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Awards, flu season, and ways to combat stress

And the winners are...

On October 12, the Washington Global Health Alliance celebrated impact innovation at our Global Health Impact Awards. This event celebrates the heroes of global health who strive to create greater access to health care and achieve health equity. We would like to thank everyone who attended the event, our sponsors, and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture.


We’re excited to announce this year’s Global Health Impact Award winners:


If you were unable to attend in person, a recording of the event will be on our website soon!


Fending off flu season


It’s officially fall and that means flu season is just around the corner. With the flu on its way and new COVID-19 boosters becoming available, several WGHA member organizations provide important information on where to get your flu shots and boosters and how you can stay healthy this fall:

  • Dennis Cunningham, MD, medical director of infection control and prevention at Henry Ford Health, shares important information about the new FDA-authorized Omicron boosters.

  • Providence Swedish offers six things you should know about the new boosters.

  • And Public Health – Seattle & King County can help you find a vaccination clinic near you.


Change of approach


The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation released The Future of Progress, its 2022 Goalkeepers Report. This annual report shares a new approach to how we think about world hunger and gender inequality, and it reflects on what the second era of Sustainable Development Goals could look like.


Combat stress


Between pandemic fatigue and major world events, there is plenty to be stressed about these days. Studies show that long-term stress can prematurely shrink our brains and lead to memory loss. Henry Ford Health provides tips to counteract the effects of chronic stress and help your brain recover.


Outbreak in Uganda


Last week, the CDC issued a precautionary Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory about a confirmed outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Uganda caused by Sudan virus, with 44 confirmed cases. No suspected, probable, or confirmed EVD cases have been reported in countries other than Uganda yet. Read the HAN advisory to see CDC recommendations for public health departments and clinicians.


Remembering Lynn Staheli


Last year, the global health community mourned the loss of Dr. Lynn Staheli (November 13, 1933–August 9, 2021), longtime director at Children’s Hospital’s Orthopedic Department in Seattle. In his retirement, Dr. Staheli, in partnership with his wife Lana, founded Global HELP, a free, online medical library with a primary focus on children’s health in underserved communities. This resource has helped thousands of medical practitioners’ better address children’s health globally over the past 20 years. Today we remember and honor Dr. Staheli for all his contributions to global health.


On the move


  • VillageReach has appointed Claudia Shilumani as their Vice President, Partnerships & Impact. This new strategic role will develop and operationalize VillageReach’s strategic goal of being a global leader in advancing scale and sustainability of transformative health care delivery strategies in collaboration with governments, technical partners, and the private sector.


Around the community


  • Oct. 19: Attend the Seattle Children’s class, Finding Mental Health Care in Washington State, designed for caregivers and families seeking mental and behavioral health services for people under 18.

  • Oct. 27: Register for the Global Washington event Leading in Times of Transformation and hear from VillageReach, Tostan, and The Chandler Foundation about how they are navigating, adapting, and innovating in an era of rapid, sector-wide change—and finding major opportunities to build new ways of working.

  • Oct. 31: Join I-TECH in celebrating two decades of work in HIV prevention, care, and treatment at their 20th Anniversary Symposium!

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