To commemorate World Water Day 2011 and sustain momentum for water and sanitation, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and World Bank President Robert Zoellick signed of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the US Government and World Bank. They were joined by Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and The Coca-Cola Company, who made new commitments to solve the global safe drinking water and sanitation.
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Study findings in the January 2011 special supplement to The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal demonstrate the substantial impact of rotavirus vaccines on the health of children in developed and developing countries that have introduced the vaccines. The supplement, “Real World Impact of Rotavirus Vaccination,” summarizes data on the dramatic and swift decline in the number of children hospitalized due to rotavirus in countries that include rotavirus vaccines as part of their routine immunization programs.
Read the full release (PDF 74.13 KB)
On November 10-11, 2010, the Vietnamese Ministry of Health, National Pediatric Hospital, and PATH will conduct a regional workshop for health leaders in Hanoi, Vietnam, to discuss diarrheal disease solutions for Asia and lessons learned from current initiatives. Vietnam’s Ministry of Health recently unveiled new national “Guidelines for Management of Diarrheal Disease in Children,” reinforcing the government’s commitment to saving children’s lives by preventing diarrhea‐related illness.
Read the full press release (PDF 125 KB)
To learn more about PATH's work on diarrheal disease in Vietnam, read our fact sheet.
On October 15, over 80 countries and at least 200 million children, parents, teachers, celebrities and citizens are soaping up for the third annual Global Handwashing Day. Handwashing with soap is one of the most effective and affordable health interventions known to man.
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On October 13, 2010, a press briefing in Washington, DC, will announce a U.S. Call to Action for WASH in Schools (PDF 1.74 MB) to increase public and private awareness, action and funding for WASH in schools programs globally. Participants in the briefing will include Coca-Cola, USAID, Academy for Educational Development, and others.
Read the full press release (PDF 50.18 KB) and view the event invitation (PDF 37.44 KB).
Two weeks in advance of the UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG) Summit in New York City, which will bring together leaders from around the globe to discuss progess on the MDGs, WaterAid has released a report entitled, "Ignored: the biggest child killer (PDF 1.4 MB)" which addresses the neglected sanitation crisis. At current rates of progress, the 2015 target to halve the proportion of people living without sanitation will not be met globally until 2049; and in Sub-Saharan Africa not until the 23rd century, some 200 years late.
Also see Sarah Bosley's global health blog entry, "The health goal that is a dirty word" in the Guardian.
A special supplement of the Journal of Infectious Diseases published today summarizes data that illustrate the tremendous burden of rotavirus disease throughout Africa. The supplement, “Rotavirus Infection in Africa: Epidemiology, Burden of Disease, and Strain Diversity,” compiles data on disease burden and serotype distribution from 15 countries in the continent, in addition to data from countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Surveillance findings from several countries reveal a greater prevalence of rotavirus—the most common cause of severe childhood diarrhea—than previously reported.
A week after the World Health Organization announced the welcome news that the H1N1 flu has ended its pandemic phase, the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) reminds the world’s decision-makers that deaths from diarrhea remain extremely high. The same groups who took part in the successful response to the H1N1 pandemic also have a role to play in addressing diarrhea.
On Thursday, August 12, PATH and the Ministry of Health in Kenya sponsored a launch event in Western Province for the new diarrheal disease policy guidelines. This provincial launch comes as a follow up to the national launch in March in Nairobi and will help to ensure that the policy guidelines are implemented throughout the country.
PATH, August 2010
Results from an unprecedented clinical study examining the efficacy of rotavirus vaccines in developing countries of Asia, and from a similar clinical study in Africa, were just published in The Lancet. The studies, which show the vaccines significantly reduced severe disease in low-income settings, contribute to a growing body of evidence demonstrating the potential lifesaving impact of rotavirus vaccines in the settings where they are needed most.
Read the full press release here. Also see highlights from the trial results in Kenya and in Ghana.
View media coverage highlights for this story.