Southeast Asia

Mar 20, 2024
A child having a lipid based nutrient supplement (LNS) in Bangladesh. Photo: icddr,b.   Deaths caused by diarrhea among children less than five years old are highest in poor communities in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, including here in
Blog
Oct 13, 2023
Poor families can struggle to afford staple foods, let alone nutrient-rich foods like vegetables, when prices increases. Photo: PATH.   In this time of post-pandemic economic recovery, many countries are confronting concurrent multiple challenges
Blog
Aug 23, 2023
More than 300 rotavirus vaccine superstars gathered at the International Rotavirus Symposium in Bali, Indonesia, earlier this year. Photo: PATH/Hope Randall. Rotavirus remains a common cause of severe diarrhea in young children in Indonesia. Last
Blog
Jul 25, 2023
Photo: icddr,b. Ever heard of the saying, "Small things can make a big difference?" Since 2015, I have had the privilege of working at icddr,b, which houses the world's largest diarrhoeal disease hospital. It's an enlightening experience,
Blog
Jun 29, 2023
Families collect water in a displacement camp outside Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where they were forced to flee after a volcanic eruption. Photo: PATH/Ley Uwera.    US scientists have confirmed that a weather event known as El Niño
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A boy is taking a bath in the Mohammadpur slum in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Mar 23, 2023
A boy is taking a bath in the Mohammadpur slum in Dhaka, Bangladesh. ​​​Photo: Maksudur Rahman How much water does a four-member family in a slum in Bangladesh use daily? Or how do millions of people in the Horn of Africa region live during this
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Young Indian girl stands amongst other seated children
Mar 13, 2023
Photo: PATH.  Rotavirus has the potential to impact every child in every country, rich or poor, regardless of access to safe water and sanitation. But the majority of deaths from rotavirus occur in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia in
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Black and white photo of a girl with a water can
Feb 16, 2023
Photo: PATH. Cholera is a major global health threat, affecting communities in endemic countries where access to safe water and adequate sanitation is limited. Despite significant progress in reducing the number of cholera cases and deaths, the
Blog
Dr. Qadri
Feb 08, 2023
One of the scientific titans in the cholera vaccine area is Dr. Firdausi Qadri. She has played a crucial role in the clinical development, evaluation, global introduction, and advocacy of oral cholera vaccines (OCV). She oversees  a large group of
Blog
Men in hazmat suits collecting water from a stream
Jun 18, 2022
Dr. Mahmud and team conduct water surveillance in Cox's Bazar.   This post originally appeared on the Take On Typhoid website   Of all the risks refugees and other displaced persons face, preventable disease outbreaks should not be one of them.
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Health worker educates a community member in a health clinic in Bil Dumuria, Bangladesh
Mar 31, 2021
Note from DefeatDD: This blog originally appeared on the Nutrition International website. Zinc and oral rehydration solution (ORS) are the World Health Organization’s recommended first-line treatment for diarrhea, and Nutrition International’s
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Indonesia and Peru diarrhea burden graphic
May 14, 2020
New IHME estimate show that countries such as Indonesia and Peru, pictured above, still experience substantial geographic disparities in diarrhea mortality. Source: IHME.    Diarrhea is the second leading infectious child killer in low- and middle
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Graph of baseline and additional child deaths
May 12, 2020
Although mortality rates for COVID-19 appear to be low in children and in women of reproductive age, these groups might be disproportionately affected by the disruption of routine health services, especially childbirth care and essential medicines,
Published research
Mar 12, 2020
Photo: PATH/Minzayar.   This February, the Myanmar Ministry of Health and Sports—with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance—launched the first rotavirus immunization program in the country. Rotarix®,
Blog
Mar 05, 2020
Dr. Anita Zaidi of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a vaccine superhero and an award-winning poo-et!    March 8 is International Women’s Day, and a chance to celebrate women around the globe for their roles as leaders, teachers, mothers
Blog
Jan 28, 2020
Note: This blog originally appeared on the Take on Typhoid website.    Today marks the first day of the 15th Asian Conference on Diarrhoeal Disease and Nutrition (ASCODD) taking place in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Ahead of the conference, I sat with Dr.
