Become a health hero: It's now or never for the health MDGs
BRUSSELS - The UN MDG summit storm has come and gone. The dust is settling, and it's back to business as usual for Action for Global Health's dynamic superhero duo. So, what did we learn from our first foray as superheroes? Em, that donning all that spandex is a lot tougher than you might imagine... On a serious note, the discussions in New York provided a timely reminder that it's time for world leaders to roll up their sleeves and get down to business. In a nutshell, it's now or never. [read more...]
A new UN strategy for child & maternal health: but what happens next?
NEW YORK - Unfortunately we didn't get to be in the room when world leaders pledged their commitments to the UN Secretary General's Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health, but watching it by live feed from the bloggers' lounge definitely gave it the feeling of a climactic moment. That was because countries, both developing and developed, global health actors like the Gates Foundation and NGOs unveiled the pledges that they were making against the plan. [read more...]
A plea for a joined up approach to meeting the MDGs
NEW YORK - No one attending the MDG Summit really expects any big surprises. But we got one of our own when Dr Samuel Kargbo called to announce that, not only was he in New York, but that he had managed to get here by catching a ride on the President of Sierra Leone's plane. He came to bring his expertise as a doctor and health official to any discussion about patient user fees - a theme that is close to AFGH's heart. [read more...]
Happy ending for the campaign "Non-assistance a' mere en danger"
PARIS - Saturday (September 18) tourists and street vendors around the Eiffel Tower were replaced by activists from "Non-assistance a' mere en danger", GCAP and the French Millennium Campaign for a huge flash mob. Activists released black balloons as a tribute to the 350,000 pregnant women who die each year from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth, and showed their support for the global fight against poverty and inequality, to the sound of a drum representing a human heartbeat. [read more...]
