The info hub for the hub of global health
Busking for a cause
You may notice something different about King County buskers—some of them are busking for blood instead of tips. As a part of the Music’s In Our Blood campaign by Bloodworks Northwest, talented artists are performing to attract new blood donors. The goal is to gain 10,000 new blood donors by the end of the year to maintain a healthy supply of blood.
Support for South Sudan
Between civil war, extreme weather, poverty, hunger, and more compounding factors, children and families in South Sudan are struggling. UNICEF and partners are providing therapeutic foods, lifesaving medicines, and medical supplies to 1,145 stabilization centers nationwide.
They also support the training of community nutrition workers to help families create nutritious meals out of the limited resources available. In the first half of this year, UNICEF and partners reached over 90,000 children with severe acute malnutrition, and they will continue supporting families.
Vaccination station
VillageReach worked with the Congolese government and other technical and financial partners to set up a high-volume COVID-19 vaccination site in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In a country where less than 1% of the population has been vaccinated, the site (AKA “vaccinodrome”) is in one of the busiest districts of Kinshasa and has the capacity to vaccinate 400 people a day, which will help in slowing the spread of the virus. The national goal is to vaccinate 4 million people across the DRC by March 2022.
To boost or not to boost
We’ve been hearing a lot lately about booster shots, particularly to prevent COVID-19. Fred Hutch released an update to answer common booster shot questions such as who needs it, what it does, and if we can mix vaccines from different manufacturers. Right now, everyone over 18 in the US is eligible for a booster.
Surge protectors
According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, cases of COVID-19 are rising in several areas. In the US, this is mainly caused by vaccine protection wearing off, as well as people traveling more, wearing masks less, and gathering indoors due to winter weather. Protect yourself from the COVID-19 surge—keep taking health precautions (social distancing, wearing a mask, washing your hands, and keeping rooms well ventilated) and get boosted if you can.
Climate & health
WGHA vice president Megan Bettilyon had the opportunity to attend the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow recently. She observed the proceedings and promoted global health interests. She shared, “Raising awareness of the effects that climate change has on human health is of the utmost importance.” Her biggest takeaway from the COP is that hope is on the horizon if we collectively commit to innovations that combat climate change and invest in a pipeline of future environmental and global health leaders.
Zoomin’ around town
Dec. 8–9: Don’t miss the Goalmakers Annual Conference, hosted by Global Washington, to collectively work toward the Sustainable Development Goals.
Dec. 9: Sign up for the next virtual Community Matters Conversation hosted by Medical Teams International.
Dec. 9–10: Register for the 2021 Global Health Landscape Symposium, hosted by the Global Health Council, to discuss current trends and calls to action in global health.
Dec. 10: Register for Amplio’s virtual 2021 Annual Event to hear the latest updates about Talking Books in 13 countries.
Dec. 14: Join Malaria Partners International for the 6 Month Progress Update on Partners for a Malaria Free Zambia.
Dec. 16: Register now for the Women in Global Health Seattle Q4 virtual event to hear from Dr. Lisa Orbé-Austin, a licensed psychologist, executive coach, and organizational consultant on the topic of imposter syndrome.
“Our most immediate task, therefore, is to end this pandemic. Indeed, our ability to end this pandemic is a test of our collective ability to prevent and respond effectively to future pandemics, because the same principles apply: courageous and compassionate leadership; fidelity to science; generosity in sharing the fruits of research; and an unshakeable commitment to equity and solidarity.”
–Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General’s opening remarks at the Special Session of the World Health Assembly on November 29, 2021