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Young boy at a hospital in Bangladesh
Nov 21, 2019
It may not be as significant as the moon landing, but we are feeling a bit like Neil Armstrong during those first steps. This week, exciting results from a clinical trial of an oral vaccine candidate designed to protect against one of the most
Blog
Jul 01, 2019
Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) has identified five myths which are stopping investors, agencies and policymakers from properly addressing the inadequate access to essential water and sanitation services in cities across Africa and
Reports
Apr 18, 2019
Photo: WFP.   Zinc is an essential nutrient for our immune system, both for keeping infections out and for fighting infections once they invade.  At least 17% of the world’s population is at risk of inadequate zinc intake, making zinc deficiency
Blog
Apr 03, 2019
Cholera is a major health burden in low- and middle-income countries. Globally, an estimated 1.3 billion people are at risk. South Asia constitutes the largest share of this at-risk population group, including at least 66 million in Bangladesh,
Blog
Mar 01, 2019
This fact sheet describes a PATH project in Vietnam that is focusing on testing a new formulation of a locally made rotavirus vaccine. PATH, Vietnam-based manufacturer POLYVAC (Center for Research and Production of Vaccines and Biologicals), and
Factsheets
Jun 20, 2018
From left to right: Laura Kallen, PATH; Roma Chilengi, CIDRZ; Hope Randall, PATH. See more photo booth images here.   Is advocacy my job?   That question was asked by presenter Dr. Roma Chilengi from the Centre for Infectious Disease Research,
Blog
May 14, 2018
Diarrheal disease is a disease of poverty. Though preventable, it continues to devastate families and communities around the world as a result of systematic inaccessibility of medical, social, and economic resources. ARCHIVE Global’s objective is to
Blog
May 08, 2018
Investing in integrated actions in the early years of a child’s life creates a positive cycle that builds human capital, strengthens economies, reduces future healthcare costs and contributes to national development.   New analysis by WaterAid and
Reports
May 08, 2018
  Six-year-old Mamisoa gathers water at one of the three new fountains in his village in Mangasoavina commune, Madagascar. Photo: WaterAid/ Ernest Randriarimalala.     “No to fragmentation and isolated action, Yes to synergy, harmonisation and
Blog
Feb 01, 2018
The emergency The Rohingyas are a predominantly Muslim ethnic group who, for centuries, resided in the Buddhist-dominant Rakhine State of Myanmar. However, they are not considered by Myanmar as one of their 135 official ethnic groups and have been
Blog
Jun 14, 2017
In the lead-up to Bangladesh’s introduction of rotavirus vaccines, a recently published cost-effectiveness analysis helps bolster the evidence base for decision-makers.   Bangladesh has long played a leading role in building the evidence base for
Blog
Jun 01, 2017
While healthy adults can often recover easily from common diarrhoeal pathogens, they have a devastating impact on children: according to the World Health Organization (WHO), half a million children die every year due to diarrhoea, with the majority
Blog
May 03, 2017
Back in 2000, when the Indian newspaper the Hindustan Times launched its Bhopal edition and I joined the team, I quickly learned about the importance of ‘local’ editions and the challenge of hunting out stories that would resonate with readers in
Blog
Feb 21, 2017
The 4th International Faecal Sludge Management Conference is underway this week in Chennai, India, and there are several unresolved issues that need to be discussed, the most critical being the sewage that typically ends up staying inside poor urban
Blog
Feb 08, 2017
It’s a story that many of us in India are hardened to: rural women talking about their children and the challenges they face in rearing them. A recent trip to one of north India’s poorest areas – the drought-hit Bundlekhand – both surprised and
Blog
Jan 19, 2017
Last week, Punjab province in Pakistan introduced rotavirus vaccine into its routine childhood immunization program. This is such a major step forward for our global goal of reducing rotavirus mortality and burden!   Over 40 percent of rotavirus
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Jan 04, 2017
Five years ago, when I started working for PATH, I was just married. I was exhilarated to be part of a globally renowned, knowledgeable rotavirus vaccine clinical operations team. Long before I experienced bringing up my daughters, I was working
Blog
Sep 20, 2016
In the final battle against polio, India was often clubbed with Nigeria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.  At the 12th International Rotavirus Symposium, it struck me that India is now clubbed with Nigeria, Pakistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo
Blog
Aug 23, 2016
Richard Heinzl (center) went to Sisophon, Cambodia, on his first mission with MSF in 1991.    Editor's Note: The contents of this blog, unfortunately, remain relevant as conflict continues to occur in many regions of the world. Although the
Blog
Aug 12, 2016
Matching the new India country program leader's steps is not for the faint-hearted. Deep diving into PATH's global depth and breadth of work - he knows he is in the right place at the right time. He attributes his move from the private sector to the
Blog
Aug 10, 2016
Eight-year-old Dipesh can tell his class everything about ‘dast' (diarrhea) and what to do if anyone gets diarrhea. He says if oral rehydration salts (ORS) don't give you relief, you need to go see a doctor.   Like Dipesh, many other children in
