculosis treatment guidelines and suggest ways for improving WHO TB treatment guidelines. The authors of one of the studies conclude: "There is an urgent need for a concerted international effort to substantially expand access to reliable drug sensitivity testing and to initiate randomized trials in patients with pretreatment drug resistance of all forms, particularly in previously treated patients" (Menzies et al., 9/14). In a related release, Global Alliance for TB Drug Development researchers conducted interviews with stakeholders from countries with high TB burdens as well as global stakeholders to assess their opinions for ways to improve current TB regimens (9/09).

Blog: Emanuel, Goosby Address CUGH Meeting

The Infectious Diseases Center for Global Health Policy's "Science Speaks" blog addresses special White House health policy advisor Ezekiel Emanuel's comments about President Obama's Global Health Initiative (GHI) at the Consortium of Universities for Global Health's (CUGH) annual meeting. Emanuel said that "[k]ey components of the GHI will be promoting program integration, developing sustainable infrastructure, placing a strong emphasis on maternal-child health, requiring hard outcomes and prioritizing cost-effective interventions. Another aim is to integrate global health programs with development programs and food assistance" (Lubinski, 9/15).

In a separate post, the blog reported on U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Eric Goosby's address to the conference. According to "Science Speaks," Goosby "spent most of his short talk underscoring two concepts that dominate this Administration's discussions of global health: sustainability and integration." He also spoke about integration and healthcare workforce challenges in developing countries (Lubinksi [2], 9/15).

Blog: Need Efficient Aid Agency To Deliver Clean Water To Those In Need

Although there has "been a lot of great momentum lately about providing clean water for the nearly one billion people in the world without it … The system to implement it" is missing, according to a blog post from the organization One. "If we want to make a difference in helping poor families around the world access clean water, we need a modern and efficient aid agency to deliver on our promises. USAID needs an overall plan for fighting poverty in order to get the most out of this amazing infusion of resources for providing clean water," according to the blog (McConnell, 9/16).

Blog: Congress Should Approve Spending Increase For Maternal Health, Family Planning In Foreign Ops Bill

Ana Langer, president of EngenderHealth, in a Huffington Post blog writes, "In this day and age, no woman should die giving life. And no woman should die because she was unable to plan her pregnancy. The health of mothers and their children is the currency that stabilizes communities and allows for economic development." Langer calls on Congress to include a spending increase for maternal health and family planning in the FY10 Foreign Operations Bill (9/14).

Blog: Integrated, Flexible Global Health Programs Desirable

"From the grassroots to the large organizations here in Tanzania or in Zambia, the answers have been similar: an integrated, coordinated, comprehensive and, most especially, flexible approach to global health by a major donor such as the United States is welcome," Vince Blaser, the Global Health Council's policy communications coordinator, writes on the council's "Blog 4 Global Health." Blaser's post is part of an eight part series examining several U.S.-funded programs in Tanzania and Zambia (9/10).