Blog
Aug 02, 2016
Raj Bala (right) is a lacatation counselor at Mahila Chikitsalya Hospital, Jaipur who helps mothers overcome any initial difficulties encountered during breastfeeding. Photo: PATH/Tom Furtwangler.    This story of a baby's survival made me a
Blog
Jul 26, 2016
Shigella, a deadly bacterial infection that causes diarrhea, may not be a household name, but it quickly became one for the Maier family when Jackie (bottom right in the above photo) became severely ill at nine years old, right around the time this
Blog
May 09, 2016
A scientist has a mandate: objective, data-driven fact-finding; research with an open mind and a solid protocol. But a scientist is more, too. Behind the standards of practice and quality control checks are life experiences, a full range of emotions
Blog
Apr 24, 2016
This post is part of the #ProtectingKids story roundup. Read all the stories here.       In 1982, I remember how a mother with two children with measles helped save many others.      Sadly, she lost one of the ailing children to a
Blog
Mar 28, 2016
On March 26, 2016, India joined the growing number of countries that have introduced rotavirus vaccine into their national immunization programs. The Indian Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Mr. JP Nadda, launched the rotavirus vaccine through
Blog
Jan 20, 2016
Dr. Rajiv Tandon, Senior Technical Advisor for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health and Nutrition based in PATH's New Delhi office and long-time advocate of public health and nutrition, will be speaking at the 53rd Annual Conference of Indian Academy
Blog
Dec 15, 2015
This study was funded by the National Science Foundation. Blogs featuring this study have appeared on the Center for Disease Dynamics and Economic Policy's website. Ali Akram conducted this work independently and the following does not reflect the
Blog
Nov 19, 2015
A toilet as an aspiration? In countries where we take flushing for granted, this perspective might be hard to understand. But when family finances are so scarce that school fees, nutritious food, and even basic health care stretch income beyond its
Blog
Oct 28, 2015
Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions are key to preventing diarrheal diseases. Handwashing is an easy way to prevent diarrhea, but is not always practiced. How can we improve the practices of people in countries where diarrheal
Blog
Oct 21, 2015
Outbreak and emergency situations often raise the specter of cholera and the very real danger it poses. But many communities throughout the world also face the silent, but no less deadly, burden of endemic cholera. Earlier this year, results from a
Blog
Oct 16, 2015
The New York Times, October 2015 "The greatest cost of stunting isn't stature but brain power," writes Nicholas Kristof in this op-ed. He covers a couple bold new theories for explaining India's struggle with malnutrition: the low status of women,
Latest news
Oct 07, 2015
On October 2nd, India celebrated its one year anniversary of the launch of the Clean India Mission. When I think about how the Government of India aligned Clean India Mission messages in all its flagship programs over the past year, especially in
Blog
Sep 23, 2015
Every family across the world wants the best for their children.  But everyday dangers in their environment make diarrhea a common and serious threat: more than half a million children die from diarrhea each year, and millions more are hospitalized
Video
Sep 22, 2015
“The results communicate a clear message: We can choose a better future for the world's children.”   I love that sentence from UNICEF's most recent A Promise Renewed progress report. The fact that we have a choice makes two essential points: (1)
Blog
Sep 17, 2015
Every day, concerned families bring children of all ages to the famous Cholera Hospital run by the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b). The children are brought to be treated for diarrhoea, but many are
Blog
Sep 15, 2015
On 13 February 2014 in Guinea, a woman holds her son in a sling on her back as he is vaccinated against measles in Conakry, the capital. The immunization was administered as part of a massive emergency vaccination campaign against the disease. The
Blog
Sep 09, 2015
A well nourished child is a healthy child. Fighting iron deficiency and the anemia it can cause is a big step toward fighting malnutrition, which weakens a child's immune system and leaves him/her susceptible to infections, including diarrhea and
Blog
Sep 02, 2015
Soumya fulfills a lifelong dream to travel to Hollywood. Here, he takes on Uma Thurman in a sword fight at Madame Tussauds. As a member of the operational team of the bovine-human reassortant rotavirus vaccine (BRV) project, I am responsible for
Blog
Aug 28, 2015
I consider it my life's mission to catalyze innovations and mentor startups that would help develop a cutting edge biotechnology industry for India and the world. This would simultaneously help solve some of India's pressing public health impact
Blog
Aug 26, 2015
Worldwide each year 3.3 million infants die in the first month of life. India takes the lead with 779,000 deaths (29 deaths/1000 live births). Neonatal mortality constitutes 56% of the total under-five mortality (52 deaths/1000 live births) in India
Blog
Aug 14, 2015
As part of the India Sanitation Coalition, WaterAid has been collaborating with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) to enable and support an ecosystem for sustainable sanitation in line with the Clean India Campaign.
Blog
Jul 09, 2015
BBC News, July 2015 A new study by ICDDR,B published in The Lancet is the first to prove the effectiveness and feasibility of an oral cholera vaccine in real-life settings in Bangladesh. Importantly, the integration of other diarrhea interventions
Latest news
Jun 29, 2015
This week, Save the Children India (SCI) will begin implementation of its nationwide Stop Diarrhoea Initiative. Officially launched in India in March with support from Reckitt Benckiser, this Initiative implements the WHO/UNICEF seven-point plan to
Blog
Jun 25, 2015
The Financial Express, June 2015 The India Sanitation Coalition is a partnership among corporations, nonprofits, and the general public to help develop a sustainable way forward for the Swachh Bharat Mission (Clean India). Read the full article 
Latest news
Jun 24, 2015
Partnership between PATH and icddr,b has yielded crucial research results that have not only impacted local communities, but have also informed global policy advances. Today's blog highlights icddr,b's important role in research and clinical care,
Blog
Jun 04, 2015
Gracy pictured here with her husband, Ramesh, and daughter, Ashira.   Gracy Gompana will very often not entertain a query unless you have your basic facts right. There is a reason for that. Having completed her Masters in Human Genetics she worked
Blog
May 01, 2015
World Economic Forum, May 2015 "For fast-growing countries like India and Bangladesh, tackling rotavirus -- which cheats children and the nation of productivity, well-being and development -- should be a priority." Read the full article 
Latest news
Apr 24, 2015
This post is part of the #ProtectingKids blog series. Read the whole series here. Note: This blog was originally posted on Gavi's VaccinesWork.org. PATH child health expert Dr. Huong played a key role in helping Vietnam update its national
Blog
Apr 24, 2015
This post is part of the #ProtectingKids blog series. Read the whole series here. Dhaka was people. Everywhere I looked: people. Crowded streets, makeshift markets, farmers, businessmen, families, and animals. More than 15 million people live in
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Apr 01, 2015
The 50 kilometer drive from Phnom Penh to Ponhea Leu, Kandal province took a good two hours, reminding me of similar roads in India. In Cambodia, on an assignment for Amplify Markets to support businesses providing WASH solutions to low income
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Mar 19, 2015
In March 2014, advocates raised their glasses in a virtual toast to celebrate the lifesaving impact of safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). Then in December 2015, members of Congress clinked their glasses in return through the
Blog
Mar 11, 2015
BRAC, based in Bangladesh, is the largest non-governmental development organization in the world, measured by the number of employees and the number of people it has served. Formerly known as the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee, BRAC was
Blog
Mar 05, 2015
Adolescent girls in Maharashtra, India. Lorelei Goodyear is a senior program officer at PATH and a committed advocate for women's health. Her work on PATH's Healthy Households Initiative empowers women through entrepreneurship that enables their
Blog
Feb 25, 2015
Kolkata, on the eastern part of India, has long been a public health hub. The city boasts of the School of Tropical Medicine, All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED), and the
Blog
Feb 17, 2015
International Business Times, February 2015 New data published in JAMA Pediatrics shows that health workers in India often wrongfully prescribe antibiotics for simple cases of diarrhea, instead of oral rehydration solution and zinc, contributing to
Latest news
Feb 16, 2015
Thomson Reuters Foundation, February 2015 Despite impressive gains in other areas, India still lags behind in access to safe water and clean toilets. The national Swachh Bharat ("Clean India") campaign represents an unprecented opportunity to make
Latest news
Feb 13, 2015
Zee News, February 2015 India has among the highest child mortality rates from pneumonia and diarrhea in the world. The Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhoea by UNICEF and WHO provides a roadmap that can be
Latest news
Feb 13, 2015
Sanitation is a serious challenge for India. Even though it has had sanitation programmes since the 1950s, more than half the population continues to defecate in the open because toilets are poorly made, because they do not have a toilet, or because
Blog
Jan 26, 2015
Photo credit: Marco Betti, WaterAid. See more photos from DefeatDD's 2015 toilet calendar: "Oh, the places we go: Public health's humble hero"   Now that India has the political commitment at the highest level to strive towards an open defecation-
Blog
Jan 22, 2015
When I first came to work at Vadu, I was not sure if I could use my knowledge of biotechnology in this setting. Was it worth travelling 25 miles every day to reach my place of work, and what would I be able to achieve? After five years, I know I
Blog
Dec 29, 2014
NPR, December 2014 Floating toilets for floating villeages in Cambodia do double duty by providing sanitation and keeping rivers clean. Read the full article
Latest news
Dec 22, 2014
  With two college-going children - pardon - adults in the house - it is difficult to recall them reaching their fifth year milestone. I still recall, though, the amazement that often came from friends and family in the larger cities of India (who
Blog
Dec 19, 2014
BBC News, December 2014 A new report by WaterAid, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the World Health Organization, and other global health bodies calls for greater attention to basic sanitation in health facilities to prevent
Latest news
Oct 01, 2014
In a swampy field in Western Kenya, an energetic Alfred Ochola surveys the crowd. All eyes are on him as he rolls up his pants, wades into a muddy stream, and fills a bucket with dirty water.
Special Features
Sep 24, 2014
As world leaders gather this week and next at the United Nations for the General Assembly, the focus will be on an ambitious post-2015 sustainable development agenda. The UN will continue to work with governments, civil society, and other partners
Blog
Aug 13, 2014
I grew up in an educated middle class Bangladeshi family in Dhaka, the capital of the country. I grew up with the idea that immunization is not important, that vaccines could have an adverse effect on vital organs of your body. Having a strong
Blog
Aug 01, 2014
Diarrhea is a leading killer of children across Asia, causing approximately 11 percent of deaths in children under five years of age in the World Health Organization’s Southeast Asia Region (WHO SEAR).1 Rotavirus, the most common cause of severe
Factsheets
Jul 23, 2014
Twenty-five year old Durga has travelled 15 km from her village to get to Darbhanga (Bihar), the district headquarters, following the advice of the local auxiliary nurse and midwife (ANM). Her daughter Puja, who is 10 months old and severely
Blog
Jun 12, 2014
  Dr. Desmond Chavasse, the Senior Vice President of Malaria and Child Survival for PSI's programs, recently traveled to Bihar, India to gain a deep understanding of PSI's largest market-based sanitation program, 3SI: Supporting Sustainable
Blog
Apr 10, 2014
James Chauvin during a hike at Table Mountain, Cape Town (South Africa). Communications Officer Sushmita Malaviya interviews James Chauvin, President of the World Federation of Public Health Associations and Co-Chair of the 14th World Congress on
Blog
Apr 09, 2014
The Hindu, April 2014This op-ed from a leading Indian newspaper highlights India's breakthrough development of a safe and efficacious rotavirus vaccine and its potential to sharply reduce child deaths and hospitalizations through introduction into
Latest news
Feb 24, 2014
BioSpectrum, February 2014Diarrhea kills 100,000 children in India each year. Simple measures and an integrated approach could change this.Read the full article
Latest news
Feb 19, 2014
  What appealed to you about joining PATH? I was a research scientist conducting large scale clinical trials mostly on vaccines. However, after the trial results were declared there was nothing more I could do in terms of advocacy, preparedness
Blog
Jan 02, 2014
Combining forces in Cambodia to overcome childhood diarrhea and pneumonia 360 KB PDF Through an integrated approach to community health, Cambodia is addressing diarrhea and pneumonia, two of the biggest threats to child health. This fact sheet
Factsheets
Dec 19, 2013
  The mothers' group in Chorm Trach meets to discuss preventing and treating diarrhea. Photo: PATH/Anne Aumell.   Originally posted on the PATH blog. PATH's Anne Aumell, a member of our Development team, traveled recently in Southeast Asia,
Blog
Oct 23, 2013
Kiersten at a mothers' group meeting  in Khiro block, district Rai Bareli in  Uttar Pradesh, India. Kiersten Israel-Ballard, Technical Officer for the Maternal, Child Health and Nutrition Program from PATH's Seattle office was in India in September
Blog
Oct 03, 2013
  In August I attended the International Congress of Pediatrics, which was hosted in Melbourne, Australia.  The Congress is a global meeting place of physicians, researchers, nurses and health care workers in the field of pediatrics and civil
Blog
Sep 17, 2013
  Quest-driven, yet reticent, Vidya Sagar Uprety, Senior Program Officer, (Clinical Trials) of a rotavirus Phase III efficacy study, was always the school topper. From the calm and peaceful environs of the hill state of Uttarakhand, to the hustle
Blog
Aug 29, 2013
  Diarrhea and pneumonia are the leading causes of mortality in children under 5, accounting for over 2 million deaths annually. More than 90% of these deaths occur in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where children in the poorest, most rural
Blog
Aug 14, 2013
  As part of my work for PATH, I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Kasturba Hospital in Sewagram, India. My colleague and I were given a tour of the facility by a young doctor on staff there, Dr. Abhishek, and his enthusiasm for the
Blog
Aug 07, 2013
  For the affable Dr. Tushar Tewari, PATH Team Leader of a rotavirus vaccine project, Eastern and Southern India have been his home as a medical student.  As a professional it has been Western and Northern India, thus, literally covering the
Blog
May 15, 2013
Times of India, May 2013A pivotal clinical study of India's first indigenous rotavirus vaccine found it to be safe and efficacious against severe rotavirus. A public-private partnership worked to develop the vaccine, which will provide an affordable
Latest news
May 14, 2013
RotaFlash, May 2013 A Phase III trial of a new rotavirus vaccine candidate from India demonstrates safety and efficacy. Additionally, a new study shows that rotavirus is the #1 cause of moderate-to-severe diarrhea in children less than two years
Latest news
May 10, 2013
  Sometimes history is made at the ballot box, sometimes on a battlefield. Today it was made in a hotel ballroom. That is where I was able to witness an historic breakthrough as the Indian Government and Bharat Biotech announced positive results
Blog
May 02, 2013
The Government of India’s Department of Biotechnology and Bharat Biotech announced positive results from a Phase 3 clinical trial of a rotavirus vaccine developed and manufactured in India. Data from the trial, presented at the May 2013
Published research
Apr 05, 2013
Dr. Shams El Arifeen, Director, The Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, at ICDDR,B (icddr,b) Dr. Lulu Bravo, Professor of Paediatric Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University of the
Other
Apr 05, 2013
This advocacy toolkit is designed to assist civil society organisations (CSOs), nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), and other advocacy groups or individuals to advocate for the successful implementation of the recommendations of the Integrated
Toolkits
Apr 05, 2013
Leaders of global and national NGOs, scientists, pediatricians, academics, and policymakers have issued statements to support the implementation of the GAPPD framework. To read through leader statements categorized by region, click the links below
Other
Jan 23, 2013
  Reposted from path.org.   In Cambodia, an innovative idea to treat pneumonia and diarrhea at the same time—profiled in this post—was so successful that the Ministry of Health plans to join with us and UNICEF to extend the project throughout
Blog
Jan 01, 2013
PATH, in collaboration with the Cambodia Ministry of Health (MOH), the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and other nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), implemented the Enhanced Diarrheal Disease (EDD)
Factsheets
Dec 04, 2012
International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh: A global leader In 1971, a cholera outbreak ravaged camps of refugees from the Bangladesh Liberation War. Supplies for intravenous rehydration, upon which physicians had relied for
Other
Nov 05, 2012
PATH's Safe Water Project summarizes its findings in a new publication. If households living on just a few dollars per day can purchase soap, shampoo, and cell phone minutes, they ought to have access to products that purify their drinking water.
Blog
Sep 24, 2012
Sabin Vaccine Institute, September 2012The world's greatest minds focused on defeating rotavirus gathered in Bangkok to share experiences, data, and motivation at overcoming the leading cause of severe childhood diarrhea.Read the full article
Latest news
Sep 19, 2012
  It all seemed that it would be easy back in 2006. The New England Journal of Medicine published landmark articles reporting the safety and efficacy of two new rotavirus vaccines in January of that year. And within weeks the US announced that it
Blog
Sep 17, 2012
Christian Science Monitor, September 2012The East Meets West Foundation tries cash awards to encourage families and communities in Vietnam and Cambodia to build latrines and hand-washing devices.Read the full article
Latest news
Sep 05, 2012
Advocates in Viet Nam in front of a pledge banner with hundreds of moms' signatures in support of six months maternity leave. Exclusive breastfeeding for six months is one of the most effective ways to reduce a child's risk of diarrheal disease. In
Blog
Aug 24, 2012
Impatient Optimists, August 2012In June, the Vietnam National Assembly voted in favor of two decisions in support of child health. The first is to extend paid maternity leave from 4 to 6 months, making it easier for moms to follow the World Health
Latest news
Aug 21, 2012
PLOS, August 2012In the first of two posts, guest blogger Oliver Sabot from the Clinton Health Access Initiative reflects on challenges and opportunities to improve the use of zinc and ORS to treat diarrhea in a rural area of the Indian state of
Latest news
Jun 28, 2012
  Five years ago, when Mitesh Gupta was born in Badohi (Uttar Pradesh), his mother Malti says, he was just fine. Five months down, the boy began to have severe episodes of diarrhea. Seeing no respite in the boy's condition, she opted to bring him
Blog
Jun 14, 2012
  As health leaders from around the globe gather for the Child Survival Call to Action, it is heartening to see India take a leadership role as co-convener of the Summit. Ghulam Nabi Azad, Minister of Health and Family Welfare for India, will help
Blog
May 31, 2012
  I am a Program Assistant. For most, understandably, this job title does not conjure a vivid illustration of the role. As I describe it to interested family and friends, my day-to-day entails assembling proposals, reports, and presentations,
Blog
May 16, 2012
  I didn't notice Savita Rai at first. I was too busy watching the mothers' group. I was in her Indian village to see how PATH's Sure Start project was transforming a devastating situation—high rates of maternal and newborn deaths—into one of hope
Blog
Apr 19, 2012
  In Mandwa and Anji villages, approximately 100 kilometers from Nagpur (Maharashtra, India), several families have taken to two simple practices. One, fixing plastic taps to the earthen pots in which they store drinking water and/or adding a few
Blog
Apr 03, 2012
  Last month I had the opportunity to go out into field with my colleagues in Cambodia where PATH is working with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and local provincial health and operating districts to increase the coverage of zinc and ORS. A major new
Blog
Mar 14, 2012
Summer 2006, rural China: My colleagues and I take a bathroom break at a rest stop on the side of the road on our way to a health clinic. Unlike many female restrooms around the world, there isn't a long line of patrons waiting to use the holes in
Blog
Feb 23, 2012
  As India announced in January 2012 that it has been polio free for a year, the bigger story that missed the headlines may have been the fact that the Indian States of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar - which have long been the endemic states - have
Blog
Feb 02, 2012
  It was just a conference room in Delhi, not the Taj Mahal by any means. No lapis lazuli or other luxuries. (Although many would consider the flush toilets, hot water, and soap in the bathrooms down the hall as luxuries).   Here scientists are
Blog
Jan 11, 2012
The Times of India, January 2012State government health facilities in Lucknow, India, has added zinc tablets to oral rehydration therapy (ORT) kits used for treating kids with diarrhea. Zinc is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for
Latest news
Jan 11, 2012
RotaFlash, January 2012The Phillipines has become the first country in Southeast Asia to implement the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommendation to introduce life-saving rotavirus vaccines through its national immunization program.Read the
Latest news
Dec 07, 2011
A young inpatient recovers from severe diarrhea, a bandage on his small hand the remnant of emergency IV rehydration. By the second open-air hospital, I knew better than to look for water fountains. The sealed plastic  bottles conspicuously tucked
Blog
Nov 01, 2011
This fact sheet summarizes PATH's projects in Vietnam that aimed to reduce childhood illness and death from diarrhea. Efforts included collaborations to update guidelines for health workers, clinical trials of rotavirus vaccines, and household water
Factsheets
Nov 01, 2011
This briefing paper details PATH's partnership with officials and health leaders in Vietnam that bridged policy with community health delivery to reduce hospitalization and death from childhood diarrhea. A multi-faceted effort brought the national
Factsheets
Sep 01, 2011
  Rivann and I are on way to Baray Health Center in Kampong Thom province to observe and speak with health center staff and Village Health Support Group (VHSG) members. We'll learn from them the effects of childhood pneumonia and diarrheal disease
Blog
Aug 17, 2011
  In July, zinc for the treatment of diarrhea was officially listed as an essential drug by the Ministry of Health in Vietnam. This capped a two year effort of policy consultations, evidence review and advocacy.  As a result of this listing, by law
Blog
Jan 12, 2011
bdnews24.com, January 2011Rotavirus season in Bangladesh leads to a major increase in cases among infants and children, but interventions like rotavirus vaccines and oral rehydration therapy have the potential to save thousands of lives.Read the
Latest news
Dec 21, 2010
Reuters, December 2010 A lack of toilets and poor hygiene practices in India cost Asia's third largest economy almost $54 billion every year, the World Bank said on Monday. Premature deaths, treatment for the sick, wasted time and productivity, as
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Dec 17, 2010
The Huffington Post, December 2010On December 17, ABC will launch a global health series. In this article, Richard Besser, M.D., ABC News Chief Health and Medical Editor, recalls his first job in public health at the International Center of
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Dec 14, 2010
Washington Bangla Radio, December 2010 Communicable diseases, particularly diarrhoeal diseases, are rising at an alarming rate in India. This article outlines some shocking statistics about the impact of unsafe water and poor sanitation in the
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Nov 09, 2010
This week, PATH is co-hosting a symposium - along with the Vietnamese Ministry of Health and Vietnam's National Pediatric Hospital - on the importance of taking an integrated approach to defeating diarrheal disease.  The gathering will bring
Blog
Sep 08, 2010
With the devastating flooding in Pakistan, health and aid officials are once again sounding the global alarm to prevent outbreaks of diarrhea.WHO projects that up to 1.5 million cases of diarrheal diseases could occur in Pakistan over the next three
Blog
Aug 26, 2010
UNICEF, August 2010 Thousands of children in India die each year from diarrhea and its complications. But an estimated 88 per cent of global deaths from diarrhea are entirely preventable if simple treatment and basic health information can be
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Aug 06, 2010
Check out new blogs posted today by our partners at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the ONE Campaign. New blogs posted today by our partners at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the ONE Campaign offer insight on the dramatic
Blog
Aug 05, 2010
Global Health Magazine, August 2010Nepal has the poorest drinking water and sanitation coverage for its population in South Asia and a correspondingly high rate of waterborne diseases. Read about one school-focused water and sanitation project, the
Latest news
Jun 23, 2010
I've been traveling the past three weeks in Bangladesh and West Bengal visiting water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) organizations and their field programs. I've covered a fair amount of ground and have seen the work of international as well as
Blog
Jun 07, 2010
Treehugger, April 2010 A new report shows that more people in India have access to cell phones than to toilets: a fact which highlights the importance of education and implementation of sanitation projects. Basic sanitation is not only necessary,
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Apr 23, 2010
World Care Council, April 2010Why is sanitation not receiving the funding and media attention it needs? Jamal Saghir of the World Bank frankly states that toilets, while necessary, are not a "sexy" issue, but if we overcome this barrier we can save
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Feb 01, 2010
The Jakarta Post, February 2010 USAID's clean water and sanitation projects have helped reduce diarrheal disease in Indonesia.Read the full article.
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Oct 01, 2009
Washington Post, October 2009 Proper sanitation habits had been a hard sell in India until the "No Toilet, No Bride" campaign. The success of this marketing strategy is evidence of changing attitudes, both for personal hygiene and for women's
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Oct 01, 2009
The Times of India, October 2009 The new report launched by UNICEF and WHO, Diarrhoea: Why children are still dying and what can be done, presents some sobering statistics on the diarrheal disease burden, especially for India. Thankfully, it also
Latest news
Oct 01, 2009
Guardian, October 2009 Though global child mortality rates have seen improvement, child mortality rates in India's slums have doubled. This short video tells the story of Surma, a mother who lost her four year old son, Parmesh, to diarrhea.Read the
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Jul 01, 2009
The News, July 2009 The Ministry of Environment in Pakistan, in collaboration with UNICEF and USAID, hosted a workshop entitled "National Behavioural Change Communication Strategy for Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Sector." The workshop
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